Christians have often assumed that Jesus wasn’t married, mostly based on the idea that if Jesus had been married then it would be mentioned in the Gospels at some point. This assumption is flawed for many reasons as shown in this article. Indeed, when we add the historical knowledge we have of the era with the cultural information preserved within the Gospels, it seems most likely that Jesus was married.
Tag: Paul
What Does Mormonism Teach About The Meaning of Life and Life on Other Worlds?
What is the meaning of life? What is the purpose behind Creation? Why am I here? Am I alone here? Are humans alone in the Universe? Is their life, intelligent life, on other worlds? If there is, what do they look like? What do they believe? How do they live? Is everything just one big cosmic accident, one great big empyrean joke?
These are some of the most meaningful and important questions that we ask ourselves. The Universe seems dark, chaotic, and full of impassable distances, and looming terrors. And it doesn’t give up its answers easily. But there are answers to our questions, a balm for our troubles, answers to our prayers.
There is the Gospel of Jesus Christ. And it answers all those questions and more. That is what this article is about.
Remembering The Power of The Cross on Easter
It is well known within and without of Mormonism’s cultural bubble that Latter-day Saints don’t wear crosses, nor do we consider the Cross as the symbol of our faith. Why this is will have to wait for another time. This Holy Week I instead want to explore the symbol of the Cross not in our society but in our theology. Unlike our discourse, every book of LDS scripture is awash with the symbol of the Cross and the Suffering Savior, the Crucified Christ, as the symbol of discipleship and the focus of faith. What do the scriptures have to say about the symbol of the Christ and what does it mean for what we believe and how we should teach about the Atonement of Jesus Christ? What does it mean for our Christianity? How should Latter-day Saints look at the Cross, especially as we go into the Paschal/Easter season? This is what I explore in today’s article as I prepare my heart and mind for celebrating the Crucifixion and Resurrection of Christ the Lord.
What Christians Need To Know About Romans 13
The traditional argument says that in Romans 13 Romans 13 the Apostle Paul tells Christians that they should be obedient to their governments which have been appointed by God to be His servants on Earth. But is that what the Paul really taught? In a word? No. Not even close. In this article I delve into what exactly Romans 13 does teach.
First, after looking at the teachings of multiple theologians and the text of the scripture itself, I demonstrate that even assuming Paul is talking about governments he isn’t teaching that we should be obedient to every government or that every government is from God. Rather Paul teaches that Christians should only obey governments as the laws and actions of those governments accord with the commandments of God – which means that Christians are not bound to obey most modern governments.
Next, I attempt a re-interpretation of Paul. After delving into the actual Greek text and the meanings of the words that Paul used, I conclude that Paul isn’t even talking about worldly governments at all. Instead Paul is actually talking about the kind of relationship that Christians should have to the church and its leaders, as well as the role those Church leaders should play in the lives of Christians.
No matter how you look at it, the Apostle Paul did not teach Christians that they should be obedient to governments or that worldly governments are God’s servants. And those that think otherwise have misunderstood the scriptures.
Christians, Guns, and Killing in Self-Defense
In the United States guns are an inescapable part of everyday life. Depending on what state you live in you could be surrounded by people either carrying a gun secretly or openly. Even outside the USA it is a rare country that doesn’t glorify its military and soldiers as armed heroes of the nation who do the work of fighting and killing which all within the country’s borders. The entertainment of the world is awash with violent heroes whose solutions to the problems of the world is to kill anyone who stands in their way and not even ask questions about it later. They’re just assumed to be right. Everywhere we turn violence is idolized as the ideal and justified in endless ways. But are these ways of the world also the ways of Christ?
The short answer is no, they are not. A Christian should reject killing, even in self-defense, and should instead rely upon the power of God as the only true source of safety one can have in the world. Guns, bullets, and bombs will never keep you safe. They are merely idols whose worship demands human sacrifice – your life or theirs. Instead of of focusing on killing or getting vengeance upon his or her enemy the Christian should be working to forgive and redeem his or her enemy.
The Satanic Nature of Politics
It seems like political division and hatred is worse today than ever before. Here I evaluate why this is, how politics divides families, increases hatred, and works in direct opposition to the cause of Zion- ultimately doing the work of the Devil and not the Lord. Finally I look at why there is still a reason to hope and the path laid out in the scriptures for us to follow in order to abandon the political whoredoms of Babylon and to create Zion today.
The Dismal Fourth of July
This Saturday is the Fourth of July, American Independence Day. It is the first in the life of the Latter-day Liberator and it dawns dismally. Instead of a celebration of revolution and liberty, we find the creeping Fascism of the past few decades has suddenly become a raging torrent as the officers of the State have begun to openly wage war directly upon American citizens and the actions of those in power threaten hundreds of millions of people with absolute poverty, starvation, devastation, and death. But there is hope. By recovering the ideas and truths of the past that gave birth to the original Independence Day we can renew and reestablish our rights as never before for this Independence Day and every one after it.
George Floyd’s Death Reveals The Nature of the State
The murder of George Floyd has set American society on fire once more with the injustice of the system. George’s murder, and the many others like him, reveal the brutal nature not only of policing but of the government itself. Here we explore the savage nature of the State and what can be done to change it.