Anabaptist Apologist

Satan's Sabbaths: Halloween Introduction What should followers of Christ think about Halloween? Popularized as a night of costumes, candy, and harmless fun, Halloween’s origins and deeper implications, however, should cause us to stop and consider whether or not we as Jesus followers should be participating. Like Easter [1] or Christmas,[2] this holiday’s roots have undeniable pagan origins. So, what are the historical foundations of Halloween, and what are the spiritual ramifications for those who partake? Origins of Halloween First, as usual, we want to orient ourselves by considering some historical facts related to this day. The Encyclopedia of Religion (1987), Vol. 6, p. 176: "Halloween's roots lie in the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, a celebration of the end of harvest season and the onset of winter. It was a time when the Celts believed the boundary between the worlds of the living and the dead became thin, allowing spirits to pass through. Bonfires were li...

Faith Alone? Introduction   This is "Part 1" of a three-part series of short essays addressing the "Faith Alone" error. In addition to addressing the "Faith Alone" error, we are going to examine two foundational verses wrested from context to support the "Faith Alone" error.   Isaiah 62:5 and 64:6 are probably two of the most misinterpreted verses used to support Paul's damnable "gospel." This is where we get the concepts of a "holier than thou" and "our righteousness is as filthy rags." In reality, as will be proven, salvation comes by obeying Jesus, which is defined as the will of the Father. As will be proven in this series, this neither makes you a "holier than thou" or your righteousness as filthy rags.   "Believe in" mean " Obey unto"   Now John 3:16 is often cited to refute the claim that Jesus expected works and acts as a sort of parallel to Ephesians 2:8,9 . Nothing coul...

Jesus, the Sabbath, and Us Introduction This study explores the subject of "The Sabbath" in light of some interesting details given to us in "Torah" and the life/ example of Jesus, our Teacher. What exactly is lawful and not lawful? We will see that there are some interesting traditions, perversions, but most importantly we will also see that to do good things on Sabbath isn't a sin. The Creation and Sabbath Consecration Genesis 2:2 ,3 And God completeth by the seventh day His work which He hath made, and resteth by the seventh day from all His work which He hath made. And God blesseth the seventh day, and sanctifieth it, for in it He hath rested from all His work which God had prepared for making. The Hebrew word for “work” here, as in Exodus 20:10 where the command is given, is מְלָאכָה ( melakhah ). In scholarly lexicons, this term is defined as follows: Brown-Driver-Briggs (BDB) : מְלָאכָה ( melakhah ) is defined as work or occupation, s...