The World's Premier Online Orthodox Christian Homiletics Resource
by Fr. Patrick Henry Reardon There is wisdom and merit in the impulse to study the writings of Peter and Mark together; the First Epistle of Peter and the Gospel of Mark were both composed at Rome, in close sequence, and, as far as we can determine, in the context of the same crisis: the persecution of Christians in the aftermath of the fire that broke out in the capital on July 19 of the year ... More...
by Fr. Patrick Henry Reardon After the Apostle Peter was released from prison, we read, "he departed and went to another place" (Acts 12:17). The evidence indicates that Peter, before his life was over, went to several other places. Some time later we find him, for example, at Antioch (Galatians 2:11). Since Luke traveled mainly in the company of Paul, the Acts of the Apostles tells little ... More...
by Fr. Patrick Henry Reardon Very early in the Fourth Gospel, John the Baptist sees Jesus and exclaims, "Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world!" (John 1:29) The Evangelist tells us that John repeated this identification on the following day (1:36). For the rest of the Fourth Gospel, nothing more is said of John's exclamation; he identified Jesus as the sacrificial ... More...
by Jimmy Akin Q: How can the book of Judith be true if it says in its very first verse that Nebuchadnezzar was king of the Assyrians when he was really the king of the Babylonians? A: Consider the situation: The book of Judith is about a devout woman named Judith–a name which means “Lady Jew.” She battles a general sent by Nebuchadnezzar–the greatest single individual who was an enemy ... More...
by Fr. Patrick Henry Reardon When we consider the oral tradition that preceded the writing of the Gospels, it is essential to consider its personal quality; only a few individuals were able to speak to the ministry and teaching of Jesus with recognized authority: the Apostles whom he had chosen. The Evangelists, in their composition, did not draw on rootless sources and anonymous testimonies. The ... More...
English