It is that time of year again, and everyone who does not particularly hate egg-shaped chocolate is in on the fun and enjoyment. It can also be a somewhat confusing time as it involves the reason for the season. So right here off the bat, it is necessary to say that Easter is the pagan name for a pagan feast, that somewhere in history became associated with an event that is entirely Christian in origin — the cross death and resurrection of Jesus. It is not hard to imagine that what Christians actually celebrate when Easter comes around every year is the most significant aspect of our faith, and yes we throw in a couple of chocolate eggs and bunnies to add to the enjoyment, not that any of these are innately Christian.

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​24 January, 2024 It is a new year and the war in the Middle East wages on. Late last year, the war was sparked by the Islamic Resistance Movement (HAMAS is its acronym) aimed at the sovereign state of Israel. It is, as with the war in the Ukraine, a war for territory. Aided by the political debate that has been sparked since “Operation Al-Aqsa Flood” first reigned rocket fire over Israel accompanied by a breach of the Gaza-Israel barrier by 3000 Islamic militants — Christians have been divided in their interpretation of the war.
 
The reason for this disagreement among Christians is wide ranging, but if it were to be reduced to its basic form, it is clear that it comes down to what they believe about Israel’s future. Some, like mainline Covenantal thinkers, place little value on future Israel as a nation with territorial boundaries, while others, myself included, interpret Bible prophecy and promises regarding Israel as containing not only spiritual blessing, but also tangible and measurable territorial blessing.
 
The former may lead to an interpretation of the current conflict as merely a sad humanitarian disaster (of course any loss of innocent lives is tragic), however, of no-to-little biblical importance or significance as Israel’s future is concerned. The latter view, which, broadly speaking, is the Premillennial interpretation, necessarily sees current events in the Middle East as yet another pagan attack on a nation to whom Yahweh has promised a lasting legacy (Ez. 37:25-28).

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​While in the past the Dutch Reformed Church of South Africa (DRCSA) confessed the authority of the Bible as the Word of God, many within the Church today do not see the Bible as authoritative on all matters. Prevailing views on the Pauline epistles is a prime example. In many ways, Paul is viewed as “a product of his time who could only describe the awesome reality of God’s saving presence in limited (patriarchal) language”

The well-known South African theologian Andrew Murray, himself a member of the DRCSA, reacted as far back as 1862, shortly after the midway mark of the 19th-century, to the large-scale rationalism that had been advocated in Dutch theology faculties and warned against the influence it may have had on fellow ministers in the DRCSA. This battle where the authority of Scripture was at the centre became so severe that it was not able to escape the Cape courtrooms.

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​Every now and again we will take some time to look back at the pages of Christian history. There is so much that can be learned from those who have studied the Bible and have determined for it to be their rule of life. Church history is never superior to bibliology, by no means, but it certainly does aid our understanding of various biblical doctrines today. As we are able to identify how the things that we believe about God today agree with what theologians from earlier centuries have believed about it, we can receive some affirmation for that which we believe, especially as these doctrines are preached and believed today.

The same however is true for lessons that can be learned from church history which should not be repeated. Not everything that happened in the first few centuries after Christ was necessarily good... 

Augustine progressed philosophically as most men of his day. Eventually neo-Platonism would have a considerable effect on his thinking, especially as he made sense of God and the created order through these lenses. In his “Confessions” he makes quite clear that a subtle disdain of the physical had started to set in. From his account it seems that it could have been his hatred for his past sinful lifestyle that led him to the false piety of an over-spiritualized view of God and what he grants men.


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There is a golden thread that runs through the Bible which can sometimes go unnoticed by some. It involves this road that we travel on. For all God’s children of all generations, the walk of faith that we are engaged in does not occur in a vacuum, rather it occurs in an onward and upward motion, spiritually speaking. We often forget the fact that this road that we are on is marked by the grinding footprints and cross-dragging induced furrows of many saints who before us have had to travel the same road on their way to glory (Matt. 7:13-14). This is a walk that has been attempted and completed by many of the Lord’s dear followers of old. There is therefore much that we can learn from the pages of church history, in particular from Christian biography (Prov. 13:20). As Paul instructed the Corinthians, we would be wise to imitate them too, as we diligently imitate the Lord (1 Cor. 11:1).
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One such saint that deserves recognition at this juncture is a man by the name of John Charles, or J.C. Ryle. The son of a wealthy banker, Ryle was born in the town of Macclesfield within the region of Cheshire, England, on 10 May, 1816. Like many other boys he took a liking in different kinds of sports during his teenage years, but especially excelled at the activities of rowing and the game of cricket. After his transfer to Christ Church, Oxford in 1834, his cricket playing career reached its crescendo in an 1836 Varsity match at Lords, when he took no less than 10 wickets in a bowling effort, sealing the match for Oxford.

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