Polycarp’s Final Days and Martyrdom

One of the most famous Christians in history—and, truly, one of my historical heroes—was an early Christian named Polycarp. Polycarp ministered to the church of ancient Smyrna (modern Izmir, on the western coast of modern Turkey—a city I resided in for two years). Polycarp lived into the middle of the 2nd century A.D., and because … Continue reading Polycarp’s Final Days and Martyrdom

America First? Reject America? Early Christians Offer a Third Way

This week citizens of the United States are pondering once again what it means to be American. Personally, I am deeply grateful that God permitted me to grow up in this incredibly blessed nation. Some people I know, though, act like they are first Americans and only second Christians. That’s a problem. At the opposite … Continue reading America First? Reject America? Early Christians Offer a Third Way

An Ancient Prayer to Help Us Pray into Our Cultural Moment

Sometimes we need to spiritually step outside of our historical and cultural setting to adequately engage the demands of our own cultural moment. To this end, I offer you the earliest Christian prayer after the time of the New Testament, 1 Clement 59.3-61.3. 1 Clement is a lengthy letter written by the church in Rome to … Continue reading An Ancient Prayer to Help Us Pray into Our Cultural Moment

After the Apostles Died: Six Guest Blogs and a Podcast about The Apostolic Fathers

Have you ever wondered what happened just after the period of the apostles? This past summer I guest-blogged about the Apostolic Fathers six times for Credo Magazine and recorded a podcast about the same for Think Biblically. Here are the links in case you’d like to listen and read: Podcast at Think Biblically: Learning from … Continue reading After the Apostles Died: Six Guest Blogs and a Podcast about The Apostolic Fathers