Use this tag for questions about the history of Christianity and the church.
41
votes
10answers
2k views
Does wine really mean wine in the Bible?
In discussions I have had in the past over the acceptability of a Christian drinking alcohol I have heard that some 'dry' believers say that the wine in the Bible is not wine as we know it commonly ...
33
votes
7answers
3k views
The Bible seems to allow polygamy. Why doesn't the church?
In Exodus 21:10 and Deuteronomy 21:15-16 (among many other passages), it talks about polygamy as if it were acceptable.
Indeed, there are several holy men (Abraham and Solomon come to mind offhand) ...
25
votes
4answers
496 views
How were the books of the New Testament chosen?
I'm interested in finding out what the process of choosing the books of the New Testament was, when and who did the choosing
19
votes
5answers
433 views
What is the history of the concept of a “personal relationship with Jesus”?
It is common these days to hear questions like:
Do you have a personal relationship with Jesus?
Or...
The most important thing is your personal relationship with Jesus.
The Bible never ...
18
votes
3answers
241 views
In which year was Christ born?
This question is a spin-off from On which date was Christ born?
There are differing views on the birth year of Christ, which also affect the dating of the resurrection (as we know Jesus's age on ...
18
votes
2answers
287 views
What extrabiblical sources support the existence of Jesus in history?
What sources outside of the Bible give supporting evidence to the existence of Jesus and any of the events in His life?
17
votes
2answers
406 views
Why are there different divisions of the Ten Commandments?
The Ten Commandments is often shown as a nice list with ten short statements, whereas in the Bible it exists as a long block of text in Exodus 20:2–17 and Deuteronomy 5:6–21. For reference:
Exodus ...
15
votes
1answer
550 views
How did the cross come to be a symbol for Christianity?
I understand WHY the cross became a symbol for Christianity, but HOW did it become a symbol? How did it start and how did it evolve into the symbol (or symbols since there are many variants) we all ...
13
votes
2answers
1k views
When did “tithing” come to mean “giving 10% of your gross income to the Church”?
I know the word "tithe" has "tenth" built into it, and so some Christians assume that every usage of the word "tithe" in Scripture is referring to "giving 10% of your gross income to the church." But ...
13
votes
2answers
5k views
What is the origin of praying hands folded?
I was taught in Sunday school to pray hands folded. On the other hand, there's no biblical mention of the practice (as far as I know). It actually doesn't seem to matter which position we pray in.
...
13
votes
2answers
1k views
What effect did the Reformation have inside the Catholic Church?
I confess my knowledge of church history branches at about the Reformation. I know a quite a bit about Catholicism today, and I have an idea of what it was before the Reformation. These are not at all ...
13
votes
1answer
60 views
Are there any surviving hymns from the Valdensian movement?
The Valdensians preached and celebrated the Lords Supper in the native tongue of the people, not in Latin. However, every source I've read about their customs focus on what was spoken, and I also want ...
12
votes
4answers
1k views
What is the origin of the Good Friday tradition?
As suggested by this question and this answer, it seems possible that Jesus actually died on a Wednesday, not on a Friday.
In light of these competing theories, what is the origin of the Good Friday ...
12
votes
3answers
289 views
Did Jesus die earlier than expected? [closed]
The Bible seems to indicate that Jesus died before the others that were being crucified.
John 19:31-33 (NIV)
31 Now it was the day of Preparation, and the next day was to be a special Sabbath. ...
12
votes
5answers
623 views
Did early church fathers understand the doctrine of trinity?
Many historians and religious scholars ... attest to the influence of
Greek or Platonic philosophy in the development and acceptance of the
Trinity doctrine in the fourth century. ... the ...
12
votes
1answer
312 views
Does Joseph Smith fail the test of a prophet? [closed]
The test of a prophet.
Deuteronomy 18 NKJV
21 And if you say in your heart, ‘How shall we know the word which the
LORD has not spoken?’— 22 when a prophet speaks in the name of the
LORD, ...
12
votes
1answer
752 views
What is the significance of the inverted pentagram symbols on the LDS Temple in Salt Lake City?
The Temple in Salt Lake has several inverted pentagrams as decorations. (To see a few, just google "lds temple salt lake inverted pentagrams" and click on images. Or click here)
According to ...
12
votes
3answers
168 views
Why is Rome the holy city?
Why did Rome become the seat of the Pope and the central location for the Church? I would think that Jerusalem would be the first choice. There are also a number of other cities that I would ...
12
votes
2answers
2k views
When was Abraham alive?
It is generally accepted that Abraham lived 175 years. However, the dates when he lived are rather fuzzy and hotly debated.
When was he alive and what reasons would you give for your conclusion?
...
12
votes
1answer
311 views
What is the origin of the moral-civil-ceremonial distinction of the Old Testament law?
This distinction is often called tripartite division of the law.
I ran across this series of blog posts:
http://maelandcindy.blogspot.com/2008/06/is-mosaic-law-tripartite.html
...
12
votes
4answers
212 views
What evidence do we have today about Christian groups not represented at the first four ecumenical councils?
Were there any Christian groups that existed during the time of the first four ecumenical councils and that were not represented at them either because they chose not to attend or they were not ...
11
votes
4answers
183 views
At what point did Judaism and Christianity diverge?
At what point did Judaism and Christianity diverge? Christianity and Judaism share the Old Testament (The Hebrew Bible), so it should be safe to assume they are the same people at least during the Old ...
11
votes
4answers
279 views
What is the purpose and basis for the special garments issued to temple-going Mormons?
I understand that there are certain garments which temple-going Mormons are obliged to wear after going through their initial Temple Ceremony. My question is regarding the basis for this. When did ...
11
votes
4answers
682 views
When was Job alive?
The first chapter of Job describes a man who was favored by God (Job).
1 In the land of Uz there lived a man whose name was Job. This man was blameless and upright; he feared God and shunned evil. ...
11
votes
3answers
889 views
Has Christianity ever come down in opposition of arranged marriages?
Many cultures in many ages have practiced arranged marriages. I understand that in Jewish culture --at about the time of Christ-- arranged marriages were considered a normal way of life. Obviously if ...
11
votes
3answers
227 views
Are there “rational” criteria for which books appear in the Bible?
When I looked into "canon criticism" or "canonology" a while back, I came across numerous (alleged) criteria for whether a book is/was included in canon, such as "Old Testament books had to be written ...
11
votes
2answers
288 views
What is the Toronto Blessing?
Just over a decade ago there was much hype in the media about the Toronto Blessing, a phenomenon that began at Toronto Airport Church and subsequently spread from there. What is it? Is it still ...
11
votes
1answer
1k views
Where did Goliath come from?
The popular story of David and Goliath describes Goliath as very tall ("six cubits and a span"--apparently roughly 9 feet 9 inches, or 297cm). Most children are just told he was a "giant" in Sunday ...
11
votes
2answers
2k views
How long did it take to form the Bible?
How long did it take to collect all of the writings that eventually formed the first version of the Bible? In other words, starting with when the first writing was created (i'll say when it was ...
11
votes
2answers
229 views
When was the OT canon as used by Protestants finalized?
At what date (and/or event) was the Old Testament canon currently recognized by most Protestants finalized? What is the earliest occurrence we have of it being referenced in it's current form and who ...
11
votes
4answers
211 views
On which date was Christ born?
Most Christians celebrate the birth of Christ (Christmas) on December 25. But was this really the day of Christ's birth? What was the actual date of Christ's birth?
11
votes
1answer
141 views
How does the doctrine of the URC differ from its predecessors?
The United Reformed Church is a denomination in Britain that was formed out of a merger of the Congregationalist and Presbyterian denominations in 1972. What doctrinal compromises had to be made for ...
11
votes
1answer
218 views
Was the apostle Peter martyred in Rome?
There are some legends that say that Peter traveled to Rome where he was martyred.
Is this legend true? Are there any historical accounts that support the legend? Are there any other theories about ...
10
votes
4answers
497 views
Are Dinosaurs mentioned in the Bible?
In response to this question How does the bible explain the existence of fossils that are millions of years old?
I'm curious to know if Dinosaurs are mentioned in the Bible.
I understand that the ...
10
votes
4answers
627 views
Why did Luther curse those who oppose indulgences?
In the 95 Theses, Luther makes a stand against corruption in the Catholic church of that day. This resulted in events leading to the separation between the Catholic and Protestant churches.
It seems ...
10
votes
2answers
362 views
What is a Nazirite?
In Judges 13 verse 7, There is an interesting passage.
7 But he said to me, 'You will become pregnant and will have a son. Don't drink wine or beer or eat anything that is unclean, because the boy ...
10
votes
2answers
1k views
Who was Pharaoh when Moses lived in Egypt?
Do we have a good idea as to which Pharaoh(s) were around during the time of Moses' life? What internal and external evidence exists to back-up those claims? Do any Christian traditions attach any ...
10
votes
3answers
186 views
10
votes
4answers
293 views
When did the one-way monologue sermon first become a normal feature of church assemblies?
Of course Jesus preached a lot of monologue sermons, but I have noticed that Jesus did not usually preach sermons like nearly every church does today. He never seems to have, or at least rarely ...
10
votes
4answers
249 views
What official statements represent Christianity's position on the Gospel of Barnabas?
The Gospel of Barnabas is a text that has turned up in the form of 16th century manuscripts in Italian and Spanish. The text claims to be the witness of Jesus' disciple Barnabas, however its content ...
10
votes
2answers
1k views
How did the Crusades impact modern Christianity?
How do the crusades impact modern day Christianity own sense of morality and spirituality? What do these things mean to a person of faith?
The Crusades, from Wikipedia
The Crusades were a series ...
10
votes
2answers
203 views
What is the Biblical and historical basis for Christian pacifism?
My understanding is that early Christians were generally pacifists. Today (at least in the U.S.) Christian pacifists are a bit hard to come by. Many quote Romans 13:1-3 to support Christian ...
10
votes
2answers
196 views
What were the beliefs, teachings, and practices of the church regarding slavery in the New World?
When the New World was discovered, slavery was virtually unknown in Europe. Soon after the discovery of the New World, European powers began to make slaves there, and to transport slaves from Africa ...
10
votes
1answer
156 views
What is the basis for the solicitation of prayers from dead saints?
How did the practice of soliciting the prayers of dead saints originate? Is it in the bible? The apocrypha? A papal decree?
On a side note, which groups practice this type of prayer?
I am ...
10
votes
3answers
171 views
How did the monastic tradition evolve?
In the 4th Century there was a strong monastic tradition, which usually involved living in solitude or small groups in the wilderness. By the 12th Century the monastic life was being lived in large ...
10
votes
1answer
205 views
How do Christians reconcile archeology with the Bible in the account of the Battle of Jericho?
Wikipedia explains three archaeological studies of the Jericho site, and concludes that the city was abandoned at the time the supposed Biblical battle took place.
How do Christians reconcile the ...
9
votes
3answers
509 views
Why is the word Lord in all Capital letters in the Old Testament but not in the new?
My friend asked me the other day why the word Lord is in all capital letters in the old testament but not the new testament? I tend to lean towards the fact that the old testament was written in ...
9
votes
3answers
317 views
Exorcisms: effective remedy or historical curiosity?
Are exorcisms considered, in the various Christian Professions, an effective remedy for possession?
I thought they were just a curiosity from the past, but here's what I found on Wikipedia:
...
9
votes
3answers
197 views
Biblical Prophecy and Fulfillment
I often hear the argument that the veracity of Christ's claims in the gospels can be considered reliable based upon two things: miracles and fulfilled prophecy. This pre-supposes the validity of the ...
9
votes
1answer
154 views
How long has the church been observing Lent?
At what point in church history did the Lenten season become a significant part of the church year?
Obviously Easter came first, but I don't see the biblical basis for 40 days of preparation for ...
