Connecting with our roots
Many people spend so much time tracing their family tree. It's so exciting to find out some cool tidbit about a long dead family member from the past. One interesting fact I recently discovered was that a distant cousin of mine was the wife of General Douglas MacArthur. That's a great little fact to tuck in the back of one's mind and think, "well, I have a great family heritage!"
When it comes to our Christian heritage, what do we think about those who blazed the trail of our faith so long ago?
In discussing with people who are Christians I have found that many are ignorant of the heritage we all share from so long ago. It seems that people know the information in the New Testament, a tidbit about the Reformation, and then a lot of stuff that happened only in the United States with the exception of that Spurgeon guy in England. Most American Christians probably think Billy Graham is the most important saint since Bible times, and I do not say that with any disrespect toward Rev. Graham, but from what I have read of him, I would think that he would agree with that assestment.
Anyway, that brings me to the thrust of the matter. What about those people who succeeded the Apostles? What were those guys like?
Well, one interesting figure is Papius who lived sometime around the late first century into the second century. The only thing we know about him are a few fragments which were in a book by Eusebius a few centuries later. But what is in those fragments is daunting. He knew people who knew some of the Apostles. Wow! Think of that?
But Papius is only one of hundreds of people who's writings we still have and now because of cheaper printing techniques, as well as electronic media, we have means by which to reconnect with our roots. I heartily reccomend looking at www.ccel.org and read the writings of these amazing people who blazed the trail of our Christian faith and gave their lives for doctrines which we take for granted.
Book of the day, Confessions by Saint Augustine.
When it comes to our Christian heritage, what do we think about those who blazed the trail of our faith so long ago?
In discussing with people who are Christians I have found that many are ignorant of the heritage we all share from so long ago. It seems that people know the information in the New Testament, a tidbit about the Reformation, and then a lot of stuff that happened only in the United States with the exception of that Spurgeon guy in England. Most American Christians probably think Billy Graham is the most important saint since Bible times, and I do not say that with any disrespect toward Rev. Graham, but from what I have read of him, I would think that he would agree with that assestment.
Anyway, that brings me to the thrust of the matter. What about those people who succeeded the Apostles? What were those guys like?
Well, one interesting figure is Papius who lived sometime around the late first century into the second century. The only thing we know about him are a few fragments which were in a book by Eusebius a few centuries later. But what is in those fragments is daunting. He knew people who knew some of the Apostles. Wow! Think of that?
But Papius is only one of hundreds of people who's writings we still have and now because of cheaper printing techniques, as well as electronic media, we have means by which to reconnect with our roots. I heartily reccomend looking at www.ccel.org and read the writings of these amazing people who blazed the trail of our Christian faith and gave their lives for doctrines which we take for granted.
Book of the day, Confessions by Saint Augustine.
posted by Bobby's blog at 2:58 PM
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