Dr Paul Allen

  Other than the gospels, what evidence is there for the existence of Jesus Christ? Dick Harfield's response:  Jewish historians who could have written about Jesus include Nicolaus of Damascus, Philo of Alexandria, Justus of Tiberias and Flavius Josephus. Certainly, Nicolaus, Philo and Justus never mentioned Jesus. A passage attributed to Josephus, the Testimonium Flavianum , mentions Jesus indirectly, but is widely acknowledged to be a late Christian interpolation, wholly or in part. As an interpolation, the Testimonium Flavianum probably demonstrates that the early Christians were embarrassed by the lack of evidence for Jesus Christ. Another, minor reference attributed to Josephus is in the form of “James, the brother of Jesus”, but “the brother of Jesus” is identifiably a gloss. First-century Pagan historians who could have written about Jesus include Marcus Velleius Paterculus, Marcus Servilius Nonianus, Pamphila of Epidaurus, Aufidius Bassus, Pliny the Elder, Cluvius Ruf...

The Encyclopedia Britannica states that glossolalia—speaking in tongues—“recurs in Christian revivals of every age, e.g., among the mendicant friars of the thirteenth century, among the Jansenists and early Quakers, the converts of Wesley and Whitefield, the persecuted Protestants of the Covennes and the Irvingites” (Volume 27, pp. 9–10, 11th edition). The Irvingites were 19th-century forerunners of the current recipients of the charismatic gifts. The Reverend Edward Irving was pastor of a Presbyterian church in London, England, in 1822, when his preaching on the need for a “new Pentecost” began to attract wide attention.  By 1833, his emphasis upon ‘the charismatic gifts” had become too great (people had begun to speak in tongues!), and he was deposed from the Presbyterian ministry for heresy and moved to Scotland. But among his widespread following, a new denomination was formed, called the Catholic Apostolic Church, and stress on the charismatic gifts was continued. The Irvingi...

  In 2 Samuel 7, God makes a covenant with David. Along with   the other major covenants in the Bible , the Davidic covenant furthers God’s redemptive plan to bless the world through a coming offspring. Interestingly, David himself comments on the significance of this covenant by saying, “this is instruction for mankind” ( 2 Sam 7:19 ). He knew that God’s promise to him had universal significance. Like other covenants of promise, the Davidic covenant is both specific and universal. It has a specific object (David’s household, in this case) and its gracious purpose extends to all peoples. The Davidic covenant also stands as  the  key promissory covenant that God makes  after  the Mosaic era and  before  Jesus brings the new covenant. It bridges the Abrahamic promise and the new covenant blessings by singling out the individual household that would bring blessing to the nations, since sin had deprived humanity of life. The rest of this article seeks...