Episode 116 :: Dr. Bryan Litfin :: Stories of the Ancient Church, and the Power of Christ’s Victory
Today we get to go to class with Dr. Bryan Litfin, and take a deep dive into the history of the Ancient church, and what life looked like after the New Testament ended and generation upon generation began to carry the story of Christ with them everywhere they went and grew the Church around the world. Dr. Bryan has been on the podcast before, where he shared about some of the things we’ll discuss today, but today we look intentionally into what life looked like for Christians in the ancient church and just how powerful the Gospel of Christ was to them in society. They lived lives ruled by polytheistic beliefs, and that meant there was a rule of demonic powers in the world as they knew it. The freedom they found in Christ’s victory over darkness was earth-shattering. Their faith and choice to be part of the church was not a cultural next step, it was a counter cultural, life altering allegiance.
Dr. Litfin also schools us on so many assumptions that are made or just what isn’t widely known about the formation of some of the pillars of the Christian faith and how they unfolded historically. Things such as establishing The Apostle’s Creed, the canon, or the 66 books of the Bible as we know it today, and how it all developed, the establishing of theology because the spiritual power had to be established in the culture of the time. It's all incredibly fascinating and there’s so much here that I think can infuse our faith with fresh fire, and encourage us as we are still fighting spiritual battles today.
I thought it was a fascinating unpacking of how the ancient church was so used to spiritual encounters, there had to be a differentiation about who we are bowing the knee to. We have bowed our knee to so many things for so long that are not the God who loves us, and yet He continues to lavish us with His love, His mercy and His patience so that not one sheep of His flock would be lost.
Dr. Litfin’s books breathe life into the power of the Gospel when Jesus originally placed His feet on the earth and what it looked like when those who had ears to hear took His last command to heart when He said to go and make disciples. YOU are one of those disciples! And this is your call as well my friend. To learn about the God that loves you. Who He is and who He has always been. And then tell everyone. Like the first person, a woman no less, who heard from Jesus’ own lips that He was indeed the Messiah who ran back to her village and proclaimed “come and meet this man, He knew my story!” This is our call too. He knows our story. It matters to Him. You matter. “Let the redeemed of the Lord tell their story.”
Connecting with Dr. Bryan Litfin:
Books (Fiction, Nonfiction)
Episode Sponsor: Tony Crabtree of Crabtree Homes with Exit Realty
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References:
-First conversation with Dr. Bryan last year
-Martin Luther and The Reformation
-Christian persecution in Rome
-The conversion of Christianity by Constantine and it changing the landscape of Rome
-”The heart is an idol factory”- John Calvin
-So Shines the Night - Tracy L. Higley (the incredible novel I read about set in Ephesus with Timothy, Paul and the early church
-Jackie Hill Perry - the patience of God
-The Holocaust Museum train car
-Dr. Michael Heiser, our episode
-The Davinci Code
-The Confessions of Saint Augustine
-On the Incarnation- Saint Athanasius
-Christian martyrs (a witness)- revered women
-The Case for Christ by Lee Strobel
Scripture References:
-Book of Acts (you know I love Bible Project videos! Acts gets a part 1 and part 2)
Revelation 1:9-John was sent to Patmos (the book of Revelation)
Ephesians 6:12-The powers and principalities
Acts 19-Paul casting out demons in Ephesus
Romans 6:1-11, 2 Timothy 2:26, Psalm 124:7 -He broke the power of the evil one and freed me from his snare
-Romans 10:9- declare Jesus is Lord
Exodus 34:6-7, Lamentations 3:21-23, Psalm 86:15, Ephesians 2:4-5- God’s mercy and faithfulness (among many, many others)
Judges 4-Deborah
-Examples of Women with important roles in the church: (and various scriptures!) Priscila, women that ministered and funded Jesus’ ministry- Mark 15:37-41, Mary Magdalene and the others with her announcing Jesus’ resurrection (John 20:11-18), Lydia (Acts 16)
-John 15:9-27, (esp 15:13) Matthew 25:40-45 -This is how you love one another and this is how you treat one another
-Isaiah 55:11, Philippians 1:15-18, 1 Peter 1:3-5 -The gospel is still real
-Matthew 28:16-20-The great commission is still the call for ever believer
-Matthew 16:18-Peter is the rock the church would be built on
-John 4- story of the woman at the well
-Psalm 107:2- “Let the redeemed of the Lord tell their story”
Connecting with Emily and Simply Stories Podcast:
Instagram (Em life // Podcast Life)
Facebook
Twitter
Blog
*Intro and Outro music is from audionautix.com