Early Christian Reader is a collection of three primary articles written by Athanasius about St. Antony, an Egyptian by race who was raised a Christian but didn 't fully accept Christ until later in his life; St. Augustine a North African who strayed away from Christianity until his sin filled conscience led him back to Jesus and strengthened his faith; and St. Patrick who was born in Britain but taken away to Ireland by slave-traders because he turned away from God where he escaped and later served as the Bishop of Ireland for many years. Each of them, like many people today, had to go through struggles and temptations before truly experiencing the presence of God. St. Antony grew up going to church and learning the bible merely for the pleasure and obedience of his parents, not for his own interest. After the death of his parents what Antony heard from the gospel led him to becoming a priest; during his priesthood he fasted and practiced isolation in the Egyptian desert. While in he desert he stayed in a tomb and fought with the devil many times, “The demons...were changed into the forms of beasts and reptiles...struck and wounded by them, Antony 's body was subject to yet more pain..he groaned because of the pain he felt in his body”(7). This shows not only the mental pain but also the physical pain Satan put Antony through in order to belittle his faith in God. Through all the pain Antony went through his faith in God became stronger, “He stood up and prayed, and he
Francis of Assisi was a poor man who astounded and inspired the Church by taking the gospel literally—not in a narrow fundamentalist sense, but by actually following all that Jesus said and did, joyfully, without limit and without a mite of self-importance. Francis was famous for his love of all creation. He called for simplicity of life, poverty, and humility before God. He worked to care for the poor. Thousands were drawn to his sincerity, piety, and joy. In all his actions, Francis sought to follow fully and literally the way of life demonstrated by Christ in the Gospels. My report is going to discuss the life and contributions of St. Francis of Assisi.
The Apostle Paul, Saint Augustine, and Martin Luther have been three very important figures in the Christian church. Each went through a unique personal experience that changed the course of their lives. Those experiences were important to them and they should be important to anyone of the Christian faith. In this research paper I will explore these experiences and how they do and do not relate to each other.
Christianity during the early century was very difficult for many Christians. As many Christians were persecuted for not worshipping pagan gods.
Award-winning journalist, Lee Strobel wrote The Case for Christ to retrace and enlarge his journey toward becoming a Christian. Strobel once atheist, and now Christian, shares how he began to look upon the Bible and God. As an atheist, Strobel lived the life of selfishness and only worried to please himself. When his wife began to go to church he wasn’t very pleased until after he saw the positive and attractive change in her. This is the start of his curiosity and investigation about Christianity. He wanted to understand what changed her like this. He wanted to relate with his wife so he decided to study about this and attend church services with her. Strobel began his journey and interviewed thirteen leading scholars who defended their views concerning the historical reliability of the New Testament. Strobel splits the case for Christ into three basic sections: Examining the Record, Analyzing Jesus, and Researching the Resurrection.
The religious contributions of the early fathers of the Coptic Church have remained unnoticed and sometimes have been ascribed to the Greeks, until the relatively recent rediscovery of the Copts and their heritage. During the first four or five centuries of our era, Egypt produced some of the most illustrious names in Christian annals. Men such as Origen, Athanasius, Cyril the Great, St. Anthony, St. Pachomius, Shenute the Great, and many more have left their mark on the history of Christian civilization both within and outside
One night at eight o’clock, Charles Colson visited a friend named Tom Phillipse. Before his acceptance of Christ, Tom lived much as Colson did; he was a ruthless businessman who ventured any measure upon which to win his way. Amidst witnessing Tom’s change briefly himself, Colson decided to make this additional visit. During this visit, Tom explained further to Colson his transformation and offered him a book called “Mere Christianity” by C. S. Lewis.
Hagner, D., Hengel, M. & Barrett, C. (1999). Conflicts and challenges in early Christianity. Harrisburg, Pa: Trinity Press International.
Antony became famous for holiness and power in prayer throughout the empire. People became so inspired by Antony's devotion, they began to organize themselves into monastic communities. "According to The Life of Antony, written by bishop Athanasius, many people from all walks of life visited Antony in the desert seeking his prayers. "Anthanasius speaks of one particular occasion when many people gathered at the entrance of Antony's cave seeking prayers. Antony finally emerged and through him God healed many people wisdom.
The message of my work is to try and highlight the importance of showing how a person’s faith can have a positive and life-changing impact on their lives. I have done this by looking into the lives of two early Christian missionaries and portray how they would 've felt about their journeys, who they met and what they were teaching others. In doing so, I try to portray, to the best of my ability and knowledge, the apostle 's thoughts and just how strong their conviction and faith in God was.
Caesar respected Antony, and his way of life. He defended him when he said, "See! Antony, that revels (makes merry) long a-nights, is notwithstanding (however) up. Good morrow, Antony" (2.4.116-117).
Tripp, D (2000). “Where did I come from”. Exploring Christianity. Retrieved on June 26, 2015 from www.christanity.co.nz
It seems strange that so little is known biographically about one of the most important figures in Christian history, but this only serves to add to the mystery and grandeur surrounding the Apostle Paul of Tarsus. Much, however, is known of the time after his conversion to Christ and what he did to contribute to Christianity in this period, and it is this that leaves a greater legacy than the simple facts of his life. The contributions that he made towards the cause of Christ and the spreading and formation of Christianity are what he is perennially remembered for.
Throughout history, Christianity always had a reputation, or a “name” following it. Different perspectives approached the reputation that was attached to Christianity in different manners. Justin Martyr and Porphyry had objectives when defining whether this “name” really defined Christianity and the past. They wondered whether the past really represented Christianity. Additionally they honed in on the question of was the past that people represented as Christianity really the roots of Christianity? All around Porphyry and Justin was perceptions of what Christianity rooted from and stood for.
And with caesar’s spirit ranging for revenge”. Antony is saying that he will avenge caesar for the bad things that have been done to him and on the next line, line 271 he says with Ate by his side come hot from hell. By Antony saying these line about revenge it can be assured
Another soldier calls him “the god of Jupiter” which elevates Antony’s status to that of a great leader, because Jupiter was the leader amongst all the other gods. Philo compares him to Mars, the god of war, which shows elevates his stature to be one of equal rank with a god. Caesar recalls Antony’s excellent soldiership and “virtus” qualities. “Virtus” was the Roman ideal of male force and energy: military prowess coupled with devotion to one’s honour and fame. Antony had to “drink/the stale of horses” and eat “strange flesh” and “the bark of trees” in order to stay alive and he was “borne so like a soldier that thy cheek…lanked not.” These striking images paint an unfathomable scene of heroic endurance which the audience respects and admires.