Gospel – Faith Unto Ages

Sermon: “Whose Name is On the Coin?”

When our Lord was teaching in the temple (Matthew 21:23), He was interrupted by the chief priests & elders who had lots of envy and hatred towards Him. One way by which they had shown this was by calling into question His Authority (Matthew 21:23). In an attempt to discredit Jesus, and even “ensnare Him in His speech” as the Bible says (Matthew 22:15), the Pharisees have sent spies to Jesus from a group known as the Herodians. The gospel of Matthew says:

“Then the Pharisees going, consulted among themselves how to insnare him in his speech. And they sent to him their disciples with the Herodians” (Matthew 22:15-16).

The Herodians are believed by scholars to have been a Jewish political group that favored giving taxes to the Romans, their colonizers, who had control over all Judea. They were called Herodians because they were named after Herod the Great who was appointed by the Roman Empire as being the regional king of Judea. The Pharisees despised the Herodians because they were regarded as being sell-outs, or traitors of the Jewish people given that they were in favor of taxing their own kind on behalf of the Roman Empire, which was regarded as a form of humiliation. However, the Pharisees have collaborated with this group which they despised since, as discussed previously, they wanted to ensnare, or trap Jesus with a question regarding taxes which was the Herodian’s expertise.

An Apologia for the Historic Accuracy of the Bible: The Last Supper & Liturgical Tradition

Just like many other topics which involve scripture, the accuracy and historic authenticity of the Last Supper has been challenged by skeptics. As a result, there were ideas which suggested that the narratives regarding the first Eucharist were not entirely factual, but was instead influenced by early Christian worship. For example, the Lutheran theologian and biblical scholar Rudolf Bultman has made the argument that “while Jesus may indeed have held a final meal with His disciples, the narratives as we have them are creations of the early church and so can tell us nothing about the actual historical roots of the Eucharist but can only witness to its later development.” 1

Zodiac Signs & Astrology: Is It Compatible with Orthodoxy?

“O house of Israel, hear the word of the Lord, for He has spoken to you. Thus says the Lord: “Do not learn the ways of the Gentiles, and do not be afraid because of signs from the sky, for they themselves reverence these. For the customs of the peoples are vain.”[1]

One of the biggest perils which is poisoning souls is the belief in Zodiac Signs and Astrology. Even though many who practice astrology are in denial, it is factual that it is an ancient pagan religion which upholds beliefs and practices which are against the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the dogmas of His Holy Orthodox Church. Sadly, many Orthodox Christians that are not catechized have fallen into this grave error; especially the youth. This is because Zodiac Signs are mentioned in news papers, magazines, T.V. programs, music, and games; resulting in them becoming apart of today’s pop culture.