Opinion

The Cappadocians THE COUNCIL OF NICAEA convened by Emperor Constantine in 325 culminated with the composition of the Nicene Creed that clearly affirmed the full deity of the Son. However, as we saw in the previous article (Methodist Message, November 2011), the Nicene Creed did not resolve the theological conflict between the orthodox Fathers and […]

  The Enduring Word: The Authority and Reliability of the Bible Author: Robert M. Solomon Publisher: Armour Publishing & the Bible Society of Singapore 224 pages, $19.25 (with GST) Available from the Bible Society of Singapore (Tel: 6337-3222) and Armour Publishing (Tel: 6276-9976) THE ENDURING WORD, as its sub-title suggests, is a book about the […]

Athanasius (296-373 AD) WITHOUT A DOUBT, Athanasius, Bishop and Patriarch of Alexandria, is one of the most important figures in the Church in the Patristic era. Often described as the most remarkable bishop and the greatest theologian in the 4th century, he was a staunch defender of Nicene orthodoxy. His commitment to the doctrine of […]

God placed in me a burden to draw a closer link between the Methodist Church and the Methodist schools. Having been brought up in Fairfield Methodist School for 10 years, I heard of God’s agape love through the daily devotions and weekly chapel services. But more importantly, I experienced it through godly teachers and volunteers from The Boys’ Brigade (BB) who poured out their life for me and my schoolmates.

THE TERM “MENTORING” takes its name from the Greek classic, The Odyssey, in which the character “Mentor” becomes responsible for guiding Odysseus’ son, as the father goes off to war. The presence of an older, and possibly father-like, figure is often traditionally referred to as having a mentor. However, is this traditional view of mentoring outdated and antiquated?

John Chrysostom (AD 349-407) IMPORTANCE OF PREACHING “John reminds us of the importance of the preaching and teaching ministries of the Church, and that pastors, elders and theologians must take this awesome and sacred duty of instructing God’s people seriously.” THE ANTIOCH IN WHICH John was born was a city characterised by contradictions, at once […]

  WHAT DOES IT MEAN to be both a Christian and a student in Singapore today? Do youths find it a challenge to be both? Just take one glance at youth ministries today, and tell me: Can you find at least one person who is uninvolved, tired and withdrawn? Most certainly can. The education system […]

  WORSHIP: A Practical Guide Author: Jeffrey A Truscott Publisher: Genesis Books, an imprint of Armour Publishing Pte Ltd, 2011 66 pages Available from the Bible Society of Singapore (Tel: 6337-3222) and Armour Publishing (Tel: 6276-9976) WORSHIP IS CENTRAL to the life of Christian churches, as evidenced by the considerable time and resources they devote […]

IDOLATRY A CHIEF SIN “Idolatry is “the principal charge against the human race, the world’s deepest guilt, the all-inclusive cause of judgement”. All other sins – murder, fornication and fraud – are included in this chief sin.” TERTULLIAN WAS BORN AT CARTHAGE in the middle of the second century into a pagan family. He was […]

Being “geared to the times” means that we must be very aware that the youths we are trying to reach are very different from those we were once. (I was particularly tickled by a musical band in my church who called themselves “ The Young Once!”)

Irenaeus of Lyons (d. 202 AD) ONE OF THE GREATEST THREATS to the Church in the second century is Gnosticism, a multifaceted and polymorphous sect whose origins can be traced to ancient Iran and Babylon. A mixture of Hellenistic philosophy, Iranian mysticism, heterodox Judaism and Christianity, Gnosticism exerted a powerful and corrosive influence in the early […]

“I HAVE A DREAM.” Borrowing those famous words from Martin Luther King Jr, it is my dream and prayer that we, The Methodist Church in Singapore (MCS), will truly live out what it means to be the body of Christ on earth. We call ourselves a connectional church, but what does connectionalism mean and what […]