Entries by Taylor Marshall

OxTalk 09: Did the Father Forsake the Son During the Crucifixion?

March 3, 2015 /15 Comments/in , /by

I once heard a Protestant minister say that when Christ died on the cross, there was a rupture in the Trinity and God the Son was no longer "part of God." This is a grave error.

Nonetheless, Christians are often confused by Christ's words "My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?" NSTI Member Rob B asks "How did God the Father 'forsake' Christ on the cross?"

So in this session, we get deep and look at how Thomas Aquinas answers this apparent problem. Plus we also look at the modern error of claiming that Christ "despaired" on the cross and how this is impossible since "despair" is a sin against the theological virtue of hope.  Read More

Lent: The Biblical Meaning of the Number 40

February 17, 2015 /8 Comments/in /by

In Sacred Scripture, the number forty is a sign of repentance:

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  • God made it rain for forty days and forty nights in the days of Noah (Gen 7:4 - they only ate fish on the ark, not meat and this is one reason why Catholics historically gave up meat during Lent)
  • Moses spent forty days fasting on Mount Sinai with God (Exodus 24:18)
  • The People of Israel people wandered forty years traveling to the Promised Land (Numbers 14:33)
  • Elijah spent forty days and forty nights walking to Mount Horeb (1 Kings 19:8)
  • Jonah prophesied forty days of judgment for Nineveh to repent (Jonah 3:4).
  • Jesus Christ fasted for forty days days in the wilderness, and was tempted by the devil (Matthew 4:1-2, Mark 1:12-13, Luke 4:1-2)
  • Jesus Christ's was physically dead for about forty hours (3pm Friday till 7am Sunday)

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