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James Meyers, III concludes our series, Against Heresies, by giving a sober warning about heretical views which have infiltrated the Church. Some have been influenced by Secular Relativism, among other forms of Secularism, from outside the Church, while others have adopted certain ideas found in the ancient heresies discussed throughout this series. He concludes with what he calls, “the heresy of love,” depicting the callous and shallow idea of what many within mainline Christianity call the Love of God. It is our humble opinion that this is a timely message for the Church today.

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James Meyers, III preaches on the wedding in Cana, found in the second chapter of the Gospel According to John, wherein lies the well known occasion of Jesus turning water into wine, the “beginning of signs” as John says. Much conjecture surrounds this text, but James hopes to show how it “manifested His glory.” While the coming of Christ was not a rejection of the Old Covenant, He is its fulfilment and as such has ushered in the New Covenant, a drastic improvement as it were, just as wine is better than water. As He is the fountain of living w...

James Meyers, III preaches on the paradigm of Christ’s first disciples as recorded by the Apostle John. James finds this progression vital in understanding true discipleship. Rather than seeing ourselves merely as students of Christ, we are more accurately apprentices seeking to be like our Master, not trying to graduate in our knowledge. As such, we become forerunners like John the Baptist leading people to the Master, our Lord, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.

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James Meyers, III recounts the historical realities surrounding the Arian controversy following the Council of Nicea, particularly through the Father of Orthodoxy, Athanasius. The great tower of the faith, along with some contemporaries, stood strong against the intrusion of heresy within the Church. There is an idea with some that the institutional church, through its political and ecclesiastical authority, suppressed these challengers for power. Nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, it was quite the reverse. The Arians enjoyed a prestigious alliance with high ranking Roman officials, up to and including the Emperor himself. James gives a...

James Meyers, III discusses the question of salvation regarding those who do not believe in the orthodox Christian faith, and how early Christians, particularly Athanasius, defended the true orthodox faith at his own peril. In a relativistic age, we are prone to compromise what is never to be compromised, namely, the true Jesus, which is detrimental, not only to orthodoxy, but the eternal fate of fallen men and women. This is a sober reminder that our faith is not our own, but a gift of God which is not to be wielded as if it were our own.

James Meyers, III gives a message about the great forerunner to Christ, this enigmatic figure, John the Baptist. It is tragic that while many of the historical records of ancient secular historians write more about this John than Jesus, but he remains something of a shadowy figure in contemporary Christianity. James gives a poignant message regarding the ministry for which God called and sent John the Baptizer. As the voice of one crying in the wilderness, he was the last of the Old Covenant prophets whose chief duty was to prepare the way of the Lord. While there are...

The incarnation of Jesus Christ is one of the most enigmatic truths in all of Christendom. His Virgin Birth, His sinless life, His vicarious substitution, His resurrection, and ascension are impossible without His incarnation. James Meyers, III preaches on this profound mystery, that God pitched His tent as it were to dwell amongst those whom He created. God promised to dwell among His people first in the tabernacle, then in the temple, but now in His Son. He came that we might behold His glory, just as Moses was given but slightly. Now, what once was concealed is now...

James Meyers, III gives a synopsis of the Arian controversy which preceded and caused the Council of Nicea and its conclusive Creed (The Nicene Creed) in 325 A.D. However, the Arian controversy not only continued, but became more radical. This was resolved at the Council of Constantinople in 381 A.D. However, between these two councils laid a great period of political and theological strife within the church. This is admittedly most lamentable. However, it is during this epoch of conflagration which came to define the Church’s orthodoxy, not Her orthodox faith which began at Her birth.

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“Let there be light,” are the first words of God recorded in Sacred Writ. It should be no surprise, therefore, that Jesus Christ is the Light of the world, for in Him is life, and the life is the light of men. However, the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.James Meyers, III preaches a timely sermon as a witness to the Light of Christ, for He says, “I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in Me should not abide in darkness.” As transformative as Christ is to make bad...

James Meyers, III begins a sermon series on the Gospel of John by introducing the concept of the Word in the beginning. He finds the first verse of this gospel rather illuminating and inexhaustible. James preaches on what it means to live in the Word and find life in Him. He draws from other parts of the Gospel to unfold the riches of God’s eternal love for His people.

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James Meyers, III discusses an early heresy known as Monarchianism which had two forms, that of Dynamic Monarchianism and Modalistic Monarchianism. James finds these heresies to have revived as early as the 19th century and warns against Modalism in particular as he finds this to be as close to orthodoxy as you can be while being heretical.

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James Meyers, III preaches on the subject of forgiveness, which is a true and popular framework within Christianity. However, in order to have forgiveness, one must have guilt. James considers the distinction between guilt and guilt feelings, or objective guilt and subjective guilt, and how these find themselves in our lives, and how they are to be reconciled. Are we commanded to forgive in every case, or only if the offender repents? James discusses this and more in this timely message.

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In this session, James Meyers, III considers Montanism which has historically been deemed a heresy. Montanism was formed by a man named who claimed to be a prophet, Montanus, and two prophetesses, Maximilla and Priscilla. Montanus said that he embodied the promised Holy Spirit and thus was able to prophecy new revelation. However, that new revelation must be according to the original revelation found in Sacred Scriptures according to Montanus. James finds this movement to be a fanatical distortion, but not necessarily a heresy against Orthodox Christianity. However, with that caveat, James considers the distortion which, while technically not...

James Meyers, III preaches on the controversial text found in Isaiah 45:7 where the KJV translates as, “I make peace, and create evil.” James considers the word evil and the context in which it is given. He then shows how Isaiah 45 is about God’s sovereignty, not about His creation. He then shows how this is given to the unregenerate and regenerate alike, and how all things resound to the glory of God. He concludes by considering that the suffering in the world cannot be truly considered without the suffering of the Son of God, and that through Him, we have p...

In Tertullian’s great tome composed of five books entitled, Against Marcion, he uses the first three to argue against Marion’s dualism, defends the goodness of the God of the Old Testament, and identifies Christ as the Creator’s Messiah. James briefly traces his argumentations to illustrate how Marcion’s attempt to strip Christ from the Creator was a fool’s errand, and how the Christian is not merely a New Testament believer, but that we are children of both Testaments and encourages us to seek God through His entire disclosure found in His revelation. As Augustin said, “The new is i...

James Meyers, III discusses the early gnostic, Marcion, who beyond advocating a certain form of gnosticism, constructed his own canon of New Testament Scriptures. These stripped the Gospels of anything which alluded to the God of the Old Testament as he thought He was an evil demiurge. Few today would attempt such a diversion, but there are many who think the God of the Old Testament is meaner than the God of the New Testament. James shows the fallacy of this position. However, as sinister as Marcion’s motives were, by God’s Providence, it was largely because of Marc...

James Meyers, III gives a message on wisdom based on Proverbs 10:23 and contrasts worldly wisdom and godly wisdom. He traces the origin of wisdom and highlights how godly wisdom leads to righteousness and how the fear of God is a filial fear, one of reverence and love. He concludes with considering the concept of joy for the Christian which can only be found in the wisdom of God, namely, our Lord Jesus Christ.

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James Meyers, III introduces the heresy called Gnosticism, coming from the Greek word for knowledge, “gnosis,” in this session. We consider a few men who pioneered this heresy in the second century. James then discusses a variety of general forms Gnosticism had as it was not monolithic. He concludes with a Christian perspective of knowledge.

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In this session of our series, “Against Heresies,” James Meyers III begins with discussing Simon Magus, found in Acts 8, who was traditionally claimed to have founded Gnosticism, before he considers the gnostic heresy called Docetism, which claimed Jesus only “appeared” to be human (coming from the Greek word, dokeō which means “to seem” or “to appear”), but was not truly “in the flesh.” The Apostle John spoke against this heresy. However, it is noteworthy that the initial controversy over the nature of Christ centered not on His deity, but His humanity. This was due to the philosophical worldview of the time and led into...

James Meyers, III begins today’s message with heresies which arose out of Judaism, namely that of the Judaizers and specifically, the two main heretical communities derived from them, the Nazarenes and the Ebionites. James considers the Nazarene heresy reflected in what was opposed at the Council of Jerusalem in Acts 15, but had its own forms which don’t immediately fall within what we would call heresy. The Ebionite heresy is another matter altogether. This heresy had ties to gnosticism and denied the Virgin Birth of Christ and the Deity of Christ. While these two Judaizer heresies differ, they both...

Before considering many of the early heresies against which the early church had to contend, James Meyers, III first considers the great philosopher, Plato, because many of these heresies derived from his ideas. James gives an overview of Plato’s philosophy which has filtered down to our own day. Therefore, we can get an idea about how these heresies arose, because we can see many of its effects even today.

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James Meyers, III gives a message on Hosea 6:4-7:16, where the people of God are compared to many things which signify their religious inclinations, but they were not truly pious. Even after a call toward piety and godliness, the people are consumed in their own way and not God’s, leaving God frustrated as to how He will deal with His people. They are like “the treacherous bow,” no matter how accurate their aim toward returning to God, they cannot hit the target. James sees this in light of the church, and cautions Her to true repentance with a contri...

James Meyers, III preaches a sermon on Hosea 6:1-3, largely seen in light of our resurrection in Christ. James finds this valid, but only in light of what Hosea originally meant. While the vocabulary is correct, and perhaps the intensity with which it was proffered, what is lacking makes it an ungenuine, and thus illegitimate, repentance. There is a tendency to see repentance and how God works as methodical and mechanical, where repentance must be contrite just as God is true and faithful. We can see this through another of the “Minor Prophets,” the famous story of Jonah to whic...

James Meyers, III begins a new series considering early heresies against which the nascent Church had to combat. However, sadly these heresies live on with different names. James proclaims his desire for the church to return to her fidelity for doctrine to assuage us from such heresies. The lack of doctrine in the contemporary church has given way to these heresies which have permeated the Church. The purpose of this series is to learn about the essences of these heresies that we might know the Truth and remain steadfastly freed by Him, and to defend the hope that lies...

As we have taken a brief overview as to some areas of the New Testament Canon, James Meyers, III considers how we might know what is and what is not Canon. Has God given us a means by which we might distinguish between authentic or inspired books and inauthentic or uninspired books. James gives three main corresponding qualities or attributes which, taken as a whole, give us the means for our own confidence in our New Testament Canon. However, as James clarifies, the work of the Holy Spirit is essential toward this end. Without Him, we cannot see, let...

In this message, James Meyers, III speaks on the fifth chapter of Hosea about the knowledge of God: both our knowledge (or lack thereof) of God and God’s knowledge of ourselves. How known do we desire to be? In our fallen condition, since we are not what we ought to be, we hide from ourselves, from others, and from God fearing complete exposure. However, God knows us and we cannot hide from Him. Rather, we should seek to know Him, and in knowing Him, we know ourselves, and by His grace we no longer hide from others, but ex...

James Meyers, III considers whether the New Testament authors knew they were writing divinely inspired texts, or whether they were unaware and the church later decided they were inspired and, therefore, should be collected into a Canon. This is another secularist position which reflects the Marcionite mood of disregarding the heritage of Old Testament Scriptures. James considers this and discloses some New Testament texts which demonstrate the authors knew they were transmitting an inspired written form for the people of God, just as they would have expected due to the Old Testament dispensation.

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James Meyers, III preaches on the fourth chapter of the Book of Hosea, which is a litigious text, which is essentially an arraignment in which God charges the people for their sins. The three main charges are the loss of truth (or faithfulness), mercy (or love/devotion), and knowledge of God. James considers these as relational, marital, and covenant terms, reflecting the image henceforth of Hosea and his wife, Gomer. James compares this chapter to Romans 1:18-32, where what Hosea says to Israel, Paul attributes to Gentiles as well. He concludes with Proverbs 1:7 to consider the fear of God...

Today, James Meyers, III preaches on the wonderful third chapter of Hosea. To him, this short chapter is filled with the Five Solas of the Reformation: Sola Scriptura (in Scripture Alone), Sola Fide (by Faith Alone), Sola Gratia (through Grace Alone), Solus Christus (in Christ Alone), Soli Deo Gloria (to the Glory of God Alone), and is one of the finest chapters in the Old Testament containing the Gospel of Christ. In these five verses, we have the unwavering Sovereign Grace of God redeeming us to himself while we were yet sinners for His own glory which is our...

In our last session, James Meyers, III discussed the Historical Definition of Canon, and how the early Christian would have expected a new written dispensation as a conclusion to the Old Testament, the terms of the New Covenant, and the Apostolic ministry. In this session, James considers the Community Definition, or the functional definition, which dates the canon late in the second century. James considers why and whether we can historically see the canon functioning in the church earlier and how early.

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As many secularist scholars are questioning the historicity and, subsequently, the reality of our New Testament Canon, James Meyers, III considers some of their objections through a historical lens. Ultimately, was the Canon some sort of forced document imposed on the early church or was it more organic? Do we have any reason to think the early Chrisian would accommodate a canon, or much more expect it? In this session, James reviews these questions and more to illustrate the latter.

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James Meyers, III preaches on the second chapter of the prophet, Hosea, by emphasizing the means of grace by God to return His people to Himself, even through forsaking them and withdrawing His mercies for a time. James argues that this forsaking and temporary removal of His mercies are in fact a means through which His presence is known and His mercy is found in its loss. In other words, sadly, the Christian senses the presence of God by the loss of it. As, “It is not good that man should be alone,” so, too, the Christian in isolation is l...

James Meyers, III considers how we define Canon, and how divergent this subject can be. He gives 3 main definitions, which at first seem mutually exclusive. However, James thinks they are not and in fact all 3 can be useful to define what is Canon. While this doesn’t immediately address the problems discussed in our first session, it is the proper starting point for a proper perspective before considering how we respond to those problems.

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James Meyers, III continues his sermon series on The Book of the Twelve through the prophet, Hosea. Hosea’s marriage, and subsequently his family life, is to reflect our marriage union with God. Just as Hosea’s wife, Gomer, forsakes him and has illegitimate children, so the people of God, though betrothed to God through our sacred covenant which He has sealed, forsake God and produce dead fruits. However, even through the righteous judgments of God, His mercies abound as He promises to purchase His people through the priceless blood of Christ to secure His people to Himself. Thus, we m...

James Meyers, III begins a series considering how we received the New Testament canon, how this term compares with “Scripture,” how we define “canon,” and more. In this session, he lays out many of the problems that arise when discussing the Tew Testament Canon which will be answered in this series. However, he wants the Christian to “grasp the weight” of the problems, and thus, purposefully leaves the audience in anticipation.

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James Meyers, III begins a sermon series regarding what are commonly called the “Minor Prophets” due to shorter books as compared to the “Major Prophets.” While James understands the reason for this terminology, he fears it may minimize their contributions, and so prefers the designation of “The Book of the Twelve.” Today, he introduces the prophets, and the first of the Minor Prophets,” Hosea.

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To conclude this series, James Meyers, III considers the power of executing authority within the institutions of state and church. James continues discussing what the apostle, Paul, said in the thirteenth chapter of his Epistle to the Romans, but considers other instances within the Bible to get a better idea as to what is being communicated. While there are times and occasions when it is necessary to be disobedient to these institutions, and while either institution may stray from God’s authority, we must be humbly mindful of our duties as Christians and be slow to disobey. All authority is...

James Meyers, III discusses the relationship between church and state, and how these are differing arenas of authority, but how they are both under the True Author of authority, God Himself Who gave Christ all authority in heaven and on earth. James traces the aspect of civil government from the Garden of Eden to today and considers how the Christian lives under the secular civil authorities. Additionally, he considers how secular governments are to govern outside the parameters of Church Government. This is a timely message for all Christians, but particularly we who live in America.

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James Meyers, III considers the relationship between the natural sciences and the theological sciences. Since the closing of the 19th century, there has been an increasing antipathy from one community toward the other, whereas, historically, that was not the case. James traces some of the events which led to this, but desires the Christian to embrace natural science because “all truth is God’s truth.” Historically, there have been times when Science has corrected Theology. There have, also, been times when Theology has corrected Science. We are now in one of those times and the Christian is not to retrea...

James Meyers, III considers some of the history of the Literary Arts, and when we began shifting to a more image based society. While observing some of the effects of this shift, James encourages the Christian to be People of the Word in order that we might reach this generation of images. We do not seek to remove or restrict these media, but rather return to a cogent and linguistic approach which we can refine through reading the Word and Classical Christian Literature.

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