APOLOGETICS BIBLE STUDY Q&A: "The Pliny Evidence: Ang External Proof Na Sinasamba Na Si Jesus Bilang Diyos Bago Pa Ang Council of Nicaea"

APOLOGETICS BIBLE STUDY Q&A: "The Pliny Evidence: Ang External Proof Na Sinasamba Na Si Jesus Bilang Diyos Bago Pa Ang Council of Nicaea"

Welcome to another entry in our Apologetics Bible Study series! Today, we are going to dive deep into a fascinating piece of early church history that totally debunks modern claims about the origins of our faith.

Kung minsan, we hear skeptics or even local religious groups claiming that the early Christians did not worship Jesus as God, or that Sunday worship is a later pagan invention. But history tells a very different and powerful story. Let’s look at the secular records of the Roman Empire, specifically through the eyes of a Roman governor.

Epistulae (Letters), Book 10, Letter 96 (Often cited as Pliny, Epistles 10.96).

[3] In the meantime, this is the plan which I have adopted in the case of those Christians who have been brought before me. I ask them whether they are Christians; if they say yes, then I repeat the question a second and a third time, warning them of the penalties it entails, and if they still persist, I order them to be taken away to prison. For I do not doubt that, whatever the character of the crime may be which they confess, their pertinacity and inflexible obstinacy certainly ought to be punished.

[7] But they declared that the sum of their guilt or their error only amounted to this, that on a stated day they had been accustomed to meet before daybreak, and to recite a hymn among themselves to Christ, as though he were a god [Latin: carmenque Christo quasi deo dicere secum invicem], and that so far from binding themselves by oath to commit any crime, their oath was to abstain from theft, robbery, adultery, and from breach of faith, and not to deny trust money placed in their keeping when called upon to deliver it. When this was done, it was their custom to depart, and to meet again at a broken and ordinary meal. But they said they had left off this habit after my edicts, in which, according to your commands, I had forbidden the existence of clubs.

Q: Sino si Pliny the Younger, at ano ang kinalaman niya sa ating early Christian history?

A: Si Pliny the Younger ay isang Roman governor ng Bithynia-Pontus (modern-day Turkey) around AD 111–115. He wasn’t a friend of the church; in fact, he was actively interrogating and persecuting early Christians under the reign of Emperor Trajan. He wrote a letter to the Emperor (Epistles 10.96.7) asking for advice on how to handle them. The beauty of this letter is that it serves as hostile, secular, and extra-biblical evidence of what the early church actually looked like less than twenty years after the Apostle John died.

Q: Paano pinapatunayan ng sulat ni Pliny na ang mga unang Kristiyano ay naniniwala sa pagka-Diyos ni Jesus? This is a huge issue in our Filipino context, right?

A: Exactly. Dito sa Pilipinas, we have huge religious groups and cults that actively deny the deity of Christ, claiming that the idea of "Jesus as God" was only invented by Emperor Constantine at the Council of Nicaea in AD 325.

Pero in Pliny’s letter, he reported na ang mga Kristiyano ay nagtitipon para kumanta ng "hymns to Christ as to God" (Latin: carmenque Christo quasi deo). Recent historical and sociological research by scholars like Larry Hurtado shows that this "binitarian" devotion worshipping Jesus alongside the Father was an explosive, radical shift within a strictly monotheistic Jewish framework, and it happened almost immediately after the Resurrection. They weren't just singing songs of admiration; they were offering divine worship to Jesus. Pliny confirms that believing Jesus is God wasn't a 4th-century invention; it was the heartbeat of the 1st and 2nd-century church!

Q: Ano naman ang significance nung pag-gather nila "on a certain day before sunrise"? Bakit madaling araw, at anong araw ito?

A: Pliny noted that they gathered on a "fixed day" (stato die) before dawn. This is widely recognized by scholars as Sunday morning. Bakit "before sunrise"? In the Roman Empire, Sunday was a normal working day. Walang "weekend" concept ang mga Romans the way we do now. So, the early Christians had to meet very early in the morning, bago sila pumasok sa trabaho (as slaves, merchants, or soldiers), specifically to honor the time of Jesus' resurrection. It echoes our cultural familiarity with early dawn gatherings like Easter Salubong, but for the early believers, this was a weekly rhythm of life under the threat of death.

Q: How does this connect to our New Covenant theology regarding the Sabbath?

A: This is where the beauty of the New Covenant shines! Under the Old Covenant, the Israelites were commanded to observe the strict Saturday Sabbath, resting at the end of the week to commemorate the first creation and their deliverance from Egypt. But through the lens of New Covenant theology, the shadow has given way to the substance, which is Christ.

The early church shifted their primary gathering to Sunday the first day of the week, the Lord's Day. They did this not to "transfer" the Sabbath law to Sunday, but because Sunday was the day of the Resurrection. It is the day of the New Creation. Their gatherings and the very content of their songs were entirely Christ-centered. The law demands rest after labor, but the gospel of the New Covenant invites us to begin our week resting in the finished work of Christ's resurrection.

Real Talk Reflection

Colossians 3:16 (ESV)

"Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God."

Imagine being a 2nd-century believer in Bithynia. You wake up while it's still dark, risking your life, your job, and your social standing, just to gather with your brothers and sisters in a secret room. And what do you do there? You sing your heart out to Jesus, worshipping Him as God, celebrating that the grave is empty. The focus wasn't on flashy programs or comfortable seating; it was singularly on the risen Christ.

Call to Action: This Sunday, pag-gising mo, I challenge you to check your heart's posture. Let’s not treat our Sunday gatherings as a mere religious routine or an Old Covenant checklist. As New Covenant believers empowered by the Spirit, let’s bring the same passion as the early church. Come to worship with a grateful heart, ready to sing hymns to Christ as God. Prepare your heart this weekend, invite a friend, and let the reality of His resurrection fuel your worship!

APOLOGETIC BIBLE STUDY Q&A: "Kung si Jesus ay Diyos, bakit Siya nagdadasal sa Diyos?"

APOLOGETIC BIBLE STUDY Q&A: "Kung si Jesus ay Diyos, bakit Siya nagdadasal sa Diyos?"

The Objection: "Kung si Jesus ay Diyos, bakit Siya nagdadasal sa Diyos? God doesn't need to pray to anyone, so Jesus praying proves He is not THE GOD!"

This is a very common objection, especially from groups that deny the deity of Christ. The logic sounds simple on the surface: Kung Diyos ka, bakit ka pa magdadasal?

Pero the flaw in this argument is that it completely misunderstands two core, foundational doctrines of the Christian faith: The Trinity and The Incarnation. Let's break this down to see why Jesus praying actually makes perfect sense biblically.

1. The Trinitarian Answer: Fellowship of Persons

Sablay agad 'yung objection dahil inaakala nilang we believe Jesus is the Father. That's a heresy called Modalism. The Bible teaches the Trinity: One God (One Divine Being) who exists eternally as three distinct Persons (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit).

Relationship, not a lack of Deity: When Jesus prays, He is not praying to Himself. God the Son is communicating with God the Father. Prayer at its core is communication and fellowship. Since the Father and the Son have existed in a relationship of perfect love for all eternity, it makes total sense that they communicate.

Key Verse: In John 17:5, Jesus prays, "And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed." This prayer actually proves His deity, showing He existed eternally with the Father bago pa man likhain ang mundo.

2. The Incarnational Answer: The Hypostatic Union

This is the theological term for Jesus being 100% God and 100% man at the same time. Nang magkatawang-tao si Jesus (John 1:14), He didn't lose His divine nature; He added a human nature.

• The Difference in Natures (Dalawang Kalikasan): Kung ang tatanungin ay isang ordinaryong tao lamang kung bakit siya nagdadasal sa Diyos, siyempre isa lang ang sagot dahil siya ay tao na may iisang kalikasan at kailangan niyang magdasal sa Lumikha sa kanya. Pero kung tatanungin ay si Jesus, dalawa po ang kalikasan Niya: Diyos at Tao, kaya dapat dalawa din ang isasagot. Halimbawa, "Panginoong Jesus, hindi ba Diyos ka, bakit ka nagdadasal pa sa Diyos?" Bilang nasa likas ng Tao, kailangan Niyang magdasal sa Diyos, pero bilang nasa likas na Diyos, hindi na kailangang magdasal.
  
  
• Acting as a True Human: Bilang tao, Jesus had to live perfectly under the Law to fulfill all righteousness for us. Paano ba mamuhay ang isang perpektong tao na sumusunod sa Diyos? By living in complete dependence on the Father through prayer. Kung hindi nagdasal si Jesus habang Siya ay nasa lupa bilang tao, He would have failed to be the perfect human example and our perfect substitute.

• Key Verse: Philippians 2:6-8 explains that though He was in the form of God, He emptied Himself by taking the form of a servant. In His earthly ministry, He voluntarily restricted the independent use of His divine attributes to live truly as a man reliant on the Spirit and the Father.
  
  

3. The Mediatorial Answer: Our High Priest

Jesus didn't just pray for Himself; He prayed for us. Bilang ating tagapamagitan (Mediator) at High Priest under the New Covenant, it is His exact role to intercede for His people.

Key Verse: Hebrews 7:25 says, "Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them." His prayers are part of His saving work for us.

The Bottom-Line Summary

When skeptics say, "God doesn't pray to God," you can respectfully reply:

"You're right, the divine nature doesn't pray. But Jesus is a divine Person who took on a human nature. He prayed to the Father to maintain their eternal fellowship, to model perfect human dependence, and to intercede for us as our High Priest. His prayers don't disprove His deity; they prove His true humanity."

THE DAY DIED WHEN THE KING ARRIVED: "Mark 2:27 and the Secret Hidden Since Genesis!"

THE DAY DIED WHEN THE KING ARRIVED: "Mark 2:27 and the Secret Hidden Since Genesis!"
by Ptr. Ely Sembrano

“The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. Therefore, the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.” Mark 2:27

These may be some of the most misunderstood words Jesus ever spoke. Many read them as a debate about which day should be observed. Jesus was speaking about something far greater. He was unveiling the purpose of the Sabbath itself. And when His argument is followed from beginning to end, a breathtaking truth emerges:

The Sabbath was never the destination. It was the sign pointing to the destination. And the destination is Christ.

The Context Everyone Misses:

• Mark does not begin with verse 27.
• The argument begins in verse 25.
  
  And he said to them, “Have you never read what David did, when he was in need and was hungry, he and those who were with him." Mark 2:25 (ESV)

The Pharisees accuse Jesus' disciples of violating the Sabbath because they plucked grain while passing through a field.

"And the Pharisees were saying to him, “Look, why are they doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath?” Mark 2:24(ESV)

To the Pharisees, the issue was simple: A law had been broken.

To Jesus, the issue was deeper: They had misunderstood the purpose of the law itself.

So, He responds with a story. “Have you never read what David did when he was in need and hungry, he and those with him?” v. 25

This question is devastating. Jesus intentionally chooses an event where David ate the consecrated bread that, according to the law, was reserved for priests. Why? Because He is exposing a principle hidden beneath the surface of Scripture. The bread existed for God's people. God's people did not exist for the bread. The sacred ordinance served God's redemptive purpose. God's redemptive purpose was never meant to serve the ordinance.

The Pharisees elevated the symbol above the reality. They protected the ritual while ignoring the need of the people. And that is precisely what Jesus is confronting.

The Stunning Logic of Verse 27  

“The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.” (Mark 2:27)

Notice carefully what Jesus does not say. He does not say: “The Sabbath was made for Adam.” He does not say: “The Sabbath was made at Creation.” He says: “The Sabbath was made for man.”

This statement does not reach back to Eden, but points to its institution at Sinai. The word “made” signals that the Sabbath was given as a covenantal ordinance a gift structured for Israel’s life under the Mosaic Law. Not Genesis, but Exodus: The first time Sabbath observance is commanded is in Exodus 16 with the manna, and then formally codified in Exodus 20.

• Covenant Sign: The Sabbath is explicitly called a sign between Yahweh and Israel (Exodus 31:13‑17). It was “made” for them not as a timeless creation ordinance, but as a covenant marker.
  
  
• Shadow, not Substance: The Pharisees had twisted this covenant sign into a burden. Jesus restores its true meaning: the Sabbath was meant to serve, not enslave. Yet even more, He reveals that the Sabbath itself was a shadow pointing to Him (Colossians 2:16‑17).

• Fulfillment in Christ: Verse 27 is not the conclusion it is the setup. The true conclusion comes in verse 28: “The Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.” Christ Himself is the fulfillment, the eternal rest (Hebrews 4:9‑11).
  
  

The Word “Therefore” Changes Everything

The next verse begins with a logical conclusion: “Therefore the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.” v.28

The word “therefore” is crucial. Verse 28 flows directly from verse 27.

In other words:

• Because the Sabbath exists for man...
• And because Jesus is the Son of Man...
• Therefore, Jesus possesses authority over the Sabbath itself.

This is far more than a claim to interpret Sabbath regulations. This is a claim of ownership.

• Authority.
• Fulfillment.
• Supremacy.

The Sabbath belongs to Him because it ultimately points to Him. The sign cannot be greater than the One to whom it points. The shadow cannot outrank the substance. The picture cannot outrank the reality. The King has authority over His own signpost.

Matthew Adds the Missing Piece

Matthew records additional words Jesus spoke during the same controversy. “Something greater than the temple is here.” Matt. 12:6

Pause and absorb that. The temple was the center of Jewish worship. The dwelling place of God's presence. The holiest institution in Israel. Yet Jesus declares: Something greater than the temple has arrived. And that “something” is Himself. Then He says: “For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.”

The logic is undeniable.

• Greater than the temple.
• Lord of the Sabbath.

Why? Because all sacred institutions ultimately pointed to Him.

• The temple pointed to Him.
• The sacrifices pointed to Him.
• The priesthood pointed to Him.
• The Sabbath pointed to Him.

The shadow's purpose is fulfilled when the reality arrives. No one continues studying road signs after reaching the city. The arrival of the destination transforms the function of the sign.

The Mystery Hidden in Genesis

Now we return to the beginning. Genesis records six days of creation. Each day concludes the same way: “There was evening and there was morning.” Except one. The seventh day.

• No evening.
• No morning.
• No ending.

Why? Because God's rest was never intended as a twenty-four-hour event. It was an ongoing reality. God rested because His work was complete.

• Not because He was exhausted.
• Not because He needed recovery.
• His rest was the celebration of finished work.

And that rest never ended. The tragedy of Eden was not that God lost His rest. The tragedy was that mankind lost access to it. God remained at rest. Humanity became restless. Since that moment, mankind has been striving to recover what was lost.

• Working for acceptance.
• Working for righteousness.
• Working for peace.
• Working for life.

But God's rest remained open only through God's provision.

The Sabbath Was a Prophecy

When Israel received the Sabbath command, something profound happened.

• The Sabbath became a weekly prophecy.
• A recurring announcement.
• A visible sermon.

Every seventh day proclaimed: "There is a rest you do not yet possess." Because if the weekly Sabbath was the ultimate rest, Israel's story makes no sense.

• They kept Sabbaths. Yet remained burdened.
• They observed days. Yet remained sinners.
• They rested weekly. Yet still died.

The ritual revealed a deeper need. The shadow testified that the substance had not yet arrived.

Christ Becomes the Rest

Then Jesus appears and says: “Come to Me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”  Matt. 11:28

Notice what He does not say.

1. He does not say: "Come to a day."
2. He does not say: "Come to a calendar."
3. He does not say: "Come to a regulation."

He says: "Come to Me." This is astonishing. Jesus places Himself exactly where the Sabbath had always pointed. The invitation shifts from a day to a Person.

• From an ordinance to a Savior.
• From a shadow to the reality.
  
  

Hebrews Reveals the Final Meaning

Hebrews explains the mystery with remarkable clarity. The writer speaks of God's rest. Then says:

“There remains therefore a rest for the people of God.” Heb. 4:9

If Joshua's generation had already entered the final rest, Scripture would not continue speaking about another day. (Heb. 4:8) The conclusion is unavoidable. The true rest was still future.

Then comes the explanation:

“Whoever has entered God's rest has also rested from his works as God did from His.” Heb. 9:10

The comparison is extraordinary. God ceased from His completed work. Believers cease from self-justifying works. God rested because creation was finished.

Believers rest because redemption is finished.

• The pattern is identical.
• The foundation is completion.
• The basis is faith.
  
  

Why 1 Peter Strengthens the Argument

Peter calls believers: “Living stones.”

And: “A holy priesthood.”

And: “A royal priesthood.”

The implications are enormous. Under the old covenant, sacred access revolved around a physical temple, physical priests, physical sacrifices, and physical ordinances. Under the new covenant, believers themselves become the priesthood. Christ becomes the cornerstone. The people of God become the temple. The reality replaces the shadow. The substance replaces the symbol. This is exactly the pattern Jesus revealed regarding the Sabbath. The old structures anticipated a greater fulfillment. And that fulfillment is found in union with Christ.

The Question That Changes Everything

Most debates ask: "What day should I keep?"

Scripture asks a deeper question: "Have you entered God's rest?"

A person may perfectly observe a sacred day and remain spiritually restless. A person may meticulously follow a calendar and still trust in their own efforts. The issue is not ultimately the day. The issue is the resting place.

• Where is your confidence?
• Where is your hope?
• Where is your righteousness?
• Where is your peace?

If the answer is anything other than Christ, true Sabbath has not been entered.

Conclusion

The Sabbath was made for man. But man, fell from God's rest. The Sabbath became a prophetic sign. The sign pointed forward to Christ. Christ arrived and declared Himself Lord of the Sabbath. He offered rest not through a day but through Himself.

He completed redemption and cried: “It is finished.” The same theme that began God's rest in Genesis now reaches its fulfillment at the cross. Finished creation. Finished redemption. Finished work.

Therefore, the deepest meaning of Mark 2:27 is not merely that the Sabbath benefits humanity. It is that the Sabbath was always designed to lead humanity to the One who would restore them to God's eternal rest. The Sabbath was made for man. Christ was given for man. And when man enters Christ by faith, he enters the very rest toward which the Sabbath had been pointing to.

The question is no longer: “What day am I resting?”

The question is: “Am I resting in the One to whom the day was pointing?”

Because the ultimate Sabbath is not found in a calendar. It is found in Christ.