What Does BC and AD Mean?
It is commonly thought that B.C. stands for “before Christ” and A.D., “after death.” This is only half correct, though! How could the year 1 B.C be before Christ without this being a reference to Jesus? In fact, it means anno domini which translates as “in the year of our Lord,” referring to God’s son (Jesus). The relationship between BC/AD dates was not taught in the Bible but actually began after its publication and took many centuries into fruition until becoming widespread today around 400 AD when monks started using them on manuscripts they were copying over from Greek texts previously used by Romans during Julius Caesar reigns back then in Europe prior to 300-400 AD with Roman numerals.
The B.C./A.D dating system is not taught in the Bible, but it was actually developed several centuries after Jesus’ death and only fully implemented and accepted later on by multiple churches around Europe at different times throughout history.
It is interesting to note that the purpose of the B.C./A.D dating system was originally intended to make Jesus Christ’s birth a pivotal point in history, but when it came time for them to calculate this date they made an error and got him slightly off track by several years.
This output does not say anything new or creative about how some may have misinterpreted BC/AD from its original intention; instead focuses on reiterating what has already been stated with no further elaboration.
Scholars later discovered that Jesus was actually born around 6 – 4 B.C., not A . D . 1, which is the crucial issue—not His birthdate or death date. The fact of Christ’s life and ministry are important turning points in world history, so it makes sense to view our era as “the year of our Lord.” B . C . stood for “before Christ,” but since his birth, we have been living “in the year of our Lord”. Paul tells the Philippians to give God thanks for all things, because nothing will happen without his consent. The glory of Christ is revealed through every person confessing him as Lord and Savior, which should be done with humility in mind.
Recently, there has been a push to replace the B.C and A.D labels with BC and AD meaning “before common era” and “common era,” respectively. This change is simply one of semantics: that is, 100 CE = 100 AD; all that changes are just some words in front or after your year label instead of something more creative like ‘CE’ for Common Era.”
Advocates of the switch from BC/AD to BCE/CE say that the newer designations are better in not being religious. However, they still reference Jesus Christ and Christianity despite this change!
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Author: Mike Cynar
Mike Cynar was raised in a church setting where he frequently noticed that many attendees would eventually drift away. The church labeled these individuals as ‘back sliders’ or ‘fake Christians’ just looking for ‘fire insurance’. However, Mike realized the issue was rarely with these individuals but instead with the church’s message itself. The teachings heavily emphasized behavior improvement and one’s flaws, with only a fleeting mention of one’s identity in Christ. It felt as though every sermon was tailored to the church of Corinth, who as we know or committing sins that even unbelievers don’t partake in. This trend was noticeable not just in one denomination, but across Baptist, Catholic, Pentecostal, and many other churches. Upon understanding the true essence of the gospel – that our righteousness comes from Jesus’ actions, not our own – Mike was inspired to liberate believers from lifeless sermons and reconnect them with the genuine teachings of Jesus. He believes that one can nurture a vibrant and growing bond with Jesus, unhindered by rigid religious practices. And thus, “Jesus Without Religion” was born.
It turns out that it is grace that leads to repentance. And if our heart is to get others to walk in the Spirit and live a godly life, then the best approach is not a beat down sermon, but rather to remind other that it is only when we understand our true identity in Christ that we will live it out. Yes, it’s true, if you’re convinced that God thinks you’re a dirty sinner, you will ultimately continue a lifestyle that mirrors that view, but if you truly believe that even on your worst day, you are called holy, sanctified, justified, and will be presented blameless in the end, well, it turns out this is the secret to living out on the outside what has been worked in to the inside.
