Staves and Serpents

We all remember the story of Aaron's staff turning to a serpent before Pharoah. Then of course, as brilliantly depicted in the movie "The Ten Commandments," Pharoah's magicians do the same thing, but Aaron's staff-serpent eats theirs. Divine recompense at its best!

But did you remember that when Moses and Aaron turn the Nile and all the water in Egypt into blood, Pharoah's magicians do the same? What?!! Yep, check out Exod 7:22, "But the magicians of Egypt did the same by their secret arts." Isn't that crazy? They turned their water supply to blood just to show Pharoah they had magic power.

I bet they got thirsty.

The 21 Ecumencial Councils of the Church

I was thinking about the councils when I was in class yesterday and decided to make a list of them for myself, so I thought I'd share it with you. Here it is. Notice that the so-called "Council of Jerusalem" which takes place in the Book of Acts is not numbered in the 21. Also, notice the cluster of councils in the medieval era, especially in the 1100 and 1200's. It was a time when politics and religion mixed a lot more than they do now, so the Church had a lot on her hands, so to speak.

A List of the 21 Ecumenical Councils
0. Jerusalem - 50
1. Nicea - 325
2. Constantinople - 381
3. Ephesus - 431
4. Chalcedon - 451
5. Constantinople II - 553
6. Constantinople III - 680-681
7. Nicea II - 787
8. Constantinople IV - 869
9. Lateran I - 1123
10. Lateran II - 1139
11. Lateran III - 1179
12. Lateran IV - 1215
13. Lyons I - 1245
14. Lyons II - 1274
15. Vienna - 1311-13
16. Constance - 1414-18
17. Basle/Ferrara/Florence - 1431-39
18. Lateran V - 1512-17
19. Trent - 1545-63
20. Vatican I - 1869-70
21. Vatican II 1962-1965