Author: markwchristy

Christ’s Pre-Incarnational Appearances as the Angel of the Lord: An Examination of the Biblical Evidence

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By Mark W. Christy, PhD In his Dialogue with Trypho, Justin Martyr (100 A.D. – 165 A.D.) attempts to argue for preincarnate appearances, known as Christophanies, of Jesus Christ so as to win over Jewish people to the faith.[i] In his discussion, he references the angel of the Lord (also called the angel of God) who appears to Jacob and Moses (cf. Gen 31:10-13; 32:24-30; Ex 3:2-4). To determine whether or not the contention of this ancient ambassador for the faith is correct, this article wil...
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The Freewill Choice in the Garden and Its Incompatibility with Arminianism

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By Mark W. Christy, PhD (Note: Before reading, please be aware that no one save God is like God in the ultimate sense. Nevertheless, the Bible does call upon humanity to be like God (and like Christ) in terms of their character. This article will therefore use ‘like God’ in this manner.) Classical Arminians agree with Calvinists concerning the bondage of the human will due to the original sin of Adam. Nevertheless, they disagree upon whether or not God’s prevenient (saving) grace was dist...
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The Affirmation and Unwinding of Total Depravity within Classical Arminianism

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By Mark W. Christy, PhD Despite popular misconceptions, classical Arminians (a group that may exclude many professed Arminians in the contemporary era) have always held tightly to the doctrine of total depravity, just as all faithful Calvinists do. Both believe that the human will was placed into bondage by the sin of Adam. The issue, therefore, between these two groups is not free will; rather, it arises from the Arminian understanding of the distribution of prevenient grace (coming before ...
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Fear Induced by the Bully Has No Hold on the Faithful in Christ

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By Mark W. Christy While the Bible teaches that faith is a gift of God to those who believe (cf. Acts 3:16; Eph 2:8-9; Phil 1;29; 2 Pet 1:1), such faith displays itself within the decisions one makes. Irrespective of emotions and any other influence, whether they arise from within or without, God expects His people to live by faith and thereby make decisions in line with His Word. Unfortunately, this fallen world has many subversive means to attract God’s people away from the righteous path ...
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The Social Justice Delusions of Ed Litton, the Newly Elected President of the SBC

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By Mark W. Christy, PhD Note: This article is delving into the thoughts that undergird a couple of questionable remarks from Ed Litton. For his part, Litton publicly disavowed critical race theory (CRT) and claimed to stand firmly for “gospel reconciliation” in an interview with CNN’s Erin Burnett.[i] In the same interview however, he affirmed systemic racism, a concept that arises from the same neo-Marxist foundation as CRT and intersectionality. One should note that the Bible never speaks ...
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Critical Race Theory and Double-Speak at the 2021 SBC Annual Meeting

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By Mark W. Christy, PhD At the 2019 Annual Meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention, it was overwhelming decided (and framed into a resolution) that critical race theory (CRT) and intersectionality are “analytical tools” that “can aid in evaluating a variety of human experiences.”[i] This kind of language ultimately led to an uproar among many conservative Baptists who understand that these theories (or opinions) have arisen from neo-Marxists who have turned to things such as race, sex, an...
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The Process of Sin

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By Mark W. Christy, PhD In James 1:14-15, the Apostle provides an overview of the process behind sin. He writes, “But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death.”[i] From these verses, four discernible steps in the sin process are provided, and this article will examine each at length. Initially, sin begins in the fallen desires of one’s heart (as James pu...
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The Hermeneutical Challenge that Lays Behind Attaching Isaiah 14:12-14 to Satan Himself

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By Mark W. Christy, PhD In a taunt directed at the King of Babylon as their empire was about to meet its end, Isaiah writes, “How you have fallen from heaven, O star of the morning, son of the dawn! You have been cut down to the earth, you who have weakened the nations! But you said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God, and I will sit on the mount of assembly in the recesses of the north. I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I wi...
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Is Everything Meaningless?

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By Mark W. Christy, PhD According to Ecclesiastes 1:2 NIV, “’Meaningless! Meaningless!’ says the Teacher. ‘Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless.’” Based upon this translation, it would seem that supposed truths and even self in this world must be meaningless. From the context, one learns that the writer of Ecclesiastes is specifically addressing the efforts of men under the sun (1:3). With this view, this article will consider how to properly understand this verse and whether or no...
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The Rationalism of Descartes and the Postmodern Shift in the War for Truth

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By Mark W. Christy, PhD Up until the time of the Reformation, the Church enjoyed a security and centralized foothold in institutions of higher education. In the 1600s, the centralization of God in the thinking of many scholars began to give way as the Age of Reason, the beginning of the modern period, came into fruition. With the rationalism heralded by the work of these thinkers among others, the rise of the autonomous self, loosed from the chains of religious constraints, had begun. Ren...
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