Magnifying the Cross in the Worship Service

Posted on February 3, 2021February 3, 2021 by markwchristy

By Mark W. Christy, PhD In 1 Corinthians 2:2, Paul declares, “For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified.”[i] Commenting on this verse and noting the centrality of the cross throughout Paul’s ministry, D. A. Carson writes, “If [Paul] really holds that God has supremely disclosed himself in the cross and that to follow the crucified and risen Savior means dying daily, then it is preposterous to adopt a style of ministry that is triumphalistic, designed t...

Paul, the Skilled or Unskilled Proclaimer

Posted on February 2, 2021February 2, 2021 by markwchristy

By Mark W. Christy, PhD At times in Paul’s writings, he seems to suggest that he lacked any real skill in oral delivery. At one point, he says, “And when I came to you, brethren, I did not come with superiority of speech or of wisdom, proclaiming to you the testimony of God” (1 Cor 2:1).[i] In this text, Paul is clearly denigrating the form of his speech. Given the prevailing culture which all but worshiped those considered to be masters in rhetoric, Paul certainly wanted to distance himself...

The Beggar and Matthew 5:42

Posted on January 31, 2021January 31, 2021 by markwchristy

By Mark W. Christy In Matthew 5:42, Jesus says, “Give to him who asks of you, and do not turn away from him who wants to borrow from you.”[i] From this, many rightly question whether or not the Christian has any recourse for dealing with beggars, the addicted, homeless people, and other such persons. This article will attempt to offer wisdom on when a Christian can say no. In the time of Christ, the nature of communities was such that everyone except an occasional wayfarer would have been...

A Call to Personal, Persistent, and Powerful Prayer for the Lost (Col 4:2-3)

Posted on January 31, 2021January 31, 2021 by markwchristy

By Mark W. Christy, PhD In Colossians 3:5-4:1, Paul addresses the qualities of a born-again, Spirit-filled believer followed by a discussion of his/her relationships. In Colossians 4:2-6, Paul gives instructions on how believers are to pray for and converse with non-believers. First, Paul discusses the need for persevering in prayer (v.2). In his many epistles, Paul constantly advocates dedicated, steadfast, and persistent praying. He tells believers to be “devoted to pray” (Rom 12:12), “...

A Biblical Argument for a Female Deacon

Posted on January 29, 2021March 8, 2022 by markwchristy

Traditionally, many Baptist churches have spurned the idea of female deacons. Their position on this subject is due, at least in part, to their ecclesiology. In a typical Baptist congregation, the pastor serves as sole elder and the deacons share spiritual authority with him.[i] When this is the case, the deacons must be only men because the Bible clearly teaches that women are not to have spiritual authority over men: “I do not allow a woman to teach or exercise authority over a man” (1 Tim 2:...

The Southern Baptist Half-Way Covenant

Posted on January 24, 2021January 24, 2021 by markwchristy

Before beginning, it is important to note that there are many Bible-believing Southern Baptists who affirm that salvation is by grace alone through faith alone in Jesus Christ alone. Among them however, many disagree on the role of the free will in regard to salvation. Some suggest God elects those He saves in such a way that He Himself ensures those whom He chooses will indeed respond to the gospel through the God-given gifts of repentance and faith. Others hold that these gifts of grace are g...

Responding to God from the Pit of Despair

Posted on January 23, 2021January 23, 2021 by markwchristy

By Mark W. Christy, PhD The Apostle Peter informs Christians they would be “distressed by various trials” and their faith would be “tested by fire” (1 Pet 1:6-7).[i] James connects these trials directly with “testing of [a believer’s] faith” and notes that by them a believer will develop endurance (perseverance) and perfection (1:2-4). Paul attributes this testing to the work of the devil who tries to lure believers with temptations even while God ensures the believer is not tempted beyond h...

The Gospel of False Hope Among Some Southern Baptists (and Others)

Posted on January 20, 2021January 20, 2021 by markwchristy

By Mark W. Christy, PhD Before beginning, it is important to affirm that many Southern Baptists rightfully (and in line with Scripture) declare salvation comes through faith and repentance in Jesus Christ alone. As a person who grew up, professed faith, and received baptism in a Southern Baptist church before eventually earning three degrees from a Southern Baptist seminary, I can certainly attest to this. Even so, a troubling thought frequently visited me in my early years at seminary conce...

The Offense of John the Baptist and His Modern-Day Counterparts

Posted on January 11, 2021February 6, 2022 by markwchristy

By Mark W. Christy, PhD Whether it be on Facebook, television, or almost any other media source, Americans are inundated by a constant stream of material that is at best frivolous and at worst utterly sin-ridden. When God is mentioned in the positive, He is typically rendered as a loving God who loves all people regardless of their intentions and responses toward Him. Unfortunately, many churches have been caught up in this societal purge of God as He is depicted in His fulness in Scripture....

The Pathology of a False Teacher (1 Timothy 6:3-5)

Posted on January 5, 2021January 5, 2021 by markwchristy

By Mark W. Christy, PhD Paul, in 1 Timothy 6:3-5, offers his readers a profile of a heretic: “If anyone advocates a different doctrine and does not agree with sound words, those of our Lord Jesus Christ, and with the doctrine conforming to godliness, 4 he is conceited and understands nothing; but he has a morbid interest in controversial questions and disputes about words, out of which arise envy, strife, abusive language, evil suspicions, 5 and constant friction between men of depraved m...

Battle Hardened Believer

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