Critical Race Theory and Double-Speak at the 2021 SBC Annual Meeting

Posted on June 23, 2021June 23, 2021 by markwchristy

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...

The Process of Sin

Posted on June 22, 2021June 22, 2021 by markwchristy

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...

The Hermeneutical Challenge that Lays Behind Attaching Isaiah 14:12-14 to Satan Himself

Posted on June 17, 2021June 17, 2021 by markwchristy

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...

Is Everything Meaningless?

Posted on June 9, 2021June 9, 2021 by markwchristy

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...

The Rationalism of Descartes and the Postmodern Shift in the War for Truth

Posted on June 6, 2021June 6, 2021 by markwchristy

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...

The Hermeneutical Challenge of Revelation: An Argument for Dispensational Premillenialism

Posted on June 2, 2021June 2, 2021 by markwchristy

By Mark W. Christy, PhD For many students of the Bible, the book of Revelation offers perhaps the greatest hermeneutical challenge for those seeking to properly discern its meaning. This book, however, is a revelation of truth and should not be seen as a deliberate attempt to obscure it. The writer, John the Apostle, expects that those who read this “Revelation of Jesus Christ” will “hear” and “heed” it (Rev 6:1-3; cf. 22:7, 9).[i] The word translated as Revelation, ἀποκάλυψις, means disclos...

Promised Trials for God’s People: Eight Reasons for God-ordained Suffering

Posted on May 29, 2021May 29, 2021 by markwchristy

By Mark W. Christy, PhD Kenneth Copeland Ministries asks and answers the following question: “Are you settling for less than God’s best in your life? If you are tolerating any type of physical ailment, anything less than financial abundance, or a struggling relationship, the answer is a resounding yes!”[i] This teaching, commonly propounding by those in the prosperity gospel movement (PGM), finds a ready audience in the self-absorbed, comfort-loving, worldly-focused, and materialistic multit...

How to Recognize False Teachers: A Word from Jeremiah

Posted on May 23, 2021May 29, 2021 by markwchristy

By Mark W. Christy, PhD In this technologically advanced era, anyone who is perusing the internet and seeking some sort of guidance from a Christian pastor will undoubtedly find a deluge of resources even while they may be left all but helpless when trying to determine to whom they should lend their ear. Though humanity has not always had the pastoral world at their fingertips, they have always had a multitude of voices declaring supposed truths that are mutually exclusive. In the Bible, one...

The Rapture: Its Biblical Support, Its Timing, and Its Historical Formation within Premillennialism

Posted on May 9, 2021March 8, 2022 by markwchristy

By Mark W. Christy, PhD A prominent view, especially among American evangelicals, is the eschatological event known as the Rapture which will occur when Christ returns to gather the living saints from the earth to meet Him in the sky. This belief, which is featured most prominently in pretribulational premillennialism, is not without its detractors. With this in view, this article will help readers determine a proper stance on the Rapture by offering biblical support for it and its timing, a...

Is there an Age of Accountability?

Posted on May 2, 2021May 2, 2021 by markwchristy

By Mark W. Christy, PhD Anyone who has spent significant time studying the Scripture will affirm that its message is written to those who have matured to the point where they understand right from wrong. Its message is never directed to those who for whatever reason lack the capacity to understand its basic tenets. Given this, it would seem that God has a special mercy for anyone who dies before they reach an age where they can rightly be held accountable for their choices. This article will...