Volume 8 / Issue 1 | January 2021
The Apologetics Newsletter
of the Missouri Baptist Convention
In this issue: When counterfeit Christianity comes knocking ...
The deity of Christ in the New Testament ... Are some Christian beliefs non-negotiable? ... Download a free commentary on Isaiah ... and more!
When counterfeit Christianity comes knocking
Shane and Dixie Wise were sixth-generation Latter-day Saints when they faced a crisis of conscience after hearing the gospel. Listen to their story of coming out of the LDS Church after meeting the real Jesus. The Wises shared their testimony at a recent event at South Gate Baptist Church in Springfield, Mo., "When Counterfeit Christianity Comes Knocking."
The deity of Christ in the New Testament
Muslims, Jehovah's Witnesses, atheists, and others often argue that Jesus of Nazareth never claimed to be God. They assert that Christians have corrupted or misinterpreted the Scriptures, or they reject the Bible outright. But for those willing to consider the eyewitness testimony of the New Testament writers, we may ask them to consider seven ways in which Jesus does, in fact, claim deity.
Are some Christian beliefs non-negotiable?
With an estimated 2.2 billion Christians in the world today, worshiping in more than 41,000 denominations, one may wonder how we could possible fulfill Jesus' prayer that we all be as one (John 17:22). But diversity does not necessarily mean division, and historic Christianity holds resolutely to a number of non-negotiable doctrines.
What does it mean to contend for the faith?
In the first century, the church withstood -- and even flourished under -- persecution. But it threatened to bleed out from the self-inflicted wounds of false teaching. Jude had a keen sense of this reality and challenged the readers of his short epistle to "earnestly contend" for the faith.
Commentary on Isaiah
Isaiah is one of the most beloved Old Testament prophets. His messages harken back to the eternal counsels of God and the creation of the universe, and they gaze longingly forward to the new heavens and new earth. Download the free commentary on Isaiah, which includes audio files and worksheets.
Who are those guys?
When it comes to false teachers, many New Testament writers have no problem pointing fingers and naming names. Think of Simon the sorcerer, Hymenaeus and Alexander, and Diotrephes, to name a few. So, why does Jude refer to false teachers he's encountered as "some men," or "certain men"? Why not expose them for the rascals they are?
Now on Audible: Jesus Before Bethlehem
High Street Press, the publishing imprint of the Missouri Baptist Convention, now offers its newest resource, Jesus Before Bethlehem: What Every Christian Should Know About the Angel of the LORD, as an audio book on Audible. This 335-page resource explores dozens of Old Testament Christophanies, or appearances of the preincarnate Christ. Written for pastors and laypersons, the study is designed to show how the eternal Son of God has always taken a personal interest in those He created to be His imagers on earth.

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