Pastor Shaun Marksbury

If you've had any interaction with the Black Hebrew Israelites (BHI), you have probably heard that the true identity of the Hebrew people is the African peoples (or some such nuance).  As evidence of this, BHI adherents will point to the blessing/cursing chapter of the Law, Deuteronomy 28, and see there a prophecy concerning Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade.  Perhaps even outside of BHI, you've wondered if this chapter discusses this.   The Prescribed Truth Podcast takes on this reading:

Therefore remember that formerly you, the Gentiles in the flesh, who are called “Uncircumcision” by the so-called “Circumcision,” which is performed in the flesh by human hands (Eph 2:11). The Jews circumcise male infants as a sign of God's covenant.  It's obvious that such an act requires "human hands," so why does Paul point it out here?  The Faithlife Study Bible notes, “In the Septuagint (the ancient Greek translation of the ot ), this word is used to refer to idols (e.g., Lev 26:1; Isa 2:18; 10:11; Dan 5:4).” [1]   Interestingly, even though God commanded circumcision, Paul uses the same terminology for idolatry.  Even that which is good and ordained by God — in this case, a mark to identify a people with God — becomes an object for pride and self-worship.  For a New Covenant application, remember that Paul had to confront those at Corinth who took pride in who baptized them (1 Cor 3).  Our hearts are idol factories, as one theologian famously...

A conference posted at  https://founders.org/events/2019/06/mature-manhood-in-an-immature-age-2019-founders-sbc-event/ --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- MATURE MANHOOD STARTS WITH MALENESS  | Tom Nettles MATURE MANHOOD IN THE MINISTRY  | Tom Ascol MATURE MANHOOD AND WOMEN  | Mark Coppenger MATURE MANHOOD IN THE PULPIT  | David Miller MATURE MANHOOD AND ABUSE  | Josh Buice MATURE MANHOOD AND SEXUALITY  | Owen Strachan MATURE MANHOOD | PANEL DISCUSSION SHOULD WOMEN PREACH IN OUR LORD’S DAY WORSHIP?  | Tom Ascol & Dwight McKissic

For those of you wanting some heftier reading on the subject of eschatology, consider how Greek philosophy might have impacted some of the early church fathers.  Specifically, Plato spoke of universal ideals, and that is exactly how many interpret the imagery of the Book of Revelation.  Such ideas translate into a hermeneutic of spiritualizing or allegorizing the meaning of the text. Dr. Michael Vlach wrote an academic journal article on this subject titled "Platonism's Influence on Christian Eschatology."  Below is the abstract, and you can read the PDF here . Much attention in recent years has been devoted to the influence of Greek philosophy on Christian doctrine. This has been especially true in regard to the nature and attributes of God. Some have also contended that Christian eschatology has been negatively influenced by Greek Platonic assumptions and ideas. Randy Alcorn’s book, Heaven , for instance, asserts that biblical eschatology has been largely replaced b...

"In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace" (Eph 1:7). Christ's redeems “through the blood.”  If we read this literally and in context, then we must understand it to mean that we (who Paul defined as believers) are saved through the shedding of Christ’s blood.  Other meanings fail to fit. For instance, we cannot read this verse to mean that the blood of Christ only made us savable .   In other words, it would be incorrect to read this as saying we only have the possibility of redemption in His blood, should we fulfill some other criteria.  The gospel becomes bad news if redemption, the forgiveness of sins, rests upon me as well as Christ, for I would certainly mess it up. It would also be incorrect to read this to mean that the blood of Christ was shed for every man, woman, and child to ever live.  The teaching known as universalism promotes a false hope that everyone will get...

The fact that the God of the Bible blesses believers sets Him apart from ancient deities.  One commentary notes the following on the word "blessing": This word is not used in classical Greek literature. For example, Zeus is not said to have bestowed any specific act of blessing on anyone. Rather he is said to have caused good luck or good fortune. However, the verb eulogeō is used over 400 times in the Old Testament, indicating that God bestows benefits to His children in every Age. Mary was said to be “blessed” among women and to be bearing the “blessed” Child (Luke 1:42). [1] The false gods of this world offer so little in return.  True blessing can only come from the blessed God (Ephesians 1:3).  The good news is that all God's children can rest in the fact that they have a loving God who cares for them. Do you know Him? [1] Harold W. Hoehner, “Ephesians,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures , ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B....

This world is fractured along many lines due to sin.  Christians, however, because they walk in repentance, do not need to dwell with the same separations, whether they be racial or otherwise.  The unity experienced between the Jews and Gentiles in the mystery of the Christian church is our guide. Peter O'Brien in his commentary notes, "The believers’ unity is described rather surprisingly. It is the unity of the Spirit, that is, a unity which God’s Spirit creates, and is not the readers’ own achievement. It already exists, hence the admonition to ‘maintain’ it. Believers certainly do not create it, but are responsible to keep it." Peter Thomas O’Brien, The Letter to the Ephesians,  The Pillar New Testament Commentary  (Grand Rapids, MI: W.B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1999), 64. We need to simply believe and maintain the unity that we already have in the gospel.  We don't need to create a false sense of unity by, for instance, taking a census of the ...