Earlier this year, the Missouri Baptist Convention released a new resource called The Last Apologist: A Commentary on Jude for Defenders of the Christian Faith. The 275-page book is available in print and Kindle editions from Amazon, and in print from the MBC. But we also want to make each of the 16 chapters available online.
Counterfeit forms of Christianity thrive on deception. This is nothing new. The apostle Paul warned the Corinthians about false apostles who proclaimed "another Jesus ... a different Spirit ... a different gospel" (2 Cor. 11:4). While Christians should seek to correct the false doctrines of our Mormon and Jehovah's Witnesses friends, we might also consider their admirable qualities.
Nearly everyone admits the world is broken, at least to some extent. There's a disconnect between "what is" and "what ought to be." When we stop to ask our friends why they believe the world is such a mess, we need to listen to their answers and then share a winsome response from God's word.
How would you respond if someone handed you a business card that simply read, "Jude, a slave ..."? Yet that's how the writer of the Epistle of Jude introduces himself. This brief and humble introduction is made more profound by the realization that Jude is the half-brother of Jesus.
Tim Carter is the newest member of the Missouri Baptist Apologetics Network. He serves as student and administration pastor at Cornerstone Baptist Church in Sedalia, and he joins the network with expertise in a number of apologetics disciplines.
