Volume 08 | August 2018
The Apologetics Newsletter
of the Missouri Baptist Convention
In this issue: Common threads in Islam and Mormonism; 10 truths and six Bible passages about the Incarnation; the doom of false teachers ... and more! Take the survey on false belief systems, and see the results from last month's survey on SBC issues.
What Islam and Mormonism have in common
Islam and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It would seem these religious organizations have little in common. Their doctrines and rituals are distinctly different. Yet their claims to truth bear remarkable similarities. Consider six such parallels.

Ten truths about the Incarnation
In this article, we summarize 10 essential truths about the Incarnation. They help us form a framework for better understanding the person and work of Christ. They also help establish a foundation for exploring the thornier issues related to the Incarnation.

New resource from the MBC
The MBC has released a new resource for personal or group study. What Every Christian Should Know About Salvation explores 12 Bible terms that describe God's work of redemption. Each chapter concludes with summary statements and probing questions that help individuals and groups dive deeper into the crucial doctrine of salvation.

Six key New Testament passages on the Incarnation
By the term “Incarnation,” we mean the eternal Son of God took on human flesh in the person of Jesus of Nazareth. As such, Jesus is one person in two distinct but undivided natures: human and divine. Now, let’s look at six key passages of Scripture that help us understand what it means when the apostle John writes, “the Word became flesh.”

The doom of false teachers
Natural phenomena make good object lessons. Jesus often uses commonly known articles from nature to drive home spiritual truths. So does Jude, who in his short epistle compares false teachers to five phenomena: dangerous reefs, waterless clouds, fruitless trees, wild waves, and wandering stars.

Look! The Lord comes: the prophecy of Enoch
In his short epistle, Jude draws from a prophecy attributed to Enoch and recorded in a non-canonical book to point toward the coming day of the Lord. Who is Enoch? And why does Jude quote him , when there are plenty of other prophets on whom to rely?

Which false belief system do you think is most likely to deceive the average American?
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons)
The Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society (Jehovah's Witnesses)
Islam
The Prosperity Gospel
Scientology
Christian Science
Results from last month's survey:
What do you believe is the single most pressing issue in Southern Baptist churches today? Fifty-seven responses:
Calvinism/Reformed Theology - 21
Moral failures among church and denominational leaders - 13
Waning support of cooperation at the local, state, and national levels - 8
Racial reconciliation - 6
Gender issues - 6
The name "Southern Baptist" - 3
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