New Covenant Transformation, Mormonism's Biggest Difference, and a Rabbi's Question
Welcome to The Think Institute's weekly Newsletter. Every Friday, you get one idea from me, one quote from somebody else, and something to think about.
I am coming to you fresh off really powerful couple of weeks. The first week of June, my family and I were up at Silver Birch Ranch in Wisconsin for Family Camp, where I was the keynote speaker all week. Then this week, I taught a session of my "Defend Your Faith" class for about 40 students and youth workers at Village Bible Church.
At both camp and church, we held ask-me-anything-style Q&A sessions at the end of each talk. The Lord used those sessions big time!
After my class for the students, I was even approached by an Eastern Orthodox (EO) catechumen, with whom I chatted about theology and the sufficiency of Scripture (which EO denies). Thanks to the many conversations and debates I have been having with EO guys on YouTube, I was way more prepared for our discussion than I would have been six months ago. After our conversation, he was encouraged and challenged, and he told me it was one of the best conversations he'd had on theology and religion in quite some time!
The Lord is using the ministry of The Think Institute to equip believers and keep them rooted in solid, biblical truth, and right now you can help support the mission. Please read to the end of this email for an important way you can help fuel our upcoming debates to get even more believers equipped!
Now let's get into this week's Newsletter.
AN IDEA FROM ME
"No one has ever been justified by the old covenant. The old covenant was good, but it was not actually capable of making anyone right with God. People were saved under the old covenant administration, but they were saved by grace through faith in the coming Messiah. And so now that the Messiah has come, we actually have not only salvation, but life transformation available to us."
—For my introduction to the New Covenant (and why it’s better than the Old Covenant), watch: Before You Convert to Torah Observant Christianity, Watch This...
A QUOTE FROM SOMEBODY ELSE
"It is Mormonism’s blasphemous doctrine of God that I regard as the most egregious departure from biblical teaching... Despite a form of apparent trinitarian monotheism early on, Joseph Smith’s theology developed over time, resulting in a smorgasbord of heresies. The LDS assertion that God is an exalted man and humans are His species is the key issue separating biblical Christianity from Mormonism. This false doctrine forms the root from which many other errors in LDS theology emerge."
—Taylor Thornton Read more from Taylor about the most important difference between Mormonism and Christianity here.
SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT
What do you think of this joke from the (non-Christian) Jewish debater Rabbi Tovia Singer? “Why did God invent Mormons? So Christians will know how Jews feel.” Does Singer have a point, or is he way off-base?
Respond to this email within seven days, and I will write you back.
P. S. We’re Taking the Truth Public—Support the Summer Debate Fund
This July, I’m stepping into the public square to debate two of YouTube’s most outspoken atheists:
Godless Engineer — Mid-to-late July (final date TBD)
Tom Jump — July 27
I have also returned to doing Monday night live debate streams on our YouTube channel. In the latest debate stream, I faced off against an atheist, a Roman Catholic, and several Eastern Orthodoxists. (Watch it here). Lord willing, we’re going to do five more this summer.
These debates are real opportunities for evangelism and apologetics equipping—but they also come with real costs. We’ve already raised $1,650 of our $5,500 goal. That means we have just $2850 to go! This campaign was kickstarted by an inspiring challenge gift of $1,000 from M. Brown Financial Advisors. Mark and his team, as well as others who have given to the Summer Debate Fund, want to see us raise the funds to fuel these debates. Will you help us reach the rest?
🔥 Support the Summer Debate Fund
It’s time to bring the gospel into the marketplace of ideas—and equip believers everywhere to stand firm on the rock-solid truth of God’s word.
P.P.S. Taylor Thornton, who wrote the above article on Mormonism, is a member of the Hammer & Anvil Society. Every week, we meet for our members-only Cohort Calls where we discuss life victories and challenges, get real accountability, and learn theology, family leadership, and apologetics. Right now you can try out the Society for free for eight weeks. Go to https://thethink.institute/society to learn more.