Eric J. Bargerhuff

Misplacing the emphasis of a Bible story or missing the main point often subjects it to a man-centered focus, undermining the HS's intent.

He who preaches must realize that he is but a man, a weak vessel filled by the Spirit and united to a strong Christ. The only true power in his words is found in his echoes of the Scriptures themselves.

@grcastleberry You and Vlach should probably have lunch since you live so close together. I’m not convinced that the Book of Zechariah would support your interpretive paradigm.

The Church is completely Jewish in its origins. And through Christ, a continuation of spiritual Israel of the OT. It is not a parenthesis in the Kingdom plan of God, but rather the planned fulfillment of OT promises. •Jesus is the epitome of Israel. Matthew makes this clear. So does Paul in Galatians. He is the “seed” to whom the Abrahamic promises find their fulfillment. •The apostles were all Jewish—The teaching foundation of the NT Church is entirely Jewish. And the apostles will judge all the people of God, including OT saints (Matt 19:28). •The first “Christians” were almost exclusively Jewish and not gentiles. This shows that the Church is not a detour from Israel but a continuation of Israel (why Peter quotes Joel 2 at Pentecost). •Jews who are converted in Romans 11 become part of the Church. There is no mention of land or a restored political nation. Rather natural branches being grafted back in by virtue of faith in Christ. The true Israel is therefore defined as Jesus Christ and all those united to Him by faith (both Jews and gentiles). See Ephesians 2. The diving wall is broken down and will never be built again. So it’s not that the Church has replaced Israel. Rather Jesus is the true Israel, perfectly fulfilling its promises and laws and bringing its promises to the whole Earth. So the debate between dispensationalists and covenantalists comes down to this question: is Jesus the typological fulfillment of Israel? The whole debate hinges on this hermeneutical question. I think this is EXACTLY what the NT argues. And even what Jesus argued. “I am the vine (true Israel) and you are the branches.” All this being said, disagreement should take place with kindness and respect as amongst brothers. And there should not be a breaking of fellowship on this question. The Devil would love nothing more than Christians to become enemies over eschatology.

@cuatronelson Didn’t know there was a Galatians 5:28-29.

I think it’s strange to be members of one body and still be two bodies. A simpler understanding is Jesus is true Israel (Mt. 2:15, etc) and the Vine (Jn 15). Those in Him (ethnic Jews, Gentiles) comprise His one Body, true Israel (Gal. 5:28-29).

@DennyBurk Denny, you should probably become an Indiana fan. I think it’s God’s will.

I’m not even an Indiana fan, but I never get tired of watching this. It’s one of the best things I’ve ever seen in football. I hope somebody makes a movie out of it with Jerry Goldsmith writing the score.

@AJMacDonaldJr @mikevlach In every single instance in the Bible where the word years is accompanied by a number it is always interpreted literally. Every. Single. Time.

@mikevlach It's figurative language. The book is full of figurative and symbolic language. Grant is correct.

In Revelation 20 Satan is bound as a person and thrown into a prison called the Abyss with no access to the earth with the result that he can no longer deceive the nations. Removal from the earth means no deceiving the nations on earth during the millennium.

@pastorjgkell When I teach about church discipline at Pastors Conference this issue invariably comes up as we proceed to step 3 in the Matthew 18 process. General details only. No juicy gossip. Ask the members to reach out to the guilty party and ask them to engage the leadership on the issue.

I recently contributed to this article about how pastors should think about stewarding sensitive information they know about church members. I hope you find it helpful. I’m happy to hear any constructive feedback to make it better.

“We will never find rest by looking at our own work…Why? It is always incomplete…unfinished…there is always more to do…WE FIND REST…not by looking to OUR UNFINISHED WORK…we find rest by looking to CHRIST’S FINISHED WORK…” - Chad Williams

Enjoying worship today at x.com/kingschapelnc in Raleigh as I visit this weekend in speaking at Shepherds360 Pastors Conference.

In the same way, that formative discipline is discipleship, so corrective discipline should also be regarded as discipleship. This is why church discipline is an essential mark of a gospel preaching, discipleship focused church.

The more we miss the main point of a text the more we end up stunting the sanctification and growth that the Holy Spirit had intended that text to be used for.

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I wanted to give the family some time before sharing what’s on my heart. On Thursday, Terry “Hulk Hogan” Bollea went to heaven. Terry was a member of our church and a personal friend. Over the past two years, we had the opportunity to pray together, study God’s Word, challenge one another, and grow in our faith. It’s always a highlight to see believers taking spiritual steps, but I will always remember baptizing Terry and Sky and officiating their wedding ceremony. Though we miss him deeply, we know he is in the presence of the Lord—fully healed, fully free, and worshiping the Savior he loved with all his heart. Terry is more alive now than he has ever been. To the world, he was Hulk Hogan—a legend. But to us at Indian Rocks Church, he was simply Terry: a humble, joyful, Jesus-loving man who lived out his faith every day. He worshiped faithfully with his wife, Sky—not behind the scenes, but shoulder to shoulder with the people he loved. He didn’t want the spotlight or the green room. He wanted to be where God was moving. Those of us who had the joy of worshiping alongside Terry knew him not as a celebrity, but as a brother in Christ. He loved God, loved people, and loved his neighbors right here in Pinellas County. Most Sundays, he showed up in his iconic John 3:16 shirt—often with a guest or two—friends he invited because he wanted them to experience the same hope and love he found in Jesus. He always made time for people: handshakes, hugs, and conversations that pointed hearts to Christ. Terry wasn’t a perfect man—he never claimed to be. He had a past, and he made mistakes. But Terry was a Jesus man, and that’s the beauty of the Gospel. Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. Terry didn’t just talk about his faith—he lived it. He walked in grace, and he made sure everyone around him knew that grace was available for them too. I’m going to miss him, but I hold on to the simple truth Terry believed with all his heart: “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”—Romans 10:9 That’s the kind of saving faith Terry had. That’s why we know we’ll see him again one day. If you’re reading this today, know that you can have the same kind of faith Terry had. Jesus offers hope, forgiveness, and eternal life to anyone who believes. We invite you to visit a local, Bible-believing church—just like Terry did—and discover God’s design for your life. I love you, Terry. Thank you for showing us how to boldly live for Jesus and finish strong.

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@ostrachan Timely. Thank you.

A massive part of the Christian life is this: by the grace of God, not giving up.

“The origins of Indiana’s basketball obsession—like the sport itself—are closely intertwined with Christianity,” writes @p_emory.christianitytoday.com/2025/06/religi…

@BleacherNation Do you think the announcers who sound like they’re in their 20’s could be any more for Detroit?

Even the THREAT of Ian Happ's arm in left just prevented a possible double right there.

“If you don’t go to other people’s funerals, then they won’t come to yours.” - Yogi Berra

@WatchMarquee So glad Marquee allows us to switch to the radio broadcast so we don’t have to listen to Jed Hoyer drone on during the game. Save the interview for postgame interested parties!

WHAT CAN'T PCA DO?!

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Enjoyed doing this interview today on the Bill Arnold show on Faith Radio. myfaithradio.com/programs/the-b…