🧵 The Life & Legacy of Voddie Baucham

Voddie Baucham was one of the most influential Christian voices of the 21st century. He was a pastor, apologist, cultural critic, & defender of biblical authority. Sadly, his ministry on earth has come to an end. This was his story...🧵👇🏼 🧵 Early Life of Voddie Baucham

Born in 1969 and raised in South Central Los Angeles by a single mother, Baucham grew up outside of the church. It wasn’t until college, while playing football at Rice University, that he encountered the gospel. His dramatic conversion set him on a path from athlete to apologist, with a deep passion for Scripture and truth.

🧵Jesus Christ in the Old Testament

Christ is the heartbeat of the Old Testament. From Genesis to Malachi, 300+ prophecies paint the picture of His coming, His suffering, His glory, His kingdom.

The whole story of Scripture builds to Him. Let’s see how it unfolds. 👇 🧵 Kinds of Prophecies
Christ is revealed in the Old Testament in many ways. Some are direct predictions (Micah 5:2, Bethlehem). Others are types and shadows like the Passover lamb. There are figures and symbols (tabernacle, bronze serpent). There are allusions (Jonah’s 3 days). Christ also shines through covenants (Abraham, Mosaic, David, etc), the sacrificial system, and His titles (Immanuel, Prince of Peace). All weave a rich tapestry pointing to Him.

🧵 The Life & Martyrdom of Jim Elliot

Born in 1927, Jim Elliot lived only 28 years, yet left an eternal impact.

Remembered for his fearless devotion to Christ and his words:

“He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.”

Here’s his story… 👇🏼 🧵 The Early Life of Jim Elliot

Jim grew up in Portland, Oregon in a devout Christian home. From a young age, he showed a passion for Scripture and missions. At Wheaton College, he stood out as a sharp student with a burning conviction: the gospel was worth any cost. While many of his peers chased comfortable careers, Jim longed to reach the unreached.

🧵 The Faithful Martyr of the Early Church: Polycarp

“Eighty and six years have I served Him, and He has done me no wrong. How can I blaspheme my King who saved me?”

With those immortal words, Polycarp entered one of the most famous martyrdoms in history. Here’s his story 🧵👇🏼 🧵1. A Living Link to the Apostles
Polycarp (AD 69–155) was born during the first generation of the church. Tradition holds that he was converted in youth and discipled by the apostle John himself. This made him a living bridge. He had personally received the gospel from those who had seen Christ.

🧵 7 Bad English Bible Versions You Should NEVER Use

Not every English Bible is equal. Some are faithful translations. Others smuggle in bias, or even expand the canon. Here are 7 to avoid. The last one will make you laugh (and cry) at how bad it is… 🧵 New World Translation (Jehovah’s Witnesses)
The Watch Tower’s version famously renders John 1: 1 as “the Word was a god,” and inserts words like “other” in Colossians 1: 16–17 (“all other things”). These aren’t neutral decisions. They are theological edits to deny Christ’s full deity.

📖 Verse Comparison - John 1: 1
ESV: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”
NWT: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was a god.”
➡️ Selectively adjusts the text to make Jesus “a god” rather than God Himself.

🧵 Hymn Histories: The Story Behind “It Is Well with My Soul”

Few hymns capture faith through tragedy like “It Is Well with My Soul.” Its story is one of deep loss, unshakable trust, and hope in Christ that has carried generations of believers.

Here’s its moving story 🧵👇🏼 🧵 The Author
Horatio Spafford was a successful lawyer and Presbyterian elder in Chicago. He and his wife Anna were devoted Christians, known for their generosity to the poor and their support of evangelist D.L. Moody.

But their lives would soon be marked by unimaginable grief.

🧵 Mephibosheth: The Forgotten Prince of Israel

Mephibosheth’s story in the Bible is short but powerful. It is a tale of tragedy, grace, & covenant faithfulness.

But above all of that… he points us to Christ. Here’s his story 🧵👇🏼 🧵 Mephibosheth’s Family
Mephibosheth was the son of Jonathan and the grandson of King Saul (2 Sam. 4:4). But he was born into chaos. Saul’s reign was collapsing, marked by jealousy, disobedience, and war with the Philistines. David was the eminent king.

🧵Forgotten Characters of the Bible
Who Was Apollos?

The eloquent Alexandrian who nearly split the Church at Corinth… but didn’t and became one of the great (but often forgotten) heroes of the early church.

Let’s dive into his FASCINATING story
🧵👇🏼 🧵 A Jew from Alexandria

Apollos was born in Alexandria, Egypt, home to the great Library and a large Jewish community shaped by Greek thought. It was the city of Philo, and intellectual brilliance. Luke describes him as “an eloquent man, mighty in the Scriptures” (Acts 18:24). Some traditions even identify him with the Seventy sent by Jesus in Luke 10, giving him a link to the very ministry of Christ himself.

🧵 Hymn History: Rock of Ages
Some hymns are sung for a season. Rock of Ages has been sung for centuries. Born in the 1700s from the pen of a fiery young preacher caught in a storm, it became an anthem of grace and clinging to Christ, the Rock who saves. Here is its story 🧵👇🏼 🧵 The Preacher Behind the Hymn
The words of Rock of Ages were penned in 1763 by Augustus Toplady, a brilliant yet controversial Anglican minister. Known for his fiery Calvinist convictions and sharp wit, Toplady left behind one hymn that would far outlive his short 38 years.

🧵 Who Was Melchizedek?
For centuries, Jewish & Christian writers have wondered about the mysterious priest-king of Salem in Genesis 14. I am convinced that he was none other than Noah’s son, Shem. Here’s the biblical and historical evidence 🧵👇🏼 🧵 The Mystery of Melchizedek
Genesis 14 introduces Melchizedek, king of Salem & “priest of God Most High,” who blesses Abraham. No genealogy. No origin story. Hebrews 7 highlights this silence, calling him “without father, without mother, without genealogy.”

🧵 The Story of the CSB (Christian Standard Bible)

How did such a recent Bible translation EXPLODE in popularity with pastors, theologians, and everyday readers alike?

Here’s the origin story and impact of the Christian Standard Bible. 🧵 👇🏼 🧵 The Origin Story of the CSB: Seeds of a New Translation

The CSB didn’t emerge in a vacuum. Its roots go back to the late 1990s when the Southern Baptist Convention (concerned about accuracy and doctrinal fidelity in mainstream Bibles) set out to create a trustworthy, readable translation for its churches.

Thus, the Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB) was born.

🧵Fritz Erbe - The Reformation Martyr You’ve Never Heard Of… Till Now

Most people know the giants of the Reformation: Luther, Calvin, Zwingli. But few know of this Anabaptist saint who paid dearly for his convictions. This is the horrifying & inspiring story of Fritz Erbe 🧵👇 🧵 1. A Simple Farmer, A Dangerous Conviction
Fritz Erbe lived in the German town of Herda. Unlike his peadobaptist neighbors, he embraced the Anabaptist teaching that baptism should follow personal faith in Christ & therefore should not be given to infants. Fritz was in danger.

🧵 Hymn History: The Story of “What a Friend We Have in Jesus”

One of the most beloved hymns of all time comes from the tragic life of its author who twice lost his fiancée before marriage, yet found hope in Christ.

Here’s its beautiful story. 🧵👇🏼 🧵 1. The Author of the Hymn
Joseph Scriven was born in 1819 in Banbridge, Ireland, into a prosperous family. He studied at Trinity College Dublin, where he seemed set for a comfortable life. Yet his Christian convictions grew stronger, shaping him into a man more concerned with holiness and charity than social success.

🧵 The Story of the ESV: From Coffee Shops to Conference Stages, The Bible of a New Evangelical Era

How did a revision of a mainline “liberal” Bible turn into the flagship translation of Reformed evangelicalism?

It all starts with a controversy in 1952…
🧵 👇🏼 🧵 Origins in the RSV
The roots of the ESV trace back to the Revised Standard Version (RSV) of 1952, which was presented as the rightful heir to the King James Bible. Though it sparked intense backlash ((especially from conservatives) for choices like translating Isaiah 7:14 as “young woman” instead of “virgin,” the RSV still laid a strong foundation. It was based on updated Hebrew and Greek texts and kept the KJV’s literary cadence. But for many, the theology felt compromised.

🧵 Forgotten Facts about the 1611 King James Version (KJV) 

Everyone knows the KJV shaped western Christianity but few realize it came with a powerful preface from its translators that is now almost forgotten. Let’s uncover it together. 🧵👇🏼 🧵 In 1611, the King James Bible was released after being crafted by 50+ scholars across six committees. What most don’t know is that it came with a preface, The Translators to the Reader. Missing from most editions today, this forgotten letter reveals their true intentions and dispels common myths about the KJV.

🧵Hymn History: The Story of “In Christ Alone” by @gettymusic - Its the most beloved modern hymn of the 21st century that sparked a revival of gospel-centered hymnody, proving that deep theology can still capture the hearts of a new generation. Here’s its story🧵👇🏼 🧵 1. The Gettys & Their Mission
Keith Getty, a Northern Irish composer shaped by classical and Irish folk traditions, dreamed of reviving hymns that outlast trends. With his wife Kristyn, he aimed to unite rich theology with singable melodies. In 2000, he began working with Stuart Townend, an English songwriter known for depth and clarity. Their first project became their most famous work and helped spark a global modern hymnwriting movement.

🧵 Penal Substitutionary Atonement is a core biblical doctrine that has been believed by the church through EVERY era of church history. In case you have forgotten, below is a short 🧵on the unbroken witness of PSA through all church history.👇🏼 🧵 1. What PSA Means
Penal Substitution means that Christ bears the penalty we deserve (penal) in our place (substitution), effecting atonement with God. It doesn’t cancel other atonement motifs (victory, example, ransom); it grounds them. Without Christ taking our sin, we have no salvation. And all of the church echos this loudly as you will see below 👇🏼

🧵Hymn Histories: The Beautiful Story of “Be Thou My Vision”

Few songs are still sung after 1,200 years. “Be Thou My Vision” is one of them. I love it deeply, but so have Christians from medieval Ireland to modern churches worldwide. Here’s why and where it came from. 🧵👇🏼 🧵 1. Roots in 6th-Century Ireland

The original text began as a Gaelic poem, traditionally attributed to St. Dallán Forgaill, a 6th-century Irish monk and poet. Dallán, whose name means “little blind one,” reportedly lost his sight from intense study of Scripture. The poem was a personal prayer and an invocation to see life through God’s eyes and make Him the sole vision and treasure of the heart.

🧵How Did the 12 Apostles Die?

They preached Christ to the ends of the earth, and most paid with their lives.

Here’s how each of the 12 apostles died in historical order according to church tradition. 👇🏼 🧵 1. James (son of Zebedee) – 44 AD

The first apostle to be martyred. Beheaded in Jerusalem by Herod Agrippa I (Acts 12:2).

🧵 “I Have Decided to Follow Jesus” - How an Indian Martyr’s Dying Words Became a Global Hymn

You sang it at Church Camp, Sunday School, AWANAS, & with the whole congregation. But do you know the heart wrenching story behind it?🧵👇🏼 🧵1. An Unlikely Convert from India

The story behind ties song traces back to a man known simply as Nokseng, from the Garo tribe in northeast India (what is now Meghalaya). He lived in a deeply communal tribal society with strong ancestral ties and animistic traditions. His name doesn’t appear in formal records, but oral tradition preserved his testimony. He wasn’t a missionary, preacher, or scholar. Just a man whose faith in Christ changed history. His story would eventually birth a global hymn and inspire generations.

🧵The Song That Changed the World

It’s the most famous Christian song in the world… and you probably sang it this week at church. But the story behind the song is unbelievable. This is the miraculous story of John Newton & “Amazing Grace.” 🧵👇🏼 🧵1. The “Wretch” of the Song

John Newton was born in 1725 to a harsh sea captain and a devout Christian mother. She died when he was 7. By his teens, he was drinking, swearing, and mocking religion. He joined the Royal Navy, deserted, was flogged, and ended up serving on slave ships. Newton began as a crewman, and later became a captain. He was once enslaved by African locals in Sierra Leone, rescued only when his father sent a ship for him. He was sinking…literally and spiritually.