Josephus does not tell us that Christianity is true, and Christians do not need Josephus to tell them that Christ is risen. But Christianity makes claims about things that happened in public history under identifiable rulers, priests, and governors. For that reason, testimony from outside the church matters.
The student of Scripture should always have a map open next to their Bible as they read. If possible, they should also travel to Israel, not to make a pilgrimage, but to see the context of the land in which these stories took place. These are not fairy tales made up about fictional fantasy lands; these are stories about real people in real places interacting with a real God.
The word of assurance given to Moses at Sinai echoes through eternity on the lips of the Savior, untroubling troubled souls with the good news that there is one who walks the paths of life with you, and soon he’s coming to bring you to himself.

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The essence of what it means to be a son or daughter of Abraham, an inheritor of the Abrahamic promise, was irrevocably tethered to faith.
Your justification isn’t a matter of “Jesus plus” anything.
Jesus reveals to them again who He is. And that life can only be given when we feed on Christ.
Paul has zero patience for the gospel of God to be called into question, especially when the ones questioning it are the ones who should’ve known better.
I didn’t see Christmas as a gift given to me to enjoy, I saw Christmas as a long list of expectations I needed to hold up to love those around me.
In this article Amy Mantravadi give a short but helpful summary of the differences in Lutheran and Reformed thought regarding assurance.
In an autobiographical telling, Gretchen Ronnevik shares the fate of two different fathers and the hope she has in Christ.
An Analysis of Galatians 5:1-6
How the pumpkin patch has a lot to teach us about the love and work of Christ
Amy Mantravadi asks if we should forgive others even if they are not repentant
In this piece, 1517’s Director of Publishing, Steve Byrnes, shares a personal story about a period of doubt in his life that eventually was replaced with confidence through God’s provision, and the care of the Christian community.
In this piece Bob Hiller follows C.S. Lewis’ lead from Screwtape Letters and offers a sequel of his own.