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.
Today, the longing for cultural Christianity on both the left and the right hearkens back to an older version of Christendom that was a mixed blessing for the church in the western world. The cultural mediation of Christian views on created order has certainly benefitted the civilization we’ve inherited. But the gospel itself isn’t something that can be reduced to cultural mediation either. Instead, the gospel as a message stands apart from all human accomplishments and achievements, no matter how beneficial they might be.
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.

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God preaches a concrete word to us in the present tense. We hear the Good News that Jesus is God’s mercy for us.
Each week, we will reflect on a few of the theses leading up to this year’s Here We Still Stand Conference in October. Each post will also include a new translation completed by Caleb Keith.
I have a confession: I don’t believe the Bible is true because it says it’s true.
Hus held that Christ alone grants salvation and that popes do not.
Your Big Brother, Yeshua… Joshua… Jesus, has done all things for your salvation.
The miracle of Pentecost is not obvious; it is the miracle of faith created through the preaching of the word of the cross.
In Martin Luther's Small Catechism he borrows a line from St. Augustine about what defines a "god."
I’ve always been more at home in the Old Testament than in the New Testament.
The victory of Christ is hidden in the crosses we bear as Christians following Him to our own personal Golgothas.
Only Jesus’ absolute absolution can satisfy a troubled conscience.
Now, resurrection can only follow upon death. The good news is, it will!
The pastor declares it. We receive it. The forgiveness of sins. It’s a simple thing.