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.

All Articles

The love of God is creative, always giving, always reviving.
Thanksgiving is never out of place for the Christian.
Luther understood that music is an exceptional teaching tool.
Symbols throw together a physical artifact we can see, hear, touch, taste, and/or smell, with a truth beyond the tangible.
This is an edited excerpt from Addendum A, “The Church Year,” On Any Given Sunday: The Story of Christ in the Divine Service, written by Michael Berg (1517 Publishing, 2023), pgs. 113-120.
To embrace our creatureliness is to affirm the truth that we were created to worship.
This is an excerpt from Chapter 7 of Your God is Too Glorious: Finding God in the Most Unexpected Places by Chad Bird (1517 Publishing, 2023).
The driving impulse of Lent isn’t so much “giving up” things as it is “putting on” something.
At the Transfiguration, we say farewell to alleluia and hello to the horrific reality of our lost condition.
Ever Heard of Candlemas?
Your heavenly Father has not purchased you with gold or with silver but with the most valuable currency in the universe; the blood of God.
Can you imagine Christmas from creation’s point of view?