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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Repentance is not limited to a season.
Peace is ours, even when what seems like the end draws near, because we know who Christ is and we know what Christ has done, and we know that who he is and what he’s done is all for us.
"When God has his say, have confidence that his Word and sacraments bestow precisely what he says."
The gospel is best understood in terms of those two most important words: for you.
The gospel gives us faith, hope, and love, all of which proceed from Christ’s death and resurrection.
The “Chalking of the Door” is a way to celebrate and literally mark the occasion of the Epiphany and God’s blessing of our lives and home.
Belief at Christmas is neither neat nor safe. It is the path that leads to the manger and, from there, to the cross.
This is the first article in a special three-part Advent series on how Jesus is our prophet, priest, and king.
Below is an excerpt from the personal devotional included in this year’s 1517 Advent Resources.
This is the basic argument of To Gaze upon God: that we who now see as if behind a veil will one day enjoy the unveiled splendor of God himself, who will dwell with us forever.
This article is part of Stephen Paulson’s series on the Psalms.
This is an excerpt from Chapter 6 of Clothed with Christ written by Brian W. Thomas (1517 Publishing, 2024). Now available!