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.

All Articles

This article comes to us from 1517 guest contributor, Karen Stenberg.
It is necessary for preachers to have both the humility to acknowledge that they must keep watch over their teaching and the means to have their preaching constantly formed and shaped by God’s Word.
We know not how, and we do not know when, but God works according to His perfect will and His perfect timing.
With the resurrection of the Christ the mystery of life after death became a lot less mysterious.
God's new planting will keep the ancient Messianic covenantal promise alive and bring it to fruition.
Here is someone to love; they’re not a Christian. They’re not very clean and don’t seem to care. Love them. Let your life become intertwined with theirs. Let it cost you something.
Preachers are called to proclaim Christ as King over-and-against the sovereignty of the consumer.
Eyes which are fixed on what is unseen will see the whole world in a different way.
Questions and opinions about Him varied, but one thing was certain, Jesus was causing a major commotion. He could not be ignored.
This is the first direct promise of the Seed who will reunite all mankind to God by defeating Satan on the Cross.
If you and I were to examine our own lives, we’d likely have to admit that we are frequent disciples of Jeroboam’s “bootleg religion.”
God bestows faith that it should deal not with ordinary things, but with things no human being can master such as death, sin, the world, and Satan.