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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Sometimes the old story is the one we need to hear again and again.
Devoid of the gospel of Jesus’s death and resurrection, sufferers are left to frantically run the halls of self-salvation, turning this way and that but never getting anywhere.
Senkbeil is a pastor’s pastor, a master of the art of pastoral care.
The great lie of addiction is that suffering must be fled, must be numbed, must be drowned out by any means necessary.
God is a judge, but unlike you, God is just!
Polycarp’s faith, life, writings, and even his death revealed the fruit of faith and love grafted into his heart by Christ the Vine.
Luther’s final thoughts were not meant to bum you out or lead you to despair.
Luther’s famous treatise contains great consolation for Christians struggling with grace, suffering, and hope.
The liturgy ensures that the gospel is never something inward, merely a thought or sentiment of the believer.
I realized that no matter where I call "home," I won't be able to shake the feeling of homesickness.
By the end of this prayer of wrestling, David finally has the strength to claim victory over his lying enemies.
There is a “re” involved with baptism, but unlike the Anabaptists, it’s not a “re-do,” but a “re-turn" or a “re-member.”