Tag Archives: History

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A Review of Cold-Case Christianity by J. Warner Wallace

What happens when a homicide detective investigates the Gospels and the evidence for Jesus? You get a fascinating (and compelling) book from my friend J. Warner Wallace! This is a real page-turner and you will find yourself swept into the evidence surrounding the most famous crime scene in history.

Cold-Case Christianity: A Homicide Detective Investigates the Claims of the Gospels is clear, well illustrated, and has many strengths. But for the sake of time (and because I want you to read the book!) I will highlight just four of them.

How to think about and weigh evidence.

In a culture that thinks religious and moral truth is up for grabs, many approach the claims of Christianity armed only with feelings and preferences. But as we all know, our feelings can turn out to be wrong. Feelings are not the best indicators of truth…evidence is. What we desperately need to recover is the ability to think and evaluate claims and the evidence supporting those claims. In Part 1 of this book, you will learn how to be a detective. In other words, a first rate cold-case detective—whose work has been featured on shows like Dateline—will train you in 10 important principles that every aspiring detective needs to master. Along the way, you will hear fascinating stories of real cases and how juries would evaluate different kinds of evidence. After part 1, you will have the tools to assess the evidence of the Gospels.

How to know when enough is enough.

This is principle #9 in Wallace’s book and is worth the price of admission. “It’s important to remember that truth can be known even when some of the facts are missing. None of us have ever made a decision with complete knowledge of all the possible facts. There are always unanswered questions” (132). Well said. There comes a time when juries have to make up their minds and offer a decision regarding the evidence. This is true for all of us. And as Wallace accurately points out, there will always be some unanswered questions. But have enough pieces of the puzzle been put together for us to reasonably trust the available evidence? Which brings me to my 3rd observation.

That the Gospel accounts are reliable.

In part 2 of this book you will examine the evidence—you will apply the principles of investigation that you have learned to the claims of the New Testament. I think you will be surprised by what you discover. Were the writers in a good position to write about this event? Were they biased? Were they accurate? Turns out there’s a pretty impressive ‘chain of custody’ as the truth that was witnessed in the beginning concerning Jesus was reliably passed down from generation to generation. It’s a compelling intellectual journey.

That every Christian is called to be a “case-maker.”

Wallace makes the thoroughly biblical point (cf. 1 Peter 3:15) that each of us needs to become a two decision Christian. We have become a follower of Christ (1st decision) but we also need to make the 2nd decision to become a case-maker. In short, we need to believe and defend the truth. My hope and prayer is that as people read and become convinced that Christianity really is true they will help others do the same.

I could go on, but I think you can tell why I am really excited about this book. I’m not the only one either. Lee Strobel (who wrote the forward), Rick Warren, and Greg Koukl also give Cold-Case Christianity high praise. This book has something for everyone. Whether you have been a Christian for most of your life or if you find yourself unsure what or who to believe, you owe it to yourself to examine the evidence with an expert investigator (and former atheist). And when you’re done reading it, give it to a friend at work or a family member you have wanted to have a spiritually significant conversation with—you won’t be disappointed. I highly recommend this book and want to thank Jim for writing it!

Learn more about the important work of apologist J. Warner Wallace here.

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Do You Know The Real Story Behind Squanto and Thanksgiving? (Audio)

Do you need an encouraging reminder of God’s providential care this thanksgiving? Then look no further than the tragic and redemptive story of Squanto. In this short clip, well known author Eric Metaxas reminds us of God’s care even in the midst of a fallen world. Here is the children book that he wrote about Squanto.

As you celebrate Thanksgiving later this week, perhaps take some time to reflect on this puritan prayer as you and your loved ones give thanks to God. God’s Word reminds us “Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” – 1 Thess. 5:18

A Prayer of Thanksgiving 

O My God,

Thou fairest, greatest, first of all objects, my heart admires, adores, loves thee, for my little vessel is as full as it can be, and I would pour out all that fullness before thee in ceaseless flow.

When I think upon and converse with thee ten thousand delightful thoughts spring up, ten thousand sources of pleasure are unsealed, ten thousand refreshing joys spread over my heart, crowding into every moment of happiness.

I bless thee for the soul thou hast created, for adorning it, for sanctifying it, though it is fixed in barren soil;

I bless thee for body thou hast given me, for preserving its strength and vigour, for providing senses to enjoy delights, for the ease and freedom of my limbs, for hands, eyes, ears that do thy bidding;

I bless thee for thy royal bounty providing my daily support, for a full table and overflowing cup, for appetite, taste, sweetness;

I bless thee for social joys of relatives and friends, for ability to serve others, for a heart that feels sorrows and necessities, for a mind to care for my fellow-men, for opportunities of spreading happiness around, for loved ones in the joys of heaven, for my own expectation of seeing thee clearly.

I love thee above the powers of language to express, for what thou art to thy creatures. Increase my love, O my God, through time and eternity.

From The Valley of Vision: A Collection of Puritan Prayers, 15.

Happy Thanksgiving from Think Christianly!

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Before we had an “official Bible” what and who determined sound doctrine? (video)

This is a very important question. Here is a video in which New Testament scholar Darrell Bock offers a succinct and historically sound answer.


For more, see Bock’s excellent work, The Missing Gospels.


See also, The Heresy of Orthodoxy: How Contemporary Culture’s Fascination with Diversity Has Reshaped Our Understanding of Early Christianity

Think Christianly with Jonathan Morrow
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How Do We Know the Bible Includes the Right Books?

Were the books of the New Testament selected by Emperor Constantine for social and political reasons in the 4th century (cf. The Da Vinci Code) or were the books included in the New Testament Canon because they fit with the authoritative teaching that can be traced back to Jesus himself? Was this simply a power play? Another example of history being written by the winners?

I think the best way to come at this is by asking which of these documents tells us the truth about the faith that was preached and received in the early church (cf. Jude 3). This is a theological question—what did the early church believe and preach from the very beginning?
New Testament scholar Darrell Bock points to three kinds of texts contained in the New Testament writings that show us what the earliest Christians believed.

  1. Schooling—We find doctrinal summaries Christians would memorize and read alongside Old Testament texts when they would gather together for worship in house churches (e.g., Rom. 1:2-4; 1 Cor. 8:6; 15:1-5).
  2. Singing—they would sing their theology in hymns and show their devotion to the Lord Jesus Christ (e.g., Col. 1:15-20 & Phil. 2:5-11).
  3. Sacraments—Baptisms and the Lord’s Supper were practiced on a regular basis and pictured the basic elements of the salvation story as core theology (e.g., Matt. 28:19-20; 1 Cor. 11:23-26; Eph. 4:4-6).

These creeds, hymns, and practices predated the writing of the New Testament documents (remember that this was an oral culture and most people could not read). Think of these as “oral texts” the earliest Christian community read and practiced before there was a completed Bible. These foundational beliefs are sometimes called the “Rule of Faith.”

With that in mind, how were the books chosen? There were three criteria used to decide which books were received as authoritative—as canon. First, was a book written by an apostle or an associate of an apostle (apostolicity)? Mark was accepted because he was an associate of Peter and Luke was accepted because of his relationship to Paul. Or to put it another way, if the book was not from the 1st century it was not Scripture because it could not be traced back to the apostles who were taught and commissioned by Jesus (who was crucified in A.D. 30-33).

Secondly, did this book conform to the teachings / theology of other books known by the apostles (orthodoxy)? Recall the points made about the schooling, singing, and sacraments in the life and worship of the early church. Hebrews would be an example of this.

Finally, was the book accepted early on in the life of the church and by the majority of churches across the region (catholicity)? It was important that a book wasn’t just accepted in one location, but that lots of Christians in different cities and regions accepted it.

Early Christians recognized the authority contained in these writings already; they did not arbitrarily pick which ones would become authoritative for the Church. The early Christians were very careful and thoughtful about which books would get the label ‘Scripture’ alongside the Old Testament. It is simply a fact of history that by the end of the 2nd century (before Constantine), the four Gospels, Acts, and the letters of Paul are already recognized as authoritative and being used that way in house churches. Now some discussion about a handful of books continued on through the centuries between the Eastern and Western churches. But, while there was no universal declaration concerning the final list, it is safe to say that the canon was effectively closed by the time of the Council of Carthage in 397 A.D.

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A Book Unlike Any Other

“The Bible is not a book like any other. It makes a claim that God spoke and speaks through its message. It argues that as his creatures, we are accountable to him for what he has revealed. The trustworthiness of Scripture points to its authority as well. Scripture is far more than a history book, as good and trustworthy as that history is. It is a book that calls us to examine our lives and relationship to God. Beyond the fascinating history, it contains vital and life-transforming truths about God and us.” – Darrell Bock