Cold Case Christianity Cold Case Christianity with J. Warner Wallace

In an interview on Unbelievable? with Justin Brierley, I spoke with two skeptics and discussed apparent contradictions in the history offered by the Gospel authors when compared to non-Christian historians. One skeptic offered an objection related to the account of the beheading of John the Baptist. Although I had difficulty hearing and understanding his words through the telephone connection and his accent, his argument can be summed up succinctly: Josephus records the death of John the Baptist at a time in history that appears to be around 36AD, six years after the date commonly accepted for the crucifixion of Jesus. If Josephus’ record is accurate, John was executed after the Resurrection of Jesus, and the gospel accounts are wrong. This objection, along with an objection about the role and dating of Quirinius in the Gospel of Luke, formed the basis for his skepticism toward the Gospel accounts. While I had difficulty hearing and understanding the precise dating elements the caller referenced in his objection, I was certainly familiar enough with the nature of the complaint and the overarching principles I would use to test the testimony of Josephus against the testimony of Matthew (14:1-12) and Mark (6:14-29). I’ve written about …

In this episode of the Cold-Case Christianity Broadcast, J. Warner continues his comprehensive description of the difference between teaching and training by articulating the need for all Christian believers to get involved in the battlefield of ideas. Do you want to change your Christian walk? Do you want to become a more articulate, prepared believer? You can make this change by simply adjusting your calendar. Set the challenge and then study in preparation for the battle you’ve calendared. This training model is described in more detail in Forensic Faith: A Homicide Detective Makes the Case for a More Reasonable, Evidential Christian Faith. Be sure to check out Forensic Faith and the accompanying curriculum. Be sure to watch the Cold-Case Christianity Broadcast on NRBtv every Monday and Saturday! In addition, here is the audio podcast (the Cold-Case Christianity Weekly Podcast is located on iTunes or our RSS Feed):

J. Warner Wallace talks about the relationship between evidential certainty and evangelistic passion. Why are we sometimes hesitant to share the Gospel with our friends and family members? Is it because we feel unprepared or are concerned about the questions people might ask? Rational confidence almost always results in passion, courage and engagement. That’s why all believers must train themselves and develop a more reasonable, evidential faith, as described in the book, Forensic Faith: A Homicide Detective Makes the Case for a More Reasonable, Evidential Christian Faith. To see more book preview videos with J. Warner Wallace, visit the YouTube playlist.