The Jesus Seminar:

Honest Scholarship or Lunatic Fringe?

 CHRISTIAN SOLDIERS MINISTRIES

Before commencing the research for this piece, I was fairly acquainted with The Jesus Seminar's (hereafter JS) pseudo-Christian characteristic (more aptly titled "The Judas Seminar"). While pursuing my research, I found it to be both fun and frustrating. It's always fun and exciting to research and discover the facts about a particular topic, especially when it comes to the truth about Jesus and the Bible. For this is the most important subject in the world. However, when you continually find such an extreme far leftist bias from the JS fellows concerning New Testament scholarship, you come to a point where you just want to pull your hair out! Even so, it is important to remember that if it wasn't for the sovereign grace of God there go I. Nevertheless, I must, as commanded in Jude 3, " … contend earnestly (fight/struggle) for the faith once delivered unto the saints." Moreover, these men are in extreme darkness: "Salvation is far from the wicked, for they do not seek Your (God's) statutes" (Psalm 119:155 NKJV) ... "Whose minds the god (Satan) of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them" (II Corinthians 4:4).

I would like to make it abundantly clear, especially to lay-people, that in no way is it my intention to judge anyone's heart, motive, nor their eternal destiny in this piece. In the field of critiquing we all too often are falsely accused of "judging" another. This is not necessarily the case, and is certainly not true of this piece nor of most Christian apologists. Rather, it is the subject/supposition that is being judged and examined -- not any particular person, but the construct of a position. In fact, the Bible verse most quoted out of context is "Judge not, less you be judged" (Matthew 7:1). We all make judgments everyday, but it should not be hypocritical or unrighteous judgment (John 7:24). It is the sole prerogative of God to judge the hearts and minds of mankind. Yet the Christian has a duty to: "…examine (judge) everything carefully, hold fast to that which good [true]" (I Thessalonians 5:21 NASB). In fact, "he who is spiritual judges all things … " (I Corinthians 2:15).

It is imperative that anyone who viewed the ABC television special, The Search for Jesus, hosted by Peter Jennings (aired June 26, 2000), understands the bias of the JS and the other "scholars" who participated. I am particularly concerned with individuals that have no or little education of the Biblical facts. Such viewers would have had their faith deflated and/or their skepticism inflated from the information presented by this one-sided program. This also holds true for other programs that give the JS a platform for their authoritative sounding "scholarly" input. I will carefully examine The Search for Jesus as this article proceeds.

As this analysis of the JS proceeds, please keep in mind the following passages of Scripture, penned under inspiration by the Apostle Paul [with emphasis added]:

For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written: I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? (I Corinthians 1:18-20)

But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. (I Corinthians 2:14)

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools. (Romans 1:18-22)

What is the Jesus Seminar? And who are the Fellows?

Robert W. Funk is the director of the Westar Institute, and author of several books and articles. He is also founder and co-chair of the JS, which began in 1985 with a presupposition - a predetermined idea of what he believed. Reaching his conclusions on the issues, he subsequently recruited scholars agreeing with his biases. Funk's claim, however, was that he was gathering these "scholars of academia" for the purpose of "discovering the truth" about the historical Jesus. The fact is, they already knew what their subjective conclusions would be. Obviously, this kind of thinking hardly represents true scholarship. Funk, who calls prominent Biblical scholars like F. F. Bruce and Leon Morris "fringe scholars" (obviously a false statement to anyone acquainted with these academic giants), is a naturalistic atheist who denies outright anything miraculous or supernatural. When intellects such as Dr. James R. White confront him with his biases, he won't give an honest answer concerning what he believes.

[Dr. White and two other evangelicals engaged in a discussion with Dr. Funk on live radio in 1989. It is very rare to find Funk engaged in this type of discussion with such a theologian as Dr. White. This audiotape is well worth acquiring. Information in obtaining this tape is noted at end of document.]

The JS declares that the "scholarly" search for the historical Jesus has a 275-year history, being carried by the JS for the last two decades. The JS consists of liberal Protestants and Roman Catholics, Jews, atheists, et al. Many hold earned degrees from highly esteemed colleges such as Harvard, Claremont, and Vanderbilt divinity schools. These institutions have some of the strongest liberal departments of New Testament studies found in the US, some JS fellows serving as professors in these departments (terrifying!).

In Robert W. Funk's, Roy W. Hoover's, and the Jesus Seminar's 1993 book The Five Gospels: The Search for the Authentic Words of Jesus they claim:

The search for the Jesus of history began with Hermann Samual Reimarus (1684-1768), a professor of oriental languages in Hamburg, Germany. A close study of the New Testament gospels convinced Reimarus that what the authors of the gospels said about Jesus could be distinguished from what Jesus himself said. It was with this basic distinction between the man Jesus and the Christ of the creeds that the quest of the historical Jesus began. 1

Another interesting quote concerns Thomas Jefferson, who removed all the miracles from his Bible using scissors and paste:

Most late twentieth-century Americans do not know that one of our own sons of the Enlightenment, Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826), scrutinized the gospels with a similar intent: to separate the real teachings of Jesus, the figure of history, from the encrustations of Christian doctrine. He gathered his findings in The life and Morals of Jesus of Nazareth, Extracted textually from the Gospels in Greek, Latin, French, and English, a little volume that was first published in 1904 and is still in print. 2

One would only have to read one of Funk's 21 theses for The Coming Radical Reformation to understand his bias towards historic Biblical Christianity. Simply put, they are anti-Christian presuppositions, and conclusions. It does not take a rocket scientist to recognize his severely biased pseudo-scholarship. Consider five of his 21 theses:

Theology

1. The God of the metaphysical age is dead. There is not a personal god out there external to human beings and the material world. We must reckon with a deep crisis in god talk and replace it with talk about whether the universe has meaning and whether human life has purpose.

5. Prayer is meaningless when understood as requests addressed to an external God for favor or forgiveness and meaningless if God does not interfere with the laws of nature. Prayer as praise is a remnant of the age of kingship in the ancient Near East and is beneath the dignity of deity. Prayer should be understood principally as meditation-as listening rather than talking-and as attention to the needs of neighbor.

Christology

6. We should give Jesus a demotion. It is no longer credible to think of Jesus as divine. Jesus' divinity goes together with the old theistic way of thinking about God.

The Canon

19. The New Testament is a highly uneven and biased record of orthodox attempts to invent Christianity. The canon of scripture adopted by traditional Christianity should be contracted and expanded simultaneously to reflect respect for the old tradition and openness to the new. Only the works of strong poets-those who startle us, amaze us with a glimpse of what lies beyond the rim of present sight-should be considered for inclusion. The canon should be a collection of scriptures without a fixed text and without either inside or outside limits, like the myth of King Arthur and the knights of the roundtable or the myth of the American West.

20. The Bible does not contain fixed, objective standards of behavior that should govern human behavior for all time. This includes the ten commandments as well as the admonitions of Jesus. 3

On the Westar Institute's website there are over 90 fellows listed who participate in the JS. Counting those not listed there are over two hundred involved. Robert W. Funk, John Dominic Crossan, and Marcus Borg are the frontrunners. Although they do believe that Jesus was a historical person, they deny just about everything else about Jesus: His deity (that He is God), virgin birth, miracles, bodily resurrection, second coming, 82% of His Words, etc., etc., etc.

As the JS continues the attempt to undermine the historicity and validity of the Biblical facts, they also set forth a false dichotomy (something with seemingly contradictory qualities, Webster's), endeavoring to set the Jesus of faith in opposition to the Jesus of history (as if there is a difference when the justifiable evidence is presented).

John Dominic Crossan is one of the more prominent among the participants. Crossan has written over a dozen books, the following of which have become religious bestsellers: The Historical Jesus (1991), Jesus: A Revolutionary Biography (1994), and Who Killed Jesus (1995). He is former co-chair of the JS, and now is chair of the Historical Jesus Section of the Society of Biblical Literature. He is still a participating JS fellow and continues to be a threat and danger to Biblical Christianity. Crossan asserts that Jesus never rose from the dead. His theory is that Jesus was buried in a shallow grave, the body was dug up, and that wild dogs ate the remains -- thereby explaining the missing body. Such a claim is pure nonsense, with absolutely no evidence to support it. Sadly, Crossan all too often appears on television programs and in print "answering" the Biblical questions. Beware!

Marcus Borg is author, co-author, and editor of several books. Meeting Jesus Again For The First Time was one of the best-selling books by this contemporary Jesus scholar (not). Borg has been the national chair of the Historical Jesus Section of the Society of Biblical Literature and co-chair of its International New Testament Program Committee. As with the other JS fellows, Borg makes outrageously false assertions, with no evidence to support them. For example, Borg made this statement on The Search For Jesus special: "In all likelihood, Jesus was born in Nazareth and not in Bethlehem." 4 Such inaccurate statements are rather typical coming from the JS participants.

John Shelby Spong is another among the JS fellows. Spong was formerly (as of February 2000) the Episcopal Bishop, Diocese of Newark, New Jersey, 1976-2000. He was raised a fundamentalist:

Spong came to believe that insistence on an inerrant, literal view of the Bible obscures truth and destroys faith. His subsequent challenges to the Church's position on human sexuality, the virgin birth, and the physical nature of Christ's resurrection had made him the target of fundamentalist hostility and fear. At the same time, it has offered hope to countless others who yearn to believe in God but reject premodern liberalizations masquerading as faith. 5

Spong is well known for his liberal theology, and was even declared humanist of the year for 1999, an obvious declaration of his worldview. Some may recall the late Dr. Walter Martin debating Spong on The John Ankerberg Show back in the '80's'exposing various false doctrines and his liberal theology. Spong is a very controversial individual who has been teaching heresy for many years abroad and in such books as Reclaiming the Bible from Fundamentalism and Resurrection: Myth or Reality?

Sources and Methodology

The JS would like us to believe that the apocryphal Gospel of Thomas was written earlier then all the other Gospels (around 50 A.D.), but the majority of honest scholarship would date this book well into the second century when gnosticism was further established after the Apostolic age. The JS completely loathes the Gospel of John, all but one verse, and highly favor the gnostic, non-canonical Gospel of Thomas, considering it to be equal or superior to the other Gospels. It's revealing to see their high regard for this Gospel (Thomas); note the gnostic heresy exalting the spirit over the body (dualism), as well as its extreme demeaning of women, in the very last passage:

Simon Peter said to them, "Make Mary leave us, for females don't deserve life." Jesus said, "Look, I will guide her to make her male, so that she too may become a living spirit resembling you males. For every female who make herself male will enter the domain of heaven" (Saying 114 SV). 6

The JS believe themselves to be the very expression of scholarship, even having the temerity to call their compiling and translating the twenty so-called Gospels The Scholars Version (hereafter SV). As you can imagine, it only gets worse.

Using two options with various colored beads the JS has the audacity to actually vote, by the process of elimination, on what Jesus did and did not say. To assure the members' secrecy they drop the colored beads into voting boxes. Besides the two voting options, they include some other procedures as well to determine the outcome (I'll spare you the details). In addition to the four Gospels, the gnostic non-canonical Gospel of Thomas is included in the procedure, along with several other "gospels." In "Option 2" of their bead voting process you'll find these depictions:

Red: Jesus undoubtedly said this or something very like it.

Pink: Jesus probably said something like this.

Gray: Jesus did not say this, but the ideas contained in it are close to his own.

Black: Jesus did not say this; it represents the perspective or content of a later or different tradition. 7

After the smoke clears the JS concludes that only 18% of what is recorded of Jesus' words are indeed His actual statements. This so-called scholarship is ludicrous. Their majority vote and heavy leaning on academic achievements rather than the facts result in nothing more than biased conclusions. In any case, a "majority vote" can never negate the substantial factual evidence. This is simply common sense. It all comes down to the JS making outrageously bold assertions and statements, with absolutely no credible evidence to back up their claims.

The late Dr. James Boice (d. 2000) made the following comment on the JS:

Imagine a group of scholars now two-thousand years from the time that Jesus lived, and whose words were written down by an eyewitness … voting in a meeting on what Jesus really said and what He didn't [with colored beads etc.] ... that is laughable … the JS believes that the Bible is purely a human document …. 8

Luke Timothy Johnson, New Testament scholar at Emory University, has written this:

The Jesus Seminar is not affiliated with either the Society of Biblical Literature or the other international association for New Testament scholars, the Studiorum Novi Testamenti Societas. It does not, therefore, represent anything like a consensus of view of scholars working in the New Testament, but only the views of a group that has been - for all its protestations of diversity - self-selected on the basis of a prior agreement concerning the appropriate goals and methods for studying the Gospels and the figure of Jesus. It is, from beginning to end, an entrepreneurial venture guided by Dr. Robert Funk. 9

Yet the secular press seems to enjoy the JS hodgepodge, especially around Christmas and Easter when we see the skeptical articles in various popular magazines and newspapers, when they write up their (JS) "scholarly" conclusions. These articles regularly question and attack historic Christianity, blaspheming our blessed Lord Jesus. These journalists, like the JS fellows, do not realize the compounded wrath of God they pile upon themselves (may God have mercy on them, as He did with us who believe)!

Peter Jennings and The ABC Special, The Search for Jesus

This piece would not be complete if the recently aired ABC special The Search For Jesus (hosted by Peter Jennings) was not addressed - in which the JS fellows dominated the program, answering all of the important questions. I had a very hard time keeping still as the program progressed with the vast amount of grossly false information presented. For the educated believers who viewed this special, they knew very well that it was extremely biased against the historic Christian faith.

When Jennings appeared on the Larry King Live show 6-14-00 two weeks or so prior to The Search For Jesus programs airing, here is just one of the statements made by Jennings:

And then you have to ask the question -- and some people see the Resurrection as a true, absolute thing. People believe in this miracle. Other people believe it is a metaphorical resurrection and that you don't have to believe that it was absolutely physical. And these are all, by the way, believing Christians, all who have these varying points of view. Very, very, very exciting, and very challenging, and very nerve-wracking, I must tell you, at times. 10

Jennings' statement is completely untrue. One cannot be a Christian and deny the literal bodily resurrection of Jesus, for this is the very pinnacle of Christianity and the hope of every true believer. There's no gray area on this; God's Word is crystal-clear:

Now if Christ is preached that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen. And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty. Yes, and we are found false witnesses of God, because we have testified of God that He raised up Christ, whom He did not raise up if in fact the dead do not rise. For if the dead do not rise, then Christ is not risen. And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins! Then also those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable. But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. (I Corinthians 15:12 -20)

Jesus said to her, "your brother will rise again." Martha said to Him, "I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day." Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?" She said to Him, "Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is to come into the world." (John 11:23-27)

Now on the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they, and certain other women with them, came to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared. But they found the stone rolled away from the tomb. Then they went in and did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. And it happened, as they were greatly perplexed about this, that behold, two men stood by them in shining garments. Then, as they were afraid and bowed their faces to the earth, they said to them, "Why do you seek the living among the dead? "He is not here, but is risen! Remember how He spoke to you when He was still in Galilee, "saying, 'The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.' " …. And they remembered His words Now as they said these things, Jesus Himself stood in the midst of them, and said to them, "Peace to you." But they were terrified and frightened, and supposed they had seen a spirit. And He said to them, "Why are you troubled? And why do doubts arise in your hearts? "Behold My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself. Handle Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see I have." When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His feet. But while they still did not believe for joy, and marveled, He said to them, "Have you any food here?" So they gave Him a piece of a broiled fish and some honeycomb. And He took it and ate in their presence. Then He said to them, "These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me." And He opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures. Then He said to them, "Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, "and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. "And you are witnesses of these things. "Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high." And He led them out as far as Bethany, and He lifted up His hands and blessed them. Now it came to pass, while He blessed them, that He was parted from them and carried up into heaven. And they worshiped Him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and were continually in the temple praising and blessing God. Amen. (Luke 24:1-8, 36-53)

Now Thomas, called the Twin, one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. The other disciples therefore said to him, "We have seen the Lord." So he said to them, "Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe." And after eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, "Peace to you!" Then He said to Thomas, "Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing." And Thomas answered and said to Him, "My Lord and my God!" (John 20:24-28)

"Therefore I [Jesus] said to you that you will die in your sins; for if you do not believe that I AM, you will die in your sins." (John 8:24)

In a recent interview with Dr. James R. White, we briefly covered the Jesus Seminar and their participation in the recent ABC Special The Search For Jesus (which really was, in retrospect, a JS promotional piece worth multiple millions $$$$). Dr. White comments:

That was not in any way, shape, or form a piece of journalism. That was as biased and un-journalistic a piece of propaganda as I have ever seen.... No one that knows who the people they are interviewing are, would believe for a second that this represented any kind of spectrum of scholarship that would even begin to fairly address the issue. And so many ... sadly, so many Christians are left with the impression that you have to have either faith or scholarship, you can't have both, because, well there's these great scholars. They're scholars in the sense that they have degrees, but their background and their use of their scholarship pretty much makes what they have to say utterly meaningless. Not only to a Christian, but on any factual basis. Funk, Crossan, and Borg are the three primary out front media savvy representatives and leaders of the JS…they [ABC/Jennings] completely stacked the deck…then stacked it again [favoring the JS biases]…. 11

I mentioned to Dr. White that Jennings was raised in a church, and that you wouldn't think that Jennings would be so blind to the facts. White responded that "he [Jennings] was raised in an Episcopalian Church … sadly, the Episcopalian church has abandoned the gospel, and abandoned belief in Scripture ... there may be a few believing Episcopalians left, but they are in a vast minority." 12

Furthermore, the only semi-conservative scholar Jennings interviewed was N.T. Wright, no doubt editing out any Bible confirming answers he offered. This seems evident in light of N.T. Wright's recent appearances in such productions as Who Is This Jesus? and A response to ABC's The Search for Jesus. In these two programs he gives clear affirmation of the Bible's validity.

In addition to the JS, a sectarian group of Pentecostals based in Alexandria, Louisiana was interviewed. This is a Oneness cult that denies the Trinity, claims you must be baptized using their formula (in Jesus' name only), and that you must speak in tongues to be saved (This Alexandria group in particular, and Oneness Pentecostalism heresy in general, has been exposed on CRI's Bible Answer Man radio broadcast numerous times). Hence, a different God and a different gospel. As with the JS - yet in a different sense - clearly a poor source for Biblical truthfulness. Why didn't Jennings interview the many qualified scholars available for this subject? Bias, perhaps? Only God knows the heart.

With Jennings avoiding so many great scholars, it seems evident that his journalism was biased and un-candid. For the obvious reason, honest journalism is supposed to be about compiling the facts and findings of a candid investigation. It's amazing, but not surprising, that a journalist of his caliber fell so short in truth on this project. Remembering Jesus' words: "If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you" (John 15:18-19).

[For an in depth study/rebuttal on The Search for Jesus in particular, CRI has produced an excellent piece, "CRI's Point-by-point Response to ABC's Peter Jennings Reporting: The Search for Jesus Aired Monday June 26, 2000", approx. 80 pages.]

Reflections

To the unlearned and uneducated, the Westar Institute's web page, home of the JS, has an impressive layout on many fellows listed. One may examine the many fellow participants personal academic achievements and so forth. Again, to the unlearned this looks very impressive, but is hardly the case when one considers the broader world of New Testament scholarship (or any scholarship in general for that matter).

While the JS cunningly masquerades as "the only true" Christian scholarship on the planet, my research and findings on their conclusions have resulted in profoundly different conclusions. It is of my opinion, that this "scholarship" is, unequivocally, a biased group of a lunatic fringe kind of scholarship (now out of the closet) on a quest to shoot down historic Christianity in the open media. These conclusions are exactly what they want to find, not what the evidence clearly reveals. Hence, they are an extremely biased far leftist group of skeptics, and revisionists who have suppressed the truth in unrighteousness (cf. Romans chapter 1).

"There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death." (Proverbs 14:12; 16:25)

A Refutation, Considering Just a Few of the Plethora of Facts Extant

INASMUCH as many have taken in hand to set in order a narrative of those things which have been fulfilled among us, just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word delivered them to us, it seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write to you an orderly account, most excellent Theophilus, that you may know the certainty of those things in which you were instructed. (Luke 1:1-4)

To whom He [Jesus] also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by them during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God. (Acts 1:3)

For we did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty. (II Peter 1:16)

That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. (I John 1:1-3)

While exposing and refuting the fallacies of the JS, I also want to expel the myth that historic orthodox Christianity is a blind leap of faith or myth, and that we leave our brains at the door, as well as the postmodern myth that all religions are basically the same.

Jesus said He was the only way (John 14:6), and that He is God Himself. If we can demonstrate that the claims of Jesus recorded in Scripture are true, then we can throw out the inconsistent claims of other religions that violate the law of non-contradiction. Either all religions are false, or only one is the truth (which Jesus claimed to be). The Scriptures command believers "to love the Lord our God with all are heart, soul, mind, and strength." Not a mindless faith, but a thinking faith - a faith that is based on evidence! Christianity is the only historic and evidential faith. Sadly, given the relativism of today - the false notion that one's truth may not be true for another - we have an uphill battle. But rest assured that God's Word is absolute truth, and will always prevail. The law of non-contradiction - that "A" cannot be "A" and "non-A" at the same time and in the same sense - easily refutes the myth that all religions are basically the same.

Archaeological & Manuscript Evidence

It is vitally important to underscore this fact:  the copies of the Old and New Testament manuscripts extant today possess the unsurpassed evidence than any other ancient document. If we cannot believe what they tell us about the historical Jesus, then we cannot believe any ancient document. They are far greater in number and accuracy, and much closer to the originals than any other document from antiquity. We have over 5300 New Testament manuscripts in Greek alone which enable us, with careful examination, to get back to the autographa (the original) within a 98% accuracy range. The remaining differences are very minor, and leave no major (or minor) doctrine in question. We can know precisely what God has spoken to us. What a testimony of God's preservation: "All flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of the grass. The grass withers, and its flower falls away, but the word of the LORD endures forever. Now this is the word which by the gospel was preached to you" (I Peter 1:24-25).

The Dead Sea Scrolls found in the caves of Qumran in 1947 are just another example of the many infallible proofs for the validity of the Bible. Among all the manuscripts discovered, and the greatest find, was the 24-foot long scroll of Isaiah that was written in the late B.C. era, approximately two hundred years before the birth of Christ. This scroll is virtually the same book of Isaiah we have today. The only variations are minor - slightly misspelled words, etc. - which do not affect the meaning in any way whatsoever.

F. F. Bruce (1910-1990), renowned New Testament scholar, writes of the Dead Sea Scrolls: "The new evidence confirms what we had already good reason to believe - that the Jewish scribes of the early Christian centuries copied and recopied the text of the Hebrew Bible with utmost fidelity." 13

Bruce W. Metzger (1914- ), renowned professor of Princeton in New Testament studies, author, and one who holds five doctorates, has made this statement: "Of the twenty thousand lines in the New Testament, only 40 are up for debate, all the others are a given authority." 14

Paul W. Barnett, New Testament scholar and author of several books, including Is The New Testament Reliable? A Look at the Historical Evidence, writes:

The rapid spread of Christianity throughout the Greek-speaking world and from there to Latin, Syriac, and Coptic-speaking areas together with the accompanying need for manuscripts for reading in church and the survival of many of these manuscripts means that today we are able scientifically to reconstruct, almost to perfection, the text of the scrolls of the New Testament as they were originally written. 15

The Bibles divine origin is a great example of supernatural intervention: approximately 40 different authors in 66 books wrote over a period of approximatley1600 years, in three languages, in various geographical locations, and on a variety of subjects. Yet there is complete harmony and unity when we bring the 66 books (the canon) together. It would be absolutely impossible for the Bible to have been authored by humans when all is considered. Thus, God is the Author, although He used men to pen the Holy Writ, "for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit" (II Peter 1:21).

When I interviewed Dr. White regarding the reliability of the Bible's preservation, he stated: "When people say, 'stuff's been taken out [of the Bible]'.... We can prove, beyond a shadow of a doubt, on the basis of literally thousands of manuscripts from all over the world ... the ancient world, that there has been no such major changes made." 16

Nelson Glueck, noted Biblical archeologist made this profound statement: "As a matter of fact, it may be stated categorically that no archaeological discovery has ever controverted a Biblical reference. Scores of archeological findings have been made which confirm in clear outline or exact detail historical statements in the Bible." 17

William F. Albright (1891-1971), distinguished and renowned Biblical archaeologist: "In my opinion, every book of the New Testament was written by a baptized Jew between the forties and the eighties of the first century A.D.… " 18

Skeptic Intellects Transformed by Truth

Sir William Mitchell Ramsay (1851-1939) was a brilliant intellectual who initially set out to disprove the Bible. As in so many cases, his research instead convinced him that the Bible was reliable and he subsequently wrote several books about it. He boasted of St. Luke, that he was an outstanding historian who documented events in minute detail. Ramsay, a professed atheist, shocked many when he ended up becoming a Christian. The Encyclopedia Of Religious Knowledge says of Ramsay:

Scottish classicalist and archeologist. Born in Glasgow, he was educated at the universities of Aberdeen, Oxford, and Gottingen. He became a fellow of Exeter College, Oxford, in 1882; a fellow of Lincoln College in 1885, and professor of classical art (1885-86); and professor of humanity at Aberdeen University (1886-1911). He was knighted by King Edward VII in 1906. He early acquired an interest in the antiquities and geography of Asia Minor, and for more than 30 years spent substantial periods there. His findings and reflections were incorporated in numerous volumes, among which are, The Historical Geography of Asia Minor (1890), The Church in the Roman Empire (1893), St. Paul the Traveller and the Roman Citizen (1895), Historical Commentary on Galatians (1899), … The Bearing of Recent Research on the Trustworthiness of the New Testament (1914)…. 19

C. S. Lewis, the great scholar and Christian apologist, put it so well:

A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a good moral teacher. He would be either a lunatic-on a level with the man who says he is a poached egg-or else he would be the devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God: or else a madman or something worse. You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit on Him and kill Him as a demon; or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come up with any patronising nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to. 20

Simon Greenleaf (1783-1853) was the royal professor of law at Harvard…arguably the greatest on the subject of evidences permissible in a court of law. He was Jewish and an atheist. Obviously, he did not believe in the resurrection of Jesus. One of his students challenged him to investigate the evidence for the resurrection of Jesus rather than speculate that the resurrection was not true from his bias or hearsay.

He examined every thread of evidence he could find on Jesus Christ and, in particular, His resurrection. Finally, Greenleaf wrote a book on his findings entitled The Testimony of the Evangelists, in which he considered the evidence presented by the writers of the four Gospels-Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. His conclusion: if the evidence for Christ's resurrection were presented to any unbiased jury in the world, they would have to conclude that Jesus of Nazareth rose from the dead. Through the examination of such evidence, Greenleaf became a Christian. 21

Gen. Lew Wallace, the author of Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ. We know General Wallace best for his pro-Christian book, which became the basis for the 1959 film that still holds the record for the most Oscars (Titanic has now tied it with eleven) in film history. But earlier in his life Wallace was a skeptic and set out to disprove the Christian faith. After several years of intense research, he became a Christian. It would have been intellectually dishonest if he did other wise! 22 Wallace wrote, "After six years given to the impartial investigation of Christianity, as to its truth or falsity, I have come to the deliberate conclusion that Jesus Christ was the Messiah of the Jews, the Saviour of the world, and my personal Saviour." 23

Frank Morris also set out to disprove the Bible and had plans to write a book about it. He found himself writing a book all right, but not the one he had in mind. After his research, he found the evidence for the Bible and the resurrection of Jesus to be overwhelmingly true. Hence the title of the book he penned, Who Moved the Stone?, referring to Jesus' tombstone.

Josh McDowell, author of several books, is yet another example of a man determined to write a book to disprove the Bible, yet found himself with no ground to stand on after careful research. He became a convinced Christian, and has written many books defending Christianity. Among them are Evidence That Demands A Verdict, He Walked Among Us, and More Than A Carpenter.

Lee Strobel is a former atheist and skeptic who became a Christian after nearly two years of research into the evidence for the claims of Christianity. Strobel has written two outstanding books, The Case For Christ and The Case For Faith, both of which contain interview-style retracings of his own investigative journey. Both books are comprised of interviews with some of the greatest scholars in the field of New Testament studies.

Non-Christian Support for the Historical Jesus

D. James Kennedy, a popular Christian scholar notes the secualr evidence for Jesus in his book Skeptics Answered:

There are, very clearly, at least nineteen early pagan writers who refer to Jesus Christ as an actual, real-life, historical figure: Tacitus, a great historian of Rome; Suetonius, also a historian; Pliny the Younger, one of the leaders of the Roman Empire; Epictetus; Lucian; Aristides; Galenus; Lampridius; Dio Cassius; Emeritus; Annianus (or Anianus); Marcellinus; Eunapius; and Zosimus. Some wrote entire works about Jesus, such as Lucian, Celsus (the first great antagonist, who wrote a whole book attacking Christianity), Porphyry, Hieracles, and Julian the Apostate…vast multitudes of Christians were cruelly put to death in Rome at the hands of Nero as late as A.D. 64. 24

Kennedy also writes concerning Flavius Josephus:

[Josephus] was the most highly reputed historian. Born in A.D. 37, shortly after Christ's death, he wrote about the Jew's history and wars. He also was a general in the Jewish army. In The Antiquities of the Jews, book 18, chapter 3, section 3, he writes: "about this time lived Jesus, a wise man, if it be proper to call him a man, for he was a doer of wonderful works, a teacher of such men as received the truth with pleasure. He drew over to him both many of the Jews and many Greeks. He was the Christ. And when Pilate, at the instigation of the principled men among us, had condemned him to the cross, those who had loved him at first, did not forsake him, for he appeared to them alive again on the third day, the divine prophets having foretold these and many other wonderful things concerning him. The sect of Christians so named after him are not extinct to this day." 25

Gary R. Habermas, author of 18 books as of 1996, including The Historical Jesus: Ancient Evidence For The Life Of Christ. Habermas, who holds a doctorate, has stated that there here are about 20 distinct extrabiblical sources containing 60-65 facts concerning Jesus. 26

Further Testimony

There have been, and continue to be, countless millions who's hearts and lives have been changed by Jesus (God), those born-again through faith in the eternal life saving Gospel. This is very significant. Also significant is the fact that the Bible has remained the world's #1 bestseller:

To speak of the Bible is to speak in superlatives. It is the most published and most widely read book in the world. It is the number one best-seller in the world and has been for centuries. It is the most widely translated book on the planet....In the past five hundred years, since the time of Johannes Gutenberg, the Bible has been published in 2,123 different languages and dialects [as of 1995]. 27

Fulfilled prophecy is another issue for the skeptic to deal with. Over 300 detailed Old Testament prophecies were fulfilled by Jesus alone. In addition, there are approximately 2000 additional Old Testament prophecies that have been fulfilled throughout history. Chance? Not a Chance! Mathematically, such a conclusion has been proven virtually impossible.

Space forbids specific mention of the countless extrabiblical discoveries that confirm the historical narratives contained in Scripture. The history of archaeology, for instance, is a continual setting forth of discoveries used by skeptics to disprove the Bible with further discoveries overturning them time and time again. The history contained in Scripture has stood over the long haul time and time again.

Popular among liberal "Bible scholars" is the idea that the Gospels were written after 70 A.D. This is popular largely due to the fact that Jesus prophesied the destruction of Jerusalem's Temple well in advance of the date of 70 A.D. Of course, if they can get away with that assertion then Jesus' prophetic words are proven false, and thus the Bible is proven untrustworthy.

Problematic for the liberal theory is the glaring fact that there is no mention of this event ever taking place in any of the New Testament writings. Surely the destruction of the house of God as they knew it would have been mentioned with the Temple being so essential to their heritage, faith, and lifestyle. This is highly significant, and in fact means nothing less than that the gospels had to be written before 70 A.D. In fact, most credible scholars agree with this view, including some prominent liberals. All the evidence points to the earlier dates, and some even believe that the entire New Testament may have been written before 70 A. D. Liberal scholar John A. T. Robinson writes that, "References in the New Testament speak of the temple or activities associated with it as though it were still standing at the time of the writings (see 2 Thess. 2:4; Heb. 5:1-3; 7:23,27; 8:3-5; 9:25; 10:1,3-4,11; 13:10-11; Rev. 11:1-2)." 28

We must also ask the question: are the numerous scholars mentioned above simply mindless men who have taken a blind leap of faith? Doubtful. These scholars are some of the greatest minds and thinkers of our time. Most importantly, they all candidly provide substantial evidence for their conclusions. At the very least, this demonstrates that to embrace Christianity requires no loss of intellect.

The Final Blow

Then there are the martyrs. Countless Christians died for what they believed. It has been said, "many have died for what they believed, but no one has ever died for a lie in which they knew for a fact to be a lie." No one in their right mind would die for something they knew was a lie. The Christian faith would have come to a screeching halt if those early believers had denied Jesus to preserve their lives. It is clear that the disciples of Jesus had to have seen Him after He had risen from the dead just as He predicted -- both literally and bodily. This is clearly the fact that convinced them to continue to believe, even to their death as martyrs. Not only this, but the body of Jesus must be contended with as well. If ever there were a way to end Christianity once and for all, all one would have to do is to produce the body of Jesus. No one ever has, and no one ever will, for one simple reason: "He has risen."

Even in light of all the substantiated evidence defending the historicity of the Bible and the veracity of Christianity, the fact remains that "the just shall live by faith" (Romans 1:17). Nevertheless, numerous proofs set Christianity apart from every other religion/worldview. This is true whether we speak of the Jesus Seminar, the pseudo-christian cults who deny Christ's deity, or the various competing world religions. Measured up to the Bible, "God's Anvil" (to quote Dr. Kennedy) from which thousands of critics and skeptics hammers lay shattered, the Bible stands in a class all by itself. No other book has been more scrutinized and studied, with so many attempts to destroy it than the Bible. Nothing even comes close to its unity, harmony, consistency and factual evidence. God's Word is true and trustworthy.

It is this same Word of God that is sufficient. "So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God" (Romans 10:17). Jesus Himself said, "If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead" (Luke 16:31). Paul reminded Timothy "that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work" (II Timothy 3:15-17).

Are you going to trust in the so-called scholars of the JS, who base all their conclusions upon academic achievements and majority vote? Or, are you going to trust the scholars who candidly search for the evidence and give us the facts? I believe the evidence is clear -- an open and shut case, if you will -- the Bible is trustworthy regardless what the subjective conclusions of the JS are.

Numerous articles, books, and tapes have been written and produced refuting the JS claims, several since the ABC Special The Search For Jesus aired in the summer of 2000. I have read, listened to, and viewed many of them, and must say that my faith and confidence has never been stronger in what I believe as a Christian. The evidence is overwhelming to say the least. As a follower of Christ, my faith is based on just that; faith in Christ and His proclamation: "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life" (John 5:24).

For the Christian thinker, and all others, we must realize that the secular media and the like have a great blindness and bias to the things concerning Jesus/God (I Cor. 2:14; II Cor. 4:4). So beware of the liberal scholars who frequently appear on secular Bible-related programs such as in Mysteries of the Bible (recently aired and renamed on The History Channel Bible Secrets), and others that air on Biography, PBS, TLC and so forth. Sadly, you'll rarely find any legitimate scholarship on these programs. Occasionally, but it's rare.

II Timothy 2:15 says, "Study to show yourself approved, not one who will be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of truth." I Peter 3:15 tells us to "always be ready to give an answer/defense" and Jude 3 likewise commands that we "earnestly contend (fight/struggle) for the faith one delivered unto the saints." These Scriptures are commands … if you claim Him, know Him, and know His Word that He may be glorified -- then you will see through the false scholarship represented by groups like the JS. Only then will you be ready to give answers to your family and friends. Not only their basic questions, but with the information in this piece, some of the JS claims too.

For those who do not believe in the Biblical Jesus or Gospel, I must exhort you to cry out to God for mercy, and repent of your sins, pleading with Him for mercy and salvation. The Bible is clear that all who "truly" call upon the name of the Lord will be saved (Psalm 145:17-21), and those who don’t will be eternally condemned (Matt. 25:46).

The evidence speaks for itself; the answer to the subtitle's question is a clear yes, the Jesus Seminar is a "Lunatic Fringe" type of scholarship. This opinion is in-line with top scholarship noted above. R. C. Sproul, prominent Bible professor, has stated, "In my opinion, from an academic since, I believe the Jesus Seminar is a lunatic fringe of scholarship." 29 Likewise, apologist James R. White says, "The Jesus Seminar is an organization of ultra left, I'm not talking about liberal scholarship, they are outside the pale of liberal scholarship. They are so far out there that you can't even get a radar fix on them…they've started with their conclusions, and they're now working on establishing what they started with their conclusions. It's the exact opposite of meaningful scholarship…." 30

Most importantly, the fellows of the Jesus Seminar have violated the scriptures: "Every word of God is pure; He is a shield to those who put their trust in Him. Do not add to His words, lest He rebuke you, and you be found a liar" (Proverbs 30:5-6).

The Jesus Seminar's conclusions have surely been established to be a lie in the light of God's Word. God's Word is the truth and fact, not fantasy nor myth. The great white judgment throne (Revelations 20:11-15) awaits all who deny that Jesus is the great "I AM" -- Yahweh in the flesh -- "that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father" (Philippians 2:10-11).

End Notes

1. Robert W. Funk, Roy W. Hoover, and the Jesus Seminar, The Five Gospels The Search for the Authentic Words of Jesus (New York: Macmillan Publishing Company and the Polebridge Press, 1993), p. 2.

2. Ibid., pp. 2-3.

3. Robert W. Funk, "The Coming Radical Reformation, 21 Thesis"

4. Marcus Borg, "CRI's Point-by-Point Response to ABC's Special The Search for Jesus", as quoted from ABC's Special The Search For Jesus.

5. John Shelby Spong, <http://www.westarinstitute.org/Fellows/Spong/spong.html>

6. "The Gospel of Thomas," as quoted by Robert W. Funk, Roy W. Hoover, and the Jesus Seminar, The Five Gospels: The Search for the Authentic Words of Jesus (New York: Macmillan Publishing Company and the Polebridge Press, 1993), p. 532.

7. Ibid., p. 36

8. James Boice, "The Bible: Fable, Fraud, or Fact?" (Florida: Coral Ridge Ministries 1998), video.

9. Luke Timothy Johnson, The Real Jesus: The Misguided Quest for the Historical Jesus and the Truth of the Traditional Gospels (San Francisco: HaperSanFrancisco, 1996), p. 2; as quoted in CRI's Point-by-Point Response to ABC's Special The Search for Jesus.

10. Larry King Live, Peter Jennings (Taken from CNN transcript).

11. James R. White, CHRISTIAN SOLDIERS MINISTRIES-Presents: An Interview with Dr. Jams R. White, MA, Th. M, Th. D (California: CSM, 2000), video.

12. Ibid., video.

13. F. F.Bruce, Second Thoughts on the Dead Sea Scrolls (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1956), pp. 61-62.

14. Bruce W. Metzger, "The Bible: Fable, Fraud, or Fact?" quoted by Ravi Zacharias (Florida: Coral Ridge Ministries, 1998), video.

15. Paul W. Barnett, Is The New Testament Reliable? A Look at the Historical Evidence (Dowers Grove, Illinois: InterVarsity Press, 1986).

16. James R. White, ibid.

17. Nelson Glueck, "The Bible: Fable, Fraud, or Fact?" (Florida: Coral Ridge Ministries 1998), video.

18. William F. Albright, as quoted in Norman Geisler, Baker Encyclopedia of Christian Apologetics (Michigan: Baker Book House, 1999), p. 529.

19. Sir William Mitchell Ramsay, New 20th-Century The Encyclopedia Of Religious Knowledge, 2nd ed., Edited by J. G. Douglas (Michigan: Baker Book House), p. 694.

20. C. S. Lewis, Mere Christianity (New York: Macmillan Publishing Co., 1960), 56; as quoted in D. James Kennedy, Skeptics Answered (Oregon: Multnomah Publishers, Inc., 1997), p. 88.

21. D. James Kennedy, Skeptics Answered (Oregon: Multnomah Publishers, Inc., 1997), p. 51.

22. D. James Kennedy, Skeptics Answered (Oregon: Multnomah Publishers, Inc., 1997), p. 14.

23. Gen. Lew Wallace, as quoted in Frank S. Mead, The Encyclopedia of Religious Quotations (Old Tappan, N.J.: Fleming H. Revell Co., 1965), p. 59; as quoted in D. James Kennedy, Skeptics Answered (Oregon: Multnomah Publishers, Inc., 1997), pp. 17-18.

24. D James Kennedy, Skeptics Answered, pp. 73-74. D. James Kennedy holds nine advanced degrees and has written a great deal on the subject of the veracity of the Bible in such books as Why I Believe, Skeptics Answered, Messiah: Prophecies Fulfilled, What If The Bible Had Never Been Written, The Gates Of Hell Shall Not Prevail and several others. Kennedy and Coral Ridge Ministries have also produced videos such as "The Bible, Fable, Fraud, or Fact?" and "Who Is This Jesus?" Kennedy co-hosted with former Disney actor Dean Jones the Who Is This Jesus? prime time TV special (aired 12-25/26-00), which interviewed various top theology/history scholars. These two videos alone provide awe-inspiring facts and evidences.

25. Ibid., pp. 76-77.

26. Gary R. Habermas, "Who Is This Jesus?" (Florida: Coral Ridge Ministries, 2000), video.

27. James Kennedy and Jerry Newcomb, What If The Bible Had Never Been Written? (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, Inc., Publishers 1998), pp. 6-7.

28. John A. T. Robinson, Redating the New Testament (Philadelphia: Westminster, 1976), p. 10; as quoted in Kenneth L. Gentry, Before Jerusalem Fell: Dating the Book of Revelation (Atlanta: American Vision, 1998), p. 166; as quoted in "CRI's Point-by-Point Response to ABC's Special The Search for Jesus."

29. R. C. Sproul, Renewing Your Mind, radio broadcast (Florida: Ligonier Ministries, 9-25-99).

30. James R. White, ibid.

Recommended Resources for Further Study

Resurrection (verses that use the word): Mt 22:23 Mt 22:28 Mt 22:30-Mt 22:31 Mt 27:53 Mr 12:18 Mr 12:23 Lu 14:14 Lu 20:27 Lu 20:33 Lu 20:35-Lu 20:36 Joh 5:29 Joh 11:24-Joh 11:25 Ac 1:22 Ac 2:31 Ac 4:2 Ac 4:33 Ac 17:18 Ac 17:32 Ac 23:6 Ac 23:8 Ac 24:15 Ac 24:21 Ro 1:4 Ro 6:5 1Co 15:12-1Co 15:13 1Co 15:21 1Co 15:42 Php 3:10-Php 3:11 2Ti 2:18 Heb 6:2 Heb 11:35 1Pe 1:3 1Pe 3:21 Re 20:5

"Is the Bible for Real?" [Two Debates: James White vs Dr. Dietz (ASU) and Dr. Robert Funk (Jesus Seminar)], 1989, Alpha & Omega Ministries, 1-602-973-0318

"A Search For Jesus? Found: The Jesus Seminar Instead," The Dividing Line Archive radio broadcast from Alpha & Omega Ministries. Director, James R. White (click on Real Audio, 7-1-00).

James R. White, The King James Only Controversy (Minneapolis: Bethany House, 1995).

James R. White, The Forgotten Trinity (Minneapolis: Bethany House, 1998)

"How Biblical is the Trinity?" James White debates Oneness Pentecostal scholar Robert Sabin on the Biblical nature of the historic Christian doctrine of the Trinity vs. the teachings of Oneness Pentecostalism.

Bob L. Ross, The Trinity And The Eternal Sonship Of Christ: A Defense Against "Oneness" Pentecostals Attacks On Historic Christianity (Pasadena, TX: Pilgrim Publications).

Mark A. McNeil, An Evaluation Of The Oneness Pentecostal Movement (Pasadena, TX: Pilgrim Publications)

"The Bible: Fable, Fraud, or Fact?", produced by Coral Ridge Ministries (video); 1-800-229-WORD.

"Who Is This Jesus?", produced by Coral Ridge Ministries (video); information online.

Dr. D. James Kennedy, Why I Believe (Word, 1999)

Dr. D. James Kennedy, Skeptics Answered (Multnomah, 1997)

Dr. D. James Kennedy, The Gates Of Hell Shall Not Prevail (Thomas Nelson, 1997)

Dr. D. James Kennedy and Jerry Newcomb, What If Jesus Had Never Been Born? (Thomas Nelson, 1997)

Dr. D. James Kennedy and Jerry Newcomb, What If The Bible Had Never Been Written? (Thomas Nelson, 1998)

"A response to ABC's: The Search for Jesus", produced by The John Ankerberg Show (video)

"10 Reasons To Believe In The Bible", produced by RBC Ministries (video)

Gary Habermas, The Historical Jesus: Ancient Evidence For The Life Of Christ (); available from CRI.

Lee Strobel, The Case For Christ (Zondervan, 1998); book &/or cassette tape series available by calling 1-949-858-6100.

Simon Greenleaf, The Testimony Of The Evangelists (Kregel, 1995)

Hank Hanegraaff, Resurrection (Word, 2000)

Paul W. Barnett, Is The New Testament Reliable? A Look at the Historical Evidence (InterVarsity Press, 1993)

M.J. Wilkins and J.P. Moreland, Jesus Under Fire: Modern Scholarship Reinvents the Historical Jesus (Zondervan, 1996)

Paul Copan (editor), Will The Real Jesus Please Stand Up? A Debate Between William Lane Craig and John Dominic Crossan. Moderated by William F. Buckley Jr.(Baker Book House, 1999; cassette also available).

Norman Geisler and Ron Brooks, When Skeptics Ask (Baker Book House, 1995)

Norman Geisler and Howe, When Critics Ask (Baker Book House, 1999)

Norman Geisler, The Baker Encyclopedia of Christian Apologetics (Baker Book House, 1999)

Josh McDowell, The New Evidence That Deserves a Verdict (Word, 1999)

Paul Maier, In the Fullness of Time: A Historian looks at Christmas, Easter, and the Early Church (Kregel, 1998)

Paul Maier (editor), Josephus: The Essential Writings (Kregel, 1990)

Edwin Yamauchi, Persia and the Bible (Baker Book House, 1997)

CRI's Point-by-point Response to ABC's Peter Jennings Reporting: The Search for Jesus Aired Monday June 26, 2000.

John McRay Ph. D, Archaeology & The New Testament (Baker Book House, 1991)

R.A. Torrey (editor), The Fundamentals: A Testimony to the Truth (Kregel, 1990)

Roger Steer, George Muller: Delighted in God (Harold Shaw Pub., 1981) [a powerful testimony for the Biblical God]

Douglas Groothuis, Searching for the Real JESUS In An Age of Controversy (Harvest House, 1996)

CHRISTIAN SOLDIERS MINISTRIES

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