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

How can he say it? How can he say that Christ is after all the entire meaning of life for him, and that death is no real worry?
The legacy of Jonah is troubled with most remembering him not for what he said but for what he did: run away.
God gives good gifts to underserving workers. God gives good gifts to all of them.
Of all the Inklings, Williams was certainly the most enigmatic. His mind and body were always moving.
In A Hobbit, A Wardrobe and a Great War, Loconte meticulously analyzes both Lewis and Tolkien with one eye on their immediate historical context and the other on their works, letters, and diary entries.
God knows that when we face insurmountable odds in our moments of weakness, we are more likely to turn to him in trust and reliance.
If poetry elevates its subject, we could also say the reverse: the subject, in this case, the Most High God, elevates the language.
Luther actually expected the Catechism to be taught in the home.
Even at Lewis’ graveside, Havard was a faithful friend, and a friend full of faith in Christ, confessing his hope in the resurrection.
Attempting to escape the errors of medieval Catholic thinking, Agricola ended up making the same mistake of conflating law and gospel.
Charles V, for all his power, his lands, and his riches, was ultimately unable to hinder the spread of the precious Gospel.
We know that death does not have the last word in Christ.