Lee Strobel’s The
Case for Christ, A Journalist’s Personal Investigation of the Evidence for
Jesus, is – Hands Down – one of the best books I’ve ever read! From its
Introduction to the last page, his writing style, and especially how he lays
out the information, held my attention to the end. Mr. Strobel brings us along a
methodical process while he asks pointed questions to the men he interviews. I
felt as if I was right there in the room, the fly on the wall.
Sometimes authors
add “fluff” when describing a person or a location and the reader will skip
over… not this time. Every word he used set the mood perfectly.
Anyway, in the
Introduction Mr. Strobel writes, “For much of my life I was a skeptic. In fact,
I considered myself an atheist.” Then his wife Leslie became a Christian. As
the movie they made based on the book details further, he sets out to prove she
is on the wrong path. But, there is so much more…
For informational
purposes, each chapter ends with “Deliberations – Questions for Reflection or
Group Study” and “For Further Evidence, More Resources on This Topic.” I’ve
added several books he recommends to my Amazon wish list! This man was thorough.
I’ve written an
outline based on the table of contents, adding each chapter's divisions to help
me reference back in the future. I’m certain I will “study” this book again,
and again, as I learn how to defend my faith in Jesus to others with similar
questions.
Maybe the topics explored will pique your interest as well.
Introduction
Part 1: Examining
the Record
Chapter 1:
The Eyewitness Evidence (Can the Biographies of Jesus Be Trusted?) with Dr.
Craig Blomberg
Testimony from Distant Time
Eyewitness to History
Delving into Specifics
Ancient versus Modern
Biographies
The Mystery of Q
The Unique Perspective of John
Jesus’ Most Audacious Claim
The Gospels’ Theological Agenda
Hot News from History
Going Back to the Beginning
A Short Recess
Chapter 2:
Testing the Eyewitness Evidence (Do the Biographies of Jesus Stand Up to
Scrutiny?) with Dr. Craig Blomberg
1.
The Intention Test
2.
The Ability Test
3.
The Character Test
4.
The Consistency Test
5.
The Bias Test
6.
The Cover-up Test
7.
The Corroboration Test
8.
The Adverse Witness Test
A Faith Buttressed by Facts
Chapter 3: The Documentary Evidence (Were Jesus’
Biographies Reliably Preserved for Us?) with Dr. Bruce Metzger
Authenticating the Documents
Copies of Copies of Copies
A Mountain of Manuscripts
The Scrap That Changed History
A Wealth of Evidence
Examining the Errors
“A High Degree of Unanimity”
The “Secret Words” of Jesus
The “Unrivaled” New Testament
Chapter 4: The Corroborating Evidence (Is There
Credible Evidence for Jesus outs His Biographies?) with Dr. Edwin Yamauchi
The Power of Corroboration
Affirming the Gospels
Testimony by a Traitor
“There Lived Jesus…”
The Importance of Josephus
“A Most Mischievous Superstition”
Chanting “As If to a God”
The Day the Earth Went Dark
A Portrait of Pilate
Other Jewish Accounts
Evidence apart from the Bible
Corroborating Early Details
Truly Raised from the Dead
Truth That Sets Us Free
Chapter 5: The Scientific Evidence (Does Archaeology
Confirm or Contradict Jesus’ Biographies?) with Dr. John McRay
Digging for the Truth
Luke’s Accuracy As a Historian
The Reliability of John and Mark
Puzzle 1: The Census
Puzzle 2: Existence of Nazareth
Puzzle 3: Slaughter at Bethlehem
Riddle of the Dead Sea Scrolls
“A Remarkably Accurate Source Book”
Chapter 6: The Rebuttal Evidence (Is the Jesus of
History the same as the Jesus of Faith?) with Dr. Gregory Boyd
Can the Jesus Seminar Be Refuted?
Writings from the Radical Fringe
Discovering the “Real” Jesus
Giving Evidence a Fair Hearing
Critiquing the Criteria
Jesus the Wonder Worker
Jesus and the Amazing Apollonius
Jesus and the “Mystery Religions”
Secret Gospels and Talking Crosses
History versus Faith
Combing History and Faith
A Chorus of Criticism
Part 2: Analyzing
Jesus
Chapter 7: The Identity Evidence (Was Jesus Really
Convinced That He was the Son of God?) with Dr. Ben Witherington III
Exploring the Earliest Traditions
By the Finger of God
John’s Portrait of Jesus
“I and the Father Are One”
In the Very Place of God
Chapter 8: The Psychological Evidence (Was Jesus
Crazy When He Claimed to Be the Son of God?) with Dr. Gary Collins
“Raving Mad”
Jesus the Hypnotist
Jesus the Exorcist
“Preposterous Imagination”
Chapter 9: The Profile Evidence (Did Jesus Fulfill
the Attributes of God?) with Dr. D. A. Carson
Living and Forgiving Like God
Mystery of the Incarnation
Creator or Created?
Was Jesus a Lesser God?
The Disquieting Question of Hell
Jesus and Slavery
Overthrowing Oppression
Chapter 10: The Fingerprint Evidence (Did Jesus – and
Jesus Alone – Match the Identity of the Messiah? with Louis Lapides, MDiv, ThM
A Spiritual Quest Begins
“I Can’t Believe in Jesus”
“Pierced for Our Transgressions”
The Jewishness of Jesus
Epiphany in the Desert
Responding to Objections
1. The
Coincidence Argument
2. The
Altered Gospel Argument
3. The
Intentional Fulfillment Argument
4. The
Context Argument
“Everything Must Be Fulfilled…”
Part 3:
Researching the Resurrection
Chapter 11: The Medical Evidence (Was Jesus’ Death a
Sham and His Resurrection A Hoax?) with Dr. Alexander Metherell
Resurrection or Resuscitation?
The Torture before the Cross
The Agony of the Cross
The Cause of Death
Answering the Skeptics
The Final Argument
A Question for the Heart
Chapter 12: The Evidence of the Missing Body (Was
Jesus’ Body Really Absent from His Tomb?) with Dr. William Lane Craig
Defending the Empty Tomb
Was Jesus Really Buried in the Tomb?
Is Joseph of Arimathea Historical?
How Secure Was the Tomb?
Were Any Guards Present?
What About the Contradictions?
Can Discrepancies Be Harmonized?
Can the Witnesses Be Trusted?
Why Did the Women Visit the Tomb?
Why Didn’t Christians Cite the Empty Tomb?
What’s the Affirmative Evidence?
What About Alternative Theories?
Conclusion: The Tomb Was Vacant
Chapter 13: The Evidence of Appearances (Was Jesus
Seen Alive after His Death on the Cross?) with Dr. Gary Habermas
“Dead People Don’t Do That”
“Convince Me It’s a Creed”
The Mystery of the Five Hundred
The Testimony of the Gospels
Mark’s Missing Conclusion
Are There Any Alternatives?
“No Rational Doubt”
The Resurrection of Debbie
Chapter 14: The Circumstantial Evidence (Are There
Any Supporting Facts That Point to the Resurrection?) with Dr. J. P. Moreland
EXHIBIT 1: The Disciples Died for Their
Beliefs
EXHIBIT 2: The Conversion of Skeptics
EXHIBIT 3: Changes to Key Social
Structures
EXHIBIT 4: Communion and Baptism
EXHIBIT 5: The Emergence of the Church
Taking the Final Step
Conclusion: The Verdict of History
An Interview with Lee Strobel...
