Let's talk about four critical areas of evidence for the reliability of the Bible. We'll explore the wealth of evidence supporting the trustworthiness of Scripture, from thousands of biblical manuscripts and archaeological findings to the faithful preservation of original writings and the timely composition of the New Testament.

1 | Manuscript Evidence: Discover how the 6,000 New Testament manuscripts, far surpassing any other ancient document, provide a solid foundation for comparing and verifying the accuracy of Scripture.
2 | Archaeological Corroboration: Learn about the numerous archaeological discoveries that align with biblical accounts, further solidifying the historical validity of the Scriptures.
3 | Preservation of Original Texts: Understand the significance of the Dead Sea Scrolls and other ancient manuscripts in demonstrating the meticulous care scribes took in preserving the Bible's content over centuries.
4 | Historical Timing of New Testament Writings: Gain insight into how the proximity of New Testament writings to the actual events they describe adds an additional layer of credibility.

For more resources on this topic, I recommend the following books:
 
• Why I Trust the Bible by Bill Mounce https://amzn.to/2WpA0Wc
• Evidence That Demands a Verdict: Life-Changing Truth for a Skeptical World by Josh and Sean McDowell https://amzn.to/2VSKxYc
• The Historical Reliability of the New Testament: Countering the Challenges to Evangelical Christian Beliefs by Craig Blomberg https://amzn.to/2HuyKGZ
• How We Got the Bible by Neil Gordon Lightfoot https://amzn.to/2EkXsYk

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• A Theological Word or Phrase Explained Quickly and Clearly
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• A Recommended Book or Resource to Expand Your Library

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Benjamin Keach was a pivotal figure in 17th-century Baptist history. Known for his influential writings and his role in introducing hymn singing in Baptist congregations, Keach's contributions have left an indelible mark on religious thought and practice.

His journey from a persecuted dissenter to a respected preacher and author paints a vivid picture of the religious and political turbulence of his time.

And yet, Keach is not as well known as some other figures of church history.

On this episode, I have a conversation with Dr. Matthew Stanton, a renowned Keach scholar and co-editor of The Works of Benjamin Keach from Particular Baptist Heritage Book.

Dr. Stanton will help us delve deeper into Keach's world, revealing how Keach’s ministry impacted not only his own time but ours as well.

Join us as discuss this tumultuous time in England’s history, how Keach’s children’s book landed him in the stockade, how he pioneered the introduction of hymns to the worship service, what he was like as a family man and pastor, and much more.

When you’re done, check out the show notes at ReasonableTheology.org/Keach for resources to learn more.

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• A Theological Word or Phrase Explained Quickly and Clearly
• A Painting Depicting a Scene from Scripture or Church History
• Audio of a Hymn or other Musical Selection to Enjoy
• A Recommended Book or Resource to Expand Your Library

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Jonathan Edwards is regarded by many as the greatest mind America has ever produced and he is held up as an excellent example of a pastor-theologian. Even so, many people’s familiarity with Edwards does not extend beyond his famous sermon “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God.”

In this conversation with Dr. Jeremy Kimble we discuss the life and writings of Jonathan Edwards as well as what Christians can still learn from him today.

For more on Jonathan Edwards, check out his famous sermon Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God: https://youtu.be/HoDfZR6nWUA

To view the show notes for this episode, visit https://reasonabletheology.org/jonathan-edwards-his-life-and-writings-podcast-18/

Pick up a copy of A Reader’s Guide to the Major Writings of Jonathan Edwards 

Get a free trial of Logos at ReasonableTheology.org/Logos

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• A Theological Word or Phrase Explained Quickly and Clearly
• A Painting Depicting a Scene from Scripture or Church History
• Audio of a Hymn or other Musical Selection to Enjoy
• A Recommended Book or Resource to Expand Your Library

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Charles Haddon Spurgeon was a Baptist preacher in London who lived from 1834 to 1892. By the end of end of the 19th century, more than 100 million copies of Spurgeon’s sermons had been sold in 23 languages.  This figure has long since been surpassed many times over, and Spurgeon's sermons continue to minister to people today. 

The 6-volume collection of Spurgeon’s sermons – known as the New Park Street Pulpit and the 57-volume Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit comprise one of the greatest collections of sermons in history.

Although these volumes continue to be used and referenced by many, only portions have been re typeset in the more than 100 years since the collection was completed. That means that the majority of copies available from this set are very difficult to read and contain the occasional typo or other error.

On this episode of the podcast, I welcome back Jared Payne of A Pilgrim’s Coffer, who has undertaken a brand new, fully re-typeset edition of the New Park Street Pulpit.

We’ll talk about the impact of CH Spurgeon, how Jared became interested in Spurgeon, the lasting value of these printed sermons, and the ambitious project of re-typesetting these sermons.

If you are fan of Charles Spurgeon and have benefited from his written works, you’re going to enjoy our conversation as well as the upcoming new edition of the New Park Street Pulpit.

Get a free trial of Logos at ReasonableTheology.org/Logos

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Each edition of the Reasonable Theology newsletter contains my latest article or podcast episode PLUS:

• A Theological Word or Phrase Explained Quickly and Clearly
• A Painting Depicting a Scene from Scripture or Church History
• Audio of a Hymn or other Musical Selection to Enjoy
• A Recommended Book or Resource to Expand Your Library

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Jonathan Edwards is regarded as many as the greatest mind America has ever produced, and he is held up as an excellent example of a pastor-theologian. Even so, many people's familiarity with Edwards does not extend beyond his famous sermon "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God."

On this episode, we speak with Dr. Jeremy Kimble about the life and writings of Jonathan Edwards and discuss what Christians can still learn from him today.

On This Episode We’ll Discuss:

• A biographical sketch of Edwards' life and ministry
• Why you need to read more than "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God"
• Edwards' key role in the First Great Awakening
• What Edwards was like as a pastor
• An overview of many of his major written works and where you should start
• What Jonathan Edwards' lasting legacy has been

Get a free trial of Logos at ReasonableTheology.org/Logos

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Each edition of the Reasonable Theology newsletter contains my latest article or podcast episode PLUS:

• A Theological Word or Phrase Explained Quickly and Clearly
• A Painting Depicting a Scene from Scripture or Church History
• Audio of a Hymn or other Musical Selection to Enjoy
• A Recommended Book or Resource to Expand Your Library

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If our calendar is broken up into B.C. (Before Christ) and A.D. (anno Domini, the year of our Lord) doesn’t that mean Jesus was born in year one (since we don’t count year zero)?

Actually, the issue is a bit more complex than that.

Although the Gospel writers did not focus primarily on preserving a precise chronological history of Jesus’ life and ministry, we can still approximate some key dates by comparing historical markers with passages of Scripture.

Here’s why many scholars say Jesus was born between 5 and 6 B.C.

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• A Theological Word or Phrase Explained Quickly and Clearly
• A Painting Depicting a Scene from Scripture or Church History
• Audio of a Hymn or other Musical Selection to Enjoy
• A Recommended Book or Resource to Expand Your Library

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Hark the Herald Angels Sing is one of the best-known and best-loved Christmas songs and has been for well over 260 years. But you might not recognize the original lyrics. It began with:

Hark how all the welkin rings, Glory to the King of Kings

What on earth is a welkin? And how did this hymn change over time?

Here’s the story behind the original hymn, the change in its lyrics, and how it came to be the familiar song we know today.

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GET THE NEWSLETTER
Each edition of the Reasonable Theology newsletter contains my latest article or podcast episode PLUS:

• A Theological Word or Phrase Explained Quickly and Clearly
• A Painting Depicting a Scene from Scripture or Church History
• Audio of a Hymn or other Musical Selection to Enjoy
• A Recommended Book or Resource to Expand Your Library

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You may have come across the terms “deconstruction” or “exvangelical” in recent years, or have perhaps seen high-profile Christian leaders walk away from the faith.

But what is deconstruction, and why does it seem to be a growing problem?
On this episode of the podcast I’m talking with Alisa Childers and Tim Barnett, who have just written a new book together called The Deconstruction of Christianity: What it is, why it’s destructive, and how to respond.”

Alisa is a wife, mom, author, podcaster, blogger, speaker, and worship leader. She’s the author of two other books “Another Gospel” and “Live your Truth and other lies” which we have had conversations about on previous episodes of the podcast.

Tim has worked as an apologist for Stand to Reason since 2015. Tim trains Christians to think clearly about what they believe and why they believe it.
He’s also the host of the popular YouTube Channel “Red Pen Logic with Mr. B.”

On this episode we’ll talk about:

• What’s deconstruction is
• What factors into a person’s decision to walk away from the faith
• The role of social media in fueling this phenomenon
• How we can rightly respond to those in our lives who are struggling with or have walked away from the faith they once professed.

Listen to our conversation and see the show notes at ReasonableTheology.org/Deconstruction

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• A Theological Word or Phrase Explained Quickly and Clearly
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• Audio of a Hymn or other Musical Selection to Enjoy
• A Recommended Book or Resource to Expand Your Library

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What are the Five Points of Calvinism and what do these doctrines teach us about salvation?

Known as both the Doctrines of Grace and the Five Points of Calvinism, these doctrines are named for the distinct theological stances taken by the reformer John Calvin (who didn’t use this term himself).

You have likely come across the acrostic T.U.L.I.P. as a memory aid for these doctrinal positions. In this video I provide a concise description of each of the five doctrines represented by each letter:

○ Total Depravity
○ Unconditional Election
○ Limited Atonement
○ Irresistible Grace
○ Perseverance of the Saints

The Five Points of Calvinism are merely summaries of what the Bible teaches about salvation. We do not revere these doctrines because they were taught by John Calvin, but because they are found in Scripture.

➤ For a free PDF of Bible verses in support of each of these doctrines, visit https://reasonabletheology.org/the-five-points-of-calvinism-free-download/

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• Audio of a Hymn or other Musical Selection to Enjoy
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Apologist Greg Koukl of Stand to Reason  provides an overview of the "Columbo Tactic" and how it can help you stay in the driver's seat in challenging conversations.

The "Columbo" tactic, named after the TV detective, is a strategic approach for introducing spiritual topics into conversations through simple, leading questions. It involves asking open-ended, inquisitive questions like "What do you mean by that?" to gently steer the conversation towards spirituality. 

The tactic aims to expose flaws or contradictions in others' views in a non-confrontational manner. For instance, following up with "How did you come to that conclusion?" respects the other person's reasoning and encourages them to articulate their beliefs, providing more insight for further discussion. 

Even when faced with responses lacking clear reasoning, the Columbo tactic uses straightforward, relevant questions to provoke thought, emphasizing the importance of having reasons for one’s beliefs. This method highlights the power of asking well-placed questions to facilitate deeper, more meaningful conversations about spiritual matters.

▶ Watch the full conversation: https://youtu.be/CZrApYwhP7Y
📖 Pick up a copy of Tactics: A Game Plan for Discussing Your Christian Convictions https://amzn.to/478Sppl
📖 Pick up a copy of Street Smarts: Using Questions to Answer Christianity's Toughest Challenges https://amzn.to/49yRWOA

Support the show

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• A Theological Word or Phrase Explained Quickly and Clearly
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• Audio of a Hymn or other Musical Selection to Enjoy
• A Recommended Book or Resource to Expand Your Library

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