Josh McDowell's Blog, page 20

Has the Bible Been Altered Over the Centuries?

Reading Time: 2 minutesTo declare that the Bible has been “altered” over the centuries could mean a number of different things.

For instance, you could talk about how later scribes added punctuation markings, lower-case lettering, etc., as their Greek language evolved over time. But that is of little concern. When most people say that the Bible has been altered, they mean that the original written text has changed in content over many years, is now corrupted, and the original meaning lost.

It is very common these days to hear someone say that the Bible has been altered. This might come from a skeptic, but it also might come from followers of other religions that have spun off the Christian tradition such as Mormonism, Jehovah’s Witnesses, or Islam. In asserting that the biblical text became corrupted, they add that their religion’s holy writings have corrected the problem. And they use their holy writings to provide new spiritual insights that support their religious view.

Understanding the term “altered”

Despite certain anti-Christian motivations to challenge the Bible, we don’t have compelling reasons to believe that the modern Bible is wildly different from what was originally written. Even though we don’t have the original writings, we have many copies of these original writings which scholars call manuscripts.

These manuscripts have some differences, and this is to be expected because of human error. But there are enough existing manuscripts that we can compare and cross-check them to reconstruct what the originals would have said. With proper technique, we can do this with a very high degree of accuracy. We can see what was altered.

But what if the original text was changed before a bunch of copies were made? If this happened, then all of our copies would have come from a bad text, and we would never be able to know what was originally written!

Some believe that the text of the Bible was intentionally changed during its early development, perhaps motivated by political or theological reasons. At best, this is a borderline conspiracy story. One of the main problems with this argument is this: people wouldn’t have known which writings really counted as Scripture until after they became widespread across many churches. Indeed, the fact that the writings multiplied so quickly across churches helped believers to realize that the Holy Spirit was on those texts. By then, because the writings had already spread across the early church, it would have been too late for anyone to maliciously change them! 

NEXT STEPS

For more on the origin of the Bible, check out God Breathed by Josh McDowell.


Download this PDF by Josh titled “ The Bibliographical Test .”
To further grow your knowledge of the Bible, we can suggest 77 FAQs about God and the Bible  by Josh and Sean McDowell.
To really dive into Josh’s decades of research, read Josh and Sean’s recently revised apologetics classic, Evidence That Demands a Verdict.


Matthew Tingblad is a communicator at Josh McDowell Ministry with a seminary education from Talbot School of Theology.

The post Has the Bible Been Altered Over the Centuries? appeared first on Josh.org.

Win Mentally & Emotionally During COVID-19

Reading Time: 6 minutes


Greater economic hardship. Relational disconnection. Loss of loved ones. Uncertainty. Job loss. Xenophobia. Racism. Lack of safety. The effects of COVID-19 are endless, and ruthless. These effects not only threaten our physical health but also our mental, relational, and spiritual health. They threaten our ability to win mentally and emotionally.

Continue reading, or click here to watch video. (Video coming today)

No matter what you are facing during this time, you are not alone. You were not meant to be alone. You were never intended to experience this reality. You were made to thrive, being created in the likeness of God with infinite worth, designed for healthy connection with Him and others. You were designed to experience the assurance of safety, to know that everything will be ok.

But the reality is, what we are experiencing in our world today doesn’t fit that bill, that need, that longing. So what do we do in this time of loss, pain, and hurt? How do we process what we are experiencing and not be doomed to our anxiety, hopelessness, and pain? How do we choose health rather than coping with our pain through binging netflix or endlessly scrolling social media, overeating or drinking, or viewing porn? How do we navigate what is going on inside of us amidst such pain, loss, and uncertainty? How do we not just survive, but find a way to move forward and thrive?

After years of experiencing anxiety, emotional turmoil, hopelessness, and suicidal thoughts then finding hope and healing, I want to share a process that I have worked through that has helped me win mentally and emotionally. This is a process that shouldn’t be rushed, sometimes taking weeks or even years. But I want to lay this out to encourage you and remind you that there is hope. Things will get better. And there is a way to limit the pain of what you are experiencing, not in a way that minimizes it, but in a way that helps you not be alone and not fall into the lies and trap of the Enemy.

Grieve Losses

The losses during this time are immense. Loss of financial income, death of loved ones, uncertainty, disconnection from others, loss of normal routines, activities, or hobbies to name a few. The pain from the losses you are experiencing is real. Be honest with yourself about your fears, feelings, questions, hurts, and struggles. It’s ok to not be ok. It’s ok to grieve and mourn the reality of what you are experiencing.

Ecclesiastes 3:4 reminds us there is “a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance.” It’s ok to not have it all together and to mourn the losses you are experiencing, in fact it is good to do so. I’m reminded of how Jesus wept in John 11 when his friend Lazarus died. If He, God, took time to feel and grieve, how important is it for us.

I encourage you to write down the losses you are experiencing. Let yourself feel the emotions those bring. Sit with those emotions and talk to God about them. Be honest with him about your hurt, frustrations, and questions. Visualize Him being right there with you, comforting you.

Identify The Messages

Loss, painful experiences, and uncertainty lead to messages we believe. These messages are often not true. Maybe you’re experiencing economic hardship–you’ve lost your job or business has slowed down. What messages have you believed from those experiences? Is it “God doesn’t care about me”, “I’m not good enough or gifted enough because others weren’t laid off but I was”, or “No matter how hard I try, I just can’t provide for my family. I’m inadequate.”

Maybe you’ve experienced loneliness–friends, family, or co-workers aren’t reaching out to you, or you feel so disconnected. What messages have you believed? Is it “People don’t care about me”, “I’m unwanted”, or “I must not matter.” Lies and losses come in all shapes and sizes.

This has been the enemy’s tactic since day one in the Garden of Eden. To twist the truth, deceive us, and get us to believe lies about God, ourselves and others. In Genesis 3, Adam and Eve fell for a lie from the enemy and disobeyed God’s command to not eat of the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Adam and Eve ate the fruit and immediately were filled with shame, believing not just that they had done wrong but that they were wrong. The lie that started about God ended in a lie about themselves as well. The enemy wants to use whatever he can to get us to believe lies, often using our losses and painful experiences. Let us not be unaware of this key tactic of his in our lives.

Reframe The Messages

Think through the painful experiences and losses. What is the truth about the situation?  For example, in economic hardship–remind yourself that events are taking place that are out of your control. Remember Jesus’ words in Matthew 6:26, “Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?” Remember that God will provide for you and that you are so valuable.

In loneliness, remind yourself that Jesus said “I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:20). Remind yourself that in Christ you are a loved child of God (1 John 3:1), chosen and wanted (John 15:16) and God’s masterpiece (Ephesians 2:10), whether or not people acknowledge that. But also remember that others may feel lonely or unwanted as well, and that you have the opportunity to reach out to them and experience your needs being met in addition to theirs.

Sit with God and experience the truth intellectually and emotionally. Feel what it feels like to be loved, accepted, and adequate. Come back to these truths and experience them when sadness, shame, or the lies surface again.

Connect With Others

Share with safe people the losses and pain you are experiencing. Connecting with others releases dopamine and oxytocin in our brains, leading to a sense of connection and satisfaction. It also affirms the reality that we are not alone and that we are understood. Text or FaceTime a friend or loved one. Go for a walk with someone you know, while maintaining social distancing. Schedule an online meeting with a therapist, coach, or mentor. 

Remember, we need one another. In the creation account God said that it was not good for the first human, Adam, to be alone, or without another human being (Genesis 2:18). Hebrews 10:25 even goes so far as to instruct us to “not neglect meeting together”, because of how important relational and spiritual connection is for each of us. 

Hold On To Hope

Think back on challenges you’ve faced in the past and how God pulled you through. You’re still here. You’re reading this. You’ve made it through. Think of how you might be able to help others through their struggles in the future, as a result of what you’ve been through. Try to get a vision of what God might do in your life through this.

Viktor Frankl’s book, Man’s Search for Meaning, showcased the power of a future vision. Frankl found strength to continue fighting for his life in a Nazi concentration camp during World War II. Overworked, underfed, attempting to survive the bitter cold winter, with friends dying all around him, he began to envision one day being free from the concentration camp, lecturing to crowds on the psychology of concentration camps. All of his challenges became experiences that would inform his future work. He found purpose in his pain, and a greater reward to strive for.

In contrast, those who lost hope around Frankl began deteriorating, succumbing to illness and mental breakdowns, losing the will to go on, and surrendering to hopelessness and death. Frankl survived the concentration camps and was eventually liberated by American soldiers. He went on to write books, earn his Ph.D., and give lectures all over the world.

We also witness the power of vision in the life of Jesus in Hebrews 12:2, who “for the joy that was set before him endured the cross.” That joy was receiving “all authority on heaven and earth” (Matthew 28:18) and giving you and I the “right to become children of God” (John 1:12).

You can take heart because Jesus sees you, cares, and mourns with you. He has overcome the world (John 16:33), is ruling and reigning over all that is going on in this time (Psalm 47:8), and will one day make all things right and new (Revelation 21).

Lastly, let me encourage you to take these next steps to win mentally and emotionally during COVID-19.

1. Work through the five step process in this article, starting with one loss or painful experience.

2. Consider meeting with an online counselor or exploring more counseling resources at josh.org/find-help

3. Check out josh.org/resolution for more resources about our new global initiative to help people overcome hurts and struggles, and thrive.

4. Connect with me on Instagram, Facebook, or on our website and share how I can be praying for you.

The post Win Mentally & Emotionally During COVID-19 appeared first on Josh.org.

Devotional: Recognize God’s Majesty

Reading Time: 3 minutesAre we “woke” to the presence of our amazing God? Or are we guilty of doing life with blinders that keep us from recognizing God’s majesty all around us?  

Bridging the Gap blog #hurthealedwhole

For 50+ years, Josh McDowell Ministry has been leading seekers into a deeper knowledge of God’s truth and power. We offer you our accumulated knowledge and research to help you find truth and encouragement to live a healthy and whole life in Christ.

God’s Majesty is All Around Us

Whether’s it’s the giggles of a baby, or a hawk soaring through the air; the kind gesture of a loved one, or the setting sun closing out the day with a glorious display of reds, yellows, and oranges. God is there. 

Yet many people today choose to believe that the highly ordered, intricately detailed system that sustains life “just happened” to rise from chaos. They find it easier to believe in scientific theory, over that a loving Creator birthed us for specific purposes and His glory. That in Him alone is true love.

“Bring me a worm that can comprehend a man, and then I will show you a man that can comprehend the Triune God.”  ~John Wesley

The Bible, which continues to be proven to be a historically reliable document, tells us plainly that a man who denies God is a fool. If men fail to give God glory, it says, the very rocks will cry out. Like the stars are right now!

Yes, it can be hard at times — like right now during the coronavirus panic — to trust that a Creator we can’t physically see is in control and cares. But the Bible says that creation echoes the very nature of God: Its beauty. Its intricacy. Its intelligence. Its majesty. Its wonder.

Modern man likes to think of himself as the pinnacle of intelligence, but there is nothing that man has created that can compare to the mind-blowing majesty of creation. If we can find a night sky undiminished by city lights, the numerous stars show us how puny we are in context. Who are we, Lord, that you would be mindful of us? 

Noted pastor and author John Piper notes that creation is “about the greatness of God, not the significance of man. God made man small and the universe big to say something about himself.”

The great C. S. Lewis added, “A man can no more diminish God’s glory by refusing to worship Him than a lunatic can put out the sun by scribbling the word ‘darkness’ on the walls of his cell.”

Why would a God capable of creating such majesty give a hoot about us?!

In answering that question, we discover a love so wide and high and vast and deep that it should make us fall to our knees in thankfulness. God considers us — you and me — the highlight of His vast creation.

The Offer to Know Him Personally

I don’t know about you, but right now, as the coronavirus brings the world to its knees, I need to have the assurance that God loves me and is on the move. That He is, as His Word promises, working details out for my good.

If you haven’t given God your attention before, now is a good time to kick the tires of Christianity. No Christian is perfect, so don’t let a previous encounter with a Christian having a very human moment dissuade you. Even the most committed Christ-followers struggle with being selfless and kind and loving, like Jesus. Because they’re human. They sometimes also struggle with faith and fear and worry, just like you, if they allow their focus to turn from God.

But in acknowledging God’s power and love, they can lay their burdens at His feet and wait in trusting expectation. God delights in showcasing His majesty — for our good and His glory. Have hope!

“If God is the Creator of the entire universe, then it must follow that He is the Lord of the whole universe. No part of the world is outside of His lordship. That means that no part of my life must be outside of His lordship.”  ~ R. C. Sproul

NEXT STEPS:

Do you want to have a relationship with Jesus? Start here.
Catch up on our Journey Together posts. Experience God in a deeper way!
We invite you to read Josh’s book, More Than a Carpenter. This short apologetics classic examines evidence about Jesus.


Sheri writes and edits for Josh McDowell Ministry.

The post Devotional: Recognize God’s Majesty appeared first on Josh.org.

Fully Known in Healthy Relationships

Reading Time: 6 minutesWe need authenticity, within healthy relationships, to find the freedom to become the people God wants us to be.

A few years ago, Josh McDowell rallied our ministry speaking team when he sat us down with his friend, Dr. Henry Cloud, a giant in the counseling world. You might have seen Dr. Cloud’s name on the back of one of his many internationally best-selling books, including his Boundaries series.

As Dr. Cloud notes in his book Changes That Heal, “Every week I see Christians who are suffering from a whole range of emotional problems: anxiety, loneliness, grief over broken relationships, resentment, and feelings of inadequacy. Often they have been struggling with these problems for years. They are people in pain.”

Some — myself, included — learn to hide that pain so well, for years, that no one sees it. Even though it’s at the forefront of our minds every minute. And every single one of those minutes, we live in fear that we’ll be discovered.

Bridging the Gap blog #hurthealedwhole

For 50+ years, Josh McDowell Ministry has been leading seekers into a deeper knowledge of God’s truth and power. We offer you our accumulated knowledge and research to help you find truth and encouragement to live a healthy and whole life in Christ.

We’re Designed for Relationships

As Dr. Cloud taught us about developing healthy relationships, he offered us a biblical model for addressing these struggles. He really opened our minds with his research, knowledge, and wisdom. But what impacted me most during our time together was the realization of how much he cares for individuals, even me. 

Nearing the end of our training session, Dr. Cloud handed me a book titled The Power of the Other. He told me only that it would be a game-changer, if I read it. When I later opened the book, I was confronted with this statement: 

“There was only one thing that brought about change… the relationship. What actually brings about change in people, and the cure, is the relationship.”

This statement is super important, because it is foundational. The bottom line: For someone to speak into our life, we first need to feel that they care. We can choose from the best resources, books, and tools, to “fix” ourselves, but in the end, the curative force that helps us change is healthy relationships. People who care about us. People willing to offer us companionship — and grace.

“Truth is an ingredient necessary for growing in the image of God. But we also need grace.” ~ Dr. Henry Cloud

Think about your hobbies. Maybe you’re into surfing, skiing, video games, or even scrapbooking. Sure, these are fun to do alone. But I know that I would way rather surf with my friends than surf alone. Doing things with my friends fulfills me because we are enjoying them together. Even if we’re in an unexpected period of “social distancing” like we find ourselves in now, we still need relationships.

At the core of our being, I think we all know this: we crave connection. Even the most introverted or antisocial among us need connection. Do you know someone who doesn’t particularly like people, but has one or more pets? They are meeting their need for connection.

The Bible gives a pretty good explanation for why we crave relationships with others.  Simply put, Genesis 1 tells us that we have been created for intimacy with God. Genesis 2 adds that we also are created for intimacy with others. 

But here’s the catch: relationships only work when they are healthy. Lying and manipulating both stress and hurt relationships. But in healthy relationships, authenticity, vulnerability, intimacy, and selflessness bring us closer together. In healthy relationships we are able to identify and deal with our emotions. In healthy relationships, we are able to work through our pain. In healthy relationships we are able to share our hidden parts of ourselves, guided by the Holy Spirit.

The Weight of Disconnection

One of the points Dr. Cloud shared with our team is that our hearts have two basic desires: to be fully known and fully loved. I really love what Dr. Timothy Keller, a renowned speaker and pastor in New York City, says about the joy of being fully known:

“To be loved but not known is comforting but superficial. To be known and not loved is our greatest fear. But to be fully known and truly loved is, well, a lot like being loved by God. It is what we need more than anything. It liberates us from pretense, humbles us out of our self-righteousness, and fortifies us for any difficulty life can throw at us.” 

When we are lost in addiction, loneliness, and pain, we feel the weight of disconnection. When we are not fully known or fully loved within healthy relationships, we feel the weight of disconnect. I personally struggled with this disconnect for 11 years, when  I was addicted to pornography. 

While on the outside I appeared to have it all together, I was hurting and wounded on the inside. I desperately hid this part of myself — even from my family who love me so much — because I was afraid of being rejected.

I want you to ponder this statement for a minute, until it really sinks in: When you are 99 percent known, but still 1 percent unknown, you are fully unknown.

“But to be fully known and truly loved is, well, a lot like being loved by God.” ~ Dr. Timothy Keller

Living in Our 1 Percent

When I first heard this concept from Matt Chandler, pastor of The Village Church in Dallas, Texas, I was skeptical of its truth. But as I compared it with my personal experience, and the experience of others that I know, I realized that it is valid. 

If you are skeptical, here’s the bottom line: It’s not so much about the percentage, but the principle of the statement. When we don’t feel fully known, we don’t feel fully loved or accepted.

For years I shared most of my life with others. But I hid my addiction to pornography, which prevented anyone from fully knowing me. I was consumed with guilt and shame, but I learned to act like everything was okay. It took so much effort. And kept me in fear.

I filtered everything through that guilt and shame. When someone would compliment me on something, I thought they would retract their statement if they knew about my hidden sin. If a person told me that they loved or valued me, I didn’t believe it. Because they didn’t fully know me. When we are even 1 percent unknown, we live as if we are fully unknown. We put up walls of facade to protect ourselves.

Authenticity Leads to Freedom

But Jesus is looking for our honesty. In our failures, He wants to see progress in our repentance from sin, not our perfection. What matters to Him is the actions we take when we sin. Unfortunately, there’s a problem in the Church. Too many people get the idea that they have to be “alright” all the time. 

I grew up in church; I’m a pastor’s son. I internalized the message that the ideal Christian prays continuously, studies the Word, evangelizes everyone, and is holy all the time. Which is why we see so many Christians afraid to admit their sin. But if we accept this lie of perfection, all we can see is our sin and failure. 

Yes, we can try to fill our desire of being loved and accepted by portraying a false version of ourselves, as I did for almost a decade. People will accept us for putting on a show, but will our hiding a part of ourselves bring us closer together? No. As I found out, it just brought more pain. I hated myself.

But one of the greatest sources of healing in my recovery from porn addiction was my decision to be 100 percent vulnerable with the people I love and trust. I was so afraid to do so, but when I finally pulled back the curtain on my junk to my parents, they offered me what Jesus also offers: unconditional grace and acceptance. Choosing to become 100 percent authentic has allowed me to step into healthy relationships that have brought me closer to God and others.

“…when I finally pulled back the curtain on my junk to my parents, they offered me what Jesus also offers: unconditional grace and acceptance. Risk telling someone your 1 percent to find freedom.” ~ Austin

Now it’s your turn. What is the 1 percent that is isolating you from people? What do you need to stop hiding, so that you can begin to walk in self-forgiveness and grace? I encourage you to  share your burden with people you trust. 

Are you worried what they will think of you? If it is someone you trust to love you, my guess is they won’t disown you or kick you to the curb. I bet their response will go something like this, “Hey thanks for being honest.” James 5:16 states that when we confess our sins to each other and pray for each other, we will be healed. I know this verse is true, because I am living it.

If I can encourage you further, please leave a comment below. Know that I have already prayed for you. God unconditionally loves you. Don’t allow Satan to make you believe that your sin can ever change that. 

NEXT STEPS:

Want Josh McDowell Ministry to pray for you? Share your needs with us.
Who does God say that you are? Check out Ben Bennett’s article.
Check out Josh’s research on the epidemic of pornography .
Interested in a list of ministries that help people to overcome porn? Click here.


AUSTIN IS PART OF THE SPEAKING TEAM AT JOSH MCDOWELL MINISTRY.

The post Fully Known in Healthy Relationships appeared first on Josh.org.

Devotional: God Wants Your Prayers

Reading Time: 4 minutesFriends, God wants us our prayers! Since creating Adam, He has yearned to be in close relationship with us. 

Especially during the moments we find hard and scary, God wants us to share our fears and doubts with Him. Because He cares. Because He is listening. Because He is working through all circumstances for the good of those who love Him. Take heart. Send up your prayers!

Bridging the Gap blog #hurthealedwhole

For 50+ years, Josh McDowell Ministry has been leading seekers into a deeper knowledge of God’s truth and power. We offer you our accumulated knowledge and research to help you find truth and encouragement to live a healthy and whole life in Christ.

God Loves Our Prayers

Why would God desire to hear our prayers? Because we are important to Him. So important that He assumed human form to demonstrate just how far and wide and high and deep is His ceaseless love for us. But God isn’t our magic genie. He’s the Creator of the Universe.

So when we pray, we affirm that He is in control — and we are not. Whew! We can dump the weight of the world off our shoulders, and allow God to show us that He’s at work. Even when it’s hard, from our limited perspective, to see Him doing so.

Right now, with the global coronavirus panic, you might think you’ll be bothering God if you add to the sea of prayers already flowing His way. But take heart: God has authority over the seas, because He created them! God has power over life and death! So how are a few billion simultaneous prayers going to be too hard for Him?

Bottom line: bandwidth is a limitation only for us puny humans, not God! 

In His Word, God continually reminds us to chat Him up. To tell Him about the hurts, and to thank Him for the greats. God knows what we need before we pray, but He wants to hear us acknowledge our dependence on Him. He wants to hear that we trust Him to act. That He is our Way Maker.

And when it seems like your prayers go unanswered, rest assured that God has NOT lost His power over all. Only God can see the big picture, all the moving parts in His plan for us.

If you’re struggling with doubt because of unanswered prayers, you have to get to the point of willingly surrendering to this truth: We don’t have the right to tell God what to do. But we can rest in His love for us. Even when we have pain and suffering.

“True prayer is neither a mere mental exercise nor a vocal performance. It is far deeper than that. It is a spiritual transaction with the Creator of Heaven and Earth.”

~ Charles Spurgeon

Life is so hard and hurtful at times. What do we do with that? Let’s start by accepting God’s open invitation to crawl into His lap — with our tears and clenched fists and aching hearts — so He can wrap us in His loving arms and comfort us.

Yes, it’s difficult, at times, to feel ourselves capable of fully loving and trusting God when life doesn’t go how we want. But judging God from our thin sliver of perspective allows Satan a victory we should never hand him. As one Christian song lyric asks, “Why am I running from the one I need the most?” We run from God when we want to feel that we’re in control. 

Relinquishing control is especially hard for us in the U.S., right? We’ve been raised to be self-sufficient. To go it alone. To look out for numero uno. To “have it all together,” or to at least pretend that we do. To hide our weaknesses and fears.

But we must acknowledge our need for God, if we are to experience the intimate relationship He yearns to have with us. Doesn’t every loving parent long for an authentic connection with his or her child? It’s the same with God!

So pray. Let God in. Whether you pray as you sit at your desk or behind the wheel of your car, on your knees, or prone on your living room floor … whether you’re feeling hopeful or as destructive as Attila the Hun … whether you use full sentences, or are so broken that all you can utter are moans … know that God hears your heart and He cares. And He is working to bring good out of every circumstance. 

In the words of Buzz Lightyear, the Great I Am loves YOU to infinity and beyond. God wants to walk through even the lowest of lows with you, if you’ll let Him. Have hope!

Sometimes God lets you be in a situation that only He can fix so that you can see that He is the One who fixes it. Rest. He’s got it.

~ Tony Evans

Three TRUTHS About Prayer:

Prayer is for OUR benefit, not God’s. God is already working for our good.

The Bible tells us how to pray: authentically, with humility and thankfulness.

Every prayer gets answered, though not always in the way we think best. But if we choose to take the Bible as truth, believing that God works for our good, we can humbly say, “Okay, Lord. This doesn’t feel good. But I trust you to bring beauty from the ashes. I love you.”

Next Steps:

Do you want to have a relationship with Jesus? Start here.
We’d love to pray for you! Please send us a prayer request via this form.
Print out these Bible verses about prayer! Read them. Believe them. Memorize some!
Catch up on our Journey Together posts. Experience God in a deeper way!
We invite you to read Josh’s book, More Than a Carpenter. This short apologetics classic examines evidence about Jesus.


Sheri writes and edits for Josh McDowell Ministry.

The post Devotional: God Wants Your Prayers appeared first on Josh.org.

Could the Gospel Writers Know What Jesus Actually said?

There was a long period of time between the life of Jesus and the composition of the four Gospels in the Bible. Even when we take conservative estimates for their dating, the earliest we typically see is the book of Mark, written around AD 55-70, about the time the apostle Peter was martyred.

We’re talking several decades. How were the authors able to remember what Jesus said and did after all that time? I can hardly remember what I said and did last week! 

How Do We Know the Gospel Writers Got it Right?

Let’s keep the following points in mind:

1. Unlike our own society, these authors lived in an oral culture that was strong on preserving information through spoken word. They didn’t rely on written material like we do. Their ability to memorize and retell stories accurately was well practiced.

2. Jesus mostly taught in stories and parables. These kinds of teachings are easy to remember, even for us today. And we must recognize that in an oral culture, people learned to be good listeners as their ability to recall information would have served them well.

3. We shouldn’t expect that the writers captured perfect quotations of what Jesus said, as though they had access to tape recorders. Quotations in that time were not intended to be as word-for-word precise as they are today.

The Gospels don’t provide a straight journalistic record. But the Gospel writers did not simply make stuff up. They were held in check by others familiar with Jesus; eyewitnesses who would have known if they did not record details accurately.  

4. Even if the Gospel authors weren’t writing about Jesus immediately after his departure, they were continually teaching about Jesus. This would have kept the information fresh in their minds.

5. It’s possible that Jesus’s disciples did write down details about Jesus, which they referred to in later years as they wrote the Gospels.

6. Christians believe that the Bible’s authors were guided by the Holy Spirit (2 Peter 1:21). So while each brought their own method, style, and message to the readers of Scripture, each focused on God’s love for mankind, including salvation through Jesus.

NEXT STEPS

For more on the reliability of the Gospels, read this blog post.
To dive deep into the historical validation of the Bible, study Josh and Sean McDowell’s apologetics classic, Evidence That Demands a Verdict . It includes decades of Josh’s research.
Interested in knowing God personally? Get started with this really good info.


Matthew Tingblad is a communicator at Josh McDowell Ministry, with a seminary education from Talbot School of Theology.

The post Could the Gospel Writers Know What Jesus Actually said? appeared first on Josh.org.

Isn’t the Bible Full of Disagreements?

One common concern that skeptics have about the Bible is that it doesn’t line up. That it’s full of disagreements, which they say proves that it’s a man-made document, not inspired by God.

This question can lead to very murky conversations; however, because people mean different things when they discuss “disagreements” in the Bible. In fact, there are at least four different ways in which the Bible is accused of sharing disagreement!

4 Different Ways the Bible is Accused of Sharing Disagreement

Some say the Bible disagrees in its textual witnesses.
Some say the Bible disagrees over its own content across different authors.
Some say the Bible disagrees over factual data of this world.
Some say the Bible disagrees over its own theological issues.


For the sake of brevity, I have supplied the above links that cover the first three types of disagreements. Let’s briefly discuss the fourth reason in this post.

Some people believe that the Bible has theological disagreements because they observe Christians disagreeing over theological issues — and using the Bible to support their stance. But these disagreements aren’t really because of clear-cut theological disagreements in the Bible, but because of these three reasons:

1. The authors of Scripture emphasize different events and subjects because of their natural mode of thinking and the audience they are trying to address. This, however, doesn’t mean that what they’re talking about contradicts itself. As readers of the Bible, we can’t take one passage in isolation without considering how it is informed by the rest of biblical theology.

2. Christians often take what is unclear in the Bible and convince themselves that they clearly understand its meaning. But Scripture itself recognizes that the meaning is not always apparent. Peter explicitly says that there are some things in Paul’s letters that are difficult to understand (2 Peter 3:15-16). And in Romans 14, Paul says that there are disagreements that we, as the Church, should learn to live with.

3. Even where the Bible is clear on issues, such as salvation and the deity of Jesus, the Bible is interpreted by people (including you and me!) who are flawed by sin. This isn’t to say that the theological task of interpreting Scripture is futile, but we have to be mindful of our own limitations. We inevitably bring subjective, personal views which, left unchecked, could twist its text to mean what we want it to say. 

With all this in mind, we need not be discouraged. Yes, there are many disagreements. This is expected when we are talking about the infinite God of this universe! But there is also remarkable agreement over the fundamental doctrines of Scripture. Most Christians, for example, believe in salvation by grace. Most believe in the Trinity. Most believe in love and justice. Most believe in the second coming of Christ. In the midst of diversity, we have profound unity through the Holy Spirit.

Want to dive into this further? Watch this short video I created titled, “Why do Christians disagree about stuff?“

NEXT STEPS

Interested in knowing God personally? Get started with this really good info.
Need prayer? Contact us. We would love to pray for you!
To grow your knowledge of the Bible, read 77 FAQs about God and the Bible  by Josh and Sean McDowell.
Also read Josh and Sean’s recently revised apologetics classic, Evidence That Demands a Verdict .


Matthew Tingblad is a communicator at Josh McDowell Ministry, with a seminary education from Talbot School of Theology.

The post Isn’t the Bible Full of Disagreements? appeared first on Josh.org.

Breaking Out of the Christian Bubble

Private evangelical Christian schools can be dangerous. I should know; I’m finishing my last semester at one as a seminary student.

It’s not that I don’t like them. I’m actually very grateful for the education I have received at Biola University. In fact, I would do it all over again! But there is risk involved whenever a Christian chooses to go the route of private evangelical schooling. Here, we call it the “Biola Bubble.”

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Life in My Christian Bubble

The meaning of the “Biola Bubble” is not hard to recognize. Students who attend these schools tend to live in a world where everyone is Christian, at least nominally. We create this utopian society inside a bubble, and have very little contact with people in the outside world. This hit me one day during my second year.

Here I was, studying in seminary with a bunch of evangelical Christians. I worked remotely for a ministry with a bunch of evangelical Christians. I went to church every week with a bunch of evangelical Christians. I had been living in Los Angeles for over a year, and I still did not know one person in the city who was not a Christian! Los Angeles!!

I do not blame Biola for a moment. This was on me. I needed to realize that a private school was not going to spoon-feed me everything I needed to live faithfully as a Christian. After all, our purpose on earth is not just Bible studies and fellowship with other Christians until we go to Heaven.

God has called us to make disciples everywhere (Matthew 28:19), to preach the word in season and out of season (2 Timothy 4:2). Jesus said that we are to be the “salt” of the world, and we dare not lose that quality (Matthew 5:13). He goes on to say that we are to be the “light” of the world, and we would be foolish to keep our light covered. 

There is a temptation to soak in all this knowledge of God and keep it for ourselves. There is a temptation to think that life inside our nice utopian bubble is the Christian life. But this is far from the truth. For students attending private Christian schools, we need to be even more intentional about our calling to live as ambassadors in a world that is not our home (2 Corinthians 5:20).

Breaking Out of My Bubble

One I realized this, I grew desperate. I felt complacent on the inside, but biblically I knew that I needed opportunities to experience community with non-Christians. I needed to carve out a space in my schedule to interact with people outside of my Christian bubble.

As a full-time graduate student holding a part-time job and volunteering at my church, this was not easy. But I went online and searched for community groups in the south Los Angeles area. I discovered a website called Meetup, which connects people with local communities all around the world. I was shocked to discover how many different social communities exist in my area through Meetup!

I ended up joining a group that gathered to play board games that made it explicit that it is a safe space for people with same-sex attraction. I have never been huge on board games, nor do I have same-sex attraction, so this sounded perfect! People who were not like me! Admittedly, I was nervous on the first day I met with them. As they were friendly toward people with same-sex attraction, how would they respond to an evangelical seminary student?? As it turned out, they were very welcoming!

I learned a lot about same-sex attraction from these members, which helped me to understand their community. And I enjoyed building friendships with them, though I was only able to stay with the group for a couple of months, as shifts in my life pulled me away. I would have liked more opportunities to deepen these relationships and eventually share my faith more explicitly. But I believe God still used that time.

Sometimes we can be a light by simply sharing that we are Christians, and then not acting like it’s our job to fix people who simply need a loving friend.

Does Your Bubble Need Busting?

Many of you can relate to these Christian bubbles we inevitably find ourselves in, even if you don’t attend a private Christian school. I would encourage you to venture beyond your bubbles through Meetup or another social app. What are your hobbies or interests? There’s probably a group for them near you. Go for it! Get to know people. As you do, I believe God will create opportunities for you to show them Christ.

Ready to get involved in your local community? You can create a Meetup account.
Need some tips and creative ideas for sharing your faith? Check out my earlier post.
Looking for an inexpensive way to gift a book about Christianity to your friends? You can purchase Josh’s apologetics classic, More Than a Carpenter, in a 6-pack or more from our online store.



>>I’d love to know your thoughts. Share your comments below!

Matthew Tingblad is a communicator at Josh McDowell Ministry with a seminary education from Talbot School of Theology.

The post Breaking Out of the Christian Bubble appeared first on Josh.org.

Devotional: When Life Gets Tough

Life is a roller coaster of situations and emotions, full of highs and lows.

We know how to handle the easy and fun times. How does God want us to respond when life gets tough?

For 50+ years, Josh McDowell Ministry has been leading seekers into a deeper knowledge of God’s truth and power. We offer you our accumulated knowledge and research to help you find truth and encouragement to live a healthy and whole life in Christ.

When Life Gets Tough

Even as Christians, we can expect to walk through tough times. At times, life snowballs and threatens to overwhelm us. But as followers of Christ, Jesus wants us to cast our cares upon Him. We’re not supposed to try and do life on our own. We’re certainly not bothering Him when we send up yet one more prayer! Jesus, our Savior and friend, loves to hear from us.

Yes, it can be hard trusting God when we lose a job … when our family is falling apart … when we discover that we have cancer. But in sharing our fears and doubts with the Creator of the Universe, we invite Him to take action. We learn to trust. We learn to live with expectation. We learn to wait patiently. We learn that in rushing to “do something,” we too often make a mess.

The Bible is full of stories of people growing impatient to see God move. Remember what happened when Sarah offered Abraham her handmaid, to ensure that Abraham received his long-awaited heir? How much pain and conflict could have been prevented — even to this day — if Sarah had let God act in His timing, which He had promised He would do?

“But I don’t hear from God,” you might be saying.

In actuality, God is speaking to you and me all the time. Sometimes through our gut,  and sometimes through our conscience. Sometimes through nature. Sometimes through other people. But always through His Word. So we should make it a frequent practice to meet God there.

Here in the U.S. we have a tendency to view hardship as a bad thing. But we need to be open to God using tough times to teach and mature us. If we trust that God works for our good, it’s easier to believe that He is closely walking through our hard times with us.

When I understand that everything happening to me is to make me more Christlike, it resolves a great deal of anxiety.  ~Aiden Wilson Tozer

Some Wise Ways to Respond to Tough Times

We can pray. Prayer is just an authentic conversation you have with God about everything on your heart and mind. Trust that He is listening. Ask Him to guide you, and to remind you how much He loves you while you wait. His love is so great that He came to redeem your sin!
We can practice self-control. In Galatians 5 we find a list of the fruit of the Spirit. As we strive to model love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control, we’ll find that we have more patience to deal with the tough bits of life. We’ll gain wisdom, and have fewer moments of defaulting to anxiety and fear. And when we do mess up, we’ll have a much quicker rebound to trusting!
We can keep our Bibles open and near. If we make a practice of reading His Word, God promises that our investment of time will not return void. What we plant through time and study, God will cause to harvest in our heart and mind. Our thinking will change. Our behavior will follow.
We can speak the Word of God out loud. Yes, I know some of you feel silly declaring Scripture. But it’s one of the to-dos we’re given in the Bible. Why? Because it works! God spoke creation into existence. When we speak Scripture aloud, the demons scatter and our mind clears.

In the Bible, God continually reminds us to NOT worry when life gets tough. He asks us to rely on Him for our needs, if not also our immediate rescue. God moves according to His plan and timing. But we can trust that He cares, and is always working for our good because we love Him.

We must cease striving and trust God to provide what He thinks is best and in whatever time He chooses to make it available. But this kind of trusting doesn’t come naturally.  ~Charles R. Swindoll 

NEXT STEPS:

Do you want to have a relationship with Jesus? Start here.
Catch up on our Journey Together posts. Experience God in a deeper way!
We invite you to read Josh’s book, More Than a Carpenter. This short apologetics classic examines evidence about Jesus.


Sheri writes and edits for Josh McDowell Ministry.

The post Devotional: When Life Gets Tough appeared first on Josh.org.

Devotional: How to Have Peace In Suffering

I lost my loving mother when I was 7 years old. She was still present with us, but after brain surgery to remove a tumor, her fun-loving nature and ability to closely connect with us was lost forever. She died just days before I turned 16. The sadness, fear, and abandonment I felt from this loss ushered in the first significant chapter of suffering I would experience in my life. 

It was not to be the last.

“Cast your burden upon the LORD and He will sustain you.” ~Psalm 55:22

Bridging the Gap blog #hurthealedwhole

For 50+ years, Josh McDowell Ministry has been leading seekers into a deeper knowledge of God’s truth and power. We offer you our accumulated knowledge and research to help you find truth and encouragement to live a healthy and whole life in Christ.

Trusting Jesus Brings Peace

In this world we see others suffering around us. We experience it ourselves, sometimes as part of our daily lives. Jesus, aware of what His disciples would suffer, comforted them by saying, “These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). 

Looking back, I can say that I’ve grown stronger as a result of the  significant trials I’ve had to walk through. But in the midst of some of my most difficult days, I didn’t feel peace. Over time, I realized this was a result of my failure to cast my cares upon Him, not His failure to be there.

Philippians 4:6-7 states this promise: “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

This scripture affirms that it is not within ourselves that we find peace during suffering, but through Jesus by prayer, supplication, and thanksgiving.

As I walked through the trauma of losing my mom, as well as other trials and suffering, I’ve learned to apply Philippians 4:6-7 to all of my circumstances. As a result, I have experienced “the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension.” Growing stronger over time, this peace is a result of trusting God in the midst of really tough situations. The more I give my struggles over to Him, the more I see His work in my life. 

Philippians 4:6-7 breaks down the steps we can take to cast our burdens upon the Lord. Through this process, the peace of God will guard our hearts and minds in Jesus.  

NEXT STEPS:

Do you want to have a relationship with Jesus? Start here.
Catch up on our Journey Together posts. Experience God in a deeper way!
We invite you to read Josh’s book, More Than a Carpenter. This short apologetics classic examines evidence about Jesus.




Jen is a presentation specialist with Josh McDowell Ministry.

The post Devotional: How to Have Peace In Suffering appeared first on Josh.org.