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The Case for Christ

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The Case for Christ
BOOK SUMMARY

The Case for Christ
Lee Strobel. Pub. Zondervan Publishing House

About the Author
Lee Strobel, Master of Studies in Law from Yale Law School. Award-winning journalist & investigative reporter for 13 yrs. at the Chicago Tribune. Pg. 303.
His life changes when his wife becomes a Christian. He fears he will lose the fun-loving companion and friend he has known for years, but instead he is surprised by subtle changes in her character. This not only intrigues him but prompts him to learn more about Jesus by using the same logical and factual approach he follows while working as an investigative crime reporter. He starts his learning quest as an unconvinced skeptic. His underlying question is, “Can a case for Christ be made beyond a reasonable doubt”? To answer this, he sets out on a fact-finding mission. For nearly two years, he interviews numerous subject matter experts and biblical scholars to answer his questions with facts and evidence. His skills in investigative reporting help uncover the truth regarding the reliability of the gospels.

Introduction: Who is Jesus? This comes down to two answers: This man was, and is, the Son of God: or else a madman or something worse.

Part 1: Examining the Record

Timeframe
Skeptics: “Some scholars say the gospels were written so far after the events that legend developed and distorted what was finally written down, turning Jesus from merely a wise teacher into the mythological Son of God.” Pg. 32

Answers: “The standard scholarly dating is that Acts was written by Luke in A.D. 61-63, because Paul was still living and under house arrest in Rome. Since Acts is the 2nd of a two-part work, we know the 1st part - the gospel of Luke – must have been written earlier than that. And since Luke incorporates parts of the gospel of Mark, that means Mark is even earlier. So if you allow one year for each writing, you end up with Mark written no later than about A.D. 60, a maximum gap of 30
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