04Mar 2026 by Post

On Undesigned Coincidences: A Reply to Dan McClellan

4. Is the NT True?, Apologetics, biblical apologetics, can we trust the Bible, Christianity, Gospel, Jonathan McLatchie, JonathanMclatchie.com, Lydia McGrew, Undesigned Coincidences, Wes Huff
Dan McClellan, a Biblical scholar with a specialty in the Hebrew Bible, and popular social media content creator, recently responded to a clip of my friend and colleague, Wesley Huff, on undesigned coincidences as a marker of historicity in the gospel accounts. Wesley Huff subsequently posted a statement on his community page on YouTube, linking to my previous response to John Nelson, which deals with many of the same concerns raised by McClellan. This prompted McClellan to publish another video offering a rebuttal to my engagement with Nelson’s (and by extension his) concerns in my essay. I do not know why the critics of undesigned coincidences always seem to want to engage with those examples pertaining to the feeding of the five thousand. Literally every critical treatment of the topic thus far has focused on those. There are…
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03Dec 2025 by Post

Was the Messiah Predicted in the Old Testament?

Adam Lloyd Johnson, Apologetics, biblical apologetics, Christianity, christology, ConvincingProof.org, Gospel, Jesus, messianic prophecy, Old Testament, Theology and Christian Apologetics
In Galatians Paul wrote that the Law served as a “tutor to lead us to Christ, so that we may be justified by faith” (Gal. 3:24). Even though Paul was specifically referring to the Mosaic Law, the same could be said concerning the Old Testament as a whole. The Messiah, His person, His work, and His ministry were anticipated through allusion and imagery, not the least of which was the establishment of a theology concerning substitutionary atonement. This laid the groundwork for understanding our need for a Messiah because it explained how we came to be the wretched beings that we are, why God’s moral righteousness means our situation is so dire, and what must be done to reconcile us back to the loving relationship with God we were created…
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30Jul 2025 by Post

Why Biblical Authorship Matters: A Test Case

4. Is the NT True?, Apologetics, bellatorchristi.com, biblical apologetics, Biblical authorship, Christianity, Crucifixion, Daniel Sloan, Gospel, Inerrancy
On April 14th 2025, Christianity Today published an article entitled “Was Jesus Crucified with Nails?” In the article, the author asserted that it was likely that Jesus was not nailed to the cross but was instead tied to the cross with ropes. He argues this by appealing to an authority, a professor from Gordon College, who has made this argument based solely on some limited archaeological data. Indeed, in the article, the professor is cited as saying, “he wanted to explore the issue because it’s good to question tradition and people can benefit from closer scrutiny of history.”[i]   Did the Article Miss the Johannine Reference to the Nailprints?    When the article was published, it immediately came under fire on social media. After all, John 20:25 clearly states, “The other disciples therefore…
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28May 2025 by Post

How to Talk to the Jehovah’s Witness at Your Door

Apologetics, Bible, biblical apologetics, Christianity, Counter-Cult Apologetics, Cults & World Religions, Evangelism, Gospel, Heresy, New World Translation, Theological Apologetics, Theology and Christian Apologetics
It’s Saturday morning, and as you’re getting some cleaning done (and by “cleaning,” I mean binge-watching The Great British Baking Show on Netflix in your pajamas), you hear the dreaded knock on your door and peer out. Judging from their conservative clothes and the Watchtower magazines in hand, you quickly conclude you’re about to engage with some Jehovah’s Witnesses (JWs). You now have two choices: you can either ignore the knocking and pretend you aren’t home (but really, what kind of message does that send to your kids?), or you can answer the door. My hope is that after you’ve read our [Mama Bear Apoloetics] articles on the Jehovah’s Witnesses (here and here), you will feel confident enough to engage in a conversation with them, but we also want to give you a bit more…
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10Feb 2025 by Post

From Peter to the Christian Apologist

1 Peter 3:15-16, Apologetics, biblical apologetics, Christian Living, Christianity, Dan Hodges, Gospel, Isaiah, persecution, St. Peter, Theology and Christian Apologetics
To the Christian Apologist, 1 Peter 3:15-16 is a ‘mandate’ passage, used to demonstrate the reason we all study and become proficient with apologetics. “But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, 16 keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.” 1 Peter 3:15-16 (NIV) The REAL Reason for doing Apologetics We tend to focus, however, on verses 15 and 16 and forget to consider the “lead in” context. The real reason we SHOULD do apologetics is actually shown in the second half of verse 14 and the first…
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08Jan 2025 by Post

Archaeology Contributes to the Witness of the Bible

4. Is the NT True?, Apologetics, Archaeology, bellatorchristi.com, biblical apologetics, Christianity, Deanna Huff, Gospel, historical apologetics, History of the bible, is the Bible true, JEDP theory
Can stones give you insights into the past? What do they tell you? When I encountered the Rosetta Stone at the British Museum, I was surprised that a stone could say so much. Archaeological pieces like this provide a witness to a society in time. The Rosetta Stone contributes to the witness of the Bible. It also allows us to gain insights into how ancient cultures lived and experienced life. Archaeologist Randall Price states, “The Bible cannot be proved or disproved by archaeology. . . however, archaeology can bring historical confirmation to the historical statements in the text of the Scripture.” [i] Although archaeology cannot provide certainty of the Bible, it is a witness to the Bible, it contributes to its reliability, and it is a voice offering evidence to confirm…
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25Dec 2024 by Post

How to Talk with Kids about Jesus

4. Is the NT True?, Apologetics, biblical apologetics, Christian parenting, Christianity, discipleship, Evangelism, Gospel, https://heavennotharvard.com/, Jennifer Defrates, Mama Bear Apologetics, Natasha Crain, Talking With Your Kids About Jesus
I used to think I knew how to talk with kids about Jesus to help them establish a lasting faith. It seemed simple enough. Read the Bible. And absolutely, the Bible is where we should begin. Reading the Bible together regularly is the best way to open a dialogue with your kids about Jesus. Everything about Jesus must begin with the Bible because that is how God chose to reveal His truths to us about Himself, the world, and Jesus. But, that isn’t as simple as it used to be. My parents taught me that the Bible was truth, and that was that, until college, where I first faced atheism as the predominant worldview. (And my faith was shaken – but more on that later). But we didn’t have the…
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09Oct 2024 by Post

Do Oral Cultures Operate the Same as the Telephone Game?

4. Is the NT True?, Apologetics, Bellatori Christi, biblical apologetics, Christianity, Gospel, Inerrancy, Infallibility, inspiration, Liberty University, New Testament, reliability, Sherene Khouri
Secular scholars, especially those who attack the historicity of the New Testament, claim it is difficult to establish historical knowledge that is valid and reliable because of the infallibility of the human memory. People do not recall information accurately, especially if the account is written years after the event. However, historians and archaeologists have been able to make strong cases for their accounts considering several factors, such as the closeness of the written document to the event, multiple attestations to the incident, and so on. In this article, I will discuss the factor of oral tradition communities, how literate people recorded their history, and whether their methodology is reliable or not. Western and advanced societies might not realize that there is a pattern that oral communities usually follow to preserve…
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13Mar 2024 by Post

Timothy’s Tale: Unveiling Undesigned Coincidences In Paul’s Journeys

1 Corinthians, 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, 4. Is the NT True?, Acts, Apologetics, biblical apologetics, Christianity, Erik Manning, Inerrancy, IsJesusAlive, New Testament, Paul's Missionary Journeys, theology, Timothy, Undesigned Coincidences
Because Paul crisscrossed paths with many folks, some repeatedly, it’s quite enlightening to compare how these people are portrayed in the book of Acts with what Paul hints at in his own letters. Among these characters, Timothy stands out as a particularly intriguing figure. In 1 Corinthians 4:17, Paul mentions sending Timothy, his “beloved and faithful child in the Lord,” to jog the Corinthians’ memory about Paul’s ways in Christ. Now, from this passage alone, it’s a bit tricky to figure out if Timothy was sent before the letter or with it. In 1 Corinthians 16:10-11, though, Paul makes it clear that Timothy was dispatched before the letter was penned. He talks about Timothy’s impending arrival as something distinct from when the Corinthians would receive the letter itself – “When Timothy comes, …” Contradictory Accounts?…
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02Oct 2023 by Post

Dangerous Homefront, part 3: Correcting Prooftexts

1. Does Truth Exist?, 4. Is the NT True?, Bible, Bible study, biblical apologetics, hermeneutics, how to interpret the Bible, Interpretation, John Ferrer, prooftext, theology
In part 1 of this series we looked at prooftexts from the Old Testament. In part 2 we looked at prooftexts from the New Testament. At this point you may be wondering, “So what’s the big deal?” People will misinterpret things, so what? What’s the Big Deal? Clearly, misinterpretation occurs often within the Church. Does that mean that the church is apostate or heretical? Not really, but it does mean that we make mistakes. Many of these mistakes go unnoticed and never cause any real damage. But other mistaken interpretations can sink in, take root, and spring up as dangerous beliefs and bad practices. Consider how many people have watched a loved one pass away, even though they prayed in groups for God to heal them, and, this unmet expectation…
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