The Book of Acts is High-Resolution Reportage, Part 2

1st Century, 4. Is the NT True?, Apologetics, Apostle Paul, Book of Acts, Christianity, Gospel, historical apologetics, Jonathan McLatchie.com, reliability of the Bible
[Editor’s note: in Part 1 of this two-part series, Jonathan explained this method of historical argument known as “Undesigned Coincidences.” These are lines of evidence that emerge when one part of Scripture explains, resolves, or entails, unplanned detail from elsewhere in Scripture and the the wider historical record. Jonathan focuses on the evidence from four books of Paul – Romans, 1st and 2nd Corinthians, and Galatians – comparing them with narrative details in the book of Acts.]        Paul in Macedonia Paul indicates that he is writing 2 Corinthians from Macedonia while on route to Corinth (2 Cor 9:1-5). This would place it very shortly following the riot in Ephesus, hence at approximately Acts 20:1. This appears to have been on Paul’s mind in 2 Corinthians 1:8-10: “For we do not want…
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The Book of Acts is High-Resolution Reportage Part 1

1st Century, Apologetics, Apostle Paul, Book of Acts, Christianity, CrossExamined, Gospel, historical apologetics, Jonathan McLatchie.com, reliability of the Bible
The book of Acts is one of the most fascinating books of the Bible. No other book matches its level of historical corroboration from both internal and external sources. The abundant evidence, that we shall sample in this essay, of Luke’s credibility and meticulousness as a historian, indirectly supports the credibility of Luke’s gospel (which is widely acknowledged to be written by the same author). Luke claims to have been a travelling companion of Paul for much of his travels (Acts 16-10-17 and later again from Acts 20:5, travelling with Paul as far as Rome). This places Luke in Jerusalem in Acts 21 when Paul visited the Jerusalem leaders. Luke tells us that “all the elders [including James] were present” (Acts 21:18). Luke also implies that he remained in proximity…
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