8/7/2021 - A Conversation with Andrew Gronach

CNG radio for today's culture and timeless truths come together is reason relevant content apologetics worldview and answers to the questions that you need to know need to know from Alex McFarlane ministries. This is true for a new generation radio and now the man who preached in 50 states and 50 days speaker, writer, and advocate for Christian apologetics Dr. Alex McFarlane that Jesus Christ is the predominant subject in the last 2000 years of art, literature and music. In fact, there are paintings of Christ that go back to around the year 200 and fact one of the first known paintings of Jesus is from around 200 to 230 and it's of Jesus healing the paralytic and songs about Jesus Christ go back to around 400 A.D., one of the very first hymns ever written. Oh come all ye faithful, dusty, Fidelis, and you know what out of all the music ever composed. It's estimated that the predominant theme in all of music is the topic of love, love songs, but second only to that universal common human emotion of love is Jesus the gospel being put to music clearly in our literature, music, history so much of what man has thought about and written about and recorded over the last 2000 years.

One of the most predominant subjects is Jesus the Lord Jesus Christ and yet one of the most common objections against Christianity these days is unobjectionable to talk about on today's edition of truth for a new generation a lot of people a lot of young people really have been told that Jesus never existed and that Christianity what we believe about the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus might've been lifted out of ancient mythology and that we've written about this in a number of our books and we've spoken about what is sometimes called the mystery religion thesis or Jesus versus the mystery religions. The question being was what you thought you knew about Jesus really true historical or was it simply repackaged ancient mythology and with us on today's show to discuss that objection and refute it is a guest and a friend and a colleague's name is Andrew frontage. He has spoken for us in different context and is a student at Liberty University and just in I'm just gonna be very out front with my appreciation for this young man.

He's brilliant Christian thinker. He is a dynamic witness for Christ and a colleague for whom I have so much respect and were going to talk about Jesus and the mystery religion thesis. So Andrew, thanks for taking time to be with us on this edition of the truth for new generation broadcast Ravenel now tell us about what you're doing and where you are in your journey of service to the Lord injured well. Automatically months I been doing a lot of research been reading a lot about, all part of the cortical work. Got work and more so modern work Albert Schweitzer. The quest for the Oracle Jesus and Bart Herman or and get Geeta out, it became God's servant does bring a lot of work studying, and one being that I've noticed that the more modern in the book to the question of whether or not Jesus existed and everything to have been much of a question during the dark ages of the medieval times even later. But it would be that about 18th century discard recent question about whether cheater or not a lot of people know about Albert Schweitzer work on the question historical Jesus, but a little bit later than that door people who even wondered if you think that that all not just what you not God but that he even exist and the two very famous people want that today are Robert Price and Richard Carrier and they claim that Jesus is just the Jewish version of the mystery religions and that Jesus is just an old folktale that there's been we cultivate crimes now fit the context of the Jewish religion and note how the story goes that she narrative of a dying and rising God that there.

The fertility got and that they would have virgin mother and they claim to be the son of God, and they would die in the come back to life in the mood struck the Skokie figure cult around, but when you compare Jesus to do dying and rising God. It just doesn't add up for one day in Jesus context the apostle Paul talks a lot about the New Testament about Christ being crucified does not talk about God being crucified. Although we know that Jesus is God in all talk, but that elsewhere in the context of the crucifixion. He always said Christ crucified, and that because when Jesus came, Jesus himself was a Jew and was a filling the promise of the Messiah.

And so, in the Jewish context.

It was unthinkable that the Messiah would come and somehow die.

This is called by historian dissimilarity and that people would not make the stop. Christians will not make up the idea of the Messiah coming and then dying by the people that they thought he was going to overthrow is just unthinkable, they would've made up story about overthrowing the Roman to the very fact that the Messiah that have come and died. Just goes to show that this could not be made up by people who want to fund from false religion, will exactly exactly.

And still he just said the spokes one the reasons were talking about this topic and it might seem like just some heady academic subject though. It's really not is because I've met literally hundreds of young people in my travels across America into 200 University campuses.

I've met hundreds of young people that either sat in the class and the professor said will cheat you of the Jesus that you think about in the four Gospels never really existed, which is of course false or maybe they read a blog site or something on line, alleging that Christianity was based on ancient mythology know what Andrew frontage and are going to do is unpack this and willing to talk about that. Yes, Jesus is historical what you read in the New Testament can be trusted, and in fact even a number of non-Christian scholars and they're certainly not doing what they do to defend Christianity, but even some non-Christian scholars soundly reject the idea that Jesus was just basically repackaged ancient mythology, but I do or say Andrew is going to be one of the speakers at the upcoming truth for a new generation conference October 15-17, 20, 21, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, and we've got Dr. Frank Turek Bishop EW Jackson, Sandy Rios, an incredible roster of speakers and we can we talk about world view the battles we must win critical race theory woke nests, progressivism versus truth and you don't want to miss it and were going to be doing special seminars on youth ministry how you can win young people to Christ and I'm so proud of one of our speakers is the man your listing to Andrew Ron H and the website. I'll give this going to take a brief break, but if you go to truth for a new generation.com truth Escobar that's truth for a new generation.com again it's October 15-17 Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

We've got to revive the church. We've got to be able not only to present to explain and defend the gospel's estate in more from Andrew when we come back with more of truth for a new generation America today is like a patient struggling to live yet is being forcibly euthanized by her quote doctors. The life force within the patient fighting for survival is the honest citizens like yourself team of quote caregivers are the local and national leaders actually contributing to the demise of the patient economy is crashing crime is exploding. The Constitution is being abolished the assault on America how to defend our nation before it's too late by Alex Farland has one single purpose to get you prepared the real source of America's current problems that no one else is talking about and what you can do now to face tomorrow. Regardless of what tomorrow brings.

The assault on America how to defend our nation before it's too late. Available now at Amazon and Barnes & Noble, and local Christian bookstores with no candle inspiring to read the Bible in 90 days. Are you getting tired of all the negativity surrounding go ahead say the word politics. I am it comes through the media and it filters into our minds and hearts and it's kind of unsettling but you know we can do something about it and it starts right here with me. I realized this when I was looking at Scripture thinking about leadership and that's why I'm taking it today if you join us in Scripture waking.com asking where the word am I realized was that the Bible is not full of perfect leaders as we want. It was full of imperfect people who let God take the lead. Are you hiring you to read Ayn Rand God's great awakening for apologetics, resources, books by Alex McFarland and to find out where Alex is speaking to visit Alex McFarland.com Gospels in the New Testament Matthew Mark Luke and John. They present a genuine Savior and stating genuine love coming to a world possessing genuine spiritual need.

Hi, welcome back to truth for a new generation Alex McFarland tear talk with Andrew Ron H and Andrew, you know, this idea that people say Jesus never lived. We know the Bible affirms Jesus. But history affirms the reality of the life of Christ as well. And to think that the central figure of the human race for the last two millennia was a myth that that's just not even reasonable as it is not in fact we have several accounts of Jesus outside the Bible, most famous being from lobbyist or fee for equity where he gives a basic summary of Peter's life.

And we have also have mentioned of Jesus in the works of Pliny. I worked the catheter as though it is not just in the Bible Jesus is recorded elsewhere.

Interesting on the objection that people often make just being relatively fit. They would deftly have to be archaeological evidence, we don't see any inscriptions of Jesus and the car centric without the any record or trial record and that claimant is a little bit absurd for the fact that we don't have any record of record description of just about any Palestinian Jew in the first century. Take for example Pontius Pilate, the most famous person of Jesus day in Palestine.

If you look at the archaeological evidence that we have ordered is a good thing. We only have several calling the bear conscription and I would make that because he was in charge, equate production, but she does that make going to the creature he was a Roman prefect. Other than that we have was known as the pilot. The pilot inscription. The pilot encoded on a certain school and that's it. I would have known of his birth record.

We don't have record of pilot study business where you have records of pilot giving dictate. We don't have any of those records, we simply don't stop to think that the Roman that they preserve these records for all times.

Just because we simply don't have these records. We don't have a narrative account of Pontius Pilate and in the Gospels we Bore narrative account. Yes, I wanted to point something out that I think is just very significant in and I love your response to this years ago, we led a tour to the holy land and down in the city of Capernaum by the Sea of Galilee.

There is a synagogue there that is very famously a synagogue were Jesus was alleged to have spoken and taught well in the late second early third century.

They apparently raised money to renovate the synagogue.

You can go there and and we toured the ruins of the synagogue were Jesus spoke but there's an inscription on a column and what's amazing is folks like if there's up a fundraising campaign at the church nowadays.

You might put your name on a plaque but at the synagogue in Capernaum, there is a column with a with an inscription that says Jesus of Nazareth spoke here and our grandparents heard him and this is from sometime in the 200s. So apparently in the 200s. When they raised money to renovate the synagogue. Someone got to make this inscription who reference the fact this would've been about the hundred and 50 to hundred and 60 years after the life of Christ, apparently. But they said, Jesus spoke here and are our grandparents heard him will that that's that's an objective reference to Jesus Christ but give a quote earlier injury mentioned by Albert Schweitzer and it was so not a right wing evangelical Christian. But he said of those who interpret Christianity as being based on myth. Listen folks, Schweitzer said, quote they manufacture out of the various fragments of information, a kind of universal mystery religion, which never existed. Least of all in Paul's day. In other words, this idea that there were dying and rising saviors and the disciples of Jesus merely lifted that concept or or that, and Schweitzer says look this idea that the world was, you know present with this universal mystery fable. It is just not truth the CS Lewis rejected the mystery religion thesis.

Lewis said that Christianity originated quote in an area where no trace of the nature or fertility religions was present.

See a lot of these skeptics also were Jesus was based on the crop cycles in the fertility religions and its winter than it spring see that's like death and resurrection, but my goodness in mono theistic Jerusalem. This fertility deity worldview was not present, says Lewis. One last thing I want to throw back to you injury but there was a religion scholar named Mercy Ellie ad and very famous religion scholar. He said quote. There is no reason to suppose that Christianity was influenced by the Hellenistic mystery religions being Gentile/Greek mystery religions.

So my point being Andrew that scholars who are not firebrand evangelist, but serious academics have said, look, this is this is just not this doesn't square with the facts… Back one the best book I read on the subject of the book by a rifle. Let say anti-Christian starting Bart Ehrman booklet that you expect and in it Bart Ehrman counterclaims that the story of Jesus was based off of Gnostic tech. The only problem is that the not the text that we have don't think before the time she got a look at how the gospel they date the second century we don't have any Gnostic tech that date before the gospel and so instead of the gospel being based off an architect.

Actually, the Gnostic tech that are based off of the gospel and the same applies for is called Zoroastrianism Robert Price admitted big deal that when Jesus went to be back hi, this is probably story that we hear an Zoroastrianism which is more likely is Jesus is Bridget being baptized event on the Zoroastrian story reported that following what we see in Josephus were Josephus mentioned John the baptizer more likely that Jesus himself was baptized by John the Baptist live in a contemporary going Jesus or the author trying to find some Zoroastrian connection. I this thing goes for of the crucifixion, Paul says that Jesus was crucified and her son like Richard Carrier, who believe that when he said that he knew that Jesus was killed in outer space that we have a lot of comments about how Jews were crucified during the time of the Roman that once again we see that in Josephus, which is more likely that when Paul says that Christ was crucified. If you referring to actual crucifixion, which was very common that time he was referring to a phenomenon that they crucifixion faith that Paul says in verse 15 of the key to the ferry you very, from outer space if it just doesn't add up.

Know what we would come back again to continue this conversation Alex McFarlane here with our guest Andrew frontage on truth for a new generation of the way the man on my landline for the first time since the covert shutdowns it's the 2021 truth for new generation national apologetics conference worldviews the battles you must win featuring Dr. Alex McFarlane Dr. Frank during Sandy Rios, EW Jackson talking about raising children to come to Christ and stay with Christ in the midst of the critical race theory and Marxism in America October 15-17 in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina conference and the concert by the Birdsong PAG 20 2117 registered Alex with.com are you tired of liberal agendas ruining our country.

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Alex McFarlane is a voice you can trust to speak the timeless truths of Christianity in a timely way. You're listening to the truth for a new generation radio. Welcome back to true for new generation Alex McFarlane here with Andrew frontage to will be one of the speakers at truth for new generation.

Listen, if you care about being able to defend your Christian faith. If you want to have a youth ministry that is strong and effective at reaching young people in were talking about things like the work movement, socialism, progressivism. So many of the world views that compete for the souls of people missing you need to come to the truth for new generation event October 15-17. You can find complete information Frank Turk Sandy Rios EW Jackson, myself, Andrew more than a dozen speakers on the most relevant topics of our day and I would encourage you to the website truth for a new generation.com that's truth FOR truth for a new generation.com but Andrew when we were talking about this topic yesterday. Was Jesus really historical you mentioned something that I thought was fascinating in the New Testament. A reference will it really a distinction between Peter and James the brother of Jesus, speak to that and how it relates to the question of the realness of Jesus yet so I think that one the most important people opt aside to look at when it comes to this earthly achiever. Also Paul and that we can take a basic chronology up all live by certain record runner writing for All fake. For three years.

I did that for 14 years I was here and felt we can create a basic timeline of the possible using the quote and if we do that timeline we can date all persecution of the church. About two years after the death of Chica and so whatever Paul knows about Christianity is very relevant to this topic, did he think that Jesus was the method that you think that you and interestingly enough, the epistle to the Galatian, which it gave prior to the gospel. Paul mentioned the brother of Lord, and he said in verse 18 and I went up to Jerusalem to visit Becca will we know if Peter and remained within 15 days, but I found none of the other possible expect James, the Lord's brother and so will you look at the word brother in the New Testament make me want to thank either Camino flesh and blood relative refer to a spiritual relative, for example, Alex is my brother in the Lord and there are women who are in the church. You are my sisters in the Lord so we can use that in the spirit. What's fascinating here is that Paul does not call both Peter and James brothers of the Lord. He actually differentiates change. Peter if he was talking spiritually, he would include them both because they are both in group are both part of the white part of the early church talks about the two in the Galatian despite the differentiates James by calling him the brother of the Lord. The fingering neglect the Corinthian way differentiates individuals who he called the brothers of the Lord in comparison to other people.

The church and our flesh brother. It makes no sense for that is talking spiritually here. When does not include fees for along with James and in fact the historian Josephus actually makes reference to James the brother of the Lord in one of his writings and felt we had a matter fact that Jesus did have fleshly brothers which is kind of strange of Jesus and so powerful that is very powerful Andrew and you know what is in talking about this. You mentioned Josephus, a man we had on the program. Many times Dr. Michael, I kinda one of the great living experts on history. He was a colleague of Lewis Feldman Lewis Fellman was the said to be the greatest living Josephus scholar. He recently passed away, but Fellman, who was Jewish and was not a believer as far as we know Fellman said the Josephus references to Jesus were absolutely authentic and the reason I bring that up is because I've had more than a few skeptics that universities say will. Josephus, the Jewish famed Jewish historian antiquities of the Jews.

Josephus didn't mention Jesus. They were conflation's insertions later, but Fellman, a Jewish historian, the world expert on Josephus, Lewis Fellman said the Josephus references to Christ more authentic, so you know we've only got just a couple minutes left. What is it mean Andrew if Jesus was real.

If Jesus rose from the dead. What does that mean for me in the 21st century what I like with stress. Fluid that that either cheese or wire that grows regarding a liar or lunatic, or if the Lord. I think this conversation we can outfit their the fourth option that he could be a legend which if you look at all the evidence that's not even an option so you can't be a legend either got to be crazy.

We have to be demented that people thought he was working have to be Lord.

And if we look at the evidence for the resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is without dispute that Jesus Christ Lord you don't make him Lord is Lord and so for you a 21st-century especially up to pick a side are you on the side of truth or are you on the side of my you support the father of Turkey but the one who is or you support the father of life. There is no middle ground.

Since you been listening to Andrew frontage and were very honored to have them on to new generation. But here's a question on a throw to you everybody listening Jesus is the Lord Jesus is the risen Savior. The Bible says that he is not only the only name whereby we must be saved. But he is the name above all names. Jesus is the King of Kings. But my question is this. Is he your Lord. He can be today. Do you know today, the love of God can come into your life and your sins can be forgiven. Right now, you may not realize it but in a state of lostness. What awaits you is the judgment of God but God loves you and God want you to to know him and to be forgiven if you will repent. That means to turn from sin to Christ you turn he say Lord I am sorry for my sins. But I do believe that Jesus died on the cross rose again. And he did it for me. We often say this we say Jesus is as close by is a prayer and if you will call on Jesus, he will hear you, he will receive you and this one who yes he absolutely was historically real, he's risen, he's coming again but we want Jesus today for you to be personally real can be. If you turn your heart to him and called his name in prayer today. We hope you do that we can help you in any way we can encourage you just reach out to us.

You can go to truth for a new generation.com.

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