Customer Reviews

3 Crucial Questions about Jesus

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Harris, a respected New Testament scholar, looks at three questions about Jesus.

1. Did Jesus exist?
2. Did Jesus claim to be God?
3. Did Jesus rise from the dead?

Few today worry about question #1, but since some make the case he did not exist (such as Michael Martin in "The Case Against Christianity"), the material is pertinent and telling. Extra-biblical sources confirm the existence of Jesus, let along the New Testament materials (which are very well attested in their own right).

Harris marshalls an impressive case that Jesus claimed to be God, both directly and indirectly. For a more scholarly defense see Harris's, "Jesus as God."

The chapter on the resurrection of Jesus takes the form of a dialogue, and may not be quite as effective as straightword prose. Nevertheless, the case is strong and solid once again.

This is an excellent book for Christians who want to sure up their faith against attack and doubts--and all Christians should be so concerned! It also makes for a winning apologetic book to give interested in unbelievers who wonder who Jesus was and is.

Douglas Groothuis

A typical book-phamphlet or phamplet-book. The kind of book you see on an information rack in a hospital reception area or in the foyer of a church.

This book was worth the time to read it. Some minor problems: the vocabulary could be toned down for laypersons and the text could be edited for brevity. The book is useful for both unbelievers as well believers who can use it as a witnessing tool. Sources outside Christianity are cited as is the Bible. Josephus is strangely omitted, however. A section on New Testament archeology would add depth to the book

What I found unique about this book was the suggested harmonization of the resurrection narratives written as a visualization aid for the reader. The footnotes, which are extensive, are good reading in and of themselves.

The book is logically organized with simplicity into three basic questions which the author treats well:

Did Jesus Exist?

Did Jesus Rise From the Dead?

Is Jesus God?

The first question is handled with secular historical references which remind me of Josh Mc Dowell's book.

The second question is dealt with as a debate between two sides.

The last question pertaining to the deity of Christ is answered by listing verses pertaining the Yahweh and Jesus in two columns. The question can be raised by secularists that the verses correlate because they were written with knowlege of one another. The author never addreses this charge which would be interesting to see discussed.

Read it and then hand it out as a tract!

Pathway to the stars