*** SHOW NOTES (not a transcript) ***

Lead:

What might you expect a well-educated medical professional to do? Investigate the evidence.

Intro:

Today we start the book of Luke, and as we follow along with The Bible Project’s reading plan, you’ll notice that they changed up the order of the first few books of the New Testament. We did John before Luke, because now Luke will flow right into Acts — because they belong together like Thing One and Thing Two.

You will remember that the Greek root word for “apologetics” means “to give an answer” or “to provide a defense.” We’re not apologizing for being Christians. Luke, it seems, is an apologist. And what might we expect a well-educated medical professional to do? Investigate the evidence.

Luke’s a physician, likely highly educated, and we know this in part because of his sophisticated use of the Greek language. He also is writing to non-Jews, a departure from where we’ve been, and his work opens saying that his purpose is to lay out an “orderly account” SO THAT his audience can have confidence in the truthfulness of what they’ve heard.

Housekeeping:

New book, new Bible Project video down below.
New Quotes page on the website.

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Bible Segment:

Passage: Luke 1
Translation: NIV (New International Version)
Verses: 80
Words: ~1710

All Our Minds Segment:

Lawyers distinguish between making claims (almost anyone can file a lawsuit) and proving the case (which is possible only on the basis of good evidence). Lawyers, therefore, are in the evidence business and will not accept any claims (including religious claims) without good reason to do so. It is highly significant, then, that throughout history so many great lawyers, judges, and legal scholars have come to Christian belief.
This is due in large part to the solidity of the Gospel testimony to Jesus Christ. The Gospel records qualify under the “ancient documents rule” and would be admitted as evidence in any common law court. They assert that they are firsthand, nonhearsay testimony to Jesus Christ (1 Jn 1:1, etc.) or are the product of careful research concerning Him (Lk 1:1–4). Documents, like defendants, are innocent until proven guilty, and the critics have not been able to impugn the credibility of the Gospels.(1) ~ John Warwick Montgomery
All evidence can be divided into two broad categories: direct and indirect. Direct evidence is simply the testimony of eyewitnesses. Indirect evidence (also called “circumstantial evidence”) is everything else.(2) ~ J. Warner Wallace

On the evidence of two witnesses or of three witnesses the one who is to die shall be put to death; a person shall not be put to death on the evidence of one witness. Dt 17:6, ESV

Wisdom Segment:

Passage: Psalm 86
Translation: NIV (New International Version)
Verses: 17
Words: ~279

Love you!

-R

ForTheHope is a daily audio Bible + apologetics podcast and blog. We’ve got a passion for just keepin’ it real, having conversations like normal people, and living out the love of Jesus better every single day.

Roger Courville, CSP is a globally-recognized expert in digitally-extended communication and connection, an award-winning speaker, award-winning author, and a passionately bad guitarist. Follow him on Twitter -- @RogerCourville and @JoinForTheHope – or his blog: www.forthehope.org.

Sources and resources:

If you use the affiliate links below, thank you! Your support of the ministry is appreciated!

(1) John Warwick Montgomery, “Could the Gospel Writers Withstand the Scrutiny of a Lawyer?,” in The Apologetics Study Bible: Real Questions, Straight Answers, Stronger Faith, ed. Ted Cabal et al. (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2007), 1511. Amazon affiliate link.

(2) J. Warner Wallace. Forensic Faith: A Homicide Detective Makes the Case for a More Reasonable, Evidential Christian Faith (Colorado Springs, CO: David C. Cook 2017), Kindle, 41. Amazon affiliate link.

#892: Luke 1 | Evidence | Psalm 86