203. The Gospels as Truthful Biographies of Jesus

Speaking of the first generation of Christians, 2 Peter 1:16 says, “we did not follow cleverly devised stories when we told you about the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ in power, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty.” Though written nearly two millennia ago, Peter’s statement still describes the choice before readers of the Gospels: Are the Gospels made-up stories or truthful biographies? That’s the question I ask Craig Keener in Episode 203 of the Influence Podcast—the final podcast episode for 2019. I’m George P. Wood, executive editor of Influence magazine and your host. Craig Keener is F. M. and Ada Thompson Professor of Biblical Studies at Asbury Theological Seminary in Wilmore, Kentucky. His most recent book is Christobiography: Memory, History, and the Reliability of the Gospels, published by Eerdmans. It is also the winner of Christianity Today’s 2020 Book Award for “Biblical Studies.” That magazine praises Christobiography with these words: “This is a groundbreaking work by a prolific scholar. It strengthens our confidence that the Gospels provide accurate information about Jesus.” ----- This episode of the Influence Podcast is brought to you by My Healthy Church, distributors of Balanced Budget, Balanced Life: People don’t plan on having money troubles, which is exactly the problem: they don’t plan! Rollie Dimos shows you how to make a biblically sound financial plan and stick to it. Get back the time and resources you need to stop stressing out about money, and start enjoying the balance of a truly abundant life. For more information visit BalancedBudgetBalancedLife.com.