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“Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, handling accurately the word of truth.” 2 Timothy 2:15

Happ-O-Getics Newsletter

The Jewish Synagogue and the Gospel

Beginning with Abraham, God chose the Jewish people to be a separated and divinely prepared people – His witnesses and blessing to the nations (see Genesis 12ff.). Furthermore, God gave Old Testament Scripture which prophesied the coming of a Messiah who would atone for the sins of all people. Rather than extend the hope they had received to the whole world, the Jews viewed God’s offer of salvation in a nationalistic sense. Nonetheless, God was directing history, and whether they intended it or not, He used the Jewish synagogue both as a means to prepare them to anticipate their coming Messiah and as a place for Jesus to proclaim the Gospel of the Kingdom quickly and widely. The Jewish synagogue played a crucial role in these events.

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Emmanuel: God with Us

Is God knowable? All the religions of the world would answer “No” – except one. Christianity alone claims that God has made Himself known in history in the person of Jesus Christ. Emmanuel or God with us is a central tenet of the Christian faith. The apostle John shows his excitement as he begins his first letter, 

That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched – this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. The life appeared, we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard…

1 John 1:1-3 NIV, emphasis added
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ALIVE! Evidence for the Resurrection of Jesus

Imagine, for a moment, that the Resurrection of Jesus is not just a beautiful story commemorated each Easter, but the supreme fact of history—one with the power to transform lives and destinies. As a former skeptic and lifelong researcher, I have devoted my career to examining evidence not only for the mind, but for the heart. In this special celebration issue, I invite you to journey with me through compelling eyewitness testimony, astonishing archaeological finds, fulfilled prophecy, and the personal hope that the Resurrection offers. What if the hope of Easter is not mere myth, but history’s greatest reality? Read on, and discover why the Resurrection of Jesus matters—perhaps more than ever before.

The Testimony of Eyewitnesses to the Resurrection of Jesus 

The apostle Peter claimed that “…we did not follow cleverly devised tales when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of His majesty” (2 Peter 1:16). In fact, ten post-resurrection appearances at different times and places are recorded in the Gospels. 

The apostle Paul wrote that after Jesus’ resurrection He made numerous appearances to many individuals but also to “more than 500 hundred brethren at one time, most of whom remain until now…” (1 Corinthians 15:4-8). C.H. Dodd comments on this: “There can hardly be any purpose in mentioning the fact that most of the five hundred are still alive, unless Paul is saying, in effect, ‘the witnesses are still there [alive] to be questioned.’” 

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Giants in the Bible!?

Wouldn’t a football coach love to have Goliath as his fullback? Any coach could easily put together a championship basketball team made up of Amorites. The Nephilim would make great security guards. Why? There are giants in the Bible! Is there any truth to these passages?

Giants in the Bible
This photo from 1902 shows the fossilized skeleton of Archelon, the extinct giant turtle (public domain). 

Those who don’t believe in the inspiration of Scripture are likely to consider this claim as a legend which evolved over time. For example, a recent article on giant claims in Biblical Archaeology Review suggested that any large bones that have been found likely belonged to some large animal (like an elephant) but were mistakenly identified by non-scientists as belonging to giant humans referred to in mythology (see “Encounters…” source). They suggested that the idea of giant humans roaming the earth is a “fantastic tale.”

BUT…

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