The book of Revelation ignites a confidence in the soul of every child of God — of any century. What a thrilling ray of hope this must have generated in the hearts of those early, suffering saints. Truly, it is the “gospel in miniature.”

For some twenty centuries critics of the Bible have sought to discredit the scriptural narrative regarding the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. These efforts have all been characterized by a similarly frustrated and futile line of baseless argument. One such endeavor in recent decades was Hugh J. Schonfield’s infamous, The Passover Plot. In this weeks Penpoints, Jason Jackson reminds us of this anemic enterprise.

In 2003, we published a review of Dr. Thomas West’s book, Jesus and the Quest for Meaning. West is a Professor of Theology at the College of St. Catherine in St. Paul, Minnesota. In our review, we censured Professor West for his unorthodox ideas relative to the resurrection of Christ. The Professor has vigorously protested our essay. As a courtesy to him, we are publishing his letter of protest, and our response to the same.

Is there any evidence that Jesus really was the Son of God?

In his letter to the Colossians, Paul refers to Christ as “the firstborn of all creation.” Does this phrase suggest that Jesus was a “created” being? The “Jehovah’s Witnesses” so allege, but what is the truth of the matter? Study this intriguing question with us.

Recently we argued that God does not speak directly to people today; rather, he communicates his saving will through the Scriptures. A kind reader thinks that Paul’s experience on the Damascus road negates our conclusion. Jason Jackson responds.

Paul’s great “mystery of godliness,” when unfolded, is rich indeed. It is the gospel in seed form. It is intellectually satisfying, emotionally rewarding, and practically motivating.

Some Christians have never graduated out of biblical kindergarten.

Study with us three important points from this passage.

A sixteen-year-old girl in a remote region of India was about to be buried; suddenly, she sat up. According to the report, the young lady testified that she had been dead, but the Lord “sent her back” to tell her neighbors about “the real God.”

Psychiatrist Elisabeth Kubler-Ross ventured far afield from her area of expertise in speculating about human immortality.

After Christ was taken down from the cross, Nicodemas, a disciple, brought spices to scatter within the folds of the Lord’s burial wrappings. Certain women also came to the tomb on that Sunday morning, intending to anoint the crucified corpse. What evidence do these accounts subtly supply? Consider this matter with us.

The apostle Paul’s reference to “the end” in 1 Corinthians 15 examined.

The New Testament record of women being the first witnesses to Christ’s resurrection argues for the integrity of the biblical records.

When we think about miracles in the New Testament, we often consider the miracles of Christ in the Gospel accounts. There are, however, many miracles recorded in the book of Acts. A survey of these miraculous works is worthy of our reflection.

In the book of Isaiah (55:1ff) there is a thrilling prophecy of the salvation that was to be made available as a result of the promised Messiah’s victory over death.

On the day of Pentecost, Peter preached Jesus — his approval by God, his disapproval by men, and the proving of his claim by his resurrection.

The concept of “sleep” is used in many ways in the Bible. A study of these usages yields many valuable lessons.

Man has ever entertained the hope that there is more to human existence that the experiences of earthly life. Even skeptics have a difficult time quenching this desire.

Why was Christ’s burial important in the scheme of redemption?