The Case for Christ by Lee Strobel
Week 5: Part One, Chapter 4 — The Corroborating Evidence
Read Part One, Chapter 4 of The Case for Christ. Key interview: Dr. Edwin Yamauchi, professor of history and expert in ancient sources outside the New Testament.
Previewing Week 5 of The Case for Christ
Read 3 of 7 discussion questions below. Unlock the complete 15-week guide when you’re ready.
What do ancient non-Christian sources say about Jesus? This week, Strobel investigates the corroborating evidence — the testimony of hostile witnesses who had every reason to deny Jesus existed.
Discussion Questions
7 questions1.Dr. Edwin Yamauchi walks Strobel through a list of ancient non-Christian writers who mention Jesus or the early Christian movement — including Tacitus, Josephus, Pliny the Younger, and Suetonius. What facts about Jesus do these sources confirm, independent of the New Testament?
2.Tacitus, a Roman historian writing around AD 116, described Nero's persecution of Christians and mentioned that "Christus" had been executed under Pontius Pilate. Why is this passage particularly significant as historical evidence, given that Tacitus was no friend of Christianity?
3.The Jewish historian Josephus wrote about Jesus in a passage known as the Testimonium Flavianum. There is debate about how much of this passage is original and how much was added by later Christian scribes. How does Yamauchi assess this passage, and what can be said about it with reasonable confidence?