The New "Evidence that Demands a Verdict" 800+ page Manual for Christians Proving the Validity of Their Faith. PDF Book online - and buy options

Indisputable Proof that God has visited His people in the person of His only begotten Son Jesus the Christ (Yahshua). His Holy Word being so proven as correct, historical records proving all is correct etc.

You can read online this book "The New Evidence That Demands a Verdict – Josh McDowell PDF". (This is for sampling only, and we advise everyone to get a physical copy from the publisher.)

You can buy the book in print on Amazon: "New Evidence that Demands a Verdict" https://amzn.to/3hC6Rhk

Intro Text:

How to Answer Bible Skeptics Confidently with Powerful NEW Evidence of Life-Changing Truth I’m sure you’ve heard it all… “If God is so loving, why is there so much evil in the world today?” “How can Jesus possibly be the only way to heaven?” “I can’t believe the whole Bible is true. Where’s the proof?” “Why is Jesus’ resurrection so important and what difference does it make anyway?” Yes, the world is full of skeptics about the Bible and the Christian faith— those who are ambivalent to the Gospel…those who have been misled about the life-changing truth of God’s Word…and those whose hearts have been hardened and who dismiss the Bible outright. Yet, whether they realize it or not, God is tugging at their hearts as they search for answers about the purpose and meaning of their lives. That’s why believers must be prepared with trustworthy answers for those around us. Because if we don’t, we may miss golden opportunities to engage in conversations…to plant some seeds…and potentially lead skeptics to faith in Christ. And that’s exactly why there’s such a need today for the completely updated and expanded edition of the classic Evidence that Demands a Verdict. Step-by-step, Evidence gives you the encouraging facts and persuasive tools you need to defend your faith in an increasingly ambivalent, secularized, and skeptical world. FROM THE PUBLISHERS of the completely updated and expanded edition of Evidence That Demands a Verdict 2 Strengthening, Encouraging, Winning People to Christ for More Than 40 years For more than 40 years, Evidence that Demands a Verdict has encouraged and strengthened millions of people around the world. It has helped convince skeptics about the reliability of the Old and New Testaments. It has helped believers to deepen and articulate their faith. But more significantly, it has given believers the vital facts they need to defend God’s Word and to bring people to faith in Christ. Why has Evidence That Demands a Verdict been so successful? Because it is based on facts gleaned from ancient scrolls, archaeological discoveries, eye-witness accounts, corroborating testimonies, and more. Consider this: when the first edition of Evidence That Demands a Verdict was first published, it was able to point to some 22,000 biblical manuscripts to support the reliability of the Bible. That’s powerful evidence--no other ancient work comes close to having that kind of manuscript support. But in the years since, that number has TRIPLED. We now have more than 66,000 biblical manuscripts and scrolls (and counting), powerfully confirming that the Bible has been faithfully and reliably passed down through the ages. “Christianity is a mental faith—all truth starts with knowledge,” says author Josh McDowell. “Instead of feelings justifying truth, truth needs to justify our feelings.” “That is why we’ve been so careful to document everything so you can know it is true. Feelings are valid…feelings can be a piece of evidence. But it always must be in the context of knowledge and truth. The Bible says you should know the truth (not just have a great feeling) and the truth shall set you free.” What is the purpose for this completely updated and expanded new edition? “Our hearts’ and minds’ desire is to help people to know that truth and then how to live it out,” says Josh and his son, co-author Sean McDowell, PhD. 3 No question is off limits… So give Evidence your toughest questions…your deepest doubts…and your most puzzling questions, and you’ll find the facts you’re looking for. For example: How do we know that Jesus was raised from the dead? The overwhelming evidence for Jesus’ resurrection was the strongest argument for Josh on the truth of Christianity, the scriptures, and the deity of Christ. Says Josh: “After you see this expanded chapter, I guarantee you’ll share it with others.” How do I know I can trust the Bible? “The evidence for the scriptures is like a tsunami—an avalanche” says Josh. Evidence That Demands a Verdict comprehensively documents the massive number of biblical manuscripts, and provides a compelling case for the reliability of the Bible. Armed with this data, you’ll be able to quickly separate fact from fiction. Are there other Gospels or texts that should have been in the Bible? While other so-called “gospels” were written early in the church’s history, Evidence That Demands a Verdict demonstrates that there is no reason to think that they offer a better and more accurate view of the historical Jesus than Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. What was the fate of the apostles…were they really martyrs? The apostles knew Jesus intimately. Who did they believe Jesus was? Were they willing to suffer and die for that conviction? Sean’s new research offers a fresh look at the men closest to Jesus, and analyzes what their willingness to suffer and die means for Christian apologetics. Is the Bible historically accurate? Was there a historical Adam? Did the patriarchs exist? Is there evidence for the exodus? Did the conquest happen? Did David really exist? Evidence shines the light of historical and archaeological evidence on the key events and people of the Old Testament. 4 You’ll also find eye-opening evidence on such topics as: • The Uniqueness of the Bible • The Historical Existence of Jesus • Old Testament Prophesies Fulfilled in Christ • The Deity of Jesus • Biblically Faithful Approaches to Genesis 1 • Archaeology and the Old Testament • The Historical Adam • Answering Skepticism • Are Miracles Possible? • Clearing the Fog of Top Misconceptions about Christianity • And more—32 thoroughly documented chapters in all, plus introductory material and appendices. 5 Check Out the Evidence! Have you ever been stumped by someone’s argument against Christianity or the Bible? Has anyone ever made fun of you because the Bible sounds like a fairy tale? Has your faith been challenged by the steady beat of anti-Christian voices? Then the completely updated edition of Evidence That Demands a Verdict is just the faith-lift you need. It’s been specifically created to equip Christians to know what they believe, why it is true, and how to live it out. Evidence is now thoroughly revised and updated from previous editions in light of new historical documentation and the best modern scholarship. That means you’ll gain new insights to deepen your faith and be better able to answer the questions and objections you’ll face from skeptics today. Evidence brings you all-new and expanded chapters to help you defend against the latest attacks from Christianity’s critics. No matter what the topic—evidence for the Bible’s authenticity…evidence of Jesus…evidence for the accuracy of the Old Testament… evidence for truth as revealed in the Bible— this new edition is the most complete go-to source for fast, accurate answers. Evidence provides an expansive defense of core truths and answers to common critiques. Topics covered include the resurrection of Christ…the alleged contradictions in the Old Testament…the historical accuracy of the New Testament… and more. Taken together, they’ll deepen your own faith and help you become a more powerful witness for the Gospel. Evidence is now co-authored by Josh McDowell and his son, Sean, adding new depth and providing sharper perspective and insight to answer questions being asked today by young and old alike. 6 LEARN MORE! VISIT READEVIDENCE.COM FOR A SPECIAL VIDEO MESSAGE FROM JOSH AND SEAN MCDOWELL. www.ReadEvidence.com #ReadEvidence 7 A Special Note from Sean McDowell And Interview with his father, Josh McDowell Although I have had the privilege of working with my father on a variety of projects, updating Evidence That Demands a Verdict is perhaps the most special of all. While he has written or co-authored more than 150 books, Evidence That Demands a Verdict is one of his signature works. People regularly share with me that this book helped lead them to Christ, or if they came across the book as a believer, helped them hold on to their faith during a season of doubt. And some of the most influential evangelical scholars today, such as William Lane Craig and J.P. Moreland, and leading pastors, such as Skip Heitzig, consider the book formative in their own faith journeys. While apologetics books have proliferated in recent years, in the last quarter of the twentieth century, Evidence was one of the few based on the historicity of the biblical accounts. For many it became their “go-to” reference book for evidence-based apologetics. Evidence has been truly groundbreaking and trendsetting. And this does not yet even include its international influence! Since 1972, Evidence has been translated into forty-four languages and published world-wide. Millions of people from South America, Asia, Australia, Africa, the Middle East, and beyond have come to rely upon Evidence as one of the most important apologetics books of this generation. No wonder I ventured into this project with both enthusiasm and trepidation! It was thrilling to be able to manage the update of such a significant project, trusting that God would use it again for a new generation, yet I also felt the weight of getting it right. After all, so many people all over the world consider Evidence an authoritative source of evidence for the reliability of the Bible, the historicity of the resurrection, and the reality that Jesus was really God in human flesh. As I considered ways to introduce this new edition, I realized there could be no better re-introduction than an interview with my father, Josh. The revisions and expansions to this present edition remain fully grounded in Josh’s own story—his reasons for writing Evidence in the first place and the impact the book has had on his own life and the lives of those he’s ministered to over the years. 8 SEAN: Dad, why did you first write Evidence That Demands a Verdict? JOSH: I wrote it as a result of a struggle. I began my college years with a lot of hurt, anger, and bitterness. I was mad at my father—your grandfather—for being an alcoholic and for destroying my family. I was also angry at Wayne Bailey, the man who worked on our farm, for sexually abusing me from ages six to thirteen. I was desperately seeking happiness and meaning in life, and simply didn’t know where to find it. I was successful in school, business, sports, and even campus leadership. And even though I put on a smile and acted like I had it all together, my life seemed so empty. I desperately wanted to know truth. And yet in the university I saw this small group of people, two professors and about eight students, whose lives were different. I wanted what they had, and so I asked them what made their lives different. One girl said, “Jesus Christ,” and I laughed. Her answer struck me as the stupidest thing I had ever heard. But this group challenged me to examine the claims of Christ intellectually. I am certainly not the smartest person in the world, but I am responsible to use my intellect to discover truth to the utmost. So I took up their challenge, and to my amazement came to the conclusion that God did manifest himself through the Scriptures and the person of Christ. Once I came to this intellectual conviction, I began to strategize about how I could share the things I discovered with others. For thirteen years after becoming a Christian, I both shared my faith and continued to research. Eventually, I brought together a team of students from a variety of universities to work with me. They would research all day, and then I would collate their findings at night. Out of those years of work came Evidence That Demands a Verdict. And yet no one wanted to publish it! I broke almost every principle of publishing, such as including lengthy quotes with full documentation. People told me that it wouldn’t sell and that no one would read it. It took me nearly a year to type out the manuscript on an electric typewriter. I checked and double-checked footnotes and yet still made some mistakes. I finally published it on a Friday morning, and by that evening, it was already selling out. And it continued to sell at a feverish rate for years. Now there are some incredible apologetics books by people like Ravi Zacharias, Lee Strobel, Frank Turek, J. Warner Wallace, and others. But there 9 was almost nothing like it when I first wrote EVIDENCE. SEAN: What is one of your favorite stories about the impact of Evidence? JOSH: Probably my favorite stories come from overseas—from places like the Middle East and South Korea. One year Evidence was chosen by secular publishers as the book of the year in South Korea. Honors like this are so exciting because they mean that the book is influencing lives by motivating people to dig deeper into the Scriptures. A man walked into a Christian bookstore in an Arabic-speaking country. “I want your best book on the defense of Christianity.” The book store manager handed him Evidence That Demands A Verdict in Arabic. As the man left he exclaimed, “I’m doing my dissertation on destroying Christianity.” Six months later the storeowner baptized the student who had become a believer. SEAN:How has culture changed since you first wrote Evidence in the early 1970s? JOSH: When I first wrote Evidence, there was very limited access to information. Today there is an overload of truth claims. In the 1970s, people were exposed to ideas by their parents, friends, teachers in school, and then eventually professors in the university. But there wasn’t the internet, where people now have endless access to unfiltered information. Also, when I first wrote Evidence, people wanted proof for their beliefs. People wanted evidence. And then it began to switch about ten to fifteen years ago. It used to be that when I made a truth claim at a university, students would say, “How do you know that’s true? Give us some proof.” But then students started saying, “What right do you have to make that claim? You are an intolerant bigot.” Culture has gravitated away from the essence of truth to the emotion of the individual. Essentially, culture has moved from valuing substance to valuing form. SEAN: How do you intend Evidence to be used? JOSH: I wrote Evidence as a resource book for individuals and families. 10 According to his wife, legendary Dallas Cowboys coach Tom Landry would read Evidence for fifteen minutes every night before bed, including the night before the Super Bowl. But he’s an exception. Evidence is a thick book that is heavy with content. I wrote it to be a resource for individuals and families to walk through together, so they could be confident that there is a lot of evidence for Christianity and know where to find answers to common objections. SEAN: What is your goal for this new version? JOSH: The goal for this new version is the same as the first one: to give people a reference book that spurs them toward truth and greater confidence in Scripture and the desire to know truth. My hope is that Evidence continues to be a foundational book for pastors, teachers, parents, students, youth workers, and other Christians who want to have confidence about their own faith and be ready to give an answer for their faith. SEAN: What role did the evidence play in your personal journey to Christ? JOSH: My biggest objection to Christianity was that it was not true. But once I checked out the evidence firsthand, I realized that Christianity is true. Encountering the evidence was one of the biggest factors that led me to consider the claims of Christ. Through wrestling with the evidence, I learned that faith is meant to go along with evidence, not run contrary to it. But, despite what many people think, it wasn’t the evidence that brought me to Christ. What brought me to Christ was an understanding of the love of God. Jeremiah 31:3 says, “I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you” (esv). What brought me to Christ was the realization that if I were the only one in the world, Christ still would have died for me. My ultimate problem wasn’t intellectual—it was emotional. I had bitterness and hatred for my father because he was an alcoholic and destroyed my family. The sexual abuse I experienced for seven years from another older male in my life just compounded the hurt. Given my father’s failures, it brought me no joy to hear that a heavenly Father supposedly loved me. Every time someone mentioned a “heavenly father,” it didn’t bring joy--it brought pain. I could 11 not decipher the difference between a heavenly father and an earthly father because in my world and in my experience, fathers hurt people. So I wanted nothing to do with God. I never even considered the message of Christianity until I was convinced that it was true. Evidence brought me to the point of considering how the Christian message might apply to my own life. It was the evidence that first caught my attention, but it was an understanding of the love of God, as I mentioned above, that ultimately drew me to trust and follow Christ. *** It truly was a joy and privilege to partner with my father, and dozens of students and scholars, on this project. God has used this book in remarkable ways over the past half century. My prayer is that God will continue to use it to ground believers with confidence in their faith and to help seekers discover how much God truly cares for them and desires to know them personally. I hope you find this edition faithful to the original spirit of Evidence but also updated for a new generation.

[pdf-embedder url="https://www.OrthodoxChurch.nl/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/The-New-Evidence-That-Demands-a-Verdict-Josh-McDowell.pdf" title="The New Evidence That Demands a Verdict – Josh McDowell"]