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THE
BIBLE
Can we trust a book written 2000 years ago?
EYEWITNESS
Did the writers of the New Testament get their picture of Jesus right?
GOD
- MAN
Is Jesus really God?
RESURRECTION
Did Jesus really rise from the dead?
RELIGIONS
With so many religions, why Christianity?
SUFFERING
If there is a God, why is there so much suffering?
TRINITY
Understanding the Trinity.
SCIENCE
The complementary nature of Science & Christianity.
FORGIVENESS
What it is and why it matters?
GUIDANCE
How does God guide?
REPENTANCE
What it is and why you can't get to heaven without it.
BORN
AGAIN
What does it mean to be converted and born again?
SAVING
FAITH
The kind of faith that will get you to heaven
ASSURANCE
Can I know for sure that I am going to heaven?
TRUTH
What is truth and does it matter?
MORALITY
Does it matter how we live? A Christian view of morality.
THE
CHURCH
God's vision for his family, the Church. A call to the churches of the
new millennium.
PURPOSE
How
can I find a great purpose for living?
IDENTITY
Who am I; Finding my true identity as a human being and as a child of
God.
SELF-ESTEEM
How
can I feel good about my self? The Christian basis for proper sel-esteem.
LIFE AFTER DEATHChristianity's Hope & Challenge.
THE CROSS
Why did Jesus Die? What the Bible says about the Cross.
Grace
The importance of grace in the New Testament.
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Foreword
We are born sceptics. While we are far more than reasoning creatures, we are never less than reasoning beings. Doubting and questioning are essential if we are to attain maturity. The integrity of the Christian way of life depends upon the trustworthiness of its foundation documents. If their message about Jesus of Nazareth and his life, his work and its outcome have no historical validity, then we may relegate Christian teachings to the realms of mere fairy-tale or mythical legend. If, however, these documents do have historical, eye-witness credibility, then no thoughtful person dare ignore their straightforward, factual claims. We welcome, therefore, a booklet addressing some of the recurring questions about the reliability of these New Testament documents.
Dick Tripp addresses the common-sense implications of the basic questions about who wrote the New Testament books, and when. Rather than becoming side-tracked by the related scholarly debates about these issues, of which he is well aware, Dick Tripp keeps a clear focus on the practical significance of such issues. Sincere enquirers, and doubters, will find here food for thought and fuel for strengthening their confidence in the reliability of scripture.
As a raw, new Christian in the late 1950s, my faith was enriched by a somewhat retiring young curate who brought regular input to a weekly lunch-hour fellowship in Christchurch. Dick Tripp's love for Christ and love for sharing his Good News were a challenge to my timid commitment. Now, nearly forty years on, I count it a privilege to add a foreword to Dick's mature reflection on the dependability of the texts by which we both have lived and worked in the interim. My experience is that where anyone dares to take seriously the claims of these historically reliable scriptures, whether Papua New Guineans, Scots or Kiwis, they still prove to be "the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes." This booklet lays a reasonable foundation for such a faith today.
John M. Hitchen
BA,
BD, PhD
National Principal
Bible College of New Zealand
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Foreward
Did the New Teastament writers get their picture of Jesus right?
Jesus is God in the New Testament
Eyewitness Testimony in the New Testament
The Absence of Ficticious Material
