“The king is familiar with these things, and I can speak freely to him. I am convinced that none of this has escaped his notice, because it was not done in a corner.” Acts 26:26
Of all the world’s religions, Christianity is the only one based on historical events. Accounts of these events were written down within the lifetime of those who were alive to witness them. Christianity is able to be verified by external sources. It wasn’t concocted in secret or “in a corner”.
Other religions are based on the dictated writings of a prophet or on an enlightened teacher or the visions of mystic leaders. However with Christianity Peter was able to say to Cornelius, “You know what has happened throughout the province of Judea, beginning in Galilee …” (Acts 10:36-37). Paul was able to say to Festus, “The king is familiar with these things” and “What I am saying is true and reasonable” (verse 25).
Christianity claims that at a certain point in history, Jesus was born, lived, claimed to be God, died and rose again. In the reports and letters that were written following these events, they quoted names of actual people and places, leaving behind a great wad of information they could be checked. Christianity leaves itself wide open to be investigated and many have. They have found much which confirms the Biblical accounts, including accounts of Jesus’ life quoted in histories outside of Biblical sources.
While this is encouraging to us as Christians, our faith isn’t based on historical evidence; rather it is based on a personal encounter with Jesus. Christianity isn’t about filling out minds with historical facts. Rather, it’s about having a relationship with God made possible by the life and death of Jesus Christ.
