December 19, 2025 • 28 mins
On today’s Bible Answer Man broadcast (12/19/25), Hank starts a special series leading up to Christmas Day featuring his CHRISTMAS acronym, starting with the first two letters of the acronym: "C" and "H". Christ—the "C" in CHRISTMAS—is a title that comes from the Greek “Christos”, which is a rendering of the Hebrew word Messiah, meaning “anointed one.” As such, the Christ of Christmas is the long-awaited Messiah who fulfills all the types and shadows of the Old Testament Scriptures. So, to fully grasp the significance of the Anointed One’s Messianic role, you have to drink deeply from the wellspring of Old Testament prophecy. Moving on to history—the “H” in CHRISTMAS—Hank explains that Jesus Christ stands at the very apex of human history. Therefore, he can say with certainty that Christmas is not about reveling in mythology, it is about celebrating events that are rooted in historical fact.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:02):
Welcome to the Bible answer Man Broadcast with the President
of the Christian Research Institute, Hank Cantigraph. Our mission is
to equip you with answers to share the hope that
you have within you because life and truth matter. Why
because being armed with truth will equip you to counter
the corrosive worldviews at work in our world today, while
(00:25):
experiencing the authentic Christian life will make you a winsome
witness of the purpose of life, which is to experience
union with God and Christ, both for today and for
all eternity. For more information about CRII and the Bible
answer Man Broadcast, our phone number is eight eight eight
seven thousand CROI. You can find us online at equip
(00:48):
dot org. The following program was pre recorded and now
here's Hank Cantigraph.
Speaker 2 (00:55):
And thank you very much Randy. Today, I want to
start a very special series leading up to Christmas Day,
and in the process I'm going to use my Christmas acronym.
I'm going to try to work through all of the
letters and you might guess what the first letter might be.
I'm not going to tell you what the rest of
(01:16):
the letters are, but you probably can guess what the
c in Christmas stands for it stands for the word
and the reality Christ. In this short journey towards Christmas,
I want to zero in on that word, the word Christ,
(01:39):
because Christ is a title, a title that comes from
the Greek Christos, which is a rendering of the Hebrew
word Messiah, and it means anointed one. As such, the
Christ of Christmas is the long awaited missile who fulfills
(02:01):
all the types and shadows of the Old Testament scriptures.
So to fully grasp the significance of the anointed One's
Messianic role, you have to drink deeply from the wellspring
of Old Testament prophecy. In Hebrews, Saint Paul, just as
(02:25):
the rest of the scripture does, he takes the Old
Testament history of Israel and he interprets it as a
succession of types, types that find ultimate fulfillment in the birth,
the death, the resurrection, and the ascension of the Christ
that we celebrate as we move toward Christmas Day. In
(02:49):
his letter to the Roman, Saint Paul refers to Adam
as a pattern, literally as a type of Jesus Christ.
And likewise he taught the Colossian Christians that the dietary laws,
the religious festivals, the Sabbath of the Old Covenant were well,
(03:09):
they were just a shadow of the things that were
to come. The reality is found in Christ. The interpretive
principle of typology is equally persuasive. In the Gospels. Christ's
successful resistance of temptation in the desert after forty days
(03:29):
of fasting is a direct dipological contrast to the disobedience
of the Israelites, disobedience that resulted in forty years of
wilderness wanderings. In remaining faithful to his father, Christ did
what Israel was unable to do. Christ. He is thus
(03:52):
true Israel, and all found in Christ are heirrors. According
to the promises God made to Abraham or over Christ
is revealed is the antetype that to which the type points.
He is the anti type of the Hebrew prophets through
his preaching of repentance, his ministry of healing, and his
(04:15):
concern for the poor and the social outcasts, and obviously
as well through his death near Jerusalem. Though like the prophets,
in all of these ways, Christ is shown to be
far greater than all the previous prophets. In the manner
of his miraculous ministry, his claims to be God, and
(04:36):
of course the vindication of those claims in the glorious Resurrection.
According to Luke's Gospel, Jesus himself, beginning with Moses and
all the prophets, explained to his disciples what was said
in all scripture concerning himself, so as Jupon or the
(05:00):
Christ of Christmas, remember that he alone could emerge through
the doorway of the Old Testament scriptures. But there's another
name for Christ. That name is the anointed One, and
it's codified in the word Emmanuel. When Isaiah, the holiest
(05:25):
man in all of Israel, prophesied, the Virgin will be
with child and will give birth to a son, and
will call him emmanually, he was literally predicting that in
the future, the one who spoke the limitless galaxies into
existence would himself tapernacle in flesh among all of us.
(05:47):
And that's precisely what the word Emmanuel means. It means
God with us. I cannot help but think of our
Lord's own words concerning the reason he condescended to cloak
himself in human flesh. He said it himself. The son
of Man came to seek he came to save that
(06:11):
which was lost, and that is the very meaning of salvation.
Because salvation is precisely what Jesus embodies. The Greek form
of the Hebrew Joshua quite literally means that Yahweh is salvation.
(06:32):
As such, Jesus came into the world for the very
purpose of saving sinners. The salvation which Jesus embodies means
so much more than being saved from sin, because we
had been saved for sonship, saved to be divinely adopted
(06:53):
sons and daughters of God. And thus forgiveness is the
precondition for God's go greater gift, the gift that will
last beyond our death, the gift the gift of divine life.
It may therefore be said with absolute certainty that for
we who have been shipwrecked, the port'servation is not the
(07:16):
sole goal the goal. The goal is the resumption of
a journey whose sole goal is union with God. You
and I are destined for fellowship in the Holy Trinity,
for sharing in the life of God, as God has
(07:37):
shared in our humanity through incarnation. That's the very life
that matters more that I wrote about. And truth matters.
Life matters more since the Christ we celebrate at Christmas
is the fulfillment of the Law and the prophets. It
should not surprise us in the least that prophecies regarding
(08:02):
him outnumber all other biblical prophecies, and many of these
prophecies could not have been fulfilled in some kind of
conspiratorial fashion. How could you conspire to descend from Abram,
Isaac and Jacob, or to be born in Bethlehem, or
(08:26):
to be crucified with criminals, or to have your hands
and feet pierced on a Roman cross, or predict that
the soldiers would be gambling for your clothes, or that
your side would be pierced and your bones not broken
(08:48):
at your death, or for that matter, you're burial among
the rich. Perhaps the most beloved of all Old Testament
prophecies is encapsulated in the words of Isaiah, eight centuries
before the birth of Christ. He wrote, for to us
(09:08):
a child is born, to us, a son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders, and he
will be called wonderful counselor Mighty God, everlasting Father, the
possessor of the eternity, the Prince of Peace. Only Messiah
(09:29):
born of a virgin could match the meaning of such
majestic monikers. And not only so, but the Christ who
walked through the doorway of Isaiah's messianic prophecy. He made
the ultimate prediction. Remember those words, destroy this temple, and
(09:53):
I will raise it again. In three days after he
was raised from the dead, his disciples recalled what he
had said, and then they believed the scripture and the
words that Jesus had spoken. Over the years, I've discovered
time and time again that Messianic prophecy is the golden
(10:13):
key that unlocks the hearts of even heart boiled skeptics.
To come back from the break. I want to talk
about the AH in my Christmas acronym. I'm I'm going
to tell you what it is. Stay tuned again. After
the break, we're going to proceed through the acronym to
(10:34):
the AH in Christmas. I hope all of you will
pay close attention to the words, and as I go
to break, I do think all of your first ending
shoulder to shoulder with me in the battle for life
and truth. You are making a difference all around the globe.
(10:55):
We'll be right back with the h in Christmas.
Speaker 1 (10:59):
Every Bible Answerman broadcast such as the one you're listening
to right now, is made possible through the financial support
of friends like you. Each month, we depend entirely on
God's provision through his people to bring you more of
the broadcast, podcasts, and other resources you rely on. If
you want a sound proclamation and defense of the Gospel
(11:22):
of Jesus Christ to continue to be heard through the
outreaches of the Christian Research Institute, become a member of
crii's support team today. Call eight eight eight seven thousand
CRI and stand with CRI daily in the battle for
life and truth. That's eight eight eight seven thousand CRI.
(11:45):
Or visit our website at equip dot org. We'll return
shortly with more from Hank Hanagraph. The Complete Bible answer
Book Collector's Edition is the comprehensive collection of the most
(12:05):
often asked questions Hank Hannigraph has received throughout his four
decades as host of the Bible answer Man broadcast. With
more than half a million copies already in print, this
newly revised and expanded Collector's Edition helped seekers and skeptics
alike sort through the truth on topics such as reliability
of the Bible, religions, and cults, the resurrection and afterlife,
(12:29):
and many more issues vital to a better understanding of
God in Christ and our relationship to Him. To receive
your copy of the Complete Bible answer Book Collector's Edition,
revised and expanded, call eight eight eight seven thousand CRII
and make a gift to support the Christian Research Institute's
life changing outreaches eight eight eight seven thousand CRII, or
(12:54):
visit us at equip dot org. This, then, is the
climax of divine revelation. God with us, the infinite has
progressively revealed himself in accordance with our finitude. Thus, prior
to Immanuel, general and Special revelation revealed his glory. But
(13:15):
in the Incarnation we have seen his glory. Thus writes
Hank Hanagraph in his book Incarnation, the Ultimate self Revelation
of God. In short, God's incarnation in human flesh is
the apex of revelation, his last word. In taking on
human flesh, God gives us more than the clearest image
(13:36):
of who he is. He gives us himself. To receive
your copy of Incarnation as our appreciation for your financial partnership,
simply call eight eight eight seven thousand, c r I
and make a gift to support curi's life changing outreaches,
or visit equip dot org. Equip dot org.
Speaker 3 (14:01):
Truth Matters, Life Matters More details Hank Hanigraff's personal pilgrimage
from his long defensive truth to his discovery that life
matters more. Essentially, two books in one. Part one equips
Christians to defend the essential truths of the historic Christian faith.
Part two explains why truth is necessary but hardly sufficient.
(14:21):
That the map is not the territory, the menu is
not the meal. We are created to experience life to
the full through union with God in Christ. Is there
more to the Christian life than what you are experiencing?
Truth Matters, Life matters More unveils the unexpected beauty of
an authentic Christian life. To receive Truth Matters, Life matters
(14:42):
More for yourself or as a terrific gift to a
friend or loved one called eight eight eight seven thousand
CRI and make a gift to support the Christian Research
Institute's Life Changing outreaches eight eight eight seven thousand CRI
or visit us online at equipped dot org.
Speaker 1 (15:07):
We now return to the Bible answer Man Broadcast and
your host hank.
Speaker 2 (15:12):
Anigraph, thank your Indian. Back to working through our Christmas acronym.
In this segment, I want to talk about the Age
and Christmas that h being history, Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ
stands at the very apex of human history, and therefore
(15:33):
I can say with a certainty that Christmas is not
about reveling in mythology. It's about celebrating events that are
rooted and grounded in historical fact. As Saint Paul explains,
when the time had fully come, God sent his son,
(15:55):
born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those
under law, that we might receive the full rights of
sons and daughters. As such, the Babe of Bethlehem is
the fulfillment of both the law and of the prophets.
The primary reason that Christians believe in miracles, miracles like
(16:20):
Christ's virgin birth, is that the Bible is divine rather
than merely human in origin. To begin with, the Bible
has stronger manuscript support than any other work of classical history,
that includes Homer, Aristotle, Caesar, and Tacitus. Equally amazing is
(16:42):
the fact that the Bible has been virtually unaltered since
the original writing and that's been attested to by scholars
who have compared the earliest extant manuscripts with manuscripts written
centuries later. Let me add something else. The reliability of
(17:03):
the Bible is affirmed by the testimony of its authors,
authors who were eyewitnesses or close associates of eyewitnesses to
the recorded events, and by ancient secular historians who confirm
the many events, people, places, and particulars that are chronicled
(17:25):
in the Scripture. Furthermore, archaeology is a very, very powerful
witness to the accuracy of the New Testament documents. Repeatedly,
comprehensive archaeological fieldwork, along with careful biblical interpretation, affirm the
(17:48):
reliability the Bible. For example, recent archaeological finds have cooperated
biblical details surrounding the trial that led to the fatal
torment of Jesus Christ, and that includes Pontius Pilot, who
ordered Christ's crucifixion, as well as Caiaphas, the high priest
(18:10):
who presided over the religious trials of our Lord and
say for Jesus Christ. It's telling when secular scholars have
to revise their Biblical criticisms in light of solid archaeological
evidence One more point in this regard is that the
Bible records predictions of events that could not be known
(18:34):
nor predicted by chance or common sense. Let me give
you an example. Against all odds, Jesus predicted the destruction
of Jerusalem and the Jerusalem Temple within a generation. This
is a prophecy fulfilled by the Roman general Titus in
(18:58):
eighty seventy. And it is statistically preposterous that any or
all of the Bible's specific, detailed prophecies could have been
fulfilled through chance, through good guessing, or through deliberate deceit.
I say that because today, as you ponder the history
of Christmas, you can be assured that the scriptures that
(19:23):
chronicle the historical certainty of Christ's coming in flash are
demonstratably rooted in history and evidence. And yet at this
time there are those who are bent on destroying the
(19:44):
historical certainty of Christ coming in flesh. Year by year
during the Christmas season, they communicate the same disinformation I'm
thinking right now about doctor John Cross, co founder of
the wildly popular Jesus Seminar. He uses all kinds of platforms,
(20:06):
but certainly uses NBC as a platform to pontificate that
while Luke tells us that at the time Jesus was born,
Augustus decreed a census, he is every scholar will tell
you that there was no such census never ever, So
(20:28):
how do we respond to critics? We should know that
the historical Caesar Augustus was famous for taking census, in
fact so famous that in reality this issue is no
longer even debated among credible historians. The famed Jewish historian
(20:50):
Josephus refers to a Roman taxation in a D six,
and considering the scope of that taxation, it is logical
to assume that it took a long time to complete.
It began with Caesar Augustus around five BC and was
likely completed a decade later. Furthermore, Luke, as a meticulous historian,
(21:16):
notes that the census took place when Quirinius served as
governor of Syria. The Romans took forty years to get
his census done in gall so for a province fifteen
hundred miles away from Rome to take a decade is
eminently reasonable. Moreover, since the census came in under the
(21:39):
administration of Corinius, it should correctly be labeled as that
very thing and not only that, but given Luke's impeccable
credentials as a historian, it would have been far more
honest and circumspect for Summenarly Crossing too temper his dogmatic
(22:01):
television fueled falsehoods. Finally, one he'd only remember the experience
of the brilliant archaeologist Sir William Ramsey have talked about
him before on the Bible Instrument broadcast, because he, like Crossing,
was bent on undermining Luke's historical reality. But what happened
(22:25):
through his painstaking Mediterranean archaeological adventures he discovered that one
after the other, the historical illusions that Luke provides are
indeed accurate. If, as Ramsey points out, Luke did not
err in referencing a plethora of countries and cities and
(22:45):
islands and all the details that surrounded them, then there
is absolutely no reason to doubt him concerning the senses.
I say all of that because today, as ever, it's
so important for you to be able to counter the
fallacious claims of the historical deniers. To as Peter put it,
(23:11):
always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who
asks you to give the reason for the hope that
you have why, Because if we cannot equip our own
children regarding the reality of Christ's coming and flesh, how
in the world can we say we're committed to evangelizing
(23:31):
the world. And remember, even if you don't have an
answer at your fingertips, you can always research and return.
As such, you can use your well recent answer as
an opportunity to share the grace and truth, the light
(23:53):
that only the Christ of Christmas can bring into the
human heart. As I think about equipping our children, a
think about a quote that I've used on the Bible
Answermen broadcasts from time to time. It comes from Jacob Newsner.
It's worth memorizing. He's one of the most published authors
in all of history and reminds us that civilization hangs
(24:17):
suspended from generation to generation by the gossamer strand of memory.
If only one cohort of mothers and fathers fails to
convey to its children what it has learned from its parents,
and the great chain of learning and wisdom snaps. If
(24:42):
the guardians of human knowledge stumble only one time and
therefore collapses the whole edifice of knowledge and understanding. That's
why the history is so important to communicate to our
children so that they can communicate that history to their
(25:06):
children and their grandchildren as well. Remember, if only one
cohort of mothers and fathers fails in this process, the
great chain of learning and wisdom snaps well. Today OA
talked about the Christ of Christmas, the sea and my
(25:27):
Christmas acronym, and the history of Christmas, Christ Coming and
flesh on Monday. I want to continue this journey by
talking about the R in my Christmas acronym. You have
to stay tuned and note I'm talking about and as
I closed this broadcast, once again when I thank you
(25:47):
for standing shoulder with me in the battle for life
and truth. Your giving makes a difference in the lives
of multitudes around the world.
Speaker 1 (25:56):
So long for now, thank you for joining us too today.
Our mission at the Christian Research Institute is to equip
Christians to think and to live christianly. This Christmas, as
we celebrate the birth of the One who is the Way,
the Truth, and the Life, why not help others to
continue receiving Biblical truth in Christ through the Bible answer
(26:17):
Man Broadcast to make a Christmas gift that can transform lives,
simply call eight eight eight seven thousand CROI eight eight
eight seven thousand CRI. You can also write CRI at
Post Office Box eighty five hundred, Charlotte, North Carolina, two
eight two seven one, or simply visit online at equip
(26:41):
dot org. The preceding program was pre recorded. The Bible
answer Man Broadcast is funded by listeners like you. We
are on the air because life and truth matter. The
Complete Bible answer Book Collector's Edition is the comprehensive collection
(27:05):
of the most often asked questions Hank Hannigraph has received
throughout his four decades as host of the Bible answer
Man Broadcast. With more than half a million copies already
in print, this newly revised and expanded Collector's Edition helped
seekers and skeptics alike sort through the truth on topics
such as reliability of the Bible, religions and cults, the
(27:28):
resurrection and afterlife, and many more issues vital to a
better understanding of God in Christ and our relationship to Him.
To receive your copy of the Complete Bible answer Book
Collector's Edition, Revised and Expanded, call eight eight eight seven
thousand CRII and make a gift to support the Christian
(27:48):
Research Institute's life changing outreaches eight eight eight seven thousand CRII,
or visit US at equip dot org
Welcome to the Bible answer Man Broadcast with the President
of the Christian Research Institute, Hank Cantigraph. Our mission is
to equip you with answers to share the hope that
you have within you because life and truth matter. Why
because being armed with truth will equip you to counter
the corrosive worldviews at work in our world today, while
(00:25):
experiencing the authentic Christian life will make you a winsome
witness of the purpose of life, which is to experience
union with God and Christ, both for today and for
all eternity. For more information about CRII and the Bible
answer Man Broadcast, our phone number is eight eight eight
seven thousand CROI. You can find us online at equip
(00:48):
dot org. The following program was pre recorded and now
here's Hank Cantigraph.
Speaker 2 (00:55):
And thank you very much Randy. Today, I want to
start a very special series leading up to Christmas Day,
and in the process I'm going to use my Christmas acronym.
I'm going to try to work through all of the
letters and you might guess what the first letter might be.
I'm not going to tell you what the rest of
(01:16):
the letters are, but you probably can guess what the
c in Christmas stands for it stands for the word
and the reality Christ. In this short journey towards Christmas,
I want to zero in on that word, the word Christ,
(01:39):
because Christ is a title, a title that comes from
the Greek Christos, which is a rendering of the Hebrew
word Messiah, and it means anointed one. As such, the
Christ of Christmas is the long awaited missile who fulfills
(02:01):
all the types and shadows of the Old Testament scriptures.
So to fully grasp the significance of the anointed One's
Messianic role, you have to drink deeply from the wellspring
of Old Testament prophecy. In Hebrews, Saint Paul, just as
(02:25):
the rest of the scripture does, he takes the Old
Testament history of Israel and he interprets it as a
succession of types, types that find ultimate fulfillment in the birth,
the death, the resurrection, and the ascension of the Christ
that we celebrate as we move toward Christmas Day. In
(02:49):
his letter to the Roman, Saint Paul refers to Adam
as a pattern, literally as a type of Jesus Christ.
And likewise he taught the Colossian Christians that the dietary laws,
the religious festivals, the Sabbath of the Old Covenant were well,
(03:09):
they were just a shadow of the things that were
to come. The reality is found in Christ. The interpretive
principle of typology is equally persuasive. In the Gospels. Christ's
successful resistance of temptation in the desert after forty days
(03:29):
of fasting is a direct dipological contrast to the disobedience
of the Israelites, disobedience that resulted in forty years of
wilderness wanderings. In remaining faithful to his father, Christ did
what Israel was unable to do. Christ. He is thus
(03:52):
true Israel, and all found in Christ are heirrors. According
to the promises God made to Abraham or over Christ
is revealed is the antetype that to which the type points.
He is the anti type of the Hebrew prophets through
his preaching of repentance, his ministry of healing, and his
(04:15):
concern for the poor and the social outcasts, and obviously
as well through his death near Jerusalem. Though like the prophets,
in all of these ways, Christ is shown to be
far greater than all the previous prophets. In the manner
of his miraculous ministry, his claims to be God, and
(04:36):
of course the vindication of those claims in the glorious Resurrection.
According to Luke's Gospel, Jesus himself, beginning with Moses and
all the prophets, explained to his disciples what was said
in all scripture concerning himself, so as Jupon or the
(05:00):
Christ of Christmas, remember that he alone could emerge through
the doorway of the Old Testament scriptures. But there's another
name for Christ. That name is the anointed One, and
it's codified in the word Emmanuel. When Isaiah, the holiest
(05:25):
man in all of Israel, prophesied, the Virgin will be
with child and will give birth to a son, and
will call him emmanually, he was literally predicting that in
the future, the one who spoke the limitless galaxies into
existence would himself tapernacle in flesh among all of us.
(05:47):
And that's precisely what the word Emmanuel means. It means
God with us. I cannot help but think of our
Lord's own words concerning the reason he condescended to cloak
himself in human flesh. He said it himself. The son
of Man came to seek he came to save that
(06:11):
which was lost, and that is the very meaning of salvation.
Because salvation is precisely what Jesus embodies. The Greek form
of the Hebrew Joshua quite literally means that Yahweh is salvation.
(06:32):
As such, Jesus came into the world for the very
purpose of saving sinners. The salvation which Jesus embodies means
so much more than being saved from sin, because we
had been saved for sonship, saved to be divinely adopted
(06:53):
sons and daughters of God. And thus forgiveness is the
precondition for God's go greater gift, the gift that will
last beyond our death, the gift the gift of divine life.
It may therefore be said with absolute certainty that for
we who have been shipwrecked, the port'servation is not the
(07:16):
sole goal the goal. The goal is the resumption of
a journey whose sole goal is union with God. You
and I are destined for fellowship in the Holy Trinity,
for sharing in the life of God, as God has
(07:37):
shared in our humanity through incarnation. That's the very life
that matters more that I wrote about. And truth matters.
Life matters more since the Christ we celebrate at Christmas
is the fulfillment of the Law and the prophets. It
should not surprise us in the least that prophecies regarding
(08:02):
him outnumber all other biblical prophecies, and many of these
prophecies could not have been fulfilled in some kind of
conspiratorial fashion. How could you conspire to descend from Abram,
Isaac and Jacob, or to be born in Bethlehem, or
(08:26):
to be crucified with criminals, or to have your hands
and feet pierced on a Roman cross, or predict that
the soldiers would be gambling for your clothes, or that
your side would be pierced and your bones not broken
(08:48):
at your death, or for that matter, you're burial among
the rich. Perhaps the most beloved of all Old Testament
prophecies is encapsulated in the words of Isaiah, eight centuries
before the birth of Christ. He wrote, for to us
(09:08):
a child is born, to us, a son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders, and he
will be called wonderful counselor Mighty God, everlasting Father, the
possessor of the eternity, the Prince of Peace. Only Messiah
(09:29):
born of a virgin could match the meaning of such
majestic monikers. And not only so, but the Christ who
walked through the doorway of Isaiah's messianic prophecy. He made
the ultimate prediction. Remember those words, destroy this temple, and
(09:53):
I will raise it again. In three days after he
was raised from the dead, his disciples recalled what he
had said, and then they believed the scripture and the
words that Jesus had spoken. Over the years, I've discovered
time and time again that Messianic prophecy is the golden
(10:13):
key that unlocks the hearts of even heart boiled skeptics.
To come back from the break. I want to talk
about the AH in my Christmas acronym. I'm I'm going
to tell you what it is. Stay tuned again. After
the break, we're going to proceed through the acronym to
(10:34):
the AH in Christmas. I hope all of you will
pay close attention to the words, and as I go
to break, I do think all of your first ending
shoulder to shoulder with me in the battle for life
and truth. You are making a difference all around the globe.
(10:55):
We'll be right back with the h in Christmas.
Speaker 1 (10:59):
Every Bible Answerman broadcast such as the one you're listening
to right now, is made possible through the financial support
of friends like you. Each month, we depend entirely on
God's provision through his people to bring you more of
the broadcast, podcasts, and other resources you rely on. If
you want a sound proclamation and defense of the Gospel
(11:22):
of Jesus Christ to continue to be heard through the
outreaches of the Christian Research Institute, become a member of
crii's support team today. Call eight eight eight seven thousand
CRI and stand with CRI daily in the battle for
life and truth. That's eight eight eight seven thousand CRI.
(11:45):
Or visit our website at equip dot org. We'll return
shortly with more from Hank Hanagraph. The Complete Bible answer
Book Collector's Edition is the comprehensive collection of the most
(12:05):
often asked questions Hank Hannigraph has received throughout his four
decades as host of the Bible answer Man broadcast. With
more than half a million copies already in print, this
newly revised and expanded Collector's Edition helped seekers and skeptics
alike sort through the truth on topics such as reliability
of the Bible, religions, and cults, the resurrection and afterlife,
(12:29):
and many more issues vital to a better understanding of
God in Christ and our relationship to Him. To receive
your copy of the Complete Bible answer Book Collector's Edition,
revised and expanded, call eight eight eight seven thousand CRII
and make a gift to support the Christian Research Institute's
life changing outreaches eight eight eight seven thousand CRII, or
(12:54):
visit us at equip dot org. This, then, is the
climax of divine revelation. God with us, the infinite has
progressively revealed himself in accordance with our finitude. Thus, prior
to Immanuel, general and Special revelation revealed his glory. But
(13:15):
in the Incarnation we have seen his glory. Thus writes
Hank Hanagraph in his book Incarnation, the Ultimate self Revelation
of God. In short, God's incarnation in human flesh is
the apex of revelation, his last word. In taking on
human flesh, God gives us more than the clearest image
(13:36):
of who he is. He gives us himself. To receive
your copy of Incarnation as our appreciation for your financial partnership,
simply call eight eight eight seven thousand, c r I
and make a gift to support curi's life changing outreaches,
or visit equip dot org. Equip dot org.
Speaker 3 (14:01):
Truth Matters, Life Matters More details Hank Hanigraff's personal pilgrimage
from his long defensive truth to his discovery that life
matters more. Essentially, two books in one. Part one equips
Christians to defend the essential truths of the historic Christian faith.
Part two explains why truth is necessary but hardly sufficient.
(14:21):
That the map is not the territory, the menu is
not the meal. We are created to experience life to
the full through union with God in Christ. Is there
more to the Christian life than what you are experiencing?
Truth Matters, Life matters More unveils the unexpected beauty of
an authentic Christian life. To receive Truth Matters, Life matters
(14:42):
More for yourself or as a terrific gift to a
friend or loved one called eight eight eight seven thousand
CRI and make a gift to support the Christian Research
Institute's Life Changing outreaches eight eight eight seven thousand CRI
or visit us online at equipped dot org.
Speaker 1 (15:07):
We now return to the Bible answer Man Broadcast and
your host hank.
Speaker 2 (15:12):
Anigraph, thank your Indian. Back to working through our Christmas acronym.
In this segment, I want to talk about the Age
and Christmas that h being history, Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ
stands at the very apex of human history, and therefore
(15:33):
I can say with a certainty that Christmas is not
about reveling in mythology. It's about celebrating events that are
rooted and grounded in historical fact. As Saint Paul explains,
when the time had fully come, God sent his son,
(15:55):
born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those
under law, that we might receive the full rights of
sons and daughters. As such, the Babe of Bethlehem is
the fulfillment of both the law and of the prophets.
The primary reason that Christians believe in miracles, miracles like
(16:20):
Christ's virgin birth, is that the Bible is divine rather
than merely human in origin. To begin with, the Bible
has stronger manuscript support than any other work of classical history,
that includes Homer, Aristotle, Caesar, and Tacitus. Equally amazing is
(16:42):
the fact that the Bible has been virtually unaltered since
the original writing and that's been attested to by scholars
who have compared the earliest extant manuscripts with manuscripts written
centuries later. Let me add something else. The reliability of
(17:03):
the Bible is affirmed by the testimony of its authors,
authors who were eyewitnesses or close associates of eyewitnesses to
the recorded events, and by ancient secular historians who confirm
the many events, people, places, and particulars that are chronicled
(17:25):
in the Scripture. Furthermore, archaeology is a very, very powerful
witness to the accuracy of the New Testament documents. Repeatedly,
comprehensive archaeological fieldwork, along with careful biblical interpretation, affirm the
(17:48):
reliability the Bible. For example, recent archaeological finds have cooperated
biblical details surrounding the trial that led to the fatal
torment of Jesus Christ, and that includes Pontius Pilot, who
ordered Christ's crucifixion, as well as Caiaphas, the high priest
(18:10):
who presided over the religious trials of our Lord and
say for Jesus Christ. It's telling when secular scholars have
to revise their Biblical criticisms in light of solid archaeological
evidence One more point in this regard is that the
Bible records predictions of events that could not be known
(18:34):
nor predicted by chance or common sense. Let me give
you an example. Against all odds, Jesus predicted the destruction
of Jerusalem and the Jerusalem Temple within a generation. This
is a prophecy fulfilled by the Roman general Titus in
(18:58):
eighty seventy. And it is statistically preposterous that any or
all of the Bible's specific, detailed prophecies could have been
fulfilled through chance, through good guessing, or through deliberate deceit.
I say that because today, as you ponder the history
of Christmas, you can be assured that the scriptures that
(19:23):
chronicle the historical certainty of Christ's coming in flash are
demonstratably rooted in history and evidence. And yet at this
time there are those who are bent on destroying the
(19:44):
historical certainty of Christ coming in flesh. Year by year
during the Christmas season, they communicate the same disinformation I'm
thinking right now about doctor John Cross, co founder of
the wildly popular Jesus Seminar. He uses all kinds of platforms,
(20:06):
but certainly uses NBC as a platform to pontificate that
while Luke tells us that at the time Jesus was born,
Augustus decreed a census, he is every scholar will tell
you that there was no such census never ever, So
(20:28):
how do we respond to critics? We should know that
the historical Caesar Augustus was famous for taking census, in
fact so famous that in reality this issue is no
longer even debated among credible historians. The famed Jewish historian
(20:50):
Josephus refers to a Roman taxation in a D six,
and considering the scope of that taxation, it is logical
to assume that it took a long time to complete.
It began with Caesar Augustus around five BC and was
likely completed a decade later. Furthermore, Luke, as a meticulous historian,
(21:16):
notes that the census took place when Quirinius served as
governor of Syria. The Romans took forty years to get
his census done in gall so for a province fifteen
hundred miles away from Rome to take a decade is
eminently reasonable. Moreover, since the census came in under the
(21:39):
administration of Corinius, it should correctly be labeled as that
very thing and not only that, but given Luke's impeccable
credentials as a historian, it would have been far more
honest and circumspect for Summenarly Crossing too temper his dogmatic
(22:01):
television fueled falsehoods. Finally, one he'd only remember the experience
of the brilliant archaeologist Sir William Ramsey have talked about
him before on the Bible Instrument broadcast, because he, like Crossing,
was bent on undermining Luke's historical reality. But what happened
(22:25):
through his painstaking Mediterranean archaeological adventures he discovered that one
after the other, the historical illusions that Luke provides are
indeed accurate. If, as Ramsey points out, Luke did not
err in referencing a plethora of countries and cities and
(22:45):
islands and all the details that surrounded them, then there
is absolutely no reason to doubt him concerning the senses.
I say all of that because today, as ever, it's
so important for you to be able to counter the
fallacious claims of the historical deniers. To as Peter put it,
(23:11):
always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who
asks you to give the reason for the hope that
you have why, Because if we cannot equip our own
children regarding the reality of Christ's coming and flesh, how
in the world can we say we're committed to evangelizing
(23:31):
the world. And remember, even if you don't have an
answer at your fingertips, you can always research and return.
As such, you can use your well recent answer as
an opportunity to share the grace and truth, the light
(23:53):
that only the Christ of Christmas can bring into the
human heart. As I think about equipping our children, a
think about a quote that I've used on the Bible
Answermen broadcasts from time to time. It comes from Jacob Newsner.
It's worth memorizing. He's one of the most published authors
in all of history and reminds us that civilization hangs
(24:17):
suspended from generation to generation by the gossamer strand of memory.
If only one cohort of mothers and fathers fails to
convey to its children what it has learned from its parents,
and the great chain of learning and wisdom snaps. If
(24:42):
the guardians of human knowledge stumble only one time and
therefore collapses the whole edifice of knowledge and understanding. That's
why the history is so important to communicate to our
children so that they can communicate that history to their
(25:06):
children and their grandchildren as well. Remember, if only one
cohort of mothers and fathers fails in this process, the
great chain of learning and wisdom snaps well. Today OA
talked about the Christ of Christmas, the sea and my
(25:27):
Christmas acronym, and the history of Christmas, Christ Coming and
flesh on Monday. I want to continue this journey by
talking about the R in my Christmas acronym. You have
to stay tuned and note I'm talking about and as
I closed this broadcast, once again when I thank you
(25:47):
for standing shoulder with me in the battle for life
and truth. Your giving makes a difference in the lives
of multitudes around the world.
Speaker 1 (25:56):
So long for now, thank you for joining us too today.
Our mission at the Christian Research Institute is to equip
Christians to think and to live christianly. This Christmas, as
we celebrate the birth of the One who is the Way,
the Truth, and the Life, why not help others to
continue receiving Biblical truth in Christ through the Bible answer
(26:17):
Man Broadcast to make a Christmas gift that can transform lives,
simply call eight eight eight seven thousand CROI eight eight
eight seven thousand CRI. You can also write CRI at
Post Office Box eighty five hundred, Charlotte, North Carolina, two
eight two seven one, or simply visit online at equip
(26:41):
dot org. The preceding program was pre recorded. The Bible
answer Man Broadcast is funded by listeners like you. We
are on the air because life and truth matter. The
Complete Bible answer Book Collector's Edition is the comprehensive collection
(27:05):
of the most often asked questions Hank Hannigraph has received
throughout his four decades as host of the Bible answer
Man Broadcast. With more than half a million copies already
in print, this newly revised and expanded Collector's Edition helped
seekers and skeptics alike sort through the truth on topics
such as reliability of the Bible, religions and cults, the
(27:28):
resurrection and afterlife, and many more issues vital to a
better understanding of God in Christ and our relationship to Him.
To receive your copy of the Complete Bible answer Book
Collector's Edition, Revised and Expanded, call eight eight eight seven
thousand CRII and make a gift to support the Christian
(27:48):
Research Institute's life changing outreaches eight eight eight seven thousand CRII,
or visit US at equip dot org
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