Richard Cravy

Like many others, I was affected and convicted deeply many years ago by a little novel written in 1896 by Charles Sheldon entitled, In His Steps. In it he imagined how Christians might act differently if, in any given situation, they would ask themselves, “What would Jesus do?” Even today we encounter the “WWJD” thinking. But that novel left a big question in my mind at the time – “How can I really know what Jesus would do?” This led me to the following title which has had an even greater impact on my understanding, life and teaching than In His Steps. It is a book which actually answers in large part the central question raised by In His Steps.

My parents were baptized and became New Testament Christians when I was five years old. From that time on I was (and have been) in Sunday School and worship assemblies without fail. Being constantly exposed to Bible teaching is one thing. Knowing how to study on my own was quite another.

At Florida College I was required to take a course called Hermeneutics, taught by Roy Cogdill. I do not believe I had ever heard the word “hermeneutics” before that time. But that course and its textbook completely changed my understanding of the Bible and how to study it.

As I look back over 50+ years of Bible-based training, studying and ministry, there are a few books that have had a profound effect on my thinking. This is the first of several posts on some of those books, and why they impacted me. Note that EBS may earn a small commission off any merchandise purchased through links on this page.

Evidence That Demands a Verdict, by Josh McDowell. This was not the first book on Christian evidences I bought, but it was the most comprehensive and logically compelling. The foundation tenets of the Christian faith are rooted in history. While some appeal to “science” as if it is the be all and answer to all, much of what we all know and/or believe is rooted not in science (a fairly recent invention as we know it), but in history – evidences, eyewitnesses, documents, monuments, etc.

Why Good Arguments Often Fail: Making a More Persuasive Case for Christ, by James W. Sire. Published by IVP Press.

“You made the best case you knew how, and your friend still wasn’t persuaded to follow Christ. Why is it that solid, rational arguments for the Christian faith often fail?” – James Sire

Rather than focusing on the various arguments which constitute the broad topic of “Christian Evidences,” James Sire devotes most of his book to the topics of logic and why people are (or are not) persuaded to accept a different point of view.

As I read through the Scriptures, I am struck by how often the cross is pre-figured in the Old Testament, and how often the results it accomplished are emphasized in the New Testament. While I have preached on this subject in “bits and pieces” over the years, it was when I discovered The View from Mount Calvary by John Phillips that I realized the fullness and impact of the subject. His subtitle gives us a clue: “24 Portraits of the Cross Throughout Scripture.”

This is a powerful and persuasive way to preach the gospel of Christ, both to believers and seekers. The 24 “portraits” are divided into seven sections:

The Christian community and western culture in general have been pummeled lately with books, magazine articles, movies and television specials purporting to expose the faulty foundations of the New Testament and Christian faith. Examples include The Da Vinci Code (book and movie), the Gospel of Judas (book and TV), various theories about the gnostics and their writings, Mary Magdalene, Brad Ehrman’s Misquoting Jesus, and many more! Invariably, a stream of men and women with D.D.s and Ph.D.s after their names from prestigious universities are presenting claims that the original New Testament documents are corrupted, other documents have been suppressed, that ugly truths about Jesus or others have been kept hidden, etc.

Believers may feel both assaulted and helpless in the face of such “firepower” and media blasts. Here are four suggestions: