The Case for Christ

as used at Camp Vatra, Summer 2003 A Teen Study Guide based on Lee Strobel’s popular book, "The Case For Christ": A Journalist’s Personal Investigation of the Evidence for Jesus. Grand Rapids, MI. Zondervan. 1998. Also utilizing the Student Version of "The Case For Christ". Goals: To…

Questions: Do you think it is alright to ask questions about faith? What does it mean to be skeptical? What does it mean to question authority? Activity: A Biblical comparison: Zachariah and Elizabeth Read…

Objectives: List the four gospels Identify the gospels as eye-witness testimonies and enter them into evidence Apply typical legal standards of eyewitness testimony to the gospel authors Decide whether these…

Review: Who are the four evangelists? What is their basis of authority for being eyewitnesses? Opening Question: Have you ever felt the need to test someone’s word to see if what they were saying could be trusted or not? How did you? What did you conclude? We now call the 1st Vatra Court…

Each group will be assigned 2 of these tests. Look at the passages recommended and determine if the gospels can pass this test or reliability. Be ready to answer as a group why or why not? Intention test: does the eyewitness intend to accurately report what they saw and preserve…

Review: How can we determine whether or not the evangelists are trustworthy witnesses? Do their testimonies stand up to scrutiny? Opening Question: Did you ever copy somebody else’s work? Why? What were you most concerned about when copying it? Hear Ye! Hear…

There are many books from ancient times that scholars consider reliable and do not doubt as authentic to the originals, even though our current forms are based on copied manuscripts. For example: Tacitus, the Roman Historian, wrote his Annals of Imperial Rome somewhere around 116…

Review: How many manuscripts of the NT do we have available? How pure is the NT to its original form? Why is that important? Opening question: Has there ever been a time in your life when you did not believe someone until they could offer some outside evidence to support or…

I. The Archaeological Evidence: Examples of historically or archaeologically verified details that once were doubted: John 5:1-15 Pool of Bethesda John 9:7: Pool of Siloam John 4:14: Jacob’s Well …

Review: What is corroborating evidence? What kinds of corroborating evidence do we have for the Gospels? How can we respond to those scholars who reject or rebut the evidence Christians have for their faith? Opening Question: Did you ever have your words twisted and…