Book Reviews and More: 20 Answers The Real Jesus - Trent Horn- 20 Answers Series from Catholic Answers

20 Answers The Real Jesus
20 Answers Series from Catholic Answers
Trent Horn
Catholic Answers Press
ISBN 9781938983931
eISBN 9781938983955
ASIN B01HDWETCC

Some good news and some bad news; first the good news this series has just been expanded from 20 to 23 books and I believe more will release in the fall expanding it even further. The bad news is that Trent Horn has not authored any of the new volumes. Of the 23 books now available Trent Horn has written 10, and they are each great reads.

This year I took the 20 Answers Challenge, at the time it was to read all the books available in the Catholic Answers series (that were available at the time). You can still get the first 20 books for 50% off, an incredible deal, so get them with this deal while you can! They are really great reads. That will enhance your faith and your ability to defend it. I have rated 18 of the 20 with 5 out of 5 stars, and the other two got 4 stars. I have a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Religious Studies with a focus on Roman Catholic Thought, and I love the clarity of through and the format of this series. I cannot wait until my three children are a little order to read these books with each of them. The 20 questions that Trent answers in this volume are:

1. Is there any evidence that Jesus actually existed as a historical person?
2. But is there any evidence outside of the Bible that Jesus was real?
3. If Jesus really existed and performed miracles, then why didn't more ancient historians write about him? I've heard that there were dozens of ancient historians who lived shortly after Jesus and none of them wrote about Jesus being a real person.
4. Can we trust the Gospel accounts of Jesus' life? I heard they were written decades or even centuries later by anonymous authors.
5. We don't even have the original manuscripts of the Gospels, so how can we know that the words and deeds of Jesus were not made up or changed by various scribes who copied the New Testament?
6. I watched a video on the Internet that said the ancient world had legends about many dying and rising gods. People believed these gods were born on December 25, had twelve disciples, were crucified, and then rose from the dead. Were the stories about Jesus simply copied from pre-existing pagan mythology?
7. I'm willing to accept that a man named Jesus existed and was a wise teacher, like Buddha. However, I think everything about him being the son of God was added at a later time and embellished. Is there evidence that Jesus originally claimed to be the Son of God?
8. In the Bible, Jesus never says, "I am God. Worship me." In fact, didn't Jesus claim to be the "Son of man" and on several occasions deny that he was divine?
9. If Jesus was God, then how was God still running the universe when Jesus was a baby? Did Jesus know everything about the universe when he was five? In short, how is it possible for God to become a man?
10. Even if Jesus' words were accurately recorded, so many things he said seem crazy or just impossible to accept. Why would I want to worship someone like that?
11. Jesus said that there were people standing in front of him who would see the coming of the kingdom of God before they died (Mark 9:1). He also described the end of the world and said his generation would not pass away until it took place (Matt. 24:35). But the kingdom didn't come and the world didn't end. How can I believe in Jesus when he was so obviously wrong?
12. I heard that Jesus was married and that the Church suppressed other Gospels that depict him as just an ordinary man and not the Son of God. Is this true?
13. Why do Christians believe that Jesus had to die in order for God to forgive our sins? Why couldn't God just forgive our sins outright?
14. How can we be so certain that Jesus really died on the cross, and didn't just pass out and walk out of the tomb later? Or, how do we know that Jesus wasn't just left on the cross to rot or that his body wasn't thrown in a shallow grave and eaten by dogs? Those outcomes are far more likely than Jesus dying and rising from the dead.
15. How do we know Jesus' tomb was really empty? Maybe this was simply a legend that developed over time in order to explain what happened to Jesus.
16. What about the stories of the risen Jesus appearing to people? Maybe these were legends that developed later.
17. Even if the apostles believed that Jesus rose from the dead, that doesn't prove it really happened. How do we know they weren't suffering from a group hallucination?
18. But Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 15:37-50 that the "natural body" cannot enter heaven, but only the "spiritual body." Doesn't this mean that the apostles believed only in the "spiritual" resurrection of Jesus, and so a body lying in the tomb would not have disproved their "Easter faith"?
19. Is it possible to believe that Jesus really performed miracles? Christians don't believe the miracle stories of other religions, and besides, wouldn't miracles violate the laws of nature?
20. What should I believe about Jesus?

From the introduction of this booklet Horn states:

"Is the Christ of faith a mere fantasy? Or is he the same person as the Jewish carpenter who lived in Palestine 2,000 years ago? This is an essential question. As Pope Benedict XVI wrote in his book Jesus of Nazareth, "For biblical faith the historicity-and thus the 'facticity'-of the Incarnation is indispensable. Faith demands that we consider Jesus as approachable by historical research."

Since faith and reason cannot contradict one another, there must be rational, evidence-based answers to pressing questions about Jesus of Nazareth that do not contradict the "Christ of faith" who is worshipped by billions of Christians around the world. In this booklet we will look at some of those answers."

This book tackles questions around the key claims about Christ that Christian's believe. It is written to refute false claims or attacks against orthodox beliefs. And also to Support sound Christian doctrine. It also brings in a lot of external historical evidence and proofs. Of the 20 books I have read in this series I think this is one of the most important. And one every Catholic, no that every Christian should read!

This is an incredible booklet and is part of an amazing series! It is another great read from Catholic Answers and Trent Horn.

Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: 2017 Catholic Reading Plan!

Note 2: Currently this is an amazing series of books is being offered at a 50% discount so get it while you can. That is right you can get all 20 physical books or all 20 eBooks for just $34.95! If you want a way to go deeper this year give this series a try! #20AnswersChallenge

20 Answers: Relics & Sacramentals - Shaun McAfee

20 Answers: The Communion of Saints - Karlo Broussard

20 Answers Eastern Catholicism - Father Daniel Dozier

20 Answers Anti-Catholic Myths - Jimmy Akin

20 Answers The End Times - Jimmy Akin

20 Answers The Rosary - Tom Nash

20 Answers Seasons & Feasts – Michelle Arnold

20 Answers New Age - Michelle Arnold

20 Answers Catholic Social Teaching – Mark Brumley

20 Answers Prayer – Hugh Barbour O. Praem and Sebastian Walshe O. Praem

20 Answers Faith & Reason – Christopher Kaczor

20 Answers The New Testament – Jimmy Akin

20 Answers Protestantism – Jimmy Akin

20 Answers Marriage & Sex – Todd Aglialoro

20 Answers The Early Church – Jim Blackburn

20 Answers The Old Testament – Jimmy Akin

20 Answers Judaism – Michelle Arnold

20 Answers The Sacraments – Father Mike Driscoll

20 Answers St Thomas Aquinas - Dr. Kevin Vost

...

Other Books from Catholic Answers:
Hard Sayings: A Catholic Approach to Answering Bible Difficulties - Trent Horn
A Daily Defense: Apologetics Lessons for Every Day - Jimmy Akin
The Apostasy That Wasn't: The Extraordinary Story of the Unbreakable Early Church - Rod Bennett
Answering Atheism - How to Make the Case for God with Logic and Charity - Trent Horn
Persuasive Pro Life: How to Talk About Our Culture's Toughest Issue - Trent Horn and Fr Frank Pavone
The Protestant's Dilemma: How the Reformation's Shocking Consequences Point to the Truth of Catholicism - Devin Rose
Behold Your Mother: A Biblical and Historical Defense of the Marian Doctrines - Tim Staples
Handed Down: The Catholic Faith of the Early Christians - James L. Papandrea
Demons, Deliverance, Discernment: Separating Fact from Fiction about the Spirit World - Fr. Mike Driscoll
Navigating the Tiber: How to Help Your Friends and Family Journey Toward the Catholic Faith - Devin Rose
100 Biblical Arguments Against Sola Scriptura - Dave Armstrong
The Drama of Salvation: How God Rescues You from Your Sins and Brings You to Eternal Life - Jimmy Akin
The Truth is Out There (Brendan and Erc in Exile Book 1 - Brother Amadeus and Amadeus
...Memorize the Reasons! Defending the Faith with the Catholic Art of Memory - Kevin Vost
Marching Orders: A Tactical Plan for Converting the World to Christ - Dan McGuire
The Fathers Know Best - Jimmy Akin
Why We're Catholic: Our Reasons for Faith, Hope, and Love - Trent Horn
The Old Evangelization: How to Spread the Faith Like Jesus Did - Eric Sammons
What the Saints Never Said - Trent Horn
...

Monday 22 May 2017

20 Answers The Real Jesus - Trent Horn- 20 Answers Series from Catholic Answers

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