Man, Myth, Messiah: Answering History’s Greatest Question

233 Pages·2016·1.49 MB·English

by  Rice Broocks

PRAISE FOR MAN, MYTH, MESSTAH
“In a passionate and yet gentle and balanced way, this thoughtful book addresses
many questions with which people today struggle and can help believers share
their faith more effectively. It injects a healthy dose of common sense into
popular debates too often dominated by intemperate rhetoric and historically
irresponsible claims. This book makes the Christian faith more intelligible,
offering a valuable defense for God’s truth.”
—DR. CRAIG S. KEENER PROFESSOR OF NEW TESTAMENT, ASBURY THEOLOGICAL
SEMINARY; AND AUTHOR, NIV® BIBLE BACKGROUND COMMENTARY
“Dr. Rice Broocks has written a comprehensive but highly accessible book
defending the key tenets of the Christian faith. Based on cutting-edge
scholarship in documentary history and New Testament studies, he marshals
persuasive arguments for the reliability of the New Testament documents, for the
historicity of the resurrection, and for the divinity and Messianic credentials of
Jesus of Nazareth. Broocks’s concern for, and long experience speaking to,
college-aged students comes through on every page in this conversational but
rigorous work of practical apologetics. I highly recommended it.”
—DR. STEPHEN C. MEYER AUTHOR, SIGNATURE IN THE CELL; AND PRESENTER,
TRUEU APOLOGETIC SERIES
“In Man, Myth, Messiah Rice Broocks takes a massive amount of historical
research on Jesus and makes it accessible, interesting, and relevant for today.
This book will both strengthen the belief of Christians and challenge the unbelief
of skeptics. As Broocks demonstrates, Jesus has had more influence on history
than any living person. Isn’t it worth wrestling with the question Jesus said
matters most: “Who do you say I am?” Man, Myth, Messiah will take you on a
journey to explore the historical evidence for the resurrection and the powerful
implications that has for your life.”
—SEAN MCDOWELL, PHD BIOLA UNIVERSITY PROFESSOR, INTERNATIONALLY
RECOGNIZED SPEAKER, AND BESTSELLING AUTHOR, THE FATE OF THE APOSTLES
“I highly recommend this volume to you as a way to answer tough questions,
ground the proclamation of the gospel message, and be prepared to share these
truths with others, all from one text. Dr. Broocks is a capable guide to bring us
safely to our destination. There is no greater message in life than that the gospel
proclamation is true, that it answers our deepest needs and questions, along with
the incredible benefit of eternal life to all who believe.”
—GARY R. HABERMAS, PHD DISTINGUISHED PROFESSOR AND CHAIR, DEPARTMENT
OF PHILOSOPHY AND THEOLOGY, LIBERTY UNIVERSITY
“Rice Broocks has done it again. In God’s Not Dead he traced the evidence for
God’s existence with the heart of a pastor. In Man, Myth, Messiah Rice turns his
attention to the person of Jesus as he examines the most important question of
history. Few people understand the connection between evidence and
evangelism as well as Rice Broocks, and this book, once again, reveals his heart
as an evangelist and teacher. Man, Myth, Messiah is more than an apologetics
book. It provides the evidence and challenges you to share the case with others.”
—J. WARNER WALLACE COLD CASE DETECTIVE AND AUTHOR, GOD’S CRIME SCENE
AND COLD-CASE CHRISTIANITY

© 2016 Rice Broocks
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ISBN 978-0-7180-0593-1 (eBook)
Library of Congress Control Number: 2015951788
ISBN 978-0-8499-4856-5
16 17 18 19 20 RRD 6 5 4 3 2 1
To the Undecided
CONTENTS
Foreword by Gary R. Habermas, PhD
Introduction: It Is a Thing Most Wonderful
Chapter 1: Man, Myth, or Messiah?:
History’s Greatest Question
Chapter 2: The Minimal Facts:
What Even Skeptics Believe
Chapter 3: We Can Trust the Gospels:
Why the Bible Is Reliable
Chapter 4: The Crucifixion:
Why Jesus Had to Die
Chapter 5: The Resurrection:
The Event that Changed Everything
Chapter 6: Dispelling the Myths:
The Uniqueness of the Jesus Story
Chapter 7: Jesus the Messiah:
Son of Man, Son of God
Chapter 8: Miracles:
Evidence of the Supernatural
Chapter 9: Following Jesus:
Answering the Call to Discipleship
Chapter 10: Defenders of the Faith:
Prepared to Share the Gospel
Epilogue: Beyond a Reasonable Doubt
Acknowledgments
Notes
Index
About the Author
FOREWORD
FROM POPULAR CULTURE TO NEW TESTAMENT CIRCLES in
particular, the topic of the historical Jesus is arguably the most prominent subject
at the present time. It has been that way for at least two or three decades as well.
Since at least the 1980s, scholars have been engaged in what has been dubbed as
the “Third Quest for the Historical Jesus,” beginning with the initial German
movement back in the nineteenth century.
Into this contemporary milieu steps Dr. Rice Broocks, having penned his
volume, Man, Myth, Messiah: Answering History’s Greatest Question. It
acquaints readers with a popular overview of some key questions and issues
from the current interest in linking Jesus Christ to history. Yet this text doesn’t
spare or shy away from sharing some of the scholarly ideas and key quotations
that frame the present discussions.
In order to achieve this sort of task, Dr. Broocks endeavors to start with
basic principles, moving up to more involved issues. In the process, many of the
chief questions, topics, and state-of-the-art approaches are introduced and
addressed.
All of this combines to make this volume a valuable guide to contemporary
studies. It is also a manual of additional data that can assist with addressing the
big questions that consistently gather around this subject.
As the author of this work, Dr. Broocks brings a unique combination of traits
to this project. He is a pastor of a thriving multi-ethnic congregation in the
Nashville Tennessee area, with a worldwide ministry beyond that, reaching out
primarily to university students; with many other books, as well as a research
doctorate from Fuller Seminary, to his credit. But having said that, Rice has an
insatiable drive to help build God’s kingdom. Evangelism is his heartbeat.
Unlike many in his profession, he realizes that such can only be built on a
foundation of knowledge. Thus, there is no substitute for established truth that
exudes into purposeful action. A dearth in either area can be disastrous for
Christian ministry. That’s why this is the second time that one of his books has
been the basis for a full-length movie!
For reasons such as these, Dr. Broocks builds a Christian foundation from
which we can then launch out into action in the world. That is obvious when, in
the first three chapters, he introduces the topics of history, the “Minimal Facts
Method,” and the reliability of Scripture. The next three chapters present some
of the historical basis for Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection, along with His
uniqueness. The two subjects after that are devoted to Jesus’ deity and the reality
of the supernatural world.
Only after laying this foundation does he move to the believer’s need to
engage in both discipleship and evangelism. As mentioned, good foundations
provide the launching grounds for moving into sound practical action. But then it
was the same way in the New Testament too.
For just one or two examples among the many that could be cited here, Paul
stated that when he preached to the Corinthians, he first presented the gospel
message. When the factual side of the gospel was defined in the New Testament,
the deity of Christ, along with his death and resurrection, was named. Then after
laying out this foundation, the apostle encouraged a commitment to Jesus Christ
(1 Corinthians 15:1–2). Likewise, when Peter preached his first Pentecost
sermon, which started the church, he also laid out the historical gospel
foundation before he led into the practical message of evangelism (Acts 2:22–
41).
This is the approach taken in this book, as Dr. Broocks also develops the
groundwork before explaining God’s remedy. He is a qualified leader in these
areas, and he has a heart for doing so as well. In chapter 2, for instance, he
shows how the minimal historical foundation of Christianity is so strong that
skeptical scholars even accept its bedrock truths. Since this is the case, why
wouldn’t someone take the next step and believe?
For reasons such as these, I highly recommend this volume to you as a way
to answer tough questions, ground the proclamation of the gospel message, and
be prepared to share these truths with others, all from one text. Dr. Broocks is a
capable guide to bring us safely to our destination. There is no greater message
in life than that the gospel proclamation is true, that it answers our deepest needs
and questions, along with the incredible benefit of eternal life to all who believe.
—GARY R. HABERMAS, PHD DISTINGUISHED PROFESSOR AND CHAIR, DEPARTMENT
OF PHILOSOPHY AND THEOLOGY, LIBERTY UNIVERSITY