Luke, Theophilus & In-N-Out Burger
Chris Roseborough invited me to join him for a discussion of Luke, Joanna, Theophilus, and more — but perhaps we spent a little too much time talking about our mutual love of In-N-Out Burger?
During this fun exchange, Chris and I spent some time talking about the importance of “local knowledge,” and how an understanding of this concept helps us to authenticate the Gospel of Luke. Throughout his ancient text, Luke refers to people, places, events, and customs, that when checked with what we know of the period, provide us with a high level of confidence that his report is not a fictional account, but is an authentic presentation of the life of Jesus rooted in eyewitness testimony.
Since both of us spent many years in Southern California, we gave some examples of our own local knowledge of the area, such as the best route to take if you’re driving from “Monrovia to Huntington Beach,” or the name of the place to go if you’re in the mood for a “double-double, animal style.” That probably won’t make a lot of sense to outsiders, but Southern California natives will immediately recognize the reference to In-N-Out Burger. When we take a close look at all four Gospels, we actually encounter numerous examples of this kind.
We also spent some time discussing the thesis of my forthcoming book, Luke’s Key Witness. If you would like a “pre-release” PDF copy of this book, simply make a GIFT of any size or upgrade to a PAID subscription—when you subscribe you’ll get immediate access to the book at the bottom of this page, otherwise, please allow 24 hours for email delivery. To begin reading a free sample of the first two chapters, use the link below.
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Video
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Water Into Wine? Shane Rosenthal
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