I’ve discovered a work by Dan Buttafuoco, a personal injury and malpractice attorney handling cases nationwide, that really hits it out of the park. His new book, "Consider the Evidence, A Trial Lawyer Examines Eyewitness Testimony In Defense Of The Reliability Of The New Testament," puts the Christian faith inside the courtroom.
Having tried many jury and non-jury cases over his 38-year career, Dan brings his legal insight to bear in analyzing evidence for the New Testament 's reliability both in subject matter and in transmission. While other authors have written extensively on this subject what strikes me about his book is that it is so readable that even the average person with a high school education can understand why we believe the New Testament to be the divinely inspired word of God.
This makes sense given Dan's skills as a trial lawyer which involves breaking down complex subjects so that the average juror can understand them.
In an era where the faith is being challenged by scandal, politically driven figureheads and self-interested laity, this book gives the average church-goer a simple and straight forward way to embrace God, bypassing the noise. Just a cursory look at the state of the "Christian "community these days shows an appalling lack of knowledge of biblical truth. People make up their own beliefs as they go because they seemingly have no knowledge of what the Bible teaches or if it even has authority in their lives.
Dan puts those doubts to rest with an excellent overview of the scholarly material that has been around for centuries (plus some brand new insights!) in that he explains why the Bible, which claims to be the "Word of God" over 2,000 times is actually just that.
Using the in-depth analysis of a trial lawyer in examining the records of Scripture, he is able to glean from the pages of both Old and New Testaments (and other writings and traditions) relevant to the case that there is substantial corroborative evidence of the truth claims of Christianity. Jesus and his disciples did not die for nothing. They instead perished for a much greater truth, a cause that persists to this day.
The evidence for the resurrection of Christ is substantial and Dan explains in detail why the entire Bible, from cover to cover, is really all about the redemptive plan of God for mankind culminating in the arrival and the ministry of Jesus Christ, capped by his resurrection, witnessed by over 500 people, many of whom testified in their writings to what they saw. The Apostles had a front row seat, they recorded it and they died for that testimony. Dan argues the case and shows the jury, you and me, through the preponderance of the evidence that the message is truthful and it is accurately preserved.
This book is a book that the average person can read and use to defend and bolster their faith in Christ. It is the type of book that can be given to people who, due to world events, may have a case of “doubting Thomas” syndrome. It is a brilliant summation of the arguments and pieces of evidence for Christianity. It is fast paced, the format is also easy to read and honestly is hard to put down for those searching for answers.
I recommend this book to anyone who is sincerely searching for the truth, who has been challenged in their Christian faith, or who may want to impart the wisdom of the Bible to their children in everyday language. This one belongs in every Christian's library.
Chris Salcedo, is a nationally recognized radio talk show host heard on WBAP is Dallas TX and KSEV in Houston TX. He is the author of the novel Liberty Rises, and the Executive Director of The Conservative Hispanic Society.
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