Faith is not afraid of questions. The Bible even tells us: “Test everything; hold fast what is good” (1 Thessalonians 5:21). And this is exactly what Lee Strobel did, though not for the reason you might expect.
Strobel was a journalist and an atheist. When his wife, Leslie, became a Christian, he was upset. He thought she had been fooled. So, he decided to investigate Christianity like a news story. His goal was to prove the Bible wrong and win his wife back to “reason.” Instead, his two-year journey led him to believe in Jesus.
In fact, he even brought his research to scientists, hoping they would find evidence of fraud in the Scriptures. Instead, their findings convinced him beyond any doubt that Jesus is Lord.
Where His Research Took Him
- History: Strobel asked, “Did Jesus really exist?” He interviewed scholars like Dr. Gary Habermas and Dr. Edwin Yamauchi about non-biblical sources (Tacitus, Josephus, etc.) that confirmed Jesus’ existence.
- The gospels: Could we trust the Bible’s accounts of Jesus? He examined the trustworthiness of the New Testament by consulting experts on manuscript evidence, comparing its reliability to other ancient works, and exploring archaeology and textual criticism to test the historical accuracy of the gospels. Strobel found that the New Testament had more historical evidence than almost any other ancient writing.
- The Resurrection: Did Jesus really resurrect? Strobel studied medical facts about crucifixion, looked at theories that tried to explain away the empty tomb, and examined the bold faith of the disciples. All the evidence pointed to one truth: Jesus rose from the dead.
- Psychological Evidence: Where the disciples brainwashed or lying? Strobel explored whether the disciples or early Christians were deluded or lying. He interviewed psychologist Dr. Gary Collins, who explained that group hallucinations are impossible. Strobel also saw that the apostles were consistent and willing to suffer and die for their testimony, clear evidence that they truly believed what they saw.
- Changed Lives: The strongest evidence was at home. His wife’s faith had transformed her. That change was real, and Strobel couldn’t explain it away.
The Final Result
Strobel started his journey hoping to pull Christianity apart, but instead, the evidence pulled him in. He became a Christian, convinced that Jesus really is Lord.
Today, through his book and movie The Case for Christ, millions of people have read his story and discovered that the Bible can stand up to research and questions.
As we celebrate Biblical Research Awareness Week, Strobel’s journey reminds us of this truth: honest research makes faith stronger. The Bible is not afraid of investigation, in fact, the more you study it, the more clearly it points to Jesus.