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In the second half of his Gospel, Luke recounts Jesus' final journey to Jerusalem. Is it historically plausible? Check out this 7-minute video based on Chapter 10 from The Historical Tell. |
The poker player’s tell is a familiar concept…the nervous tick, the slight change in behavior, the pattern of very subtle, largely unintentional cues that give away the truth of a poker player’s hand. The Historical Tell looks at similar patterns in Luke’s Gospel – at the rich historical details that would be very difficult for Luke the Evangelist to fake and very easy for him to overlook and get wrong.
Bolstering the case for Luke’s reliability, The Historical Tell investigates the significant claim Luke makes at the outset: that he relied on eyewitness testimony (Luke 1.1–4). It demonstrates that five patterns in Luke’s Gospel are not only best explained by Luke’s claim being true, but that these patterns fit together to form a corroborative evidence case. We do not need to take Luke’s claim about eyewitnesses at face value; we do not need to simply take the church at its word. But by following the evidence, we can gain new confidence in the claims Luke makes and in the eyewitnesses whose voices echo even today.
Bolstering the case for Luke’s reliability, The Historical Tell investigates the significant claim Luke makes at the outset: that he relied on eyewitness testimony (Luke 1.1–4). It demonstrates that five patterns in Luke’s Gospel are not only best explained by Luke’s claim being true, but that these patterns fit together to form a corroborative evidence case. We do not need to take Luke’s claim about eyewitnesses at face value; we do not need to simply take the church at its word. But by following the evidence, we can gain new confidence in the claims Luke makes and in the eyewitnesses whose voices echo even today.
"In this fresh and engaging treatment of Luke/Acts, Luuk van de Weghe contributes meaningfully to our understandings of biblical historiography regarding the histories of early Christianity and Jesus of Nazareth. By excavating five distinctive features of Luke's two volumes, the author not only argues for Luke’s use of eyewitness testimony; he demonstrates how this was done. In the light of this analysis, Luke 1.2 comes into lucid focus. Appreciation for what he has received from ‘eyewitnesses and servants of the word’ is not just a throwaway line; it reflects the epistemological character of much of Luke's material."
Paul N. Anderson
Author of The Christology of the Fourth Gospel, The Fourth Gospel and the Quest for Jesus, and From Crisis to Christ: A Contextual Introduction to the New Testament
"This book is a rare accomplishment: van de Weghe succeeds in condensing for a popular audience a vast amount of scholarly research directly relevant to understanding Luke-Acts. Popular readers will enjoy a presentation brimming with lively examples from history and modern culture while scholars will value the substantial analysis supported by original research, full endnotes, and appendices. Anyone interested in understanding how the eyewitnesses functioned as sources in the writing of Luke and Acts needs to reckon with van de Weghe's work."
John J. Peters
Author of Luke Among the Ancient Historians
"The Historical Tell is a short book and yet it packs a strong punch. Luuk van de Weghe relies upon some classic arguments, but arranges them in a unique fashion, and adds some new insights as to why there is eyewitness testimony behind Luke and Acts."
Sean McDowell
Professor of Apologetics, Biola University
Author or co-author of multiple books including Evidence that Demands a Verdict
"Luuk Vandeweghe would make an excellent detective. In The Historical Tell, he carefully sifts through the data from the Gospel of Luke and the Book of Acts, searching for evidence of eyewitness testimony. His discoveries bolster the case for the reliability of the New Testament from several unique investigative angles. If you're interested in an engaging evidential approach to the case for Jesus, The Historical Tell will inspire and encourage you. I highly recommend it."
J. Warner Wallace
Dateline featured Cold-Case Detective
Senior Fellow at the Colson Center for Christian Worldview
Adjunct Professor of Apologetics at Talbot School of Theology (Biola University)
Author of Cold-Case Christianity and Person of Interest
"On the question of the historical reliability of Luke-Acts, Luuk van de Weghe breaks some new ground. Most important is his meticulous analysis of names, demonstrating that here Luke is in line with serious historians like Plutarch, Suetonius or Josephus. Vivid details, especially in the Lukan special material, point to the memories of eye-witnesses. Very stimulating is the author's explanation of the parallels between the Gospels of Luke and John. The study strengthens the view that Luke was not a third-generation believer but could himself interrogate eyewitnesses of the Jesus story.
Rainer Riesner
Professor emeritus of New Testament at the University of Dortmund/Germany
"Luke and Acts has its critics, but also its defenders, including such authorities as Martin Hengel, F.F. Bruce, Colin Hemer,
Craig Keener, and recently, Daniel J-S Chae. To those names can now be added Luuk van de Weghe. I have previewed this book with great interest, admiration, and, dare I say, envy. The author displays to me an incredible breadth
of authoritative knowledge—names, cultural details, minute observations…the list goes on."
Paul Barnett
Lecturer Emeritus, Moore Theological College
Paul N. Anderson
Author of The Christology of the Fourth Gospel, The Fourth Gospel and the Quest for Jesus, and From Crisis to Christ: A Contextual Introduction to the New Testament
"This book is a rare accomplishment: van de Weghe succeeds in condensing for a popular audience a vast amount of scholarly research directly relevant to understanding Luke-Acts. Popular readers will enjoy a presentation brimming with lively examples from history and modern culture while scholars will value the substantial analysis supported by original research, full endnotes, and appendices. Anyone interested in understanding how the eyewitnesses functioned as sources in the writing of Luke and Acts needs to reckon with van de Weghe's work."
John J. Peters
Author of Luke Among the Ancient Historians
"The Historical Tell is a short book and yet it packs a strong punch. Luuk van de Weghe relies upon some classic arguments, but arranges them in a unique fashion, and adds some new insights as to why there is eyewitness testimony behind Luke and Acts."
Sean McDowell
Professor of Apologetics, Biola University
Author or co-author of multiple books including Evidence that Demands a Verdict
"Luuk Vandeweghe would make an excellent detective. In The Historical Tell, he carefully sifts through the data from the Gospel of Luke and the Book of Acts, searching for evidence of eyewitness testimony. His discoveries bolster the case for the reliability of the New Testament from several unique investigative angles. If you're interested in an engaging evidential approach to the case for Jesus, The Historical Tell will inspire and encourage you. I highly recommend it."
J. Warner Wallace
Dateline featured Cold-Case Detective
Senior Fellow at the Colson Center for Christian Worldview
Adjunct Professor of Apologetics at Talbot School of Theology (Biola University)
Author of Cold-Case Christianity and Person of Interest
"On the question of the historical reliability of Luke-Acts, Luuk van de Weghe breaks some new ground. Most important is his meticulous analysis of names, demonstrating that here Luke is in line with serious historians like Plutarch, Suetonius or Josephus. Vivid details, especially in the Lukan special material, point to the memories of eye-witnesses. Very stimulating is the author's explanation of the parallels between the Gospels of Luke and John. The study strengthens the view that Luke was not a third-generation believer but could himself interrogate eyewitnesses of the Jesus story.
Rainer Riesner
Professor emeritus of New Testament at the University of Dortmund/Germany
"Luke and Acts has its critics, but also its defenders, including such authorities as Martin Hengel, F.F. Bruce, Colin Hemer,
Craig Keener, and recently, Daniel J-S Chae. To those names can now be added Luuk van de Weghe. I have previewed this book with great interest, admiration, and, dare I say, envy. The author displays to me an incredible breadth
of authoritative knowledge—names, cultural details, minute observations…the list goes on."
Paul Barnett
Lecturer Emeritus, Moore Theological College