Dr. Jeremiah Johnston hosts special guests, the author and contributor of “Dead Sea Rising: A Novel,” a fictional story with a backdrop of accurate archeology. Dr. Jerry B. Jenkins collaborated with Dr. Craig Evans, a New Testament scholar, in the telling of the story.
Jenkins says, after becoming a Christian at an early age, he felt a calling for Christian ministry. He thought initially it would be in a traditional role such as a pastor, but he used his writing expertise instead to tell the story of the Gospel in untraditional ways. “Dead Sea Rising” is his 195th book; his titles have been on the New York Times bestselling list more than 20 times.
“I can exercise my gift and see results that evangelists and pastors see,” Jenkins says.
Although he has been broadly successful, Jenkins notes that his measure of accomplishment is different than it is for most authors. “It’s not about good reviews, sales and royalty checks,” he says. “To me, success is obedience. I obey by fulfilling that call.”
Jenkins says, “People listen to stories; they might or might not listen to a lecture or read an academic book, but they’ll read a story. I always teach writers that an article or a book should always be more than just about something – it should have a purpose – and the purpose is to see the truth.”
Jenkins says his work with Dr. Evans on the recent story was especially meaningful because Evans was able to provide solid, historical information and contextual guidance for the adventure story.
Evans emphasizes, “Real archeology is exciting too. You don’t have to distort it. It involves all kinds of crazy things. You can tell exciting, fictional stories and yet still be accurate.”
In the show, Dr. Johnston answers several questions through AskJJJ.com from listeners about the nature of God, the afterlife and even about having curiosity as a Christian.
“God loves you, and you can stand blameless because of the work Jesus did for you on the cross,” Dr. Johnston says.
Jerry B. Jenkins is a renowned Christian novelist, celebrated for books including the “Left Behind” series. As a New York Times bestselling author, he also helps aspiring writers become successful. Dr. Craig Evans is the John Bisagno Distinguished Professor of Christian Origins at Houston Baptist University. As a New Testament scholar, he has been called upon to contribute in many and academic projects.
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