©1998, Baker Books, 230 pp. in paperback

Are the Gospel accounts of Christ’s life credible? In answer to the modern criticism to the contrary, the author tackles this question. He spends approximately the first third of the book summarizing modern criticism of the Gospels as reliable history. In the remaining two hundred pages he examines the Gospels by harmonizing their testimony into a chronological account of Christ’s life and ministry on earth. He shows that this harmony is neither forced nor contradictory. He emphasizes the historicity of the Gospels.

As the reader is taken on the path of Christ’s earthly sojourn, the author makes many insightful comments that open up a number of texts for a better understanding. For example, he believes there were two temple cleansings by Christ. One was at the beginning of His ministry. He notes that in this cleansing Christ drove out the sacrificial animals. Van Bruggen notes that Christ was stating by this action that there was no longer a need for sacrificial animals. He was the Lamb of God, who alone could take away the sins of the world. He provides a number of examples from Jesus’ ministry that shows the emphasis Christ put on faith in Christ and Christ’s work. He relates the place of Christ’s ascension to the area where earlier Christ had begun his ascent into Jerusalem mounted on a donkey. From this locale the resurrected Christ ascended into the heavenly Jerusalem.

The explanation given in the harmony of Christ’s life was edifying to me. A number of tables provide information connecting the chronology of Christ’s life in the Gospels. A scripture index and other indices are also included.

This book will be helpful to readers who want to better understand the travels and ministry of Christ as the events occurred. The author writes clearly and upholds the historicity of the Gospels. This book will also be of interest to those who do not want to acquaint themselves with modern criticism. These pages can be skipped. However, acquainting oneself with ongoing criticism, such as he examines, reminds the reader that these criticisms can be answered by examining the inspired scripture accounts that are available to us – the four Gospels themselves.

Review ©2009 Byron Snapp, Hampton, Virginia