Hank Unplugged: Essential Christian Conversations

Hank Hanegraaff is joined by J. Warner Wallace to discuss his new book Person of Interest: Why Jesus Still Matters in a World that Rejects the Bible. As a former atheist, Wallace understands why people would be skeptical about the significance of Jesus in our world today. When a pastor claimed that Jesus was the most significant figure in history, Wallace’s experience as a Cold Case Detective wouldn’t let him simply dismiss the claims of Christianity without a thorough examination of the facts. Employing his investigative background, Wallace was able to confirm the historicity and deity of Jesus—without relying on the New Testament manuscripts. Wallace no longer doubts the importance of Jesus and has dedicated his life to teaching others how to investigate the claims of Christianity and make a convincing case for the truth of the Christian worldview and the eternal importance of Jesus Christ—the quintessential person of history. For more information on receiving Person of Interest: Why Jesus Still Matters in a World that Rejects the Bible for your partnering gift, please click here. https://www.equip.org/product/cri-resource-cri2110hup/Topics discussed include: What made Jesus so smart? (8:20); what is a cold-case detective? (10:30); the value of illustrations while making investigations and arguments (12:45); what made J. Warner Wallace believe that he could uncover the truth about Jesus using the same approach used to solve real murder cases (16:35); what is a person of interest? (18:25); the testimony of J. Warner Wallace (19:10); can you prove the historicity and deity of Jesus Christ without using evidence from the Bible? (22:45); did mythology impact Christianity or did Christianity actually have a bigger influence on mythology? (29:35); why did Jesus arrive at the precisely perfect moment in history? (34:55); examining extrabiblical accounts of Jesus Christ (37:40); there have been more books written about Jesus than anyone else and it is not even close (42:00); why were so many artists—Christians and non-Christians alike—inspired by Jesus Christ? (44:00); the impact of Jesus and his followers—Christians—on the history of education globally (56:00); the importance of parenting on raising Christian children that will remain Christians as adults (59:50); the myth that Christianity is anti-science (1:04:30); the impact of the Judeo-Christian worldview on scientific discovery (1:10:20); how did Jesus ignite a scientific revolution? (1:17:30); why does it make sense to believe in miracles? (1:20:45); the impact of Jesus Christ on world religions other than Christianity (1:27:30); the overwhelming historical impact of Jesus Christ (1:30:50); why Hank Hanegraaff believes that Person of Interest: Why Jesus Still Matters in a World that Rejects the Bible is apologetics at its best (1:35:20).

Hank Hanegraaff, the host of the 𝘉𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘈𝘯𝘴𝘸𝘦𝘳 𝘔𝘢𝘯 broadcast and the 𝘏𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘜𝘯𝘱𝘭𝘶𝘨𝘨𝘦𝘥 podcast, is excited about the new book by J. Warner Wallace, A Person of Interest: Why Jesus Still Matters in a World That Rejects the Bible (Zondervan, 2021). Wallace, a cold-case detective, shows that Jesus of Nazareth certainly is a person of interest—as a case in point, Jesus dominates the publishing and film industries. There are twice as many books on Jesus of Nazareth as there are on the nearest challenger. And no other religious figure in history has inspired as many screenplays and movies. Whether you love Jesus or despise Him, you cannot ignore Him.

Hank Hanegraaff, host of the Bible Answer Man broadcast and the Hank Unplugged podcast, reflects on an excellent article by Cole Aronson, “In Defense of Motherhood.” Aronson reacts to the Department of Health and Human Services having replaced the moniker “mothers” with the phrase “birthing people.” A biological reality distinctive to mothers is in process of erasure. It isn’t enough that biological males compete against biological females in sports, now distinctives of biological females are being disparaged by new linguistic mandates. The term is even more objectionable when one considers that life does not begin with birth—but with conception.

Hank Hanegraaff, host of the Bible Answer Man broadcast and the Hank Unplugged podcast, received an image of his new pre-born grandchild and reflects on the president’s recent words, “I don’t agree” with “those who believe life begins at the moment of conception.” The most powerful human being in the free world no longer follows the science.

Hank Hanegraaff, host of the Bible Answer Man broadcast and the Hank Unplugged podcast, reflects on the heroic, Christ-honoring actions of Todd Beamer on Flight 93, September 11, 2001, who helped prevent the Muslim hijackers from crashing the Boeing 757 into the United States Capitol. Beamer’s source and impetus were the very Creator who made us all icons of Himself.

Hank Hanegraaff, host of the Bible Answer Man broadcast and the Hank Unplugged podcast, reflects on the fact that with the passing of time—twenty years since September 11, 2001—we have become complacent to the Islamic terrorism that spawned the Manhattan massacre. Some have forgotten—others are blithely unaware—that Islam is the only significant religious system in the history of the human race with a sociopolitical structure of law that mandates violence against the infidel. Disastrously, the current narrative is that to tell the truth in this respect is tantamount to radicalizing Muslims and exacerbating hostilities that might otherwise lie dormant. This narrative is, of course, patently false. In reality, Islam is not a religion in the sanitized western sense. Rather, Islam is an all-encompassing socio-political legal matrix that has bred a worldview antagonistic to anything but itself. There are, certainly, millions of peaceful and tolerant Muslims, but that hardly means that Islam is a peaceful and tolerant religion. It is not. The only real solution to a disintegrating West and resurgent Islam is the proliferation of the gospel of peace proclaimed by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Hank Hanegraaff, host of the Bible Answer Man broadcast and the Hank Unplugged podcast, shares that when his friend and publisher Jack Countryman asked him to write on peace, he considered it a daunting task. Not because he’s not experienced peace. Rather, because—as St. Paul explains—“the peace of God transcends all understanding.” How does one explain what transcends all understanding? The gospel of peace is a preview of the promise of perfect peace in paradise. Through peace with God, peace with others, and the promise of certain peace in paradise, we are equipped to face all the trials and tribulations life brings our way.

Hank Hanegraaff, host of the Bible Answer Man broadcast and the Hank Unplugged podcast, shares another profound letter from his sister Jobje, as she continues her arduous journey through pancreatic cancer treatment. “Each morning I eagerly look outside before the sun rises to reveal an absolutely beautiful scene. A white, thick mist hovers in the distance over the yet unplowed fields…. This mist which has brought by night the silent secret dew, the morning’s light reveals its adorning—the silvery, translucent, delicate frosting of the moisture on the branches, the twigs, the needles of the pine trees, and then even as I watch the steamy mist everywhere arising upward to meet the sun…This is my Creator at work, Who each day paints a new picture of His mercy for me.” James 4:14 reminds us, “What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.” “I am here only for a little while, but I am made in His image. Someday I will rise like a mist from my earthly existence, ascending upward into the sky to meet the Son, my Savior, and as He parts the veiled, cloudy mist, as He reveals Himself to me, as He takes me by the hand, as He brings me upwards through the misty clouds…I will finally finish my journey at His heaven…. I look forward to that day.” Thank you for your prayers for Jobje and her family.

Hank Hanegraaff, host of the Bible Answer Man broadcast and the Hank Unplugged podcast, reminds us that Islam advances not only by sword but, as the late Libyan leader Muammar al-Qaddafi boasted, by migration without assimilation. Indeed, said al-Qaddafi, “Allah will grant Islam victory in Europe—without swords, without guns, without conquests.” His point was that a civilization that is becoming Islamic demographically will inevitably succumb to Islam politically. From his perspective, there was no need to fly airplanes into buildings when with patience those same buildings can fall into Muslim hands, much like the billions of dollars of equipment and capital that are now in the hands of the Taliban, who also exercised patience.MUSLIM: What You Need to Know about the World’s Fastest-Growing Religion https://www.equip.org/product/cri-resource-muslim-and-robert-spencer-books-on-islam/

Hank Hanegraaff, the host of the Bible Answer Man broadcast and the Hank Unplugged podcast, observes that the moral evils we see happening in the world, including horrendous events in Afghanistan and the ongoing holocaust of abortion on demand, as well as natural evils like hurricanes, all cry out for an explanation. It may seem as though there are many possible responses to this problem. In reality, however, there are only three basic ones—responses from the point of view of philosophical naturalism, pantheism, and theism. And only Christian theism provides a relevant, plausible, and existentially satisfying resolution to the problem of evil. As followers of Jesus Christ, we look forward to a world in which “there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain” (Revelation 21: 4).