There are some Christians and so-called Christians (the Jehovah’s Witnesses in particular) who frown upon the whole idea of celebrating Jesus’ birth. They say, “Nowhere in the Bible are we told to celebrate Christmas and there is no record that the early Christians did so.” Bah humbug! While we don’t have a specific commandment to celebrate Christmas, we do have Scriptural justification to celebrate Christ’s birth. Shortly after an angel of the Lord appeared to the shepherds on the night of Christ’s birth, the Bible says “a multitude of the heavenly host” (angels), were “praising God, saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased'” (Luke 2:13–14). The angels celebrated the birth of Jesus. So, if we celebrate Jesus’s birth with singing (e.g., Joy to the World, Silent Night, Away in a Manger), we are following the pattern laid out for us by the angels. For more on this and other issues related to Christmas, see the resources below.
VIDEO:
“The Case for Christmas” by Charlie Campbell
ARTICLES:
“Should Christians Celebrate Christmas?” by Charlie Campbell
“A Review of the DVD: The Star of Bethlehem” and more here.
“Should Christians Celebrate Christmas?” by the Christian Research Institute
“Are Christmas Trees Idolatrous?” by Hank Hanegraaff
“Is Christmas related to Saturnalia?” by Got Questions?
“Is Christmas Pagan?” by Elliot Miller
“The Case for Christmas” (book) by Lee Strobel
RECOMMENDED RESOURCES IN OUR ONLINE STORE:
New, Updated & Expanded Edition
ARCHAEOLOGICAL EVIDENCE FOR THE BIBLE: Discoveries that Verify People, Places, and Events in the World's Most Influential Book
Archaeologists have unearthed thousands of ancient artifacts, documents, and inscriptions that verify details in the Bible. Join Charlie Campbell for a journey through the ancient land of the Bible (Israel, Egypt, Jordan, etc.) to learn about dozens of these fascinating discoveries. This updated 2020 edition features:
• New discoveries
• Concise explanations of finds
• 100+ color photographs
• Bible-history timeline
• Subject and Scripture index
• Questions for discussion
• 300+ footnotes for further study
• Q&A with the author
This updated edition now includes more than 500 faith-strengthening quotes by leading defenders of the Christian faith...
• Norman Geisler
• Lee Strobel
• John Lennox
• Greg Koukl
• Ron Rhodes
• William Lane Craig
• John MacArthur
• C.S. Lewis
• Josh McDowell
• Frank Turek
• J. Warner Wallace + lots more
Includes author, subject, and scripture index. Paperback, 120 pages.
DAKOTA KNOX & THE ARCHAEOLOGY THIEF (apologetics in an action-packed thriller for your teen)
A group of teenagers visiting Israel with their families risk their lives investigating the whereabouts of Bible-affirming archaeological artifacts that were stolen from a museum in Jerusalem. Will they find the artifacts? Why are they important? What did they reveal about the Bible? Find out in Dakota Knox and the Archaeology Thief! Paperback or hardcover, 200 pages. The sequel to this book is available here.
ANSWERING ATHEISTS: Concise Responses to Atheists' Objections to God and the Bible
(DVD or downloadable mp4 video)
In this video, Charlie Campbell offers concise 3-5 minute responses to a variety of objections that atheists bring up about God and the Bible. Objections like:
• "The Bible condones slavery!”
• “God commanded the Jews to commit genocide!"
• “A talking snake in the Garden of Eden? How do you believe this stuff?”
• “If God existed, He’d appear to us in a public setting!”
• “The Bible was written by men! It’s not trustworthy.”
• “It’s foolish to think a god built a universe billions of light years across just to have a personal relationship with you.”
• “Evolution is a proven fact.”
• “The Bible is oppressive and harmful to women!”
• “Religions, Christianity included, are responsible for most of the world’s wars, suffering, and atrocities!”
• and more!
CHARLIE CAMPBELL'S ENTIRE VIDEO + AUDIO LECTURE COLLECTION on a USB FLASH DRIVE
Amazingly, this tiny USB flash drive contains the entire collection of Charlie Campbell’s 34 DVD presentations (and 37 audio lectures) on a wide variety of issues related to the defense of the Christian faith. And read the reviews—people love these videos! Just plug this genuine mahogany flash drive into the USB port on your television or computer and begin watching any of the videos you'd like. You can also transfer the videos to your iPad, iPhone, or other tablet. We include easy-to-follow directions with your order.
ONE MINUTE ANSWERS TO SKEPTICS: Concise Response to the Top 50 Objections & Questions
Could you use help answering atheists, skeptics, and agnostics’ top 50 objections and questions about God and the Bible? Objections like:
• “Why doesn’t God just appear to us in a public setting and prove He exists?”
• “The New Testament authors stole details for Jesus’s life story from religions that were around long before Christianity!”
• “The God of the Old Testament commanded the Israelites to commit genocide!”
• “The Bible condones slavery! Only evil, selfish men would concoct a book like that!”
• “You think Christianity is true because you live in the West and were brought up in the Christian faith. If you had been born in India, you’d be a Hindu!”
Learn how these and other objections and questions can be answered in this updated and expanded edition of One Minute Answers to Skeptics. Paperback, 112 pages.
EVIDENCE FOR THE BIBLE (Part 1): Ten Reasons You Can Trust the Scriptures
(DVD or downloadable mp4 video)
Was the Bible written by deceitful men? Is the Bible out-of-sync with scientific discoveries? Has the Bible undergone corruption as it was translated down through the centuries? Are the persons, places and events mentioned in the Bible mythological? What sets the Bible apart from other religious writings like the Quran, Hindu Vedas, or Book of Mormon? Charlie Campbell has been researching answers to questions like these for more than twenty years. In this updated, expanded 83 minute video he answers these questions as he builds a compelling ten-pronged case for the trustworthiness of the Bible:
• Scientific Discoveries
• Archaeological Evidence
• Fulfilled Prophecies
• The Dead Sea Scrolls
• Extrabiblical Historical Sources
• The Martyrdom of the Disciples
• Problems in the Quran
• Problems in the Book of Mormon
• And more!
ARCHAEOLOGICAL EVIDENCE FOR THE BIBLE
(DVD or downloadable mp4 video)
Is the Bible a collection of fables and myths? Are the persons, places, and events in the Bible just fabrications by deceitful men? Many critics of Christianity think so, but archaeological discoveries show otherwise. Over the past two centuries, archaeologists have made thousands of discoveries that have helped to verify the exact truthfulness of the Bible's detailed records of various events, customs, persons, cities, nations, and geographical locations. This video by Charlie Campbell will introduce you to several of these fascinating Bible-affirming finds, both old and new. Length: 53 minutes.
SCROLLS & STONES: Compelling Evidence the Bible Can Be Trusted
Can we trust the Bible? Isn’t the Bible just “ancient fiction” written by fallible, perhaps even deceitful men? Haven’t books of the Bible been lost and even tampered with down through the centuries? Isn’t the Bible out-of- sync with scientific discoveries? What about the apparent contradictions in the Bible? What makes the Bible any different than the Hindu Vedas, Quran, or Book of Mormon? Charlie Campbell has been researching answers to questions like these for nearly twenty-five years. It was his initial research that led him to become a follower of Jesus in 1990. In Scrolls & Stones he shares some of the evidence that changed his mind back then but also fascinating new discoveries...all confirming the reliability of the Bible. You’ll learn about:
• Extrabiblical Historical Sources that Verify Biblical Events
• Scientific Discoveries Archaeological Evidence
• Fulfilled Prophecies
• Ancient Scrolls and Manuscripts
• Answers to Skeptics’ Objections and Questions
• And more!
Contains questions for further reflection and small group discussion, and a full subject index.
Video & Book curriculum by Charlie Campbell
Is your teen prepared to survive college and a secular workplace with his or her faith still intact? Many teens are not. ABR has heard from so many parents whose kids have walked away from the Lord after heading off to college. And the parents consistently say, "We wish we would have done more to expose our kids to good Christian apologetics and evidences." You probably know the importance of apologetics. You want your kids to be prepared to stand against the onslaught of skepticism they will be confronted with in the world. But where does one begin? What subjects are the most important to address? What authors and resources can I trust? What resources will my teen be able to grasp and enjoy? If you’ve been wondering about these kinds of questions, ABR is excited to let you know that help has arrived. Learn more here.
ANSWERS TO ATHEISTS' ATTACKS ON JESUS
(DVD or downloadable mp4 video)
When it comes to Jesus, atheists commonly say:
• There’s no credible evidence Jesus existed
• The authors of the Gospels stole their ideas for Jesus’ life from other ancient religions
• The earliest Christians didn’t believe Jesus was God
• The Gospels contradict one another
• There are scientific errors in the Gospels
• The “Gospel of Thomas” and the “Gospel of Judas” give us a more accurate understanding of who Jesus was
• Accounts of Jesus’ miracles are fabrications
Charlie Campbell, an author and Christian apologist, responds to these charges and lays out a compelling case that Jesus really did exist and the Gospels are trustworthy accounts of His life. Length: 52 minutes.
EVIDENCE FOR GOD: Reasons to Believe from Cosmology, Biology, Philosophy, History and the Bible
(DVD or downloadable mp4 video)
Did the universe just pop into being from "literally nothing," as Richard Dawkins and other prominent atheists say? Did human beings with 206 bones and nearly 700 muscles come into being by unguided natural causes? Searching out answers to questions like these led Charlie Campbell to abandon his atheism in 1990. In this DVD, he shares some of the evidence from cosmology, biology, philosophy, history, and the Bible that changed his mind. If you have doubts about God, watch this with an open mind! Length: 68 minutes.