Ancient Evidence, Living Faith: Exhibit 9 – The Erastus Inscription at Corinth

The Erastus inscription is a first-century Latin pavement engraving discovered in Corinth in Greece in 1929 during excavations by the American School of Classical Studies.

It was found in a paved square near the theater, with the Latin words carved directly into the stone pavement. The style of lettering and archaeological context date it to the mid-1st century AD, aligning with the time when Paul wrote his letters from Corinth.

It reads: “Erastus, in return for his aedileship, laid (this pavement) at his own expense.”

This matches Paul’s mention of “Erastus, the treasurer of the city” in Romans 16:23 (NKJV). In Roman municipal life, an aedile was a civic official responsible for public works and finances — a role consistent with Paul’s description.

The stone strengthens the historical reliability of the New Testament by tying a named individual in Scripture to a real, archaeologically verified public official in the same city and period.

It’s a tangible reminder that the people Paul worked with were part of the real social and political life of their cities, and that the message of the Bible is grounded in real history – not fiction.

Ancient Evidence, Living Faith: Exhibit 8 – The Synagogue of Capernaum

Synagogues from the time of Jesus have been uncovered by archaeological excavations, including remnants of an ancient one in Capernaum. These were central places of worship and learning for the Jewish people.

Excavations in Capernaum have revealed that beneath the remains of a later synagogue are the lower sections of an earlier one. Humble basalt stones used for the foundation of the earlier assembly place have been dated to the early first century A.D., which aligns with the inspired accounts of Jesus teaching and healing in this very place.

Mark reports Jesus’ activity there: “Then they went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath He entered the synagogue and taught” (Mark 1:21 NKJV; see also Luke 4:31–33).

These discoveries confirm the New Testament picture and remind us that Christ’s message was heard in everyday settings, among real people, and that His mission was ultimately to bring spiritual healing.

Ancient Evidence, Living Faith: Exhibit 3 – The “House of David” Inscription at Tel Dan

For decades, skeptics questioned the existence of David, comparing him to legendary figures like King Arthur. But that all changed in the 1990s.

In 1993, archaeologists found a broken stone inscription at Tel Dan in northern Israel. It specifically referred to events involving a ruler from the “House of David.” This was thought to be the first extra-biblical mention of King David, and was written just a few generations after his life.

The Bible clearly describes David’s reign: “And your house and your kingdom shall be established forever before you. Your throne shall be established forever” (2 Samuel 7:16 NKJV). Jesus was recognized as the promised Messiah, a descendant of David (see Matt. 1:17; Luke 1:32; John 7:42; Acts 13:22-23; Rom. 1:3).

The Tel Dan Stele confirms that David was real, his dynasty was real, and that the biblical account is based on history. It gives us confidence in what the Bible says – not just spiritually, but also historically.

Ancient Evidence, Living Faith: Exhibit 2 – Hezekiah’s Tunnel

Jerusalem was threatened with a siege during King Hezekiah’s reign. To prepare, Hezekiah ordered the construction of a tunnel to secretly bring water into the city.

One of his greatest accomplishments was rerouting water from the Gihon Spring on Jerusalem’s east side to the west, into a protected pool – an effort recorded in 2 Kings 20:20 (also in 2 Chronicles 32:2-4, 30). As 2 Chronicles 32:30 (NKJV) explains:
“This same Hezekiah also stopped the water outlet of Upper Gihon, and brought the water by tunnel to the west side of the City of David.”

In the 1800s, archaeologists rediscovered this remarkable tunnel – about 1,750 feet long and carved through solid rock. Inside, they found the Siloam Inscription, which describes how two teams of workers dug from opposite ends and met in the middle.

In 2007, more inscriptions found near the Gihon Spring were deciphered, adding further evidence of Hezekiah’s work.

This tunnel – still intact today – is not a legend. It’s a real, stone witness to both Hezekiah’s faith and his action. He didn’t just trust God; he obeyed Him. Faith and obedience went hand in hand.

Hezekiah’s Tunnel stands as powerful archaeological confirmation of the Bible’s historical reliability and a lasting example of faithful preparation in the face of danger. We are called to do the same – not just to believe, but to act with reliance on God.

Ancient Evidence, Living Faith: Archaeological Discoveries That Strengthen Our Faith

Some people think of archaeology as dry science or distant history, but it can actually serve as a strong source of encouragement for those who follow the Bible. While our faith is built on God’s Word (see Romans 10:17) and not on stones or scrolls, the discoveries made by archaeologists in deserts and ruins can powerfully confirm the Bible’s reliability and historical accuracy.

Peter reminds us, “For we did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty” (2 Peter 1:16 NKJV).

Christianity is rooted in real events, real people, and real places. Archaeology doesn’t replace faith – it reinforces it, echoing the truth we already trust.

In his book Rivers in the Desert: A History of the Negev, Nelson Glueck observed: “It may be stated categorically that no archaeological discovery has ever controverted a biblical reference. Scores of archaeological findings have been made which confirm in clear outline or exact detail historical statements in the Bible.”

In this blog series, we’ll revisit some of the most significant archaeological discoveries of the last 100 years. Each one sheds light on a biblical account or personality and confirms what Christians have known to be true all along.

Twelve Subjects for Judgment Day

A sobering fact presented in Scripture is that all of us will one day stand before Christ to be judged for eternity.

“Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead” (Acts 17:30-31, all Scripture taken from NKJV)

In what areas of life will we be judged? Consider a dozen ways the Bible says the Lord will assess us in this crucial test:

1. How we treat others.

Rom. 14:10 – “But why do you judge your brother? Or why do you show contempt for your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.”

2. How we talk.

Matt. 12:36-37 – “But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”

3. How we use our abilities.

2 Cor. 5:10 – “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.”

4. How we use our money.

James 5:3 – “Your gold and silver are corroded, and their corrosion will be a witness against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have heaped up treasure in the last days.”

5. How we use our time.

1 Thes. 5:6 – “Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober.”

6. How we endure hardship for Jesus.

2 Cor. 4:17- “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory”

7. How we pursue God’s plan for our lives.

Philip. 2:16 – “holding fast the word of life, so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain.”

8. How we have conquered who we used to be.

1 Cor. 9:27 – “But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.”

9. How much we share the message of Christ.

1 Thes. 2:19-20 – “For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Is it not even you in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming? For you are our glory and joy.”

10. How we handle temptation.

Rev. 2:10 – “Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.”

11. How we feel about the Lord’s return.

2 Tim. 4:8 – “Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.”

12. How faithful we are to the Gospel.

2 Thes. 1:8 – “in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ”

God Keeps His Promises

Scripture is permeated with reminders that God is faithful. Notice this theme in the following ten texts:

Genesis 9:13-16 (NKJV): “I set My rainbow in the cloud, and it shall be for the sign of the covenant between Me and the earth. 14 It shall be, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the rainbow shall be seen in the cloud; 15 and I will remember My covenant which is between Me and you and every living creature of all flesh; the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh. 16 The rainbow shall be in the cloud, and I will look on it to remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.”

Exodus 2:23-25: “Now it happened in the process of time that the king of Egypt died. Then the children of Israel groaned because of the bondage, and they cried out; and their cry came up to God because of the bondage. 24 So God heard their groaning, and God remembered His covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. 25 And God looked upon the children of Israel, and God acknowledged them.”

Deuteronomy 7:7-9: “The LORD did not set His love on you nor choose you because you were more in number than any other people, for you were the least of all peoples; 8 but because the LORD loves you, and because He would keep the oath which He swore to your fathers, the LORD has brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you from the house of bondage, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt. 9 “Therefore know that the LORD your God, He is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and mercy for a thousand generations with those who love Him and keep His commandments;”

Joshua 23:15: “Therefore it shall come to pass, that as all the good things have come upon you which the LORD your God promised you, so the LORD will bring upon you all harmful things, until He has destroyed you from this good land which the LORD your God has given you.”

1 Kings 8:22-24: “Then Solomon stood before the altar of the LORD in the presence of all the assembly of Israel, and spread out his hands toward heaven; 23 and he said: “LORD God of Israel, there is no God in heaven above or on earth below like You, who keep Your covenant and mercy with Your servants who walk before You with all their hearts. 24 You have kept what You promised Your servant David my father; You have both spoken with Your mouth and fulfilled it with Your hand, as it is this day.”

Psalm 89:1-2: “I will sing of the mercies of the LORD forever; With my mouth will I make known Your faithfulness to all generations. 2 For I have said, “Mercy shall be built up forever; Your faithfulness You shall establish in the very heavens.”

Psalm 121:1-4: “I will lift up my eyes to the hills— From whence comes my help? 2 My help comes from the LORD, Who made heaven and earth. 3 He will not allow your foot to be moved; He who keeps you will not slumber. 4 Behold, He who keeps Israel Shall neither slumber nor sleep.”

Heb. 6:13-19: “For when God made a promise to Abraham, because He could swear by no one greater, He swore by Himself, 14 saying, “Surely blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply you.” 15 And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise. 16 For men indeed swear by the greater, and an oath for confirmation is for them an end of all dispute. 17 Thus God, determining to show more abundantly to the heirs of promise the immutability of His counsel, confirmed it by an oath, 18 that by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we might have strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us. 19 This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters the Presence behind the veil,”

2 Peter 3:9: “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance”

Revelation 21:5: “Then He who sat on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.” And He said to me, “Write, for these words are true and faithful.”

Overcoming Disadvantages

It would be easy to look at what others have, and then to focus on what we don’t have, and to get down on ourselves. We might be tempted to think that something isn’t worth the effort because of how it might be more difficult for us that it is for someone else.

In the updated version of the book Cradles of Eminence, a common trait of over 700 famous men and women who had a significant impact in their fields of work is that they had to overcome some type of disadvantage.

Look for the bright side of your situation. A professional woman who had a very stressful job had a plaque hanging on her wall which read: “The happiest people don’t necessarily have the best of everything, they just make the best of everything.”

“We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed. . . . Knowing that he which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus. . . .” (2 Cor. 4:8-9, 14a).

“Never to Die Again”

Several accounts may be found in both the Old and New Testaments of the Bible of those who were brought back from death, such as:

The widow of Zarapheth’s son (1 Kings 17:22; cf. Heb. 11:35a);
The son of the Shunammite woman (2 Kings 4:35);
Jairus’ daughter (Matt. 9:25);
Lazarus (John 11:1-54);
The reappearing saints (Matt. 27:50-53);
Tabitha (Acts 9:36-43); and
Eutychus (Acts 20:7-12).

All of these would later again experience physical death. The resurrection of Jesus Christ was unique: He rose from the grave never to die again:

“And that He raised Him from the dead, no more to return to corruption, He has spoken thus: I will give you the sure mercies of David.'” – Acts 13:34 (NKJV).

“Also there were many priests, because they were prevented by death from continuing. But He, because He continues forever, has an unchangeable priesthood. Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.” – Hebrews 7:23-25

After Jesus rose again, He ascended to heaven to be seated at God’s right hand (Mark 16:19).

Jesus is our living Savior!

God’s Retirement Plan

A little plaque displayed in a Christian family’s living room read: “Working for the Lord doesn’t pay much, but the retirement plan is out of this world.” There’s a lot of truth in that observation. But how does it pay to serve the Lord? Does God reward us materially so that we will serve Him?

The devil challenged God in the book of Job, when he insinuated the main reason people serve God is because He arranges things so His followers have an easier way of life and never experience pain. Isn’t it odd how the devil uses the absence of evil to speak against God? In Job 1, the devil’s position was the absence of evil proves how desperate God is for followers, to the point He “pays” them by making life really easy. Today, this is turned around: they say the presence of evil in the world proves the non-existence of God.

God hasn’t promised to make the circumstances of life easier for anyone. Those who live for Christ will suffer persecution (see 2 Tim. 3:12). The Bible teaches we should welcome adversity, when it arrives, as an opportunity to grow spiritually (see James 1:2). However, God provides benefits in the form of spiritual blessings as we make sacrifices for Him. Jesus said, “Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. 12 Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you” (Matt. 5:11-12).

Paul encouraged the Hebrews to live faithfully for Christ, in the same manner they had when it wasn’t financially profitable for them to do so: “But call to remembrance the former days, in which, after ye were illuminated, ye endured a great fight of afflictions; 33 Partly, whilst ye were made a gazingstock both by reproaches and afflictions; and partly, whilst ye became companions of them that were so used. 34 For ye had compassion of me in my bonds, and took joyfully the spoiling of your goods, knowing in yourselves that ye have in heaven a better and an enduring substance” (Heb. 10:32-34).

The passage says they had compassion on those who had been imprisoned for their faith “and took joyfully the spoiling of your goods” (v. 34). “This may refer (1) to the losses which the Hebrews sustained in consequence of their becoming Christians; just as it sometimes now happens even in our own day. ‘When a Jew,’ says Ebrard, ‘shows himself determined to become a Christian, he is disinherited by his relatives; his share of the property is withheld from him; his credit and every source of gain, withdrawn; and he falls into a state of complete destitution.’ This same kind of injustice was extensively practiced in primitive times by both Jews and Gentiles. But (2) it is probable that the Apostle refers here more particularly to the heavy losses of property which the Hebrew Christians had incurred in times of persecution.” (Gospel Advocate Comm.).

We can learn about enduring financial losses and making financial sacrifices, by the way they perceived their setbacks as spiritual investments. What we use – or lose – in service to God bring a greater return in three ways:

(1) It appraises higher. Heaven is far more valuable (see Matt. 16:26). Unfortunately, “some know the price of everything and the value of nothing.”

(2) It last longer. God’s spiritual rewards are “enduring.” Jesus said no investments in heaven can be lost or destroyed (see Matt. 6:19-21). “He is not foolish who will give up what he cannot keep in order to gain that which he cannot lose.”

(3) It touches deeper. The Lord knows the meaning of real sacrifice, like the woman who anointed him with expensive oil (see Matt. 26:6-13).