Context: The Confederation Report
Host: Steven R. Martins
Language: English
Part I: The Rise of Canadian Apologetics (0:27-3:19)
Wesley Huff’s appearance on The Joe Rogan Experience sparked a massive public surge of interest in Christianity as he engaged Rogan with historical evidence for Scripture while prompting serious reflection on Jesus’ significance.
Part II: Scriptural Reliability & Evidences (3:22-6:58)
Huff’s discussion with Rogan showcased the Bible’s unmatched historical reliability, but skepticism often stems not from a lack of evidence but from the heart’s resistance to Christ’s authority, as true faith requires spiritual transformation.
Part III: A Return to Scripture (7:01-9:54)
The church needs to call Western civilization—especially Canada—to return to Sola Scriptura and submit every sphere of life to Christ’s kingship for true restoration.
Did You Know? (9:56-11:17)
Canada’s first recorded encounter with Christianity came through a simple wooden cross planted by John Cabot in 1497, symbolizing European faith and territorial claim, though the true Christian mission would unfold in the centuries that followed.
Recommended Reading (11:20-12:44)
This week’s recommended reading, the Sir Oliver Mowat volume of the Celebration of Faith Series, explores Mowat’s unwavering commitment to biblical truth, demonstrating how his Christian convictions shaped Canadian law, politics, and society through his writings and public service.
Transcript:
It’s Week 9 of 2025, and this is The Confederation Report, a weekly analysis of Canadian news and culture from a biblical worldview. I’m Steven R. Martins, and each week, we break down the headlines, challenge secular narratives, and apply Scripture to the issues that matter. Because Christ is Lord—over Canada, over culture, over all of life.
Part I: The Rise of Canadian Apologetics (0:27-3:19)
Wesley Huff, a Canadian apologist and PhD student, experienced a dramatic surge in public attention after appearing on The Joe Rogan Experience, the world’s most popular podcast. Huff’s YouTube following skyrocketed from 1,200 to 450,000, with many viewers reaching out to share that they had started reading the Bible or attending church. His organization, Apologetics Canada, has also seen unprecedented interest. The opportunity arose after a viral debate with Billy Carson (a skeptic who denies the Crucifixion) caught Rogan’s attention. Huff’s appearance marked a rare instance of a biblical scholar engaging with Rogan’s massive audience.
During the interview, Huff presented historical evidence for the reliability of Holy Scripture and asked Rogan directly about his views on Jesus. While Rogan remained noncommittal, his response suggested he was seriously contemplating the historical significance of Christ. Evangelicals across Canada and America have widely praised Huff’s calm and well-reasoned approach, highlighting his ability to offer thoughtful corrections. Some even suggested this episode might be the most widely broadcasted presentation of the gospel in history, given Rogan’s vast audience across Spotify and YouTube.
Huff’s journey into apologetics has been shaped by personal experiences, including a miraculous healing from paralysis at age 11. His academic background in early Christian manuscripts and biblical languages allowed him to challenge popular but misleading claims, such as those presented by Carson.
Beyond the podcast, Huff’s growing online presence reflects a broader trend of digital apologetics, where scholars engage both seekers and skeptics through social media. His approach, emphasizing both historical reliability and the existential meaning of Christianity, resonated with audiences who are increasingly interested in the Christian faith. Various Christian leaders have praised Huff’s method, noting that apologetics today must balance intellectual rigor with relational engagement, particularly in a culture where meaning and purpose often take precedence over doctrinal disputes.
Huff remains committed to equipping believers through Apologetics Canada, continuing to produce content that addresses contemporary spiritual questions. He cites Blaise Pascal’s philosophy of “making religion desirable before demonstrating it as true,” underscoring his goal of demonstrating Christianity’s truth through both reasoned argument and personal witness. Huff’s interaction with Rogan may not have been intended as an outright evangelistic moment, but it planted the seeds of the Gospel, leaving a significant and ponderous impression on one of the most influential media platforms in the world.
Part II: Scriptural Reliability & Evidences (3:22-6:58)
Huff’s engagement with Rogan and the broader public conversation on biblical reliability underscores a profound reality: the Bible stands as the most well-preserved work of antiquity. With over 28,000 New Testament manuscripts in various ancient languages—far surpassing works like The Iliad, which has only 643 copies—the textual foundation of Scripture is unparalleled. The science of textual criticism affirms that 99% of these manuscripts are accurate, with only minor scribal errors that do not alter the meaning of the text. Even Dr. Bart Ehrman, a well-known skeptic of biblical inspiration, acknowledges that most textual variations in early Christian manuscripts are insignificant and do not affect theology. These facts alone establish the Bible as historically reliable, yet they do not necessarily convince a person that it’s the inspired Word of God.
The evidence for the Bible’s trustworthiness extends beyond manuscript preservation. The resurrection of Jesus, the eyewitness nature of the Gospels, and the historical verifiability of biblical events provide a compelling case for the truth of Christianity. Scholars like Richard Bauckham have demonstrated that the Gospel accounts are based on direct testimony, rather than later myths or fabrications. Yet, even if one were to accept all this evidence—that Jesus rose from the dead and performed miracles—this alone would not guarantee saving faith. Skeptics might concede that unexplainable phenomena occur but they still resist the implications of Jesus’ divine identity and authority over their lives.
This resistance often stems from an endless demand for more proof, a cycle where every piece of evidence requires further verification. If presented with “A” as evidence, the skeptic may require “B” to confirm “A,” and then “C” to verify “B,” leading to an infinite regress of doubt. But this is not how we reason in daily life. If someone tells us it is sunny outside, we look and verify; we do not demand additional proof, for example, that our eyes and cognitive faculties are functioning properly. At some level, we all appeal to an ultimate authority for certainty. The real question is not whether enough evidence exists, but rather, what authority a person is willing to trust.
The reality is that facts and evidence are not neutral or independent of interpretation. If facts were merely abstract, impersonal data, then they would be meaningless. Instead, evidence is intelligible precisely because we live in a world created by God. The very order and rationality of the universe affirm that knowledge is possible only because it is part of God’s natural revelation. This means that we either interpret evidence truthfully, in light of God’s special revelation, or we misinterpret it to fit a false worldview. The issue, then, is not a lack of evidence but the condition of the heart that either accepts or suppresses the truth.
Huff’s conversation with Rogan serves as a reminder that apologetics is not merely about winning arguments but about pointing people to the reality of Christ. The overwhelming manuscript evidence, historical corroboration, and logical coherence of Scripture demonstrate its trustworthiness. But ultimately, recognizing the Bible as the Word of God requires more than intellectual assent—it demands a transformation of the heart, one that only the Spirit of God can bring.
Part III: A Return to Scripture (7:01-9:54)
Huff’s conversation with Rogan was more than a dialogue about historical reliability; it was a call to recognize the Bible as the ultimate authority in a world longing for redemption. The sheer volume of manuscript evidence, the meticulous preservation of Scripture, and the logical coherence of its claims affirm its trustworthiness. But the heart of the matter is not just whether the Bible is historically accurate, but whether it is the very Word of God. And if it is, then it stands as the authoritative foundation for all knowledge, morality, and reality itself.
In an era where Western culture has drifted further into instability, most especially Canada, the church’s call remains unchanged: to proclaim the truth of God’s Word as the hope for mankind and all of creation. The Bible does not merely present moral teachings or historical facts; it reveals the brokenness of the world and God’s redemptive plan through Jesus Christ. Because it is without error, true in all it teaches, and divinely inspired, Scripture alone can provide the guidance necessary for restoring not only individuals but society itself. It is the compass by which man can rightly understand and cultivate the world in alignment with God’s purposes.
If Western civilization is to recover its biblical foundations and reform its culture, it must return to Sola Scriptura. The authority of God’s Word cannot be confined to the church; it must extend to every sphere of life—education, politics, law, and the arts, because Christ is not only Lord of the church, He is Lord of all. This demands a rejection of the illusion of man’s radical autonomy, that is to say, the false belief that we can determine truth apart from God. Only by repenting of our rebellion, submitting to Christ’s kingship, and embracing Scripture as the supreme standard for all of life can we hope to see true transformation.
This is the gospel—the restoration of mankind in the image of God for the fulfillment of his original calling. From the beginning, mankind was tasked with cultivating creation into a godly civilization, a task renewed in the Great Commission (Matt. 28:18-20). Christ’s redemption not only reconciles sinners but reclaims all of creation as the theatre of God’s glory. Every effort, every endeavor, every aspect of culture must be subject to the authority of Christ, for only by loving God can we truly love and serve our fellow man. For that to happen, the Bible must be the foundation of our lives—our only sure guide, the fount of true wisdom, and the light that leads us to restoration.
Did You Know? (9:56-11:17)
In 1496, John Cabot, under the commission of King Henry VII of England, was granted authority to explore unknown lands across the eastern, western, and northern seas. His journey in 1497 led him to the east coast of what is now Newfoundland, marking one of the earliest European landfalls in North America.
While details of his exact landing remain uncertain, historical records suggest that Cabot, following European custom, planted a cross alongside British and Venetian banners. This act symbolized both territorial claim and the introduction of Christianity to the region. However, without the gospel message, the cross would have been a foreign and meaningless symbol to the indigenous inhabitants.
Cabot was not the only early explorer to raise a cross on Canadian shores. The Portuguese explorer Gaspar Corte-Real, who arrived in Newfoundland shortly after, likely did the same. While these symbolic gestures marked European religious presence, the true Christian mission to Canada would unfold in the centuries that followed.
Thus, Canada’s first recorded encounter with Christianity was not through missionaries or churches, but through a simple wooden cross—planted in an unfamiliar land by explorers whose faith, however imperfect, was inseparable from their voyages.
Recommended Reading (11:20-12:44)
This week’s recommended reading is the Sir Oliver Mowat volume of the Celebration of Faith Series. Few figures in Canadian history embody the union of faith and public service as profoundly as Sir Oliver Mowat. A distinguished lawyer, politician, and one of the Fathers of Confederation, Mowat was widely recognized for his unwavering commitment to biblical truth and the gospel’s transformative power. His writings, Christianity & its Evidences and Christianity & its Influence, serve as enduring testaments to his belief in the necessity of Christian principles for the flourishing of society. In these works, Mowat presents a compelling defense of the faith, demonstrating how Christianity not only provides a rational foundation for belief but also shapes nations through its moral and ethical influence.
Part of the Celebration of Faith Series, this volume highlights Mowat’s life and contributions as an example of steadfast Christian conviction in both public and private spheres. The series aspires to encourage believers to integrate their faith into every aspect of life, because all of life is religion, and this was just what Mowat did in law and politics. His legacy challenges readers to consider how the gospel’s truth, beauty, and liberty can shape their own vocations and daily witness. For those interested in Christian apologetics, history, and the enduring impact of faith on culture, this book is a must-read.
Thanks for listening to The Confederation Report, this podcast is brought to you by the Cántaro Institute. Visit our website at cantaroinstitute.org for more information. For books to read on worldview, philosophy, and theology, visit our store at cantaroinstitute.store
We’ll meet again next week.
Documentation and Additional Reading:
Christianity Today (Kate Shellnutt)
Apologist Wesley Huff Goes to Modern-Day Mars Hill: Joe Rogan’s Podcast