Apologetics
Apologetics
1 Peter 3:15 “ But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear: “
We are going to look at apologetics and what (it is), why, we need it & how it is done. On this page, is one of my passions: APOLOGETICS.
What is Apologetics?
‘Answer’ in 1peter3:15
Greek Word: ἀπολογία
Transliteration: apologia
Phonetic Pronunciation: ap-ol-og-ee'-ah
Vine's Words: Answer, Defence
Usage Notes:
English Words used in KJV:
defence 3
answer 3
answer for (one's) self 1
clearing of (one's) self 1
[Total Count: 8]
from the same as <G626> (apologeomai); a plea (“apology”) :- answer (for self), clearing of self, defence.(Strong's Talking Greek & Hebrew Dictionary)
Apologetics (from Greek ἀπολογία, "speaking in defense") is the discipline of defending a position (often religious) through the systematic use of information. Early Christian writers (c. 120–220) who defended their faith against critics and recommended their faith to outsiders were called apologists. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apologetics)
Apologetics is the branch of Christianity that deals with the defense and establishment of the Christian faith. Christian Apologetics is something every true believer should be involved in even if it is only a little. (https://carm.org/apologetics)
My friend, Rob Johnson said, “Apologetics is not only relevant in today’s culture, it is a commandment within Scripture. Atheism in America is on the rise and people are abandoning their faith and picking up a post modernistic mindset. Faith is not blind it is based on evidence and more people need to realize that. It’s not something that is merely passed down from our parents it is something that demonstrably true. It’s a worldview that exponentially better than any others. This, of course, isn’t something we can just merely say and not provide support for. That is why I encourage dialogue and debates. As I’ve said many times before, let’s set the evidence on the scale and see which side weights in higher.” (apologetics105.com)
Why?
1 Peter 3:15, 2 Corinthians 10:5 “Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;” & Eph. 3:14-19
WHY?
1) Peter said we are to give an answer (apologia) for our reasons for hope. (1 Pet.3:15)
2) Because you will be confronted with those who question your Faith. (2Cor.10:5)
3) You need a strong foundation to your Faith. (Eph.3:14-19)
Rob Johnson, again: “There are churches who feel that apologetics isn’t necessary or that being able to give a natural defense (one apart from Scripture) isn’t something we should engage in. I would strongly disagree with that conclusion, though, based on what we read in Acts 17. The Apostle Paul reasoned with and quoted philosophers and poets while he was preaching the Gospel. Granted, there are times when natural theology and apologetics aren’t needed. Sometimes people just need to hear the Gospel—we see that in Acts 2. Not much of a defense was given by Peter, just a lot of truth and conviction. Apologetics should be one type of arrow in a Christian’s quiver, but not the only one. Apologetics isn’t always necessary but we should always be ready to give a reason when we go out and preach the Gospel because you never know the type of person you’re going to encounter.
All of this to say that within the body of Christ apologetics should be something that is taught regularly as it is a very valuable skill to pair with evangelism. Pastors should be apologetic minded but they shouldn’t bear the burden alone. Intellect should never be dismissed. We are commanded to love God with all of heart, soul, and mind (Matt. 22:37). There should be no disagreement between any of those three: we are to love God with every aspect.” (apologetics105.com)
HOW?
Read Acts 17;16-34 & Matt 22:37
The major types of Christian apologetics include:
Classical apologetics
Evidentialist, (historical and legal) apologetics,
Presuppositional apologetics,
Biblical apologetics,
Classical- by Matt Slick(carm.org)
Classical Apologetics is that style of Christian defense that stresses rational arguments for the existence of God and uses evidence to substantiate biblical claims and miracles. It is quite similar to evidential apologetics and appeals to human reason and evidence. Early Classical Apologists include Augustine, Anselm, and Thomas Aquinas. Contemporary classical apologists are Norman Geisler, William Craig, J. P. Moreland, and R.C. Sproul.
Some of the arguments relied upon for proofs of God's existence are the cosmological argument and the teleological argument. The cosmological argument attempts to prove that God exists by stating that there has to be an uncaused cause of all things. That uncaused cause is God. The teleological argument uses the analogy of design; that is, the universe and life exhibit marks of design. Therefore, there must be a Designer. Other times, strict evidence is used to establish Christianity's validity. Of course, both aspects are also combined in classical apologetics.
Evidential (Historical)- by Matt Slick(ibid)
Evidential Apologetics is that style of Christian defense that stresses the miracles found in the Bible particularly Christ's resurrection as an evidence for the existence of God and the validity of Christ and His words. It also uses historical evidences to support the veracity of the biblical account(s). In this, it is very similar to Classical Apologetics, which stresses reason in its approach to evidences. Basically, evidential apologetics stresses evidence such as miracles, fulfilled prophecies, etc., and uses reason to support them.
Presuppostional- by Matt Slick(ibid)
This form of Christian apologetics deals with presuppositions.1 A Christian presuppositionalist presupposes God's existence and argues from that perspective to show the validity of Christian theism.2 This position also presupposes the truth of the Christian Scriptures and relies on the validity and power of the gospel to change lives (Rom. 1:16). From the scriptures, we see that the unbeliever is sinful in his mind (Rom. 1:18-32) and unable to understand spiritual things (1 Cor. 2:14). This means that no matter how convincing the evidence or good the logic, an unbeliever cannot come to the faith because his fallen nature will distort how he perceives the truth. The only thing that can ultimately change him is regeneration. To this end, the presuppositionalist seeks to change a person's presuppositions to be in conformity with biblical revelation.
Biblical- By James Johnson (icr.org) Noah Webster, in 1828, defined "apologetic" as "defending by words or arguments," tracing this English word back to the Greek apologemai. But what about biblical apologetics? How do Christians today reply logically, and with adequate evidence, to those who question God's revealed truth? Is the practice of apologetics limited to a "defense" of the truth? When is it proper for believers to take the initiative in communicating truth?
A more exact definition of biblical apologetics is: the science of learning, demonstrating, documenting, and communicating how believing God makes sense. It answers the fundamental question: "Why should I believe God?"
The way Apologetics should be done is:
(from - http://comereason.org)
Good Reasoning
First, our arguments should be rational and based on good reasoning, again like a trial attorney. This is a very important point, since so many people today seem to view faith and reason as concepts in tension with each other.
Because apologetics at its core deals with truth claims, apologists are continually examining questions about the truth. "Is Christianity true?" "Did Jesus really rise from the dead?" "How can I know if God exists?" These are all questions that ask about ultimate realities. Of course there are many people today who deny the existence of an absolute truth, but they run into bigger problems (for more on this, see our article "What is Objective Truth"). For the others, people inherently understand that the truth should be consistent and not contradictory. In fact, contradiction is a sign that someone is not telling the truth. Therefore, if something is true, then it will be rational.
The Apostle Paul understood this well. In 1 Thessalonians he commands us to "examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good". This is a remarkable passage. So certain was Paul of the reasonableness of Christianity, he actually challenges believers to test its truth claims against all others. If another is more rational, then you should believe it instead! Rationality therefore becomes an important part of Christian apologetics and Christianity in general.
Knowledgeable
Because apologetics needs to be rational, it is important for the apologist to become more knowledgeable about Christianity as well as opposing arguments. In order to provide sound reasons for the hope of Christ, we have a responsibility to understand what others believe so we don't caricature their beliefs or build straw man arguments.
Many people get concerned at this point, thinking something like "Well, I guess I can't do apologetics. I don't know that much. I'm just not that smart." But being knowledgeable doesn't mean that you need to have a bunch of facts about world religions memorized. It first means listening to the other person and asking questions to make sure you understand their position. It also means that you know where to go to find answers to those arguments you're confronted with, and you should always strive to understand the Christian faith more clearly. Paul again warns that mature Christians should be able to handle the Scripture accurately, "rightly dividing the Word of truth".
Gentle & respectful
Not only should apologetics be approached rationally and knowledgably, but it should also be executed with sensitivity to the thoughts and feelings of other individuals. Remember, faith is a central part of our self-identity; it's how we understand who we are. Faith is so fundamental to a person's understanding of himself and how he relates to the world, an attack on his faith can be viewed as an attack against him. So if the Christian just bashes a person because of the beliefs he or she holds, then his arguments become nothing more than noise. Remember, we are commanded to be "wise as serpents but gentle as doves."
How to Do Apologetics
In all of this, I've demonstrated the need for apologetics, but how does an ordinary Christian go about in honing their apologetic skills? Does it take years of seminary or college? Not really. Just like every other facet of the Christian walk, developing reasoning skills is a life-long pursuit. But here are a few tips that everyone can do to get them started on that road.
Prepare
The first thing to do when beginning to study apologetics is just to gather a list of good resources you can rely on. Knowing where to go for answers whenever a difficult issue presents itself can help immeasurably. Bookmark good apologetics Web sites. (For a listing of apologetics sites beside ComeReason.org check out www.apologeticsindex.org).
You should also build a good library of books dealing with theological and apologetic issues. Start with texts that cover a broad range of topics, such as Norman Geisler's Encyclopedia of Apologetics and add more specific books as you deal with those specific topics. Again, look at our gooks area for a start.
Pick an issue
Once you've established a basic library of knowledge, pick an issue that you'd like to discuss. Pick something you feel strongly about. Perhaps you saw an editorial in the local paper where you disagree; perhaps you have a co-worker who has an objection with Christianity. Whatever the motivator, choose one issue and dig in - learn as much as you can on it. Make sure that you listen to the opposing views before generating an answer. Ask questions of you opponent and restate his position back to him, or have someone else without a vested interest review your answer before you publish it. It's important to learn both sides of an issue so you aren't building a straw man.
Go On the Offensive
Lastly, go on the offensive. Write a letter to the editor of the paper. Ask others what reasons they have to hold to their belief system. Christians have gotten into the habit of only defending their beliefs - but non-believers should be able to offer reasons for what they believe, too!
For most of the last two millennia, Christianity was at the forefront of critical thinking. If you wanted to ask an expert, you went to your clergyman. Seminaries trained individuals to think and a Doctorate of Divinity was held in as high regard as a Ph.D. I believe we need to reclaim the Christian mind to the glory of God.
Proverbs 22:19-21 “That thy trust may be in the LORD, I have made known to thee this day, even to thee.
20 Have not I written to thee excellent things in counsels and knowledge,21 That I might make thee know the certainty of the words of truth; that thou mightest answer the words of truth to them that send unto thee?”