Apologetics are a Needed function in the local church: 5 reasons

It would seem I've crept back to my old habit of relying on apologetic information, but it is a post about it's need, especially in the local church. As I mentioned at the start of this new year, apologetics would still be mentioned, so here is one such BLOG.

Should your church be involved in Apologetics? I think the answer is a resounding, YES! The degree to which you use it in your particular or individual church will vary, but the fact that it needs to be done, is undeniable. According to Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry, “Apologetics is the branch of Christianity that deals with the defense and establishment of the Christian faith” (https://carm.org/apologetics). The following quote, I think sums up my point succinctly:

“To be ignorant and simple now-not to be able to meet the enemies on their own ground-would be to throw down our weapons and to betray our uneducated brethren who have, under God, no defense but us against the intellectual attacks of the heathen. Good philosophy must exist, if for no other reason, because bad philosophy needs to be answered.” –C. S. Lewis

Apologetics takes many forms, means, and variations, but in the end it is the idea of defending the faith. I want to give you five reasons why I think Apologetics should be a part of your local church. I recently begun, about a year ago, an Apologetic class in out teen youth class, and it has proven to be a big task, as preparation is required for the young inquiring mind. The results have been nice to watch, as kids have begun asking much more thought provoking questions and are using the information I’ve given them in their lives. As we planned to implement it into the curriculum, we decided a once a month class would be our starting point, and now it is nice to hear a teen say, “IS tonight an Apologetic class,” with excitement and anticipation.

So here are MY FIVE Reasons:

COMMANDED TO

Every Apologist will immediately go to 1 Peter 3:15 (KJV) “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.” The word ‘answer’ in this verse is the Greek word-ἀπολογία. It is pronounced ‘apologia’ and it is the basis for the word ‘Apologetics’. As the verse is translated in the KJV we see an aspect of it, giving an answer. The ESV translates it as “make a defense” which is another aspect of it. The NLT gives an interesting translation of, “always be ready to explain it.” So, on the basis of these, we see Apologetics, as it is commanded us to “be ready” to; answer, defend, and explain our faith, and especially the “hope that is in you.” In a sense, anytime you are talking to someone about the faith, a certain amount of Apologetics are always used, no matter how good or bad.

AGE OF INFORMATION

There is unlimited access to information in the world we live in today. With the internet age we have brought to our home, even into our hand, a world of information, just a ‘click’ away. This is why Apologetics are so valuable. In this age of ‘dis-information’ there are many things people are exposed to that the Church must be prepared to answer, defend, and explain. Some information, such as science and philosophy, can be daunting, as it is not so much false information, but a wealth of ideas, theories, and findings that appear to contradict the teachings of the Church. With a decent Apologetic approach, we can, at least give reasons why we can hold to Biblical teaching, and even why things like evolution, cosmology, and other sciences are not contrary to the Faith. Of course, there is a myriad of false, wrong, and downright lies, which we must combat against.

QUESTIONS

Related to our last point, are ‘questions’. By this I mean, in the mind of your congregation, friends, and visitors to your church, are questions that they will have. Was Adam and Eve real, was there really a flood and an ark, and can we truly believe Jesus rose from the dead. Saying, “well the Bible says so” maybe an answer for some, but those with doubters, skeptics, and unbelievers won’t accept this as an answer. A good reasoned argument, often using the Bible too, is a better approach, and this is of course Apologetics at its essence. Many times the questions (or even doubts) that arise in others is an emotional response to situations, such as a natural disaster, some tragedy, and sickness and death. These emotional doubts must be reasonable challenged, as an emotional response can often be irrational, but not necessarily. The problem of evil is an age old objection to the idea of God and Christianity, Apologetics will be used as a tool to answer the hard questions, such as these.

CULTURE

The culture we find ourselves in today is very much Post-Christian, and I would argue on the verge of Anti-Christian. In most Western cultures, for centuries, we saw Christianity as the basis of ethics, morals, and even the laws. We have begun to shift, radically, away from this in the Twenty and Twenty First Century. We are confronted, almost daily, with a narrative that is clearly anti-Christian, and we must give answers, explain, and defend our position, this is a function of Apologetics. In our churches, the folks are living under a barrage of cultural shifts, such as; same-sex marriage, abortion, and sexual identity issues, to name a few, which we must have Apologetics to combat. The culture shifts constantly, sometimes in small increments, sometimes in large, but we must be prepared to confront the voices that are promoting the changes that are clearly against our Faith.

TRUTH

The last point is truth. We have the truth on our side. Apologetics is using the truths that are all around us, as we confront the questions and narratives being presented. The problem of evil is something that often is an objection, as mentioned earlier, which in reality, in a good Apologetic defense, we show that this is what we would expect, given the Christian Worldview, and the things that the Bible says are true. We have the truth, as Christ Himself said, (John 14:6 -KJV) “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” It is obvious, at least to me, all innately know God exists, yet the Bible tells us why some would say, “no He doesn’t,” as it explains the process, (Romans 1:21-22 -KJV) “Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. 22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools.” Paul actually tells us, in a preceding verse, (Romans 1:18 -HCSB) “For God’s wrath is revealed from heaven against all godlessness and unrighteousness of people who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth,” notice the phrase “suppress the truth.” This is the world we live in today, that is why, (2 Corinthians 10:5 ESV) “We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ.”

CONCLUSION

Finally, let me encourage you, in your church, to look into incorporating Apologetics in some way. If you are a pastor, look into how it can be used in sermons and lessons, or even a separate class. If you are not a pastor, look into how you can use Apologetics in some way in the local church. One age group, above all others, is in need of basic Apologetics, the teen and young adults. Truth be known, most of you older folks are pretty set on their beliefs and are grounded in Biblical truth (though that’s not always the case), but the subjects of Apologetics can be for any age or spiritual maturity level. On a personal level, you can find numerous resources, some of which I posted here about, and do your own studying on the subject. One such book, a future book review I want to do, is ‘The Historical Jesus: Ancient Evidence for the Life of Christ’ by Gary R. Habermas, it is a great case for the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus using sources, most that are not Biblical. This, and many other resources are available, many at no cost, and gives you no excuse to not find some time for Apologetics.

#apologetics #church #teaching #truth