It’s not apologizing. Apologetics is “defending religious doctrines through systematic argumentation.” That is, apologetics is the practice of defending your faith with logic. Not everyone who is lost will need apologetics. But with some colleges pumping out skeptics every day, more and more nonbelievers are asking hard questions. The study of apologetics helps us answer them.
But should Christians engage in intellectual debates? Isn’t it true that God wants repentance and obedience from the lost, not logic? Yes and yes.
God wants the lost to confess their sin, repent, and obey Jesus. But He never asks anyone to ignore their questions. Instead, He gives believers helpful answers. Often the Holy Spirit uses those answers to bring the nonbeliever to a place of repentance. For some of us, the head must lead and the heart will follow.
“Always be ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to explain the hope that is in you” 1 Peter 3:15.
Peter says be ready to defend your faith. Other translations write you must:
give an answer
provide a logical defense
satisfy those who ask
defend your confidence
give a quiet and reverent answer
be ready to speak up.
Are you ready? Apologetics can help. Here are several examples:
Claim: You can’t trust the Bible because the manuscripts were altered. Defense: In the 1940s, we found the Dead Sea Scrolls in caves, and copies of Isaiah and other books that dated to 200 BC were exactly like the texts we use today.
Claim: Jesus was a good man but not god. Defense: Jesus said He was God. So He was either a liar and a con-man, a lunatic who belonged in a padded cell, or He really is the Lord. ‘Good man’ is not an option.
Claim: The resurrection was a hoax. Defense: The disciples were running scared after the crucifixion. Thomas said, “We’ll be next.” The twelve never could have gotten organized around a lie, kept the secret for decades, and died torturous deaths defending the lie.
Learn to defend the faith. “Study to show thyself approved…” 2 Timothy 2:15.
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