Christian Apologetics
Tuesday, December 12, 2006
This comes up at a time when Heather has mentioned a need, and I want to re-visit the basics. There are a variety of other reasons for this, including the DYG series and formally stating this for family study, making it available for my critics (teachers and evaluators). I would hope it is of some value to any reader, but I know my audience is rarely more than You, you, You and you, so I guess I’ll shut up and type:
Apologetics: Acts 17:1-15 and 16-34
Paul is on the ground floor of apologetics. He was talking to Jews, pagans, devout religious people (including persons of undoubtedly high rank), stoic philosophers and epicureans. He faced problems just like our own. Christians face the same challenges today with people who are devout in their own beliefs and a growing field of pagans and philosophers (P&Ps).
I believe the toughest place for witnessing is the mushy ground of post-modernism. If someone is not willing to accept truth (I am talking about Absolute Truth, Global Truth, Fundamental Truth), where should we start? In one way or another, relativism will either shift responsibility for truth to the individual or deny it outright. This condition is not just a fad. Relative truth is taught everywhere and seems to have become the general operating mode for society in general.
I am saddened over our modern society, for we have denied the truth that was taught in our youth. This is not to say there is no hope, for I’ve come out from the mire and so others may as well. I’ll not so easily forget my own depravity and ferocity of denial. But it seems very difficult to me to see how such elusive hearts may be reached (but by the Grace of God).
Those who deny the truth out of relativism are by nature going to be difficult to reach. The existence of truth itself has been removed, so there’s no firm ground upon which a discussion can progress. In contrast, a Catholic, Jew or Muslim, who has an acceptance that there is fundamental Truth is on a level ground and can be approached from the position of debate and structured argument. Keep in mind that in no way am I downplaying the efficacy of the Holy Spirit and prayer in this discussion. Preaching examples in the Bible give good testament to facing both devout religious and post-modern situations. (and individual people have individual characteristics, so challenges are always included, regardless of worldview. I’m just specializing in this discussion.)
I believe that apologetics is a process. It is not confusing and fluffy like a the defense of wicca. There is science and system to it that has progression. It has tests of accuracy and boundaries, rules for perseverance and patience. There are indicators in the process that tell us whether to press our argument or back off.
My testimony on this: My background before my salvation was mostly Epicurean. I was at the fringe of polytheism as a wiccan, but more of a relativist. For me, truth was relative to the individual and almost negligible in its value.
Because of my position, my brother had a hard time discussing the truth with me. I was also frustrated in the end, because I could not accept truth. We didn’t have a common ground.
I couldn’t believe anything because I wouldn’t believe anything (sounds stupid, right? This is proof positive, right here, that people are Stupid). It took some very logical and undeniable exposure to that “unacceptable” truth in the Bible (with the aid of scholarly work done in “The Case For Christ” by Lee Strobel) before I was “softened up” for the Gospel.
Once I became convinced that the Bible was God’s revealing of Himself to us and was indeed accurate and (most important at the moment) Sole Truth, everything came together quickly. I found I could not avoid belief and it became a simple, natural step for me to remember that I was separated from the Relationship with God for which I had been designed.
Of course, my depravity (sinful nature) was the reason for this separation. I was a sinner (I was taught this as a child and I already knew the Gospel in its rote form). What revealed my sin was the battle with my family over my self-centered, egotistical, intolerant, insensitive nature. Helping me face my condition and what was required of me was my brother’s faithful presentation of the Gospel.
Prayer was the “glue” that stuck all the pieces together, for my wife and numerous others were praying for me throughout the weeks of debate with Ben, reading the books and the Bible. There were moments in reading or talking when I should definitely have been stronger in my resistance. There were things I read or heard that normally I would have defied, but I believe that my eyes were opened to the truth. Maybe I was “paused” enough to comprehend, or I was made sensitive to what I needed to hear.
I think the “formula” which worked for me, boiled down was:
1. Persistence on the part of the evangelist (Ben).
2. Conviction from the Word (Itself and Expounding Resources).
3. Obvious evidence of the truth in my life (Tangible symptoms of Sinful Nature).
4. Moving by the Holy Spirit (Result of Prayer).
I believe all four of these elements are integral. All of them are provable back to each other.
In the Bible Paul persistently evangelized (1). The Gospel was presented (2). Relationship with God, sin nature, repentance were illuminated (3). The H.S. acted, which is understood to be active in all conversion (4).