1. You can't reason someone into the kingdom of God
This is often one of the first things that will be brought up from within the modern church to avoid the topic of Apologetics. In a simple reply, the best response is "Yes, you can." Though this needs to be clarified somewhat, the main point is that many, many people have indeed been "argued into the kingdom." These include some well known Christian authors and apologists such as Lee Strobel, J Warner Wallace and even C.S. Lewis, who came to Christ (quite reluctantly 1 ) after an examination of the claims of the Bible. In fact, the Apostle Paul himself often used reason as the core of his evangelism. Acts 17:2 There is however, another side of the response that must be understood, which is that without the Holy Spirit, no amount of reason, defense or even acts of love will bring someone to Christ. That last statement may be controversial, but please realize that I'm not saying "You can't love someone into the kingdom of God," any more than the statement that "You can't reason someone into the kingdom." As Greg Koukl states "Simply put, you can argue someone into the kingdom. It happens all the time. But when arguments are effective, they are not working in a vacuum. 2 " These are all tools used by the Holy Spirit that can then work through us to bring about a regenerate heart. It's important to realize that we are all created differently and seek understanding in different ways. For some, it may take a more intellectual understanding of the word of God in order to accept Him. Do we not owe it to God and the world to use every available tool given to us to accomplish this task?
2. Apologetics is not for everyone
Like so many things in scripture, God doesn't so easily let us off the hook for things we may find uncomfortable or wish to avoid. 1 Peter 1:13 and 1 Peter 3:15 are a clear instructions to everyone who claims to be a born again believer. We are all called to be ready to give a defense for why we hold to our faith and to prepare our minds for action. This does not mean that everyone needs to become a strict Apologist and be able to articulate deep philosophical arguments such as Alvin Pantinga's Modal Ontological Argument 3 or the scientific particulars of Molecular Biology's Y-Chromosomal Adam 4. Some may be called to this deeper level of study, but not everyone is required to pursue it to that level. This is much in the same manner that not everyone is called to the office of a Preacher or a Historical Theologian, however, we are all still commanded to preach God's word and study the bible to some degree. As J Warner Wallace states, "We don't need another one-million dollar apologist; we need one-million one dollar apologists." If the word of God would be defended on a simple scale by so many, it would become a tidal wave on today's society and how they look at the Christian faith. On this more practical side, anyone who is an outspoken believer in Christ will be called upon at some point to explain their faith. It's inevitable. As Jesus told us "Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves (ESV)." Matthew 10:16
3. You must be an intellectual to be an Apologist
After the previous misconception, I hope you see by now that everyone is, or will be, an apologist at some point. But if you're someone who doesn't feel very intellectual or has trouble studying, there may be a lingering fear that you won't be able to meet the challenge ahead. I would like to encourage you not to be afraid, however, as any sincere believer can be equipped with the tools for Apologetics. Like many other fields of study, Apologetics is a blanket term that covers a wide range of subjects. It's not about forcing you into an area of study that you're uncomfortable with, but rather finding the things you like and gearing them towards a defense in the faith. If you like history, spend some time studying the early church and it's development. If you like to write, create a story that conveys some truth about God's word in an easily understood fashion (think Lion, Witch and Wardrobe). If you're someone who just likes to talk and make conversation with someone, focus on how those conversations can be used to really understand another individual, which will always aid in presenting the gospel when needed. There will, of course, be some level of development and study to improving any of these areas, but they don't need to feel like a chore. If it's an area you enjoy, learning to share God's word within that area will only make it that much more rewarding and deepen your love for the subject.
4. Apologetics is just argumentative fact-finding separate to the Word of God.
Of all the statements about Apologetics I've heard, this one is probably the most false. Where argumentation (in a philosophical sense) and a presentation of facts may indeed be part of the apologetic process, they are not the goal. At it's heart, Apologetics is a theology. This may surprise many people, but by studying the defense of scripture and God, you have to understand and develop your knowledge in a very deep way. Much as the phrase "the best way to learn is to teach," when you attempt to defend Biblical truths, they becomes that much more real and relevant to you. Apologetics, like many other areas of theology, have their foundation in the resurrection of Christ. As Paul expounds "And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins (ESV)." 1 Corinthians 15:17 As stated, Apologetics is a tool for evangelism, to aid people in their understanding and acceptance of the Gospel, and if the resurrection of Jesus is not at it's core then it's worthless. "Apart from the resurrection of Jesus Christ, there is no savior, no salvation, no forgiveness of sin, and no hope of resurrected eternal life. Apart from the resurrection, Jesus is reduced to yet another good but dead man and therefore is of no considerable help to us in this life or at it's end. Plainly stated, without the resurrection of Jesus, the few billion people today who worship Jesus as God are gullible; their hope for a resurrection life after this life is the hope of silly fools who trust in a dead man to give them life. Subsequently, the doctrine of Jesus' resurrection is, without question, profoundly significant and worthy of the most careful consideration and examination. 5 "
Final Encouragement
If at this point, you feel overwhelmed... don't. We have many allies on our side to help you with your quest into Apologetics, and not just the many "million dollar" apologists out there who have done the arduous research and study and written many books to make it clearer for us. We also have two, even more important allies on our side. The first is Truth. In John 14:16 Jesus tells us that he is the Truth. Because of this, anything contrary to Jesus claims is going to have some problem or flaw. It's up to us to find it and expose it (with gentleness and respect). The second ally is the Holy Spirit. The bible tells us that we don't go into battle alone. Isaiah 54:17 Proverbs 2:6-11 Although the Holy Spirit will not do all the work for us (after all, He's referred to as the Helper, not the Do-er), He will be right there with you nonetheless. Apologetic's role is that we help another individual see and understand the gospel. At that point, the Holy Spirit picks up where we can't finish. In summary, I'll let R.C. Sproul wrap up these thoughts on Apologetics with a quote from the end his book, Defending your Faith. "As we have seen, denying any one of these foundations leads to absurdity while following them to their ultimate end can only point to a rational Creator. We are all created in the image of this God; at the very least we have that in common with the unregenerate person. For this reason, the starting point in our apologetic task will be nothing less than exploring those commonalities - and then letting the Holy Spirit do his work. 6 "
1 - C.S. Lewis, Surprised by Joy, pg 266
2 - Greg Koukl, Tactics, pg 35
3 - Video Explanation of the Plantinga's Modal Ontological Argument
3 - Who Was Adam?, article, Reasons to Believe
4 - Mark Driscoll and Gerry Breshears, Doctrine : What Christians Should Believe, pg. 279
5 - R.C. Sproul, Defending Your Faith, pg. 193
Today's Recommendations
Tactics, Greg Koukl
Probably one of the best books out there on how to deal with everyday conversations and Apologetics without needing to know any deep scientific or philosophical knowledge.
Recommended Listening
Five Questions to Ask Skeptics, Come Let Us Reason Together Podcast, Lenny Esposito
Again, another great resource for engaging in Apologetics right away without needing to know all the answers.
Recommended Research
Why Apologetics Has a Bad Name, Sean McDowell
I saw a friend post this article recently and had to share it here as well. Some great points on what not to do as an Apologist.
Today's Challenge
Engage someone in Apologetics. That simple. Doesn't have to be anything big or profound. You don't even have to go beyond the first question. Just get a conversation started. It could be as simple as asking "Why do you believe what you believe?" Most people have not really stopped to think about this question. Have you?
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