I have been involved in hundreds of debates with atheists, mostly through the internet, but I was surprised one day when I was confronted by a fellow Christian with an argument against the use of apologetics. I've sense found that these views against apologetics are actually relatively common. "You can't argue anyone into the kingdom" is an objection I hear often.
It is true that you cannot argue someone into the kingdom, but this is not what apologetics seeks to do. Apologetics simply makes use of evidence and reason in order to justify the truth claims of the Christian faith. It is up to the individual, by God's grace, to make the choice whether or not to believe it.
When a Christian objects to the use of apologetics, he or she typically misunderstands what apologetics is (or what it should be) because the very act of objecting to apologetics involves the use of apologetics. The Christian who says we should not argue because no one can be argued into the kingdom is presenting an argument for that position. He or she is presenting an apologetic against apologetics, in which case their argument only ends up refuting itself. We cannot rationalize our way around the necessity of apologetics because the very act of arguing for a particular position (including the position that apologetics is unnecessary) makes use of the discipline. If we eliminate the discipline of persuasion and gently arguing for the faith, we eliminate half of how the early church communicated the gospel.
In addition, there are several reasons why apologetics is such an important discipline for Christianity today:
It is Commanded in Scripture
The most important reason for why apologetics is necessary is because God commands that we practice it. "But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect" (1 Peter 3:15). We should "always be ready" for encounters, even if we don't typically find ourselves in situations where apologetics is necessary.
Being prepared for encounters involves much more than simply having the information needed to answer the objections and questions we run into. This verse in 1 Peter is, of course, assuming that the one engaging in this discipline is already a born-again Christian. You cannot practice Christian apologetics if you have not already devoted your life to Christ and completely adopted a biblical worldview. The goal of apologetics is to evangelize the gospel. Having the love of Christ and living according to what you claim to believe is absolutely essential in order to successfully take on that task.
Some people will argue intellectually for the existence of God or the reliability of the Bible, but fail to sincerely live according to the ways and teachings of Christ. They may mock and slander their opponents, use unnecessary sarcasm, and argue simply for the sake of arguing. But this is not Christian apologetics. While they might make some good points with some of their arguments, the manner in which they go about presenting those arguments is not of Christ-like character. Rather than evangelizing, they may actually end up pushing people away. No one wants to accept the views of someone they've just been insulted by.
However, this loving and gentle attitude should not lead one to conclude that we should avoid saying anything that might raise controversy. Loving someone does not simply mean to tell that person whatever they want to hear. Such an attitude would in fact be quite unloving when dealing with an issue as serious as the question of truth. To love someone means that one is concerned for that person realizing the truth - whatever that truth may be - for their own good.
Paul states in 2 Corinthians 10:4-5: "For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ." The number one priority of the Christian should be God and obeying His commands. The Christian is not to idly stand by when encountering a system of thought that is contrary to Scripture. Rather, he is to gently confront it and destroy it, "bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ," so that those deceived by worldly philosophies may come to realize the truth.
That is what it means to "set apart Christ as Lord" in our hearts - that we honor Him as holy, and that our first priority is always to obey and serve Him. If Christ is truly set apart as Lord in our hearts, we should wish to obey Him by always being ready to give an answer for (i.e. to give reasons; to justify) the hope that is in us.
It is a Requirement in the Church
Apologetics is more needed today than ever before, not only because of the increase in secularism, but also because of some major problems within Christianity itself. What may come as a bit of a shock to those who are not very familiar with apologetics is that this discipline is not simply a matter of confronting non-Christians in their unbelief. It also has to do with providing a defense for orthodox Christianity to Christians who have adopted a more liberal view of Scripture. Of course, Christians disagree on many doctrinal issues - issues that are usually minor and do not affect our salvation. But surprisingly there are many professing Christians today - the significant majority, in fact - who do not seem to agree even with some of the core, essential teachings of the gospel message.
To give a few quick examples, compare these statistics to what the Bible teaches. According to polls and surveys conducted by Barna and Gallup Research, roughly 82% of Americans identify themselves as Christians. Yet, about 66% of the American population (that factors out to be at least half of professing Christians) believe there is more than one way to God (cf. John 14:6), consider personal peace and prosperity to be more important than traditional standards (cf. Matt. 22:37-38; 7:21-23), and believe that there is no standard moral law that we should be living by; it's all relative. This reduces the majority of Christ's teachings to polite suggestions, rather than commandments.
Consider a few more statistics. These statistics are only referring to Americans who claim to be born-again. Half say that Satan is just a symbol, not a real being (cf. Matt. 4:1-11). About half believe that there is no absolute truth, and there is more than one way to God. When asked how important their faith is to them, 33% of those polled answered that they are only "somewhat committed" to their faith (is this not the same as saying, "I am not born-again"? cf. 1 John 2:4 with Matt. 22:37-38 & Matt. 7:21-23). 37% claim the Bible is not infallible (cf. 2 Tim. 3:16). A third believe that Jesus sinned (cf. 1 Pet. 2:22; 1 John 3:5), and did not physically rise from the dead (cf. Matt. 28:9; Luke 24:22-23,38-39,51; John 20:19-20,25-27). Only about 7% of adults and 4% of teens claim to have shared their faith with another person (cf. Matt. 28:19-20).
These doctrines that are being denied are some of the core teachings that define what Christianity is. The gospel message does not make sense if these teachings are not true (1 Cor. 15:14). And yet in most churches the pews are at least half full of people who deny these doctrines or haven't even bothered to learn them. Additional statistics would suggest that only as little as 4% of Americans may be true born-again Christians. That's 1 out of every 25 Americans, or about 1 out of every 20 who claim to be followers of Christ. Of course, surveys can only be so accurate, especially when only a few thousand people are polled. But the point is it is clear that there is a major problem with Western Christianity today.
People are watering down and trying to rationalize their way around the teachings of Scripture. They don't like the way it sounds; it is not politically correct. But what exactly does this tell us about where the average Christian's true commitment lies? This is the key, because the beliefs we are truly committed to - the worldview we subconsciously operate out of - is what actually determines whether or not one is a Christian, a new ager, an agnostic, an atheist, etc.
What we can infer from what we see today is that there are a lot of people who claim to be Christians, but many of them simply view Christianity and its values as nothing more than a set of good teachings or accessories used to further benefit their own lives. They do not have a biblical worldview. They may intellectually agree with certain teachings or views from the Bible, but their thinking and their way of living does not actually operate off of a worldview that is founded on Scripture. Instead, many professing Christians operate off of non-biblical worldviews (that is, they subconsciously live according to human reasoning and philosophies) and simply adopt certain biblical teachings as they see fit.
And so as a result many will cherry-pick their way through Scripture (if they even read it) in order to emphasize the particular verses they like best according to their predetermined view of life, God and reality. This is not Christianity. Furthermore, this would also explain how cults and false teachings form. That is, when an individual approaches Scripture with a predetermined worldview, rather than forming a worldview solely based on Scripture, they will naturally feel inclined to try to rationalize their way around (and thus misinterpret) the teachings of Scripture that they are not comfortable with.
www.warrantedfaith.org
It is true that you cannot argue someone into the kingdom, but this is not what apologetics seeks to do. Apologetics simply makes use of evidence and reason in order to justify the truth claims of the Christian faith. It is up to the individual, by God's grace, to make the choice whether or not to believe it.
When a Christian objects to the use of apologetics, he or she typically misunderstands what apologetics is (or what it should be) because the very act of objecting to apologetics involves the use of apologetics. The Christian who says we should not argue because no one can be argued into the kingdom is presenting an argument for that position. He or she is presenting an apologetic against apologetics, in which case their argument only ends up refuting itself. We cannot rationalize our way around the necessity of apologetics because the very act of arguing for a particular position (including the position that apologetics is unnecessary) makes use of the discipline. If we eliminate the discipline of persuasion and gently arguing for the faith, we eliminate half of how the early church communicated the gospel.
In addition, there are several reasons why apologetics is such an important discipline for Christianity today:
It is Commanded in Scripture
The most important reason for why apologetics is necessary is because God commands that we practice it. "But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect" (1 Peter 3:15). We should "always be ready" for encounters, even if we don't typically find ourselves in situations where apologetics is necessary.
Being prepared for encounters involves much more than simply having the information needed to answer the objections and questions we run into. This verse in 1 Peter is, of course, assuming that the one engaging in this discipline is already a born-again Christian. You cannot practice Christian apologetics if you have not already devoted your life to Christ and completely adopted a biblical worldview. The goal of apologetics is to evangelize the gospel. Having the love of Christ and living according to what you claim to believe is absolutely essential in order to successfully take on that task.
Some people will argue intellectually for the existence of God or the reliability of the Bible, but fail to sincerely live according to the ways and teachings of Christ. They may mock and slander their opponents, use unnecessary sarcasm, and argue simply for the sake of arguing. But this is not Christian apologetics. While they might make some good points with some of their arguments, the manner in which they go about presenting those arguments is not of Christ-like character. Rather than evangelizing, they may actually end up pushing people away. No one wants to accept the views of someone they've just been insulted by.
However, this loving and gentle attitude should not lead one to conclude that we should avoid saying anything that might raise controversy. Loving someone does not simply mean to tell that person whatever they want to hear. Such an attitude would in fact be quite unloving when dealing with an issue as serious as the question of truth. To love someone means that one is concerned for that person realizing the truth - whatever that truth may be - for their own good.
Paul states in 2 Corinthians 10:4-5: "For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ." The number one priority of the Christian should be God and obeying His commands. The Christian is not to idly stand by when encountering a system of thought that is contrary to Scripture. Rather, he is to gently confront it and destroy it, "bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ," so that those deceived by worldly philosophies may come to realize the truth.
That is what it means to "set apart Christ as Lord" in our hearts - that we honor Him as holy, and that our first priority is always to obey and serve Him. If Christ is truly set apart as Lord in our hearts, we should wish to obey Him by always being ready to give an answer for (i.e. to give reasons; to justify) the hope that is in us.
It is a Requirement in the Church
Apologetics is more needed today than ever before, not only because of the increase in secularism, but also because of some major problems within Christianity itself. What may come as a bit of a shock to those who are not very familiar with apologetics is that this discipline is not simply a matter of confronting non-Christians in their unbelief. It also has to do with providing a defense for orthodox Christianity to Christians who have adopted a more liberal view of Scripture. Of course, Christians disagree on many doctrinal issues - issues that are usually minor and do not affect our salvation. But surprisingly there are many professing Christians today - the significant majority, in fact - who do not seem to agree even with some of the core, essential teachings of the gospel message.
To give a few quick examples, compare these statistics to what the Bible teaches. According to polls and surveys conducted by Barna and Gallup Research, roughly 82% of Americans identify themselves as Christians. Yet, about 66% of the American population (that factors out to be at least half of professing Christians) believe there is more than one way to God (cf. John 14:6), consider personal peace and prosperity to be more important than traditional standards (cf. Matt. 22:37-38; 7:21-23), and believe that there is no standard moral law that we should be living by; it's all relative. This reduces the majority of Christ's teachings to polite suggestions, rather than commandments.
Consider a few more statistics. These statistics are only referring to Americans who claim to be born-again. Half say that Satan is just a symbol, not a real being (cf. Matt. 4:1-11). About half believe that there is no absolute truth, and there is more than one way to God. When asked how important their faith is to them, 33% of those polled answered that they are only "somewhat committed" to their faith (is this not the same as saying, "I am not born-again"? cf. 1 John 2:4 with Matt. 22:37-38 & Matt. 7:21-23). 37% claim the Bible is not infallible (cf. 2 Tim. 3:16). A third believe that Jesus sinned (cf. 1 Pet. 2:22; 1 John 3:5), and did not physically rise from the dead (cf. Matt. 28:9; Luke 24:22-23,38-39,51; John 20:19-20,25-27). Only about 7% of adults and 4% of teens claim to have shared their faith with another person (cf. Matt. 28:19-20).
These doctrines that are being denied are some of the core teachings that define what Christianity is. The gospel message does not make sense if these teachings are not true (1 Cor. 15:14). And yet in most churches the pews are at least half full of people who deny these doctrines or haven't even bothered to learn them. Additional statistics would suggest that only as little as 4% of Americans may be true born-again Christians. That's 1 out of every 25 Americans, or about 1 out of every 20 who claim to be followers of Christ. Of course, surveys can only be so accurate, especially when only a few thousand people are polled. But the point is it is clear that there is a major problem with Western Christianity today.
People are watering down and trying to rationalize their way around the teachings of Scripture. They don't like the way it sounds; it is not politically correct. But what exactly does this tell us about where the average Christian's true commitment lies? This is the key, because the beliefs we are truly committed to - the worldview we subconsciously operate out of - is what actually determines whether or not one is a Christian, a new ager, an agnostic, an atheist, etc.
What we can infer from what we see today is that there are a lot of people who claim to be Christians, but many of them simply view Christianity and its values as nothing more than a set of good teachings or accessories used to further benefit their own lives. They do not have a biblical worldview. They may intellectually agree with certain teachings or views from the Bible, but their thinking and their way of living does not actually operate off of a worldview that is founded on Scripture. Instead, many professing Christians operate off of non-biblical worldviews (that is, they subconsciously live according to human reasoning and philosophies) and simply adopt certain biblical teachings as they see fit.
And so as a result many will cherry-pick their way through Scripture (if they even read it) in order to emphasize the particular verses they like best according to their predetermined view of life, God and reality. This is not Christianity. Furthermore, this would also explain how cults and false teachings form. That is, when an individual approaches Scripture with a predetermined worldview, rather than forming a worldview solely based on Scripture, they will naturally feel inclined to try to rationalize their way around (and thus misinterpret) the teachings of Scripture that they are not comfortable with.
www.warrantedfaith.org
