Apologetics

[Iosias]

What is your preferred apologetical method? Classical, Evidential, Presuppositional, Reformed Epistemology, or Cumulative Case? Why?

 

[Apologetic_Warrior]

I actually came to be a Calvinist, in large through apologetics.

 

[Iosias]

Which is your preferred model of doing apologetics?

 

[Apologetic_Warrior]

Which is your preferred model of doing apologetics?

A clearly distinctly Reformed model which is Christ honoring and Christ exalting, having it's foundation in Scripture. A Reformed cumulative model, which begins and ends with Christ.

So, if we take advantage of both defense and offense or positive and negative aspects in our apologetics, we would be making a cumulative case. The downside to a cumulative approach is the amount of time and effort involved, it's not practical for street apologetics.

A Christian apologist needs to first understand, that the non-Christian's problem is not intellectual. In other words, the problem is sin, and it's effects, and the Christian apologist needs to always keep in mind that their intellectual arguing with non-Christians cannot and does not have the power to convert a single soul. In fact, more often than not the only satisfaction an apologist may experience is in "shutting the lion's mouth". We must not forget that it is the gospel of Christ and God the Holy Spirit which converts sinners.

 

[Osage Bluestem]

I'm currently dealing with a guy who says he believes in God but does not believe in the bible. He doesn't believe Jesus is the Son of God. The approach I took was to explain that the claims of the bible can be defended, however the most important thing for him to do right now is to pray and tell God he doesn't believe in the bible or Christ and ask him to show him the truth.

 

[Iosias]

How is the conversation going with this chap? Who are your go to guys?

 

[Osage Bluestem]

How is the conversation going with this chap? Who are your go to guys?

My go to guy is God. I believe that prayer and exposure to the word of God works.

For technical questions an unbeliever may have, I use www.carm.org as my technical resource. But all power in conversion comes from God through the gospel and prayer.