Apologetics

[Gell]

Since my first semester is over, I have a couple of weeks free time to study apologetics and read more of the bible, as well as listen to sermons since I haven’t had the opportunity to do just that during the past.
Apologetics gripped more of my attention.
I also finished educating myself of early Christian history and the infallibility of the Bible.
I am currently listening to John Piper, John MacArthur, Ravi Zacharias, Ray Comfort, Paul Washer among others.

Tell me about your walk in the knowledge of our Lord?

 

[Chinchilla]

Just start with this first .

 

[Mountainmike]

It all changed for me when I read early church fathers, such as ignatius and iraneus and Justin Martyr. Some who were taught by apostles, others not long after. Did you read ignatius to smyrneans where he says a Eucharist of real presence is only valid if performed by bishop or appointee? Since he was taught by John, we must take notice! Justin martyr said it was " the flesh of jesus" Or iraneus when he says all churches must take their doctrine from Rome?

Since my first semester is over, I have a couple of weeks free time to study apologetics and read more of the bible, as well as listen to sermons since I haven’t had the opportunity to do just that during the past.
Apologetics gripped more of my attention.
I also finished educating myself of early Christian history and the infallibility of the Bible.
I am currently listening to John Piper, John MacArthur, Ravi Zacharias, Ray Comfort, Paul Washer among others.

Tell me about your walk in the knowledge of our Lord?

 

[TuxAme]

I'm reading Augustine's anti-pelagian writings myself (and some of his sermons). I'd recommend those if you haven't already glanced at them. You can't get better apologetic material than what we have in the first 1241 years of Church history (I'm very specific with this number because Thomas Aquinas passed around 1274 AD, and his Summa is something to behold.)

 

[Call me Nic]

Since my first semester is over, I have a couple of weeks free time to study apologetics and read more of the bible, as well as listen to sermons since I haven’t had the opportunity to do just that during the past.
Apologetics gripped more of my attention.
I also finished educating myself of early Christian history and the infallibility of the Bible.
I am currently listening to John Piper, John MacArthur, Ravi Zacharias, Ray Comfort, Paul Washer among others.

Tell me about your walk in the knowledge of our Lord?

Word of advice, not to get you down at all about your research, because that's great and super exciting!

I would avoid Paul Washer like the plague: I perceive him to be a wolf in sheep's clothing.

 

[Gell]

Word of advice, not to get you down at all about your research, because that's great and super exciting!

I would avoid Paul Washer like the plague: I perceive him to be a wolf in sheep's clothing.

Can I ask why?

 

[HereIStand]

That's great that you are doing that. Recently, I read Kierkegaard's Fear and Trembling. It's a short analysis of the Abraham's faith in being willing to sacrifice Isaac to God. Philosphy in Seven Sentences by Douglas Groothuis is a good short intro to philosophy.

 

[Jane_Doe]

Tell me about your walk in the knowledge of our Lord?

For me, a big part being asking "why do I believe _____" and "what exactly is _____". Really focusing on understanding what and why I believe what I do. Because I know what I believe, I can explain it and I don't fear what others believe. Instead, I can talk (and listen!) openly with the many diverse peoples I find on campus and throughout life

PS: I love Ravi Zacharias' work!

 

[St_Worm2]

Hi Gell, a book you may be interested in reading is Gregory Koukl's, Tactics (A Game Plan For Discussing Your Christian Convictions). It well help you help others learn to think critically for themselves about the Christian faith, rather than you simply feeding it all to them (I believe this style of teaching is often referred to as the Socratic method).

This can be particularly helpful when defending the faith because the people you are talking to about it can't get quite as upset with you when they've come to the conclusions about the truth for themselves

You might also find these two sites useful (they are both founded by Dr. R C Sproul, Ligonier being his main teaching website, and Renewing Your Mind his 30 min daily radio broadcast/now internet "broadcast" site). There are many theologians and pastors who are "teaching fellows" with Ligonier/Renewing Your Mind as well (even John MacArthur teaches fairly regularly with them, and is normally a teacher at their national conferences as well, just FYI).

Renewing Your Mind

Ligonier​

*(Renewing Your Mind has a broadcast archive, which can be helpful if you're looking for a particular subject. Oh, and some of Dr. Sproul's messages are available at Amazon Prime in HD. If you're a member, just search the word "Sproul" and you'll find them.)

Yours and His,
David

1 Peter 3
15 Sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence.
.​

 

[Gell]

Hi Gell, a book you may be interested in reading is Gregory Koukl's, Tactics (A Game Plan For Discussing Your Christian Convictions). It well help you help others learn to think critically for themselves about the Christian faith, rather than you simply feeding it all to them (I believe this style of teaching is often referred to as the Socratic method).

This can be particularly helpful when defending the faith because the people you are talking to about it can't get quite as upset with you when they've come to the conclusions about the truth for themselves

You might also find these two sites useful (they are both founded by Dr. R C Sproul, Ligonier being his main teaching website, and Renewing Your Mind his 30 min daily radio broadcast/now internet "broadcast" site). There are many theologians and pastors who are "teaching fellows" with Ligonier/Renewing Your Mind as well (even John MacArthur teaches fairly regularly with them, and is normally a teacher at their national conferences as well, just FYI).

Renewing Your Mind

Ligonier​

*(Renewing Your Mind has a broadcast archive, which can be helpful if you're looking for a particular subject. Oh, and some of Dr. Sproul's messages are available at Amazon Prime in HD. If you're a member, just search the word "Sproul" and you'll find them.)

Yours and His,
David

1 Peter 3
15 Sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence.
.​

Yep. I forgot to include RC Sproul on my list. I do listen to Ligonier ministries as well.
Synthesising all the teachings and looking it up in the scriptures is much better that listening exclusively to one preacher, I found that worked best for me.
I’ve heard of Tactics and have read the book summary I think. I really like how it teaches the Christian to let the inquirer answer his/her own questions by asking certain questions/replies/feedbacks.

 

[DaveDavids]

I guess my real eye opening about the amazing book we call the Bible started with pre-biblical literature and studies of earlier textual sources, and also earlier linguistic cognates, mainly priestly sources, texts in cuneiform as well as the ancient priestly traditions dealing with their exegesis

I use sources like the Hebrew and Greek Concordances, the TWOT, the ePSD the CDLI, the CCP, the ETCSL, among others, all excellent sites

I don't really listen to any pastors / preachers just because I find their Bible educations so shallow in most cases

 

[faroukfarouk]

Yep. I forgot to include RC Sproul on my list. I do listen to Ligonier ministries as well.
Synthesising all the teachings and looking it up in the scriptures is much better that listening exclusively to one preacher, I found that worked best for me.
I’ve heard of Tactics and have read the book summary I think. I really like how it teaches the Christian to let the inquirer answer his/her own questions by asking certain questions/replies/feedbacks.

Hi; yes, I've heard good reports of R C Sproul. (I think he passed away recently.)

 

[Gell]

Hi; yes, I've heard good reports of R C Sproul. (I think he passed away recently.)

Oh I'm glad that he is finally able to rest from his works. I'm confident that the Lord will continue to use his works to save God's people

 

[faroukfarouk]

Oh I'm glad that he is finally able to rest from his works. I'm confident that the Lord will continue to use his works to save God's people

A good way to look at it, yes.

 

[St_Worm2]

They honored/remembered him at Together For The Gospel earlier this year:

http://t4g.org/media/2018/04/remembering-rc-sproul/​

And Dr. MacArthur won the award for being in the ministry for the longest if memory serves. His prize? A complete set of the MacArthur New Testament Commentaries

MANY excellent lectures at the conference, BTW, all available online now at http://t4g.org/