A reasoned defense of the gospel
“But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear.” 1 Peter 3:15
As Apostolic Christians, we believe that evangelism and discipleship are important aspects of the Christian walk. As we humbly seek to live out these dimensions of our faith, we undoubtedly encounter those who have questions or doubts about various aspects of Christianity. Perhaps, sometimes those questions and doubts are our own. In such instances, Christian apologetics can be very helpful. But what exactly is the meaning of Christian apologetics, and should it be of interest to us? Or is it only for those who are deep thinkers or who enjoy debate and theological arguments?
These are important questions as we consider 1 Peter 3:15, which says, “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear.” The phrase “give an answer” is based on the Greek word apologia, from which we get the English word apologetics. The Greek word apologia means “a reasoned defense.” Consequently, Christian apologetics simply means giving a reasoned defense of our faith and our hope in Christ. This is what Peter teaches us to always be ready to do, with meekness and fear.
This can feel intimidating. We may think, “Isn’t making a reasoned defense something a lawyer or a debater would do? What if I’m not skilled in debate or reason, or if I don’t enjoy thinking through tough issues?” These are valid questions. But the encouraging news is that a reasoned defense of our faith is not complicated. Making a reasoned defense does not mean that our answers can or should only be based on intellectual reasoning. It simply means that our defense of the gospel should be thoughtful and deliberate. There are many ways to effectively defend the gospel in addition to reason, logic, and argumentation. Let’s look at a few examples from the Bible that show this to be true.
In Matthew 11, when John the Baptist sent his disciples to Jesus to ask if he was truly the Messiah, we notice that Jesus did not give John’s disciples a verbal argument. Rather, he asked them to share their eyewitness testimony of his supernatural power and miracles. Jesus says, “Go and shew John again those things which ye do hear and see: The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them. And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me.”[i] Jesus’ response to John’s question was not a complex logical argument at all, although it certainly was thoughtful and deliberate. He simply told them to go back to the one who was struggling with faith and share what they had seen and experienced, the unmistakable power of God at work.
Another example is Paul’s defense before Agrippa. It is important to note that Acts 26:1 uses a....
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...version of the Greek word apologia to describe Paul’s speech. Paul does not make his argument based solely on legalities, but like Jesus, shares his experience of the power of God at work, clearly fulfilling prophecies found in the Old Testament. This is another example that making a reasoned defense need not only involve debate or theological arguments. Sharing one’s testimony is often an impactful way to prompt souls to further search out the truth of the gospel.
Having said that, it is important for Christians to know some basic reasons that our faith is true. For example, knowing a few good arguments for belief in God as opposed to atheism can be very helpful as we interact with unbelievers. In addition, Christians over the years have identified many good reasons to believe that the Bible is God’s inspired Word. If someone asks, “Why should I believe the Bible?” it can be very helpful to have a few of these thoughts to share. These kinds of basic arguments can be a wonderful companion to sharing your testimony as you lovingly interact with those around you.[ii]
But do such arguments convince people of Christianity’s truth? Are they sufficient by themselves? Before answering that question, it is important to remember that the goal of Christian apologetics is not to convince people. Rather it is simply to show, deliberately and thoughtfully, that Christians have good reasons for the hope that is in us. It is also important to remember that no argument, no matter how well done, will necessarily convince unbelievers of the gospel. Only the Holy Spirit can bring about a new birth. Jesus said, “No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.”[iii] Few humans determine what they believe based solely on logic. There are many other practical considerations that impact what a person chooses to believe or not.
For example, what sort of life experiences does a person have? Have they had good or bad experiences with Christians? Have they had any experiences with Christians? Would believing the gospel require them to make major life changes? Are they depressed and looking for hope? Are they wrestling with feelings of meaninglessness? Were they brought up in a home where belief in God was considered oppressive? It could go on and on. The point is that none of these important considerations are fundamentally issues of logic and reason. And if that is true, then logic and reason alone will not truly address the underlying issues.
Often, what these unbelievers need is someone to walk alongside them relationally and experientially – a loving Christian whom they can trust and who makes the gospel attractive to them by following Jesus with joy, humility, and life patterned after Jesus. They need a Christian faith community that loves them well enough to reverse any bad experiences they may have had with Christians. They need to experience hope and meaning as they learn about the Bible and see it lived out well.
Is living a faithful, joy-filled life a good defense of the gospel? Yes! Is building a relationship with an unbeliever based on listening and trust a good defense of the gospel? Yes! Can boldly yet humbly sharing our personal testimony be an effective defense of the gospel? Yes! These are all fruitful ways to practice Christian apologetics, and none of them require that one become a debater or theologian. Yes, it is important to know some basic arguments and reasons for the truth of Christianity, but that is just one small piece of the puzzle. The larger opportunity is to surround those basic arguments with a way of life that reflects the character of Christ, our love for God, and our love for others – the demonstration of an authentic Christian walk and witness.
[i] Matthew 11:4-6
[ii] https://www.eldersteachingresource.org/
[iii] John 6:44
