Apologetics: The "Next Big Thing"

Apologetics: The "Next Big Thing" in Christianity Has Been Around 2,000 Years

Arriving at a church for a recent speaking engagement, my walk from the parking lot to the building was intercepted by a member who seemed a little agitated. The man had seen my picture on a flyer and the bio advertising that I was a "Christian apologist." Seeing the guest speaker getting out of a car, the man approached me and firmly said, "Young man, no one should apologize for being a Christian!"

Thus began a discussion similar to hundreds of others I've had over the years. Well-meaning brothers and sisters in Christ regularly take me to task over the implications of the word "apologetics." The term "apologetics" is new to many in the church. But the discipline of apologetics has been around a while—since the very beginning of the church!

"Apologetics" means "a defense," and this word occurs several times in the Bible. When we do apologetics, we are defending what we believe by showing that the content of the Gospel is "backed up" by both evidence and sound reasoning.

In short, apologetics is the practice of showing reasons for what you believe. Apologetics deals with "what we believe, and why." Most Christians who have ever witnessed to unbelievers have probably heard various objections to the Gospel message. Some people may have heard that the Bible contains errors. Others wonder how God (if He exists), could allow evil and tragedies to happen. But whether a listener has a legitimate question about God, or is avoiding the Gospel via a thinly-veiled excuse—a basic knowledge of apologetics is vitally important for Christians. We especially should equip our kids to give an answer, and to support their faith convincingly.

I Peter 3:15 encourages believers to, "…be ready always to give an answer to any one who asks you about the hope you have." In short, we are told to "back up" why we have faith. The word translated "answer" and "reason," is an ancient legal term, meaning "a defense." The same word is found in Philippians 1:7 and 1:17, where Paul said that he was prepared to defend the Gospel. The principle is echoed in Jude 3, as believers are encouraged to "earnestly contend" (or "stand up for") the faith.

Categories of Christian Apologetics include: (1) Textual apologetics – defending the trustworthiness of the Bible, and then sharing what it says; (2) Evidence-based apologetics – Presenting the many evidences in defense of the Christian faith (such as facts from history or science; and (3) Philosophical apologetics – exposing the flawed reasoning behind many of the popular arguments against Christianity. Respected Christian thinkers throughout history have recognized that every possible argument against Christianity is based on faulty logic and incorrect conclusions.

More related books and excellent apologetics resources are available today than ever before. Scholars such as Josh McDowell, Lee Strobel, Ravi Zacharias others have produced a wealth of content that God is using to equip the saved, persuade the lost, and impact the world! I also humbly draw your attention to dozen books God has allowed me to write (just search for my name at any bookstore or online).

We find ourselves in an era of outright attacks against the faith, and Christian families must be prepared to respond. Hence the need for apologetics! When someone we know is ready to trust Christ and appears to have no objections standing in the way, then there may be no need to talk about questions and peripheral issues. But for an increasingly skeptical culture such as ours, Christians must rise to the challenge of the most well-known apologetics verse (I Peter 3:15), and "always be ready."