Christian apologetics should be done for the glory of God. For this reason it is important that apologetics is done in a distinctively Christian way. The way the world argues and the way the church argues are often very different.
The churches most powerful tool is love. Love empowered by the Spirit of God in us. If we live out the supernatural love of Jesus then we will already have given the most powerful apologetic for Jesus.
The most powerful witness of the church through history has been when the church shows inexplicable love to the world. If we love God and love our neighbor we will make others wonder what is different.
Often those in the world who argue for a position or change have a great lack of Charity. It is their way or the highway. If one does not follow then one is confused or has lack of character.
Jesus reaches out with compassion and not judgement on the confused. Any apologetic for the Church must be full of patience and grace. Full of compassion for those it disputes with.
Only when we truly live out our faith does apologetic have its true power. Love is at the center of all things. If God is for us who can be against us. God always wills that his work be done in his way.
Showing posts with label Apologetics. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Apologetics. Show all posts
Saturday, December 12, 2015
Wednesday, August 13, 2014
Objectivity and Apologetics
Gresham Machen in the 1920's and 1930's wrote about the issue of objectivity. It used to be that people were sure about objective reality and unsure of themselves. Now people begin to question objective reality and are sure of themselves.
I believe the same tendency Machen notes has continued and intensified. We should have great certainty in the truths of scripture and be doubtful of ourselves.
It is of course the teaching all through the bible of how our hearts are deceitful and trick us. We are very quick to excuse ourselves. That is why it is proper to have great certainty in the bible and a suspicion of ourselves.
Too often people have great faith in themselves and little faith in the bible. Where the bible seems not right they are quick to point out that the bible must be wrong on this issue because the bible seems to not make sense.
Of course the bible usually does not make sense because we do not like what it has to say. If you push people for why the bible does not make sense on moral issues usually you get a response something like: " It does not seem right or fair and who has the right to impose on my freedoms."
It is of course a difference of opinion. The sense of freedom is that no external power has the right to dictate upon our lives.
Of course the teaching of scripture is that the God of heaven and earth who created all things has such a right. As the Creator and sustainer of all things he has the right to declare right and wrong.
Of course to accept scripture's opinion we must first accept God. But the whole criticism of those outside the church that the bible's morality is deficient or the bible does not make sense is off track.
If you reject God than some of the bible's points on morality are easy to question, but if you accept God then it is folly to question his ideas. The bible is a completely consistent viewpoint on life and a highly rational one at that.
The skeptics who attack the bible often do themselves a disfavor of questioning the rationality of the bible. They of course wonder why the church has such a bad viewpoint of their arguments.
It is of course because their arguments are very poor because they have taken a grave shortcut and avoided the basis of Christian ethics. Their arguments only have power once you already agree about their presuppositions about God or often in their case the lack of a divine being.
You can only attack Christian ethics successfully once you get rid of the biblical view of God. Christian ethics are wholly consistent and rational once you accept that the God of the bible is who he says he is.
I believe the same tendency Machen notes has continued and intensified. We should have great certainty in the truths of scripture and be doubtful of ourselves.
It is of course the teaching all through the bible of how our hearts are deceitful and trick us. We are very quick to excuse ourselves. That is why it is proper to have great certainty in the bible and a suspicion of ourselves.
Too often people have great faith in themselves and little faith in the bible. Where the bible seems not right they are quick to point out that the bible must be wrong on this issue because the bible seems to not make sense.
Of course the bible usually does not make sense because we do not like what it has to say. If you push people for why the bible does not make sense on moral issues usually you get a response something like: " It does not seem right or fair and who has the right to impose on my freedoms."
It is of course a difference of opinion. The sense of freedom is that no external power has the right to dictate upon our lives.
Of course the teaching of scripture is that the God of heaven and earth who created all things has such a right. As the Creator and sustainer of all things he has the right to declare right and wrong.
Of course to accept scripture's opinion we must first accept God. But the whole criticism of those outside the church that the bible's morality is deficient or the bible does not make sense is off track.
If you reject God than some of the bible's points on morality are easy to question, but if you accept God then it is folly to question his ideas. The bible is a completely consistent viewpoint on life and a highly rational one at that.
The skeptics who attack the bible often do themselves a disfavor of questioning the rationality of the bible. They of course wonder why the church has such a bad viewpoint of their arguments.
It is of course because their arguments are very poor because they have taken a grave shortcut and avoided the basis of Christian ethics. Their arguments only have power once you already agree about their presuppositions about God or often in their case the lack of a divine being.
You can only attack Christian ethics successfully once you get rid of the biblical view of God. Christian ethics are wholly consistent and rational once you accept that the God of the bible is who he says he is.
Monday, June 16, 2014
Apologetics
Apologetics has a flaw in that most of the objections to religion are moral and not intellectual. There are certainly intellectual objections but they are of less importance than the moral.
Most moral objections are of the type that object to religion because they do not like what it says. These take many forms but most often religion says things about ourselves and the way we should live that we do not like.
We prefer to live as we please and God wishing us to live in another way is offensive and frustrating. We don't like religion because we don't like being told what to do.
Those were certainly my concerns as I wrestled with Christianity. You see of course that is human pride the first sin and one of the sins that make it most difficult for us to accept Jesus.
The solution is too simple. If we could do something other than simply accept Jesus and his life and work it might be more palatable.
You see faith is hard because we as proud people do not wish to believe the problem is so bad or the solution so easy. We want to earn our way and not just accept that things are so broken that we need an alien righteousness and we have no way of fixing the issue in ourselves.
Most moral objections are of the type that object to religion because they do not like what it says. These take many forms but most often religion says things about ourselves and the way we should live that we do not like.
We prefer to live as we please and God wishing us to live in another way is offensive and frustrating. We don't like religion because we don't like being told what to do.
Those were certainly my concerns as I wrestled with Christianity. You see of course that is human pride the first sin and one of the sins that make it most difficult for us to accept Jesus.
The solution is too simple. If we could do something other than simply accept Jesus and his life and work it might be more palatable.
You see faith is hard because we as proud people do not wish to believe the problem is so bad or the solution so easy. We want to earn our way and not just accept that things are so broken that we need an alien righteousness and we have no way of fixing the issue in ourselves.
Tuesday, June 10, 2014
Theses on Apologetics
1. Aim of apologetics is often too large. Apologetics has not enough power to accomplish large scale goals. Aiming for smaller target goals is better.
2. Apologetics should not necessitate bad theology. Some movements of argumentation create necessary errors which are anti-biblical. An example is Alvin Plantinga's free will defense which is incompatible with mankind being perfected and being sinless in heaven as scripture teaches.
3. Usually winning an argument only gets you labeled as a "good arguer" and you probably won't get assent on your point.
4. Most objections are moral and not rational. Clearing a rational objection does not change belief.
5. Ideas must be appealing. People usually believe what they want. This is the great issue with apologetics. We need to persuade people they should desire a relationship with God which is hard to do via argumentation.
6. Everyone has presuppositions. If you do not think you have presuppositions you are wrong. All belief systems need a starting point. Descartes' baseless belief system is a failure. Without presuppositions rational thought is impossible although many people are unaware of the assumptions.
7. Look for the presuppositions in a position. Any argument can be rejected if you deny the presuppositions. Often good arguments have the issue of bad presuppositions.
2. Apologetics should not necessitate bad theology. Some movements of argumentation create necessary errors which are anti-biblical. An example is Alvin Plantinga's free will defense which is incompatible with mankind being perfected and being sinless in heaven as scripture teaches.
3. Usually winning an argument only gets you labeled as a "good arguer" and you probably won't get assent on your point.
4. Most objections are moral and not rational. Clearing a rational objection does not change belief.
5. Ideas must be appealing. People usually believe what they want. This is the great issue with apologetics. We need to persuade people they should desire a relationship with God which is hard to do via argumentation.
6. Everyone has presuppositions. If you do not think you have presuppositions you are wrong. All belief systems need a starting point. Descartes' baseless belief system is a failure. Without presuppositions rational thought is impossible although many people are unaware of the assumptions.
7. Look for the presuppositions in a position. Any argument can be rejected if you deny the presuppositions. Often good arguments have the issue of bad presuppositions.
Wednesday, December 18, 2013
Apologetics
Karl Barth once wrote: anxiety concerning the success of the gospel [referring to apologetics] is meaningless because the gospel is the power by which the world is overcome.
To me is possibly an overstatement but not by much. Apologetics have no power to save it is meeting Jesus and accepting who he says he is and what he says he has done that saves.
There is possibly some use in apologetics as a way to clear out some intellectual objects. But intellectual objects are rarely helpful to clear because when cleared we simply find a more difficult emotional objection which cannot be cleared.
We need to meet Jesus and see that he is beautiful and the way to see this is through the gospel of grace found in the cross.
To me is possibly an overstatement but not by much. Apologetics have no power to save it is meeting Jesus and accepting who he says he is and what he says he has done that saves.
There is possibly some use in apologetics as a way to clear out some intellectual objects. But intellectual objects are rarely helpful to clear because when cleared we simply find a more difficult emotional objection which cannot be cleared.
We need to meet Jesus and see that he is beautiful and the way to see this is through the gospel of grace found in the cross.
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