Switch to mobile friendly versionThe Best Reason for Apologetics
by Duane Caldwell
As you might imagine of one hosting a website that deals with apologetic issues, I listened with interest to the debate last Saturday on Moody’s Up For Debate entitled “Do Apologetics Help or Hurt our Christian Witness?” As always the host, Julie Roys welcomed well qualified guests for the discussion: author and professor David Fitch and author and professor Nancy Pearcey. Dr. Fitch offered the concern that apologetics train us in a posture of defensiveness; and that we don’t listen as well, having answers ready before we hear the question. His main objection is summarized in this tweet.
Professor Pearcey had a number of good responses, in addition to her own testimony of how apologetics helped her come to the faith, some of her reminders include:
– We need to be inclusive in our approaches
– We should use all the tools available to us
– It is possible to do apologetics wrong (implied: therefore learn to do it right!)
– Apologetics can descend into a game of “gotcha”
– And as she reminded us in this tweet.
But the answer I was expecting, but didn’t hear (unless I missed while I moved from the car to the house) was a statement about the truth. Focus on the Family recently put together a world view instructional series called The Truth Project led by Dr. Del Tackett. Dr. Tackett opens the series by asking the question why did Jesus come? Many correct, but off the point answers are proffered, until Dr. Tackett finally gets to the point, and quotes Jesus in his reply to Pilate:
Jesus answered, “You are right in saying I am a king. In fact, for this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth.
John 18.37
Having made the point that the reason Jesus came was to testify to the truth he goes on to point out another key truth: Jesus came to testify – as in a court of law. Why? Because the truth is under attack…FOLLOW THE LINK BELOW TO READ THE FULL ARTICLE >>>
The Best Reason for Apologetics – Rational Faith