5 Reasons to Study Apologetics
- TimeTravelTeam
- Jul 9, 2021
- 7 min read
If you follow this blog, you may be wondering what’s so important about apologetics. Sure, it makes an interesting class and provides blog material, but why is apologetics such a big deal?
And what is apologetics, anyway?
Put simply, an apologetic is a defense. To be specific, Christian apologetics is the art and science of giving logical reasons for the Christian faith—defending the Bible as true and providing evidence for God’s existence.
But why spend time reading those thick books with obscure words? Why not just believe the Bible and be done with it?
Answer: Because Christianity is not a blind faith. In fact, Hebrews 11:1 reads, “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” Note that the Bible’s definition of faith does NOT include blind, uninformed gullibility. Rather, the Bible defines faith as an assurance or a conviction—a strong belief based on evidence. Investigating this evidence is a main facet of apologetics.
To clarify, you don’t have to be able to answer every single question relating to the fine points of Biblical interpretation in order to be an effective apologist. Rather, every Christian should be equipped with the ability to do the following basic things:
Clearly explain the Gospel.
Defend the authority of the Bible.
Answer a few common questions about Christianity (such as why a good God would allow evil to exist).
Apologetics isn’t just a pastime for believers who like debating and researching. Rather, it’s an important part of being able to share the Gospel with an unbelieving world. Foundations First is devoted to helping Christians learn how to become better at defending the faith.
In the future, I plan to write a blog post about some of my favorite apologetics resources. Today, I’m going to discuss five reasons why the study of Christian apologetics should be a part of every believer’s spiritual life.
1. The Bible commands us to be prepared to make a defense for our faith.
The first reason to study apologetics is that the Bible commands it.
The classic verse cited in favor of apologetics is 1 Peter 3:15. This verse says, “But in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect.” The Greek word for “make a defense” is apologia, which is where we get the word “apologetics.”
(BJ's note: Fun fact, this is the scripture on which this blog was founded!)
As another example, Matthew 22:37 reads, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind” (emphasis added). Clearly, believing in God isn’t just a mere emotional response. Rather, it’s a devotion of the entire being to God—heart, soul, and mind.
Furthermore, 2 Corinthians 10:5 states, “We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ.” Some examples of these “arguments and lofty opinions against the knowledge of God” include atheism, naturalism, and materialistic (godless) evolution. Therefore, believers should be prepared to understand how to respectfully and politely show that an atheistic worldview cannot even make sense of science or logic.
In Acts, Paul takes several missionary journeys. Acts 17:2 says, “And Paul went in, as was his custom, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them [the Jews] from the Scriptures” (emphasis added). Clearly, this passage implies that faith in the Bible is reasonable! In the broader context of the chapter, Paul is using the Scriptures to show that Christ really did rise from the dead. Nowadays, Christians should be prepared to explain their beliefs so that they can present the Gospel clearly and accurately.
Furthermore, Isaiah 1:18a reads, “Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord” (emphasis added). God wants His people to use the reasoning abilities that He has given them. In the future, I’ll write a blog post explaining why a Christian worldview provides the foundation for the laws of logic. You can read a short explanation in this post here.
As another example, 1 John 4:1 states, “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world” (emphasis added). To use modern terms, the Bible tells us to do our research when confronted with a new idea. We need to ask, “Is this idea biblical? Does it line up with a Christian worldview?” In order to effectively test other beliefs and ideas, we must be well-acquainted with the Bible.
It’s clear that the Bible commands us to understand our faith and be prepared to defend it. But other than that, why else should we study apologetics?
2. We need to understand why we believe what we believe.
In a practical sense, testing your beliefs and seeing how they hold up to scientific and historical evidence is a great way to form your own Biblical beliefs and convictions. That way, as you grow up, you’re able to build a rock-solid faith. Your Christian walk becomes your own—it doesn’t just belong to your parents or your church.
When you grow up and go out into the world, you’ll be confronted with other belief systems that seem logical on the surface. It can become easy to fall into the trap of false philosophies if you don’t have strong, logical reasons for believing the Christian faith.
Moreover, understanding the Bible helps us form a Christian perspective on social issues such as abortion, homosexuality, and racism. That way, you know exactly where you stand on those issues, and you'll be able to explain to others why you hold to certain beliefs.
3. Apologetics helps us address areas of doubt. Say you’ve been studying apologetics for a while. If you read something about how naturalistic evolution has been proven true, or that a new archaeological discovery proves the Bible wrong, then you’ll know better than to fall for that trap. You’ll understand the difference between observational and historical science, and you’ll understand that all evidence is interpreted according to worldviews. In his book Already Gone, Ken Ham explains that one main reason for the recent decline in church membership and Christianity in general is that kids haven’t been taught apologetics. Schools teach that naturalistic evolution is a fact and that the Bible is an outdated book of children’s stories. With no logical foundation for believing the Bible, a departure from Biblical morality is expected!
The lack of apologetics teaching doesn’t just lead to theoretical consequences—it actually has visible effects. Think about it. Students are learning that there’s no God, the Bible is false, and all humans ultimately came from primordial goo. If these things are true, then we’re not accountable to anyone. Therefore, what’s objectively wrong with abortion or homosexual behavior? What’s wrong with stealing or lying to get ahead?
Unfortunately, the rejection of Christian values is actually a necessary side effect of rejecting the Bible's science and history. After all, if we can’t trust the Bible when it addresses science and history, then why should we trust it in areas of morality? Jesus Himself said, “If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things?” (John 3:12).
For this reason, it’s crucial that Christians be able to explain why they believe the Bible to be infallible in both scientific and moral matters.
(BJ's note: If you read my testimony on this site, you'll see a real-life example of just how critical this point and point 2 actually are.)
4. Apologetics sharpens our critical thinking skills.
Many people will use faulty logic and propaganda in order to manipulate us. They may want us to buy a certain product, vote for a certain candidate, and so forth. But if we know basic apologetics skills in dismantling faulty arguments, we can use those skills to spot the faulty logic behind other statements we may encounter in the media and advertisements.
More specifically, apologetics helps us politely refute arguments against Christianity, but it also allows us to carry those critical thinking skills over to other areas of life. That way, we don’t just blindly accept every message that we encounter.
5. Apologetics can open the door to share the Gospel.
People have ruled out belief in the Bible for countless reasons—the existence of evil, the alleged intolerance of Biblical teachings, contradictions in the Bible, the progress of science, Christianity’s exclusive claims, belief that humanity is basically good, citing the evils done in the name of religion, and so on.
For this reason, Christians should be ready with answers to these common objections. That way, they may help remove stumbling blocks that prevent people from positively responding to the Gospel.
However, merely acknowledging that God exists isn’t enough to gain eternal life. James 2:19 reads, “You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder!”
Though apologetics can be useful in explaining your faith clearly, winning an argument or refuting wrong statements is not the ultimate goal. Rather, apologetics is a tool that allows us to boldly and lovingly proclaim the Gospel.
Earlier in the article, I cited 1 Peter 3:15. The first part of the verse reads, “In your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy.” Christ should be the center of our apologetics, and we should always be explaining how our arguments in favor of Christianity relate back to the Gospel.
This is why the defense of Genesis is so important—Genesis explains the origin of sin and death (among other things), which provides the foundation for why we need a Savior. If Genesis isn’t true, then where did sin come from, and why do we need a Savior? Being able to answer objections to a literal (natural) reading of Genesis can help prepare someone to hear the Gospel.
However, evidence alone won’t necessarily change someone’s mind. Professor Richard Lewontin, a prominent atheistic evolutionist, said,“Materialism is absolute, for we cannot allow a Divine Foot in the door." In that comment, he explained that he and other atheist scientists are compelled to reject the evidence in favor of God's existence not for scientific reasons, but because of their prior commitment to their anti-God philosophy!
Furthermore, many people reject God not necessarily for logical reasons, but for emotional or volitional reasons. (Volitional reasons are reasons like “I don’t want to give up control of my life to a God who’d tell me what to do.”)
For this reason, even if you answer all of someone’s objections to Christianity, they still may not immediately accept Christ. Therefore, we can plant the seeds, but ultimately, it’s the Holy Spirit who changes someone’s heart. With all that said, it’s clear that apologetics is important in several ways. Not only is the defense of the Christian faith a key point in the Bible, but apologetics also helps us know why we hold certain beliefs, allows us to address others’ questions, and sharpens our critical thinking skills.
Most importantly, giving clear answers for Biblical questions can lead to a presentation of the Gospel. With eternity on the line, apologetics is one of the most valuable pursuits in which a Christian can engage.
"The believer in God must explain one thing, the existence of sufferings; the nonbeliever, however, must explain the existence of everything else.”
~ Dennis Prager, Christian theologian and radio talk show host
Further reading:
Yay, a new post!! I'll read it and get back to you with thoughts!!!