Biblical Apologetics

The Lord impressed my heart to preach these two sermons, at my church Free Grace Baptist Church of Yuba City. Here is the order I preached them, with my handout below: 

1. Biblical Apologetics: Principles and Practice here 

2. Biblical Apologetics: The Existence of the Biblical God here

Biblical Apologetics: Principles and Practice

A. The Definition of Apologetics  (1 Peter 3:15-16)

Biblical apologetics can be defined as a rational defense of the Christian faith. 

B. The Purpose of Apologetics

The purpose of apologetics is to glorify God (1 Cor 10:31, Romans 11:36).  

   Why should Christians engage in apologetics?

1.   God commands us to engage in apologetics.

2.   It can strengthen our faith.

3.   It can make evangelism more effective.

4.   It can promote zeal for Theology and Evangelism.

5.   It can put the unbeliever to shame.

 C. The Method of Apologetics

The Apostle Paul our Example  (Acts 17:16-36)

Presupposition: an ultimate belief or conviction that is the standard for judging, evaluating, and interpreting knowledge, reality and morals. 

Worldview: a set of presuppositions (i.e. ultimate beliefs or convictions that are the standards for judging, evaluating, and interpreting knowledge, reality and morals).

Paul’s example shows us the Biblical method of apologetics is presuppositional.

D. The Practice of Apologetics 

We are to transparently presuppose, proclaim, and argue from the necessity and authority of God’s revelation in Scripture and nature. 

James Anderson explains,

"The core of presuppositionalism can be encapsulated in two foundational principles: the No-Neutrality Principle and the No-Autonomy Principle.42

According to the No-Neutrality Principle, no one can approach any intellectual endeavor from a position of strict religious neutrality. Whenever we apply our minds to a particular subject matter, we inevitably bring with us a host of presuppositions...

The second principle states that there are ultimately only two kinds of philosophical precommitments—those that are for God and those that are against God—and that only the former are acceptable. In short, either we are committed to the idea that God and his Word are our ultimate authority and standard in every area of life, including our intellectual endeavors, or we are committed (at least implicitly) to some other ultimate authority and standard—which amounts to a rejection of God and his Word. Either we acknowledge that we are creatures whose thoughts should be conformed to the mind of our Creator or we don’t. And those who locate their ultimate authority and standard elsewhere than in the mind of God invariably try to locate it in the mind of man. (What other relevant mind is there?) Consequently, what is reasonable, plausible, possible, and so on turns out to be what conforms to our own “natural” patterns of thought. As noted earlier, the word autonomy literally means “self-law.” An autonomous thinker is one whose mind has become a law unto itself: not subject to any higher authority or corrective standard. According to the No-Autonomy Principle, this understanding of human reason must be firmly rejected.

Taken together, these two presuppositionalist principles assert that everyone thinks with some kind of religious bias, and that the only acceptable religious bias is one submissive to the ultimate authority of God and his Word.”[1]

As Christians we are to practice apologetics from these two principles. Ideally, every argument we make to defend the faith in some way should conform to these principles.

John Frame’s Apologetics Method Outline

I. Normative

A. Always presuppose the truth of God’s Word.

B. Identify the non-Christian’s presuppositions, vs. his claim to neutrality.

C. Show his rationalism (belief the human mind is the ultimate criterion of truth) and irrationalism (the belief there is no ultimate criterion of truth.).

D. Show that he cannot justify or account for meaning and truth. 

II. Situational

A. Present facts that confirm the Christian claims, always presupposing the Word of God. 

B. Present facts that call in question non-Christian views. 

III. Existential

A. Present your arguments with clarity and appropriate passion. 

B. Show that the Christian faith alone is ultimately satisfying. 

C. Speak the truth in love. 

D. Testify to God’s grace in your own life. 

E. Pray that the Spirit will bring the inquirer to faith.

 

Tips for Apologetics

1.   Study: Study and memorize the Bible, Systematic Theology, Evangelism and Apologetics to know what you believe, so you can Biblically preach and defend it. Apologetics presupposes Theology, and Evangelism. One cannot properly engage in Biblical Apologetics without engaging in Biblical Theology with the goal of Evangelism.

2.   Prayer: In apologetics one’s defense is only as good as one’s offense. So both study and prayer must be properly indulged in first before engaging in apologetics with the unregenerate. Remember all men have a sufficient knowledge of God but suppress the truth in unrighteousness. Only God can open the unregenerate eyes so we ought to pray God would do so in our apologetic encounters. Apologetics can only show the foolishness of rejecting the gospel. But God can make the gospel and our defense effective.

3.   Respect: Respect the unregenerate as made in the image of God. Don’t assume you know what the unregenerate believes even if he associates himself with a particular religion. Let the unbeliever articulate his views and arguments. When refuting the unbeliever always refute and articulate the unbeliever’s position accurately. Further, always refute the strongest argument the unbeliever can make in favor of his position.

4.   Wisdom: When dealing with the unbeliever’s arguments against or from the Bible always read the scriptures in context and look up the original Hebrew or Greek meaning. Since often times the unbeliever takes scriptures out of context or twists the original meaning of any given passage.  Moreover, we should anticipate the unbeliever’s objections and arguments.

5.   Fellowship: Talk among believers about theology, evangelism, and apologetics. Fellow Christians can learn and encourage one another. Moreover, Christians possess spiritual resources, skills, and experiences that can be shared to proclaim and defend the faith.     

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 Biblical Apologetics: The Existence of the Biblical God

I.   Cultural Climate: Unbelief

II.  Knowing God Exists

     1. General and Special Revelation (Romans 1:16-25; 2:14-15)

     2. The Holy Spirit’s Testimony (Romans 8:16)

III. Showing God Exists

     A. Proper Motives     

     B. Presuppositions, Proof, and Persuasion 

     C. Arguments for God’s Existence

1. Cosmological Argument (Col 1:16-17) 

 1. Whatever begins to exist has a cause
 2. The universe began to exist,

 3. Therefore the universe has a cause.[2]

Unbelievers claim the universe is eternal.

Problems

1. Such a claim is arbitrary.

2. It is inconsistent with the unbeliever’s faith in philosophy and science. Since both support the beginning of the universe. 

Philosopher Peter Kreeft gives a helpful analogy:

“Suppose I tell you there is a book that explains everything you want explained. You want that book very much. You ask me whether I have it. I say no, I have to get it from my wife. Does she have it? No, she has to get it from a neighbor. Does he have it? No, he has to get it from his teacher, who has to get it. . . et cetera, etcetera, ad infinitum. No one actually has the book. In that case, you will never get it. However long or short the chain of book borrowers may be, you will get the book only if someone actually has it and does not have to borrow it. Well, existence is like that book. Existence is handed down the chain of causes, from cause to effect. If there is no first cause, no being who is eternal and self-sufficient, no being who has existence by his own nature and does not have to borrow it from someone else, then the gift of existence can never be passed down the chain to others, and no one will ever get it. But we did get it. We exist. We got the gift of existence from our causes, down the chain, and so did every actual being in the universe, from atoms to archangels. Therefore there must be a first cause of existence, God.” ^[3]

Christianity makes sense of the origin of the universe.

2. Teleological Argument (Col 1:16-17)

          

Unbelievers appeal to evolution to dodge design. However, if God didn’t design everything, we cannot trust our minds to tell us any truths.

Unbelievers appeal to chance and evolution.

Problems

1. If evolution is true we cannot trust our minds.

2. If the universe is a byproduct of random chance then anything can happen in the universe (e.g. Donkeys popping into existence from nothing).

3. We cannot make sense of chance without the presupposition of order.

Christianity accounts for the exquisite: fine-tuning, order, purpose and design in the universe.

 3. Moral Argument (Romans 2:14-15)

1. If God does not exist then objective moral values and duties do not exist,

2. Objective moral values and duties do exist,

3. Therefore, God exists.

Unbelievers claim there are no objective moral values.

Problems

1.Their actions betray their beliefs.

2.There would be no distinction between right and wrong.

Christianity makes sense of objective moral values and duties.

4. Ontological Argument (Acts 17:25)

1. God has all perfections.

2. Necessary existence is perfection.

3.Therefore, God exists.[4]

Christianity makes sense of logical (e.g. If p, then q, p therefore q), conceptual, (e.g. “necessity” 2+2=4) and causal (every effect has a cause) necessity.

5. The Resurrection of Christ (1 Cor 15:3-11)

1. Jesus died by crucifixion

2. Jesus’ tomb was found empty.

3. The origin of the Christian faith: Jesus’ disciples were transformed and sincerely believed that He rose from the dead and appeared to them.

4. Paul, the church persecutor, was converted to Christianity and willing to die for his faith.

5. James, the skeptic, was converted to Christianity and willing to die for his faith.

Unbelievers respond by the swoon, hallucination, conspiracy, and twin brother explanations. Yet all of these alternative explanations are historically discredited.  

Christianity makes sense of the resurrection of Christ.

6.Transcendental Argument (1 Cor 1:20)

Unless Christianity is true, we cannot prove or know anything.

Unbelievers charge this argument as fallacious. They say given enough time they will be able to provide a foundation for human thought and experience without Christianity. However centuries have passed and unbelievers are still without a foundation for human thought and experience. To resist Christianity with hope to find an alternative foundation is blind faith. Consequently, by admitting Christianity provides the foundation for human thought and experience unbelievers acknowledge defeat.  

Christianity makes sense of human thought and experience.              

7. Personal Experience (John 14:21)

Christianity makes sense of Christians’ personal experiences.

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[1] http://www.proginosko.com/docs/Frame_Festschrift_Essay.pdf

James N. Anderson, “Presuppositionalism and Frame’s Epistemology,” in John J. Hughes, ed., Speaking the Truth in Love: The Theology of John M. Frame (Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R Publishing, 2009)pp.447-448.

[2] William Lane Craig, Reasonable Faith; Wheaton, Illinois: Crossway Books. 1994 p.92.

^[3] http://www.peterkreeft.com/topics/first-cause.htm

[4] John Frame. Apologetics to the Glory of God (P&R, Philipsburg 1994) p.115.

Hope they edify!