The word apologetics comes from the Greek word apologia, meaning “to give a reasoned response,” and it is used seven times in the New Testament (Acts 22:1, 25:16; 1 Cor. 9:3; Phil. 1:7,16; 2 Tim. 4:16; 1 Pet. 3:15). The purpose of Christian apologetics is to rationally examine the beliefs of Christianity in order to give a reason for the hope that is in us (1 Peter 3:15). Apologists defend the faith and combat unbelief.
It is Biblical to use reason to encourage ourselves in our own faith and to persuade other people concerning the truth of God’s Word. The prophet Isaiah wrote, “Come now, and let us reason together…” (Isaiah 1:18). The Apostle Paul “went into the synagogue and spoke boldly for three months, reasoning and persuading concerning the things of the kingdom of God” (Acts 19:8). Believers are called to love God with all their hearts, minds, souls, and bodies (Luke 10:27). In a sense, apologetics is how we love God with our minds.
Since it provides a logical foundation for the Christian faith, apologetics is part of a strong theology. Before we can explain sin and salvation, atonement and the sacraments, reprobation and redemption; we must be able to discuss and defend God’s creation of the universe and the historical fact of Christ’s resurrection. If God did not create the universe, then Adam and Eve are mythical people and there is no such thing as “sin.” If Jesus did not rise physically from the dead, then there is no salvation and no eternal life with him after death. So, the material covered in this series of blog posts should be a primary concern of Christian education.
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About the Author: Dr. Daniel King is a missionary evangelist who has traveled to over seventy nations in his quest for souls. His goal is to lead 1,000,000 people to Jesus every year through massive Gospel Festivals, distribution of literature, and leadership training. Because of his experience and research on evangelism, he is widely regarded as one of the world’s leading experts in mass evangelism. As an evangelist, he has a deep interest in using apologetics to convince skeptics that God is real.
