Introduction to apologetics, continued:

What do you hope to gain from this study of apologetics?

• Internal motivations
  • Answer questions you have yourself – Mark 9:24
  • Stronger personal faith – know why you believe – Luke 17:5; Colossians 2:6-7
  • Defend your own faith against attacks – II Timothy 3:13-15
• External motivations
  • Better able to answer questions of seekers (children, friends, coworkers) – Ephesians 4:11-14
  • Persuade those in error – but to what end? Philippians 1:15-17
  • “Win” an internet debate – Matthew 7:6
  • Defeat opposition – to what end? Matthew 6:2, 5, 16
  • Plant a seed – I Corinthians 3:6; Mark 4:31-32; Luke 8:11-15; 13:6-9

Purpose in apologetics

• I Peter 3:15 – Ready to make a defense – but in what way?
  • I Peter 3:8-9, 15 – our attitudes
  • I Peter 3:11 – seek peace
  • I Peter 3:12-14 – fearless
  • I Peter 3:16 – our conduct
• I Peter 3:18 – Christ’s suffering led me to our sanctification.
  • What must our willingness to suffer for Christ do for others?

Final thoughts

• Luke 12:11-12
  • Jesus told his disciples not to prepare beforehand what they would say, because the Holy Spirit would teach them in that very hour what they should say.
  • That promise was not made to us, but we can learn from it.
• Luke 21:12-15
  • Similar instructions, promise worded differently. He would give them wisdom and utterance no opponent could refute.
  • Their persecution would lead to an opportunity for testimony.

Faith and science

What is faith?

• Personal conviction that something is true when the believer has no first-hand knowledge of it.
• Romans 8:24
• II Corinthians 5:7
• Hebrews 11:1

How do we develop faith?

• Discuss
  • Testimony
  • Observation of evidence (as opposed to direct observation)
    • Secondary, tertiary, etc.
  • Reasoning
• Luke 24; John 20:25-31

What are some everyday things we believe or take for granted?

What is science?

• Testing of theory against evidence

How does science work?

Introduction

• Luke 8:7

You can’t chase contentment; you have to learn it.

• Philippians 4:11-12
• I Timothy 6:6-9
• Ecclesiastes 2:10-11
• Ecclesiastes 5:10

Pay attention to lifestyle creep.

• Deuteronomy 6:10 – If they were being warned when they were living in those conditions, what about us?
• Matthew 16:24-26
• Physical things are not bad on their own, but they must not distract us from spiritual matters.

Beware of social comparisons.

• Luke 12:13-15, 21
• Exodus 20:17 – Don’t covet what others have.
• Ephesians 5:3

Use money as a tool for God’s work.

• I Timothy 6:18
• I John 3:17
• Proverbs 19:17
• Deuteronomy 24:19
• I Peter 4:9
• Matthew 25:43

Context

• Psalm 14:1 – “there is no God”
  • Do you believe the Bible?
  • This verse is taken out of context!
• Studying the context means reading the surrounding verses to help you understand what a word or phrase means.
  • Examples:
    • Foxes – Matthew 8:20; Luke 13:31-32
    • Love – II Samuel 13:1; Ephesians 5:25; Song of Solomon 1:2

How do you study the context?

• Just read the verses before and after.
• The headings in your Bible may be helpful.
• Glance at an outline in a study Bible, commentary, or Bible dictionary.
• Pay attention to connecting words.

Harmony

• Make sure to also consider how this passage harmonizes with the rest of the Bible.
• Matthew 4:5-7
• Hebrews 9:12

How do you study harmony?

• General knowledge of the Bible
• Use cross references
• Use digital search features or paper concordance
• Use topical Bibles
• Examples:
  • Psalm 2
    • Psalm 2:1 has a cross reference to Acts 4:25-26, showing that part of the psalm was quoted there.
  • Philippians 4:13

Homework

• Do you believe the Bible is literal?
• Open your Bible to any page. Can you find a figure of speech?

Introduction

• Ephesians 6:1-4
• I Timothy 3:4-5
• You can’t expect your wife to do your job for you!

Be there.

• Genesis 26:3
• Exodus 33:14-16
• Joshua 1:5 – God would be with him.
• Psalms 38
• Matthew 28:20
• Luke 13:25-29 – Hell is being away from God’s presence.
• Everything we read about what a family needs requires the father to be there.
• Philippians 3:17 – Follow good examples. How can our kids follow our example if we aren’t there?
• Surveys show that if the father is the first to become a Christian in a family, there is a 93% chance that others in the family will follow. If a child or the mother is the first, the probability is significantly lower.

Discipline them in a way that yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness.

• Hebrews 12:7-11
• Proverbs 13:24 – Sometimes tough discipline is necessary.
• Proverbs 19:18
• Proverbs 23:13-14; 29:15

Exhort and encourage and implore them to follow God’s path.

• I John 3:16
• Matthew 18:21-35
• I Thessalonians 2:5-12

Four fundamental questions

1. Does God exist?
2. Is the God of the Bible the real God?
3. Is the Bible from God?
4. Is the Bible accurate in all it communicates?

Three personal questions

Why do I believe?

• Why do I believe God exists?
• Why do I believe the Bible tells about the true God?
• Why do I believe the Bible is from God?
• Why do I believe the Bible is accurate?

How do I know?

• How do I know God exists?
• How do I know the Bible tells about the true God?
• How do I know the Bible is from God?
• How do I know the Bible is accurate?

How will you respond?

• Believe them
• Doubt them but for no particular reason
• Disagree vehemently by using weak arguments
• Lovingly, firmly, and fearlessly reject what is false and demonstrate for them the truth

Apologetics

• Acts 24:10; 25:8, 16; 26:1-2, 24; II Timothy 4:16
  • Paul in court
• Acts 22:1
  • Paul before the Jewish mob
• II Corinthians 9:3
  • Paul, defending his right to receive wages as a preacher and his decision not to do so from the Corinthians
• Philippians 1:7, 16
  • Paul’s defense and confirmation of the gospel
• I Peter 3:15
  • Always ready to make a defense

Paul’s apologetics in I Corinthians 9

Defense #1: Paul’s “right to eat and drink”

• Argues from consistency - I Corinthians 9:5-6
• Argues from similarity - I Corinthians 9:7
• Argues from authoritative precedent - I Corinthians 9:9-10, 13
• Argues from lesser to greater (~a fortiori) - I Corinthians 9:11
• Argues from moral fairness - I Corinthians 9:12
• Argues with appeal to ultimate authority directly on the question at hand - I Corinthians 9:14

Defense #2: Just because Paul didn’t exercise his “right to eat and drink” did not make him less of an apostle

• External motivation: To cause no hindrance - I Corinthians 9:12
• Purpose: Would not make his boast an empty one - I Corinthians 9:15
• Internal motivation: Preaching voluntarily brought a reward - I Corinthians 9:17
• Personal trustworthiness: A pattern of life to not exercise freedom, for the benefit of others - I Corinthians 9:19-22
• Higher objective: For the sake of the gospel - I Corinthians 9:23
• Charitable outlook: To share in the blessings with those he sacrificed for - I Corinthians 9:23
• Consistent with his foundation for life: Lived with purpose - I Corinthians 9:25-27

What specifically are we defending?

• Could be anything
  • The plan of salvation
  • Work, worship, and organization of churches
  • Biblical views of sexual morality
• For this class, foundational beliefs that all the rest depend on
  • Does God exist?
  • Is the God of the Bible the real God?
  • Is the Bible from God?
  • Is the Bible accurate in all it communicates?

Purpose in apologetics

• I Peter 3:15 – Be ready to make a defense.