Four fundamental questions
- 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?
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.