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