Appologetics – Page 4 – “Reasons for the Faith, aka Apologetics”

The “Minimal Facts” Approach to the New Testament

How do you respond to a skeptic who asserts that Jesus never existed, or if He did, He certainly never rose from the dead?

Dr. Gary Habermas created an approach to help those skeptics at least be willing to consider that there is reliable historical evidence for the resurrection of Jesus. He dubbed it the “Minimal Facts” approach.

Dr. Habermas developed this method while doing research for his Ph.D. at Michigan State University. He noticed that there are five facts about the resurrection that Biblical scholars (including Atheists and Agnostics) accept as true:

Jesus died.
His disciples believed they saw the risen Jesus.
James the skeptical brother also believed.
Paul the persecutor also believed.
Jesus’s tomb was empty.

I urge you to invest just under an hour to watch him lay out the approach and how he derived it. I think he is a very entertaining and enlightening presenter!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nMGLPR5X8MM Part 1 of 2 (29:57)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RISjr29gpaQ Part 2 of 2 (24:07)

Gary Habermas is the Distinguished Professor of Apologetics and Philosophy and chairman, Department of Philosophy and Theology, at Liberty University.

Biblical Justice

Sean McDowell and Thaddeus Williams are professors of Christian Apologetics and Theology, respectively, at Biola University. They recently discussed the vital question of how Christians should think about social justice. Below are the opening and closing portions of their conversation. Please join me in prayerfully considering how to apply this guidance in our daily lives.

(Bonus question: What does “Biola” mean? See the end of this post for the answer.)

“SEAN MCDOWELL: There has been significant focus on “social justice” within the Christian world over the past few years. What is the biblical call to justice?

THADDEUS WILLIAMS: If we take the Bible seriously then justice should be a big deal for us. God does not suggest, He commands that we “Do justice and righteousness, and deliver from the hand of the oppressor him who has been robbed” (Jer. 22:3). Jesus declared his mission to “proclaim good news to the poor… liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed” (Luke 4:18, quoting Isa. 61:1, 2). “Seek justice” (Isa. 1:17) is a clarion call of Scripture, and those who box their ears to that call are simply not living by the Book.

MCDOWELL: When have you seen that lived out well in church history?

WILLIAMS: There is a long, beautiful history of Christians who lived out the biblical call to justice. The early church proclaimed the Gospel in a way that subverted the mutual racism between 1^st century Jews, Samaritans, and Gentiles. They brought reconciliation and real community where there had been hostility and division for centuries.

When Romans tossed their so called “blemished” babies away like garbage—often simply because they were female—our ancient brothers and sisters went to those human dumps, rescued, and raised society’s unwanted as their own cherished sons and daughters. They knew God had rescued and adopted them, so they did the same until the human dumps were no more.

When a plague ravaged the Roman Empire, most people ran for the hills away from the sick and dying. It was counterculture Christians who ran to the bedsides of the plagued (most of them non-Christians who didn’t abide by Christian ethics, sexual or otherwise) to treat them with dignity, getting sick and dying right along with them. (Contrast that with the church’s response to the AIDS crisis in the 1980s!) Then there was Wilberforce, John Newton and the Clapham sect in the UK, along with Fredrick Douglas, Harriet Tubman, and others is the US. Their own experiences of redemption from sin inspired them to abolish the dehumanizing slave-trade. Christians like Charles Octavius Boothe and Dietrich Bonhoeffer used good theology to combat white supremacy. You might not know it from today’s headlines, but this long and biblically propelled justice tradition continues today all over the world.”

“MCDOWELL: If we want to carry forward that biblical justice tradition, should we jump aboard the current “social justice” movement?

WILLIAMS: That’s a massively important question. Of course, it all comes down to what we mean by “social justice.” We should all seek a world forever purged of racism, where justice prevails and greed and tyranny are permanently replaced with compassion and love. But we have to be discerning. Not every movement waving the social justice banner promotes the kind of justice and shalom the Bible calls us to seek.

The problem is not with the quest for justice. The problem is what happens when that quest is undertaken from a framework that is not compatible with the Bible. And this is a very real problem, because the extent to which we unwittingly allow unbiblical worldview assumptions to shape our approach to justice is the extent to which we are inadvertently hurting the very people we seek to help.

A “culture war” model has taken over our culture. I see far more hope in the biblical insight that Jesus destroyed the wall of hostility between Jew and Gentile to make for Himself “one man,” uniting people from every tongue tribe, and nation and making them ambassadors of reconciliation. Family and reconciliation, not inter-group warfare, is the Bible’s model for justice. The church needs to step up and live that out in an obvious and compelling way, to show the watching world the beautiful alternative to mutual destruction.

If we really care about justice—which should be all of us who take the Bible seriously—then, no, we shouldn’t go along with ideologies that promise liberation and peace and only bring more bondage and strife. Instead we should love the oppressed (and love the God who loves the oppressed!) by carrying on the beautiful, biblical justice tradition of the Wilberforces and Tubmans and Boothes of history.”

Please read the whole interview here: http://seanmcdowell.org/blog/how-should-christians-think-about-social-justice

Answer: Bible Institute of Los Angeles. See https://www.biola.edu/about/history

Biblical Love

On this Valentine’s Day, let’s see what the Bible says about love.

(For an excellent comparison of Biblical love with the Greco-Roman concept of romantic love, see Voddie Baucham Jr. – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W0NM3KQHO8c)

The Bible tells us we are commanded to choose to love.

In Matthew 22:36-40 (NIV), Jesus commanded love when He was asked:

36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”

37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’[a] 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’[b] 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

First Corinthians 13 is famous as the “Love Chapter.” Many of us have heard these words spoken at weddings:

“4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 8 Love never fails.”

Romans 13 also speaks of the commandment to love, and how loving one another fulfills the law.

“8 Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law. 9 The commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not covet,” and whatever other command there may be, are summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” 10 Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.”

First Peter 3 contains the famous instruction (verse 15) that we should each be Apologists. It, too, speaks of love:

1 Pet 3: 8-16 (NIV): “8 Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble. 9 Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing. 10 For, “Whoever would love life and see good days must keep their tongue from evil and their lips from deceitful speech. 11 They must turn from evil and do good; they must seek peace and pursue it. 12 For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.” 13 Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good? 14 But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. “Do not fear their threats; do not be frightened.” 15 But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, 16 keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.”

Let’s choose to make every day a Biblical Valentine’s Day!

Being a Winsome Apologist and Evangelist

Why We Need Apologetics and Evangelism.

We live in a culture that is increasingly hostile to anything that smacks of religion, especially the Christian faith. Before we get the chance to share the Gospel (Evangelism), we must make the case to the skeptic that there are valid reasons for our faith (Apologetics).

Chris Brooks is the senior pastor of Evangel Ministries and also the founder and president of the Detroit Bible Institute. Pastor Brooks explained the inter-workings of Evangelism and Apologetics in the following excerpt from an October 3, 2014 interview with Black Christian News:

“Is there a distinction between apologetics and evangelism?

They are both two sides of the same coin. Evangelism is the goal. C.S. Lewis said, “Apologetics is removing the rubble.” It is clearing away the intellectual and emotional barriers. For instance, many have intellectual questions such as “Is the Bible reliable?” Apologetics helps to answer those questions.

It is not about presenting a good argument or winning an argument, we are not trying to be the Great Debaters. Like I say in my book, “Apologetics without evangelism is aimless.” When people are evangelizing and sharing the gospel you do not have to motivate them to dig into apologetics. They want to because they want to provide a reasonable defense for their faith in order to win someone to Christ.

At the same time evangelism without apologetics is defenseless. If people have questions and we cannot provide a reasonable answer our evangelism may come to a halt.”

Please see the entire interview here: http://blackchristiannews.com/2014/10/chris-brooks-talks-apologetics-urban-perspective-new-book-urban-apologetics/

Why We Need to Be Winsome.

The Apostle Peter instructed us: “but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence;” (1 Pet 3:15).

The Apostle Paul spoke similarly: “Let your speech always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person.” (Col. 4:6).

Being winsome helps us to carry out these directions!

The Oxford Dictionaries define winsome as: Attractive or appealing in a fresh, innocent way. ‘a winsome smile.’

According toThesaurus.com, synonyms for winsome include: appealing, captivating, delightful, engaging, absorbing, elegant, lovable, pleasant, and winning.

How to Be Winsome.

One way to be winsome in a conversation with a skeptic is to ask questions rather than make statements (especially if the skeptic is likely to perceive the statement as antagonistic). In Chapter three of his book Tactics, Gregory Koukl explains how and why to use questions. Here are summaries of three reasons:

Asking a question shows you are interested in the other person’s reasoning.

It can cause the other person (possibly for the first time) to examine the basis for their opinion.

It gives you the opportunity calmly to respond to a hostile challenge.

Asking “What do mean by that?” is an excellent tool for effective communication. It helps you avoid mistakes in your own responses.

For example, the skeptic may assert that “evolution is a proven fact!”

Instead of exclaiming “No it is not!” ask: “What do you mean by evolution?” The skeptic may then cite the example of how dog breeders have developed new varieties of dogs, which is an illustration of micro-evolution. Micro-evolution is simply changes within a given species, and it has been repeatedly demonstrated over time. You can then say that you agree that this type of evolution is indeed a proven fact.

If instead you had assumed the skeptic was referring to macro-evolution, (changes from one species into another), you might have needlessly engaged in a heated argument. As far as I know, macro-evolution has never been demonstrated.

Conclusion.

We need to be prepared, which means knowing what we believe and why we believe it. We also need to be winsome, which is a lot easier to do if we are prepared!

For more on this vital topic, please enjoy Oxford mathematics Prof. John Lennox’s presentation: “Being a Winsome Apologist.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FwOpsOudaA8&t=2609s

John shows us how to give our answers with gentleness and respect; he also explains the highly effective Q&A technique he employs during presentations.

In His Name,

Michael Oswald

michael@msochartered.com