Why Apologetics is Important to Your Church

Aug 16, 2024

INTRODUCTION

James W. Sire wrote a book titled Chris Chrisman Goes to College (IVP, 1993). In it he showed how the fictitious character, Chris Chrisman, grows up in a Christian home with Christian parents going to Christian private school and attending Christian church. When Chris goes off to college it isn’t long before his Buddhist roommate and atheist professors challenge his faith. Not being taught to think deeply or critically about Christianity, his commitment was not only in jeopardy but those Chris encountered saw little reason to consider his faith. Sure, he had a good idea what the Bible said and what his family, friends, and church believed, but Chris was not ready for the objections raised by alternative worldviews. Sadly, this could be the story of many in today’s churches.

TWO ESSENTIAL TASKS, ONE MISSING INGREDIENT

Most churches are committed to two inextricably related tasks: evangelism and discipleship. How these are defined and the degree of emphasis on each may vary, but one thing is clear: Biblically faithful churches agree we must effectively communicate the gospel message and live it out in our daily lives. But to accomplish these two tasks an important ingredient has often been ignored. Like a pinch of salt in a recipe, our mindset is that we can either take it or leave it; an add-on not essential to the recipe. That missing ingredient is the discipline of apologetics.

Put simply, apologetics is the reasonable defense of Christianity’s core claims. While apologetics has tremendous value in spiritual formation and discipleship, the focus of this brief essay is on our first task that is evangelism. Rather than viewing apologetics as an intellectual exercise for the highly educated who can afford to accessorize their faith with debates, studies in world religions, and lots of hard reading, I will argue that integrating apologetics into a philosophy of ministry will effectively prepare God’s people to engage God’s world with God’s message for God’s glory.

THE IMPORTANCE OF APOLOGETICS IN EVANGELISM

If St. Thomas Aquinas’s claim rings true that philosophy is the handmaiden to theology, then we could say that apologetics is the handmaiden to evangelism (Mark Mittelberg, “Implementing Apologetics in the Local Church,” 1992). In the same way that theology is grounded in a philosophical framework, so too is the gospel message supported by a solid apologetic ministry. It was only a few decades ago that believers could present the gospel and assume their nonbelieving neighbor or friend shared a basic Christian worldview, such as belief in God, a commitment to truth, or some notion of sin. Today, however, with the advance of atheism, apatheism (indifference), moral and intellectual relativism, secularism, consumerism, me-ism, and so forth, what was common in deep conviction has been replaced with mere difference of opinion. When it comes to religion, we may be speaking the same language, but we are using radically different dictionaries. Answers to questions about moral values, the nature of truth, the meaning and value of human life, or the existence and character of God are no longer shared with neighbors, co-workers, friends, or even family members. As Bill Craig says in his book On Guard, “the gospel is never heard in isolation. It is always heard against the backdrop of the culture in which you’ve been born and raised” (p.17). We can no longer simply proclaim the gospel without first understanding the beliefs and values that shape our audience.

Before the good news of Christ crucified can be heard believers must be prepared to respond to objections, answer questions, and value doubts about the Christian faith. Peter’s mandate undoubtedly applies to every believer: “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have” (1 Peter 3:15). Yet some churches fail to recognize that what is true of the part is also true for the whole. Given 1 Peter 3:15 applies to every believer, then it necessarily applies to every church, since church, by definition, is made up of believers! In today’s cultural climate, failing to integrate apologetics in church ministry makes all our evangelistic efforts anemic at best. Is there an intentional, consistent practice to think and speak apologetically in your church? If believers cannot give nonbelievers reliable answers about Christianity, then where will they turn? I would venture to say that most nonbelievers don’t talk about religion with believers, not because emotions become intense, but because irrational responses or dismissive attitudes are often given! Put differently, if believers offered loving and thoughtful responses when engaged, then “religion and politics” would cease to be the forbidden fruit of discussions (and it may develop an ethos where politics can be discussed with civility).

FINDING USING COMMON GROUND

We can demonstrate to nonbelievers that we share common ground and use it to advance discussions. While we may arrive at different answers, we do share the same questions. “Is there a God? If so, how might he communicate with us? Does God require anything from us? What’s all this fuss about life after death? Why can’t all religions be right so no one is excluded? Does my life really have ultimate value? How can I know my beliefs about religion are true and not just subjective opinions?” Although many believers no longer ask these questions (and tragically some never have!), they shout from the rooftops demanding a reply from every person. Apologetics is the gateway to finding meaningful, rational answers that are practical and helpful for living.

Another area of common ground is that we share the expectation that all our beliefs are true. No one would purposefully hold a false belief. Whether or not our beliefs are in fact true, we think they’re true; otherwise, we would not hold them. If I held a belief that was false, I would want to know it. The nonbeliever may not be willing to admit this, but they intuitively embrace the idea that their beliefs are true. This shared expectation is important capital we can cash in on when talking with nonbelievers.

When Christians are honest and admit we have many of the same questions coupled with the shared expectation that our beliefs are true, doors are left open for continued dialogue and show others that we take them seriously. How this looks in real life shows up in three important ways: valuing honest questions, engaging real doubts, and respecting opposing beliefs. Let’s look at each more closely.

Valuing Honest Questions

Scripture teaches that every human, regardless of belief, is made in God’s image. In part, this means we are all wired to think deeply and richly about the most important questions of life. I cannot think of a more effective tool to move discussions forward than showing you genuinely care about what others think. People want to be heard and understood. People need to be heard and understood. When Christians wince at a caustic attitude behind a question or display hints of incredulity, an opportunity to present the gospel is at least diminished if not altogether missed. By listening to honest questions and engaging thoughtful comments we not only “love our neighbors as ourselves,” but are more likely to see minds opened to the truth claims of Christianity. In effect we’re saying “I care about what you think, and though I may not have all the answers, your question is important to me, too.” By valuing honest questions, we connect with that basic aspect of the human soul made in God’s image.

Engaging Real Doubts

Without a doubt (pun intended) skepticism is an intellectual pandemic these days and doubt is the default position of our culture in the western world. Many people spurn any notion of certainty in beliefs and, consequently, reduce claims of religious truth to mere opinion. However, the irony should not be lost on us that doubt can be used as a vaccine against skepticism. What I have found is that letting others know it’s okay to doubt and to question beliefs illustrates that I am willing to be corrected where wrong, or challenged to increase my certainty where right. When opponents see that Christians are serious about truth because we are willing to have our beliefs challenged, then nonbelievers are more likely to return the favor!

In fact, doubt can actually be a catalyst for certainty and is not opposed to belief or to faith. Let me illustrate. Many years ago, a couple in our neighborhood came regularly to our home Bible study. They asked a lot of questions that suggested they were likely not believers. So, I arranged to meet with them privately and, after explaining the gospel, asked if they had committed themselves to Jesus. Rather than answering they simply asked more questions, like “Why doesn’t God let everyone into heaven, since even an atheist lives a good life? If God is so good, how could he let a young child suffer an untimely death?” They finally admitted that there is so much doubt and so little certainty in religion. So, I asked if they had 100-percent certainty on their wedding day that their marriage was going to work out, or if they had some doubt. Without hesitation they answered there was a measure of doubt. Yet because they had more certainty than doubt, they committed to being married. The longer they remained married, the stronger their certainty grew and the less their doubt remained. I was able to show them that this is exactly how faith works; it does not remove all doubt, but contains enough certainty to make a commitment. Tragically, many Christians avoid doubt because they’re taught that it is antithetical to faith. But this could not be further from the truth.

In addition, it’s helpful to show that not all beliefs are created equally. For example, it is only beliefs that refuse to be falsified that are 100-percent certain, such as self-authenticating beliefs (“My brother is not an only child.”) or incorrigible beliefs (“The pain of my headache is excruciating.”). Most of our everyday beliefs are evident to our senses (“The Arizona desert is hot in the summer.”) and we lean on evidence for their support. Granted, faith in God is neither self-authenticating, incorrigible, nor evident to the senses, but it is unique, and being unique is not the same as being irrational. At the end of the day, a basic formula for belief formation goes like this: Trust your basic abilities to reason, seek supporting evidence, and be open to contrary evidence. But, for this formula to be applied equally to believer and nonbeliever alike, we must permit some doubt and not see it as an enemy of faith.

As I already showed, full certainty in religious belief is not possible. Make no mistake. Nonbelievers can tell when you’re feigning sincerity and fearful of doubt. Although it’s unwise to reject a message because its messenger is uninformed or unprepared, many nonbelievers are left to conclude Christianity is a joke because of our doubt about their doubts! Granted some believers are ill-prepared because they’ve bought into the myth that faith does not require reason whatsoever. But if apologetic thinking is part of a regular Christian diet, then believers would see doubt, not as an enemy of certainty but an advocate of it. Used rightly, doubt can serve as a means for correction and, therefore, better equip us to respond to the doubt of others.

Finally, since no one can comprehend all there is to know about God, some doubt necessarily remains to remind us of our intellectual fragility and limitation in understanding. When nonbelievers see the level of transparency of our rational boundaries, then our common humanity demonstrates that shared quest for certainty in beliefs. Acknowledging the role of doubt can go a long way to continued and fruitful discussions.

Respecting Opposing Beliefs

This is the hardest. It’s safer psychologically and more convenient intellectually to remain on the sidelines than to engage opposition. But engage we must, and the first rule of engagement is to grant, for the sake of argument only, the truth of an opposing belief. Although many believers find this anathema, it is quintessential to gaining a voice and earning the right to be heard. If contrary beliefs are not respected, then conversations will end abruptly. It’s exceedingly difficult to evaluate beliefs objectively when we have already determined them to be false. Therefore, we must genuinely respect opposing religious belief systems by investigating them sincerely. In doing so, we demonstrate to nonbelievers that we take seriously the notion of truth in religion.

Moreover, we’ve nothing to lose and everything to gain by assessing opposing beliefs, since it is the nature of a true belief that, if questioned, it can withstand scrutiny and still remain true. Still, demonstrating that opposing beliefs are sincerely valued requires unfeigned intellectual humility. Christians must be willing to be shown that we’re wrong; even if we’re convinced our beliefs are true. Once again, nonbelievers know if we’re feigning humility, since the hypocrisy radar is ever on high alert. When intellectual humility takes a noticeable posture, then defenses are disarmed and nonbelievers begin to feel safe, let down their guard, and become malleable to consider the truth claims of Christianity.

Once, when teaching a mid-week class in my church, I compared Christianity to opposing religious worldviews. Each week I began by asking “What might Christians have in common with…” filling in the opposing religious worldview. When introducing Naturalism (the belief that only nature and the material universe exists), this introductory question was posed and, without reservation, everyone said Christians have nothing in common with Naturalism. I asked, “Are you sure? Nothing whatsoever?” In concert they responded “No, nothing. They don’t believe in God!” I argued that we do in fact have something in common and we’re standing on it. It’s the material universe! I argued we should start with that and ask some important questions, such as “How did the universe come to be in existence? Has it always been here? Why does it have the features it has?” The Christian worldview may indeed contain religious truth, but it does not follow that other worldviews possess none. The class got my point, which was not only to find common ground with an opposing belief, but affirm it by asking probing questions about it.

NOW THAT YOU KNOW THESE THINGS…

Jesus said blessing is found in doing, not in knowing alone (John 13:17). Knowing that apologetics is necessary for effectively sharing the gospel message is important, as I have tried to illustrate here. But it is not sufficient. Failing to integrate apologetic thinking in your ministry is like trying to study physics without math. We must move beyond knowing and move on to doing apologetics in Christian ministry in order to show nonbelievers that we value their honest questions, engage real doubts, and respect opposing beliefs. Let’s not produce carbon copies of Chris Chrisman. Instead, let’s build warriors for the gospel message to carry forth the truth claims of Christianity in ways that are convicting and convincing, to the praise of his glorious grace.

Soli Deo gloria!

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