Defending the Faith 2: How Do We Defend Christianity?

Here's a word to add to your Christian vocabulary: Apologetics—The branch of theology that defends and proves the truth of Christian doctrines. Yes, there is an entire study devoted to just defending the Christian faith.

Previously, we discussed why we should learn to defend the Christian faith. I showed how 1 Peter 3:15 instructs us to be ready to give a reason for our beliefs. The next step is understanding how we are called to defend our faith.

Recently I've been learning more regarding this topic. I've heard about many extreme approaches to defending one's beliefs, from yelling and calling people fools to softly and carefully treading so as not to offend and possibly turn someone away. I, personally, would fall somewhere in the middle, but what does the Bible say about this?

The first step is recognizing that the battle Christians are in is a spiritual war. Second Corinthians 10:3-5 makes this point clear. "For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ." [ESV] A lot is packed into these verses. Some key points I'd like to make for this topic are:

• Spiritual warfare is a very real battle every single Christian is engaged in, whether they realize it or not! The enemy is constantly seeking to devour Christians, and he succeeds far too often. Many people (Christians included) do not understand or choose to believe in the spiritual realm of angels and demons, but they are just as real as the sun shining or you breathing. Christians need to always be on guard against the attacks of the devil.
• In understanding this, it is also crucial for Christians to realize they aren't fighting earthly battles when defending their faith, but they are coming against the powers of darkness in the name of Jesus. Christians possess spiritual weapons designed to "destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God." Christians shouldn't try to make a "scholarly" case for Christianity without allowing God to lead them and give them the words to speak.

The verse we examined in my last post and the following verse also give some insight as to how we should defend Christianity. First Peter 3:15-16 instructs Christians "but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame." [ESV]

• The first bit we can glean from this is that Christians must honor Christ. One of the best ways to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with others is to be the example so that the unsaved look at you and ask what makes you different from everyone else. Realize that you are serving a holy God, and give Him all the honor He is due.
• Additionally, when Christians are responding to people, they should behave gently and respectfully. This rules out the radical, yelling-at-people approach. Consider how receptive you'd be to an idea if the person attempting to convince you is screaming in your face. Behave in a manner you know is worthy of the King you serve. You are His ambassador.

Another verse with important tie-ins to defending Christianity is 1 Peter 2:15 "For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people." [ESV]

• One of the biggest points non-Christians make that they seem to think undermines any Christian's stand is pointing out that Christians aren't perfect. They often point to the crusades and say that Christians are hypocritical for preaching one thing and living another. And they would be right in some cases. Sometimes, this causes Christians to doubt if they should be teaching and sharing their beliefs. They wonder if they are being hypocritical and if so, then they think they have no place criticizing others. Hypocritical Christians need to examine themselves and make sure that they are living in a God-honoring way that reflects Christ.
• However, no one is perfect, and all Christians will mess up. The world interprets this as a piece of evidence that Christians are just a bunch of hypocrites. The difference is for Christians who recognize their faults, and praise Jesus for saving them from their sin. Something I've noticed that seems to cool the steam of hostile unbelievers when they accuse Christians of being judgmental hypocrites is having the Christian readily admit they themselves are flawed as well. This often catches unbelievers off guard and destroys their accusations of judgment on the part of the Christian. When a Christian says, "Yes, I mess up. Yes, I'm sometimes a hypocrite. Yes, I'm a sinner. And yes, I've been saved and forgiven by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ" suddenly the unbeliever can't call the Christians judgmental. The Christian has knocked down a barrier and worked in the gospel message all in one.
• Coming back to the verse, Christians should do good, simply because God tells them to, but also because it is a wonderful witness. But when they mess up, even that can be used to bring people to Christ.

Here's yet another passage that shows Christians how to act and defend their faith. Colossians 2:6-8 "Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving. See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ." [ESV] Once again, there are multiple points in this passage.

•  The three major pieces of instruction offered first all direct the behavior of Christians. They are to walk in Christ, and be established firmly in the faith. You can't defend your faith if you aren't convinced of it yourself. Know what you believe and why.
• Don't allow anyone of the world to cause you to doubt God. Many intellectuals and scientists have what may seem like good and compelling arguments, but don't allow their empty deceit to fool you. If someone brings up a seeming "contradiction" in your faith, then ask a strong fellow Christian and reestablish your convictions. Don't be afraid to ask questions and seek answers, just don't fall prey to the "logic" of the world. 

Notice that in all these verses, the instructions are for responding. First Peter 3 says to be prepared to give a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you. First Peter 2 doesn't even include speaking. Rather, it merely commands you how to behave. Of course, the Bible also instructs Christians to "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations . . ." (Matthew 28:19-20). However, I do find it interesting that all three of these passages are about responding and answering. The definition of defend is to: resist an attack made on (someone or something). That's what I'm discussing in this particular post, not how to go out and preach the gospel. That's a topic for another time. :)

These verses just barely scratch the surface of the Biblical instruction for how to defend the Christian faith. I've found countless others rich with teachings on this topic. I encourage you to see how many others you can find until I share a few more in part two of "How Do We Defend Christianity?"

Have you ever been placed in a position where you've had to defend your beliefs? How did you handle the situation?

 P.S. I changed my blog layout in anticipation of spring! Let me know what you think. :) 

Defending the Faith: Why Learn to Defend Christianity?

Allow me to paint a scenario. Assume you are at school, or work, or chatting with your friends, or just talking to an acquaintance.  Suddenly, your faith is placed in question when a teacher explains that the Big Bang resulted in the world and evolution took it from there, or that aliens brought life to earth. Your coworker adamantly proclaims that science disproves God's existence. A friend asks how you know that Jesus is the Son of God and that the Bible is trustworthy. The acquaintance laughs at the notion that Jesus rose from the dead. How would you respond?
  

So why should we learn to defend our faith? You'll find the answer to that question in a single verse, 1 Peter 3:15, "but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect."

Put quite simply, we need to be able to stand up for and explain our Christian beliefs because the Bible commands us to do so. Similar to being "God's Billboard," we should know what we believe and why so that when asked, we are prepared to give a solid answer. By knowing scripture and studying, not only are we as Christians prepared to give a reason for our faith when put on the spot, but we are preparing our own minds to fend off any falsehood others will claim is fact. Instead of being placed in a situation where your faith is put on trial and you find yourself without an answer, be ready. Prepare now. Don't wait until a suicidal friend gives you five minutes to convince her that her life has true meaning before searching for the answers.

An example I believe demonstrates this well is that of a fireman, policeman, or soldier. They prepare so that when they are deployed, they will know what to do. They pour their time and energy into knowing everything possible about their field of work so that when the time comes, they're ready to put out the fire, handle dangerous situations, and fight the enemy. In order to defend our faith, Christians must learn how to do it, and know what their answers will be when the opportunity arises. Don't be caught unaware. There's abundant evidence for the truth of the Bible in astronomy, geology, biology, physics, archeology, and all aspects of science. If you aren't sure where to find these evidences, ask strong Christians who hold your own beliefs, locate Biblical institutions that interpret the Bible literally and offer clear evidences. Most of all, study your Bible to know truth for yourself—don't simply accept what you are taught, even from pastors and people you trust. Base your own beliefs on doctrines you can Biblically support.

Why can Christians believe in the Resurrection? Part 3

So far in this series I have discussed two ways that people attempt to say that the Resurrection never happened. I talked about how some think that Jesus only swooned and how others believe that the disciples stole Jesus' body. Today I want to talk about a huge reason that further disproves the idea that the disciples stole Christ's body.

If Jesus never resurrected, then what about everyone who saw him after his death? Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 15:6 that Jesus appeared to more than 500 people after his resurrection at the same time—"most of whom are still alive." In the last post, I said that these people would not "lie" about seeing Jesus. Non-believers would agree. Instead, they say that all these people hallucinated. In addition, Jesus also appeared to many other people over the course of the 40 days after his resurrection until his ascension. A significant amount of these were individuals or small groups.

Think about what these people are saying. Five hundred people hallucinated and saw the exact same person. (Not to mention the many small groups and individuals who saw him.) First, five hundred people would not all hallucinate at the same exact moment. Second, even if they all did hallucinate, they would not all see the same things. Third, even if all hallucinated and saw the same things, the hallucination would not last for as long as Jesus was with them. As for the individuals and small groups, why would that many people all have the same hallucination with slight variations?

If all these people didn't hallucinate, or lie about seeing Jesus, then what other options are there? Only one. They did see Jesus. They saw him after his death, and after his resurrection. Jesus rose from the dead and lives today. He lives in you and me. He is risen! Praise God!

Why can Christians believe in the Resurrection? Part 2

In yesterday's post, I covered the impossibility that Jesus had only passed out, not died. Today, I will explain why it was not possible for Jesus' disciples to steal his body from the tomb and then claim that he rose from the dead.

The Roman soldiers were placed to guard the tomb for this very reason. They wanted to stop the idea that Jesus was God's Son, not enable the disciples to steal the body and promote the idea that He resurrected. These soldiers were armed, highly trained men. The disciples could not have simply scared off the guards or fought them.

Paul recorded that Jesus appeared to more than 500 people after his resurrection—"most of whom are still alive." (1 Corinthians 15:6) In other words, "Go ahead and ask all these people! They DID see Jesus after he died." Five hundred people would not lie about seeing Jesus. They did see him after he rose from the dead.

Perhaps the largest proof that Jesus rose from the dead is the mere fact that nearly all of the disciples died martyr deaths. If by some chance they were able to steal Jesus' body, when faced with recanting their beliefs and saying that Jesus did NOT rise from the dead or death, would they continue with their ruse even though they knew that Jesus never rose? Or would they recant and explain that they stole his body and live? Even if one of the disciples did choose to die for the sake of their lie, eleven others would not do the same. Who would die for a lie?

After reading this, I pray that you can understand and explain why this theory that the disciples stole Christ's body from the tomb and then claimed that he rose is ludicrous. He is risen! (He is risen INDEED!) Tomorrow is the final post in this "trilogy" that discusses in greater depth the five hundred who saw Jesus after he rose.

Why can Christians believe in the Resurrection? Part 1

As Christians, why can we believe in the Resurrection of Jesus Christ? When a non-believer comes up to us and gives us a reason that we cannot believe in the Resurrection, what will we say to them? Non-Christians often try to come up with any reason—logical or not—to get out of believing in the Bible. One of the theories says that Jesus did not rise from the dead but that he only swooned—passed out—on the cross and never actually died. Not only does this theory sound ridiculous, but it is impossible based on facts.

For one, when the Roman soldiers stuck a spear into Jesus' side when he hung on the cross, they punctured his heart. We know this is fact because it is recorded that blood, and water, flowed out of the wound. (John 19:34) It was not discovered until some time after Jesus' resurrection that water does indeed surround the heart. In the days of Jesus, this bit of anatomy was entirely unknown, and there would be no reason for John to lie about water coming out of the wound if  he did not even know about water surrounding the heart. Therefore, both blood and water came out of the hole in Jesus' side, indicating that his heart was punctured. He had died.

In addition, the Bible says that Jesus had been beaten beyond recognition as a man. (Isaiah 52:14) A man from the gawking crowd had to carry his cross for him because he was so weak. If this was the case, how would Jesus who would then be nailed hands and feet to a wooden beam, and hand for three hours with a crown of thorns thrust into his skin, suddenly become strong enough without food, water, or medical attention to "wake up" in three days and roll aside the massive stone put over the entrance to the tomb and walk out. He would not be able to walk, much less unwrap himself from the burial cloths, move the stone, AND scare the guards so badly that they fled on likely penalty of death! It is impossible. He had died.

I hope that you can see and understand a little bit better why this idea is impossible. Jesus died. There is no other option. He died and remained in the tomb. On the third day he rose from the dead with the power given to him by his Father. Angels rolled away the stone. Jesus died and defeated the power of death. He is risen, hallelujah!

I hope that you feel a little better equipped to explain why it is impossible that Jesus only passed out. Coming tomorrow is another post refuting a second theory about Jesus' resurrection.

It was a Global Flood

These past two weeks in school we have been looking into Genesis: creation through, as of now, Noah's flood. I think that there is something that God wants me—or one of you to know through this because in both Geology and Old Testament History (Bible Class) the flood is the main topic right now. I am learning about why Noah's flood was a worldwide flood—NOT a local flood. Here is some biblical evidence why it was a global flood.

A sketch of the flood that I doodled.

1. The highest mountain tops were covered with approximately seventy-five feet of water.
2. An ark was needed to survive rather than just move to a safe place away from where the flood would take place for the time being.
3. The ark landed on a mountain top— the mountain of Ararat!
4. After the ark was grounded, it took Noah and his family over 70 days to see the other mountain tops!
5. The rainbow was God's sign that he would never again flood the earth with such a flood. If it was a local flood, then God had broken his promise many, many times.
6. In the New Testament Jesus referred to the global flood that “took them all away”.

These are all reasons why it was a global flood not a local flood.

Also, man has found that 75% of the surface of the continents are covered with sedimentary rock averaging one mile deep to as much as ten miles deep. An example is Mount St. Helens that erupted in 1980 where thick sedimentary deposits which consist of 1000s of very thin layers, were deposited in just a few hours.

Besides this, we find billions of fossils buried in the rock layers ALL OVER THE EARTH. To me, Noah's flood is great evidence for the truth of all of God's word.