Always Be Prepared to Give An Answer – 1 Peter 3:15-16
When someone asks you why you believe in Christ, are you ready to give them an answer? And to do it with gentleness and respect?
Apologetics
Tips for Being an Effective Apologist
As a disciple of Christ, I am called on to always be ready to answer anyone who asks me about the hope that I hold on to. And it is not just me, but all who call on his name who are expected to be able to do this (see 1 Peter 3:15-16). Below are some tips that may be helpful to you in being able to successfully give a defense for your faith. 1. Be a Believer: An essential step to being an apologist is that you have a relationship with God; that you are a follower of Jesus. …
The Kalam Cosmological Argument
The Kalām Cosmological argument is one of the simplest and most effective arguments for the existence of a creator. It goes like this: Whatever begins to exist has a cause The universe began to exist Therefore, the universe has a cause Whatever begins to exist has a cause This premise is simple and intuitively obvious. We have no examples of something beginning to exist without a cause. Some will bring out the example of quantum particles appearing, seemingly coming into existence without a cause. But this is more likely an example of something with an unknown cause. Seldom will anyone really challenge …
Does God Exist?
I think the initial question in the debate concerning religion is about the existence of God. Why should a person believe that there even is a God? Obviously, if there is not a God, then worshipping him is a pretty limited exercise, at most providing some social stability. I have engaged a number of people in the debate concerning the existence of God over the past few years, although I have yet to find the magic approach that will be convincing to most people; nor am I at all certain that such an argument even exists. In fact, I am …
Introduction to Apologetics
What is Apologetics? The American Heritage Dictionary defines apologetics as (1) the branch of theology that is concerned with defending or proving the truth of Christian doctrine, and (2) formal argumentation in defense of something, such as a position or system. Formally, then, Christian apologetics is a specific area of study that is directly concerned with proving a defense for the Christian faith to those who are challenging the beliefs of Christianity. But apologetics is not just a field that should be left to trained theologians. Apologetics should be a concern for every believer who is interested in reaching the …
Being an Apologist
Apologetics is an often misunderstood Christian discipline. The first time I head the word I thought it was related to being apologetic; apologizing for being a Christian. And I was not interested in that. But I came to learn that it means something quite distinct from that. Apologetics comes from a Greek word that means ‘speaking in defense’, and is the discipline of defending a position through the systematic use of information. This term is most often applied in a religious context, referring to providing a verbal defense for ones faith. Some believers would like to delegate this discipline to …