Why NOT do Apologetics?

Handout 01: “Why NOT do Apologetics?” 

1.         Introduction: What is Apologetics?

• a.         1 Peter 3:15: Defense, Answer, Explanation
• b.         Preparedness (Eph. 6:15)
• c.         Defense (Acts 25:16 ; 2Co 7:11 ; Phil. 1:7 , 16 ; 2Ti 4:16)
• d.         Answer (Acts 22:1 ; 1Co 9:3)
•  e.         Reason (Matt 5:32; Acts 10:29)

2.         Review of Syllabus

3.         Why NOT Do Apologetics?

• a.         From the Non-Christian Questioner’s Perspective
  •  i.         The Atheist Perspective: No God
  •  ii.        The Humanist Perspective: I am God.
  •   iii.       The Relativist Perspective: No Truth
  •   iv.       The Materialist Perspective: No Future
  • v.         The Wishful Thinker’s Perspective: No Facts
  • i.       The Sceptic’s Perspective: No Good News
  • vii.      The Cynic’s Perspective: No Credibility
  • viii.     The Post-Modern Perspective: No Story
• b.         From the Christian Questioner’s Perspective
  • i.         Worldly Perspective: Colossians 2:8
  •  ii.        Is “Faith Seeking Reason,” Faith? (Sola Fide)
  •   iii.       Is “Reason Seeking Faith,” the Gospel? (Sola Scriptura)
  •   iv.       Is anything but “Christ and Him Crucified” the Gospel? (Solus Christus)
  •  v.         Is “the Hope” comprehensible? (Sola Gratia)
  • vi.       Doesn’t apologetics make use of the “Wisdom of the World” (e.g. philosophy)? (1 Corinthians 1:18-25)
• c.         Why bother? Why be bothered?
• d.         Traits and Triggers

4.         “The Hope”

• a.         What Exactly Is “The Hope”? (Experiential/Existential)
  • i.         World View and Temporality
  • ii.        That which is and will be (ontology)
  • iii.       How to think about that which is and will be.
  •  iv.       Relationship
  • v.         Wonder, Awe, Mystery, Incomprehensibility
•  b.         What Exactly Is “The Hope”? (Biblical)
  • i.         Being born again (John 3:3)
  •  ii.        Being a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17)
  •  iii.       Being united to Christ: Romans 6; 1 Corinthians 15
  •  iv.       Being a follower/slave to Christ: John 8:31-36
  • v.         Finding wisdom in Christ (1 Corinthians 1:30)
•  c.         Faith is/as a Gift: Ezekiel 36:26; Matthew 11:25-27; John 3:3-8; John 6:44,65; Acts 13:48; Acts 16:14; 1 Corinthians 2:4-5, 14; 1 Corinthians 12:3; Ephesians 2:1-10; 1 Thessalonians 1:5,6; 1 Thessalonians 2:13
•  d.         Biblical Epistemology
  •   i.         Fear of the Lord: Psalm 111:10; Proverbs 1:7; Proverbs 9:10; Proverbs 15:33
  •  ii.        God’s Word Judges All Human Affairs: John 12:48; 2 Corinthians 10:5
  •   iii.       Conclusion: Faith Governs Reason
    • (1)       Believers: God’s Rationality –> Human Faith –> Human Reason
    • (2)       Nonbelievers: Human Reason –> Human Religion
  • e.         The Noetic Effects of Sin: “Wisdom” of the World: 1 Corinthians 1:18-2:16; 3:18-23; 8:1-3
• i.          Compare: Luke 16:8; Matthew 23:2-3; Mark 1:24

5.         For Next Week

•  a.         Reading from the Holman text: Chapter 1: What is Apologetics?
•  b.         Online Article: Frame, “No News Is Good News,” http://tinyurl.com/om9ncam

6.         Conclusion