Apologetics is the Answer to Everything

"Anthony Horvath is the Executive Director of Athanatos Christian Ministries and a national pro-life speaker. He is also the author of the Birth Pangs series."

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Some Christians will begin seeing red just from reading the title of this entry.  They will be angry and annoyed and may even jump up out of their seats.  Therefore, let me say it again:  apologetics is the answer to everything.

Whether it be the rapid decline of the Christian Church in America, the brisk acceptance of homosexual ‘marriage,’ the prevailing and deepening culture of death, the shallow spirituality of many of the Christians who actually remain in the Church- and certainly much of the lack of action- and many other issues can track back to nothing less than disobedience, for the Scriptures themselves command:  “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  In the Greek, ‘answer’ is ‘apologia.’

I have italicized ‘the reason’ and ‘the hope’ as well.  Let us begin with what is referred to by ‘the hope.’  It is the hope of the resurrection, in particular.  And what might be ‘the reason’?  For the famous Bereans, it was convincing argument from the Scriptures- and for them the Scriptures were what we call the Old Testament.  (Acts 17:10-12).   Before King Agrippa was directed to the Scriptures, Paul pointed out that the events he was describing were “not done in a corner.” (Acts 26:26).  In Athens, Paul did not appeal to the Scriptures at all, but the hope was still front and center:  “He has given proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead.”  (Acts 17:31).

And Jesus himself said, “Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me;  or at least believe on the evidence of the miracles themselves.”  (John 14:11).  There is no question that the most important miracle that evidence would be provided on was the resurrection itself, which, if it did not happen- “we are false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead…. If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men.”  1 Cor. 15

At its bottom, ‘apologetics’ is about communicating the hope that we have in the resurrection of the dead in a manner that we hope will be as persuasive as possible, not necessarily because people can be persuaded into faith, but that they may have no excuse.  Still, let it not be said that we give our ‘apologia’ only because obedience demands it.   From the New Testament it is evident that ‘apologia’ was integrated in one’s evangelism, and that this is how God chose to expand his kingdom.

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