Apologetics is the work of giving a defense or reason why we believe what we believe as Christians. This involves both a defensive element (addressing objections raised against the gospel) and an offensive element (showing why non-Christian worldviews are ultimately false accounts of reality). The defensive and offensive aspects of apologetics entail it is an inherently persuasive enterprise. But is apologetics Biblical? One perspective says the gospel does not need to be defended; it only needs to be preached. In other words, the church simply needs to proclaim the gospel to a lost world, but the work of defending the truths of the message is not necessary or important. But is this right? Such a view may be well intentioned, but it is not supported by Scripture.
What does the Bible say about apologetics? First, Scripture commands all Christians to be apologists. In 1 Peter 3:15-16, Peter is writing to suffering Christians to encourage them in their faith. When speaking of how they are to live among non-Christians who witness their faith, he tells them first to “regard Christ the Lord as holy in your hearts.” With this as the foundation, Peter then exhorts his readers to be “ready at any time to give a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you.” Further, he says this must be done “with gentleness and reverence.” Significantly, the word used for “defense” in this text is the word “apologia” (from which we get “apologetics”). Peter encourages these suffering Christians to keep Christ first in their hearts and live faithfully before a watching world. Included in this way of faithfulness is providing a defense or reason for the hope they have, to those who ask them. This passage reminds us that, in every age, Christians should be those who live reverently before God, walk in humility, and have a reason for the hope that we profess. A lost world needs to know what the gospel is and why they should take it seriously. Inevitably, this will include reasons why it should be accepted as true and not merely one religious opinion among many.
Second, both Jesus and the apostles practiced apologetics. Many do not think of Jesus as an apologist. However, Jesus’ interactions with the Pharisees demonstrate that He used reasoning and argumentation when addressing their objections to His claims. One such example is found in Matthew 12:22-32. In this encounter, Jesus has just healed a man who was both blind and unable to speak on account of demon possession. The Pharisees, rather than give glory to God, accuse Jesus of using the power of Satan to drive out the demon. Jesus exposes the error in their thinking. He shows how, if their accusation was true, then Satan would be divided against himself – “If Satan drives out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand?” (Matt. 12:26). Furthermore, Jesus asks, by whom do the Jewish exorcists drive out demons? Jesus’ apologetic strategy is to assume the Pharisees are right and then show how their view leads to an absurd conclusion. He then points out that if the opposite is true (If I drive out demons by the Spirit of God) then Jesus’ message is true – He is the Messiah who brings the Kingdom of God (Matt. 12:28). There are other examples from Jesus’ ministry which show He engaged in reasoning with those who disputed His claims (cf. Matt. 22:23-33; Jn. 10:31-39).
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In next month’s article, we will look at how the apostle Paul practiced apologetics. For now, the exhortation from Peter in 1 Peter 3:15-16 and the example of Jesus in Matthew 12:22-32 show that apologetics is biblical and part of how God advances the gospel in the world. The point is not that every Christian needs to be an expert apologist, but rather that we should all be able to give a reason for the hope within us as we proclaim the gospel.
