We often hear the phrase “Let God defend Himself” or “God does not need nobody to defend Him.” Similarly, we hear people saying, “Using arguments and evidence for Christianity is a synonym of elevating human reason as a higher authority than God’s word.” Apologetics is seen, in that sense, as un-Christian. What is interesting about that kind of thought is the fact that people who hold these claims do not see themselves as agents of God’s works. Instead, the concept of agency can be seen as referring to “God” Himself, and not of a representative who speaks or acts on behalf of the sender.
apologetics matters
Using arguments and evidence for Christianity is justifiable on the basis of the Bible itself. In fact, Peter urges us to be ready to give good reasons for things that we believe (1 Peter 3 :15). Notice that the apostle does not say to be ready to pray, or to rebuke the inquirer. Peter says to give reasons. To this, we can add good arguments and evidence.
Paul also warns us of the spiritual battle around us. In fact, he made it clear that this battle is not in the flesh but concerns spiritual fortresses that need to be destroyed (2 Cor 10: 3-5). Paul’s endeavors here are not focused on nothing but demolishing arguments, including the one that set themselves up against the knowledge of God, as he says.
Because Christians are seen as agents of God’s works, when they commit spiritually and intellectually to Jesus, a preacher and a philosopher, for instance, in the Kingdom are basically serving the same purpose. The only difference is the tools they use. One relies exclusively on the Bible to [preach God], the other makes use of arguments and evidence to prepare to reinforce the hearts of those who are inquiring about the Gospel.
Besides, Christianity has been facing challenges from the secular world. But because Christian claims, unlike other religions’ can be investigated and assessed, these challenges, rather than being a threat to our faith, serve as causes to investigate our faith. Speaking of faith, Morvan notes that, “When we trust something, we have good reasons for it, evidence that justifies and supports it.” That was Paul’s approach when presenting a case for Christianity. Paul points back to the historical Jesus, namely His resurrection, without which there is no Christianity- to lay the foundation.
Is Jesus an historical figure? Yes. Is there evidence outside the Bible for His existence? Yes, Flavius Josephus mentioned Him at least twice in Jewish Antiquities. The first century historian is believed by many scholars to have been around when the early church was getting started, and knew people that had known, seen, or heard Jesus. That is plausible since Josephus was born around 37 A.D., according to Lawrence Mykytiuk, “Did Jesus Exist? Searching for Evidence beyond the Bible, 2005”
Did Pilate really exist? Yes, the archeological find in 1961 at Caesarea Maritima (Powell, 2006) is against the position of those who claim Pilate didn’t exist. Thus, using argument and evidence for Christianity is not only a truthful move but also a means to offer other explanations for the claims of Christianity. In that sense, if we take Apologetics as a tool. As Dr. Moreland points out “The more reasons you have for believing that God exists, the more faith you can place in God.”
Keep in mind that REASON HAS ITS LIMIT
To understand Reason and Faith” as two terms tied together, one must come to grips with Aquinas’s proof of God’s existence. Aquinas believed that natural reason can be used to prove God’s existence. He tells us that there is a first cause or prime mover according to which other things have their motion, existence, and direction. However, beyond the discipline or reason, it seems to me that there are things that natural reason cannot establish or investigate by human reason. Reason might not be able to fully establish some features of our faith, such as God’s incarnation. That is, it seems to me that certain things can be established by mere revelation. For instance, I might not be able to prove my direct awareness of God’s presence with clear-cut facts since it is given to me by intuition and not necessarily proven by adequate facts and reason.That is, I wonder if Apologetics is perceived to explain all matters of our faith. Put simply, can we use Apologetics as a logical and philosophical tool to justify all of our beliefs in the Bible? I think the answer is no.
Therefore…
While I think apologetics is good, it is a human testimony and only complementary. On the other hand, the Holy Spirit’s testimony is essential to get people accepted and believed in the gospel. In that sense, all these tools that we use to communicate the gospel are bound to the causal influence of the Holy Spirit. And although we do not sometimes recognize the action of the Spirit in convincing sinners of the gospel, the Spirit is there in providing the message. In fact, Jesus, referring to the Holy Spirit, says that, “He will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment” (John 16:8).
In other terms, the Lord provides us key elements to help us in our faith journey. However, we still need to understand that we do not believe the Gospel because of some archaeological finds, but because of the works of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit is essential to get people accepted and believed in the gospel. Jesus says, “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him” (John 6:44 KJV). Jesus later added that, “He will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment” (John 16:8).That is, the Holy Spirit, as the Agent of Salvation, works to secure the glue of the gospel to Jesus Christ. In short, as believers, we can use apologetics but most importantly, we should consider the witness of the Holy Spirit to give Him the due credit.
