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Sunday, June 28, 2009

Apologetics


Its been a time, time, and a half since I've visited this blog, virtual pen in hand. But here I am, at long last...
I've been thinking a lot about apologetics: defending a reason or position. In this case, making a case for the validity of Christianity. There are many arguments indeed which help to make a case for not only an "intelligent design" but also the historical validity of scripture. There are also arguments completely outside of scripture. My favorite: Bach existed; therefore God exists.
Arguing for the reliability of scripture and furthermore the validity of Christianity is definitely a worthy endeavor and worthwhile study. There are stories like that of renowned Christian author/speaker Josh McDowell who upon trying to disprove Scripture came to a saving knowledge of Christ. Other masters such as Peter Kreeft beautifully articulate the doctrines of Christianity and argue for the existence of God with the grace and skill rivaling C.S. Lewis.
Apologetics is necessary. It is scholarly and shows that Christianity is intellectual. Those who believe can enter into dialogue with those who would oppose such beliefs with skilled arguments if they have studied and understand what it is they are defending.
Apologetics is necessary, but physical, historical, factual proofs will never be foundational to our Christianity. Awhile ago, Ken Ham with his organization Answers In Genesis, published the image above. It made sense to me, but there was an element to it that disturbed me. It wasn't that the "evil secular humanists" would be able to crush Christianity if we ignored what they were shooting at. What concerned me was the absence of the sovereignty of God from the image, or better, the foundation of Christ.
AiG (Ken Ham's group - not the insurance co.) would argue that one only knows of Christ through the Bible, and if the Bible is proved to that person to be inaccurate or unreliable, then their faith will have been dealt a serious or potentially deadly blow. (In their defense, they would never question the sovereignty of God or the need for a believer's foundation in Christ)
This brings me back to my point that apologetics is necessary for the believer. However, I would argue that it is not alone capable of sustaining one's faith.
While we need to provide solid Biblical teaching and apologetic arguments for believers, we need to be primarily teaching/preaching Christ. It is not enough to mention him in our Bible classes or talk about his ministry in the gospel books. To truly teach Christ is to teach the most fundamental of all relationships, for it is the relationship by which all others are defined. If ultimate purpose of a relationship is love, and the ultimate love is unconditional love, then the relationship that Christ offers us is the ultimate of relationships.
Here is where we most fail as teachers and as Christians (thankfully Christ forgives our failures!): we don't teach the relationship with Christ because we ourselves struggle with knowing what is required and the desire to surrender it. Christ summed it up rather well saying "the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak" (Matt. 26:41). I know what Christ wants of me but my mind and my heart (flesh) lead me away.
I'm going to attempt a summation at this point. (I have a tendency toward long-windedness)
The reason I'm writing this is most likely because its what I struggle with the most. I've taught Bible classes and I lead worship regularly. I truly desire to have a meaningful, sustaining, life-giving relationship with Jesus Christ. I know what it requires, and here is my problem: Jesus DOESN'T want my best teaching skills, my knowledge of scripture, my best guitar playing, my ability to lead worship well, how nice I am to people, my ability to defeat an evolutionist in an argument on the validity of scripture; What He DOES want is quite simply my heart. It is the center of my being. It is who I am. Not what I do, but what it is of which I am made. My spirit is indeed willing to surrender my heart, but when the hammer falls, I often turn my tail and run.
I hide this from myself by DOING, when Christ wants me.
Back to the apologetics. They're important. Its good and the Bible tells us to study and learn. But when Peter said be ready to give a reason for your hope (1 Peter 3:15) we need to remember that his audience did not have the New Testament. They had their scriptures, but proving the historical accuracy of it was not his intent here. Their hope was in Christ. It wasn't their knowledge and abilities which gave the early Christians hope when faced with death in a Roman colosseum. It was Christ. Not their knowledge of Christ but their heart-surrendering relationship with him.
I remember putting my name in place of "the world" in John 3:16, and remember putting "Jesus" in place of 'Love' in parts of 1 Corinthians 13; in the patient, and faithful part. But we skipped the first part:
1If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing. (1 Corinth. 13:1-3)
I can learn just about every argument and how to manipulate debates to win. But if I have Christ, I have nothing.
May Christ be first in my heart.

1 comment:

  1. Well said...I totally agree with what you said about what we want to DO for Jesus. Sometimes I feel like we aren't "human beings", we're "human doings". We are characterized by what we do instead of who we are. We would rather know about someone, rather than truly know someone intimately...and the same goes for God.

    A problem I have is that I separate my "Christian life" from apologetics...I feel like I need to study scripture separately in an unbiased fashion in order to become a better biblical scholar. But in actuality, I must not separate the two...My relationship with Jesus should in fact support my biblical understanding.

    Thanks Ben...your post is encouraging to me, and makes me want to live a life more pleasing to Christ. - Danny

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