Why Every Christian Should Be Ready to Defend Their Faith

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What is Apologetics? We hear this word a lot within the Christian community, but do we really understand what it means and where it comes from? Is it important? In short, apologetics is being able to give a defense of the Christian faith. It is being able to explain what you believe and why you believe it; being able to give a reason for the hope that is in you. The primary text used for apologetics is found in the Bible, in the New Testament, in 1 Peter 3. So yes, it is important. But is apologetics something for only those Christians in academia to take up as a vocation or ministry? Or is there value and benefit for all the saints to have a proper understanding of apologetics and be apologists themselves? These questions are considered and answered in this episode of the Straight Truth Podcast. Join us and listen in as Dr. Richard Caldwell and Dr. Josh Philpot converse about this important topic today.
Dr. Caldwell says the value of apologetics is the opportunity for evangelism. It is also valuable in the sense that it encourages the people of God with the knowledge that the truth is the truth. But if apologetics is separated from a pastoral purpose, it can easily become distorted. Dr. Caldwell believes this is often what we see in the landscape of Christendom, where people are practicing apologetics but with no real pastoral purpose. It’s really just a field for arguments and argumentation instead of having a godly purpose standing behind what they are doing.
Dr. Caldwell brings up the text of 1 Peter 3:13-17 where Peter tells his readers (believers) to always be prepared/ready to make a defense for the hope that is in them, yet it is to be done in gentleness and with respect. We get the word apologetics from the word translated “defense”. Dr. Caldwell sees Peter as envisioning the believer as under attack, those who are suffering for the sake of righteousness. Yet even as they are being attacked, they are called to make a defense, an apology, for what they believe. Doing this with gentleness and respect and not with a pugilistic argumentative sort of mindset on display. Dr. Caldwell says we can see this same thing in 2 Timothy 2:24, where Paul writes to Timothy that the Lord’s servant is not to be quarrelsome but kind and able to teach, patiently enduring evil, correcting opponents with gentleness. Giving this defense is not about having the high ground for intellectual entertainment or displaying our own wisdom, it’s not to be combative or argumentative. It is giving good reasons for the things we believe from the truth of God’s Word, but always with gentleness and with a hope wrapped up in it to make a difference in someone’s life spiritually, to see them come to Christ. That’s what should characterize our efforts in the realm of apologetics.
So, to answer the question about all believers being an apologist, the answer is yes. Every Christian is tasked with a growing knowledge of the things we believe, so that we are able to give an explanation for what we believe, with an attitude that pleases the Lord. This is not just pastors who are being called to be gentle and careful; all of God’s people are called to embrace the attitude of Christ as we give the truth of Christ. Apologetics is not just an academic exercise. It is not to be done only by people of great learning like Greg Bahnsen, R.C. Sproul, or others. Peter is telling this to all believers. But within the field of apologetics, we must remember that there is a reason beyond the knowledge found in it, there’s an application, and there’s a pastoral use associated with these truths. So, like all disciplines of Christian study and theology, whatever it is that we are engaged in, we need to embrace its purpose as God has defined it. Then we need to embrace its purpose, not just the information present in it, but its pastoral purpose at the same time.
Some dangers or pitfalls with the pursuit of apologetics may be that it often leads some to think it is helpful to study other religions or even other modes or forms of belief. But Dr. Caldwell says the best thing we will ever do for the cause of truth is to be immersed in the truth, saturated with the truth, and know the truth. That answers any iteration of error, not just one kind of error but any kind of error. If we know the truth and are prepared to give a reason for our hope, that’s enough. We don’t need to study all the errors in religion to tell others why they’re wrong.

[@timedwards5542]

Thank you for your wisdom. Keep up the great work

[@ritavehon2836]

As always, this podcast is so helpful for my Christian walk. Thank you, Dr. Caldwell. I need to keep in mind that my knowledge of the Word is useful and needed, but ultimately, the Holy Spirit is the one who changes the heart.