Apologetics

Hey, that reminds me of the gospel…

I’ve known a handful of people who are very skilled at naturally moving from a conversation about whatever into sharing the gospel.

This article from Justin Buzzard at the Na Blog is provoking to me. We are reminded here that our conversations both with believers as well as with non-Christians are opportunities for us to live the cross-centered life and boast in God’s grace.

For some of us, it is much more difficult to talk about the gospel and our relationship with God with non-Christians. For others, Christian friendships can slide into just talking about this or that interest, what’s going on in school or at work, etc. And as a result, even Christian friendships can come to a place where it is a strange thing for one guy to remind his friend of the gospel.

Whatever the application, I think this approach to re-asserting the centrality of the gospel in everyday life is a much-needed word for all of us to hear.

Filed Under: Apologetics, Spiritual Growth

Merry Christmas, Mr. Atheist

Almost exactly 10 years ago I sat on a bench with one of the biology professors from Nichols State University talking about how he believed in Darwinian evolution and taught it in the classroom but also attended a local church – I think, Methodist – and that religion played a significant role in his life. It was one of the most confusing conversations I have ever been in. How does one practice a form of religion that rests on belief in a sole Creator-God who gave His Son for the salvation of mankind and then, on the other hand, teach that we are the product of the random and purposeless flights of a Time-plus-Chance deity? I left still scratching my head about what was the significant “role” of religion in his life. Up until then I simply assumed the Christian-atheist was an oxymoron and that nobody, especially sophicated and tenured academicians, would take up such a term as a meaningful self-description.

Dr. Al Mohler, who will be speaking at New Attitude by the way, highlights and comments on recent remarks from Richard Dawkins, today’s “apostle of atheism”, concerning his plans to join the caroling of the Christmas season along with other culturally-Christian atheists.

Filed Under: Apologetics, Cultural Issues, Theology

Mormonism, Blomberg and Bowman (modified)

[As a result of a comment to the Pivot blog from Dr. Blomberg, this post has been modified.]

Craig Blomberg is distinguished professor of New Testament at Denver Seminary in Colorado. He has authored and co-authored numerous works, commentaries and studies in biblical doctrine, gaining a reputation in many areas as a trusted voice of evangelical scholarship.

But when it comes to dialogue with Mormons, some wonder if Blomberg seems to veer wide of the mark of Scripture’s insistence on what the Bible means when it teaches the full deity of Jesus Christ.

Rob Bowman, an apologist and scholar in his own right wrote this post. But if you scroll down, you’ll see Blomberg’s response with its qualified disagreement. Below that, you’ll find Bowman’s counter-argument.

The reason I post these kinds of things is that I’ve experienced no small benefit in reading point and counterpoint arguments over various theological issues. It forces the proponents of each position to nuance their statements and tighten their language so that things become more and more clear. The result can be that you and I come away with a better ability to think into the specifics of what a particular view states and what might be the implications of such a position.

Posts related to this particular issue are generating multiple and sometimes extended comments-strings in the blogosphere. Dr. Blomberg has appealed in numerous locations that he is not being heard correctly. Perhaps that is true. Read those strings and get a workout in discernment. If nothing else learn, as I have freshly discovered, that it’s one thing to listen to both sides, quite another to assume that we’ve done enough homework to personally take Blomberg’s to task. Also, remember that we have a Christian responsibility to judge with charitable judgment and bestow on those who have honest differences the benefit of the doubt.

Filed Under: Apologetics, Theology

When was Jesus born and when did he die?

Was Jesus born exactly at the split between B.C. and A.D.? Was there a zero year? How old was Jesus when he began his ministry? Do the extrabiblical sources match the traditions that have come down to the present? Was Jesus born on December 25th? Did he die on an interestingly calculated day somewhere “between late March and late April each year” (Wikipedia, Easter/Good Friday)?

Scholar, Andreas Kostenberger, gives us a brief but well-researched picture of what, in all likelihood, happened when.

Filed Under: Apologetics, Miscellaneous

Be ready to answer: JW's

“But in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect.” 1 Pet 3:15

Last week, while I was at work, we had a visit from our local neighborhood Jehovah’s Witnesses. My wife went to the door with our 6 year old, William, and they began talking about God and the Kingdom and salvation. As the JW’s made their statements, my wife, Paula, asked our son William relevant questions from the Westminster Catechism. As he gave the answers, Paula carried that answer back into the conversation with the ladies. She was attempting to let Will in on how the things we’ve been talking about as a family for the past few years have far-reaching ramifications for our understanding and defense of the gospel. So, William and Mom were taking on the JW’s together, or, to put it in Peter’s categories, they were honoring Christ together! (Hunter was out there too.)

Anyway, apologetics is not some stuffy topic for eggheaded theologians. It’s for you and me (and the kids!). So are we “prepared” to make that “defense”?

Maybe we’ll make a series out of this over time, talking about various ways to respond to challenges to biblical faith.

We’ll start with a one page review of some important issues to keep in mind when talking with the neighborhood Jehovah’s Witnesses.

Filed Under: Apologetics, Theology

Biblical insights on 9/11

It’s the age old theistic dilemma. If God is all-powerful then the presence of suffering casts a shadow on his righteousness, goodness, or compassion. If God is all good and loving then the presence of suffering argues against any meaningful concept of sovereignty.

Do you know how to handle that dilemma? What do we say when Christian teaching is opposed by the simple objection: “If there’s a God and He is all powerful and good, why 9/11?”

Here are a few solid resources on getting a biblical perspective on calamity and suffering.

Filed Under: Apologetics, In The News, Messages, Theology

What of capital punishment?

Perhaps one of America’s greatest systematics/apologetics scholars, John Frame, briefly introduces us to this controversial topic and tries to get us to think biblically about it.

Incidentally, Frame also writes quite convincingly on subjects related to corporate worship, music, and the arts. For example if you are wanting to see a case made for contemporary music, instrumentation and expressiveness in the corporate gathering you may want to browse through Frame’s book titles and pick up one or two.

Filed Under: Apologetics, Cultural Issues

Why should I believe in Jesus Christ?

Ok, so there you are, at Starbucks or Chili’s or wherever it is that puts you near other people and furnishes opportunities on occasion to share Christ. And not long into the discussion, your newfound friend comes out with this massively important question, but one that could send us backpedaling and wondering how in the world to answer it.

Want some help? Here’s how John Piper answers it.

Filed Under: Apologetics, Cultural Issues

Darrell Bock and diplomatic apologetics

If you watched the follow-up discussion, moderated by Ted Koppel, that aired immediately after The Lost Tomb of Jesus, I hope you noted the importance of both manner and content in defending biblical truth. It was ably demonstrated by our evangelical representative on the panel, Darrell Bock.

Dr. Bock is one of the most capable and competent scholars and spokesmen for biblical truth in our day. What I appreciate most about him is his ability both to maintain and defend biblical truth in written form as well as in the rapid fire, think-on-your-feet, forums of television talk shows and interviews, and – the point of this whole piece – how he can do all that while being a perfect gentleman. In a word, he defends biblical truths while displaying the fruit of the Spirit, which is not as common.

This write up from Bock’s ‘nemesis’ in the Jesus Tomb controversy, James Tabor, illustrates Bock’s ability to make his way through substantive disagreements without losing his cool and thus perpetuating the increasingly contagious sentiment that says, ” Christians are just bigots. And Christian scholars are smart bigots.”

Not Darrell Bock. He is humble, sensible, diplomatic, learned, and level-headed even when the heat is on. I’m grateful for Christian spokesmen like Bock. In my evangelism as well as in those moments in which I have an opportunity to defend biblical truth, I want to emulate men like this. I want to think twice, measure responses, avoid reactionism, choose battles wisely, and demonstrate humility. I’ve had several encounters that have demonstrated the exact opposites of that list, so watching Bock was a fresh provocation.

Filed Under: Apologetics, Cultural Issues, In The News

The "Jesus tomb" controversy

This past Sunday night, there was a Discovery Channel pseudo-documentary that purported to cast doubt on some key beliefs held throughout the course of church history. The show after the show was a dialogue moderated by Ted Koppel in which various scholars were able to weigh in on the controversy.

I’m no scholar so let me pass along one notable scholar’s scorecard on where he thinks this controversy stands at this point. I think, if you happen to believe in things like the bodily resurrection of Jesus, the sinlessness of Jesus, and the reliability of the New Testament record (among other things), you’ll be encouraged by Dr. Kostenberger’s assessment.

Filed Under: Apologetics, In The News, Theology

Links