Last Thursday our first Apologetics 101 class met. We spent quite a bit of time on the basics of apologetics – what it is, where it’s discussed in the New Testament, its value, misconceptions about it, and tactics to use when engaged in it with those who do not share our beliefs.

I defined apologetics as an attempt to answer seekers, equip Christians, and demonstrate the truth of Christianity. The key verse about apologetics is found in 1 Peter 3:15, where the writer says that everyone should be able to answer questions about Christianity but do it in a kind and gentle manner. Peter makes it sound as if everyone needs to be an apologist, not just intellectuals. And we must be able to answer anybody who asks questions about Christianity, from the young to the old, from a coworker to a relative sitting at a Thanksgiving meal. But he emphasizes we must do this with a good spirit. We’re not arguing to win points or to make the other person look bad. Humans are made in the image of God; we must treat this individual we are talking to with respect. There are other verses that also have to do with apologetics – Colossians 2:8 and 4:5-6, 2 Corinthians 5:20 and 10:5, Titus 2:8, and places in Acts where Paul reasons with people (14:15-17/17:2, 4, 17-31/18:4/19:8-10).

We also talked about the value of apologetics. We want to change the culture, show the value of truth, demonstrate that Christians can think, and draw people to Jesus. Of course, this last one is the most important of all.

Unfortunately, there are many misconceptions about apologetics. Some people think it means to argue in an angry fashion, but this is not true as we have seen in Peter’s letter. It’s also seen in that same letter that everyone should be involved, not just intellectuals. Apologetics can’t save people, but it can knock down barriers. One other misconception is that we must have all the answers. Not true – we should just be honest and admit that we don’t know, but that we will find answers. Finally, we often have the misconception that we’re going up against intellectual powerhouses when people challenge us on our beliefs. But honestly many people know very little about what they’re talking about when it comes to spiritual matters.

I will stop at this point and save a discussion of the tactics and apologetics for the next blog.