I stood listening to a coworker, trying to smile and show interest as my mind searched for answers. He was sharing his belief that the Holy Bible was compiled in a way resembling the telephone game: The original message got muddled somewhere in the process. As a result, he thought the Bible was unreliable. I was a new Christian and student in Bible college, yet everything I learned in my classes instantly went out of my head. For some reason, I did not think people would ask these types of questions in everyday life.
I was unprepared.
We will not always have the answers to people’s questions, and that is okay. I believe we should be honest with people and tell them we need to research the issue more, promising to get back to them when we find the answer. However, what is not okay is being unprepared to defend the basic tenets of faith. Every believer should be ready to share the reason for their hope – Jesus Christ. If not, we are doing ourselves and others a great disservice.
Being ready to defend the truth of Christianity is needed today as much as ever. Let’s look at five reasons why:
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C. S. Lewis. Norman Geisler. John Lennox. Gary Habermas.
Apologetics may seem like a field strictly reserved for scholars and trained professionals. However, the Bible tells us that defending the faith is for all Christians, not only those in the academic realm (though we need these apologists as well).
In the foundational verse about apologetics, the Apostle Peter wrote, “But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect” (1 Peter 3:15, NIV). Believers of all backgrounds should be prepared to give an apologia, or defense, for what they believe and hope in.
The Bible connects our prepared defense with worshiping Christ and honoring Him as Lord. If we revere Jesus and live for His glory, we will want to tell others about our hope in Him. Not ashamed to speak the truth in love, we will share the reason for our steadfast hope.
Living in obedience to God and His Word means Christians will prioritize defending the faith.
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When interacting with others, we are bound to encounter people asking us questions about why we live a certain way or choose to participate in specific activities. These people could be family, friends, neighbors, or coworkers. If we regularly talk to individuals, they will eventually ask us questions about our faith.
Of course, this is under the assumption that we are living out our faith and not keeping it private. Jesus told us to be salt and light in the world so that others will be motivated to give glory to the Father (Matthew 5:13-16; also see 1 Peter 2:12). Although the way we live does not replace the need to tell others the gospel, our actions corroborate what we say and can evoke interest. In turn, our lives can compel others to ask questions that lead to important discussions about our trust in Christ.
We should not squander these opportunities by being unprepared. Each of us needs to be able to articulate what we believe and defend biblical truth. The more we are prepared, the better we will be equipped to participate in fruitful conversations with others. And who knows how God will use these conversations? They could catalyze someone to become interested in having a relationship with Jesus.
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For those living in the West, society is becoming more secular and antagonistic toward Christianity. The culture encourages people to embrace pluralism, which teaches that all religions are valid without acknowledging their inherent differences. We are told to be tolerant of the views of others, for them to “live their truth” even if it is not “our truth.”
Understandably, Christians wonder how they can engage with others when they are perceived as intolerant for teaching that Jesus is the only way to salvation and the only truth (John 14:6). People look down on the evangelism efforts of Christians, claiming they are engaging in proselytism or spreading colonialism. More than ever, believers need to be equipped to meet the false presumptions and accusations from a culture that is antagonistic toward faith in Jesus.
To do so does not mean retreating from culture and fluffing up our comfortable Christian bubbles. We must engage with culture because it influences the people we meet and interact with regularly. Being able to communicate our beliefs clearly to others while also dispelling wrong assumptions is essential.
For example, my sister encountered a hateful response to Christianity after the overturning of Roe v. Wade. Someone she met claimed that Christians want to keep people from progressing and that they never do anything to help others. Of course, this person was upset and concerned about women affected by the law change. But was this person correct in their claims?
Well, let us reflect on a few things. Many Christians are working to care for mothers and their unborn children, such as at ministries and pregnancy centers. Also, historically, Christians have been at the forefront of helping and serving others, such as providing access to health care and education, assistance for the poor and homeless, and care for orphans. All this stems from a biblical worldview grounded in the teaching to love God and love others (Matthew 22:37-39), which naturally leads to caring for the least of these (see Matthew 25:35-40). Therefore, Christians have done a lot to benefit society and care for the oppressed, which is why we continue to help those struggling and unable to speak for themselves.
Believers must be ready to tackle difficult subjects like the one mentioned. As we do, though, we need to remember the latter part of 1 Peter 3:15 when defending the faith and engaging in apologetic talks. We are not here to win an argument but to show others the love of Christ. Thus, Peter encouraged believers to defend themselves with gentleness and respect. Even though people might berate and mock us for our faith, we must not return evil for evil (1 Peter 3:9). Instead, let us engage with people in this hostile culture with a focus on loving them enough to tell them the truth of the gospel and the essentials of faith.
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The church has always had to combat heresies and false teachers. Jude encouraged first-century Christians to “contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 1:3, ESV). False teachers had snuck in among them to introduce destructive doctrines. As the Apostle described, “They are ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord” (Jude 1:4, NIV).
Not all false teachers are easily recognizable, though. Jesus said that many false teachers would appear as wolves in sheep’s clothing (Matthew 7:15). We encounter this with many cults and false representations of Christianity today. For instance, a person would probably notice the friendliness of a Jehovah’s Witness or Mormon upon their first meeting. Likewise, many within cult groups, like those who follow the teachings of Bill Gothard, look and act like Christians. Appearances can be deceiving.
Despite how they look, these groups deny the historical faith of Christianity. They follow manmade teachings that twist Scripture to fit their agendas and beliefs. Such teachings are harmful to the church and can lead people astray, especially Christians who are not yet strong in the faith.
Both unbelievers and believers may even assume that cult groups like the Jehovah’s Witnesses, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the Seventh-day Adventist church, and Unitarian Universalists are denominations of Christians. It does not help when secular studies regularly include these groups under Christianity. Yet, they are not part of the historic, biblical Christian faith. They are counterfeits.
For believers to contend for the faith and evangelistically engage with cult members, we must have a sturdy foundation in Scripture. Cult members typically have a thorough knowledge of their group’s teachings and foundational texts. At times, they may even be able to quote more passages from the Bible than the average believer. This should provide a sobering reminder to know the Bible, be ready to defend the truth, and lovingly point cult members to Christ.
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Sometimes, when Christians encounter significant questions about faith, they become unsettled. They may even begin to have a faith crisis because they were never properly equipped with biblical teachings. Although many people have fallen away due to these experiences, examining beliefs can be a great opportunity to clear away unbiblical teachings and grow closer to the Lord.
In preparing to have an answer for those who challenge our faith, we are forced to acknowledge what we believe. Worshiping Christ in church and privately in our homes is one thing, but to announce our trust in Jesus in public takes courage and faith. Half-hearted acceptance will not suffice. Talking to others about the hope found in Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection necessitates that we believe in these events.
The same is true for other areas of doctrine: the inerrancy of the Bible, the existence of God, creation, the miracles of Christ, and scriptural promises for the future. Have we thought about these areas? We might acknowledge these truths, but if we have not evaluated our beliefs concerning these topics, we will be unable to answer another person’s questions about them.
For example, when I started talking to a Jehovah’s Witness, I knew I needed to examine my thoughts about Scripture and Jesus so I could articulate and defend what I believe. As I studied the Bible, my faith grew. Jesus is who He claims to be, the Savior and the divine Son of God, as revealed in Scripture (see Matthew 1:21; Luke 19:10; John 8:58). Engaging in apologetic study prepared me for further interactions with Jehovah’s Witnesses and strengthened my own beliefs about Jesus’ divinity and His saving work.
As we diligently examine what we believe, we will discover that our effort to do so has benefitted us just as much as it will benefit others.
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