Christian apologetics is both the science and art of intellectually defending the Christian faith by presenting evidence.
The word apologetics comes from the Greek word apologia, which refers to a speech of defense, typically for one’s own self. The word appears eight times in the New Testament. Sometimes it is used generally (Acts 22:1, 25:16; 1 Corinthians 9:3; 2 Corinthians 7:11, 2 Timothy 4:16), and other times it is explicitly connected to a defense of the Gospel (Philippians 1:7, 16; 1 Peter 3:15). Most notably in 1 Peter 3:15, when Peter says, “Always be prepared to give an answer [apologia] to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.”
You became skilled at proving Jesus’s resurrection and the superiority of the Christian worldview over other religious views. But do analytical arguments carry the power that God through Jesus Christ exhibits? Apologetics is about persuasively sharing the Gospel to win people to Christ. Today, in a world where Christianity is viewed as intolerant and offensive, people are going to wonder why we hold onto our faith?
Agapao Apologetics practiced at Next Level Calling is never a matter of abstract theorizing. Rather, it is born of person-to-person engagement with the love among Christians and unbelievers. Ours is a simple ministry where we open our hearts to people who come to study, work, and eat with us. There is no grand plan for a series of books or an influential intellectual platform. Our constant dependence on the Holy Spirit allows us to provide a reasonable and rational response to those who are seeking.
Everyone who came in contact with Jesus Christ knew how much He cared, whether they believed in His message or not. That is the goal of our outreach to this lost and broken world. Make no mistake, the work of apologetics is one of the greatest demonstrations of our love for others. It is a labor of love to want to put in the time to study the truths of the Gospel and share them with others. But the love of Jesus is only apparent when we care more about winning hearts than winning arguments.
What is Christian Apologetics?
Christian apologetics is both the science and art of intellectually defending the Christian faith by presenting evidence.
Quick to criticize, noisy gongs and clanging cymbals abound; but the love that never fails is a rare and fleeting occurrence. How does one make sense of all this, particularly in light of Apostle Paul’s proclamation that without love we are nothing? Yet, we worry that to extend love to others without conditions belies a forgetfulness about the conditions of our acceptance by God.
Paul writes, “But God demonstrates his own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). If God loved us while we were yet sinners, why do we find it so hard to love others? In a world that largely perceives Christians to be in-fighters, hypocritical, argumentative, and judgmental naysayers, would it not demonstrate maturity to reexamine our fear of what it might look like if we tried to take Paul’s words about love to heart?
In Jesus Christ, is the full stature and maturity of humanity on display. He taught that love was the summary and fulfillment of the entire law and the message of the prophets—love God and love your neighbor as yourself. If the greatest of the virtues is love, as affirmed by Jesus Christ, can all who seek to follow envision becoming someone who seeks to make love their chief responsibility and goal?
