Apologetics Apologetics - Defense of the Christian Faith
Apologetics - Defense of the Christian Faith
I am sure when you hear the word ‘Apologetics’, you may think it has something to do with apologizing. Well it doesn’t actually. Apologetics is derived from the Greek word “apologia” which essentially means “to defend.” Therefore apologetics deals with a defense of something. A person who is a defender in this case is called an ‘Apologist.’
For the purpose of this article we are going to look at Christian Apologetics.
I did not know anything about apologetics until I signed up for a Bachelor of Degree Course in Theology last year. Apologetics is a compulsory part of the course. As I studied the apologetics module I realised that I am somewhat of an Apologist in the sense that I have developed this website and my blog as well as hubs in an attempt to teach people that God and the bible are true and once you give them a chance you will see how they can change your lives for the better.
Of course I have a lot to learn yet and studying apologetics has made me to understand that I need to have a really good working knowledge of the bible in order to become an effective Apologist.
The bible and the Christian faith have always been under attack in some form or the other. There are countless books and literature that have been written with the sole purpose of discrediting them. These books have become bestsellers and now with the advancement of technology, the criticisms are now more widespread than ever. God is no longer an important part of people’s lives as he once was and faith is something that people don’t seem to have anymore.
People question so many things in the bible now that faith and trust is now irrelevant. We live in a world where knowledge is so widespread that they feel there must be an answer to every question.
Nothing is wrong really in asking questions and seeking answers, but when it comes to the bible, certain events may be questionable and there will be challenges in answering every question being posed about them. However, what one has to keep in mind is that the bible is a spiritual book, divinely inspired by God. Because some questions are difficult to answer, does not mean that the book is not authentic. What happens now is that people come up with their own theories and want to pass these off as truth because they don’t understand the scriptures.
This is where Apologetics comes in. The Christian Apologist can help those who struggle with their belief in God and the bible, especially against those whose main purpose is rob them of their faith.
There are so many avenues that are used to attack the scriptures such as science and philosophy that there will be some difficulty in answering all the questions that are posed. But there are basic tools that are used in Christian Apologetics that makes the task much easier and can help those whose faith may be a little shaken.
