The word apologetics first appears in the New Testament in 1 Peter 3:15 where the Apostle Peter addressed early Christians in Asia Minor (a Roman province) who were suffering persecution because of their faith in Christ. He writes:
But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them nor be troubled, but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense (apologia) to anyone who asks you for a reason(logos) for the hope that is within you: yet do it with gentleness and respect
Within this one verse, Christian apologetics is summarized nicely. Christian apologetics can be summarized in two parts: (a) objective reasons and evidence that Christianity is true (it corresponds to reality) and, (b) the communication of that truth to the world.
The Apostle Paul was also Jewish and appealed primarily to his fellow Jews to believe in Christ, but he also appealed to non-Jewish Gentiles (Romans & Greeks) as well. When he visited Athens he reasoned with Epicurean & Stoic philosophers on Mars Hill, the center of ancient Greek philosophy (Acts 17:16-34). While there, Paul quoted Greek philosophers such as Epimenides. In doing so Paul was contextualizing the Gospel so that it could be understood by his listeners. This is the second critical part of Christian apologetics – effective communicationto a particular audience.
Objective(s)
- To understand what apologetics is and what it is not.
- To build a basis for the remainder of the study
- To do some other things