- APOLOGY
e'pa.le.dzi noun. Justification for one’s behavior, theory, or religious belief; usually in form of a logical argument. - [Apologetic
e.pa.le'dzet.ik adjective, apologiste'pa.le.dzist noun.] - APOLOGETICS
e.pa.le'dzet.iks noun. The study and use of logical arguments to defend [usually religious] beliefs.
Years ago a pastor introduced me to a visitor to our church thisaway: “He knows a lot about apologetics.”
“Well, theology,” I corrected him.
’Cause at the time this pastor didn’t really recognize much of a difference between theology and apologetics. In fact a lot of Christians don’t.
Yeah I actually do know a lot about Christian apologetics. Before I studied theology, it’s what my church taught me. Started in high school. My youth pastor (same as a lot of undereducated youth pastors whose job is to babysit the teens, not actually pastor us), wasn’t all that solid in theology anyway. But his youth pastor taught him Christian apologetics, and in college he got into apologetics-heavy ministries. So he taught what he knew. And it turns out lots of youth groups get taught apologetics instead of theology. ’Cause kids already wanna argue and debate… so why not lean into it?
So I learned all the standard arguments in favor of Christ and the bible. And now I can fight anybody!
Let me emphasize that word again: FIGHT.
If you’re a brawler, if you love to argue, apologetics gives you full permission to indulge. It’s why the practice is so very popular. Apologists even claim it’s a form of
True, they’re totally contending. With other people.
St. Paul explicitly said our fight isn’t with flesh and blood.
Fighting, argumentativeness, making enemies, quarrels, and factions
Hence Christian apologetics is a field that’s full of abuse. Too many apologists can’t
There’s a lot of unchristlike behavior in Christian apologetics. It’s why I gotta warn you away from getting mixed up in it. It’s produced way too many
We don’t get a free pass just because we’re “fighting for Jesus.” In fact engaging in such behavior alienates the people we fight. It makes enemies. Makes ’em more bitter and resentful, and drives them even further away from Jesus, repentance, and the kingdom. We’re unwittingly doing the work of the wrong side.
So no, I’m not into apologetics. I’m into theology. I stick to what the scriptures have to say about God, how
I don’t wanna create yet another Christian know-it-all who’s eager to go slap down some naysayers.