Apologetics: A Justification of Christian Belief

303 Pages·2016·1.83 MB·English

by  John m frame

“If I were asked to list the top three books that have had the greatest impact on
me as a Christian thinker, John Frame’s Apologetics to the Glory of God would
undoubtedly be one of them. It brought about a paradigm shift—one might even
say a ‘Copernican revolution’—in my understanding not only of apologetics but
of all other intellectual endeavors as a Christian. Ever since then, it has been the
first book I recommend to those looking for an introduction to Christian
apologetics, and it is required reading in my apologetics classes. I’m therefore
delighted to recommend this updated and expanded twentieth-anniversary
edition, which incorporates additional material by Dr. Frame, as well as many
helpful annotations by Joseph Torres. Soli Deo Gloria!”
—James N. Anderson, Associate Professor of Theology and Philosophy,
Reformed Theological Seminary, Charlotte
“This book is as vital as when it first appeared. John Frame manages to tackle
the most difficult problems facing a Christian who endeavors to defend the faith:
the nature of evil, world religions, the use of evidences, and much more. And he
does so with grace, theological acumen, and an enviable straightforwardness—
rare for apologists who are at home with the principal philosophical issues of the
day. Extraordinarily profitable volume from a veteran Christian thinker.”
—William Edgar, Professor of Apologetics, Westminster Theological
Seminary
“Over the last several decades, few books have been as helpful to so many for so
long as Apologetics to the Glory of God by John Frame. I eagerly welcome the
twentieth-anniversary edition of this important book. As apologetics takes on an
even greater significance for every believer, I can only hope that the influence
and impact of this book will spread far beyond even its original publication. This
is a book that, twenty years after its initial publication, is even more timely—and
that is a rare achievement.”
—R. Albert Mohler Jr., President, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary
“For decades, John Frame has given himself to the church, to his students, and to
meticulous thinking and the rigorous study of the Bible. He winsomely,
patiently, and persuasively contends for the gospel, and brings together a rare
blend of big-picture thinking, levelheaded reflection, biblical fidelity, a love for
the gospel and the church, and the ability to write with care and clarity.”
—John Piper, Chancellor, Bethlehem College and Seminary; Founder and
Teacher, www.desiringGod.org
Apologetics

A Justification of
Christian Belief

John M. Frame

Edited by
Joseph E. Torres
© 2015 by John M. Frame
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means, except for brief quotations for the purpose of
review, comment, or scholarship, without written permission from the publisher, Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing Company,
P.O. Box 817, Phillipsburg, New Jersey 08865.
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright © 2007 by Crossway
Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked (NIV) are from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973,
1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked (NASB) are taken from the New American Standard Bible®, copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971,
1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.
Italics within Scripture quotations indicate emphasis added.

Portions of this work were originally published in John M. Frame’s Cornelius Van Til: An Analysis of His Thought (P&R Publishing,

1995), The Doctrine of God (P&R Publishing, 2002), and Speaking the Truth in Love, edited by John J. Hughes (P&R Publishing,
2009). They have been edited and revised for this volume.
Some material in chapter four appears in a similar form in John M. Frame, “Transcendental Arguments,” in W. C. Campbell-Jack and

Gavin J. McGrath, eds., New Dictionary of Christian Apologetics, consulting ed. C. Stephen Evans (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity
Press, 2006), 716–17. Used by permission of the publisher.
Printed in the United States of America
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publicaion Data
Frame, John M., 1939-
[Apologetics to the glory of God]

Apologetics : a justification of Christian belief / John M. Frame ; edited by Joseph E. Torres. -- Second edition.
pages cm
Revision of: Apologetics to the Glory of God. 1994.
Includes bibliographical references and indexes.
ISBN 978-1-59638-938-0 (pbk.) -- ISBN 978-1-59639-939-7 (ePub) -- ISBN 978-1-59638-940-3 (Mobi)
1. Apologetics. I. Torres, Joseph E., editor. II. Title.
BT1103.F73 2015
239--dc23
2014047572
To all my students,
from whom I have learned much
CONTENTS
Foreword by Vern S. Poythress xiii
Preface to the Second Edition xxix
Preface to the First Edition xxxi
Introduction by Joseph E. Torres xxxv

A B P A xxxv
IBLICAL ERSPECTIVE ON POLOGETICS
T C N C xxxvii
HE ONSTANT EED FOR LARIFICATION

A N A xxxviii
EW UDIENCE
A T E xxxviii
BOUT HIS DITION
Abbreviations xliii

1. Apologetics: The Basics 1
D 1
EFINITIONS
P 3
RESUPPOSITIONS
C A 10
IRCULAR RGUMENT?
G R O 15
OD’S ESPONSIBILITY AND URS

S S 18
OLA CRIPTURA
S S N R 21
OLA CRIPTURA AND ATURAL EVELATION
V 25
ALUES
D 26
ANGERS

2. The Message of the Apologist 31
P 31
HILOSOPHY
Metaphysics 34
God, the Absolute Personality 34
The Creator-Creature Relationship 39
The Sovereignty of God 42
The Trinity 44
Epistemology 47
Ethics 49
G N 50
OOD EWS

3. Apologetics as Proof: Some Methodological Considerations 53
F S E 53
AITH, CRIPTURE, AND VIDENCE
T C P 56
HE ONCEPT OF ROOF
T N P 58
HE EED FOR ROOF
P C 63
OINT OF ONTACT

4. Apologetics as Proof: Transcendental Argument 67
B 67
ACKGROUND
TAG O 69
IN UTLINE
Logic Demands the Existence of God 70
Ethics Demands the Existence of God 71
Science Demands the Existence of God 72
Q 73
UESTIONS
TAG T 80
AND THE RINITY
N P A 83
EGATIVE AND OSITIVE RGUMENTS
A C P 86
BSOLUTE ERTAINTY AND ROBABILITY

A S S 90
TRATEGIC KETCH

S C A P
OME ONCLUSIONS: RESUPPOSITIONALISM OF
H 91
THE EART

5. Apologetics as Proof: Theistic Arguments 95
A A 97
THEISM AND GNOSTICISM
T M A 98
HE ORAL RGUMENT
T E A 110
HE PISTEMOLOGICAL RGUMENT
M A 111
ETAPHYSICAL RGUMENTS
Purpose: The Teleological Argument 112
Cause: The Cosmological Argument 116
Being: The Ontological Argument 120

6. Apologetics as Proof: Proving the Gospel 125
S D S 127
CRIPTURE’S OCTRINE OF CRIPTURE
B W B C 132
UT HAT ABOUT IBLICAL RITICISM?
S R G M 138
CRIPTURE’S ATIONALE FOR THE OSPEL ESSAGE
The Argument from Prophecy 138
The New Testament Witness to Christ 142
Miracle and Resurrection 144
Are Miracles Possible or Probable? 145
Is There Sufficient Evidence for Believing in
Biblical Miracles? 146
Do Miracles Serve as Evidence for the Truth
of Christianity? 149
C 154
ONCLUSION

7. Apologetics as Defense: The Problem of Evil, Part 1—
Questions, General Principles, and Blind Alleys 155
I T P E I T A 155
S HERE A ROBLEM OF VIL? S HERE AN NSWER?
F B 159
OCUS ON THE IBLE
W B D N S 161
HAT THE IBLE OES OT AY
The Nature of Evil: The Unreality-of-Evil Defense 161
The Contribution of Evil 162
The Best-Possible-World Defense 162
The Free-Will Defense 164
The Character-Building Defense 167
The Stable-Environment Defense 168
Evil and God’s Agency 168
The Divine-Weakness Defense 168
The Indirect-Cause Defense 169
The Ex Lex Defense 170
An Ad Hominem Defense 171

8. Apologetics as Defense: The Problem of Evil, Part 2—
A Biblical Response 173
G I S H A 173
OD S THE TANDARD FOR IS CTIONS
S G U N H P 180
CRIPTURE IVES S A EW ISTORICAL ERSPECTIVE
The Past: The Wait and the Dialectic 180
The Present: The Greater-Good Defense 184
The Future: Some Scripture Songs 186
S G U N H 188
CRIPTURE IVES S EW EARTS
9. Apologetics as Offense: Critique of Unbelief 189
T U T S 191
HE NBELIEVER’S WIN TRATEGIES
Irrationalism and Rationalism 192
Atheism 198
Idolatry 199
Idolatrous Atheism 203
C A R 206
HRISTIAN POLOGETIC ESPONSES
Against Atheistic Relativism 206
Against Idolatrous Rationalism 206
Against Atheistic Idolatry 206

10. Talking to a Stranger 207
I 207
NTRODUCTION
E P 207
NCOUNTER ON A LANE

Appendix A: Van Til and the Ligonier Apologetic 219
I 219
NTRODUCTION
L V T 222
IGONIER AND AN IL
Autonomy, Reason, and Circularity 222
The Noetic Effects of Sin 228
T L A 233
HE IGONIER POLOGETIC
S F M 237
OME ORMAL ATTERS
C 238
ONCLUSIONS

Appendix B: Jay E. Adams’s Reply to Frame 239

Appendix C: Faith vs. Faith: Covenant Epistemology
and Autonomous Fideism by Joseph E. Torres 241
I 241
NTRODUCTION
D 241
IALOGUE
C C C R 247
LOSING OMMENTS TO URRENT EADERS

Appendix D: Between Scylla and Charybdis:
Presuppositionalism, Circular Reasoning, and the Charge
of Fideism Revisited by Joseph E. Torres 249
T P T A 250
HE URPOSE OF HIS RTICLE
T P P M 251
HE “ ROBLEM” OF RESUPPOSITIONAL ETHODOLOGY
The Link between Fideism and Circularity 251
The Scylla of Fideism 252
The Charybdis of Circular Reasoning 253
Problem Statements 253
C 255
IRCULARITY
Vicious and Virtuous Circles 255
Clarifying Statements 257
F 260
IDEISM
C 263
ONCLUSION

Appendix E: Divine Aseity and Apologetics 265
A D C W 267
SEITY AND THE ISTINCTIVENESS OF THE HRISTIAN ORLDVIEW
A B E 270
SEITY AND IBLICAL PISTEMOLOGY
A A S 274
SEITY AND POLOGETIC TRATEGY
Non-Christian Metaphysics 274
Non-Christian Epistemology 276
A General Strategy 277

Appendix F: Epistemological Perspectives and Evangelical
Apologetics 279
H R I 280
ISTORICAL OOTS OF THE SSUE
S B C 283
OME IBLICAL ONSIDERATIONS
S A I 286
OME POLOGETIC MPLICATIONS

Appendix G: Apologetics Glossary 289
Bibliography 299
Index of Scripture 309
Index of Subjects and Names 319