Defending the Christian Faith: Christian Apologetics and Truth

42 Pages·2012·0.7 MB·English

Defending the Christian Faith: Christian Apologetics and Truth
“Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you
have.”
1 Peter 3:15
Christianity is a Fact-Based Religion
Christianity is grounded in facts and evidence, both historical and scientific. Its claims about God,
God’s creation, God’s plan of redemption, the Bible, the ministry, miracles and above all – the
resurrection of Jesus can be objectively verified through evidences by studying astronomy, physics,
molecular biology and genetics, archaeology, history, the Bible and ancient non-Biblical documents.
These claims are not merely imposed as “truth” by one person through some revelation. Therefore
Christianity (and Judaism) stands on a foundation of evidence completely different from other
religions. In comparison, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism and all the other religions of the world largely
rely upon a revelation to one “prophet.” This prophet subsequently writes a book of his revelations,
which becomes the “bible” on which the faith of his followers rests.
Jesus, however, never wrote a book, perhaps not even a letter. How did Jesus actually conduct his
“three-year campaign” and how would it compare to the ways people nowadays try to get their
message across? When we consider the facts about His life, the impact He has had is nothing short of incredible.
Jesus taught his apostles, who after His resurrection took the gospel message throughout the world.
That message is still spread by Christians today. Unlike the approach of most other religions, non-
believers are invited to hear the Word, assess the message themselves and by exercising their free
will, choose to become (and remain) a believer. Unlike Islam, Christianity does not try to insulate its
believers against the influence of other religions; rather it trains its followers to distinguish between
true and false teachings. To do this the Christian believer must research and challenge, then verify
and assess these first principles, the basic truths of the faith. One needs to make up one’s own mind
about this. Do not accept something as true just because someone tells you so. Accept only those
truths that YOU, after careful consideration, believe to be TRUTH. Only then you can know these
truths, and honestly accept them as such, grow stronger in your faith, and “Stand firm then, with the belt
of truth buckled around your waist” (Ephesians 6:14).
The study of the evidences for the Christian faith is called Christian Apologetics. The word
apologetics comes from the Greek απολογία (“apologia,” which means a verbal defense, answer, or
reply). Therefore, Christian apologetics deals with all critics who oppose or question the revelation
of God in Christ and the Bible. Christian apologetics includes complex subjects such as Biblical
manuscript transmission, philosophy, biology, mathematics, evolution, and logic, but it can also
consist of simple answers to questions about Jesus or a Bible passage.
It is important to approach these questions and issues related to Christian apologetics with an open
mind. Try to be objective and judge the information in such a manner. Seek to avoid the bias of
preconceived ideas. Presume innocence until guilt is proved. Position yourself to be the jury in a trial
and insist upon objective evidence. Remember that the faith of Christianity is not afraid of open,
honest inquiry; no truth fears investigation.
The Great Men of History
Ask anybody: “Who are the great men in human history?” And likely you will near names such as
Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar, Napoleon, George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Theodore
Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy or perhaps even Ronald Reagan. What do these men have in common?
What made them great? They were successful because they were powerful, and with this power they
changed the course of history by their heroic actions, ruling countries or even whole continents.
How different these “great men” are when compared to the person of Jesus of Nazareth!
Jesus had little of what made these great men of history great: certainly no political clout, no military
machine, no war chest. Most of us know the basic facts about Jesus’ life and ministry, but still, read
the following summary of the powerful impact of His message, His death and His resurrection:
“Jesus was born in an obscure village, the child of a peasant woman.
He grew up in another village where He worked in a carpenter shop until He was thirty.
For three years He was a traveling preacher. He never wrote a book.
He never held an office. He fathered no family; he owned no home. He didn’t go to college.
He never visited a big city. He never traveled more than two hundred miles from the
place where He was born. He did none of the things that usually accompany greatness.
He had no credentials but himself.
He was only thirty-three when the tide of public opinion turned against Him.
His friends ran away. One of them denied Him. He was turned over to His enemies and
went through the mockery of a trial. He was nailed to a cross between two thieves.
While He was dying, His executioners gambled for His garments, the only property
He had on earth. When He was dead, He was laid in a borrowed grave through the pity
of a friend.
Twenty centuries have come and gone, and today He is the central figure of the human race
All the armies that ever marched, all the navies that ever sailed, all the parliaments that ever
sat, all the kings that ever reigned, put together, have not affected the life of man on this earth,
as much as that one solitary life.“
How different is Jesus compared to the great world leaders. Alexander the Great and Napoleon were
fabled warriors – Jesus never held a sword or led an army. George Washington liberated his people
from foreign occupation – Jesus never raised even His voice against the Roman occupiers of His
country. Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy and Ronald Reagan were all
elected to head powerful governments – Jesus never ran for office. He never marshaled the power
of government to enforce social changes. Most renowned leaders have been wealthy– Jesus owned
little and lived with the poor. And lastly, all great world leaders were famous during their lifetime,
but are dead now – Jesus died as a criminal and was executed by crucifixion, but His death was the
birth of Christianity.
Jesus of Nazareth is by far the greatest person in history. He did not pursue the agendas which made
others great, still He towers above them all. He turned the world upside down as no one had done
before or has done after Him. Now one-third of the world population calls themselves His
followers, Christians and even those who do not follow Him, still experience the impact He had, has
had, and will have on the world. This observation alone sets Him aside from all others.
Truth and Absolute Truth
Christianity and Christian apologetics are based on facts and evidences, and it demands nothing less
than truth. Throughout the Bible, God’s word is claimed to be true, as Jesus himself said in John 14:6:
“I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
Jesus was arrested by the Jews and tried by the Romans. Interrogated by the governor, “Jesus
answered, ‘You are right in saying I am a king. In fact, for this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world,
to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.’” (John 18:37).
Take special note of Pilate’s reply, asked whimsically: “’What is truth?’ Pilate asked.” (John 18:38).
Today truth is a very sensitive subject. Many say truth is whatever you declare it to be, and no
absolute truth exists. Any argument for absolute truth is considered a political blunder, a self-
incriminating mark of judgmental intolerance.
Absolute truth does exist, logically proved by the statement: "There exists an absolute truth."
Suppose we claim this to be false, that is, that there is no such thing as absolute truth. By making
that assertion, we claim that the sentence "There exists no absolute truth" is absolutely true. That
statement is self-contradictory, so its negation is true: “There exists an absolute truth.”
The same concept applies to Christian apologetics and truths. Objective proof that Christianity is
based on true and valid facts implies other religions and/or beliefs cannot be true at the same time.
Modern society calls that intolerant, but it is the logical consequence of absolute truth.
The discussion of truth and absolute truth has filled many books and even fueled long arguments.
For our purpose here, it is important to realize that truth and even absolute truth, does exist, and it
is essential to recognize some characteristics of truth are not always well accepted in our society:
Truth is intolerant: This is a necessary implication. Two plus two adds up to four, and the
answer cannot be three or five. Hence the correct answer is only four and that truth is
absolute. It is not open to various “interpretations” nor can it be changed to better fit our
“politically correct” culture. This also applies to Christianity. If claims of Christianity are
true, then conflicting claims cannot be true. Therefore, it is logically impossible to consider
the option that “all religions are the same and it does not matter which one you believe” as
many people think. Each religion makes claims that conflict with those of other religions,
and such cannot all be true.
Truth does not have to be liked or to be popular to be true: Many people reject God or
Christianity because:
· They do not like a God who allows evil and suffering to exist.
· They do not like God’s commands.
· They do not like a God who ordered innocent children killed and commanded whole
nations be destroyed.
· They do not like a God who allows only believers in Christ’s sacrifice for our sin to go
to heaven.
· They think the church is full of hypocrites. · And so on.
Disliking the truth does not make it less true! I might not like the speed limit on the
highway or taxes to be paid, but these are still the rules and I must obey them. If I decide
not to do so, these laws are still valid; if I speed I can get a ticket, and if I do not pay my
taxes I will suffer the consequences.
Truth does not have to be the majority opinion: Truth does not require a majority
consensus. For instance, for a very long time most folks thought the world flat, but we long
since discovered the fallacy of that belief. Fifty years ago the scientific community preached
modern man had been around for more that 1 million years. Now the scientific majority
opinion has shifted to less than 100,000 years, and many believe mankind has been around
even less than 50,000 years. The truth has not changed, only the majority opinion. So we
must be careful as we search for truth to be certain our conclusion is backed by solid
evidence and genuine facts, and that it is not just what the majority wants it to be.
The famous writer G.K. Chesterton summarizes our tendency to dislike the truth:
“Truth, of course, must of necessity be stranger than fiction, for we have made fiction to suit ourselves.”
Ultimately there are only three reasons why people do not accept and follow truth:
Ignorance: They just do not know about the truth because either they never had an
opportunity to hear about it (like people who live in remote places where the gospel has not
yet been heard) or they were wrongly informed (like Muslims indoctrinated with teachings
that shun honest research and verification).
Rebellion: They have heard the truth but decided not to accept it. Many people in our
society today for self-centered reasons simply like the way they live and do not want to
change their behavior.
Apathy: They just do not care for it. It is simply not interesting to them. They are
indifferent. In our times, this might be the largest (and fastest growing) group of non-
believers as people are more and more occupied with themselves. Day-to-day affairs of the
world distract them so thoroughly that even thinking about truth is not relevant. Such
concerns do not make it on their radar screen, so to speak.
Agnostic-turned-Christian apologist and historian C.S. Lewis summarized the current tendency
towards apathy in the following quote:
“The safest road to Hell is the gradual one—the gentle slope, soft underfoot, without sudden turnings, without
milestones, without signposts.”
Finding truth through Christian apologetics and by studying the evidences, requires one to be open
minded, objective and honest. Only when one is willing to consider all the facts and evidences
without a preconceived conclusion one can find truth. This sounds simple and obvious, but in
practice it is always much harder to apply.
Two Main Arguments against Christianity
Non-believers present numerous vigorous objections against Christianity. Of these, two arguments
are likely the most popular and seem to be the strongest and each addressed by apologetics as well:
• The problem of evil: How can a good, all powerful God allow for evil to exist? There is no
easy answer to this. In a way it is not relevant as God does not need our agreement or
consent for the world He created. Good explanations can be found by understanding that:
Evil comes from man, not from God. It is generally the result of wrong choices by
o
man.
Evil is not created by God, but it can be considered the absence of good, like dark is
o
the absence of light.
Without evil our world would be meaningless and boring. Evil allows us to
o
understand what “good” is and allows us to choose between both.
• Science has replaced religion: Science explains much of what once was considered
supernatural and it seems often to conflict the teaching of the Bible. Yes, we have now more
knowledge than ever before, but the facts of modern science do not contradict the existence
of God or the inspiration of the Bible. Actually it reveals more about the unimaginable
design and amazing detail both of the universe and living organisms which all point to the
work of a Creator much superior and more powerful than previously assumed. We will see
many examples of this in the next chapters.
Life’s Big Questions
As far as I can tell, every human being at some point in life struggles with some variation of these
four basic questions:
1. Who am I?
2. Where did I come from?
3. Where am I going?
4. To whom am I accountable?
Throughout human history, people have tried to answer these questions. Science and philosophy are
silent on these questions. Only religion, along with its associated worldview, is able to show purpose
and provide meaningful answers.
Early, more primitive civilizations associated the supernatural with natural phenomena such as the
sun, moon and stars. World religions today center upon three views of God:
• Eastern religions (Hinduism, Buddhism) believe God is in everything around them – this is
Pantheism (“pan” means all) – and they seek the answer to these questions in each individual.
• Judaism, Christianity and Islam recognize the existence of one God – generally called
Monotheism.
• And Atheism believes the world and mankind are the result of combination of random
processes, chance and a lot of time, and therefore rejects the existence of a divine
power/Creator altogether.
This leads to the following (simplified) overview of the possible answers to “life’s big questions”:
Pantheism Monotheism Atheism
Who am I? Part of God God’s creation An “accident”
Where did I come You always existed You were created by God You are a product of
from? chance and time
Where am I going? Endless cycles of Heaven or hell Nowhere, you will cease to
reincarnation exist
To whom am I To oneself, as you are part God Nobody, you can do
accountable to? of God whatever you want.
The Various Worldviews
Clearly these answers vary widely dependent on one’s view of God. Therefore, it is only logical to
start our quest for truth with an in-depth analysis to decide if we can find conclusive evidence for
the existence of God.
1. The World Religions (1)
“I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.
You shall have no other gods before Me.”
Exodus 20:2-3

A Politically Incorrect Conclusion
Earlier chapters have presented compelling evidence to demonstrate that a Creator God exists, that
the Bible is historically reliable and trustworthy, and that Jesus is indeed God in human form.
Additionally, the previous section set forth evidence that the Bible also contains numerous evidences
that point to a divine source of inspiration and knowledge. Logically, this had led us to the
unavoidable conclusion that Biblical Christianity (Christianity based on the Word of God as revealed
in the Bible) is founded on fact and truth. Therefore, the Biblical Christian worldview, as far as it is
based on the teachings of the Bible, is true.
This leads to a disturbing conclusion: All religions of the world cannot be equally true. Truth does
not contradict itself. So, if our evidence for Christianity is based on truth, other worldviews must
rest upon error, whatever its source. Quite a bold, somewhat arrogant and definitively politically
incorrect conclusion. In order to test this statement we need to survey the several Christian variants
and the other major world religions: Hinduism, Buddhism, and Islam.
What Do People Believe?
Let’s start with some numbers: Of the estimated 2010/2011 world population of 6.9 billion people,
2.1 billion people call themselves Christian (Roman Catholic, Protestant, Anglican, Eastern
Orthodox and so on: in general “followers of and believers in Jesus Christ” (more about this later). That is
about 32% of the world population. For the US , according to a 2009 study, this percentage is near
80%. Needless to say, not all denominations are considered fully Christian by others and not all
Christians are equally committed to their faith.

An Overview of the World Religions
The worldwide number of Christians grows about 2.2% per year, almost equal or slightly less than
the estimated annual growth of the world population at 2.3%; so the percentage of Christians of the
world’s population has been slightly falling during the last few decades.
These numbers indicate Christianity is, by far, the largest religion worldwide. However this is
challenged by the growth of Islam, currently with 1.3 billion followers. Islam currently has a
following of around 20% of the world population, but is growing at a rate of an estimated 2.9% per
year in absolute numbers. Therefore, Islam as a percentage of world population grows about 0.7%
per year. If this trend continues, in the lifetime of most readers, Islam will outgrow Christianity as
the most “popular” religion. Since Islam is more than just a faith, including also a social and legal
system, its continued growth is having and will continue to have even more a major geo-political
effect worldwide.
Traditional Eastern religions such as Hinduism and Buddhism have followings of an estimated 950
million people and 375 million people respectively. Both religions are fairly stable in “market share.”
Looking at these numbers, do not forget Muslims, just like Christians and Jews, believe in the
existence of God. About 90% of the worldwide population believes in some kind of God. This
number is well above 95% in the USA . In history, more than 90% of people have believed in God.
What Do Americans Believe?
These are quite serious numbers. They indicate a strong conviction in the average human being that
“we are not here by accident.”
1. The World Religions (2)
Biblical Christianity
Within the 2.1 billion people “labeled” Christians, many different groups have disparate
interpretations of the Bible, some embracing other scriptures and revelations. The documentary and
historical evidences presented, established the reliability and truthfulness of the Bible as the source
of God’s revelation and Jesus’ teachings. I have found no evidence that supports claims of additional
gospels and writings, or any revelation or inspiration from God to other persons. Therefore, I am
compelled to accept the Bible alone as the source for my knowledge about God and His plan of
redemption through Jesus Christ. In that respect I call myself a Biblical Christian.
Biblical Christians are, in my definition, those who search seriously and carefully for the meaning of
the Bible on its own terms, not changing its meaning to fit the times or culture. They are like the
ancient Bereans described in Acts 17:11 “Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the
Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what
Paul said was true.” The Bereans searched the Scriptures to verify that what was taught was confirmed
by the Scriptures. They did not want to believe the gospel because it sounded nice and appealing
(like a “health and wealth” gospel or “feel good” message), but they wanted to accept only the truth.
It is likewise with Biblical Christians. They search for the truth, and accept it as God’s truth even if
they do not like it. Additionally, Biblical Christians approach the Bible with reverence and respect
and do not believe that other writings are inspired. Neither do Biblical Christians believe in
additional revelation outside the Bible through other sources or individuals. The Bible itself teaches:
“the faith … was once for all delivered“(Jude 3), there are no later or “latter day” revelations. In other
words, “the Bible alone is all we need for our spiritual authority. All the things we need to know, believe and practice
are clearly stated in the Scriptures, which are given by inspiration of God. Anyone with common sense can understand
what the Bible says in order to believe in Christ and be saved.”
This definition of Biblical Christianity is not limited to particular denominations, it is more like a
canopy that covers a myriad of churches, denominations and groups, all of whom have beliefs or
interpretations of Scripture which they emphasize. What draws these groups together are the
fundamental agreements best summarized as these beliefs:
• The Bible alone contains God’s Word. There is no revelation outside the Scripture.
• The atoning death of Christ. His death (and blood shed) was and is sufficient for all past,
present and future sins of mankind.
• Salvation cannot be earned through works, it is a gift from God to be accepted through
faith. This faith must be active and lead to an obedient response (Romans 10:17: “So faith
comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.”).
• Christ will one day return and all will be judged according to one’s deeds (Revelation 20:12:
“Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in
the books, according to what they had done”).
Nowadays Biblical Christians are mostly found under the umbrella of Protestants, Evangelical
Protestants, or Born Again Christians. But be on alert, not all (Evangelical) Protestants or Born Again
Christians meet the above definition of Biblical Christians!