Hey everyone.  My name's Brian.  I'm from the OC Region of the LA Church of Christ.  I wanted to post something here to see if anyone has been studying out Christian Evidences or Apologetics.  In my local region I a quite literally the ONLY ONE!  I've been studying out Apologetics because I hope to someday share my faith with someone who is skeptical about God and the Bible.  Anyone out there?  Speak up!!

-Brian

Sorry, not a very familiar word for me. What is apologetics?

Apologetics comes from the greek work "apologia" which means "to defend".  It is the word Peter used in 1 Peter 3:15 "but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence" (NASB).

I study Apologetics in my quiet times a lot because I want to be prepared to share my faith with people who are skeptical about the bible or about God or if they are from other religions.  I myself wasn't convinced that I needed to be baptized until I was shown that "praying Jesus into your heart" doesnt work.

Brian, what's up man. You may remember me. 

Sorry to hear the OC region isn't big on apologetics. There are lots of good books out there on Christian Evidences and apologetics. John Oakes, Douglas Jacoby, Paul Little all have lots of good books you can check out. I know the first two also have very helpful websites: www.evidenceforchristianity.org and douglasjacoby.com.

I got my degree in Biblical Studies from Pepperdine and I'm starting seminary in the fall so if you have any specific questions let me know man. The best thing you can do is constantly read.

bryan

Hey Bryan,

Yea I remember you!  You tend to remember people you study the Bible with!! I downloaded your sermon "Remain in me".  Thats the kinda stuff I'm into!  I think Hermeneutics works great with Apologetics.  I'm glad to to see jumped on the DTSpace bandwagon. 

Actually my struggle is that I don't feel like I have anyone I can discuss issues with.  The Church in the OC is great and I have no regrets being here.  Its just that proving the existence of God and defending Christianity is not important to the church as a whole. 

I'm very familiar with John Oakes (I plan on earning that "Certificate in Apologetics" that he spoke about on www.evidenceforchristianity.org) and Douglas Jacoby (I email him about twice a week and I have several of his books, DVDs, and CDs.).  I appreciate your offer to answer questions for me, but what I'm actually looking for is a friend who shares the same interest with who I can prepare these apologetic arguments.

I've always wanted to go to Pepperdine!  I think its awesome that that University stems from the Restoration Movement!  I hope to go to school there someday.

Hey Brian,

Yea, I just recently got interested in learning and wanting to study out Apologetics or Christian Evidences. I feel the same way you do about being able to share my faith with someone who is skeptical about God and the Bible. I think it helps me because not only keeps me excited and rooted in God's Word, it also helps me have deeper convictions on what God says. Our singles ministry are in fact doing apologetics for our Bible Talk series. Pretty cool stuff!

Hey Brian! My Name is Michael Bean. I'm in Austin, Texas. I'm very much into Apologetics and Christian Evidences. It's important to be prepared to answer (1 Peter 3:15-16) -

"But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, 16keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander."

We must learn to defend the faith. Hope we can get a chance to talk in the future.

Hi My Name is Michael Bean (Mr. Bean). I'm part of the Austin Church in Texas. I love Christian Evidence and all that Indiana Jones Jazz! It totally excites me. So this is the definition of Apologetics:

Apologetics is from the Greek [apologia], which means to make a plea for, or make a defense of whatever is in view. In theological terms that defense is "Reasons To Believe".

-1st Peter 3:15-16; HCSB

"But set apart the Messiah as Lord in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you. However, do this with gentleness and respect, keeping your conscience clear, so that when you are accused, those who denounce your Christian life will be put to shame."

Apologetics is the science of the defense of the doctrines of God, His divine nature, and cause. This reasoned advocacy takes on both positive arguments for the truth of Christianity, and also uses rebuttals of criticisms of it. Theologians usually break Apologetics into two groups called Evidential Apologetics, and Evangelical or presuppositional Apologetics.

I hope my geeky definition helps :-)

Thanx, bro!

Have you read Lee Strobel's series of books: "Case for Christ", "Case for faith"... Is this apologetics?

Yes I have. Lee Strobel is one of my favorites. I like the fact that he is a Journalist. He has an investigative quality about him that helps us to ask the right questions. I like Phillip Yancey for that same reason. I just finished 'A Case For The Creator' (Lee Strobel) a few months back. Josh McDowell is pretty good too. I'm trying to raise the money right now to take the courses from Athens Institute of Ministry. I'm also looking into taking classes at Austin Graduate School Of Theology (A Traditional Church Of Christ Theological University located in Austin, TX where I am located.) Thanks for the encouragement. :-)

You must be be very bright "cause when I read Stobel I didn't understand quite a number of things he was saying not to say remeber them to later tell somebody else)

Hi Iuchik! Hi Brian!

Ravi Zacharias also teach and write apologetics, right? I have some his audio and books collection.

What do you think about him Brian?

 Oh yeah...Thank you, Lord. I think I've found another good forum. I'm not that well versed in Apologetics, but I'd like to learn and get in on this if I may. Thanks to all of you. I'm here in the Greater Nashville Church, by the way. 

 I see that you all have some interesting books you mention, and I will be checking those out.

 I'd like to play Devil's Advocate here (right!) and start an Apologetic Debate. Hypothetically speaking, let's say the following scenario ocurred:

 You meet a man, named 'Charlie', and strike up a conversation with him about God. How would you defend the Gospel ''Apologetically' against his positions such as-

1. There's no God. Where is He? I don't believe in anything I can't see...
2. Jesus was just a magician. If David Copperfield went back to that time, he'd be a "Jesus"...
3. The story of Jesus is just puffed up by people that knew there could be a buck made from naive people like you...

 I think that's a good start. Mind you, this is all hypothetical. As for myself, I totally believe and KNOW that Jesus is the ONLY way to God...died and raised from the dead to pay for MY transgressions.

 I hope this will be a great discussion.

God Bless,

Eric Edwards

Thanks for starting the debate.  Lets get started!!

There's no God. Where is He? I don't believe in anything I can't see...

Then I suppose you don’t believe that sub-atomic particles exist. Can you see love? Justice? Truth? Logic? Just because you can’t see something doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist.

This is merely a slightly different wording of the “verification principle” which says that “any statement in order to be meaningful must be able to be verified by the 5 senses”. I simply ask “how can you possibly verify that statement by the 5 senses?”

This statement is self-contradictory

Also, we define God as omnipresent. If God was omnipresent thereby filling the whole universe, AND material, then there would be no room for us.

Jesus was just a magician. If David Copperfield went back to that time, he'd be a "Jesus"...

Do you have any proof to support this claim? If you make a positive statement you must be able to provide proof.

The story of Jesus is just puffed up by people that knew there could be a buck made from naive people like you...

The people who would have been the ones to “puff up” this story willingly went to their deaths for it. No one willingly goes to their death for something they know is a lie

1. God is the best explanation of why anything exists

A. Everything that exists must have an explanation of its existence

B. There are only 2 explanations of existence

1. The object was caused

A. Babies

B. Cars

C. Mountains

D. Video Games

2. The object exists necessarily

A. Numbers

B. Laws of Logic

C. Truth

D. God

C. Because the universe includes space and time itself, its cause must be beyond space and time

D. Therefore its cause must be immaterial and outside time

E. Only 2 things fit this description

1. Abstract objects (numbers, for example)

2. An intelligent mind (which is what everyone means when they say “God”)

2. God's existence is implied by the origin of the universe

A. Anything that exists necessarily must exist eternally. This is because if the object began to exist, then its non-existence is possible, and therefore it doesn't exist necessarily

B. It has been proven that the universe began to exist

C. Therefore the universe does not exist necessarily

1. Recent discovery is astrophysics have shown that the universe began to exist in a large explosion called the "Big Bang"

2. Even according to atheist scientists like Steven Hawking and Richard Dawkins, physical space and time did not exist prior to the big bang.

3. There for the universe began to exist and its cause exists outside space and time

3. The fine tuning of the universe points to a designer

A. When the laws of physics are laid out as mathematical equations, you'll find certain constants that are essential to the equation that are simply given at the big bang.

B. If these constants were altered at all by even a hair's breath, the universe would not be life permitting

C. There is no naturalistic explanation of why these constants contain the values they do.

D. It is plausible to assume that the constants have these values as a result of design

4. Objective moral values are plausibly grounded in God

A. According to our experience, it is rather obvious that the Holocaust was a bad thing

B. It was bad, regardless of the fact that the Nazis that carried it out thought that is was good.

C. It still would have been bad if the Nazis had won WWII and succeeded in brain washing or killing anyone who disagreed with them.

D. This is because the Holocaust is objectively bad.

E. Ask yourself the question, what makes something bad?

1. To say that the Holocaust was bad because it caused innocent people to suffer is a circular argument

2. Why is it bad for innocent people to suffer? The Nazis didn't think this was bad.

3. The answer is because there is a moral standard of right and wrong. This moral standard is God. Anything that is good is reflective of the ultimate good, which is God.

5. The historical facts about Jesus

A. There are 3 historic facts about Jesus that are agreed upon by all historians (including athiests)

1. After Jesus was crucified and buried his tomb was found empty 3 days later

2. After Jesus' death several groups of people (including skeptics, unbelievers, and enemies) saw Jesus alive

3. Despite the fact that Jewish expecations of the Messiah did not include a shameful death and ressurection, the Disciples still believed that Jesus rose from the dead so strongly that they were willing to die for that fact.

B. There are no explanations of these fact that have not already been rejected by contemporary scholorship

C. The best explanation is that Jesus really was who he claimed to be.

Feel free to critic my arguments and provide some counter arguments that support atheism. Lets keep this debate going!

Whoo Hoo! I love Apologetics. I am also pursuing the Apologetics Certificate. See you at Class on the 19th!

Barry Mannilow, the second death is for all liars. Stop pretending to be part of this ministry. You are wasting everyone's time. I'm reporting you.