Photo by Tima Miroshnichenko

Ted Even wrote Answers for the Honest Skeptic. It is a marvelous and insightful handbook for beginners and skeptics of the important goals of Christian Apologetics.

If you are a regular reader of the Bible, you will know that the call of Jesus Christ for Christians to start spreading the Good Word is quite apparent. Spreading the Good Word, as it were, is one of the simplest displays of one’s faith, but a very important one nonetheless.

And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.

Matthew 24:14

All Christians, when accepting Christ into their hearts, must have an unwavering commitment to his vision, his teachings, and his Great Commission, which he passed unto his disciples to bring the testimony of his Word across all the corners of the globe. This is not only to show one’s faith and trust in the promise of Heaven and eternal life but to serve as penitence for his sacrifice and gratitude for his offer of salvation.

An important part, then, of becoming a Christian is to learn of apologetics. If you are a member of a church that is found in more irreligious areas, you may have heard of what apologetics is and the negative connotations associated with it. You may have even tried to distance yourself from it.

This is a grave mistake.

If you deliberately stray away from the study of apologetics and avoid its teachings, you are dismissing a foundational tool of defending your faith and grounding your testimony when spreading the Good Word. 

What is apologetics?

It is important to first get a proper definition of what apologetics is. So, what is apologetics? Basically, it is the process of arguing for your cause, which in this case, is the Christian cause–the cause that Christ himself ordained for all Christians to commit to if ever possible to do so. Unlike the fiery words of an impassioned preacher, apologetics is a more systematic approach to engaging with discourse. This primarily means a set of methods that allow the apologetic to lead the conversation and elicit understanding and awareness from the interlocutor. 

[Answers for the Honest Skeptic by Ted Even has an insightful set of questions to use when interacting with so-called atheists or skeptics that seek to deconstruct their worldview bit by bit without having to adopt a very confrontational and aggressive stance.]

Doing apologetics.

While heated argument is expected in any debate, it doesn’t have to be when it comes to apologetics. Of course, in practical terms, this means you don’t have to be antagonistic, even if your interlocutor is with you. Disagreement can be quite common in conversations regarding Christianity, and that is a reality that all Christians have faced.

If you are to do apologetics, you have to be patient and kind. Always try to speak softly and without aggression in your words.

Why is spreading the Good Word important?

When talking about Christian apologetics, it is specifically the intellectual defense of the faith. Questions like: “Is the Bible worth trusting?” “Does God exist?” “If He does exist, then…” and more are all under the purview of apologetics. In spreading the Good Word, it is important to have a good foundation, and that foundation is explicitly Christian apologetics.

Apologetics helps Christians in the following:

• Understanding their Faith. When you are out in the world spreading the Good Word, it is important to instill a proper understanding of the faith in the people you are talking to. This requires an intimate understanding of your faith and the reasons for your beliefs. 
• Defending their Faith. The primary use of apologetics is to develop arguments and perspectives that can be used to better defend against accusations of insincerity, falsehoods, etc. Apologetics is also a great method of knowing how to answer questions from non-Christians.
• Popularize their Faith. While it is the priest’s job to interpret and teach the Word of God, it is the Christian’s duty to spread it. This means not only having a deep and personal understanding of things but an intuitive sense of communication. Apologetics helps develop this sense by helping preachers bridge the gap between ignorance of Christ and knowing him.