What is apologetics? Apologetics comes from the greek work apologia and literally means “apology.”  Now, this isn’t the kind of apology we’re used to hearing about.  Our modern eyes, ears, and minds immediately go to an utterance of saying sorry for something committed with ill intent.  But the ancient meaning of this word is to make a reasoned defense of something or someone.  This term was used in legal settings to describe the relationship between a lawyer and his client for whom the lawyer was defending, and it is the intended definition for Christian apologetics.  By using this word, we want to make a reasonable case for our faith.   

So why would we want to learn apologetics?  Or what is the purpose for it? Some will argue that if Scripture says we are to have faith, then where is the room for evidence/reasons?  Where is the room for apologetics?  2 Corinthians 5:7 says “for we walk by faith, not by sight.”  Isn’t this enough?  First of all, we need to learn a lesson about taking single verses out of the Bible and applying it to our own understandings. IT SHOULDN’T HAPPEN!  We cannot obtain the full meaning of a verse by reading it in isolation.  We have to look at the bigger picture/context and read the text as it was meant to be read.  Taking a verse like this out of context and forming out own interpretations around it leads to false presumptions.  One of those presumptions that is present today in light of this verse is that we “walk by faith” because there is no knowledge, evidence, or reasons to be known that give us assurance for what we believe.  In other words, evidence and faith are polar opposites of each other.  However, in the context of this passage, Paul is not talking about a “blind faith.”  He is writing to the Corinthians about our future, resurrected bodies.  We are here on this earth in our bodies, while the Lord is in the heavenly places (our home).  Therefore, we are not with the Lord since we are in our bodies.  Paul is not substituting “sight” for “reason.”  We cannot physically see God because we are currently in our physical bodies awaiting our spiritual home where we will be with Him.  Our faith is the confidence in the things we hope for (Hebrews 11:1), and in this context Paul is looking with confidence to our future, heavenly bodies.  We can also look to Paul’s earlier statements in his letter to understand the grander context:

 For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen.  For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.  2 Corinthians 4:17-18

In John 20:24-29 we observe the famous story of “Doubting Thomas,” who did not believe his fellow disciples’ witness to the physical resurrection of their Lord Jesus Christ.  Thomas tells his companions in v. 25: “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never leave.” (Emphasis mine)  We then read that Jesus shows up eight days later to his disciples, including Thomas, and utters these famous words in v. 29: “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”  Again, Paul was not replacing “sight” for “reason” in 2 Corinthians, and neither is Jesus in John 20! Thomas was asking for the “extreme evidence,” while he should’ve believed the eye-witness testimonies given by the other apostles and women.  Just as Thomas should have believed the evidences given to him by the apostles, so we should examine the evidences available to us!  We currently do not see Jesus Christ but are given the evidences of Scripture and other historical sources to believe that Jesus is who he said he was, rose from the dead, and is seated at the right hand of the Father in the heavenly places.  We should be observing these affirmations more so because it is the reason why the Apostle John wrote his gospel in the first place:

Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book, but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

There’s a story about Dwight (D.L.) Moody (the founder of Moody Church and Bible Institute) that mends well with the topics of faith and evidence.  Before D.L. got to a place of full surrender to the Lordship of Jesus Christ, he would often pray for faith to come to him.  However, faith never came to him, until one day he opened up Paul’s letter to the Romans and found v. 17 of Chapter 10: “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.”  From that moment on D.L. dedicated his life to the Scriptures and professed his faith ever since!  What this story tells us (and, more importantly, what Scripture tells us!) is that faith requires knowledge/information.  Otherwise, a faith without information is a “blind faith,” which is absolutely absurd! 

So, from the Biblical witness we are able to know a few things about Apologetics:

1.) It is commanded in the Bible (Colossians 4:5-6; 1 Peter 3:15; Luke 10:27).

2.) It is modeled in the Bible (Luke 1:1-4, 11:14-23, and Acts 17 are just a few of the many examples!!).

3.) IT WORKS.

4.) It helps the Christian face the toughest critic: Yourself!  Doubt is a human problem, so we must go back to the Scriptures, reasons, and the rationale as to why we believe what we believe to regain confidence!    

- Simon Viss

Additional Resources:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8P1sMlIP0_k

https://www.str.org/podcasts/what-does-walk-faith-not-sight-mean#.XXp11ihKjIU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7umMcyW1R2I

About the author:

Simon Viss has been Cornerstone’s High School Minister since 2016 and deals directly with High School Programming, Male Mentorship, and Campus Outreach. With over 7 years of experience in Youth Ministry, Simon is passionate about leading high school students in discipleship and an understanding of the gospel message revealed in Scripture.

He graduated from BIOLA University in 2015 with a BA in Christian Ministries and is currently attending Talbot School of Theology in pursuit of an MA in Theology.

Simon and his lovely wife, Monica, have been married since June 2017 and love to travel, drink coffee, and lead together in youth ministry.