Christian Apologetics
A Summary of an Essay by CS Lewis
Apologetics is the study of defending fundamental Christian doctrines. Science changes based on contemporary thoughts, but Christian fundamental doctrines are timeless (Ephesian 4:14, Matthew 24:35, Mark 13:31, and Luke 21:33).
Politics examines what means are effective; and if preachers explain politics, they must state them as personal judgment, not from Christ (1 Corinthians 7:32-35).
Many trivialize things because they happened thousands of years ago. But remember that your lifetime is just a tiny sliver of a long, ever-expanding history and shouldn’t solely inform your perspective.
Many distrust ancient texts. But the science of textual criticism authenticates their accuracy.
Many don’t take responsibility of their mistakes, always blaming others and even God. Help them see they are ordinary people, capable of greed, envy, unfairness, and conceit.
Learn the language of our audience. Paraphrase Christian terms, such as “atonement” and “church,” with more accessible vernacular. If you can’t translate these ideas into simple words, you don’t really understand them.
The Bible teaches what God had done for humans, but it doesn’t cover everything, such as what God has accomplished for other parts of our universe. Earth is insignificant in the universe. Maybe God sought after earth because it had strayed, not because it is special (Matthew 18:12-14, and Luke 15:4-7).
It is difficult to argue the existence of God.
Some suggest Christ was a great moral teacher deified by His followers. But this is not probable because His followers were Jews who vehemently believed there was only one God.
The Gospels cannot be legends because many descriptions seem clumsy and were not properly explained. Also, the genre of realistic fictions didn’t exist before the 18th century.
Don’t water down Christianity and ignore the supernatural. Focus on Christianity being true, not being good or moral. If false, it is of no importance, but if true, is of infinite importance.
Salvation is through Christ, but we can’t conclude that Christ can’t save those who have not accepted Him in their lifetime.
We can’t say all other religions are false. But Christianity has perfected whatever is true in all other religions. In Christianity, a savage is taught to obey enlightened universal ethics, while the well-educated is taught to fast to a mystery and drink the blood of the Lord.
Christian apologists must fall back to Christ, not to their own arguments.
Summary of an essay by C. S. Lewis:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yMAjOHGvV2I
Politics examines what means are effective; and if preachers explain politics, they must state them as personal judgment, not from Christ (1 Corinthians 7:32-35).
Many trivialize things because they happened thousands of years ago. But remember that your lifetime is just a tiny sliver of a long, ever-expanding history and shouldn’t solely inform your perspective.
Many distrust ancient texts. But the science of textual criticism authenticates their accuracy.
Many don’t take responsibility of their mistakes, always blaming others and even God. Help them see they are ordinary people, capable of greed, envy, unfairness, and conceit.
Learn the language of our audience. Paraphrase Christian terms, such as “atonement” and “church,” with more accessible vernacular. If you can’t translate these ideas into simple words, you don’t really understand them.
The Bible teaches what God had done for humans, but it doesn’t cover everything, such as what God has accomplished for other parts of our universe. Earth is insignificant in the universe. Maybe God sought after earth because it had strayed, not because it is special (Matthew 18:12-14, and Luke 15:4-7).
It is difficult to argue the existence of God.
Some suggest Christ was a great moral teacher deified by His followers. But this is not probable because His followers were Jews who vehemently believed there was only one God.
The Gospels cannot be legends because many descriptions seem clumsy and were not properly explained. Also, the genre of realistic fictions didn’t exist before the 18th century.
Don’t water down Christianity and ignore the supernatural. Focus on Christianity being true, not being good or moral. If false, it is of no importance, but if true, is of infinite importance.
Salvation is through Christ, but we can’t conclude that Christ can’t save those who have not accepted Him in their lifetime.
We can’t say all other religions are false. But Christianity has perfected whatever is true in all other religions. In Christianity, a savage is taught to obey enlightened universal ethics, while the well-educated is taught to fast to a mystery and drink the blood of the Lord.
Christian apologists must fall back to Christ, not to their own arguments.
Summary of an essay by C. S. Lewis:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yMAjOHGvV2I