This evening I sat and watched “Case for Christ” with my eldest son Elijah. As we viewed, I noticed my thirteen year old listening, and taking careful consideration to the information being shown in the movie. It is a fascinating thing seeing rational intelligence birth in the mind of my own son, who has been a testified Believer of Christ since he was around eight years old. It’s rather comforting to see his interest in things of an apologetic nature.
I thought of this, apologetic research and information, then I thought honestly of my sermon title for this upcoming Sunday… aptly titled; “Full Assurance”. Now exegetically the passage of Hebrews I’m discussing has more to do with assurance in what Christ has done than apologetics. However, apologetics is a reasoned collection of evidence, that leads one to a reasoned defense of scripture. The very nature of what Lee Strobel worked on for two years gave him the framework for the first edition of “The Case for Christ”, I’ve listened and read many different apologist, from Gary Habermas, and Jay Warner Wallace, and not to forget Greg Koukl…
Each of these men have reminded me that Intellectualism is not a field left to skepticism and agnosticism or atheism… nor is being a follower of Christ mean that I am some how a non-intellectual, rather I have come by my faith through reason and a collection of evidence that I believe the Holy Spirit has placed before me, given me the chance to respond to the Gospel Message, and receive Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior…
In a discussion that caused me to pause our movie tonight, my son and I ended up discussing the placement of the spike/nail in Jesus’ hand, he brought up some rather interesting theories, about why he thought the location of the nail was more likely to have been the wrist, I simply pointed out that this isn’t the argument that matters in light of the whole situation at hand… whether the wrist or the palm of the hand matters little, I simply refer back to the koine greek… The Gospel of John uses the greek word for hand, now one could enter into a logical debate upon the usage of the greek and what the distance of the hand is, from pre-wrist to tip of middle finger, but still the gospel account didn’t make it clear where the location of Jesus wounds were… why? Honestly its rather rudimentary really… it doesn’t really matter, not even in the case of the long debunked “swoon theory”
But what I found amazing is the completely intellectual discussion between myself and my thirteen year old son.
I believe that in our efforts to debate between the two philosophical views of Theism verses Atheism/Agnosticism we tend to get sidelined by not being prepared or being duped into the realm of non-sequitur arguments… What I mean by this, too often we get sucked in to trying to discuss to many topics with skeptics, rather we should isolate on one issue at a time, I believe Koukl discusses in “Tactics” this step of the Colombo method of which I believe every Christian should obtain a copy of this book, it has greatly helped me understand how to use apologetics in an evangelistic manner.
Maybe this is the point of this blog? Sorry it took me a second to see what the problem is at times… I think the hubris of apologetics can often be a individualistic effort to be correct… But at what cost, if I haven’t offered my opponent something to chew on, what I have I done? Have I not engaged in a senseless debate? (Not that I am suggesting that all debates are senseless). However, what is the nature of our apologetic efforts? To “win” or to, “create Disciples”?
If our venture is to win debates or arguments, then sadly we’ve missed the mark entirely, but rather our debates and arguments should be done with effort to introduce a new piece of fat to chew on theologically or philosophically speaking…
Dare I say that we as Christians should enter into debate discussions with non-believers (or other believers on theological issues) if Love, agape love, that non-emotional love that seeks the benefit of others, you know that love that Christ hung upon the cross so that you and I could have a relationship with Him, you know that love that made adoption into the family of God possible…
As I conclude this blog, I have some other blogs coming very soon, it’s taken me too long to write to you my brothers and sisters in the faith… God bless you all, and may we sharpen each other in love…