Over the weekend I had the opportunity to attend a conference where Pastor Voddie Baucham, Jr. was speaking. He made a very good point that I want to share. During the conference Dr. Baucham spoke to a gentlemen who had served in the Navy for 20 years. Dr. Baucham explained that he would expect this man to be able to not only describe the basics but also the complexities of Navy life. After all, he had been in the Navy for 20 years! Contrast this with Christianity. You can meet Christians who have been believers for 20, 30, or even 40 years but are often unable to answer the most basic of Bible questions and objections! As Baucham went on to say, "The church is the only place where that type of mediocrity is accepted." I concur.
In my 13 years as a Christian I have met scores of believers who have no interest in learning to defend their convictions. Why is that? I recall once listening to an interview with Norman Geisler where he was asked, "Why don't more people learn the discipline of apologetics?" Geisler calmly answered, "Laziness." And, as J. Warner Wallace contends in this post, most people don't learn to make a case for the their Christian faith because they lack "a desire to work hard and do whatever it takes to master the material."
People will defend what they care about. Sports fans provide us with a fitting example. If you say something negative about a hardcore fan's team or favorite player, they will give you a list of reasons why their team is the best or why their favorite player is to be admired. How much more so should we be equipped to defend the One who knew no sin "so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God?" (2 Cor. 5:21).
Apologetics is, without a doubt, challenging. However, believers must remember they are commanded to defend the faith (1 Peter 3:15). If you are interested in learning how to defend your faith, but you are not sure where to begin, I recommend our "Apologist's Quiver" and the following books and websites:
Books
1. On Guard by William Lane Craig
2. Cold-Case Christianity by J. Warner Wallace
3. Tactics by Greg Koukl
4. The Case for the Resurrection by Gary Habermas and Mike Licona
5. I Don't Have Enough Faith to be an Atheist by Norman Geisler and Frank Turek
You can checkout our Free Online Apologetics Library here.
Websites
1. Apologetics315
2. Reasonable Faith
3. Stand to Reason
4. Cold-Case Christianity
5. gotQuestions?org
You can find other apologetics websites here.
Let us not settle for mediocrity. I implore you to "contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints!"
Courage and Godspeed,
Chad
In my 13 years as a Christian I have met scores of believers who have no interest in learning to defend their convictions. Why is that? I recall once listening to an interview with Norman Geisler where he was asked, "Why don't more people learn the discipline of apologetics?" Geisler calmly answered, "Laziness." And, as J. Warner Wallace contends in this post, most people don't learn to make a case for the their Christian faith because they lack "a desire to work hard and do whatever it takes to master the material."
People will defend what they care about. Sports fans provide us with a fitting example. If you say something negative about a hardcore fan's team or favorite player, they will give you a list of reasons why their team is the best or why their favorite player is to be admired. How much more so should we be equipped to defend the One who knew no sin "so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God?" (2 Cor. 5:21).
Apologetics is, without a doubt, challenging. However, believers must remember they are commanded to defend the faith (1 Peter 3:15). If you are interested in learning how to defend your faith, but you are not sure where to begin, I recommend our "Apologist's Quiver" and the following books and websites:
Books
1. On Guard by William Lane Craig
2. Cold-Case Christianity by J. Warner Wallace
3. Tactics by Greg Koukl
4. The Case for the Resurrection by Gary Habermas and Mike Licona
5. I Don't Have Enough Faith to be an Atheist by Norman Geisler and Frank Turek
You can checkout our Free Online Apologetics Library here.
Websites
1. Apologetics315
2. Reasonable Faith
3. Stand to Reason
4. Cold-Case Christianity
5. gotQuestions?org
You can find other apologetics websites here.
Let us not settle for mediocrity. I implore you to "contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints!"
Courage and Godspeed,
Chad
Comments