What Is A Christian Apologist?

What is a Christian apologist? What is apologetics? Why is it important for the Christian to know?

No Apologies

Apologetics is not giving an apology for what you believe and why you believe it and in the believer’s case, their belief in God and specifically, Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Apologetics is not the need to apologize for believing in God and the Bible but aapologetics is from the Greek word “apologia” which means “to give a reason or defense.” Peter wisely wrote that “even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect” (1st Pet 3:15). We should be ready to give a reason for the hope we have in Christ but we should always do this “with gentleness and respect” even if we don’t receive that same respect back because we know that it is “better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God’s will, than for doing evil” (1st Pet 3:17). Jesus never once forced Himself on anyone.  Nobody has ever been argued into the kingdom but many have been driven away it seems by someone trying to force their beliefs on others. I would rather lose a debate and win a soul for Christ than to win a debate and drive that person further from the kingdom. Remember that Peter said be ready to give an answer for the hope that is within you, not shove reasons down their throat and against their will.  This presumes they ask about your faith.

Paul the Apologist

Paul went straight into the heart of where the Greek philosophers lived and reasoned with them using some of their own poets (Acts 17:28). When Paul’s “spirit was provoked within him as he saw that the city was full of idols. So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the devout persons, and in the marketplace every day with those who happened to be there” (Acts 17:16-17) “And they took him and brought him to the Areopagus, saying, “May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting? For you bring some strange things to our ears. We wish to know therefore what these things mean” (Acts 17:19-20). There were other times where he stood before Roman authorities and the rulers in Judea and gave a defense or reason for having faith in Jesus Christ and that He is our only hope.

Defense of the Faith

Those who study apologetics know that we should prepare ahead of time when someone asks you about your beliefs so that you may “contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints” (Jude 1:3) “and have mercy on some, who are doubting” (Jude 1:22).  This doesn’t mean we must be contentious.  Paul may have been writing about this when he wrote to the church at Philippi for them to be “partakers with me of grace, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel” (Phil 1:7b) “knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel” (Phil 1:16). Paul may have been the greatest apologist of all time with both the Jews and the Gentiles (or Greeks) as he “reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining and proving that it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead, and saying, “This Jesus, whom I proclaim to you, is the Christ.” And some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a great many of the devout Greeks and not a few of the leading women” (Acts 17:2b-4).

On Trial for Beliefs

When Paul was brought before King Agrippa it says in Acts 25:16 that “I answered them that it was not the custom of the Romans to give up anyone before the accused met the accusers face to face and had opportunity to make his defense concerning the charge laid against him.” Paul wrote to the Corinthians in 2nd Corinthians 2:5 that “We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God.” Paul argued that unbelievers have no excuse, “For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse” (Rom 1:19-20) which is similar to what David wrote in Psalm 19:1-2; “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork” and “day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge” but with all this, they still “suppress the truth” (Rom 1:18c). The Apostle Peter admonished believers that we must “always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect” (1 Pet 3:15).

Conclusion

A Christian apologist is any believer who gives “a reason or defense” of what they believe in. If we remember that only those whom the Father draws can come to Christ (John 6:44) then we won’t worry about trying to defend what we believe because salvation is fully a work of God. No one can understand the things of God except by His Spirit as Paul wrote “who knows a person’s thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God” (1st Cor 2:11). We are not responsible for saving anyone; it is their response to His ability.

Article by Jack Wellman

Jack Wellman is Pastor of the Mulvane Brethren church in Mulvane Kansas. Jack is also the Senior Writer at What Christians Want To Know whose mission is to equip, encourage, and energize Christians and to address questions about the believer’s daily walk with God and the Bible. You can follow Jack on Google Plus or check out his book Teaching Children the Gospel available on Amazon.