The Tucker Carlson interview with Putin made me think about how the average churchgoer listens to a message. Knowing little about Russian history, I was taken in by Putin’s retelling of it. He sounded reasonable and convincing, but at times there was something off. I let it go for a while and later thought it would be a good idea to get another opinion from a reliable source.

Some Christians today have a tendency to listen to sermons, podcasts, and YouTube/TikTok videos and accept what has been said without looking into it or asking questions. Some claim to be Christians but when asked why, they find it difficult to give an answer. When pressed on important issues, some Christians become silent and end up feeling discouraged.

All of these I have done and experienced. Although I have only been learning apologetics for three years, it has been so beneficial in my walk with Christ. I hope it can be the same for you. Before we discuss the benefits of apologetics, let’s find out more about it.

What Is Apologetics?

Apologetics has nothing to do with apologizing. The word apologetics comes from the Greek word “apologia” meaning to give a defence, like a court trial. (1 Peter 3:15).

Christian apologetics gives a case for Christianity. Doing apologetics can range from sharing passages of Scripture with someone (which we have all done at some point) to making a case for Christ through science, history, culture, morality and your own personal testimony.

The main approaches to apologetics are philosophical, evidential and presuppositional and the main issues discussed include:

• Problem of Evil
• Objections to the Bible
• The Existence of God
• Science and Faith: e.g. Cosmological argument (a non-created being, God, created everything)
• Society and Culture

Benefits of Learning Apologetics

Strengthens And Reassures Your Faith

Since I started learning apologetics, I have found myself more relaxed when having conversations about faith with Christians and non-Christians. This is because it will help you find real answers to an array of issues, such as the beginning of the universe, why the world is the way it is, ethics and culture. It also provides answers to criticisms, objections and tough questions about the Christian faith and the Bible itself.

In addition, apologetics provides an abundance of evidence to confirm that Christianity is true and removes many intellectual doubts. Some apologetics books, like Tactics and Street Smarts, present Christians with conversational strategies to help them engage with people who disagree with them. I have personally benefited from using Tactics and couldn’t recommend this book enough.

Spotting Inconsistencies and Bad Logic

One thing I have found that apologetics has greatly helped me in spotting bad ideas. In the past, when I would talk to someone about beliefs, I found myself agreeing with them more than I should have. I found many of their points compelling and never considered there being any inconsistencies.

Apologetics often discusses logical fallacies and how to spot them in a conversation. There are quite a number of them and identifying them in real-time can be hard to do. One podcast that I have found useful is Filter It Through A Brain Cell, which goes through each fallacy with examples from different angles (simple everyday things to political).

Makes A Way For Christianity To Make Sense

Apologetics is a pre-evangelistic tool. It seeks to make the way for someone to share the Gospel with them by dealing with important philosophical questions: Why am I here? Why is life the way it is? How do I know truth? What is my purpose?

Depending on the apologetics book you read, you may find the author using very few Christian terminologies or references to the Bible to make their point. Legislating Morality is one that does not use Bible verses or Christian vocabulary, yet makes the case for God. Most apologetics books are not like this, however, if you have a friend who is not very keen on the Bible, this is a good choice. For my review of this book, click here.

Most apologetics books focus on using logic and reason and looking outside the Bible to make their point. Scientific evidence is by far the source apologists rely on, along with historical facts. This approach helps the person you’re speaking to see that Christianity is something to take very seriously and is intellectual.

Anyone Can Learn It

Some Christians are put off by apologetics because it seems too ‘intellectual’, too daunting and too aggressive. I’m here to say that this is not true.

You don’t need a PhD to do apologetics. If you claim to be a Christian, you’re already an apologist! We’re all called to share the Good News and to speak the truth. You are so needed in this. Only you can communicate the Gospel to the people in your circle of influence and people like them.

There are many areas to cover, but you don’t have to be a master in all of them. It’s a good idea to get an idea of the foundational arguments, such as the cosmological argument, the fine-tuning argument and the moral argument (my favourite!), and then pick a topic you’re most interested in.

Many apologists do like to debate ideas with other Christians and non-Christians. I’ll admit, sometimes, the things discussed really go over my head, but most of the time I can get the idea. Nowadays, apologists tend to take a more conversational approach and often remind us that we’re not trying to win a debate, we’re trying to win souls.

Although apologetics has a number of benefits, there are some things you need to keep in mind as you embark on your journey.

Precautions

• Motivation to learn apologetics: It should NEVER be about winning an argument, belittling someone, or trying to score points. It should be used to convince people to think more about their beliefs and to examine the evidence.
• Approach and manner: Some people who get into apologetics can become harsh, critical, rude and resort to personal attacks. They also can become very ‘matter of fact’ and don’t consider the other person’s feelings. Don’t do that. It will make it much harder for other Christians to share the Gospel with them if you do.
• Your emotional state: I never thought of this until recently, but it is true. If your goal is fulfill a void in your life or try to mask any insecurities through apologetics, then it’s best not to pursue it until you’re in a much healthier frame of mind. Hurt people end up hurting others would.

For those of you who have studied/been studying apologetics, what advice would you give to someone who has just started? For those who haven’t, what are some of your reservations of apologetics, if any? Let me know in the comments!

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