The Word of God is like a lion. You don’t have to defend a lion. All you have to do is let the lion loose, and the lion will defend itself.
Charles Spurgeon
About Me – On Apologetics
If you don’t know, this is a post that helps you the reader to become more acquainted with where I – the author of this site – stand on various topics and theological points. Keep reading to see where I stand on today’s topic.
In Christian Apologetics, there are often two particular angles on “defending the faith” that are taken and those would be presuppositional apologetics and classical apologetics – arguably there are others but I’ll keep it to these two. There are many today who would side quite staunchly with one or the other too. I am not one of those.
I have long since been more of a big-picture sort of thinker and over the course of my life you could have made an argument for my being more closely connected to one type of apologetics over another. Today, I would certainly side most with presuppositional as it more readily takes into account the root assumptions we have in our beliefs – something people of all backgrounds (even non-Christian ones) have. Even so, I’m not against using evidence-based arguments when they make sense to and I’m certainly not against using reason/logic argumentation – I just don’t depend solely on these things.
Despite what others may say for their own views they inevitably have root assumptions too such that if they argue they’re logic/evidence based, they’re more or less like me whether they recognize it or not. They just may tilt much more strongly toward logic/evidence-based arguments.
In the end and in line with my more “big-picture” way of thinking, I take on a larger view of apologetics that, admittedly, favors presuppositional apologetics but not to the point of excluding the methods of other apologetic practices including those found in the classical approach.
Note: I do these posts not because I think I’m somehow superior in my views or anything absurd like that but out of a desire to be up-front and honest with my readers as to where I stand. Otherwise, you’d be left to figure things out by reading between the lines and/or guessing.
Have further questions? Is my answer too vague?
Please comment on the post and I will make an effort to respond in a timely manner!
Greek Word: ημερα
Today – haymera
In the Greek: ημερα
Pronunciation (Erasmian): hay – mehr – ah
Definition/approximate English equivalent: the day, daytime.
Example of its use:
- Matt. 24:36 (Tischendorf): Περὶ δὲ τῆς ἡμέρας ἐκείνης καὶ ὥρας οὐδεὶς οἶδεν, οὐδὲ οἱ ἄγγελοι τῶν οὐρανῶν οὐδὲ ὁ υἱός, εἰ μὴ ὁ πατὴρ μόνος.
Notes: This word normally has what looks like an apostrophe called a rough breathing mark (which can be seen in the example above) over the η character facing to the right. This is important as this character normally has an “ay” sort of sound but with the breathing mark gives an h sound to the beginning. In fact, this is how the h sound is provided in Greek – through the rough breathing mark.
Quote #13
“The Christian communities had come increasingly to accept a dangerous degree of ‘moral specialization’: one life was left for the ‘perfect’, another for the average Christian. And it was just this widening gulf between an ascetic elite and a passive rank and file which brought the Christianization of the Roman world to a halt.”
Augustine, from Augustine of Hippo: A Biography
Interesting insight. Just emphasizes people’s tendencies then are much as they are now.
Quote #12
The following was quoted during a sermon from one of my own pastors titled “The Effects of Exposition“.
closing our ears to biblically faithful preaching is to cut ourselves off from the means of grace through which we are more conformed to the image of Christ . . . – this is how the Christian is sanctified. It is through the preached Word and it’s exposition.
Pastor Desmond Gilmore
He then goes on to quote James Renihan. In his book “Edification and Beauty” says . . .
In a primitivist religious environment, Scripture must be at the very center of the life of the participants. This is especially true with regard to preaching. It was the great means by which Christ himself ‘may be said to preach . . . when his ministers do it in His name, His stead, or by His authority’. Nehemiah Coxe considered the work of preaching to be the eminent ‘Work and Business of the Pastor’ because “he is to be the mouth of God to the people, to deliver his message from God, and speak to them in his Name’.
James Renihan
Greek Word: αγγελος
Today – angelos
In the Greek: αγγελος
Pronunciation (Erasmian): ahn – geh – los
Definition/approximate English equivalent: messenger, angel.
Example of its use:
- Matt. 11:10 (Tischendorf): οὗτός ἐστιν περὶ οὗ γέγραπται: ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ ἀποστέλλω τὸν ἄγγελόν μου πρὸ προσώπου σου, ὃς κατασκευάσει τὴν ὁδόν σου ἔμπροσθέν σου.
Notes: Common masculine noun. In the above, we see this masculine noun in the singular accusative form.
Quote #11
This is something I believe we all forget from the Scriptures at least from time to time.
For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it. For he who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not murder.” If you do not commit adultery but do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law.
James 2:10-11
Quote #10
The act of preaching was the high point of public worship. If Christ himself speaks through the mouth of the preacher, the worshiper must give due and careful attention. The church was not merely a religious organization gathered for the purpose of enacting cultic ritual. It was the dwelling place of the living God, and thus involved genuine confrontation between God and each participant.
Benjamin Keach
The reading of the Word is not a ho-hum point in any message nor is the exposition of it!
Greek Word: μαθητης
Today – mathaytays
In the Greek: μαθητης
Pronunciation (Erasmian): mah – thay – tays
Definition/approximate English equivalent: disciple, student, pupil.
Example of its use:
- Luke 12:1 (Tischendorf): Ἐν οἷς ἐπισυναχθεισῶν τῶν μυριάδων τοῦ ὄχλου, ὥστε καταπατεῖν ἀλλήλους, ἤρξατο λέγειν πρὸς τοὺς μαθητὰς αὐτοῦ πρῶτον: προσέχετε ἑαυτοῖς ἀπὸ τῆς ζύμης τῶν Φαρισαίων, ἥτις ἐστὶν ὑπόκρισις.
Notes: In this instance, this noun takes on a plural form.
Quote #9
The following comes from a story involving Alistair Begg and an inner city pastor.
The pastor related to Alistair how someone had come to him with the old cliche, “God said it, I believe it, and that settles it.” Alistair then asked, ‘How did you respond?’ The pastor said, ‘I told the man “God said it, and that settles it!” It doesn’t matter whether you believer it or not!’
emphasis added
God is the creator of all and does not need your approval to be true or anything.
Even so . . .
If you’re looking for reasons to believe, the evidence of the Scriptures, the eyewitness accounts, the commonality of the gospel message are reason enough to believe!
