Apologetics

Apologetics

1 Peter 3:15
Sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts. Always be ready to give a defense [apologia] to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that you have, yet with gentleness and respect.

DEFENSIVE ARGUMENTS

(Answer Objections)

2 Cor. 10:5
We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.

• Moral Objections
• Scientific Objections
• Historical Objections
• Attacks on the Bible
• Cultural Objections
• Theological Objections
  

OFFENSIVE ARGUMENTS

(Provide Evidence)

Acts 1:3
After His [Jesus] suffering, He showed Himself to these men and gave many convincing proofs that He was alive.

Many people today believe that truth is relative.
But the nature of truth is absolute.

Relativism

1. Opposites can't both be true.

Christian: “Jesus is the Son of God.”
Muslim: “Jesus is not the Son of God.”

2. Self Defeating

Relativists believe that relativism is true for everyone everywhere.

Absolute Moral Values

1. Every law has a lawgiver.

2. There is an absolute moral law.

Good questions to draw out the moral law within:

• What person does not expect to be treated as a person?
• Who ever actually believed that murder, rape, or cruelty to children was morally right (or indifferent)?
• Who ever actually believed that it was right to take what belonged to anyone at any time?
• Do you really believe there is nothing wrong anywhere? 

3. Therefore, there is an absolute Moral Lawgiver.

Fortelling Prophesies

According to J. Barton Payne, of the 31,124 verses in the Bible, 8,352 (27%) involve predictive prophecy.

SHORT RANGE

(same generation)
Isaiah 37:6-7; Jer. 28:15-7; Ezek. 24:1-2; Zech. 4:9

Prophecies:

• Sennacherib (Assyria’s king) will hear a rumor.
• He will die by the sword.
• He will die in his own land.
• He will not attack Jerusalem.
• God will fight for Jerusalem.

Fulfillment:

• Sennacherib hears a rumor that King Trihaka of Ethiopia is coming to fight Assyria.
• The evening before the siege on Jerusalem many thousands of
• Assyrian soldiers die suddenly (not from human warfare.)
• Assyria retreats home.
• Sennacherib is killed in Nineveh by two of his sons.
  
  

MEDIUM RANGE

(next generations)
Isaiah 44:28, 45:1, 39:6-8, 43:3; 1 Kings 13:1-10

Isaiah 44:28
44:28 It is I [God] who says of Cyrus, “He is my shepherd: And he will perform all My desire.” And he declares of Jerusalem, “She will be built,” and of the temple, “Your foundation will be laid.”

LONG RANGE

(many generations)
Isaiah 53; Psalm 22; Dan. 9:25-6; Zech. 12:10; Micah 5:2

The Resurrection of Jesus (FEAT)

FATALITY

• Nature of his wounds (whipping, crucifixion, spear)
• Witnessed by friend and foe
• Romans, who were professional executioners, pronounced him dead.
• Numerous historical sources
  
  

EMPTY TOMB

• The Tomb Location:
  • It was known (Joseph of Arimathea)
  • The Jerusalem Factor
• The Women
• The Jewish Response
  
  

APPEARANCES

• Multiple people
• Multiple appearances
• Multiple days
• Substantial extent
• Doubters (disciples)
• Skeptics (James)
• Enemies (Paul)
• Multiple sources
• Early sources
• Eyewitness sources

Jesus was:

• Seen by 12
• Heard by 12
• Touched by 4
• Ate food with many

TRANSFORMATION

• From cowards, doubters, skeptics, and enemies to bold proclaimers of Jesus
• Why lie to convince the world you were a coward?
• Everything to lose and nothing earthly to gain
• Disciples were willing to die
• No one recanted
• Disciples knew the truth for sure