Christian Apologetics
CHRISTIAN APOLOGETICS
Part I
The Existence of God
"Be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled (alarmed), but sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and (moreover) be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is within you with meekness and fear"(IPet.3:15).
This text is a natural starting point for our course since it contains the very word from which our course derives its name. It is the word "answer back" -- apologian, translated into the English "Apologetics" -- to "answer back" -- so a defence, not an excuse. Here a verbal defence in logical account of your inward hope but in the spirit of godly reverence and human meekness.
It is the mark of any false system of science or religion that it cannot bear the light of research or investigation. It can only survive in the congenial atmosphere of superstition and credulity. It abhors honest criticism and reasonable investigation. But the God of the Bible hasn't asked us for blind faith and superstitious acceptance of His Word. It is true that in the realm of answered prayer we must, "believe to see the goodness of the Lord" not "seeing is believing." But when the word "faith" is used of the sum. totals of "what is most assuredly believed among us" as in Jude, "Earnestly contend for the faith which was once and for all delivered unto us," then it refers to our doctrinal tenets. Here God gives us "the many infallible proofs"; solid evidences upon which reason may reflect and accept -- not blind faith. Here we have "an apblogy for the reason of hope that is within us." The Bible is not afraid of honest, friendly logical investigation; but contrariwise:: it invites it. God has based His whole system of religion and divine revelation upon the firmest of foundations that will stand the test of honest criticism under the rules of evidences. This our whole course shall endeavor to prove. The God who made the human reason, appeals to it, "Come let us reason together, saith the Lord." He outrage it. He wants our faith to rest upon the dictates of intelligence as well as submission of faith.
Christian apologetics, then, approaches the subjects of God, the Bible, the person of Jesus Christ and His work, from the standpoint of philosophy, appealing to reason. It answers primarily the "why" of what we believe. God has placed with the soul of every man an inquiring mind that won't be satisfied with half-answers, camouflage, blind credulity. This innate, God-given attribute of our intellect is seen in the child's irritating oft repeated, "why"? to every answer you give them. It is also seen in the scientists' research into all natural phenomena. We want to know the reason for things. As a child it made me tear down the family clock to "see what made it tick. I? This demand is no less seen in the reals of the spiritual. So as our text says, "To give a reason for the hope within you. Not only to believe but to know why you believe.
To remove all honest doubt. Note we say "honest doubt;" There is a dishonest doubt which refuses all light because it wants to. White well says, "The mind of the bigot is like the pupil of the eye, the more light thrown upon it, the smaller it gets." Most dishonest doubt arises from a perversion of the will. The Bible variously describes it. "Men love darkness rather than light because their deeds are evil" and "they will not come to the light lest their deeds be reproved." Paul calls it, "An evil heart of unbelief." So Peter calls it, "This they are willingly ignorant of.: It arises from a heart opposed to God. So Jesus said of them and evidences, "they would not believe though one arose from the dead." There is no proof, no demonstration, no evidence, to convince such dishonest doubt. The will can so set itself against the light that it hoodwinks the mind into believing a lie, at. the expense of reason itself. Jesus said, "If any man will do His will, He shall know of the doctrine whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself? (Jn. 7:17). But there is such a thing as an honest doubt, maybe implanted at school or by other means, honest inquiry, and the evidences will dispel such, or remove the cloak of sinful ignorance.
Intelligent faith makes for steadfast believers, with. a robust, solid foundation both upon which to build their own experiences and trust and to win others. God's order is, "facts, faith and feelings." Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God."
30 Classroom Audio of College Lectures
Sound varies do to a fixed microphone
Gap due to questions being ask.
Apologetics-1 Con't of # 1 Apologetics-2 Con't of # 2 Apologetics-3 Con't of # 3 Apologetics-4 Con't of # 4
Part II
The Divine Inspiration of the Bible
In studying evidences of the Divine Inspiration of the Holy Scriptures, we are not merely arraying facts to prove inspiration. We may be strengthening our faith in their Divine authority to speak to us in matters spiritual and moral, but we are not tiring to establish the Scriptures. They are established. The Bible has already proven its Divine origin. The very fact that the Bible is still here, exerting worldwide influence and convicts the heart is a proof of its source. Someone has said;, "You don't have to defend a lion, just turn it out of its cage and it will defend itself." So the Scriptures; give them freedom of circulation and preach them and they will defend themselves.
This study is for the purpose of collecting evidences of the Divine Inspiration of the Scriptures that we might see what a "sure foundation is laid for our faith. in His most excellent Word." It is very much like the surveyor taking the dimensions of the solid rock upon which he is to build his house. In this study we are but sounding the foundation and measuring the rock. The Bible being established in History and Literature, it remains for the scoffer and denier to prove that the Bible is uninspired, rather than for us to prove that it is inspired. To do this, he must prove that inspiration is absurd; impossible and that the Bible's claims to inspiration are false. He must show that there never has been any such Divine revelation given, nor is it possible. That is a job no man is capable of performing. We have noted in every argument that the argument revolves around man's inability to grasp higher things than that; but they never concede the possibility of God revealing Himself. The measuring rod they use is human, and they try to measure God by human standards. It isn't a question of how high man can reach, but is God able to make Himself known. The question is, "HOW great is your God?" Granted an intelligent moral living God Who is interested in all that He has made and you must believe in a revelation. It is inconceivable that an intelligent God Who is ruler over all this vast universe, would not make known His laws and will to the moral intelligent creatures fashioned by Himself.
Outside of the plain weapons of ridicule and denial, coming from profane, blasphemous hearts, molded from pure hatred of the holy and sacred, there are three stock arguments used by skeptics and infidels through the years. They have been exploded and shot so full of holes until a very little consideration of them would show them to be untenable; yet if you speak to an infidel or skeptic, he trots out the same old argument like a parrot and rolls his eyes wisely and like a rote gives the same "wise answer" of a few hundred years ago and call it "modern thought;' which makes the belief in the inspiration of the Bible impossible. Scholarly research has shown the Bible as false. "Modern Science is against the Bible." But tell him to name them and he gets vague and finally lamely gives the same dog eared dusty age old-argument.
Part III
The Deity of Jesus Christ
The great battles of all the ages between belief and un belief, between the true followers of Jesus and the skeptics and mere religionists has been roun4 the person of Christ. The question Jesus asked the religious leaders of His day and one they couldn't answer without accepting Him still is the center of controversy. `What think ye of Christ?" "Whose Son is He?" "David's Son." Just a natural man, just an ordinary man. Christ then confounded them with the proposition which forms our first consideration in this topic of Evidence. "If He is David's Son, how then did David in spirit call Him Lord?" (Quoting from Psalm 110:1) and we read, "And no man was able to answer Him a word." (Matthew 22:42-46). The battle then revolves around the question, "What think ye of Christ? Whose Son is He?" This man who walked the byways of Palestine almost 2000 years ago who changed the course of history, changed the calendars of the world and made man to record the ages before His birth to creation and from His birth to the present day by His birthday, this matter has stirred the religious thinkers of 2000 years and billions of people. Was He just another religious thinker and founder of a new religion like the many who proceeded Him, OR WAS HE
OTHER THAN OTHER. RELIGIOUS FOUNDERS? AND GOD MANIFEST IN HUMAN FORM?