Table of Contents

9 Foreword I. Apologetics and Worldview 12 Chapter 1: What Is Christian Apologetics? 17 Chapter 2: What Good Is Christian Apologetics? 23 Chapter 3: What’s Your Worldview? II. The existence of 32 Chapter 4: How Do I Know God Exists? 37 Chapter 5: The Arguments for God’s Existence III. The Bible 46 Chapter 6: How Do I Know the Bible Is True? 56 Chapter 7: Seven Reasons to Trust the Scriptures 63 Chapter 8: Addressing Eight Common Objections 69 Chapter 9: Is the New Testament Canon Closed? 74 Chapter 10: Which Translation of the Bible Should I Use? IV. Christ 82 Chapter 11: Who Is the Real Jesus? 87 Chapter 12: Seven Keys to Unlocking the Real Jesus 100 Chapter 13: Did Jesus Ever Claim to Be God? 104 Chapter 14: What Have We Done with the Christmas Story? V. False religions, , and Christian 111 Chapter 15: What Do False Prophets Have in Common? ISLAM 118 Chapter 16: Islam: An Overview 126 Chapter 17: Comparing and Islam 131 Chapter 18: Do and Muslims Worship the Same God? 136 Chapter 19: The Real Tragedy of Jihad 141 Chapter 20: The Ultimate Role Model: Jesus or Muhammad? 146 Chapter 21: Seven Words That Reveal Islam’s Worldview 151 Chapter 22: Christianity Comes to Qatar MORMONISM 156 Chapter 23: Mormonism: An Overview 164 Chapter 24: Comparing Christianity and Mormonism 173 Chapter 25: Does the Bible Prove Preexistence? 178 Chapter 26: Is Mormonism Necessary? 183 Chapter 27: Joseph Smith and Polygamy: A Teachable Moment 188 Chapter 28: When the Bible Speaks to Mormons JEHOVAH’S WITNESSES 194 Chapter 29: Jehovah’s Witnesses: An Overview 200 Chapter 30: Comparing Christianity and the Jehovah’s Witnesses 208 Chapter 31: Did Jesus Die on a Torture Stake? 212 Chapter 32: Is the Holy Spirit Like Electricity? 217 Chapter 33: What Is the New World Translation? 222 Chapter 34: Sharing Your with Mormons and Jehovah’s Witnesses ROMAN CATHOLICISM 228 Chapter 35: Roman Catholicism: An Overview 238 Chapter 36: Was Saint Peter the First Pope? THE WORD OF FAITH MOVEMENT 244 Chapter 37: The Word of Faith Movement: An Overview 268 Chapter 38: Does God Have a Body? 273 Chapter 39: Was That a Miracle? SNAKE-HANDLING PENTECOSTALS 280 Chapter 40: There’s Death in That Box

VI. Other Apologetics Topics EVANGELISM AND THE EXCLUSIVITY OF CHRISTIANITY 288 Chapter 41: What About Those Who Haven’t Heard? 293 Chapter 42: When Words Lose Their Meaning 298 Chapter 43: When a Question Is Better Than an Answer 303 Chapter 44: Why Many Non-Westerners Reject the Gospel 308 Chapter 45: How Can 5 Billion People Be Wrong? THE UNSEEN REALM, THE AFTERLIFE, AND THE END OF THE WORLD 314 Chapter 46: Should You Believe in Ghosts? 319 Chapter 47: Ten Biblical Truths About the Afterlife 324 Chapter 48: Sheol and the Afterlife 329 Chapter 49: Hades and the Afterlife 334 Chapter 50: Gehenna and the Afterlife 339 Chapter 51: A Look into Tartarus 344 Chapter 52: Does the Bible Teach Purgatory? 350 Chapter 53: Is Heaven Our Final Home? 356 Chapter 54: What Christianity without Looks Like 361 Chapter 55: The Goodness of Hell 366 Chapter 56: How the World Will End TOUGH QUESTIONS ABOUT GOD 372 Chapter 57: A Different God in the Old and New Testaments? 376 Chapter 58: Is God Guilty of Genocide? 381 Chapter 59: Is God to Blame for Our Messed-up World? 385 Chapter 60: Why We Suffer SCIENCE AND RELIGION 392 Chapter 61: Are Science and Religion Closer Than We Think? 397 Chapter 62: Thank God for Earthquakes RELATIVISM AND UNBELIEF 404 Chapter 63: Are All Religions Equal? 409 Chapter 64: What Young Atheists Can Teach Us HOMOSEXUALITY 414 Chapter 65: What Every Christian Should Know About Same-sex Attraction 419 Chapter 66: Seven Biblical Truths About Sex and Marriage 425 Chapter 67: Six Key Passages – and Why They Matter 442 Chapter 68: But What About … STEWARDSHIP 456 Chapter 69: Will a Man Rob God?

462 Notes 481 Host An Apologetics Workshop at Your Church 485 Additional Resources