Apologetics – Winter 2021 Session #2- Student Notes.

I. Objections to Apologetics

1. Objections from The Bible I. The Bible Does Not Need to be Defended – Hebrews 4:12-Romans 10:14 ______

II. God Cannot be Known by Human Reason – 1 Cor. 1:21- Romans 10:14 ______

III. Natural Humanity Cannot Understand God’s Truth - ______

IV. Without Faith One Cannot Please God ______

V. Jesus Refused to Give Signs to Evil Men -Matt. 12:39;11:4-5; Mark 2:10-11 ______

VI. Do Not Answer A Fool to his Folly – Prov. 26:4-26:5 ______

VII. Apologetics is not Used in the Bible ______

2. Objections from Outside the Bible I. Logic Cannot Tell us Anything About God ______

II. Logic Cannot Prove the Existence of Anything ______

III. No One is Converted through Apologetics ______

1 II. Was Jesus an Apologist?

1. Jesus Used Logic - Matthew 22:41-45, - ______

2. Jesus Used Evidence – John 5:33-46 ______

3. Jesus – Much More than An Apologist ______

III. Approaches to Apologetics • ______

1. How Do We Approach the Truth About God and Christianity? ______

Transcendence Noetic effects Starting point for Historic examples How can of God of sin apologetics God be known?

Strong emphasis on both The unique Blaise Pascal; Faith Christian Søren Kierkegaard; experience of Emil Brunner grace

Less strongly emphasized Proofs from Thomas Aquinas; Reason nature and Joseph Butler; historic Dominic Tennant evidences

Less strongly Strongly Scripture (God’s Augustine of Hippo; Faith and emphasized emphasized revelation) John Calvin; reason Abraham Kuyper

2 2. Construction of Arguments – A Practical Approach ______

1. Classical method ______

2. Evidential method ______

3. Cumulative case method ______

4. Presuppositional method – Fideism (faith) ______

5. Reformed epistemology method ______

We can freely draw on different approaches depending on the situation in which we find ourselves

IV. Guidelines for Effective Apologetics • ______

1. Prepare with Prayer ______

2. Prepare with Scripture ______

3. Prepare Yourself ______

3 4. Know the Person and Their Background ______

5. Determine the Persons Perspective on Christianity ______

6. Be an Active Listener ______

7. Know the Art of the Open-Ended Question ______

8. Know the Art of the Challenge ______

9. Know How to Keep the Conversation Going ______

V. Video: ______VI. Question and Answer ______

VII. Homework What does the following statement mean you and how would you use it as an apologetic argument? “I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen: not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else.” ― C.S. Lewis 4