I have taken an interest in apologetics but I often wonder about its effectiveness. Most people I know were converted by Christian kindness and care. I know of nobody that were persuaded by clever arguments. Most argumentative atheist are not open for convincing and conversion in the first place. They want you to convert to their view. What is your experience?
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Through apologetics You might be able to weaken the foundation an atheists beliefs are built on
1 Pet 3:15 says “…always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason”. It’s not our task to convert every non-Christian to a Christian, after all.
I think that it is important to have answers presented in the right way. How many times have you heard conversion stories like Nabeel Qureshi, I was asking questions, but no one answered them! Don’t expect conversions, people walked away from Jesus, but if you can answer well, in gentleness and respect, you have glorified God. Walk up to one of your Christian friends and ask them to explain the gospel or defend it…I have had conversations on Facebook where atheists are surprised when I had answers. It is fruitful but you may never see the fruit until this world is done…
Share the word of God as you can to everyone they will dis agree or agree.. No problem on that, do it Wl love ang grace and let God do the rest…
The glamorous side of apologetics are things like Dr Craig debating Dr Dawkins, or Ray Comfort and his documentaries where people come to Jesus through evidence and logic. These are great. But like most glamorous aspects they are a small minority of apologetics.
Apologetics come from the Greek word apologia, which means to defend. Debating people means you went looking for the fight. That is offense not defense.
The down and gritty apologetics is being there to answer the uncomfortable questions. You can’t debate a parent who lost a child and questions God (the best apologetics you can do is NOT talk and just be there for them). Our apologetics is talking with the young teen who is being pressured by friends and her boyfriend to engage in martial acts before she is ready. If Jesus isn’t real like her friends say, why wait?
Or apologetics is taking the verbal beating from non-believers in place of a new Christian. I mean someone comes to Christ and people from their old life are bulling them. An apologist can teach the reasons for faith. But most time it is better as an apologist grounded in faith to let other try to tear your faith down instead of the new Christian.
I would also add, anything (apologetics included) is secondary in ministry and effectiveness to God’s grace and mercy.
I entered into apologetics to be able defend the faith to Christian’s that have been deceived by false teachers.
Apologetics is useful for tilling the soil so that the seed (Gospel) can be planted.
Thank you for the answers. Looks like it may benefit Christian’s more than atheists. What about our day to day Christian walk as witness. Is apologetics witnessing?
I am amazed at the insight of great apologists, especially those who prove the Bible true. I’m grateful for apologists. I have some very pushy liberals in my church and apologetics helps me with orthodox Christian answers.
I have noticed that scripture alone dont help because atheists dont believe in God…but reasoning with them on philosophical terms and reasoning they start to question their own reasoning and beliefs. Science cannot explain nor give any comfort to life’s biggest questions to “why”
People are saved through Repentance. Their Journey may start through Prophecy, History, Charity, Creation, Archeology, Street Preaching…….the main thing is that it starts, which generally happens when people share something with someone else. Chick tracts are good as people find it very hard to resist a comic.
David Wood, a well known apologist, was converted by the evidence of the resurrection of Christ.
I found that apologetics helps to not only convert but also keep the existing followers of Christ from being decieved by a few persuasive arguments that lead many astray
I just won’t dialogue with them.
Remember that even the apostles were great apologetics who would end up in prison for the defense of the faith. Sometimes, you just have to witness to these people so they have no excuse. Even just one soul out of many is a great gain. Of course, towards fellow humanity comes first.
We convert because the goodness of the Lord leads man to repentance. It is about knowing God and what Jesus has done. Knowledge is great, but without experiencing the realization of God’s goodness, knowledge is shallow.
When I was 20 years old, an “Apostle”, Tony Santos, at an Apolostolic Church explained how my salvation was more important than trying to impress others and if
I felt weighed down by shame, guilt, that there was hope. He spoke about animal sacrifice, Pentcost, and death, resurrection. I surrendered my heart to Jesus that day!
Isiah 55:11
The word of God is powerful its not you doing the conversion its the word
I’ve seen several people persuaded by apologetics, personally. There’s also people who have written books about their conversion through apologetics. Anthony Flew, a once prominent English, Atheist philosopher wrote a book called There is a God and in his book, repeated that his conversion was one of reason and not of faith.
That being said, I think many, if not most people make a conversion of faith. However, some people really have intellectual roadblocks that they can’t easily get over. The way I like to look at it is that pologetics can help remove those road blocks for them so that their hearts might be more accepting of the holy spirit when pulls onto them.
Most people have emotional concerns that are disguised as intellectual concerns BUT many people have real questions that lead them astray because they were told not to ask such questions and it’s those people, I believe, that we can reach through apologetics. It can help prepare them to accept God’s spirit as he works on their heart. We can get their head out of the way. One less barrier for them to worry about.
I agree with umtmyou.in this. aFairh is Gods gift it says in emEphesians and comes througg hearin the word what normally is in the loving care of parents or other caring peope.
We must always remember, it’s not just our words, it’s His kindness that leads one to repentance. It’s the love we show to others. The bottom line is, only the Holy Spirit will do the work. Our prayers hold a lot of weight. As we are praying, and loving them and witnessing to them, they will see the Jesus in us and want what we have. ?
Ravi Zachariah said right: Apologetics are not meant to convert the skeptics but is a tool for removing any obstacle so they can look straight to the cross” something like that.
The starting point should always be to convict the unbeliever of their depraved condition. Most atheists believe they’re basically good people, and so there’s no need for a savior. They don’t have a measuring stick by which to judge their actions and intent. Ray Comfort always uses the Jewish law (the 10 Commandments) to convict the hearts and minds of atheists of their sin and their inability to redeem themselves through their own works. We are like filthy rags when compared to God’s holy standards Isaiah 64:6, Romans 3. Ultimately, we can plant the seeds through apologetics, but it is God who makes the seeds of their heart grow.
Apologetics is a ” reasoned defense ” of the hope in you.
It has a place.
We cannot argue people into heaven. Paul says I preach christ crucified only…..so no one can say it was Paul’s great wisdom is why I converted.
A reasoned defense is all that is needed.
I stopped going to church because of feeling good sermons. I visited my sister in Iowa and she took me to an Apologetic church. My comment, after reading my Bible myself for 10 years was ” wow they are teaching the Bible verse by verse. She got right on her computer and found me a church in California
1Pe 3:15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:
It makes me study my Holy Bible . I have to see it before i believe it
“Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another” Proverbs 27:17
I personally don’t think we do convert or convince others to our position by convicting apologetics. The purpose of it may just be sharpen our own conviction to the truth of the Gospel. Because “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them” John 6:44
Thats not right ! I came to faith through apologetics that helped me build a foundation. Many people i know are currently considering Christianity through apologetics, so dont throw it out in favour of only good behaviour
“Preach at all times. When necessary, use words.” – Francis of Assisi
Read “ColdCase Christianity” by J. Warner Wallace after reading Acts chapter 17.
Ya… I engage atheists once in awhile but not in the usual way. I’ve realized I can’t will them or any other to believe by argument. Conversion is an act of God via a faith made alive by His voice. Faith itself comes by hearing… and hearing itself by His Word. An intensely personal thing. I was converted in one little hour in the presence of my God alone. No other man was around to impose their doctrinal remedies for how I should be saved. Was near to death and alone and called out to a God I knew not. That was 30 years ago. I was heard and was restored. My testimony truly is “once I was dead but now I live”. It’s how and why I came to understand the Gospel of my Yeshua. Glory…
Apologetics definitely can help. Helping me alot.
I believe it is useful in discussion with intelligent open minded people. There are many atheists (and many Christians) who have their minds closed and we waste our time trying to dispute with them. But it is essential for the defense of the faith to give us credibility with academics and scholars.
Here’s the thing, we need to be ready to give an answer for our faith from the easy to the tough questions.
Apologetics covers it all.
1Peter 3:15: “But sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence.”
The other thing is that people who convert from “love, peace, and kindness” need to build on their faith and truly understand it or they end up not believing in the Living God, but actually their idea of Him. People tend to pick and chose what verses they want to stew on rather than understanding it in the entire context. They also don’t understand what they’re reading so they need apologetics to put it into perspective for them.
I’ve heard it said that “if someone is argued into Christianity, they can be argued out of it.”
However, I wholeheartedly believe that logical arguments (through apologetics) can open the proverbial door to Christianity. It may only be a beginning, but it may result in someone taking a leap of faith and accepting Christ.
As an atheist, and one that has been debating Christians well over a decade, I have never seen anybody change his mind based on my arguments, nor have they ever changed mind.
I however have seen Christians that upon a time were critically inept, become more competent and refine their positions, as well as to improve in the communicating of them. I as well have-I hope-have improved in the same manner.
Also, I have partaken on dialogues and debates with the faithful that were very enjoyable and thought provoking.
Those things in itself have and continue to make the engaging of the worth my while.
As I once said, calvinists are the one that I found to be the toughest bones to chew on. I use practically the same arguments on every kind of Christian, yet, I tend to find them not applicable to Calvinist, to the degree I am forced to create arguments specially designed for them.
Seek debate and disputation for its own sake. Have the courage to submit your opinions to the scrutiny of the opposition. Think for yourself, more joy and pleasure will come to you that way
My experience and opinion: I personally think it’s “easier” to talk to atheists rather than a “religious” person. Generally atheists are very arrogant though. They usually believe that because it doesn’t make sense to then it can’t be right. They try to use their human rationality to understand God. Check out “I don’t have enough faith to be an atheist”… There’s lots of good “arguments” .. as far as talking to a “religious” person.. it becomes a theology argument. My advice is an then to show you IN SCRIPTURE where it says the things they claim.
At the end of the day it’s the Holy Spirit that does the work not you!
God gets the glory!!
Public debates help each movement participate in the marketplace of ideas. Other believers are taught in a public debate to better defend their position. As far as evangelical results, i have seen about 30 Trinitarian Pastors renounce the Trinity after reading my articles, which are a little polemic. Some men i had to debate a little before they converted to Oneness. Results are there, the question is, ‘is one called to do it?’, thats the question.
No, apologetics saved my faith….you need to have an intellectual backbone, or you will be classed with all the other conspiracy theories and tall tales
Apologetics is simply the practice of defending your faith even if what you believe is wrong. Hence you will have Calvinist apologists, Arminian apologists, Lutheran apologists, Methodist apologists, Episcopal apologists, Presbyterian apologists, Baptist apologists, Reformed apologists, Church of Christ apologists, Foursquare apologists, Pentecostal apologists, Mennonite apologists, Amish apologists, Mormon apologists, Jehovah’s Witness apologists and on and on and on.
So, before you go too deep, be sure of your own position.
As a nonbeliever apologetics has not persuaded me in the least.
I was a strong atheist with a radio talk show in the late 1960s. We interviewed leading atheists of the day including Madalyn Murray O’Hair. Christians who called into the talk show did not know how to talk with strong atheists, so they often appeared ill-prepared or ignorant. It wasn’t until I interviewed a Christian apologist on my show that I began to question my beliefs as an atheist. I met two other apologists who answered my questions over a period of several months. I became a Christian after investigating the truth claims of Christianity. I know many other strong atheists who also investigated truth claims of Christianity and became Christians through apologetics.
Stating the truth In love is most powerful. We need to study to be approved of God, rightly dividing the word of truth.
2 Timothy 2:15
Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
1 Peter 3:15
but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect,