Apologetics

---

APOLOGETICS, IN DEFENSE OF GOD AND CHRISTIANITY


Frederick T. Blue
APOL 500
December 14, 2014






Introduction……………………………………………………………………………………3

Existence of God……………………………………………………………………………….4

A. God’s Existence can be identified through a cosmological and ontological blueprint

1. Origin of the Universe
2. Natural order and complexity of creation point to a Designer

B. The Nature of God and His attributes are reflected in creation

1. Relational nature
2. Moral Order

The Gospels Authenticity……………………………………………………………………..7

1. Well sourced biblical record
2. Comparability with other works of Antiquity

Divinity of Jesus Christ……………………………………………………………………….10

Jesus God Claim
The Evidence for the Resurrection

Conclusion……………………………………………………………………………………..14

Bibliography…………………………………………………………………………………..15




INTRODUCTION

In this paper, we will defend the Christian Worldview from a theistic and apologetic position, encompassing various methods employed within the apologetic community, the foundation for apologetics and the importance of both faith and reason. The primary area will focus on the case for Christianity and the position that it represents an absolute truth and culmination of God’s revelation and redemption of creation. By the end of this paper, I believe that the atheistic community, whether traditional or new age, will have little foundation to dismiss the Christian worldview as plausible and rationale.

Apologetics is the defense of the central tenants applicable to the Christian doctrine. The origin of apologetics dates back some two thousand years as the pioneers of the church movement, preached with boldness subsequent to the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. Proponents of this position seek to intersect both faith and reason that would enable them to successfully encourage skeptics to consider the plausibility of the case for Christianity. In the Handbook of Christian Apologetics , the complimentary nature of faith and reason, with the latter not usurping the former is stressed.

Opponents and skeptics of the apologetic persuasion have fought with vigor throughout the pre-modern, modern and post-modern eras to dispute and discredit its claims. Is this debate fought on sound reasoning or gross ignorance? The central tenants, reference above in a general nature, encompass the existence of God, the reliability of the New Testament Gospels and the divinity and resurrection of Jesus Christ, among other topics. The importance of such topics serves as a critical faith foundation for millions of people around the world. This paper will vigorously articulate a firm case for the Christian doctrine which will serve to bolster the Christian’s faith and present the plausible case for the skeptic to consider.

Existence of God
Is the existence of God supported by the facts and evidence that warrants its consideration? I would argue that the answer would be a resounding yes, but not on the basis of any one fact, but on the totality of evidence that is undergirded by both science and history. There was a time where the theory (and factual basis) of Darwinism dominated the scene and proponents pounced on such evidence in their futile attempts to disprove an intelligent designer being the origin of the universe that we know of today. The momentum of scientific advances discovered over several decades has tended to turn the quantum leap of microevolution to macroevolution on its head.

According to Lee Strobel in his book The Case for a Creator, he quotes author Roger Lewin, a former editor with Science and New Scientist Magazines in saying: “The central question…was whether the mechanisms underlying microevolution can be extrapolated to explain the phenomenon of macroevolution.” Lewin goes on to state: “At the risk of doing violence to the position of some people at the meeting, the answer can be given as a clear, No.”

So what do we owe the advances of science and history pointing us closer towards God? As compared to the evolutionary path that makes the claim that something came from nothing, information derives from chaos and non-reason breeds reasoning

The following clues present us with evidence that leads us to a more plausible and compelling conclusion:

• Cosmology
• Biochemistry
• Physics
• Astronomy
• Biological Information
• Consciousness

As we explore the basis for the scientific evidence we see that the cosmological argument focuses on the origin of the universe having a beginning. A broad consensus in the scientific community would agree with this fact. If the universe had a beginning, it had to be facilitated through a cause. I think it would be safe to assume that the majority of people would agree that anything with a beginning would have a cause for coming into existence, although this would fly in the face of the evolutionary process of randomness as the basis for the universe as we know it.

Physics presents us with more evidence in that the precision and natural order of the universe, more specifically, the earth, implies a mind behind this planet’s awesome environment to be perfectly suited to occupy life. The complexity and amount of information derived within living organisms and the precision in which it operates speaks to the great discoveries in the fields of biochemistry and biology that point to an intelligent designer with a mind that is so powerful and beyond understanding fully is extremely plausible. Astronomy introduces us to the complexity and precision of the universe and also underscores the fact that our earth would seem to be uniquely positioned for life and the ability to explore the vastness of the heavens.

Lastly, our soul or consciousness, presents another clue that represents the personal nature of our existence. Our mind, will and emotions allows us to process information, make decisions based on the information available to us and engage and have relationships with one another. This would imply that a creator is also personal, rationale and loving, albeit with greater power beyond ourselves. As we have made the initial case for the existence of God by looking at the scientific evidence that points to His existence, we now transition to the personal nature of His being as underscored by our makeup (soul) as humans, but also by what history has taught us as well.

The Nature of God
The Bible tells us that “God created mankind in His own image (Genesis 1:27, (NIV).” The plausibility of the universe having a beginning, the precision of the universe and the information that we have at our disposal, would lead one to consider there is a greater mind behind all things. With this information as a backdrop, the prospect of a personal, immaterial and loving being not only creating the universe and its inhabitants, but having a strong desire to interact with the universe should also be considered plausible.

The Bible provides us with information that would correlate with the latter statement referenced above. It entices us with stories of the eternal creator interacting with creation in a personal and supernatural fashion. This immaterial spirit would be expected to possess certain attributes. Galatians 5:22, 23 (NIV) states: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” “Against such things there is no law.” If we truly consider this in an objective way, we have the capacity to possess and exhibit these attributes each and every day for the betterment of ourselves and mankind. One would have to ask themselves in a rational and logical way regarding the origin of such things?

The individual considering this mystery can only come to two conclusions, one cemented in naturalism with the belief that these behaviors were learned and evolved over millions of years or that there was a supernatural intervention and we were endowed with these qualities at birth. Based on the information presented to the reader at this point, one could lean towards the latter, but the basis for this argument does not end here. We do have access to a written record of the creator’s continued intervention and purpose with creation. These documents have been scrutinized and challenged over the last two thousand years, but continually have stood the test of time.

The Gospels Authenticity

Reliability of the Gospels

When we explore the historicity of the New Testament and the Gospel records, we are not inclined to prove its underlying spiritual inspiration, but to make the case for its reliability as a legitimate ancient document. Many who have challenged the Gospels authenticity lazily base their claims on the belief that these stories were collaborated over time and evolved into legend/mythical status. When we explore these documents a little deeper, we see that there is compelling evidence that the Gospels could arguably be considered the most authentic and well-attested works of antiquity.

The biographies of Jesus or the Synoptic Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John are considered by many scholars to have been penned by men who either walked with Jesus or who knew or were contemporaries of these men. We are informed by scholars and implied by the authors themselves, that Mark and Luke were contemporaries of the apostles Peter and Paul respectively. When we investigate the evidence that would provide the basis for the New Testament Gospels authenticity, scholars look at the many factors that encompass the following:

•The number of manuscripts and their closeness to the original- As scholars have researched this issue, we find that the New Testament Scriptures (which, in addition to the four Gospels would also encompass epistles/letters written by Paul, Peter, James, John, Timothy and Jude), we find that it is indeed the most well attested book of antiquity. Scholars have found over 5,600 surviving and close to 25,000 manuscripts that have been written in fourteen different languages.

•Accuracy of Manuscripts supported by different versions- Since the early versions of these writings were used for missionary purposes, they were translated in different languages with the purpose of bringing the Gospel to the whole world. The accuracy of the translation to the original, when translated in languages such as Latin, Coptic (Egyptian), Gothic, Ethiopic, Georgian and Nubian was unprecedented when compared with other ancient works, many not having survived the test of time.

•Attestation and Reference by Early Church Fathers- Early church patriarchs such as Justin Martyr, Irenaeus, Clement, Origen and others frequently referred to the New Testament books in their own writings in preaching the Christian faith.

•Closeness of Attestation to Referenced Events- Scholars conservatively date this works within a generation of the events. For example, Matthew is believed to have been written somewhere between A.D. 70-80, Mark, A.D. 50-60, Luke, A.D. 60-70 and John, A.D. 80-100. Interestingly, Paul’s epistles were believed to have been written between A.D. 50-66. These dates were well within a generation of the ministry, death and documented resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Comparability with other works of Antiquity

When compared with other works of ancient history, the New Testament Gospels and other books stack up extremely well. Other works of ancient times are listed below:

1.Homer’s Iliad- Written in 800 BC with the earliest copies some 400 years later in 400 BC. Number of copies: 643

2.Caesar’s Gallic Wars-100-44 BC (written), with the earliest copies some 1000 years later in AD 900 and supported by just 10 copies in existence

3.Tacitus’ Annals- AD 100 (written) with earliest copies in AD 1100 and a mere 20 copies in existence today

4.Works of Plato- 400 BC (written) with a span of 1300 years (AD 900) between the date of composition and the earliest copy. Only 7 copies exist today.
Clearly, when referencing the number of surviving manuscripts of the New Testament Scriptures mentioned earlier, God’s Word stands alone as the most attested work of ancient history.

Divinity of Jesus
Jesus' God Claim

The Gospels provide us a picture of Jesus Christ that encompasses the most important periods in His life. According to many scholars, Jesus lived a little over thirty years and whose public ministry 3 ½ years. He is the foundation of ancient and modern Christianity and the central figure of the faith for over two thousand years. As Jesus asked His disciples in Mark 8:29; “But what about you, who do you say I am?” Based on the Gospel accounts, we the essence of Jesus being many things to many people. He was to His followers the unquestioned Messiah, the Only Begotten Son of God and was the ultimate representation of God in the flesh. His core mission was to reunite creation with a loving and long-suffering God that would be facilitated through His righteous sacrifice on the cross.

Through His resurrection, those who accept the gift of salvation are saved and will receive eternal life. How did the Gospel writers portray Jesus their respective audiences? Matthew depicted Jesus as the promised Messiah, whom the prophets of the Old Testament spoke about and whose lineage is depicted in the first Chapter of the narrative, dating back to Abraham. Jesus was deemed to be the new Moses, although one who was greater than His predecessor was and the one who would fulfill, not abolish the Law. As Professor Dale Martin of Yale points out, contrary to many Christians popular belief, Jesus' intent was not to abolish the Law laid out in the Torah, but to intensify it.

Not only did Jesus reinforce the forbidding of committing adultery, he added lust to the equation as well. He implored us to love our enemies even in light of persecution. Pretty heavy lifting when you meditate on this section of Matthew. Jesus' ministry evolves with the displaying of great power and signs that the Pharisees indicted as being derived from Satan himself. The Sermon of Parables are a primary focus in Chapter 13, one of which focused "the weeds among the wheat, the latter representing the saints of God being in the midst of a wicked and unrepentant world. God chooses to allow this paradigm to exist until it is duly judged at the end of the age.

Mark depicts Jesus as a servant, one who has come to heal the sick, physically, emotionally, mentally and most importantly, spiritually. Luke designates Him a King who has ushered in the kingdom of God and also verifies the messianic lineage of Jesus, going all the way back to the first man (Adam) of creation. John defines Him as the One who is eternal, divine and was God in the flesh as referenced in John 1:1. Jesus as a preacher, prophet and teacher, inspired many with His sermons, discourses and parables that changed the lives of Jew and Gentile.

Some of the more important sayings of Jesus that defined His core mission are referenced in the Gospels. In John 3:14,15, Jesus says; “Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in Him may have everlasting life.” This verse speaks to the central mission of Christ, to die for creation so that they may have life. In John 8:58, Jesus told the teachers of the Law, “Before Abraham was, I am.” This spoke to His eternal and divine nature. In John 8:31,32, Jesus quotes; “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples.”
“Then you will know the truth and the truth will set you free.” We see in Luke 9:23, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.”

The deeds best portray the image of Jesus were reflected in the acts aimed at the outcast of society. Women in the 1st century were not considered credible or worthy amongst their male counterparts, especially those within the economic and politically elite. The Samaritans were seen as inferior by the Jewish community. Jesus has also come for the Gentiles and is set up by Luke as a prophet in the midst of rejection by His own people. This spearheads a broadening of the scope in which the Gospel is spread throughout the ends of the earth, to both Jew and Gentile.

Women play a major role in Luke's Gospel, from Mary, mother of Jesus being deemed the first disciple through her witness to Elizabeth regarding John the Baptist and the birth of the Savior. Acts of humility by women (the washing of Jesus feet) and roles of service of women with questionable pasts (Mary Magdalene) and the controversial import in referencing women as the first to discover the empty tomb cite a few examples of Lucan emphasis that women played a key role in the ministry of Jesus Christ.

The numerous examples of love, compassion, and humility for the lost were at the center of the life and ministry of Jesus. There was no better display of these attributes than His ultimate act of sacrifice on the cross. Through that sacrifice, He took on the sin punishment that we so overwhelmingly deserved. He paid the price and on top of this great deed and His resurrection, probably the gift of eternal life to all who accept and believe. As referenced above, Jesus represented is described throughout scripture in many different ways that represents the essence and fullness of God. He also left little doubt regarding His divinity and the authoritative way in which He refer, both implicitly and explicitly in being equal with God!

The Evidence for the Resurrection

The Christian faith would be baseless if it ended in the sacrificial atonement of Jesus Christ. Promoting a Gospel that celebrated a dead Jesus would have had devastating consequences, both physically and spiritually for the people promulgating its message. It would have fallen flat on its face. As scholars and others who have seriously investigated the claims of early church fathers regarding Jesus’ triumph over death, we see that there is both historical and circumstantial evidence for this claim.

We know from the New Testament scriptures, both in the Synoptic Gospels as well as the epistles, that Jesus Christ, subsequent to His crucifixion was raised from the dead on the third day. Matthew 27:62-66 provides an account of the religious leaders and Romans concerned that the disciples would try to steal the body and requested the tomb to be heavily guarded and sealed with a stone. They seemed worried about the prospects of Jesus’ followers promoting a lie by claiming He had risen and in turn, creating unrest within the region. We also are made aware of the heavily guarded tomb being empty on the third day (Matthew 28) as the two Mary’s approached the tomb to anoint Jesus’ body.

The biblical accounts also inform us of the fact that the disciples were in hiding, fearful of retribution from the religious leaders and Roman officials. They were too weak, defeated and fearful to overcome strong, armed and skilled Roman soldiers in an effort to steal Jesus’ body from the tomb. Other evidence to support the plausibility of the resurrection would also include:

•Disciples sudden boldness and confidence to preach the Gospel within a short period

•The sudden conversion of Saul of Tarsus who persecuted and killed Christians and went on to become Paul, an apostle of Christ who led the message of the Gospel to the Gentiles

•The eventual martyrdom of many of the apostles for the sake of the Gospel

•Secular evidence from Jewish (Josephus) and Roman (Tacitus) historians regarding the growth of the Jesus movement and growth throughout Palestine and Rome within a relatively short period of time subsequent to the crucifixion of Christ.

Conclusion

Throughout this paper, we hoped to provide the reader with reasonable evidence to consider the rationale and plausibility of the Christian faith. It all starts with the creator, the mind behind creation of the universe and its inhabitants. The universe is not eternal and therefore, had a beginning. The beginning of the universe would have to have a cause and in turn, the plausibility of an intelligent, immaterial and eternal source for which all things have been made has been presented.

The prospect of the creator’s desire to interact with the universe has also been explored bolstered by the fact that He has endowed us with the mind, will and emotions to interact with others and more compelling, Him is a case for the skeptic to ponder. Norman Geisler referred to it as an “essential, not accidental” relationship that we have with God. The revelation of His being was manifested through the Holy Scriptures, in which a case was made for the reliability and authenticity of the New Testament Gospels. A case was also made for the full manifestation of God being revealed through Jesus Christ, presenting compelling evidence of His divinity underscored through the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. The weight of proving invalid what has held strong since the beginning is on the shoulders of the skeptic to process.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Brown, Raymond E. An Introduction To The New Testament. New Haven: Yale University Press. 1997.

[Raymond Brown provides an introduction to the New Testament that is designed not for other scholarly types, but for the novice to gain more insight into how these ancients books evolved. Brown also delves into the thematic messages the alleged authors emphasized and the audience in question.]

Colson, Charles and Harold Fickett. The Faith: What Christians Believe, Why They Believe and Why It Matters. Grand Rapids: Zondervan. 2008.
[Dr. Colson and Harold Fickett underscore the core foundations of the Christian faith and provide a sound basis for why, who and what we believe in that serves as a source of spiritual truth for both believers and non-believers to consider.]
Craig, William Lane and Joseph E. Gorra. Reasonable Response: Answers to Tough Questions, God, Christianity and The Bible. Chicago: Moody. 2013

{Dr. Craig and Joseph Gorra respond to common questions from non-believers and people who profess the Christian faith but are unsure of answers to tough questions ranging from God’s existence to the resurrection of Jesus Christ.]

Geisler, Norman L. The Big Book of Christian Apologetics: An A-Z Guide. Grand Rapids: Baker Books. 2012.
[Norman Geisler provides committed believers of the Christian faith with an encyclopedia of responses to tough questions designed to defend the faith and counter skeptical points of view.]
Kreeft, Peter and Tacelli, Ronald K. Handbook of Christian Apologetics: Hundreds of Answers To Crucial Questions. Downers Grove: Intervarsity Press. 1994.
[Kreeft and Tacelli provide a compelling guide to Christian Apologetics that effectively blend both faith and reason that covers a wide range of subjects from creation and evolution to the nature of God.]
McDowell, Josh. Evidence For Christianity: Historical Evidence For The Christian Faith.
Nashville: Thomas Nelson. 2006.

[The goal of this work is to provide a strong rebuttal to religious skeptics and naturalists alike, countering modernism and post-modernistic thought as it relates to the Christian faith.]

___. The Unshakable Truth: How You Can Experience The 12 Essentials of A Relevant Faith. Eugene: Harvest House. 2010.

[Josh McDowell and his son team up for a powerful book to arm Christians regarding the relevancy and basis for their faith. Through this journey in addressing common questions related to God, the authenticity of New Testament Scriptures and deity of Jesus, both authors are hopeful that the new generation of Christians are empowered in what they believe in.]

Samples, Kenneth Richard. Without A Doubt: Answering The 20 Toughest Faith Questions. Grand Rapids: Baker Books. 2004.

[Samples counters skepticism outside and inside the Christian faith to address questions, misconceptions and post-modernistic claims concerning the authenticity of the Christian doctrine.]

Strobel, Lee. The Case For A Creator: A Journalist Investigates Scientific Evidence That Points Toward God. Grand Rapids: Zondervan. 2004.
[In this compelling book, Strobel, a former atheist shares his journey from a skeptic who believed that science proved God did not exist, to faithful advocate. This book highlights the intersection of faith and science and through new scientific discoveries, the hand of God at work is on display.]
___. The Case For The Real Jesus: A Journalist Investigates Current Attacks On The Identity of Christ. Grand Rapids: Zondervan. 2007.
[Lee Strobel travels domestically and internationally to interview theologians, psychiatrists, academicians and layman in addressing naturalistic claims regarding life and claims of Jesus Christ. With the dedication and precision of a former investigative journalist, Lee explores the authenticity of the Gospels, comparisons of Christianity’s doctrine with pagan myths and the influence of the Jesus Seminar.]

---

PLEASE ENCOURAGE AUTHOR BELOW LEAVE COMMENT ON ARTICLE AS A MEMBER OR VISITOR