Defending Your Faith | Apologetics | Part 2

By Lance Quinn
Continued from Wednesday


I. Christianity must take the Offensive

Christianity must go on the offensive. As any good football team knows, you are not going to be able to win the game without a solid offense. It is precisely the same for the defense of the faith. Christianity is not going to be seen as credible in the life of other people unless we approach them and take the offensive. This is illustrated for us in Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians:

2 Corinthians 10:3-5—“For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.”

This might well be the clearest passage in all of the New Testament regarding Christianity taking the offensive. If Christianity is going to make an impact, then it must go toe-to-toe with those who disagree. The understanding of the passage is therefore critical to our apologetical understanding.

When Paul told the Corinthians that “we do not war according to the flesh,” he does not mean “flesh” as he sometimes defines it with the concept of “sinful humanity.” What he intends here is that we do not wage war with unbelievers according to human means, but according to the “divinely powerful weapons” which are available to us. Those weapons are spiritual in nature and are for the distinct purpose of the “destruction of fortresses” (v. 4). He goes on to say that our offensive duty in Christianity is to initiate and engage the world around us. He specifically has in mind the world’s ideologies, theories, philosophies, as well as the world’s origins, and the existence of the person of God, etc. In effect, Paul says, “If you’re going to be a faithful Christian, you must take the offensive. You must use the divinely powerful weapons that are at your disposal for the specific purpose of destroying fortresses. You must attack all of the theories about God and our world which have been raised up against what is true about God.”

Paul says whatever that “lofty speculation” is, whatever fortresses have been built that do not rightly represent the God of the Bible, we must respond by saying, “That theory is not true, and this is the reason why.” Paul goes further in this passage and tells the Corinthians that we are to “take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5). What a statement! Every statement we make about Christianity and every statement unbelievers make, must stand up under the scrutiny of God’s revealed Word in Christ. This is none other that the Lordship of Jesus Christ in our defense of the faith!

Paul was so desirous of speaking with precision when he engaged unbelievers in dialog about the truth. Colossians 4:3-5 records that Paul asked the believers there to pray that “God will open up to us a door for the word, so that we may speak forth the mystery of Christ, for which I have also been imprisoned; that I may make it clear in the way I ought to speak. Conduct yourselves with wisdom toward outsiders, making the most of the opportunity.” Paul in effect, says that Christianity must take the offensive. To the Ephesians, Paul says that the only offensive weapon of warfare for the Christian armor is “the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Ephesians 6:17). It is simply taking the initiative to share the truths of Scripture with the unconverted. In essence, it is “cutting and hacking” your way through the false ideologies of life. Your confidence can be that as the Word of God works in the hearts of men. it will be “sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12).

This is what the church of Jesus Christ is really all about. Paul himself defines the church as “the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and support of the truth” (1 Timothy 3:15). We must take the initiative to defend Christianity because we exist as the pillar and support of the truth. Paul further tells Timothy that Scripture is given to us as believers not only for our own sanctification, i.e., “correction” (2 Timothy 3:16), but also to bring unbelievers to “the knowledge of the truth” (2 Timothy 2:25).

The Bible teaches in 1 Corinthians 2:14 that the non-Christian is a “natural man,” that is, he is unable to respond to any spiritual stimuli whatsoever (cf. Ephesians 2:1-3). He does not understand the things related to the Spirit of God, and indeed, they are foolishness to him because he is unable to discern spiritual truth. It is not just that he will not understand it, but he cannot, because his mind is still natural and sinful. His heart has not yet been regenerated by the Spirit of God and he therefore cannot understand spiritual matters. The passage goes on to say that the spiritual man, who is open to the things of God, understands God and His Word. Because he is regenerated by the Spirit, he is able to discern all things. He can now affirm the correct presuppositions that God is Who He claims to be and that He will reward those who diligently seek Him (cf. Hebrews 11:6). They abandon their lives of sin and are brought to accountability before God.


The Word of God then, is your offensive weapon, and when you have the Word of God in your heart, you can adequately defend the faith.


II. Christianity must be Defended

Just as Christianity must take the offensive approach to defending the faith, so it must also go on the defensive. 1 Peter 3:13-15 is the classic verse in the New Testament. Peter says:

“Who is there to harm you if you prove zealous for what is good? But even if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, you are blessed. And do not fear their intimidation, and do not be troubled, 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.”

This passage is Peter’s encouragement to persecuted Christians who were being attacked for their faith. He desires that they become sanctified by continuing to live under the Lordship of Jesus Christ. We derive our term, “apologetics” from Peter’s use of the word, “defense” in v. 15. So when we “apologize” for Christianity, we’re making a solid defense for Christianity (cf. Paul in Acts 22:1). Paul himself talked about his apologetic in 2 Timothy 4:16: “At my first defense no one supported me, but all deserted me; may it not be counted against them. But the Lord stood with me, and strengthened me, in order that through me the proclamation might be fully accomplished, and that all the Gentiles might hear; and I was rescued out of the lion’s mouth.” Likewise, in Philippians 1:7, he said, “It is only right for me to feel this way about you all, because I have you in my heart, since both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, you all are partakers of grace with me.” He reiterates his calling from God in verse 16, where he says, “Knowing that I am appointed for the defense of the gospel.”

Conclusion

With both an offensive as well as a defensive Christianity then, the Christian must be balanced in his approach to evangelizing the unsaved. It is a delicate balance and requires one to really think deeply about how to preserve this balance. Jesus gave the most appropriate and balanced answer in Matthew 10:16 where He said, “Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; so be shrewd as serpents and innocent as doves.” You don’t always know what you should say, and therefore, you must be wise and innocent at the same time. But when you do, you will grow spiritually and bear abundant fruit for God’s glory.