Christian Apologetics

GIBI Course Christian Apologetics
Christian Apologetics
By: Pastor Brian Alton
Excerpts, research data, facts and statistics taken from the Christian Apologetics &
Research Ministry Handbook; Written by: Matthew J. Slick, M. Div.©
Gateway International Bible Institute

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Introduction to Apologetics
The word ‘apologetics’ comes from the Greek word ‘apologia’, pronounced, ‘ap-ol-og-
ee’-ah.’ It means, ‘a verbal defense.’ It is used eight times in the New Testament; (Acts
22:1; 25:16; I Cor. 9:3; II Cor. 7:11; Phil. 1:7, 17; II Tim. 4:16, and I Pet. 3:15). The last
verse is the one that is most commonly associated with Christian Apologetics.
I Peter 3:15
“But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to
everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear.”
Therefore, Christian Apologetics is that branch of Christianity that deals with answering
any and all critics who oppose or question the revelation of God in Christ and the Bible.
It can include studying such subjects as biblical manuscript transmission, philosophy,
biology, mathematics, evolution, and logic. It can also consist of just simply giving an
answer to a question about Jesus or a Bible passage. ‘You don’t have to read a ton of
books to do that.”
Apologetics Can Be Defensive and Aggressive
Philippians 1:7 gives us instruction on the defensive side:

“Just as it is right for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart, in as
much as both in my chains and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, you all are
partakers with me of grace.”
II Corinthians 10:4, 5 gives us instruction on the aggressive side:

“For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for the pulling down of
strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the
knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.”
The apologist should always be able to defend his reasons for believing. Of course, he
should be prepared to do this before engagement begins. All apologetics should be done
with gentleness.
Apologetics is the work of Convincing People to Change their Views
This is very similar to preaching because the goal is ultimately the defense, the
preservation, and the presentation of the validity and necessity of the Gospel of Jesus
Christ.
Apologetics is the attempt to persuade the listener to change his beliefs and life to
conformity to biblical truth and to come to a saving relationship with the Lord Jesus
Christ.
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Apologetics can be presented in basically three different ways:

A. Classical
B. Presuppositional
C. Evidential
We will discuss more on these three as we go further into this study of apologetics.
Areas of debate within Christian Apologetics deal with the use of evidence, reason,
philosophy, etc. some questions to ask in apologetics are:
1. Are we allowed to use the Bible as a defense of our position or must we
prove Christianity without it?
2. Is reason alone sufficient to prove God’s existence or Christianity’s truth?
3. How much should reason and evidence be used in light of the Scriptures
teaching that it is God who opens the mind to understand?
4. What part does prayer, using the Bible, and the sinful nature of the
unbeliever play in witnessing?
5. How do these factors interrelate to bring an unbeliever to faith?
These questions may seem easy; but the answers are not.
Jesus chose only one highly educated religious person as an apostle. That was Paul. The
rest were a fishermen, a tax collector, a doctor, etc. They were normal people of the day
who were available and willing to be used by the Lord. They were filled with the Spirit
of God and they were used as vessels of God. God uses all things for His glory. So, just
like everything else we do in the Lord, we do apologetics the same way, and that’s by
faith.
The Lord has called every Christian to be ready to make a defense of his faith. That
means you are called to give reasonable answers to questions regarding Christianity.
Now, this does not mean that you have to be some great preacher or that you have to have
some score of Bible college degree or Ph.D., but it does mean that you should be willing
to at least give an answer for your beliefs. If you find you cannot, then prayerfully take it
to God and start studying the Word.
What Do I Study?
You could pray and ask the Lord to teach you what He wants you to know. Ask Him to
give you a burden for something to learn. It doesn’t matter what it is. Just ask.
Whatever you become interested in is what you should learn about because it’s probably
something God wants you to know for later use. It is like having tools in a tool shed; the
more you have, the more you can accomplish.
Another way to find out what God wants you to study is through your circumstances.
Let’s say that a Jehovah’s Witness comes to you door and debates the deity of Christ with
you and you find you don’t know how to defend it biblically. In that case, you know you
need to study biblical verses that teach Jesus is God in flesh. Or maybe a co-worker asks
you how you know the Bible is true? If you don’t have an answer, pray and start
researching. Go to a Christian bookstore and get some books on the subject, another
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good way to learn would be to talk to your pastor. Sometimes God will make a verse or
subject in the Bible ‘come to life’ to you and it might strike you as odd or interesting.
You could get a commentary and read up on it, or you could ask others about it. In doing
so you are preparing yourself through learning to be ready to answer questions and point
people to the truth. You’d be surprised how many details God can use to help you in
your daily witness, even in those odd times when verses seem to suddenly ‘come alive.’
If you want to be able to witness well to another person, friend, or family member that
may be in a cult, you need to be able to understand their doctrines as well as your own.
Through study you will be able to answer tough questions that often come up in
witnessing encounters. A Christian should know his doctrine well enough to be able to
recognize not only what is true, but also what is false. II Timothy 2:14, 15: “Remind
them of these things, charging them before the Lord not to strive about words to no profit,
to the ruin of the hearers. Be diligent to present yourself approved to God a worker who
does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”
Make an Ignorance Notebook
The ignorance notebook is simple. Get a 3 ring binder and fill it with blank pages, then
ask the Holy Spirit to fill it with what you need to know. As in the examples above, God
will put burdens on your heart, or cause you to find places where you are lacking in
knowledge, or a Bible verse will strike you. Write down what you learn in your
notebook, date the pages as you go. You will be amazed at what you learn.
Basically, apologetics is equivalent to theology in a pair of sneakers. It means getting the

hay down off the loft and down to where the cows can eat it. Anyone can ‘do’
apologetics. All it takes is willingness, a little work, and the Spirit of God in you.
Apologetics is somewhat of a lonely endeavor. Discouragements are a reality to the

apologist. There are certainly victories, by God’s grace, but there are many encounters
that could simply be classified ‘unprofitable.’
To help you keep your eyes on the real issue of apologetics, you need to understand what
your job is as an apologist, and that’s just someone who helps to answer questions and
objections, and point’s people to Jesus Christ. I believe and I am still learning daily that
if you understand where you are and what your ‘job’ is, then you won’t be as overcome
with discouragement as you might otherwise be in defending your faith.
Apologetics is Like…
Apologetics is like a field. In the center of the field is a garden, this garden has one door
and that door is Jesus. There is one path that leads to that door. Inside the garden is
eternal life in the presence of God. Outside it, however, in the field, are rocks, boulders,
thorns, thistles, valleys, hills, and many false paths that lead to nowhere. The apologist
resides in the field and points people to the true path so they can find the Garden. The
apologist seeks to remove the intellectual thorns and emotional rocks that prevent people
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from finding the true path to God. There are also many people who are walking false
paths (cults, philosophies, etc.) who will never reach that garden. The apologist gently
guides that person, removes the obstacles, and points in the direction of the Garden.
When people arrive there, it is between them and God on whether or not they enter.
Picture yourself as a laborer in that field. It isn’t your job to save anyone; it is just your
job to point the way. You aren’t the only one in the field. Getting them to the Garden is
not your job. They get there, you simply help them.
Eight Reasons Why We Need Apologetics
1. The most obvious is because we are commanded to defend the faith in I

Peter 3:15.
2. Because it helps Christians know their faith. This is something that is
sadly lacking among believers. Most don’t know much about their faith,
let alone be able to describe the Trinity, the two natures of Christ, His
physical resurrection, or even be able to tell the difference between
justification and sanctification. Apologetics helps to define and defend
what the truth of the gospel is.
3. It is an attempt to keep people out of hell. God takes sin very seriously
and He will punish those who have rebelled against Him and are not
covered in the blood of Christ. As Christians and leaders, we should be
motivated to present the truth of salvation in Jesus. We should not sit idly
by and ignore the dilemma of the unbeliever. We need to tell them that sin
is real because God is real and that breaking God’s law has a consequence.
God has provided a way for us to escape that judgment. That is why God
became man in Jesus. He (Jesus) claimed to be God in John 8:24, 58;
compare with Exodus 3:124. Jesus bore all of our sins in His body on the
cross, I Peter 2:24. By trusting in Christ for the forgiveness of our sins,
we will be spared from the rightful judgment of God. Salvation is not
found in Buddhism, Islam, Relativism, or in one’s self. It is only found in
Jesus and we need not only to defend God’s word and truth, but we need
to present the gospel to all people so they can escape the judgment to
come.
4. We need apologetics to encounter the bad image that Christianity has
received in the media and in modern culture. Televangelists and their
scandals both sexually and monetarily are a disgrace to Christianity. The
Catholic Church hasn’t helped things either with its scandals involving
priests with little children. Add to that a media system that is very biased
against Christianity and you will defiantly see negative opinions of
Christianity promoted everywhere.
5. Because there is a constant threat of apostasy in the visible Christian
church. Such as the case with the Metropolitan Community Church
denomination and the Community Church of Hope (right her in Phoenix,
Arizona) which openly advocates the support of homosexuality of its
members and by its clerics totally in violation of Holy Scripture. Romans
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1:26-32 says: “For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For
even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature.
Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in
their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and
receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due. And
even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them
over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting; being
filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness,
covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-
mindedness; they are whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, violent,
proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,
undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful; who,
knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such
things are worthy of death, not only do the same but also approve of those
who practice them.” As of 2002, the evangelical Lutheran church is in
risk of apostasy by entertaining the idea of accepting homosexual
relationships into the church. “The United Church of Christ set up a
$500,000 scholarship fund for gay and lesbian seminarians and urged
wider acceptance of homosexuals by other denominations.” Her are some
recent headlines found on this subject:
“United Church Makes Gay Scholarship, Cleveland, June 16th, 2000,
AP online via Comtex”
“The Supreme Court of the United Methodist Church was asked
Thursday to reconsider the denomination’s ban of gay clergy.”
“Church court of United Methodists asked to decide on gay clergy
ban, Nashville, TN, October 25th, 2001, AP WorldStream”
Such examples are demonstrations of the incredible need for defending
biblical truth within those churches that claim to be preaching the truth.
6. Another reason we need apologetics is because of the many false
teachings out there. Mormonism teaches that God used to be a man in
another world, that he brought one of his goddess wives with him to this
world, that they produce spirit offspring that are born into human babies,
and that you have the potential of becoming a god of your own world one
day. Jehovah’s Witnesses teach that there is no Trinity, that Jesus is
Michael the Archangel, that there is no hell, and that only 144,00 people
will be able to go to heaven. Atheism denies God’s existence and openly
attacks Christianity and is gaining ground in public life and schools.
Islam teaches that Jesus was not God in flesh, that Jesus did not raise from
the dead, and the He did not atone for our sins. It teaches that salvation is
partly based on one’s works and partly based on Allah’s grace. It teaches
that the Holy Spirit is the angel Gabriel; that Jinn are unseen beings,
created from fire, and that Muhammad was greater than Jesus. Even
within the Christian church there are false teachings. We can see that
from both within the Christian church and from outside of it, false
teachings are bombarding believers (and non-believers) all over the world.
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7. The rise of immorality in America is a threat not only to society but

also to Christianity. This is a serious issue because an immoral society
cannot last long. The Barna Research group statistics show that 64% of
adults and 83% of teenagers said moral truth depends on the situation that
you are in. 19% of the adult population believes that ‘the whole idea of
sin is outdated.” 51% believe that if a person is generally good, or does
enough good, he will earn a place in heaven. When a society’s morals
fail, the society fails. Just look at history and think of Ancient Rome,
Ancient Greece or present day Enron, Watergate, and Whitehouse interns
being used as sex toys for the President’s bidding. Immorality steeps
down into all areas of our culture. Consider this: in the New York Times,
online of May 12th, 2002, in the article With Games of Havoc, Men Will
be Boys, the author, Warren St. John interviews some players of what he
says is a very popular video game: One young man says, “What I like to
do is get in the car and drive around and do drive-by shootings… You can
haul someone out of their car and beat on them and steal their money and
their car. It’s kind of amusing that you have the ability.” A publicist from
Long Island says the games allure comes down to “just going on killing
sprees.” Not all video games are violent, but the fact that it is so popular
and that the youth are being trained up by them is very disturbing. I am
not advocating a theocratic socio-political rule administered by stern
fanatical Christians wearing black and white outfits, tall pointy hooded
hats with the eyes cut out, but these kids of social trends are disturbing and
they reflect a moral decline in America where what is good is called evil
and what is evil is called good. God tells us in Philippians 4:8, “Finally,
brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right,
whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is
any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, let your mind dwell on
these things.” We cannot ignore God’s Word without a consequence.
8. Schools are not friendly to Christianity today. My own brief
experience in non-Christian schools was a strong awakening to the
unprovoked hostility that exists in school where the philosophy teachers,
history teachers, and even the art teacher all took shots at Christianity.
There are reports that in some junior high libraries book titles included
“the Joy of Gay Sex” and “How to Make Love to a Single Woman.”
There is an ‘impressions’ series of grades one to six which promote the
New Age and the occult; a controversial drug education program called
‘Quest,’ which tells students that they alone can decide whether or not it’s
OK to us drugs; as well as text that direct students to fantasize about
suicide, attack religion and undermine family authority. The fact is that
Christianity is under attack in the world today and we need to fight the
good fight of the faith without shrinking back. We need apologetics to
give rational, intelligent, and relevant explanation of Christian viability to
the critics and the prejudiced who would seek to undermine the teaching
of our Lord Jesus Christ. If there was ever a time that apologetics was
needed, it’s now!
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Guidelines for Doing Apologetics
Most every discipline has a set of rules and guidelines that help a person perform better.
In fact, guidelines could be produced for most any endeavor. Why should apologetics be
any different? The following are some things that I have personally found very helpful in
developing apologetic skills. I am not saying that these are definitive or exhaustive in
scope. Rather, these are simply the things that I have found that have helped me, and I
hope they help you too. Remember, there is no method for apologetics that works in all
situations. There can be no outline approach that, if followed, will always lead a person
to understanding and accepting the truth. That is why apologetics is a combination of
what you already know and who you are. It is a fluid expression that must adapt the
obstacles in its course.
Apologetic skill is directly related to your experience and knowledge. You gain
knowledge by experiencing a situation where you defend the truth. This is ‘doing’
apologetics (or even better, this is witnessing). It is through this doing and witnessing
that you polish what you know, discover your areas of weakness, and plan ways to
improve your abilities.
You need to learn as much as you can through study, practice what you learn in real
everyday situations, think of ways to apply what you know, mess up, and keep on going.
All of this is what apologetics is and is how you get better at doing it. So, is there one
single rule that will help you develop skill in apologetics? Yes, there is… Just go for it!
You will have success and failures.
I can personally and confidently state that I have probably made more mistakes in
evangelism, witnessing, apologetics, etc., than any ten people taking this course. Even
my wife will attest to that, but hey, that’s okay. You don’t grow if you don’t go.
Nevertheless, here are some guidelines to follow:
Pray:
It is the Lord who opens the heart and mind, not you. Ask God for guidance. Ask for
blessing in your understanding and in your speech. Ask the Lord to open their
understanding to His Word.
Memorize Scripture:
Few things are as powerful when defending the faith as being able to cite chapter and
verse for any particular subject.
Memorize the locations of information:

Whether it be in cult material, secular material, or any other source, it is extremely
valuable to know material in different disciplines. Of course, you cannot know
everything, but you can memorize a few pertinent facts about Mormonism, evolution,
philosophy, the Bible, or whatever else may be needed. You will learn what you need as
you begin to witness.
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Listen to what is being said to you:

Respond to what is said. It is by listening that you will then know what to say. Listen for
errors in logic. Listen for motives, for hurts, for intent. Just listen.
Don’t interrupt:
This is just common courtesy. You need to earn the right to speak. Just because you have
an answer doesn’t mean it must be heard right away. When interruptions become the
norm, learning is thrown out the window.
Don’t be afraid to make mistakes:

One of the best ways to improve is to discover your weaknesses. The best way to
discover your weaknesses is when mistakes uncover them for you.
Study what you discover you don’t know:

If you don’t know something, then study it. Get books and read them. Write down what
you have learned.
Don’t be afraid to take a chance:

This takes real faith. All you have to do is be available, speak up, and take a chance in
defending the Christian faith. You’ll be surprised at how well you do. When you mess
up, don’t worry, don’t be afraid to make mistakes.
Rehearse:
Perhaps the best place to do apologetics is in your head. Think of a situation, a scenario
that you need to have an answer for, and develop an answer. Practice in your mind; try
and corner yourself and then get out of it.
Read books that deal with what you need to know:

The knowledge of others is invaluable. Isaac Newton once said, “If I have reached the
stars, it is because I have stood on the shoulders of giants.” In other words, he learned
great things from others in his life.
Basically, the guidelines are common sense. All you have to do is try, don’t worry about
failure, keep going, pray and trust God. It works!
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Classical Apologetics
Classical apologetics is that style of Christian defense that stresses rational arguments for
the existence of God and uses evidence to substantiate biblical claims and miracles. It is
quite similar to evidential apologetics and appeals to human reason and evidence. Early
classical apologists include Augustine, Anselm, and Thomas Acquinus. Contemporary
classical apologists are Norman Geisler, William Craig, and J.P. Moreland.
Some of the arguments relied upon for proofs of God’s existence are the cosmological
arguments and the teleological argument. The cosmological argument attempts to prove
God exists by stating that there has to be an uncaused cause of all things. That uncaused
cause is God. The teleological argument uses the analogy of design; that is, the universe
and life exhibit marks of design. Therefore, there must be a Designer. Other times, strict
evidence is used to establish Christianity’s validity. However, both aspects are combined
in classical apologetics.
An example of classic apologetics might be as follows:
John: I don’t believe Jesus rose from the dead?

Brian: Why not? The eyewitnesses stated that they saw Him after His resurrection.
John: Sorry, I can’t accept that. The Bible has been rewritten so many times it cannot be
trusted.
Brian: But the manuscript evidence for the New Testament shows us that the
manuscripts have been faithfully and accurately transmitted to us. We can trust the
documents and we can trust that the Bible is reliable.
John: What manuscript evidence?
Brian: The fact that over 5000 supporting Greek manuscripts of the New Testament have
been discovered, when examined, shows us that they are all copied with extreme
accuracy. The New Testament alone is over 99% textually pure. In addition, another
20,000 manuscripts in other languages also have been discovered. All these manuscripts
range from the second century to after the turn of the first millennium. They all
demonstrate an amazing accuracy and consistency within the copies. Therefore, we can
trust that the New Testament which has been transmitted to us as accurate. Since we can
trust the documents, we have reliable eyewitness accounts of the resurrection accurately
recorded and transmitted to us.
John: Even if the New Testament is reliable, I still cannot believe Jesus rose from the
dead.
Brian: But, if it is reliable and it accurately records eyewitness accounts of Jesus’
resurrection, then why won’t you believe the witness? If Jesus did indeed rise from the
dead, then what He said is true.
This example of a very simplistic dialogue has strengths and weaknesses to it but it
demonstrates a way of using evidence and logic as a defense to support the resurrection,
as a real and tangible biblical miracle
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A slight twist and variation of this could focus on the total fulfillment of prophecies in the
Bible and be as Follows:
1. The Bible claims to be the Word of God.
2. The Bible has been accurately transmitted to us through the copying
method.
3. The Old Testament was written before the New Testament.
4. The Old Testament contains prophecies of Jesus fulfilled in the New
Testament.
5. Jesus fulfilled the prophecies.
6. This shows that the Bible is inspired.
7. Since it is inspired, it is accurate.
8. It says that God exists.
9. Therefore, God exists.
No argument is without strengths and weaknesses and all classical apologetic approaches
have been tackled by many critics. The critics are not left unanswered and Christians
have, in turn, refuted the refutations. This back and forth process of point, counter-point
is going to continue until the return of Jesus. Nevertheless, God commands that we do
our best to defend the faith and classical apologetics is one of the means to do that.
Presupposition Apologetics
This form of Christian apologetics deals with presuppositions. A Christian

presuppositionlist presupposes God’s existence and argues from that perspective to show
the validity of Christian theism.
Theism:
A teaching that there is a God of gods of any kind actively involved in the affairs of the
world. This does not necessitate the Christian concept of the one true God, but does
include it. Christianity is a theistic religion.
This position also presupposes the truth of the Christian Scriptures and relies on the
validity and power of the gospel to change lives.
From this scripture we see that the unbeliever is sinful in his mind:
Romans 1:18-32
“For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and
unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because what may be
known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. For since the creation
of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that
are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because,
although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became
futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing to be wise, they
became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like
corruptible man-- and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things. Therefore God
also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies
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among themselves, who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served
the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. For this reason God
gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what
is against nature. Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in
their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in
themselves the penalty of their error which was due. And even as they did not like to
retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things
which are not fitting; being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality,
wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-
mindedness; they are whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters,
inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving,
unforgiving, unmerciful; who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who
practice such things are worthy of death, not only do the same but also approve of those
who practice them”.
The unbeliever is also unable to understand spiritual things:

I Corinthians 2:13, 14
“These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the
Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man does
not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he
know them, because they are spiritually discerned”.
This means that no matter how convincing your evidence is or how good your logic is, an
unbeliever cannot come to the faith because his fallen nature will distort how he
perceives the truth. The only thing that can ultimately change his is regeneration. So, to
this end, the presuppositionalist seeks to change a person’s presuppositions to be in
conformity with biblical revelation. I have found that a person’s presuppositions are
extremely important when discussing God and the validity of Christianity. I always ask
diagnostic type questions to find out where a person is philosophically and
presuppositionally, so I might be able to better discuss Christianity and my belief system.
This is a very important point to focus on because a person’s presuppositions will govern
how he will interpret facts. Please consider the following dialogue as a realistic example
of how the works:
John: I am an atheist and an evolutionist. Prove to me there is a God.
Brian: I do not think I can with your presuppositions.
John: Why not?
Brian: Because your presuppositions will not allow you to examine without bias the
evidence that I present to you for God’s existence.
John: That is because there is no evidence for God’s existence.
Brian: See? There you go; you just confirmed what I was stating.
John: How so?
Brian: Your presupposition is that there is no God, therefore, no matter what I might
present to you to show His existence, you must interpret it in a manner consistent with
your presupposition; namely, that there is no God. If I were to have a video tape of God
coming down from heaven, you’d say it was a special effect. If I had a thousand eye-
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witnesses saying they haw Him, you’d say it was mass-hysteria. If I had Old Testament
prophecies fulfilled in the New Testament, you’d say they were forged, dated incorrectly,
or not real prophecies. So, I cannot prove anything to you since your presupposition
won’t allow it; it is limited.
John: It is not limited!
Brian: Yes it is! Your presupposition cannot allow you to rightly determine God’s
existence from evidence – providing that there were factual proof of His existence. Don’t
you see? If I did… have incontrovertible proof, you would interpret the facts consistently
with your presupposition and you would not be able to see the proof.
John: I see your point, but I am open to being persuaded, if you can.
Brian: Then, I must ask you, what kind of evidence would you accept that would prove
God’s existence? I must see what your presuppositions are and work either with them or
against them.
Presuppositional apologetics differs from classical apologetics ‘in that presuppositional

apologetics rejects the validity of traditional proofs for the existence of God.’ A pure
presuppositionalist tackles the worldview of a person and seeks to change the very core
and foundation of how a person perceives facts.
Evidential Apologetics
Evidential apologetics is that style of Christian defense that stresses the miracles found in
the Bible, particularly Christ’s resurrection, as an evidence for the existence of God and
the validity of Christ and His words. It also uses historical evidences to support the
veracity of the biblical accounts.
It is very similar to Classical Apologetics which stresses reason in its approach to

evidences. Basically, evidential apologetics stresses evidence such as miracles, fulfilled
prophecies, etc. and uses reason to support them.
An example of evidential apologetics might be as follows. (Note the similar argument to

the classical approach):
John: How do I know God exists?

Brian: One of the ways can be found in the gospel accounts where Jesus performed
many miracles like walking on water, healing the sick, etc. and then finally rising from
the dead. No mere man can do those kinds of things. There had to be something
supernatural at work. Why can’t that be God?
John: But the Bible is full of myths. It is just a bunch of stories.
Brian: Actually, they are not just myths and stories. The gospels, for example, were
written by those who either knew Jesus personally, or were under the direction of those
who did. The gospels are full of factual accounts of cities, customs, terms, locations, etc.,
that can all be verified historically and archaeologically. There are many books that have
verified the authenticity of the gospel accounts.
John: If that is true, then I am sure the gospels have been corrupted over time.
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Brian: Actually, that isn’t quite accurate. You see, the New Testament alone has
something like 24,000 supporting biblical manuscripts and they are around 99.5%
textually pure. That means that they have been reliably transmitted to us through the
centuries. We can trust them.
John: Still, I can’t believe all those miracles and stuff.
Brian: Why not? Many eyewitnesses wrote and spoke about what they saw Jesus do.
After the gospel accounts were written, there were plenty of people around who had seen
Jesus who could have spoken up or written something down contradicting what the
apostles wrote. But, we have no account of this happening.
John: I didn’t think of that.
Brian: Furthermore, since the eyewitnesses wrote about what they saw, and they saw
miracles, as did hundreds of others, and Jesus healed people, walked on water, calmed a a
storm by command, and rose from the dead, then whatever He says must be true since He
backed up His words with His deeds.
John: That make sense, but that doesn’t mean there is a God.
Brian: True, it doesn’t require that a God exist, but since Jesus spoke about God, about
the need to be right with God, etc., and since He performed many miracles including
rising from the dead, then it is safe to say that not only is there a God, but that we should
listen to Jesus. This would also mean that the Bible is the inspired Word of God.
John: I’ll have to think about what you’ve said.
Generally, the evidential apologetics stresses data that supports the miraculous evidences
of biblical accounts thereby authenticating the Bible and the claims and deeds of Jesus.
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Christian Apologetics

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Christian Apologetics

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GIBI Course Christian Apologetics

Gateway International Bible Institute

Apologetics Can Be Defensive and Aggressive

Philippians 1:7 gives us instruction on the defensive side:

II Corinthians 10:4, 5 gives us instruction on the aggressive side:

Apologetics is the work of Convincing People to Change their Views

Apologetics can be presented in basically three different ways:

Make an Ignorance Notebook

Basically, apologetics is equivalent to theology in a pair of sneakers. It means getting the

Apologetics is somewhat of a lonely endeavor. Discouragements are a reality to the

Eight Reasons Why We Need Apologetics

1. The most obvious is because we are commanded to defend the faith in I

7. The rise of immorality in America is a threat not only to society but

Guidelines for Doing Apologetics

Memorize the locations of information:

Listen to what is being said to you:

Don’t be afraid to make mistakes:

Study what you discover you don’t know:

Don’t be afraid to take a chance:

Read books that deal with what you need to know:

An example of classic apologetics might be as follows:

John: I don’t believe Jesus rose from the dead?

This form of Christian apologetics deals with presuppositions. A Christian

The unbeliever is also unable to understand spiritual things:

Presuppositional apologetics differs from classical apologetics ‘in that presuppositional

It is very similar to Classical Apologetics which stresses reason in its approach to

An example of evidential apologetics might be as follows. (Note the similar argument to

John: How do I know God exists?

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