Kristian Apologetics

Dr. Laldinliana
Apologetics chu enge?

▪ Gk. Apologia (apologeomai atanga lak, speak in return, defend oneself) ref. 1 Peter 3:15
▪ 2nd Century atang khan Kristian rin dan chhanna ang zawngin a lang chho (Rom thu nei
tute leh ringtu ni mai turte tan). Philosopher Celsus-a’n AD 177 velah khan The True
Word (Logos Alēthēs) tih a ziak a, hei hi Kristiante do dalna ziak hmasa ber kan hriat
theih a ni mai awm e. Chu lehkhabu tak chu a bo tawh na a, Isua chu rom sipai Pantera
fapa tih te, a thil mak tihte kha dawi hmang a ni tih te a chuang a. Chumi chhang let tur
chuan Origen-an Contra Celsus (AD 248) velah a ziak a, volume 8 ngawt a ni awm e.
Chungte pawh chu apologetics a ni zel mai.
▪ Politics ang rawng kai deuh te pawhin kristiante puh chhiat an ni ve thin a. AD 401 khan
Rom khawpui chu Goth hovin an rawn suasam chiam mai a. Chu chhiat an tawh chu
Kristian Pathian an biak tak vang leh an sakhaw hlui pathiante an hawi san avang-ah
puh pawl an awm a. Chu puh chhiatna chhang let turin a fapa Marcellinus-a hnena a
tiam ang ngei in, Pathian Khawpui Kristiante chhanna thu ropui The City of God (AD
413-426) St. Augustine of Hippo khan a ziak a ni.
Apologetics kal pui dan thuang 4

▪ Classical: Classical approach ah chuan Pathian a awm ngei a ni tih an sawi chhuak phawt
a, chumi hnuah Isua Pathian Fapa a nih dan, Bible rintlak zia etc. an sawi chhoh zel thin.
▪ Evidential: Evidential approach ah ve thung chuan Pathian thil mak tih hmang in
Kristianna dik zia an sawi chhuak thin. Classical a in hnaih hle a, Isua thawhlehna sawi
chian chhoh hi evidentialist-ho hmanrua pawimawh ber pawl a ni.
▪ Presuppositional: He approach ah hi chuan Kristianna hi thudik awm chhun anih angin
engkim mai hi Bible eng atanga teh tur a ni an ti a, khawvel thlir dan dang (worldview)
famkim lohna koh chhuah chu he approach hian a tum chu a ni.
▪ Reformed Epistemology: Pathian kan rinna hian thu chiang (evidence) emaw hnialkhan
chak tak a mamawh hran lo, Calvin-an a sawi sensus divinatitas/Pathian ngaihna nei sa a
piang kan nih avangin Pathian lam kan hawi lo thei lo. Evidence nei lo pawh ni ila, rinna
hi awmze nei lo ti a paih thlak ngaihna a awm chuang lo tiin he approach tui pui tute
chuan an sawi thin.
Apologetics hmanga Pathian rinna sawi
fiah dan tlanglawn

▪ Cosmological argument (Van thengreng atanga hnialkhan)

– Thil awm tan hun nei chuan awm tirtu a neih a ngai
– Lei leh van hian awm tan hun a nei
– Chuti anih chuan, awm tan hun nei lei leh van hian awmtirtu a nei

▪ Teleological argument (Duang ang tak a lang hnialkhan)

– Mumal taka duan reng reng in duangtu a mamawh
– Hmutheih khawvel hi duan dan mumal tak nei angin a lang
– Chuti anih chuan, hmuhtheih khawvel hian duangtu a nei

▪ Moral argument (Dik leh dik lo atanga hnialkhan)

– Dik leh dik lo a awm
– Dik leh dik lo hriat hran dan a awm
– Dan a awm a nih chuan dan petu a awm a ngai
Thilmak (supernatural) leh
Apologetics

EVIDENTIAL APPROACH LAM HAWI CHHIN ILA

Enge an sawi?

▪ Thilmak chungchang ah hi chuan ka finna hi a hel tlat! Isua khan thilmak a

tih ka ring lo a, thil mak tih theihna pawh a neih ka ring hek lo…..thil mak
(supernatural) hi a awm lo – Thomas Alva Edison
▪ Thilmak ti a an sawi thin te hi an mak tak tak lo, thil ni awm lo tak lo ni fuh
palh mai mai an ni – Richard Dawkins
▪ Thilmak thleng thei rinna hian mihring suangtuahna kal sual theih zia a ti
lang – Edward Abbey
Pathian awm ring duh lotute tan chuan thilmak (supernatural) hi thil atthlak,
hrilhfiahna kan la hmuh chhuah loh thil mai mai a ni.
Kan Bible chhungah thilmak a chuan teuh avang leh kan sakhuana chu
thilmak rinna a nih tlat avangin pawm theih ah an ruat lo thin a ni.
Engvanginnge thilmak an hnawl thin?

▪ Thilmak te hian finfiah theihna a neih that thin loh avangin hnawl tur.
Entirnan, tui chunga kal aiin kal a theih loh chhan a that zawk avangin
tui chunga kal a pawm awm loh zawk
▪ ‘Mak’ tlem a piang a pawm awm zawk thin
▪ Thilmak chiang taka hmutu an awm mang loh thin vang
▪ Mi mawl/changkang lo zingah thilmak hi chu a hluar
▪ Sakhaw hrang hrang in thilmak an sawi ve vek si a, sakhaw pakhat dik
bik sawi a theih loh
Chutih laiin....

▪ Thilmak ti mak tu ber chu a thleng thin tlat hi a ni – GK Chesterton

▪ Thilmak thlen thin chhan ber chu kan tan kawhhmuhtu a nihna hi a ni,
kawhhmuh tum a nei tlat – Eric Metaxas
▪ Pathian awm ringlo in thilmak tawng tak tak ta se, awih mai ai chuan
amah a in ringhlel zawk duh talh ang – Fyodor Dostoyevsky
▪ Pathian hi he khawvel rel beh theih a ni lo, thilmak a tih theihna lakah
science hian a dal pha lo – John Lennox
Dr. Benjamin Solomon (Ben) Carson Sr.
17th United States Secretary of Housing and Urban
Development

• Yale University 1st Semester exam Chemistry ah a ti

tha lo
• Final exam hma zanah inbuatsaih lovin a muhil palh
• A mumangah mi pakhatin blackboard ah chemistry
zawhna a lo chawk mawlh mawlh a hmu
• A tuk exam a han thu chu question paper a han en a,
a hma zan mumanga zawhna chawh mawlh mawlh
te kha an lo ni hlawm a, tha takin exam a tih phah!
• Zirna a zawh hnuah doctor lar tak, 2014 ah
American ngaihsan hlawh 10 zingah a tel pha

Thilmak ni lo ta se engtinnge I hrilhfiah ang?

A vannei kan ti mai dawn mi?
Mizote leh thilmak

▪ Mi 1674 kawmna/chhanna, Kum 12 – 95 inkar

▪ 71.6% in thilmak an nunah an tawn tawh ngei thu an sawi
▪ Tawngtai taimak leh thilmak tawn inlaichinna a awm (Χ2 = 40.534, p=.000)
▪ Mi an ‘sakhaw mi’ poh leh an nunah thilmak an tawng nasa (r=0.093, p=.000)
▪ Kum upat lam leh thilmak tawn inzawmna a awm lo (Point biserial correlation
coefficent = 0.041, p=.139)
▪ Kohhran/pawl in thilmak tawn leh tawn lovah nghawng a nei lo (Χ2 = 8.529,
p=.202)
▪ Zir san leh hniam in thilmak tawn leh tawn lovah nghawng a nei lo (Χ2 = 8.881,
p=.114)
Thilmak ka tawng ve tawh!

▪ Area x Timing x Aizawl population x Ngaihtuahna x Bible chang = Rilru damna

– Area = 3 sq.mt./457000 sq.mt. or 1/1,52,333
– Timing = 5 mins./262800 mins. i.e. 6 months or 1/52,560
– Aizawl population = 1/300,000 (2012 Census)
– Ngaihtuahna = 1/60,000 (Dr. Bruce Davis, 35 to 48 thoughts per minute)
– Bible chang = 1/31102 (Sam 90:12)
Rilru damna = 1/ 4482395502713280000000000
Khawvel pum hi Re.1 coin in phah chhuak vek ta ila, km. 132000 a sang in; chung zinga
pakhat chhinchhiah ruk nei ila. Mitdel in a duh ber Re.1 chhar se, kan chhinchhiah ruk
ngei kha lo ni hlauh ta se..chutiang vel a mak chu a ni ang!

Carl Sagan chuan thilmak chuan a makna ti chiangtu tha a mamawh a ti a, hei hi a mak
tawk viau lo maw?
Bible-a thil makte pawh hi…

▪ Alexander the Great (BC 332) in Puithiam Lalber Jaddua

Jerusalem a tawn dan, Makedonia rama Alexander-a
awm laia a mumang ah chu puithiam a lo hmuh lawk dan
leh Daniala Bu Bung 8 (BC 553) a Greek lal in Persia ram a
hneh tur thu hrilhlawkna hrilh a lo nih thu te Falvius
Josephus-a lehkhabu The Antiquities of the Jews Bu 11,
Bung 8, para 4 & 5 ah a chuang.

▪ Isua thilmak tihte rinhlelh a ni ngai lo. Juda-te Talmud-ah

Isua hminga tihdamna chan a him leh him loh
chungchang an buaipui zawk (Tosefta Hullin 2:22f;
Jerusalem Shabboth 14:4/13; Qohelet Rabbah 1:8(3);
Babylonian Abodah Zarah 27b; Jerusalem Abodah Zarah
2:2/7; Jerusalem Shabboth 14:4/8). Historian Josephus-a
pawhin a lehkhabu lar tak The Antiquities of the Jews bu
18, chang 3-ah Isua chanchin a ziak a, thilmak
(paradoxos) ti thin a ti mai bawk. Arnobius (died 330) in
Isua hminga ramhuai hnawhchhuah a nih thin thu a ziak
(Disputationes Adversus Gentes 1:43)
Thilmak a zawnga ropui ber – Isua
thawhlehna hi a tak a ni ang em?
Enge a pawimawhna?
Judate mite khan hun hnuhnungah taksa thawhlehna a
awm an ring a (Dan. 12:1-3; 1 Enoch 22-27; 92-105; Jub.
23:11-31; 4 Macc 7:3; 4 Ezra 7:26-42; 2 Bar. 21:23; 30:2-5;
Josephus, J.W. 2.8.11 §154; 2.8.14 §165-166; Ant. 18.1.3-5
§14, §16, §18)
Amaherawhchu, Isua hi chuan a thih hnu ni thum ni-ah a
thawhleh tur thu a sawi mauh mai. (Marka 8:31; Matthaia
17:22; Luka 9:22; John 2:19; Mark 14:58; cf. Matthaia 26:61;
Matthaia 12:39; Matthaia 16:4; Matthaia 27:63)
Isuan fiah theih leh chhin theih thu chhal (testable,
falsifiable claim) a siam a, chutah chuan A rintlakna a
innghat. A thusawite hi thleng dik lo ta se, zawlnei der a
ni dawn tihna a ni (Deut. 18:21,22)
1. Kristian zirtirna innghahna
2. Chhandamna kawng (rom 10:9)
3. Vanram kan chan theihna (1 peter 1:3-4)
4. Isuan a sawi lawk thin (matt.12:38-40; 16:1-4; jhn 2:18-21; mrk 14:58;luk 11:29-30)
5. Kristianna dikzia entirnan zirtirten an hmang thin (tirh.17:2-3,8,31;2:22-32;3:15;
Ikor.15:17)
Tuma hnial loh thudik ‘4+1’ te chu…
 Kros a khenbeh in Isua a thi ngei
 Gospel 4-ah, Josephus (Antiquities 18.64), Tacitus (Annals 15.44, AD 115), Lucian of Samosata (Death of
Peregrine 11 -13, AD 150 vel), Mara Bar Separion (tunah British Museum, Syriac Manuscript ah hmuh tur
a awm. 1-3rd century), Talmud (Talmud Sanhedrin 43a, late 2nd century), Jesus Seminar John Dominic
Crossan (Jesus: A Revolutionary Biography, 1991, p. 145)
 A pawimawhna te - He khawvel history-ah Isua a lo chuang chhuak ngei tih a entir; Muslim Quran in
Isua thi lova van a lawn thu (sura 4, ayat 157–158) a paih thla; A thih miau avangin a tho leh a nih ngawt
loh chuan a thi hlen dawn tihna a ni ang
 Zirtirten Isua kha a tho leh ngei a, a in lar ah an ngai
 Kohhran tiduhdahtu Saula tih danglam a ni
 Jakoba, Isua unaupa nun tih danglam a ni
 Thlan ruak
Heng thudik 4 +1 te hi Prof. Gary Habermas, Liberty University in kum 1975 atanga a zir khawl,
thuziak 1400 chuang atanga zir miten an pawm tlan a lak chhuah a ni. Heng thute hi lehkhabu a
ziah pui, Dr. Michael Licona-in hman min phal sak.
Ngaihdan (Theory) awm theite
A zirtirte khan Isua kha a tho leh an ti lo, he thawnthu hi chu tlai Myth Theory
khawhnu a lo piang chhuak a ni

A zirtirte kha bumin a awm a, A tho leh emaw an ti Hallucination Theory;

Muslim mithiam thenkhatte chuan Kros-ah Isua tak tak ni lo, Amah Substitution Theory
ang tak khenbeh a ni tiin an sawi thin (3 classical commentaries on
Surah 4:157 - Tafsir Ibn Kathir, Tafsir Al Jalalayn, Ibn 'Abbas: Judas,
associate of theirs, roman soldier Tatianos/Titawus )

A zirtirten midang hnenah Isua a tho leh angin an sawi a, mi an bum Conspiracy Theory
chiam
A tho leh tak tak Resurrection
 Thu hriat theihte (facts)
A R I S E*
Appearance Regenerated lives Incidence of Sufferings Empty tomb
proclamation

*Prof. Timothy McGrew, Chair of the

Department of Philosophy - Western Michigan
University in ‘ALIVE’ tiin a siam a, ama phalna
in ‘ARISE’ tiin ka ti danglam
Appearance/ Inlarna
Thu inhlanchhawn-ah (eg. 1 Kor. 15:3-7), sermon-ah (Tirh. 2), Gospel
4 ah, Clement of Rome (1st Clement 42:3 to Korinth, AD 30-100,
Philipi 4:3 ami?) & Polycarp (AD 110 Philipi Kohhran hnena a ziak, a
lehkhathawn-ah hian vawi 5 ngawt a ziak); Isua zirtirte, Ignatius,
Tertullian, Origen, Dionysius of Corinth te hian thih ‘sak’ an ngam
Isuan inlarnate kha mi pakhat aia tamah a ni fo.
Hmuh theih mai bakah, thusawi hriat theih, kawm theih, khawih
theih in a in lar (polymodal manifestation).
A inlarna-te kha hun reilote chhung ringawt a ni lo bawk.
A tho leh a ni tih puanchhuahna (creed) pawh a hma khawp mai. 1
Kor. 15:3-7 ah khan greek thumal 50 vel bawr lek, by-heart mai theih
leh inhlanchhawn awlsam takin a pho lan a ni a. Paula khan he thu
hi Isua zuitute hnen atangin Damaska-ah (AD 32 vel) emaw
Jerusalem-ah (AD 35 vel, Gal. 1:18) a dawn a nih a rinawm hle.
Isua thih hun nen a in hnaih em a, A inlarna hi phuahchawp chhuah
hman/chi a ni kher lovang.
Regenerated lives/Nun danglam
Ran thisena inthawi an bansan a
Mosia Dan thuneihna aiin Isua thuthlung an dah chungnung ta zawk
Hnehtu (political) Messia aiin tlantu Messia an pawm ta zawk
Pathianni (a hma a hnathawh ni) an serh chho
Baptisma-in awmze thar a nei
Isua inpekna hriat reng nan Lalpa Zanriah an ching thar
A hmaa zirtir dawihzep tak thinte khan huaisen takin an au chhuak
Kohhran tiduhdahtu thin Saula chu Isua tana mi hrat khawkheng Paula
a lo ni ta. Ama ziak, Luka ziak, Clement of Rome, Polycarp, Tertullian,
Dionysius of Corinth, Origen-a te ziakah kan hmu
Ringtu/zuitu a nih ngai pawh kan hriat loh Isua unau Jakoba chu
Kohhran ‘ban’ tih hial a lo ni a, Jerusalem Inkhawmpui-ah pawh
hruaitu langsar tak, Jerusalem Bishop a ni tih kan hre bawk. Paula ziak
leh Tirhkohte Thiltih Buah Kohhran ban ti a ziah a ni, A martar thu
Josephus, Hegesippus (E), Clement of Alexandria (E) ziakah a chuang
Incidence of proclamation/Thawhleh thu puanna hun
leh hmun
Zirtirte khan tihduhdah nasa tak tuar mahse
Jerusalem-ah an awm tlat a. Kalhlen Kut atanga kar
7 lek-ah zirtirten kut pawimawh hun laiin Isua
thawhleh thu Jerusalem-ah an puang a, ringtu 3000
lai an siam a ni.
Juda Sanhedrin-in an courtna hmun, Rom sawrkar-
in an khenbehna hmun leh an phumna hmun
Jerusalem-ah ngei mai hun rei lote chhungin ‘A tho
leh ta’ tih han au pui chiam mai kha a ni. In bumna
mai ni dawn ta se, thiam loh chantir tuten an
theihnghilh hun emaw, roreltute leh thuneitute an
in transfer hun nghah awm tak a ni a. Mahse,
engemaw tak chu a thleng a ni ngei ang le!
Sufferings/Zirtirte tawrhna
Khawvelah mi hrang hrang-in chhan hrang hrang vangin an lo tuar tawh thin a, an nun
ngei pawh an hlan ngam thin
Isua zuitute khan tho leh Isua tawng ngeia an in hriat avangin tihduhdahna tawrh an
huam a, an rinna avangin thih pawh an thi mai thin a ni. Khawvelah hlawkna hmuh an in
beisei lo, mahse an tuar mai. Isua zirtir 11-te khan an rin avangin nasa takin an tuar vek a,
Johana tih loh chu an martar vek
Martarte kha thuhretute (witness) an ni a, Kristianna tih loh eng sakhua mah chutiang
taka thuhretuten an martar pui a awm lo. An mahni dawt phuahchawp avanga martar duh
leh ngam an awm ngai a rinawm loh
Empty tomb/Thlan ruak
Thlan a ruak tih hi mi thiamten pawm harsa an ti lem lo. Thlan kha ruak lo ta se, Jerusalem-ah khan
zirtirten “A tho leh e” tiin an puang ngam lovang.
Ruang phawrh tur an nei lo a ni teh chek ang, juda thu neituten khawpui hrang hrangah zirtirten Isua
ruang an ru chhuak tiin an sawi kual vel mai mai a ni.
Thlan ruak report hmasa tute kha hmeichhia an ni a. Isua hun lai khan hmeichhe dinhmun a hniam a, an
thu pawh ngaih hlut an ni ngai meuh lo. Chuvang chuan, thlan ruak hi phuahchawp tur ni ta se ziaktute
hian hmeichhiate report an ziak lang ker lovang.
AD 41 velah khan Caesar-an thlan rawk tute tihhlum theih dan a puang a. He dan leh Claudius’an juda-te
Rome khawpui atanga a hnawhchhuah khan inzawmna nei angin a chhui zawn theih. Lal Claudius-a (AD
41-54) hian judate a hnawhchhuah chhan chu Chrestus hming a harsatna (disturbances) an siam thin vang
a ni awm e.
Engtinnge kan chhut?
Bayesian Probability hmangin le..
P(R|E) = P(R) x P(E|R)
[P(R) x P(E|R) + P(R*) x P(E|R*)]

Dr. Stephen Unwin-a tih danglam ang in ka hmang,

P(R|E) = P(R) x P(E|R)
P(R) x P(E|R) + [100% - P(R)] x P(E|R*)
Chu chu,
Pafter= Pbefore X M where, M = P(E|R)/P(E|R*)
Pbefore X M + 100% - Pbefore
Hei hi chu ka siam ve……
Evidence (E) shows R to be true Indifferent Evidence (E) shows R* to be true
Magnitude in scale of 1-10 1 Magnitude in scale of 1-10
1/10~1/2 2/1~10/1
 M M
Evidentiary Areas (E) Factor P(R) R*1 Evidentiary Area (E) Factor P(R) R*3
50.00% 50.00%
E1: Appearance 7 87.50% E1: Appearance 9 90.00%
E2: Regenerated lives 8 98.25% E2: Regenerated lives 9 98.78%
Legend/Mythic Substitution
E3: Incidence of proclamation 6 99.70% E3: Incidence of proclamation 9 99.86%
Theory Theory
E4: Sufferings 9 99.97% E4: Sufferings 9 99.98%
E5: Empty tomb 9 100.00% E5: Empty tomb 9 100.00%
E6: Hume's factor 0.1 99.96% E6: Hume's factor 0.1 99.98%

M M
Evidentiary Areas (E) Factor P(R) R*2 Evidentiary Area (E) Factor P(R) R*4
50.00% 50.00%
E1: Appearance 2 66.67% E1: Appearance 3 75.00%
E2: Regenerated lives 2 80.00% E2: Regenerated lives 8 96.00%
Hallucination Conspiracy
E3: Incidence of proclamation 3 92.31% E3: Incidence of proclamation 2 97.96%
Theory Theory
E4: Sufferings 3 97.30% E4: Sufferings 9 99.77%
E5: Empty tomb 9 99.69% E5: Empty tomb 9 99.97%
E6: Hume's factor 0.1 97.01% E6: Hume's factor 0.1 99.74%
KA LAWM E!