This week on the podcast, we have released part two of our conversation with Dr. Travis Coblentz on the importance of Apologetics in the Christian faith as a college student. If you have not listened to those episodes, be sure you do and allow them to challenge you in your faith.
We know that this is a difficult topic, and not just for someone your age. This is difficult for most Christians as we all feel somewhat unprepared to express what it is that we believe. In 1 Peter 3:15, we read: “But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.” This short verse is loaded with ways to help us understand Apologetics and the need for it.
First, we are to revere Christ in our hearts. To revere is to have a deep respect for something. To have a deep respect for Christ means that we follow Jesus and obey his teachings. Proverbs 1:7 tells us that the fear (or reverence) of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge. The more we revere Him, the more we will know Him, and the more confident we will be in sharing about Him with others.
Secondly, this passage suggests that we should be ready and prepared to express what we believe. This means that we need to study and practice. If you are prepared for an exam, what does that mean you have done? The same goes for being prepared to give an answer as well.
Thirdly, note that you are giving an answer, not picking a fight. The Christian is not the aggressor in this situation but rather the claim provider of truth when asked to give a reason. Peter even adds that we should do so with gentleness and respect.
The fourth and final thing to notice from this passage is that, as Christians, our hope is evident to the one without it. We are told to give an answer for the reason of our hope. This means that someone has seen that you possess a level of hope that is unusual and different from themselves. This doesn’t mean that you won’t be aggressively challenged; you probably will be. Many times, people see something in someone else that they either want or can’t explain, and they respond with anger and jealousy. We should be prepared for that, too.
Below are four important passages to encourage you to be prepared to live out the truth you believe in Christ. Later this week, on this blog, you will see a list of videos that answer important questions about the Bible, Theology, and Science. Spend time watching these clips to help you prepare to give an answer for the reason of your hope.
2 Corinthians 10:5 “We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”
Colossians 2:8 “See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ.”
Colossians 4:5–6 “Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.”
1 Corinthians 15:3–8 “For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, and then to the Twelve. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born.”