Many people are interested in apologetics. But there is a huge difference between being a fan of apologetics and being an effective apologist who is having a positive impact for the kingdom of God. Consider these five keys.
1. Nurture your own spiritual life. It is so tempting to rush into that debate with an atheist. However, we must always start with our own spiritual foundation. There is a reason why we hear stories of former Christian apologists leaving the faith. Strengthen your own faith. Read the Bible, not to find apologetic arguments but to learn more about God and to draw closer to Jesus Christ. Spend time in prayer. Worship God, not just with your mind but with every part of your being.
2. Be a student. This means taking courses and being involved in formal education. It also means books, conferences, blogs, podcasts and so on. One of the most important parts of being a student is fellowship with other apologists. Do not compare yourself to see who is more successful but learn from one another and encourage each other. The form of learning that is most often forgotten is that of learning from the people you are speaking to, whether they are atheists, people of other religions or any type of skeptic. We are so quick put forward our arguments but there is value in being quiet and learning from them.
3. Be flexible. There is no one apologetic formula. You may have success with one person with one tactic, but that does not mean that will work with everyone. In the Old Testament, Joshua did not attack the other cities the way he did Jericho. In the New Testament, we see both Jesus and Paul changing their approaches based on who they were talking to. Apologetics is not about implementing a program, it is about interacting with real people.
4. Treat people with respect. Our goal should not be to win an argument, it should be to remove barriers so that people will come to faith. We look to 1 Peter 3:15 as our call to apologetics, but it also reminds us to do it with gentleness and respect. We may disagree with a person, we may even be offended by their beliefs, but we should never treat another person harshly. No matter what, they are created in the image of God and they should be treated accordingly.
5. Actually do apologetics. Apologetics is very interesting. It is fun to talk to other Christians about apologetics. But it is a waste of time if we don’t actually do it. Talk to non-Christians and to struggling Christians. Help them to work through their questions. The internet is a good resource to do this but I would encourage you to meet face-to-face with people. It is not as scary as you think.
These suggestions will not turn you into a William Lane Craig or a Ravi Zacharias, but they will help you to be a more effective apologist. God has gifted you with abilities and knowledge. Now go and do something with it.
- Apologetics
