Many of us shudder at the thought of addressing the protests from non-believers. Take heart and know you aren’t alone! It can be extremely scary despite your reason behind hesitating. For me personally, I go through wondering if I can fulfill the part of 1 Peter 3:15 where we are supposed to handle it with “gentleness and respect” and whether I actually will know the answers or not. This should be a huge motivator to study apologetics.
Typically when you think of a skeptic, you think of someone who doesn’t believe what you are telling them. These would be non-believers and can look like someone who is Atheist, Agnostic, or holds a completely different religion from Christianity. Great for you that God has left multiple pieces of evidence in our world that support the claims in the Bible.
Like we touched in the last post (feel free to check it out) there are significant amounts of evidence that support a global flood. One of the most controversial oppositions around the Christian faith is whether or not Jesus existed. Jesus is one person that multiple religions acknowledge despite them giving Him titles like prophet instead. Take Islam for example, they believe that Jesus was a prophet and righteous man, but not a Messiah (Cold Case Christianity). There is information from non-religious historians such as Tacticus that document Jesus’ records as a teacher and how He died (Historical Jesus). This information is available to everyone who wants to search it. Often we run into skeptics that want to poke holes in what the Bible says without looking at the additional information that supports it’s claims.
That all being said, I feel like non-believers aren’t the source we need to be nervous about (not like we should truly be nervous of any). We also have to be wary of those who can be termed Progressive Christians. These are “skeptics” that claim Christianity, but there isn’t much past the title. Dr. Michael Kruger gives a great definition to clear up the term. He says it’s “a version of Christianity that sells itself as a valid option for Christians that on the surface looks a lot like the Christian worldview and may seem in the eyes of many people to be more acceptable, more likeable, a really more palatable version of the faith” (RTS). In other words, they have become known to downgrade our sinful nature, neglect the idea of salvation, and place God in a box that, more or less, demotes the sovereignty that is Him.
Why do they pose a bigger obstacle though? Simply put, they aren’t fans of apologetics and they are able to reference the Bible even if they do so incorrectly. Paul warned us about this in 2 Timothy 4:3-4 though when he said “for the time will come when they will not tolerate sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance with their own desires, and they will turn their ears away from the truth and will turn aside to myths” (NASB).
This process has been infiltrating the church for generations. But it doesn’t have to be any different to address a Progressive Christian than it does a non-believer. Take their thoughts on the idea that God changes as the world changes to fit the needs of the time (NAMB). We can address this by studying our Bible and referencing verses like Hebrews 13:8, Malachi 3:6, or Psalms 119:89 that says “Forever, O Lord, your word is firmly fixed in the heavens” (ESV). All of these contradict their teaching of God changing, therefore poking holes in that theory.
I want you to sit back for a minute. Take a deep breath and think. Who do you encounter that has differing views than you? All of us have at least one or two people that come to mind. These don’t have to be tense interactions, but I am curious to who you talk with that doesn’t believe the way you do. I want you to think about what separates your views from theirs and how you have reacted. How can you react different the next time the conversation comes up?
Either audience will require different skills. But if we go back and aim to emulate the Bereans, we will be prepared. Knowing your Bible and studying the evidence left in the world by God will help you. Don’t be afraid.
Take a peak!
Historical Jesus by Gary Habermas
Historical Reliability of the New Testament by Craig L. Blomberg
Sources
- Cold Case Christianity. “Who Is Jesus, According To Other Religions?” Jesus. Last modified December 4, 2017. https://coldcasechristianity.com/writings/who-is-jesus-according-to-other-religions/.
- Habermas, Gary R. The Historical Jesus. Missouri: College Press Publishing Company, 1996.
- RTS. “What is progressive Christianity.” Resources. Last modified November 3, 2020. https://rts.edu/resources/what-is-progressive-christianity/
- The Old Paths. “Who is a Christian according to the Bible?” Who is a Christian? Last modified N.A. https://www.oldpaths.com/Archive/Davison/Roy/Allen/1940/WhoIsAChristian
- NAMB. “Progressive Christianity is as Much of a Threat to Your Kids’ Faith as Atheism.” Apologetics. Last modified October 25, 2017. https://www.namb.net/apologetics/resource/progressive-christianity-is-as-much-of-a-threat-to-your-kids-faith-as-atheism
