Why Apologetics?
- Kierstin O'Brien
- Sep 13
- 4 min read
Have you ever had a friend who was struggling with their faith?
Has a loved one ever walked away from God?
Is there a family member in your life that doesn’t know God and seems to always be belittling your faith?
Chances are, you said yes to at least one of those questions because you know someone who fits into one of those categories. And if you’re anything like me, your heart breaks to know that the person you know and love is far from their Savior. “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” Luke 19:10. Jesus wept for the lost and had deep compassion for them. It makes sense then, that those who are being conformed to His likeness, would likewise be brokenhearted and burdened for the lost.
So what do we do? We pray, we try to connect with them, we share the Good News… But what happens when there are questions we can’t answer? How do you answer objections about sickness, suffering, evil, and loss? How do you defend the faith when the arguments launched against you would accuse you and your Savior of being unloving, uncaring, or uninformed about the way the world works? This is where the benefit of apologetics comes in.
A Biblical Foundation
The goal of Christian apologetics is to provide reason and evidence that Christianity is true to the people who do not yet believe in it. It does this by attempting to bridge the gap between unbelief and belief by presenting solid reasons and evidence that Christianity is rooted in reality and worthy of their belief.
The term apologetics comes from the Greek word apologia, which can be found in 1 Peter 3:15 a well known passage on suffering for Christ. Here is where we get a clear depiction of what apologetics is meant to be Biblically.
1 Peter 3:13-16 says, “Now, who will want to harm you if you are eager to do good? But even if you suffer for doing what is right, God will reward you for it. So don’t worry or be afraid of their threats. Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it. But do this in a gentle and respectful way. Keep your conscience clear. Then if people speak against you, they will be ashamed when they see what a good life you live because you belong to Christ.” New Living Translation (emphasis added)
Apologia comes from the Greek words apó (from) and lógos (intelligent reasoning). HELPS Word-Studies defines apologia as: “a well-reasoned reply; a thought-out response to adequately address the issue(s) that is raised.”
Another passage to impress upon us the gravity and necessity to be everyday apologists is found in 2 Timothy. This passage helps to give us the reason behind the need for us to be well-versed in apologetics.
2 Timothy 2:23-26 says, “Again I say, don’t get involved in foolish, ignorant arguments that only start fights. A servant of the Lord must not quarrel but must be kind to everyone, be able to teach, and be patient with difficult people. Gently instruct those who oppose the truth. Perhaps God will change those people’s hearts, and they will learn the truth. Then they will come to their senses and escape from the devil’s trap. For they have been held captive by him to do whatever he wants.” New Living Translation
Why must we engage in apologetics? So that perhaps the Lord may grant those who are lost freedom from Satan’s lies and captivity. How must we do this? Gently and respectfully, with patience and grace towards the one who is lost. What is our goal in doing this? The goal of Christian apologetics is to set captives free.
Where do I start?
I fully recognize that this can be an overwhelming and intimidating field of study to consider, but here are some helpful hints to encourage you as you start:
Pray first. Always.
Realize that anything and everything you do and say may be right and true, but it is the Holy Spirit’s job to bring about the heart change. Only He can accomplish that goal. Don’t pressure yourself to deliver results that are not yours to deliver.
Start with trying to understand the other person’s point of view. Ask them questions and make sure you try and get to the root of their issue with faith in God.
Be willing to look into their objections and questions. If you don’t know an answer, don’t give one! The grace and humility wrapped up in just being willing to not have all the answers is such a blessing and often paves the way for more conversations.
Actually follow through with looking into their questions and objections. This is key!
Start learning about apologetics as a whole. We’re going to link some great resources to get you started, as well as targeted resources to help you tackle specific areas your loved ones may be struggling in. But to start, I always like to recommend Tactics by Greg Koukl, and Mama Bear Apologetics: Empowering Your kids to Challenge Cultural Lies by Hillary Morgan Ferrer. These two books have been the MOST helpful beginning to the foundation of my apologetics study.
Most of all, be encouraged! If they are open to having these conversations with you then the Holy Spirit is at work in their hearts. Praise the Lord and keep showing up! Apologetics is for every believer. We are called to be able to give a well-reasoned answer for questions about our faith. Here is a resource to help guide you as you begin to study apologetics more deeply.
If you missed our Apologetics Episode on The Grace Raised Podcast here is a short clip from the episode: With All Our Minds: An Intro In Apologetics with Kierstin O'Brien
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