BI 370 Midterm - Sleeth

T/F we are not trying to protect an institution or a culture

True

Why Apologetics?

1. For spiritual growth

2. For discipleship

3. To evangelize

T/F evangelism is a process/journey

True

to give a reason or defense

apologia

what are the two categories of Apologetics?

offensive and defensive

making a case for the Christian worldview to anyone who will listen

offensive

answering objections and challenges to the Christian worldview

Defensive

1 Peter 3:8-16

Give an answer

means to stay calm under pressure and controlling your spirit when under attack

meek

as in fearing God and understanding the seriousness of what we are doing

fear

means to put to silence or stopping the challenge

ashamed

Jude 3-4

defend the faith

T/F confrontation is Biblical

True

means intentionally and passionately

earnestly

Titus 1:9-13

Bible is the foundation

2 Cor. 10:3-5

worldview conformity

why is there a need for apologetics?

1. Biblical illiteracy

2. Post-Christian thinking

3. Open hostility

4. Opposing religions

the exercise of Bible-informed discernment in order to determine whether human behavior and beliefs are moral and immoral

judgment

weve all struggled with sin

Compassion

extending mercy, engaging what they believe and the way they think

pitiful

be respectful, do not call them names

courtesy

we cannot hold others accountable for their actions and beliefs if were not being held accountable for our actions or beliefs

eschew evil

the conclusion to believe the doctrinal truths revealed by God based upon the obvious evidence observed from Gods interaction with mankind

Faith

a God given capacity to seek the truth and to acquire genuine knowledge.

reason

faith and reason are what?

complementary and contradictory

the logical process of saving faith

Romans 10:13-17

evidence leads to/confirms faith

John 20:30-31

what are the different categories of apologetics?

1. Classical

2. Evidential

3. Presuppostional

Relies on logic

classical apologetics

relies on evidence

evidential

relies on Scripture

presuppositional

argument that man cannot make sense of anything without the truth of God

transcendental argument

Why ask questions?

1. Questions get you going

2. Questions get you valuable intel

3. Questions protect you from having to defend your view

4. Questions provide for an easy exit

what do you mean by that?

1. Provides clarity

2. Provides info related to their position

3. Buys you time to think

how did you come to that conclusion?

1. Puts them on the defense

2. Helps you know if you are in over your head

a way of thinking and behaving based upon Gods revelation that provides a filter through which every idea is evaluated, and every experience is interpreted

Biblical worldview

what is the purpose of a worldview?

1. Answers the "big questions" of life

2. Provides a framework for making logically and morally consistent decisions

what are the components of a worldview?

1. Core beliefs

2. Meta narrative

3. Resulting behavior

core beliefs must be logically consistent

coherence

truth claims must correspond to objective reality

correspondance

a God-given capacity to seek the truth and to acquire genuine knowledge. It is a tool for engaging in critical thinking such as drawing sound conclusions from true premises

reason/logic

laws of logic are universal

apply everywhere, at all times, to all people

laws of logic are invariant

do not change over time

laws of Logic are abstract

they are conclusions based in observed realities

states that a statement cannot be both true and false at the same time

The law of non-contradiction

states that if a statement is true, then the statement is true

Law of identity

says that a statement is either true or false. There is no other alternative

The law of the excluded middle

Creating and attacking an absurdly distorted position

Straw Man Argument

Incorrectly applying the Law of the Excluded Middle

False Dichotomy

Ignoring historical/common definitions of key terms in order to promote a narrative

Redefining Term

Judging an argument based on its origin (source), rather than the merits of the argument itself

Genetic Fallacy

Attacking the person making the argument instead of addressing the argument itself

Ad Hominem Attack

Believed that all data is processed through the senses and the mind, the senses and the mind can be deceived, therefore there is no way to be certain of the truth they present

Immanuel Kant

a statement is meaningful if it is either...

1. True by definition - like logic or math

2. Empirically verifiable - testable by experience or observation

comes from outside of us, its not dependent on our will. Discovered and confirmed outside of personal preference or perception. Results in moral obligations

Objective Truth

comes from within us. determined by preference and opinion. subjective truth is just as valid as objective truth

Subjective truth

It is right therefore God commands it or God commands it, therefore it is right

The Euthyphro Dilemma

God is a God of truth

Deut. 32:4

Jesus is the truth

John 14:6

Spirit is the truth

John 15:26

Word of God is truth

John 17:17

T/F all truth claims MUST be consistent with God's nature, God's Word, and God's created order

True

dismisses truth claims without reasoned consideration and examination

Skepticism

avoids examine truth claims by claiming a lack of evidence

Evasive Agnosticism

no knowledge, there is not enough knowledge to know for sure

Gnostic

vehement and irrationally negative rejection of truth claims

Cynicism

irrationally positive ignorance of truth claims

Naïve optimism

unwilling to consider opposing truth claims

Narrow mindedness

indiscriminately accepting truth claims already proven to be false

Open-mindedness

emotion rather than reason, feelings rather than facts drive conclusions regarding truth claims

Emotional Argumentation

eyewitness accounts, fossil record, geologic strata, DNA, etc.

evidence

The evidence is so abundant and so conclusive that no reasonable person can deny the truth it presents

Proof

The Standard for Reasonable Faith is the _________________

the preponderance of evdidence

the standard of proof in most civil cases in which the party bearing the burden of proof must present evidence which shows that the fact to be proven is more probable than not, this is not the highest standard

The preponderance of evidence

Latin - "from the earlier" refers to arguments based in logic rather than empirical evidence

A Priori

Whatever begins to exist has a cause of its existence (the impossibility of traversing the infinite regress)

The Cosmological Argument

Order and design must have an ordered and a designer

The Teleological Argument

The ability to conceive of God points to His existence

The Ontological Argument

A universal sense of morality is present in mankind. If God does not exist, objective moral values and duties do not exist. Objective moral values and duties do exists. Therefore, God exists

The Moral Argument

Information from God or about God that is "generally" available to man

General Revelation

Creation bears witness to God's glory

Psalm 19:1-6

GR is clear and understandable

Romans 1:19-20

Human nature includes an intuitive sense of morality

Romans 2:14-15

God is self-existing, eternal, and all-powerful creator, whereas we human beings are dependent, temporal, and feeble creatures

Ontological gap

we are limited in our capacity to know and understand, especially to know and understand a being who is transcendent and radically different from us

Epistemological gap

God is holy and morally perfect being, and we are depraved and self-centered creatures, and our sin separates us from God and darkens our minds to truth.

Moral gap

information about God we cannot discern from GR

Special Revelation

given to all, intended for all, sufficient for condemnation, declares God's greatness

General Revelation

given to few, intended for all, sufficient for salvation, declares God's grace

Special Revelation

the words (not just thoughts, ideas, or concepts) are inspired

Verbal inspiration

the entire Bible is inspired (not just spiritual content)

Plenary inspiration

Verses: Inspiration

1. II Timothy 3:16-17

2. II Peter 1:20-21

God superintended the human authors of the Bible so that, using their own personalities and writing styles, they composed exactly what He intended

inspiration

The Bible is without error in every detail (theological, historical, scientific, etc. references are accurate and trustworthy)

Inerrancy

Verse: Inerrancy

1 John 1:5

God has protected the Bible from corruption throughout the ages.

Preservation

Verse: Preservation

Mathew 5:18

1947

Dead Sea scrolls

1961

pilate stone

1990

caiaphas ossuary