Acts of the Apostles and Christian Apologetics Flashcards

Acts Chapter 1: The Ascension and the Appointment of Matthias

The central event opening the first chapter of the Acts of the Apostles is the ascension of Jesus into heaven, which occurred following His promise that the Holy Spirit would be sent to His followers. Before departing, Jesus provided a specific command to the apostles, mandating that they wait in Jerusalem for the forthcoming baptism of the Holy Spirit. This instruction was coupled with a clear directive regarding their future role as witnesses. According to the text in $Acts 1:8$, their ministry was to ripple outward from their immediate location, spanning first in Jerusalem, then through all of Judea and Samaria, and eventually reaching to the very ends of the earth. Following the death of Judas Iscariot, the community sought a replacement to restore the number of apostles to twelve. They engaged in prayer and utilized the method of casting lots to make the selection, leading to Matthias being chosen to replace Judas.

Acts Chapter 2: Pentecost and the Birth of the Church

The Day of Pentecost serves as a pivotal moment in the early church, marked by the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the believers. This event was manifested physically as the Holy Spirit came down in a manner described as tongues of fire, which empowered those present to speak in other languages, also referred to as tongues. In the midst of this phenomenon, Peter stood to preach the main sermon of the day. In his delivery, Peter relied heavily on Old Testament prophecy as the primary evidence to prove that Jesus was indeed the long-awaited Messiah. The reaction from the gathered crowd was profound; the text notes they were "cut to the heart" and sought guidance on how to respond. Peter's instructions were direct: he called for them to repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ so that their sins could be forgiven. This single day resulted in a massive expansion of the movement, with approximately $3,000$ souls added to the church.

Acts Chapter 3: The Healing of the Lame Beggar

Chapter three details a significant miracle performed by Peter and John at the temple gate known as "Beautiful." They encountered a man who had been lame since birth. When the man sought help, Peter famously declared, "Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk." The physical healing was immediate, prompting a crowd to gather in astonishment at Solomon's Colonnade. Peter seized this moment to preach his second major sermon. During this address, he once again called for the people to repent, explaining that through repentance, their sins could be "blotted out."

Philosophical and Apologetics Concepts: Faith and Reasoning

A foundational concept in contemporary apologetics is the idea that "everybody has faith." This principle suggests that faith is not a quality exclusive to religious individuals; rather, everyone places their trust or faith in something. Even atheists and skeptics exercise faith by trusting in science, the power of human reason, or the specific belief that God does not exist. However, logic must be applied carefully to avoid fallacies, such as circular reasoning. Circular reasoning is a logical error where the premise of an argument contains the conclusion it is trying to prove. An example of this is the claim: "The Bible is true because God wrote it, and we know God wrote it because the Bible says so." Furthermore, the material emphasizes the necessity of implementation, stating that information apart from application is insanity. This implies that having knowledge of spiritual facts or truths is meaningless if it is not actively applied to how one conducts their life.

The Examined Life and the Classification of Sin

Reflecting the ideas of Socrates, the text underscores that "the unexamined life is not worth living," suggesting that self-reflection and questioning are essential for a meaningful existence. In the context of theology and morality, sin is divided into two distinct categories. The first is the Sin of Omission, which is defined as knowing the good one ought to do but failing to perform it, as referenced in $James 4:17$. The second is the Sin of Commission, which involves a willful and active act of disobedience, specifically performing an action that God has explicitly commanded against.

Formal Arguments for the Existence of God: Cosmological and Teleological

Two major arguments are presented to support the existence of God. The Cosmological Argument, also known as the Argument from First Cause, is built upon a logical syllogism: everything that begins to exist has a cause; the universe began to exist; therefore, the universe must have a cause. When examining the nature of such a cause, it is concluded that it must be spaceless, timeless, uncaused, powerful, and immaterial, as it exists logically prior to the creation of space, time, matter, and energy. The second argument is the Teleological Argument, often referred to as the Fine-Tuning argument. This posits that the universe exhibits highly complex and precise conditions that are necessary to sustain life. The existence of such meticulous parameters implies that an intelligent Designer is responsible for the universe's structure.

The Absurdity of Life Without God and Faith Paths

The "Absurdity Lecture" presents the perspective that Christianity provides the two necessary conditions for a fulfilling life, which are ultimate meaning or purpose and ultimate value. The argument suggests that without God and the concept of immortality, life ultimately lacks these qualities. In contrast to this is the Relativistical Faith Path. This perspective views truth and faith as entirely subjective, clinging to the belief that truth is determined by the individual—meaning what is "true for you" may not be "true for me." This path rejects the existence of absolute truth in favor of personal perspective.

Definitions of Divine and Faithful Concepts

God is defined as the supreme being and the creator and ruler of the universe. The attributes of God include being self-existent, eternal, and perfect in power, knowledge, and goodness. Faith is analyzed through its historical three-fold definition: Notitia, which is the understanding of the facts; Assensus, which is the intellectual belief that those facts are true; and Fiducia, which is the personal trust in and commitment to those facts.

Scripture Memorization and the Early Church Movement

A key verse for study is $1 Thessalonians 5:21-22$, which instructs: "Test them all; hold on to what is good, reject every kind of evil." Some translations render the latter half as "Abstain from all appearance of evil." Additionally, when studying the history of the early movement, it is important to note the transition of the church from a persecuted Jewish sect into a global movement led by the Apostles. This transition was marked by the heavy price the Apostles paid to spread the Gospel following the resurrection of Jesus.

Categorization of Barriers to Faith and the Miracles of John

In the study of apologetics, ten common barriers to faith are identified, grouped into three main types. Intellectual Barriers include pride and unanswered questions regarding the relationship between science and faith. Emotional Barriers stem from pain, suffering, or negative experiences with Christians or the church. Volitional Barriers are rooted in the desire for autonomy, where an individual wishes to remain the "boss" of their own life through sin or control. Furthermore, the Gospel of John highlights seven specific miracles or signs. These are, in order: turning water into wine ($John 2$), healing the official's son ($John 4$), healing the paralytic at Bethesda ($John 5$), feeding the $5,000$ ($John 6$), walking on water ($John 6$), healing the man born blind ($John 9$), and raising Lazarus from the dead ($John 11$).