Apologetics Final – Study Guide

Definition of Apologetics

• The practice of making an appeal and a defense of the Christian faith.
• Most apologetics in Scripture involves believers addressing other believers.

Apologetic Methodologies Approach

• Classical: Philosophical/logical approach that argues for general theism before defending Christianity.
• Evidentialist: "Single-step" method that uses historical and scientific evidence for Christian truth claims.
• Presuppositional: Emphasizes the noetic effects of sin; argues Christianity is the necessary foundation for reason (noetic effects of sin).
• Experiential/Narrative: Appeals to human longing and imagination; shows how Christianity best explains reality.

Arguments for God’s Existence

• Cosmological Argument
  • Everything that begins to exist has a cause.
  • The universe began to exist → it must have a cause → that cause is God.
  • The Big Bang Theory supports this by affirming a beginning.
• Ontological Argument (Anselm)
  • Defines God as “a being than which none greater can be conceived.”
  • Existence in reality is greater than existence in the mind; therefore, God must exist.
  • Gaunilo’s island critique: An argument can be misused to "prove" imaginary things.
• Teleological Argument
  • The universe has intricate order and design, implying a Designer.
  • Watchmaker Analogy: A watch’s complexity implies a maker; so does the universe.
• Moral Argument
  • Objective moral values and duties exist and are best explained by a moral lawgiver—God.

Science and Faith

• Science depends on two assumptions that it cannot prove:
  • The rationality of the universe.
  • The rationality of the human mind.
• Christianity supports science because it teaches the universe is created by a rational God.

Truth and Worldview Challenges

• Relativism: Self-refuting because it makes an absolute claim that no absolutes exist.
• Religious Pluralism: Illogical because it claims all religions are true while denying exclusivity.
• Moral Relativism: Belief that right and wrong depend on personal or cultural preferences.

Jesus and the Gospels

• Most Common Title: Jesus most often called Himself the Son of Man (Daniel 7 reference).
  • "Son of Man": Communicates deity.
• New Testament: Teaches that Jesus is equal to and one with God.
• Old Testament: Points to Jesus through prophecy, promise, and types and shadows.
• Psalms: Anticipate a king who will rule universally.
• Jesus’ Predictions: He predicted His death and resurrection.
• Key Witnesses: James and Paul were unlikely converts who later affirmed Jesus' resurrection.
• Women at the Tomb: Their role adds credibility to the resurrection account due to their low social status at the time.
• Hallucination Theory Refuted: Group hallucinations are scientifically impossible.

Scripture and Canon

• Dead Sea Scrolls: Confirm the reliability of the Masoretic Text due to remarkable consistency.
• Apocrypha/Deuterocanonical Books: Valued historically but not considered inspired Scripture.

Judaism

• Sacred Text: The Tanak (Torah, Prophets, Writings).
• Key Holiday: Passover commemorates the Exodus from Egypt.
• Historical Shift: Rabbinic Judaism emerged after the destruction of the Second Temple in A.D. 70.

Islam

• Jesus: Regarded as a prophet, not divine, and not crucified or resurrected.
• Core Beliefs:
  • Shahadah: The Muslim confession of faith.
  • Quran: Primary holy book.
  • Muhammad: Considered the final prophet.
  • Islam: Means “submission.”

Hinduism

• Know these Terms:
  • Moksha
  • Karma

Mormonism

• Joseph Smith’s visions and the Gold Plates
• Belief about God
• Salvation in Mormonism

Jehovah Witness

• Anti-trinitarian
• Jesus is a created being
• New World Translation is their Bible

Sexual Ethics and Biblical Interpretation

• Arsenokoitai: Paul uses this Greek term to reference Leviticus 18 and 20, showing continuity between the Law and New Testament sexual ethics.
• Biblical Marriage Metaphor: Same-sex unions cannot represent God’s covenant love because they lack the distinction and complementarity of male and female as designed by God.
• Authorial Intent: Biblical interpretation should focus on what the author meant to communicate, not the reader’s feelings or modern relevance.

Progressive Christianity

• Core Traits: Reinterprets historic Christian doctrines to align with modern culture.
• Key Doctrines Often Rejected: Sin is frequently redefined or downplayed in progressive theology.