Apologetics and Evangelism

As Christians we need to be answering the questions that people are asking, and we need to be able to answer the objections that people bring up.

Differences of World View

Almost all unbelievers have a different world view than we have as Christians. We need to know about their world view and its deficiencies. More importantly, we also need to know our beliefs thoroughly.

What Christians Need to Know

1. What we believe
2. Why we believe what we believe
3. How to explain it logically to unbelievers

We Don't Need to Know Everything

The good news is that we don't need to know everything about everything. Most unbelievers are not skilled at bringing up objections, and many are not even convinced of their objections, because they have not thought them through.

Objections to Biblical Christianity

There are about a dozen standard objections you will hear. You will rarely hear others, except from militant atheists or cultists.

When they ask a question or bring up an objection, take it seriously. Answer it carefully. If you don't know the answer, don't be ashamed to tell them. Tell them, "I'm not sure I can answer your question thoroughly, but I'd love to research it and get back to you."

If you don't have the answer to their question, that doesn't mean it does not exist. It just means that you haven't studied it thoroughly yet.

What Not to Do When Someone Objects to Christianity

1. Don't be intimidated.
   
   They don't know what you know. They might be better versed in what they believe, but they don't know what you know. And the don't know WHO you know.
   
   They might know more about science or history or other subjects than you do. That doesn't mean they are right in their beliefs. And just because they may have a lot of information, it doesn't mean they have correct information. The big gap in their knowledge is the knowledge that leads to eternal life. (John 17:3).
   
   Even if they are better versed in their beliefs (or lack of beliefs) than you are, they have not dealt with the evidence for Christ. Either...
   
2. 1. They are ignorant of the evidence (more than 95% of people) OR
   2. They have seen the evidence and have decided they don't want to acknowledge it for their own personal reasons.
      
3. Don't cop out.
   
   You can't just say, "you just take it by faith." No, no, no, don't ever say that!! (Did I make my point strong enough? Never say that when you are trying to answer a question when you don't know the answer).
   
   That is NOT a reasonable answer. You are just admitting that you don't know the answer to their question or objection. Worse yet, you are communicating that there is no logical answer to their question, when there really is one.
   
   Faith is not believing something you want to believe in when there is no evidence. Faith is believing the evidence.
   
4. Don't be arrogant.
   
   Answer objections clearly, logically and with humility. Don't tout your superior knowledge. Don't ridicule people for their bad beliefs or lack of proper knowledge. Your job is to present Christ clearly and logically. Your job is not to win an argument, but to attract them to the One who can save their souls. You do that by your words and by your demeanor. 

What to Do if a Skeptic "Ties You Up in Knots"

Some people are very skilled at arguing or debating. They can be very convincing even if their arguments are thoroughly indefensible. They could sell ice cubes to Eskimos. So, what do you do?

Get the focus off their argument for a minute. Compliment them sincerely on their verbal skills.

"Wow, you are very skilled at presenting an argument. Did you study that, or did it come natural to you?"

Or, you could say something like this: "You are really passionate about what you believe. Have  you ever taken an objective look at the evidence for the other side, or have you only looked at the representations made by the people who hold your opinion?"

Once you have broken the flow with your compliment and question, try to take control of the conversation. You can say something like this:

"I certainly don't have your verbal skills. However, I'd like you to consider the evidence that I'm sure you have never seen. Could I recommend a book to you? I guarantee it will stimulate your thinking. I'd like to recommend More Than a Carpenter."

At that point you might want to hook them up with someone who is better prepared to deal with them, for the same reason your family doctor might refer you to a specialist.

Recommended Web Sites for Apologetics Training

Christian Apologetics & Research Ministry

Windmill Ministries

Stand to Reason
Greg Koukl, who operates this ministry, is an outstanding apologist with a burden for reaching the lost. I highly recommend him and his material.

Rational Christianity 
This site looks very plain. Don't let the looks fool you. There is a lot of valuable information on the issues that people use to keep them from coming to Christ.