Apologetics to the Glory of God

Category: Objections and Misconceptions

  • Three Ways Apologetics Will Change in the Near Future

    Apologetics change based upon the context in which they are used. In the years to come, apologetics will change in at least three ways:

    1. Necessary Apologetics

    Apologists will be lobbyists rather than hobbyists. The necessity of defending the Christian faith will be impressed upon Christians in a way it has not been in recent years. Look for apologetic arguments to focus more upon defending Christians from unnecessary persecution by the society and the state and less upon abstract theological particulars or classical theism.

    2. Explanatory Apologetics

    As biblical illiteracy and anti-intellectual emotionalism continue to permeate the church and loose …

  • A Conversation About Categories

    There are particular buzzwords in the air these days. Of course, there are buzzwords in the air every day – and always have been. One of the hot-buttons these days is “transgender”. With the media circus surrounding Bruce Jenner, it is in an impossible glare. The media’s feeding frenzies know no bounds, and the level of rhetoric and sheer hyperbole is shocking, even to a jaded student of mass media narrative creation.

    The problem is, the left is in a pickle when it comes to “transgender” – much as it is in a pickle concerning “bisexuals.” With the latter, on …

  • The Theological Bases

    The other day, I posted a reply to Andrew, at “Entertaining Christianity.” He has since responded. We’ve chatted a bit privately, as well, but my time constraints tend to curtail things, occasionally.

    Essentially, I think there’s a bit of miscommunication on his part about what, exactly, the problems were with his post. As I pointed out to him, that could very well be due to our rather different backgrounds, theologically speaking. From our conversation, I gathered that he was confused by what I meant by “omnibenevolence” in the context I used it in. As others have pointed out, …

  • Irrationality is not a Response

    I encountered a rather unfortunate blog post today. Upon examining it, and the posts it links to, I think it would be helpful to respond to, albeit briefly.

    First, just to get it out of the way – why on earth would you use such appalling language when dealing, at least putatively, with Christian doctrine? (Let alone any other time.) It is, quite simply, outrageous on any level.

    Second, while I’m sure Jon Stewart (and his devoted fans) are quite convinced that he is the epitome of the witty bon mot – he quite typically fails, rather spectacularly, in …

  • Dr. Craig on the role of the Holy Spirit in unbelievers

    “Here (John 16:7-11) the Holy Spirit’s ministry is threefold: he convicts the unbeliever of his own sin, of God’s righteousness, and of his condemnation before God. The unbeliever so convicted can therefore be said to know such truths as “God exists,” “I am guilty before God,” and so forth.

    This is the way it has to be. For if it weren’t for the work of the Holy Spirit, no one would ever become a Christian. According to Paul, natural man left to himself does not even seek God: “None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands, no one seeks

    …

  • Reconciliation, not introduction.

    2 Cor 5:17-21 ESV
    Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.  For our sake he made him …

  • Mr. White, Mr. Grey, and Mr. Black IX

    It’s been a while! We will, however, pick up from where we left off in this exchange, and examine Mr. Black’s reply to Mr. Grey.

    “Well,” says Mr. Black, “this is great news indeed. I knew that the modernists were willing with us to start from human experience as the final reference point in all research. I knew that they were willing with us to start from Chance as the source of facts, in order then to manufacture such facts of nature and of history as the law of non-contradiction, based on Chance, will allow. I also knew that the

    …

  • Around and Around We Go

    “There are a number of frustrations associated with these objections to circularity, not the least of which is that the authors are either unaware of, or choose to ignore, the responses that have been given to them. The objections continue to be offered, without any reference to responses given”

    Read more of Scott Oliphint’s article on responding to the tired charge of fallacious circular reasoning against presuppositionalism here:

    http://www.reformation21.org/articles/around-and-around-we-go.php…

  • The Covenantal Apologetic: Principles to Practice

    It cannot be sufficiently stressed that the covenantal apologetic is first and foremost a Reformed apologetic.  Consistently, a practitioner will be Confessional, therefore Covenantal and Calvinistic.  These are sometimes called the “3 Cs.”  This is not being stressed for a subjectivistic “purity’s” sake, nor for controversialism’s sake.  It is being stressed for the sake of consistency.  First and foremost in Reformed theology is the doctrine of the sufficiency of Scripture.  From Scripture, we also have revealed the doctrine of God, and all of the other doctrines we believe and hold to.  Consistent with these doctrines, we preach, and we …

  • Jeremiah 31 and Newness

    Most Covenantal discussions revolve around what, precisely, is new about the New Covenant.  Much ink has been spilled, and literary armies have marched forth to battle on the strength of this one word.  A newer entrant to the lists has their own opinion on the matter, and believes that the newness consists in a complete distinction from the old.  As one adherent of New Covenant Theology stated to me in conversation, the difference lies in “newness” and “not like”.  In a sense, this is true. What we bring to bear on these words, presuppositionally, will determine what we think they …