Many people may hear charges against the Bible, such as “The Bible has gone through numerous translations,” “Some men chose the books of the Bible,” or “If you believe the Bible, you must be anti-science.” All these accusations have the same aim. It is to say that we cannot depend on the Bible for what it says. Their claims have some truth in them, but their conclusions are wrong. Let’s take a look at them each. Some may say, “The Bible has gone through numerous translations.” Yes, the Bible has gone through numerous translations, but the Bible’s message remains the same. In fact, because of the translation process, the Bible, and the message of the gospel, could have spread to many nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues (Rev. 7:9). Others say, “Some men chose the books of the Bible.” Yes, some men, known as the Council of Hippo (AD 393) and the Council of Carthage (AD 397), affirmed the 27 books of the New Testament, but there was a gradual process for them to recognize the canon of the Bible. There’s much more to the story than just men picking out some books. Some may accuse, “If you believe the Bible, you must be anti-science.” Yes, not everything in the Bible can be explained through modern science, but that does not mean the Bible is anti-science. There are many things in the world that modern science cannot explain, but that does not mean we should deny their existence or ignore them. Many distinguished scientists who are believers in both the supernatural and the God of the Bible admit that science and faith do not conflict.
You see, believers must be prepared to answer the criticism of nonbelievers. We live in a time when there are many criticisms of the Christian faith, especially regarding the Bible. One may be curious why the Bible is facing such criticism. It is because Christians believe the Bible is the Word of God and that it points them to find God through Jesus Christ. Most people who are opposed to the message of the Bible are not just rejecting the Bible, but they are rejecting the God of the Bible. As the Bible conveys God’s Word and the message of salvation that leads to life in Christ, many are taking a stand against it. When faith faces a challenge, such as in our era, apologetics becomes essential.
Apologetics today is more often seen in the form of debates and discussions, but it has its roots in the Greek word apologia, which means to speak in defense. Peter mentioned Christians are to be ready to make the defense, that is apologia, for the hope that is in them (1 Pet. 3:15) and Paul often had to speak in defense of the gospel. In today’s Christendom, there are many methods of apologetics, including Classical, Evidential, Presuppositional, and Cumulative apologetics. Classical apologetics uses philosophical approaches by going through the cosmological (causation), the teleological (intelligent design), the moral (source of conscience), and the ethnological (inherent need to worship) arguments. Evidential apologetics approaches with historical evidence, such as the resurrection of Jesus, to validate God’s existence and actions. Presuppositional apologetics is most well-known by Cornelius Van Til’s approach, which states that only Christianity can explain all human experiences and that any other reasoning, science, or morality without the biblical worldview is useless. Cumulative apologetics is an approach that focuses on the gradual accumulation of all other methods. It is not committed to a single approach, rather it concentrates on the apologetics of the Christian faith and may take advantage of any or all methods.
Although there are several methods of apologetics, they all have a shared goal, which is to protect and defend. It is not for the sake of learning the knowledge of apologetics and it is certainly not to win debates or become the smartest person. As Christians, it is important to defend the faith we have been handed down (Jude 3). It is important to strengthen the faith of those who struggle and to snatch them out of the fire (22–23). In our today’s world, in order to conduct oneself with wisdom toward unbelievers and know how to respond to each person (Col. 4:6), one must learn how to gently and reverently defend the hope that is in him (1 Pet. 3:15). Above all, apologetics can be useful in advancing and bolstering the gospel and fulfilling the Great Commission of Jesus Christ.
James Kim currently serves as a pastor/elder at House to House Memphis in Memphis, Tennessee. He holds a Master of Arts in Biblical Studies (MABS) from Bob Jones University Seminary and is a doctoral student (DMIN in Theology and Apologetics) at Liberty University’s John W. Rawlings School of Divinity. He is married to his amazing wife Mina and is the father of five wonderful children.
