One of the commands in Scripture which Christians too often put aside and try to forget is found in I Peter 3:15: “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behaviour in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.”
Fear of speaking up
We are sometimes reluctant to prepare ourselves for the defence of the faith, which is technically known as apologetics. We get this from the Greek word ‘apologia’ in 1 Peter 3:15, which means ‘defence’ and is the Greek word for giving a verbal defence in a court. Unfortunately, apologetics has the reputation of being intellectually demanding and only for those who are familiar with philosophy. But the command is given to us all – not just to the Church’s intellectual SAS prepared to go into mental hand-to-hand combat with unbelievers!
Our understandable concern is that if we do engage in discussion and fail to express both ourselves and the Christian position properly, we may make matters worse. But would God give us an instruction to do something which is beyond our abilities? The people we encounter and who are liable to enter into conversation with us are pretty much like us. They have the same concerns, interests and abilities as we do. How likely are we to encounter a professor of metaphysics in the supermarket queue or when waiting for a bus? (And even if we do, we’re likely to find that we are more able to interact with them than we thought).
Unfortunately, apologetics has the reputation of being intellectually demanding and only for those who are familiar with philosophy.
A reasonable faith
Because, fortunately, God does not ask us to win every argument. He just asks us to say what we believe, stand up for the faith, and do so in a gracious manner. If we familiarise ourselves with a few of the arguments we are liable to encounter, we will soon realise that their arguments are not as strong as unbelievers think they are and that we, as Christians, stand on firm ground.
When encountering objections to the faith, their logical fallacies will often become apparent. This is no surprise as God fashioned a logical creation and we have a rational faith. This reveals one of the differences between liberal Christians and conservative Christians. Liberal Christians often apply the cardiac test, ‘It feels good in my heart’, which will never convince an unbeliever. Conservative Christians are more likely to apply reason – we have a reasonable faith and can give a reason for the faith we have.
Fixed social positions
It is common when talking with both progressive Christians and unbelievers to find that they support many social positions which are rejected by Christians. As support for their social positions they are liable to say something like: ‘Jesus never said anything about homosexuality and same-sex marriage, or about abortion and euthanasia.’ This is usually followed up by the claim that, ‘Jesus was more interested in love, forgiveness and acceptance.’
Would it be reasonable to assume that Jesus’ silence indicates that he is either indifferent to or approves of these practices?
When confronted with an argument against the faith like this we can feel a bit daunted, unsure how to reply. But when we stop to consider the situation calmly, we see that whilst it is true that Jesus never directly addressed these issues, it is hardly the winning argument opponents of historic Christianity think it is. There is a fallacy at the heart of this argument, which, if accepted, would be destructive to the entire Christian faith.
Helpful considerations
Firstly, there are a great many practices and beliefs concerning which Jesus never said a word. As far as the written record goes, Jesus did not directly condemn wife abuse, child prostitution, slavery or drug abuse. Would it be reasonable to assume that Jesus’ silence indicates that he is either indifferent to, or approves of, these practices? The answer is obvious.
The assumption behind the statement is that if Jesus didn’t say anything about a particular issue that is prominent in society today, it therefore didn’t matter to him and it follows that it shouldn’t matter to us. This is the fallacy of the argument from silence. We cannot conclude what someone believes from what they haven’t said. In other words, the absence of evidence is not evidence. When this type of argument is used, it demonstrates the fundamental weakness of the position being put forward.
Secondly, there are many biblical arguments against homosexual practice, abortion and euthanasia. Behind the ‘Jesus never said’ argument is the assumption that if Jesus didn’t say something about an issue, then we can approve of it even if it is condemned elsewhere in the Bible. This is to wrench Scripture and the Godhead apart. We learn from 2 Timothy 3:16 that the entire Bible is inspired by God the Holy Spirit and as such coheres, one part agreeing with another. To assume that Jesus is indifferent to, or disagrees with, those parts of Scripture which clearly condemn homosexual practice, abortion or euthanasia, is to set God the Son in direct opposition to God the Holy Spirit.
Yes, he often spoke on love, forgiveness, salvation and the kingdom of God. But he spoke just as often about sin, judgement, punishment and hell.
Thirdly, it is true that Jesus is deeply concerned about love and forgiveness. He loved us so much that he was prepared to die so that we might be forgiven. However, if we look at what Jesus actually said, as recorded in the Gospels, yes, he often spoke on love, forgiveness, salvation and the kingdom of God. But he spoke just as often about sin, judgement, punishment and hell. Nowhere do we find Jesus accepting what the Bible condemns as sin.
When people create their own pick’n’mix Jesus according to their standards and wishes, they inevitably create a one-dimensional Jesus who can never be a Saviour. It is the loving thing to point this out, remembering always to do so ‘with gentleness and respect’ (1 Pet 3:15).
