Gen Z, Atheism, and The Problem of Evil

Generation Z is the generation born from 1999 to 2015. They are the successors of Gen X (born 1965-1980) and Gen Y, also known as Millennials (b. 1981-1998). The dates are approximations and arbitrary creations of sociologists and scholars studying generational trends. The Barna Group alongside the ministry Impact360 has conducted as study of Gen Z’ers called “Who Is Gen Z.” A short introductory video of their study can be viewed here.

 

Jonathan Morrow, director of Cultural Engagement at Impact360, wrote an article titled “Why Gen Z Is Not Prepared To Follow Jesus In A Post-Everything World” and revealed that only 4% of Gen Z has a Biblical Worldview while atheism is on the rise amongst this generation.

Gen Z and Atheism

One of the things that has come to light in the Barna study is that, “Atheism Doubles Among Generation Z.” As the Barna report reveals:

Enter Generation Z: Born between 1999 and 2015, they are the first truly “post-Christian” generation. More than any other generation before them, Gen Z does not assert a religious identity. They might be drawn to things spiritual, but with a vastly different starting point from previous generations, many of whom received a basic education on the Bible and Christianity. And it shows: The percentage of Gen Z that identifies as atheist is double that of the U.S. adult population.

The percentage of Gen Z’ers to be atheist has more than doubled previous generations: 13% of Generation Z compared to 6% of adults:


Image source: Barna “Atheism Doubles Among Generation Z” (4 Jan 2018)

Gen Z and The Problem of Evil

Why is Gen Z more likely to be atheistic?  Well, Barna asked and they answered:

Teens, along with young adults, are more likely than older Americans to say the problem of evil and suffering is a deal breaker for them. It appears that today’s youth, like so many throughout history, struggle to find a compelling argument for the existence of both evil and a good and loving God.

The problem of evil isn’t a new objection, however. It’s an ancient objection dating all the way back to the Greek philosopher Epicurus who formulated the problem as such:

“Either God wants to abolish evil, and cannot; or he can, but does not want to; or he cannot and does not want to. If he wants to, but cannot, he is not all powerful. If he can, and he does not want to, he is wicked. But, if God both can and wants to abolish evil, then how comes evil in the world?” [1]

The Problem of Evil and Apologetics

Notice, this is an intellectual objection to the truth of Christianity. Oddly, Christian philosophers, theologians, and apologists have answered this intellectual objection. In fact, they have answered it so convincingly that even professional atheists have admitted that there is not a logical problem of evil that has successfully demonstrated that God doesn’t exist. The late atheist philosopher William Rowe, stated that “Some philosophers have contended that the existence of evil is logically inconsistent with the existence of a theistic God. No one, I think, has succeeded in establishing such an extravagant claim.” [2] Consider Paul Draper, agnostic philosopher of religion at Purdue: “I do not see how it is possible to construct a convincing logical argument from evil against theism.” [3]

Christian scholars have gone on to differentiate between two types of intellectual problems of evil: the logical problem (as commented on by Rowe and Draper above) and the evidential problem of evil. I won’t address the difference here (see the videos by Reasonable Faith below as well as the other resources), but just seeing the categorization by Christian scholars shows how extensively they have thought and contemplated the issue of evil.

Intellectual vs. Emotional Evil

While Rowe and Draper are referring to the intellectual problem of evil, evil and suffering has another side: emotional. This is an important distinction we need to make. While one can provide answers to the intellectual problem of evil, it doesn’t mean that we won’t experience evil personally. We still have to grapple and suffer through evil and pain. Some of it is quite horrific. But the emotional experience of pain and suffering is not an argument, but a personal struggle. It is a struggle that the Christian worldview can offer satisfying resources and comfort for someone who is suffering pain and evil. Christianity can speak of the patience and mercy of God. It can mention the future perfection that awaits all who trust in Christ. It can offer the comfort that a redemptive God is working to cause all things to work together for good to those who love Him and are called according to His purpose. It has a “good news” of hope for a broken world. The atheistic worldview denies these luxuries.

Apologetics and the Christian worldview has the intellectual and emotional resources for Gen Z. It just needs to be communicated: which Christian apologetics does. Not just intellectual answers, but deeply personal, psychological, and spiritual answers.

Resources

Books:

Primary Videos:

Other videos:

References:

[1] Attributed to Epicurus in David Hume, Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion (1779), part 10.

[2] William Rowe, “The Problem of Evil and Some Varieties of Atheism,” American Philosophical Quarterly 16, no. 4 (1979), pg. 335, ftnt 1, reposted at: https://ia803006.us.archive.org/32/items/RoweTheProblemOfEvil/Rowe_The_Problem_of_Evil.pdf

[3] Paul Draper, “The Argument from Evil,” in Philosophy of Religion: Classic and Contemporary Issues, ed. Paul Copan and Chad Meister (Malden, MA: Blackwell, 2008), 146.

Recommended Resources: 

If God, Why Evil? (DVD Set), (MP3 Set), and (mp4 Download Set) by Frank Turek 

Why Doesn’t God Intervene More? (DVD Set), (MP3 Set), and (mp4 Download Set) by Frank Turek

Why does God allow Bad Things to Happen to Good People? (DVD) and (mp4 Download) by Frank Turek 

Relief From the Worst Pain You’ll Ever Experience (DVD) (MP3) (Mp4 Download) by Gary Habermas 

 

J. Steve Lee has taught Apologetics for over two and a half decades at Prestonwood Christian Academy.  He also has taught World Religions and Philosophy at Mountain View College in Dallas and Collin College in Plano.  With a degree in history and education from the University of North Texas, Steve continued his formal studies at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary with a M.A. in philosophy of religion and has pursued doctoral studies at the University of Texas at Dallas and is finishing his dissertation at South African Theological Seminary.  He has published several articles for the Apologetics Study Bible for Students as well as articles and book reviews in various periodicals including Philosophia Christi, Hope’s Reason: A Journal of Apologetics, and the Areopagus Journal.  Having an abiding love for fantasy fiction, Steve has contributed chapters to two books on literary criticism of Harry Potter: Harry Potter for Nerds and Teaching with Harry Potter.  He even appeared as a guest on the podcast MuggleNet Academia (“Lesson 23: There and Back Again-Chiasmus, Alchemy, and Ring Composition in Harry Potter”).  He is married to his lovely wife, Angela, and has two grown boys, Ethan and Josh.

Originally posted at: https://bit.ly/4i1f1gM

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Why It’s Okay to Doubt Your Christian Faith

  • “Why is there evil and suffering in this world?”
  • “No one naturally can resurrect from the dead after three days. It’s impossible.”
  • “The Bible was written by fallible men thousands of years ago, how can I be sure that what I have is what was written?”
  • “How can I know that Christianity is the one true religion when there are thousands of other religions?”

 

Odds are, you don’t have an answer to these sorts of questions, or worse, they seem persuasive . . . compelling.

You feel some sort of shame to admit this. You have been a Christian for some time now but never knew the answers to these fundamental questions. Now you’re second guessing.

And why not? You already tried to ask your parents, your pastor and/or Bible study teacher of your questions and doubts, but their responses was, well, unsatisfactory (to put it mildly).

  • You need to have faith.
  • Don’t worry about those things, in Heaven we will have all our questions answered. Just believe.
  • (My personal favorite) The Bible is not to understand it, it is to obey it.

This is why you are terrified of witnessing. You are scared to death that someone may ask you a question you can’t answer. Sure, you’ve had positive experiences since you were born again, but these doubts are keeping you up at night, slowly eroding your faith. Now you’re starting to doubt even those positive experiences.

What if I’ve believed something that isn’t true? Maybe it’s all a fairy tale! How would I even know?

You don’t just need sleep. You need answers. Fortunately, there are some solid reasonable answers to your tough questions that will revive and bolster your faith. I’d like to show you, in this blog, that contrary to popular belief, faith is compatible with reason and consistent with reality. I’d like to show you the intellectual side of Christianity. Welcome to the exciting discipline of Christian Apologetics!

Apolo-what?

If you are new to the term, let’s get the first misunderstanding out of the way. No, this is not the course husbands should take, or apologizing for being a Christian. The word apologetics comes from the Greek word apologia which means “to give a verbal defense”. It’s a legal term. It was used when someone responded to an objection or accusation in a court. Dr. William Lane Craig, philosopher and theologian defines apologetics as the branch of Christian theology that seeks to provide justifiable reasons to the truth claims of the Christian faith.

Simply put, apologetics responds the question “Why should I believe Christianity is true?” Apologetics is an intellectual tool for evangelism and discipleship. It helps to remove intellectual objections against the faith for unbelievers and helps to intellectually anchor the faith of the believers.

“Apologetics” isn’t a modern made-up word. It appears 8 times in the Bible. In fact, did you even know that we are commanded in the Bible to give a defense of our faith? Of course not! Bet that not even your parents or Sunday school teacher knew this. 1 Peter 3:15 (NVI) commands us as Christians to defend the faith with gentleness and respect: “Always be prepared to give an answer [apologia] to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.”

This is not something for theology nerds or intellectuals in the church. This commandment is for the whole body of Christ. The fact that the church has largely abandoned this duty is a major reason why young people are leaving Christianity.

The 2016 Pew Research study shows that, and I quote,

“About half of current religious ‘nones’ who were raised in a religion (49%) indicate that a lack of belief led them to move away from religion. This includes many respondents who mention ‘science’ as the reason they do not believe in religious teachings, including one who said ‘I’m a scientist now, and I don’t believe in miracles.’ Others reference ‘common sense,’ ‘logic’ or a ‘lack of evidence’ — or simply say they do not believe in God.”

Some of the reasons why young people were abandoning their faith given in the study were,

  • Learning about evolution when I went away to college.
  • Rational thought makes religion go out the window.
  • Lack of any sort of scientific or specific evidence of a creator.
  • I’m doing a lot more learning, studying, and kind of making decisions myself rather than listening to someone else.

Check a more recent study of the pew research regarding parents and their teens answering if religion is very important in their lives

When there are religious differences between adults and their 13- to 17-year-old children, however, it’s usually the teens who are less religious than the parents. For instance, far fewer teens (24%) than parents (43%) say that religion is very important in their lives.

Less than one of four teens deems their religion very important in their lives. That’s a tragedy. It shouldn’t be this way since there are, in fact, reasonable responses to such doubts and questions. What if I told you, that doubting and questioning your Christian faith might be a positive phase you’re entering into?

Doubts: Sign of a Maturing Faith?

Rethinking one’s worldview is one of the most mentally turbulent phases in anyone’s journey of faith. This gets to the very core of your being, of who you are. While it can be scary, it can also be (and will be) exciting. Because when you doubt, it can be a sign of a maturing faith.

“Isn’t doubt the opposite of belief?”  Doubt is not the opposite of belief. The opposite of belief is nonbelief.

  • Faith is defined as complete trust or confidence in someone or something.
  • Doubt is the voluntary and transitionary suspension of judgement between decisions.
  • Reason is a cause, explanation, or justification for some belief, act, fact, event, etc.
  • Reason is the mediator between doubt as reflection and faith as trust, and these do not contradict.


“But how do I reason correctly?” Awesome question! In an interview with Dr. Dallas Willard by John Ortberg in 2010 about doubt and belief in the Christian life, Willard answers:

“Knowledge grows not only for doubting your belief and believing your doubts, but also from doubting your doubts and believing your beliefs.” (para. 135).

Use this like some sort of mental filter to see which questions and objections (as well as beliefs) are good ones and which are bad. Bad objections usually commit logical fallacies. Good ones don’t.

For example: Only science can give us truth. Is that a true statement? Because if it is, then its false. This truth was not acquired through the scientific method. This is a self-refuting statement.

Another example: faith is belief without or on in spite of evidence. As you already saw above (and will expand a bit more below), this is not true. This is what is called a strawman. Attacking the concept of faith by replacing the definition of what faith really is with an incorrect one.

As you can see, there is no logical contradiction between doubt and faith by definition.

Permission to Doubt

Let’s talk a bit more about what faith really is. “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” (Hebrews 11:1. NIV. Emphasis added). By this definition, biblical faith entails three components:

  • Understanding the content of the Christian faith,
  • Trust, and
  • Assent of the intellect to the truth of some proposition

You can’t have trust in someone or something you do not understand at all nor agree with. For example, some people would never go on a cruise ship vacation because of their fear that the cruise will sink. They do understand that cruise ships are way much safer than before, but since they watch the movie Titanic, they don’t assent intellectually to it.

Biblical faith is not an irrational blind leap into the darkness. The biblical notion of faith requires you to have confidence and assurance in that which you understand and have good reasons to assent to (in this case, the object of faith is God). Therefore, embrace your doubts. Go ahead, doubt your faith, but also doubt your doubts. Question your questions. See if they hold water.

God Wants You To Think

While doing this you’re transitioning from a childish faith to a mature faith. You’re owning your faith. You will know not only what you believe but why you believe it.

Recommended Resources:

Stealing From God by Dr. Frank Turek (Book, 10-Part DVD Set, STUDENT Study Guide, TEACHER Study Guide)

I Don’t Have Enough Faith to Be an Atheist (Paperback), and (Sermon) by Norman Geisler and Frank Turek 

Macro Evolution? I Don’t Have Enough Faith to be a Darwinist (DVD Set), (MP3 Set) and (mp4 Download Set) by Dr. Frank Turek

Defending Absolutes in a Relativistic World (Mp3) by Frank Turek

 

Miguel Rodriguez is the founder of Smart Faith, a platform dedicated to helping Christians defend their faith with clarity and confidence. After experiencing a miraculous healing at 14, he developed a passion for knowing God through study and teaching. He now serves as the Director of Christian Education and a Bible teacher at his local church while also working as a freelance email marketer. Living in Orlando, Florida, with his wife and two daughters, Miguel seeks to equip believers with practical and intellectual tools to strengthen their faith. Through Smart Faith, he provides apologetics and self-improvement content to help Christians live with wisdom and integrity.

Originally posted at: https://bit.ly/4beIktQ

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Can Christianity Really Be The Only Means of Salvation Part II

Many skeptics believe that all religions are basically the same. If there is an afterlife, they surmise, all that will be required for admission is that you live a “good” life and be “sincere” about your beliefs. My last post offered reasons from the observation of nature that should cause the skeptic some concern.

 

In short, it seems to me that a study of nature actually leads to the contrary conclusion: if nature is our guide to knowledge, then the Author of nature seems to be teaching that getting it right is what matters. Sincerely believing that you can defy gravity won’t count for much if you step off the side of a building, no matter how good a life you’ve lived up until then.

Nature is Exclusive

Nature provides many other examples of this lesson. Consider for a moment the way nutrition works. There are a variety of food groups that can provide nourishment, and considerable variety within each food group. Proteins, dairy products, fruits, grains, vegetables – each of these groups has something to add to a person’s total nutrition. When taken in the right balance, a growing child will experience normal development to adulthood, plenty of energy and overall good health. But when essential elements of a good diet are lacking, the child’s health can be severely impacted. Take for instance the disease known as scurvy, brought on by the absence of citrus fruits in a person’s diet. Many an ancient sailor experienced this lesson the hard way, suffering a variety of physical disabilities that led to a painful death.

Notice that nature does not seem to care how a person was raised. If they learned to eat poorly in their childhood, nature does not take that into consideration in attaching a consequence. Nor is nature concerned with how sincere a person is in believing that his diet is good for him. When medical experts of the ’50’s assured their patients that smoking cigarettes was not harmful, that did not make smoking any less of a threat to their health. The examples are endless: the common thread throughout is that the wise person will make use of their acquired knowledge to move beyond what they once believed to be true to conform their beliefs to what is actually true.

Truth Matters

To the thoughtful person then, the proper diet is not decided upon by considering what dishes he grew up on or what food makes him feel “good.” Most people find chocolate to be quite tasty, and it’s known to lift one’s mood. But if chocolate becomes a staple item in place of, say, vegetables, then one’s health will soon decline. This result will occur regardless of how many experts advise it and regardless of how sincerely the person believes that chocolate can take the place of beans or broccoli. Though considerable variation exists, we cannot eat just anything and, if we’re smart, we should concern ourselves with finding that right balance of items that will best sustain good health.

Finding this right balance, of course, can be difficult. There is no shortage of “experts” who will tell you that only they have the answers. Yet try we must, for our health hangs in the balance. It would make little sense for us to throw up our hands in frustration and say that these competing “experts” can’t all be right, so we’ll just keep eating the way we want to, or the way we were raised to, and hope for the best. No, seeking answers and moving closer to “getting it right” are what any thoughtful person should do.

How Ignorance breeds Apathy

How does this relate to apologetics? When dealing with a skeptic, the believer often encounters apathy. Most skeptics just don’t care what Christianity has to say, because they have uncritically accepted the notion that all belief systems are equal. By analogy, they have rejected the idea that some foods are good and some are bad, and replaced it: most people eat what they grew up eating; who are you to say that chocolate isn’t as good as broccoli or fish?; I don’t believe in citrus fruits; you’re so intolerant when you think you know what a healthy diet is? Sound familiar?

Perhaps a discussion of nature might be persuasive, because skeptics often believe that it is only through the study of nature – through science – that any real knowledge can be obtained. That study should lead to the conclusion that nature is quite a harsh professor. It doesn’t grade on a curve and it doesn’t give partial credit for making a good effort. There is an order to life and to nature, and one must live within that order or suffer some very real, and often very nasty, consequences.

A Word of Encouragement

As a Christian, I can take comfort that the Author of nature has provided a rescue plan that makes my choice easy, and my work light. Yes, nature is harsh as a result of man’s rebellion, but I have a rescuer who can and will restore what has been broken. There may be a variety of denominations, and there may be differences in some doctrines, but in the end there is one path to reconnecting with God – it is by placing one’s trust and faith in Jesus and his saving work. Like many who came before me, I can take great comfort in the knowledge that the heavy lifting has been done for me. But where does the naturalist find comfort when studying the workings of nature? And if nature is this harsh in the here and now, why in the world should the skeptic conclude that it will be any different in the hereafter?

No, the wise choice is to discard this foolish notion that all religions are the same and that all paths lead to God. Better answers are out there, but you’ll never find them if you never start looking.

Recommended Resources:

Jesus, You and the Essentials of Christianity by Frank Turek (INSTRUCTOR Study Guide), (STUDENT Study Guide), and (DVD)      

Stealing From God by Dr. Frank Turek (Book, 10-Part DVD Set, STUDENT Study Guide, TEACHER Study Guide)

Was Jesus Intolerant? by Frank Turek (DVD and Mp4)

Jesus vs. The Culture by Dr. Frank Turek DVD, Mp4 Download, and Mp3

 

Al Serrato earned his law degree from the University of California at Berkeley in 1985. He began his career as an FBI special agent before becoming a prosecutor in California, where he worked for 33 years. An introduction to CS Lewis’ works sparked his interest in Apologetics, which he has pursued for the past three decades. He got his start writing Apologetics with J. Warner Wallace and Pleaseconvinceme.com.

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How to Raise Kids to Research Like a Pro

If you hang around parents long enough you’ll find that there are certain “mommy moments” that we moms all share. Kid running down the street naked? Check (mostly for boy moms…). An embarrassing family secret shared with the entire elevator by your darling little chatterbox? You betcha.

 

And it’s practically a Christian mom rite-of-passage that just when we’re about to switch out the light, your little Einstein suddenly goes final-jeopardy-mode with some obscure theological concept. Sure it’s probably a stalling technique, but one of the blessings we have as moms is pointing them back to the truth of Christ, even as we wrestle them into bed.

The thing is, just giving answers is not enough. Someday they’re going to get hit with a challenge and we aren’t going to be there to help. That’s why a vital part of healthy discipleship is equipping our children with the skills to navigate tough questions on their own.

Fair warning, this isn’t a skill that’s learned by letting them go nuts on the family tablet. Depending on the topic they’re looking up, things can go south quickly. That’s why we at Mama Bear love to help you foster the little question-askers in your lives.

First, before we dive in, if you haven’t read Alexa’s blog How to Respond When Your Child Stumps You with a Question, check it out. We, but the flip side of that coin is preparing our kids to not only know how to research, but to research well. (Because the internet will let anyone with a computer create their own blog! We’re looking at you, flat-earthers 😜)

Second, you’re going to have to adjust these to the age and stage of your child. Bigger kids can and should engage with heavier topics. The littles of the group are going to operate in the “observer” role in the beginning, but give them opportunities to practice these skills with increasing regularity under your guidance.

Ready? Let’s take a look at 5 tips to help your child be an information sleuth!

Tip #1 Research takes time

We live in an Instacart culture. With a few clicks we can have the world delivered to our doorstep. The problem with this luxury of convenience is it’s caused our patience and attention spans to atrophy. Often this means that if the answer to our kid’s question isn’t in the tagline of the first Google article, they just give up and move on. (Like the other night… during our homework session…*face palm*)

Our kids need to know that good research involves more than watching a YouTube short; it takes time, effort, and these crazy things called books. This skill is best passed-on by modeling first, especially when they’re little.

When your child asks a question, instead of immediately popping off with the answer, say, “That’s a great question! How do you think we can research this?” #mamabearapologetics #discipleshipClick To Tweet

When they shrug their shoulders, show them how to look up their question on multiple sources: digital and physical. Show them how to navigate popular websites like Got Questions. Grab a few books off your shelf and show them how to use an index (one you could practice with is our latest book Honest Prayers for Mama Bears). And don’t forget to point out the glorious footnotes. Seriously folks, I may sound like your high school librarian, but footnotes are worth their weight in gold! Don’t let your kid miss them!

This training might sound old-fashioned, but it causes our kids to pause and process what they’ve just heard, rather than falling for the nonsensical appeals of impassioned media starlets. So yes, it’s worth the effort.

Tip #2 Find Trusted Christian Sources

No surprises here, but when it comes to seeking answers to biblical questions, we should head to Scripture first. Translations like Life Application Study Bibles, Apologetics Bibles, and Cultural Background Study Bibles, which contain translator and commentary notes, are beyond helpful in these situations. There are also great ministries that have blogs, podcasts, and articles that address the most common questions believers have. (Check out our updated Recommended Resources Guide.)

But not everything that sports the title of “Christian” is solid. (There are supposed “Christian” witches, after all!) Teach your children to “test” their sources by looking at the background of the ministry. Is this organization tested, proven, transparent, and/or backed by leading philosophers, experts, and apologists? Is what’s being said supported in Scripture? Are disagreements over conclusions given charitably and with evidence? Are those behind the ministry trained, and if so, by whom?

Remember: degrees are nice but that doesn’t mean the person holding them will always speak truth. Which is why we test everything, including our pastors and favorite authors. #mamabearapologeticsClick To Tweet

Tip #3 Read Original Sources

A few days ago, I was reading the outraged opinion of a writer who couldn’t believe that NFL kicker Harrison Butker wanted to make wives the servants of their husbands.[1] The problem? That wasn’t what he said, but the only reason I found that out was because I went to the original source: the transcript of the commencement speech. If you don’t want to read it, you can watch the full speech here.

Today, it’s all too common to take a person’s second-hand perception as truth, rather than reading the original source itself. Don’t let your kiddos fall into this trap. Whenever possible, when a question is asked, go to the source. Take into context the setting, the people with whom it was being spoken to, the motivation behind the teaching, and the present application of objective truth principles today. If reading an article, see where the author got their information, especially when bold claims are made. With a little bit of practice, your little one will start to sound like a nerdy version of Tom Cruise, “Show me the sources!!”

Tip #4 Research the Opposition

There’s a pithy saying about what assuming leads to, which I won’t be sharing here because it’s a little sassy. But take it from me that assuming the motivations, conclusions, or intentions of someone who doesn’t agree with you is a quick way to make a fool of yourself. Sadly, our culture has turned this mistake into the standard form of interaction.

Don’t like someone’s views? No biggie: reduce them to a label and then commence destroying them and everyone remotely like them!

You don’t need a WWJD bracelet to know that’s definitely NOT what Jesus would do! As Christians, we understand that big conclusions about life have a history. Learning that history will help us understand why someone believes what they do, but it doesn’t make that conclusion right. Instead, we need to nurture truth-based empathy in our kids, and we do that by hearing what the other side has to say.

As they learn, have your kids reflect on why a person might come to this conclusion. What (if anything) did they share about their background? How did an experience cause them to question or reject a stance? What philosophical stance do they hold that’s shaping how they view evidence? Once our kids can understand what’s motivating the beliefs of another, then we can help them understand the other person while remaining rooted in truth.

Tip #5 Practice How to Respond

Just like a chess player anticipates the moves of their opponent, so we should anticipate the objections of someone who doesn’t share the biblical worldview. Not so we can slam them with our Bible knowledge but to nurture good discussion should the conversation go that route. It’s also helpful for our own spiritual growth, too!

Kids have a natural ability to speak truth (sometimes too good!) but they’re not so great with tact. That’s why practicing how to discuss the topic with others is key to avoiding awkward conversations. How would you respond to Flora Feminist’s who doesn’t think that the unborn have the same right to life as an adult? What would you say to Nihilist Nick when he denies that the universe was made with telos (purpose)? How would you engage with Social Justice Susie as she defends the Marxist concept of oppressed versus oppressors?

We can’t know everything, but acquainting your child with counter-arguments will help them not be phased when their lunch room evangelism encounter doesn’t end like a Christian Hallmark movie (or a scene from God’s Not Dead).

Practice and Repeat!

Mamas, Satan is going to make you feel like training your kids how to research is boring or unimportant. This is a lie. Don’t let social media or YouTube steal your attention from the fruitful harvest growing within your home. Bring up your children in training and instruction of the Lord.

When they are small, show them how you research a topic and check to make sure the sources are valid. As they grow, help them evaluate the resources they’re using. Watch videos of someone who doesn’t agree with you and evaluate the claims being made. Let them see you wrestle with a question. Show them that there is more than just one page on a search engine. Most of all, make the most of as many opportunities as you can to grow in the knowledge of the Lord.

References: 

[1] https://www.kansascity.com/sports/spt-columns-blogs/sam-mcdowell/article288517451.html

Recommended Resources: 

Counter Culture Christian: Is the Bible True? by Frank Turek (Mp3), (Mp4), and (DVD)        

Debate: What Best Explains Reality: Atheism or Theism? by Frank Turek DVD, Mp4, and Mp3 

Jesus, You and the Essentials of Christianity by Frank Turek (INSTRUCTOR Study Guide), (STUDENT Study Guide), and (DVD)      

Early Evidence for the Resurrection by Dr. Gary Habermas (DVD), (Mp3) and (Mp4)

 

Amy Davison is a former Air Force veteran turned Mama Bear Apologist. She graduated from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary with an MA in Christian Apologetics. She and her husband Michael (also former Air Force) have been married for over 17 years and have 4 kids. Amy is the Mama Bear resident expert on sex and sexuality, and she’s especially hoping to have that listed on her Mama Bear business card.

Originally posted at: https://bit.ly/4gAYteb

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Why I Left The Word Of Faith Movement

When I was about fourteen I started listening to teachers such as Kenneth Copeland, Jesse Duplantis, Jerry Savelle, and Creflo Dollar. I had grown up going to church, albeit a very liberal church, but these guys were different than what I was used to. They had passion, zeal, and spoke with power and authority. They taught very differently than what I had heard before, but they used Scripture to back everything up (well, and some direct revelation from God, so they said).

 

They taught that Jesus had secured our physical healing for this life, that we had power over sickness and the devil, that we could transform our finances through our faith, and that we could even use faith the way God does—the God kind of faith. I really enjoyed listening to these teachers, particularly Copeland and Duplantis. I was even able to meet Duplantis and his wife at a meeting in Charlotte, where I gave him a letter thanking him for teaching the truth. Little did I know at the time that I was being sucked into a heretical mess. Since I did not know much at the time about orthodox theology, much of what was said sounded biblical and right. After having spent over a decade of learning theology in college and seminary (long after I left the movement), I began to realize how dangerous their doctrines really are. Let’s look at some of the main teachings of the Word-Faith movement.

God

While the orthodox, traditional view of God among Christians is that God exists as an immaterial being, one in essence with three persons, Word-Faith teachers state that God is a physical being who lives on a planet called heaven. According to Copeland, God stands around 6’2″ around 200lbs. Not only that, God is the “greatest failure in the Bible” since he lost more than any other being at the fall. Further, God has to use faith to do things, like create. God used the “force of faith” that according to Copeland “is a physical force” that is “perceptible to the touch.” We can use this same faith with our positive confession to bring about realities. Our confession, however, can also bring about sickness, disease, and death.

Jesus

According to Word-Faith teachers, Jesus is not divine. According to Dollar, if he were, he would not have needed any special anointing. Rather, he was adopted by God at his baptism. According to teachers like Copeland, Jesus died spiritually and was reborn in hell before his resurrection. He was the first to be born-again. Regarding this, Copeland makes the scariest, most heretical utterance I have ever heard:

“He [God] said, ‘A born-again man defeated Satan, the firstborn of many brethren defeated him.’ He said, ‘You are the very image and the very copy of that one.’ . . . And I said, ‘Well now you don’t mean, you couldn’t dare mean that I could have done the same thing?’ He said, ‘Oh, yeah, if you’d known that, had the knowledge of the Word of God that He did you could have done the same thing. ‘Cause you’re a reborn man too.’”

—From a sermon titled, “From the Cross to the Throne.”

Jesus did not accomplish his work because of his divinity, according to Copeland, but because he was reborn and had certain knowledge.

Jesus not only secured our salvation, he also secured our physical healing, according to such passages as 1 Peter 2:24 and 3 John 2. He is also our example to live by. But not just for holiness. We need to emulate his faith (through positive confession), attain knowledge (like him), and live the way he lived.

Man

Man is created by God, and so is in the god-class of beings. We are little gods, according to Copeland (and others like Benny Hinn). As already mentioned, man uses his positive confession to activate the force of faith to control his reality and bring about health and prosperity that was secured by Jesus. Man can function like God, since both man and God use the force of faith.

When created, Adam was just like God. After the fall, however, God lost his domain to Satan and had to work with people to covenant with him to get back what he lost (such as Abraham, Moses, etc.). As Robert Bowman says, “Copeland teaches that the true meaning of redemption is the restoration of human nature to godhood.”[1]  On that same page, he cites Copeland’s words:

“Peter said it just as plain, he said we are ‘partakers of the divine nature.’ That nature is life eternal in absolute perfection. And that was imparted, injected into your spirit man, and you have that imparted into you by God, just as same as you imparted into your child the nature of humanity. That child wasn’t born a whale—born a human. Isn’t that true? Well now, you don’t have a human, do you? No, you are one. You don’t have a God in you—you are one”

— Copeland “The Force of Love,” tape #02-0028.[2]

Overall Worries and Evaluation

If you are a Christian of the orthodox sort, then the worries should be obvious. If you are a follower of these teachers, it might not be so obvious. There are more worries and problems than I will address here. I’ll just choose a few.

Regarding God, if he is physical, he is necessarily limited. He can’t be everywhere all at once; he can’t know all things, etc. The Trinity can’t be true since a physical being is a being all to himself. But the doctrine of the Trinity teaches that God is one in being, but exists as three persons. If God the Father is physical, then there are at least two beings that make up the divine nature.

Jesus is taught to be a human with a special anointing and knowledge that allowed him to live the way he did, do miracles, and defeat Satan. The orthodox teaching, however, is that Jesus is completely God, and took on the human nature (without sin).

Finally, man is taught to be a little god, in the class of gods. He can use the force of faith (where did the physical faith that God uses come from?) in the same way God did. According to Copeland, man could have defeated Satan as Jesus did. It did not take God, just being reborn and having certain knowledge.

The Word-Faith teaching has striking similarities with Mormonism: Both teach that God is a physical being, people get direct revelation from God even today, we can become gods just like God, both deny the Trinity, and both downplay the role of reason and stress the spirit as a way of learning.

As you can see, while the positive confession and health and wealth teaching is bad, it does not compare to the heresies of the other teachings. And this is why I left the Word-Faith movement.

References: 

[1] Robert Bowman Jr., Word-Faith Controversy: Understanding the Health and Wealth Gospel, unabridged ed. (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker, 2000), 184.

[2] Bowman 2000, 184.

Recommended Resources: 

Jesus, You and the Essentials of Christianity by Frank Turek (INSTRUCTOR Study Guide), (STUDENT Study Guide), and (DVD)    

Can All Religions Be True? mp3 by Frank Turek

How Can Jesus be the Only Way? Mp4, Mp3, and DVD by Frank Turek

Another Gospel? by Alisa Childers (book)

 

J. Brian Huffling, PH.D. has a BA in History from Lee University, an MA in (3 majors) Apologetics, Philosophy, and Biblical Studies from Southern Evangelical Seminary (SES), and a Ph.D. in Philosophy of Religion from SES. He is the Director of the Ph.D. Program and Associate Professor of Philosophy and Theology at SES. He also teaches courses for Apologia Online Academy. He has previously taught at The Art Institute of Charlotte. He has served in the Marines, Navy, and is currently a reserve chaplain in the Air Force at Maxwell Air Force Base. His hobbies include golf, backyard astronomy, martial arts, and guitar.

Originally posted at: https://bit.ly/4htMyjk

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From Peter to the Christian Apologist

To the Christian Apologist, 1 Peter 3:15-16 is a ‘mandate’ passage, used to demonstrate the reason we all study and become proficient with apologetics.

 

“But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. 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, 16 keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.”
1 Peter 3:15-16 (NIV)

The REAL Reason for doing Apologetics

We tend to focus, however, on verses 15 and 16 and forget to consider the “lead in” context. The real reason we SHOULD do apologetics is actually shown in the second half of verse 14 and the first part of verse 15. If we take time to look there, we might notice a quote that comes straight out of Isaiah 8:12.

“But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. “Do not fear their threats; do not be frightened.” 15 But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. “
1 Peter 3:14-15a

Isaiah and Peter were both facing significant persecution. Isaiah wrote, “Fear not what they fear, and don’t be afraid. Set apart the Lord of hosts Himself and let Him be your fear” (Isaiah 8:12).  But Peter, seeing the persecutions looming ahead  for himself and the Christian church he’s writing to, copies Isaiah’s template. But Peter adds a twist, “fear not their fear, neither be troubled; but set apart Christ as Lord in your hearts” (1 Peter 3:14-15a). Theologian Alexander MacLaren describes the significance here.

“Now, if we think for a moment of the Jew’s reverence for the letter of Scripture, and then think again of the Jew’s intense monotheism and dread of putting any creature into the place of God, we shall understand how saturated with the belief in the divinity of Jesus Christ, and how convinced that it was the vital center of all Christian teaching, this Apostle must have been when, without a word of explanation, he took his pen, and, as it were, drew it through ‘Lord God’ in Isaiah’s words, and wrote in capitals over it, ‘Christ as Lord.’[1]

Hallowed be They Name

What does “set apart Christ as Lord” mean in Peter’s letter?  Looking at the term “set apart,” (or “sanctify” in King James language) we see it elsewhere in the New Testament. The first sentence of the Lord’s Prayer in Matthew 6:9, says, “Our Father Who art in heaven, hallowed, be thy Name.” The exact same Greek word, used as “set apart,’ and as ‘hallowed,’ is hagiazo.

We set apart sanctify or hallow one who is holy already, when we recognize the holiness, and then honor it. Thus, the plain meaning of Peter’s text is, ‘elevate Christ to the pedestal; the place He deserves in your life, and then; bow down before Him with all reverence and submission. He is due your highest awe and reverence.

“Set apart Christ as Lord in your hearts” is the command. In Scripture the heart is that center node within a person that both affixes and produces your thoughts, words and actions. Remember the verse, “as a man thinks in his heart, so is he,” or when Jesus says “…out of the heart comes the things that defile a man.”  The heart then is the very core of our being. With that in mind, and looking at Peter’s command in the negative sense, he asserts that if we don’t set apart Christ as Lord, you cannot help being afraid of threats and terror, and hence will be inevitably troubled. But, if you do set Christ apart in your heart, then there is no fear that can plague you or render you impotent and ineffective.

MacLaren finishes his narrative with,

“The Apostle comes and says: ‘Sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts; and then, and only then, will you be bold.’ The boldness which fronts the certain dangers and calamities and the possible dangers and calamities of this life, without Christ, is not boldness, but foolhardiness.”[2]

The Heartbeat of Christian Apologetics

The first part of my thesis then is: every Christian, not just the Apologist, should not fear . . . and won’t be fearful, if Christ is rightly placed in that singular, hallowed place at the core of your very being – your identity – and is given the reverence due Him. That is the foundation for studying Apologetics. He is the foundation for studying apologetics. Without that solid footing, your efforts to accumulate and dispense Christian apologetic knowledge will yield little for the Kingdom, and will yield nothing of eternal benefit in your own life.

From there, the rest of our referent passage says, “be prepared to give a defense for the hope that is in you, but do so with grace and truth.”  I finish off with this – the second part of my thesis; offering your apologetic truth to another, infused with genuine grace is only possible when the heart has Christ set apart, hallowed and elevated appropriately in the central place, the core, of your heart. His love will then be manifest in your interpersonal connections in the form of grace, truth and love. If not, only ‘a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal’ will be heard.

References: 

[1] Alexander MacLaren, “Hallowing Christ: 1 Pete 3:14, 15,” [Commentary], Blue Letter Bible [website], N.D., accessed 31 Jan 2025 at: https://www.blueletterbible.org/comm/maclaren_alexander/expositions-of-holy-scripture/1-peter/hallowing-christ.cfm

[2] Ibid.

Recommended Resources:

Debate: What Best Explains Reality: Atheism or Theism? by Frank Turek DVD, Mp4, and Mp3 

Jesus, You and the Essentials of Christianity by Frank Turek (INSTRUCTOR Study Guide), (STUDENT Study Guide), and (DVD)      

Early Evidence for the Resurrection by Dr. Gary Habermas (DVD), (Mp3) and (Mp4)

Stealing From God by Dr. Frank Turek (Book, 10-Part DVD Set, STUDENT Study Guide, TEACHER Study Guide)

 

Dan Hodges has over 40 years of business experience in aerospace, sensor and communications technology. He is a published author and inventor with multiple patent grants in the areas of RADAR systems, telecommunications and intelligence. He had a 26-year career as a military officer and F-16 instructor pilot and likewise has very deep experience in business operations. He has managed more than 400 employees and 16 subsidiary companies simultaneously as an entrepreneur, and has founded and built-out multiple enterprises, both private and publicly traded. He is also the Chairman of two non-profit, ministry-related organizations – CrossExamined and Crossroads Conservation Corp.  Dan holds a Masters in Christian Apologetics from Biola University and both speaks and teaches at churches and schools and via online forums. He currently resides on a family farm in the Blue Ridge mountains with his wife and cultivates apple orchards and edible and medicinal mushrooms.

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Can Christianity Really Be The Only Means Of Salvation?

Most skeptics I know feel pretty confident that all religions “say basically the same thing.” If there actually is a God, they’re not particularly worried, because in their view, “being a good person” is really all that matters. As long as you are “sincere” in your beliefs, whether you’re Muslim, Christian, Hindu or a member of your own individual religion, it will turn out fine in the end. Many go so far as to say that they simply “won’t believe” in a God who warns of a narrow path to salvation.

This view has always struck me as particularly odd, coming as it often does from people who subscribe to a view that nature is all there is, and that science is the best way to attain knowledge. It’s odd because neither nature nor science operates in this fashion. Neither cares about the sincerity of one’s views and beliefs, and neither cares about what experiences or life circumstances led them to form the conclusions they now hold about the “way things really are.” What matters, for both nature and science, is whether the person is getting it right. After all, stepping off a cliff will result in a nasty fall, regardless of whether the unfortunate soul knows or cares that there is a cliff in front of him and regardless of how sincerely he believes the cliff is not really there.

Just Follow Your Heart [Attack]

Consider another example from the natural realm. You awake one morning with a crushing weight on your chest. You’re sweating and short of breath, and pain begins to shoot down your arm. It quickly occurs to you that these are the symptoms of a heart attack, so you dial 911 and soon find yourself in route to a hospital. But a surprise awaits you there. You have a choice of several doors. Behind one is a primitive medicine man, ready to bring you comfort and healing with various incantations and potions. Behind another is an ancient herbalist. Knowing what compounds result in what physical effects, he plans on using a variety of roots and extracts to restore health. Behind a third is a hypnotist, who believes that your symptoms are the product of anxiety, and that clearing away some of the baggage of your past will eliminate both your physical and mental pain. And behind the fourth, is a gruff, unfriendly and disinterested surgeon who tells you that your coronary arteries have collapsed and that without a bypass operation, you will soon be dead.

A frightening prospect one hopes never to face. But imagine for a moment what considerations will be going through your mind: the pain is real and intense and growing stronger with each passing moment. You need help, someone who can save you. Before today, you cared very little about healers or hypnotists or herbalists, nor much for surgeons either. Each, you believe, has something to offer, something he or she can contribute, and each is right in his or her own way. But right now, you don’t care what makes the four similar; what matters is what makes them different. Will each be just as effective in saving you, and if not, which one can best deal with the particular problem you are facing?

Sincerity Is Not Enough

In that pivotal moment, you see with crystal clarity that their individual sincerity does not matter. Nor does the confidence that they express that their approach will work. The medicine man may seem more confident than the surgeon, who tells you bluntly what the risks are. But confidence and sincerity don’t guarantee that a person’s views correspond to reality. What matters here is basic: which one actually has the solution to your problem. The herbalist and hypnotist might solve some problems, but your particular problem needs a surgeon. Because nature doesn’t care about what you like or don’t like.

Of course, none of this proves that Christianity is true, or that Jesus Christ is the “surgeon” that you need. But that is not the point. In the scenario I posited, the crushing weight could not be ignored. By contrast, the prospect of death can be ignored, at least for a while. But every thoughtful person knows that it awaits in the end. Here we deal not with possibilities or probabilities, but with dead (excuse the pun) certainty. No matter how hard we try to avoid it, we have a “problem” that we cannot avoid forever.

Christianity explains the source of the problem. Man has rebelled against his Creator and is now paying a price for that rebellion. Eternal separation from God – from the source of all goodness and power and love – is the necessary consequence of that rebellion. But there is a solution, a particular way that God has provided through which we can get right with him. Over the centuries, this belief has offended many, who view it as exclusive, small-minded and unfair. But having a heart attack is “unfair” and so is dying. Reality can be quite harsh at times.

So next time a naturalist tells you that, if there is a God, he will certainly accept “good” people, ask him where in the world he got that notion. Nature itself stands in testimony to the fact that surviving requires more than wishful thinking – it requires that you actually get things right.

Recommended Resources:

Debate: What Best Explains Reality: Atheism or Theism? by Frank Turek DVD, Mp4, and Mp3 

Stealing From God by Dr. Frank Turek (Book, 10-Part DVD Set, STUDENT Study Guide, TEACHER Study Guide)

How Can Jesus Be the Only Way? (mp4 Download) by Frank Turek

Is Morality Absolute or Relative? by Dr. Frank Turek Mp3 and Mp4

 

Al Serrato earned his law degree from the University of California at Berkeley in 1985. He began his career as an FBI special agent before becoming a prosecutor in California, where he worked for 33 years. An introduction to CS Lewis’ works sparked his interest in Apologetics, which he has pursued for the past three decades. He got his start writing Apologetics with J. Warner Wallace and Pleaseconvinceme.com.

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I Never Expected to Doubt

“Oh Jesus! Jesus!” My spirit sprung to prayer with catlike reflexes as I watched my 2-year-old daughter tumble down the 15-step staircase. I stood helpless as her little body hurled toward the hardwood floor.

She stood up without a scratch . . . but my soul didn’t. In that moment, I was never more aware of the wound that had been festering for months.

The wound was doubt.

Experiencing Doubt

I had been experiencing doubt about God’s existence and the Christianity I had believed to be true my whole life. But until that moment, I didn’t realize how deeply that doubt had wrapped itself around my mind. To the casual observer, my daughter fell, I prayed, and she was okay. But for the first time in my life, I wasn’t so sure it was divine intervention. For the first time I felt foolish . . . for praying.

I felt silly for crying out to God in that desperate moment. It was terrifying to realize the faith that had once been my identity now seemed more like a child’s fairy tale than the explanation of reality.

For me, doubt was an entirely new concept. Growing up, I watched God’s power at work in people’s lives, in my life. I knew God was real. I knew Jesus died for my sins, was resurrected, and was coming again. I knew the Bible was his Word, and I couldn’t be convinced otherwise. I was active in youth group, went on mission trips, and emerged as a trusted leader among my peers. I was the kid who no one would have dreamed would doubt her faith. I was the kid no one worried about, the one who would be just fine.

But now, in my early 30s, I wasn’t fine. I had just spent four months enduring the skepticism and intellectual attack of an agnostic “pastor” who invited me to be a part of a study group at church. A pastor who won my respect and trust had dismantled my faith, one belief at a time.

Doubt Isn’t the Opposite of Faith

By God’s grace and unfathomable mercy to me, my faith was rebuilt. But during my time of doubt, I suffered from an all-too-common misunderstanding about what biblical faith is. I thought doubt and faith were opposites—that if I questioned what I believed, I’d somehow be a failure in God’s eyes. But this definition of faith has more in common with how atheists understand faith than how the Bible defines it. Atheist Richard Dawkins defines religious faith as “blind.” In a debate with John Lennox, he said, “We only need to use the word ‘faith’ when there isn’t any evidence at all.”

But in the Bible, “faith” means trust, not blind belief. We all put our trust in various things every single day. Every time we drive our car across a bridge, we trust it will hold up like it has many times before. We trust, not because we have 100 percent proof, but because we have good evidence to believe the bridge won’t collapse.

Doubt isn’t the opposite of faith. Unbelief is the opposite of faith.

As Tim Keller writes:

A faith without some doubts is like a human body without any antibodies in it. People who blithely go through life too busy or indifferent to ask hard questions about why they believe as they do will find themselves defenseless against either the experience of tragedy or the probing questions of a smart skeptic. A person’s faith can collapse almost overnight if she has failed over the years to listen patiently to her own doubts, which should only be discarded after long reflection.

According to Keller, the strongest form of faith is one that has wrestled through doubt. The Bible is full of great examples. Here are three doubters Jesus responded to with mercy.

1. The Desperate Father
Mark 9 tells the story of a man desperately trying to find healing for his son who was demon-possessed. This particular demon caused the boy to become mute and would often seize him, throwing him into fire or water to kill him. The man asked Jesus to have pity on him and heal his son. Jesus responded, “All things are possible for one who believes.” Without hesitation, the man cried out, “I believe; help my unbelief!” (Mark 9:24).

Help my unbelief. It’s a simple, heartfelt prayer that Jesus readily answered by healing his son. He commanded the demon to come out and restore the boy to health and wholeness.

The man asked for help with his doubt, and Jesus came to his aid.

2. John the Baptist
If there’s any biblical figure who should have no reason to doubt, it’s John the Baptist. This is the man who was filled with the Holy Spirit before he was even born. This is the man who came out of the wilderness proclaiming the coming Messiah. This is the man who baptized the Son of God, witnessed the Holy Spirit descending like a dove, and heard the audible voice of God. Yet at the end of his life, while rotting in Herod’s prison cell, he doubted. “Are you the one who is to come or should we look for another?” (Matt. 11:3).

This is the question he sent his disciples to ask Jesus—and Jesus didn’t scold him for asking. He didn’t reply, “John, you shouldn’t doubt!” or “We don’t ask those types of questions here!” No. Jesus performed miracles in front of John’s disciples and sent them back to testify, even referencing a prophecy about himself that John would understand.

John asked for reassurance, and Jesus was happy to oblige.

3. Thomas
Thomas is often referred to as “Doubting Thomas,” but I don’t think that’s accurate. Thomas was more of a skeptic than a doubter—which is quite reasonable considering the situation. The resurrected Jesus had appeared to the other disciples. When they told Thomas about it, he replied, “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe” (John 20:25).

Like today, resurrections weren’t everyday occurrences in the ancient world. If they were, they wouldn’t be considered miracles. It was perfectly rational and intelligent for Thomas to ask for evidence to back up the claim of his fellow disciples. When Jesus finally appeared to Thomas, he didn’t shame him for his skepticism. Instead, Jesus said, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe” (John 20:27). It was only after offering evidence that Jesus instructed Thomas to believe.

Thomas asked for evidence, and Jesus delivered it.

Doubt toward God

In his book Doubting Toward Faith, Bobby Conway writes that doubt is directional. We can doubt toward God, or we can doubt away from him. If you’re struggling with doubt, I encourage you to doubt toward God. If you can’t think of what to pray, pray like the great men of faith who came before you:

  • Ask for help
  • Ask for reassurance
  • Ask for evidence

God is waiting to help and reassure you. The evidence for his existence and the truth of Christianity is plentiful. We don’t need to be afraid of doubt—the gospel can stand up to skepticism and questioning. Jesus could handle the doubts and questions of the desperate father, John, and Thomas. He can handle yours too.

Recommended Resources: 

Another Gospel? by Alisa Childers (book)

Can All Religions Be True? mp3 by Frank Turek

Counter Culture Christian: Is the Bible True? by Frank Turek (Mp3), (Mp4), and (DVD)        

How Can Jesus be the Only Way? Mp4, Mp3, and DVD by Frank Turek

 

Alisa Childers is an American singer and songwriter, best known for being in the all-female Christian music group ZOEgirl. She has had a string of top ten radio singles, four studio releases, and received the Dove Award during her time with ZOEgirl. In later years, Alisa found her life-long faith deeply challenged when she started attending what would later identify as a Progressive Christian church. This challenge pushed Alisa toward Christian Apologetics. Today you can read, listen and watch Alisa’s work online as well as purchase her recently published book on Progressive Christianity titled Another Gospel.

Originally posted at: https://bit.ly/40kTb1j

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What is Logos? A look at John 1:1-3

Introduction

One of my favorite passages in the gospels is the prologue of John (1:1-18). I particularly find the first three verses, John 1:1-3, and the use of the “Word”, or Logos in Greek, interesting.

In those three verses, a type of creation narrative arises, revolving around Logos, in which Logos is described as being divine, eternal, and the creator. Later in the prologue, in John 1:17, Logos is revealed to be Jesus Christ, thus applying the description of Logos as divine, eternal, and the creator to Jesus Christ. John 1:1-3 states,

“In the beginning was the Word [Logos], and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made” (ESV).

But what is the background of Logos, and what in John 1:1-3 describes Logos as divine, eternal, and the creator?

Wisdom and Logos

To understand the meaning of Logos, we must understand what it is and where that term comes from. There are several options for where Logos came from, but the Jewish view of Wisdom is the most likely background. By giving a close look at the character Wisdom found in the Old Testament, and other Jewish writings, several similarities between itself and Logos are found. One similarity is the source of Wisdom, which Jewish thought places as the Most High, and that Wisdom was there before the world began, like Logos.[1] Like Logos, Wisdom took part in creation, was sent from heaven to dwell on earth, is the source of life, and is rejected by man.[2] Wisdom is also the tool by which God speaks to man and reveals himself. [3] These are all characteristics and actions that are similarly attached to Logos in John 1:1-18. Wisdom is frequently described in Proverbs, with one example found in Proverbs 8:22-30. This passage describes Wisdom as a helper of God in creation. [4] Another example is Proverbs 8:35 which states,

“For whoever finds me [Wisdom] finds life and obtains favor from the Lord.”

Like Logos, Wisdom is the giver, the source, of life. Another surprising parallel is that Wisdom is thought to be the daughter of God.[5] This is a close connection to our thoughts on Logos, or the Messiah, who we see as the son of God. Whether or not Jews believe that Wisdom is an actual being, the literary connection between Wisdom and Logos is undeniable.

Verse 1-2: Logos as God

Note the opening phrase in, in John 1:1-2:

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God.”

Here John exegetes the phrase “in the beginning” from Genesis 1:1 to mean before creation. In comparing the two passages, the origin of the mirrored phrase “in the beginning” in John 1:1-2 is obvious. [6] However, though John 1:1-2 pulls from Genesis 1:1, the purposes behind the passages are different. Genesis 1:1 is focused on creation, and God as creator. John 1:1-2 is focused on eternity and deity.[7] The whole purpose is to proclaim and affirm the eternal and divine nature of Logos.

Eternity and deity are intertwined in John 1:1-2, as Logos is described as being with God, from the beginning, and being God. He WAS in the beginning with God, he WAS there with God, and he WAS God. [8] In this first section, Logos is variously associated with God. Thus, the affirmation of the divinity of Logos. But there is special care to show a distinction between Logos and God. On one hand, Logos is described as God, but Logos is also shown to be distinct from God. [9] Logos being given a different name from God implies a distinction somewhere.[10] This is clarified in John 1:14 when Logos is revealed to be the Son, or the one, from the Father.

Verse 3: Logos as the Creator

Moving to verse three, we see another parallel between the prologue of John and the creation story in Genesis. John 1:3 mirrors Genesis 1:1 with the creation of the heavens and the earth. What is different in John 1:3, is the odd phrasing John used. Genesis 1:1 says,

“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” Meanwhile, John 1:3 says, “All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.” This “creator” aspect is reappears in John 1:10, “the world was made through him.”

Looking closer at John 1:3, Meier makes a note of the usage of “was” in the first few verses of the prologue. Meier writes that John only used “was” for the eternal and divine. The Greek word eimi,  here translated as “was,” means “to be” or “to exist.” John did not use eimi to describe creation, he only used eimi to describe God and Logos. John used the Greek word ginomai which is translated as “was”, but it means “to become”.[11] Eimi implies an eternal nature that creation does not have, whereas ginomai implies something coming into being. John is telling his readers that all things came into being through Logos and that Logos did not come into being, but always existed.[12]

This explains the awkward phrasing found in John 1:3 and teaches, in part, that the universe has a beginning and that it is created, unlike Logos. The purpose of John 1:3 is that Logos had a role in creation; specifically, that God acted through Logos to create the world. Logos does not play a passive role, but an active role in creation, and could be described as the mediator of the creation act. [13]

Conclusion

Thus, we are given another reason as to why the gospel of John is widely known for having the most obvious claims of the divinity of Jesus. The prologue of John, especially John 1:1-3, plays no small role in proclaiming the divine nature of Jesus. Even if one only looks at the surface of John 1:1-3, a beautiful picture of Logos being with God, and being God, before the beginning is presented. However, so much depth, and beauty, is missed if one does not look into the Jewish background of Logos. Either way, it is impossible to miss the power and divine nature of our Lord Jesus Christ and the role he has played in the creation of all things.

Bibliography

Borgen, Peder. “Creation, Logos, and the Son: Observations On John 1:1-18 and 5:17-18.” Ex Auditu, 1987: 88-97.

Brown, Raymond. “The Prologue of the Gospel of John: John 1:1-18.” Review & Expositor, 1965: 429-439.

Burge, Gary, Lynn Cohick, and Gene Green. The New Testament In Antiquity: A Survey Of The New Testament Within Its Cultural Contexts. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2009.

Kelber, Werner. “The Birth of a Beginning: John 1:1-18.” Semeia, 1990: 121-144.

Meier, John. “Biblical Reflection: John 1:1-18.” Mid-Stream, 1996: 391-394.

Pilcher, Charles. “Note: the Jewish background of the prologue of the Fourth Gospel.” The Reformed Theological Review, 1947: 30-31.

Rissi, Mathias. “John 1:1-18 (The Eternal Word).” Interpretation, 1977: 394-401.

References:

[1] Werner Kelber. “The Birth of a Beginning: John 1:1-18.” Semeia, 1990: 122; Brown, 430.

[2] Kelber, 122.

[3] Charles Pilcher. “Note: the Jewish background of the prologue of the Fourth Gospel.” The Reformed Theological Review, 1947: 30.

[4] Ibid.

[5] Ibid.

[6] Borgen, 92.

[7] Brown 430-431.

[8] John Meier. “Biblical Reflection: John 1:1-18.” Mid-Stream, 1996: 392.

[9] Mathias Rissi. “John 1:1-18 (The Eternal Word).” Interpretation, 1977: 397.

[10] To be clear, the use of distinction is not meant to make Logos a completely separate divine being from God, but that Logos is a separate divine personality within God. It is to separate the person that is Logos from the person that is the Father.

[11] Meier, 392.

[12] Ibid.

[13] Rissi, 397.

Recommended Resources:

Jesus, You and the Essentials of Christianity by Frank Turek (INSTRUCTOR Study Guide), (STUDENT Study Guide), and (DVD)      

How to Interpret Your Bible by Dr. Frank Turek DVD Complete Series, INSTRUCTOR Study Guide, and STUDENT Study Guide

How Can Jesus be the Only Way? Mp4, Mp3, and DVD by Frank Turek

Reflecting Jesus into a Dark World by Dr. Frank Turek – DVD Complete Series, Video mp4 DOWNLOAD Complete Series, and mp3 audio DOWNLOAD Complete Series

 

Thomas Moller began studying astrophysics at the University of Nebraska-Kearney, specifically in Cosmology. Through the study of the universe and the laws that guide it, a passion for understanding the Creator and Fine-Tuner of the universe provided the catalyst for Thomas diving deeply into theology. He then left the study of astrophysics to pursue a theology degree. Now graduated from Trinity College of the Bible and Theological Seminary, he is pursuing a master’s degree in theological studies at Houston Christian University. With a love of biblical theology, Thomas wants to help educate believers in how to study the Bible in its proper context. He also will tackle a multitude of topics in Christian living, culture, and literature. Though he no longer studies astrophysics at an academic institution, he still has a love for science and scientific arguments for God.

Originally posted at: https://bit.ly/3BylxvH

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3 Simple Ways the Birth of Jesus Changed the World

“When we see Jesus as he is, we must turn away or else shamelessly adore him. That must be kept in mind for any authentic understanding of the power of Christian faith.”


This quote, from Dallas Willard’s book, “The Divine Conspiracy,” challenged me the moment I read it this week. There is no better time to remind ourselves of what it means to shamelessly adore Jesus than at Christmas. I’m convicted this week that shameless adoration becomes most possible when we truly grasp what our lives would be like if He had not yet been born. 5 minutes before His birth, the world was completely different.

5 minutes before His birth, the world was completely different.

It’s so easy to forget this, because all we know living in the second millennium AD is a post-Jesus world. But just a few minutes before the event we celebrate this week, the world looked very different.
How Jesus’ birth changed the world is a highly relevant and topical discussion to have with your kids this Christmas. Here’s a good (and simple!) analogy you can use to help them understand the deeper meaning of Jesus’ birth.

Ask your kids how things look different when they put on a pair of 3D glasses to look at a picture.

Here are some talking points for relating this to a basic understanding of how Jesus’ birth changed the world.

3D glasses change how you see because…

1. Important parts of the picture come forward and less important parts of the picture fall to the back.

This is the first thing you notice when you put on a pair of 3D glasses. In a flat picture, it’s up to the viewer to decide what’s most important. 3D glasses translate the flat picture into one that emphasizes some parts and de-emphasizes others.

Before Jesus was born, the religious experts of the time, the Pharisees, had a lot of things wrong. They had added a lot of their own rules and interpretations to the laws God had given hundreds of years before.

But after Jesus was born, we gained the witness of His life to tell us what is important and what is not. Jesus, being God Himself, was uniquely able to set the Pharisees – and ultimately us – straight. Living a life that glorifies God comes “forward” in our view while the material world falls to the background. Not only do we now know that glorifying God is most important in life, we now know what glorifies God and what does not.

2. They give the picture richer details.

3D glasses transform a flat picture into one with depth. The details are richer, and the picture becomes alive!

Before Jesus was born, God had not fully revealed His plan for salvation of all people. The world only had part of the picture of who God is and how He relates to people.

But after Jesus was born, we were given some new and critical details that give our lives their fuller meaning. Now we know that God offers salvation to anyone who believes in Jesus as their Savior (this is a good chance to read John 3:16)!

3. They make the picture more tangible.

In the Captain EO 3D film at Disneyland, there is a little furry creature who jumps out so realistically, everyone in the audience starts petting him in the air. If you lift your glasses and see him on the flat screen, you would never think to reach out and touch him. The glasses bring him close.

Before Jesus was born, following God meant following the Law – a set of very strict rules related to worship.

But after Jesus was born, God came close. Through Jesus, we have been given the opportunity to enter into a relationship with God that wasn’t possible before. But just as you have to put on the right glasses for the little furry guy to come close to you during Captain EO, you have to build a relationship with Jesus through prayer and worship for Him to become tangible in your life. Christmas made that possible.

Merry Christmas to you and your families! May we all teach our children to shamelessly adore Jesus throughout the year.

Recommended Resources: 

Why We Know the New Testament Writers Told the Truth by Frank Turek (mp4 Download)

The Top Ten Reasons We Know the NT Writers Told the Truth mp3 by Frank Turek

Miracles: The Evidence by Frank Turek DVD and Mp4

Jesus, You and the Essentials of Christianity by Frank Turek (INSTRUCTOR Study Guide), (STUDENT Study Guide), and (DVD)      

 

Natasha Crain is a blogger, author, and national speaker who is passionate about equipping Christian parents to raise their kids with an understanding of how to make a case for and defend their faith in an increasingly secular world. She is the author of two apologetics books for parents: Talking with Your Kids about God (2017) and Keeping Your Kids on God’s Side (2016). Natasha has an MBA in marketing and statistics from UCLA and a certificate in Christian apologetics from Biola University. A former marketing executive and adjunct professor, she lives in Southern California with her husband and three children.

Originally posted at: https://bit.ly/4fAcsjV 

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