Los siete peligros de la apologética

By Chris Du-Pond

I am a Christian apologist. I am an engineer by profession.

My nature values ​​reason, logic, truth and objectivity. However, those of us who are inclined to apologetics are susceptible to falling into errors that can cost us dearly. I am going to be very honest and, to some extent, open my heart a little to prevent you from falling into the same errors.

Therefore, in this section, I want to present 7 common mistakes that we apologists make in the area of ​​spiritual formation:

Mistake #1. Confusing apologetics study with devotional time

When I was studying for my master’s degree in apologetics at Biola University, I took a class called “Spiritual Formation.” The book we used for the class is “The Quest for Godliness” by J.I. Packer. This book speaks of the closeness and passion of being connected to the Creator on a spiritual level. A book that impacted me deeply and confronted me with my intellectuality in need of spirituality. Studying Leibniz’s cosmological argument, the ontological argument, or the fine-tuning of the universe is NOT a substitute for spending time in prayer and contemplation with God. It is as if I invited my wife to dinner and during dinner, instead of spending time with her, looking into her eyes, listening to her voice…instead, I started interviewing her for a job. Studying God is not the same as loving Him. Studying apologetics or theology does not make you more spiritual or wiser. Don’t neglect your intimate time with God.

Mistake #2. Minimizing Personal Experience and Miracles

There is a tendency for many apologists to emphasize the objective and forget the subjective, especially among young apologists who are just starting out on this path. It is true that in apologetics the purpose is to SHOW that Christianity is true, but we forget that external evidence is not the only way God manifests Himself. A personal experience can encourage other believers. God continues to perform miracles and we must remain open to them without turning them into idols. Otherwise, we can close ourselves off to a rich spiritual life. I am not suggesting that we become mystics, but that we be open to God at all times and in all the ways He manifests Himself. Otherwise, we can miss out on rich blessings.

Mistake #3. Arguing to win the argument

The apologist who says he has never been guilty of this is lying. We are fallen beings with inflated egos, and too much knowledge can inflate your ego even more. The result is bragging and presumption. I am not saying that there should never be a place for debate against opponents of Christianity in a public forum. In such a setting the audience is the most important thing. But we must be very wise in how we contend for the faith and with whom we contend. But the most important thing is, with what intention are we contending: is it for the glory of God or for our own glory?

Error #4. The Discouragement of Loneliness

The typical apologist tends to be a loner and often misunderstood. Knowing the truth can give you a sense of urgency that most believers don’t share. Many don’t understand what apologetics is for, and most don’t even know what it is. This can be depressing. The feeling is like being in a castle under siege, and half of your soldiers won’t listen to you and the other half don’t care that barbarians have arrived at the gate and are about to tear it down. The best strategy is to find a few soldiers who do care and then spread the word and educate the rest. You’ll soon have a small team of “special forces” to team up with.

If you had told me five years ago that interest in apologetics would explode in Latin America as it has done so far, I don’t think I would have believed it. There is much to do, but there is also much to be encouraged about.

Mistake #5. Reading about apologetics instead of DOING apologetics

When I first began to study apologetics seriously, I found myself spending a lot of time watching debates, reading books, listening to podcasts, talking about apologetics with my apologist friends. At social gatherings I only wanted to talk about apologetics. The only thing I did NOT do was use apologetics as a tool for evangelism.

Apologetics is not an end in itself, but a tool. It is the heavy artillery in the battle of the gospel. The war tank to demolish arguments that rise up against the knowledge of Christ. Let us not lose our compass: if you are going to learn apologetics, it is not to inflate your ego, it is to remove obstacles so that people can see the cross of Christ clearly. If you have the gift of learning, use the knowledge to lead others to Christ or at least to bring them closer to the cross. Not to boast about how much you know. And the more you know, the more will be demanded of you.

How many people have you shared the gospel with this week? This month? This year?

Mistake #6. Not looking for a Mentor

It is very important to have a mentor to guide you, not so much in apologetics but in a spiritual way. Some questions that we should let a mentor ask us are:

Are you spending time in DELIGHT with God? It is not only important to spend time with God. It is more important to delight in Him than to fulfill a duty.

Are you living a holy life, separate from sin?

When you study the Bible, are you seeking HIS glory and not your own?

Are you asking others to pray for your needs?

Are you using your Spiritual Gifts wisely?

Having a mentor who is wiser than yourself is essential to cultivating a fruitful Christian life. But you must be willing to give him or her the authority to ask you honest and difficult questions. Looking back, whatever little or much I have accomplished in the area of ​​apologetics has been because of other people who have pushed, encouraged, and guided me. We all need help. Let us be humble in seeking it.

Mistake #7. Wanting to be an apologist like William Lane Craig, Ravi Zacharias… (or name your favorite apologist or theologian).

When you start out in apologetics, you can be dazzled by the brilliance of certain apologists. It’s okay to admire certain people and learn from them. But even the most brilliant apologists are fallen beings in need of grace . The only one worthy of imitation is Jesus. Let’s not make apologists our idols of the moment. I’ve been in apologetics circles for many years and a few years ago I became very disillusioned with some of them (when I got to know them better) of whom I had formed an idealized image. Don’t try to imitate them. It’s not worth it. One of my teachers, Sean McDowell, son of the well-known apologist, Josh McDowell, struggled for years with this. A woman once told him after one of his talks, “You did well, but I like your dad better.” One day he realized and said to himself, “I’m not my dad, and I’ll never be like my dad. I am going to dedicate myself to being what God wants me to be… not a reproduction of someone else.”

God wants you, above all, to be obedient and to use your gifts wisely. Be faithful with whatever God has given you, whether it be a little or a lot, and He will bless you and give you more if He believes it is so. Don’t try to imitate others. Be better every day and imitate Jesus.

Final Note

Ultimately, everything we do must be motivated by love: love for God and love for people. That requires that every time we do apologetics, we clothe ourselves in love and kindness. I like Dallas Willard’s words on this subject:

“Like Jesus, we must seek to reach out to others in love in a spirit of humility without coercion. The only way to do this is to present our defense with gentleness, as help given in love in Jesus’ way. But that’s not all. That means our communication must be gentle, because gentleness is also characteristic of the subject of our communication. What we seek to defend or explain is Jesus himself, who is the gentle and kind shepherd. If we are not gentle in the way we communicate the good news, how will people be able to find the gentle and loving Messiah we want to show them?”

Chris Du-Pond is a Computer Systems Engineer from the Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey, specializing in relational databases. Chris graduated with honors from Biola University with a Masters in Christian Apologetics and studied under apologists such as William Lane Craig, Gary Habermas, Sean McDowell, Clay Jones, and JP Moreland among others. He is a member of the Evangelical Philosophical Society, the Evangelical Theological Society, and the Christian Apologetics Alliance. He currently attends Champion Forest Baptist Church in Houston, TX, with his wife Katya and two daughters, Juliette and Giselle, where he teaches an advanced theology class.