California Christian Apologetics Conference (VIII)

For the fifth and final plenary session of the California Christian Apologetics Conference we had William Lane Craig. For an introduction, let's just say he's smart. Really, really smart. His workshops were like blow your mind complicated, according to my mom, who attended his session on "The Argument for God's Existence from the Beginning of the Universe" aka "The Cosmological Argument for God's Existence." This lecture was, I would argue, the most important of all those given, because it places Christian apologetics in a proper context and perspective. It was titled Christian Apologetics – Who Needs It? I have to admit that the way he approached the subject was quite surprising and confusing to me, but after he finished, I had to be convinced of his argument.

And his first main point was – remember that this is at a conference devoted to apologetics – that apologetics is not necessary. Bill, are you off your rocker? Why do you people goad me into dropping 40 Washingtons and then laugh as we walk out the door as you taunt "It's all for naught!" Anticipating this sort of reaction, he clarified: apologetics is useful, even if it isn't necessary. For example, it's not necessary to know how to type in order to use a computer, but it's useful! But Apologetics is not necessary in order to know rationally that Christianity is true.

How do we know that apologetics is not necessary? Scripture says that Christ can be justified by the inner witness of the Holy Spirit (1 John 2:27, 5:6-10), and the testimony is greater! This witness is self-authenticating and unmistakable for the one who really has it. Someone experiencing the Holy Spirit needs no evidence that it is indeed the Holy Spirit in him. In certain contexts, this witness with imply certain truths such as that God exists, that I am redeemed, and that Christ died for me. Furthermore, this experience is not just subjective assurance, but also objective knowledge about God and Christianity. Arguments that are incompatible with this experience are overwhelmed by this experience. This truth allows a Christian believer who is uninformed to still be rationally justified in believing Christianity, because it is on the basis of the witness of the Holy Spirit.

If this argument from Scripture is not enough to convince one of the truth of the effective witness of the Holy Spirit (which it should be, if you believe God's Word is authoritative), there are by contrast powerful arguments against Christian evidentialism (against the argument that people need evidence to be rationally justified in believing Christianity). The Christian evidentialist would deny the right to Christian faith to the one who lacks time, ability, and resources necessary to accept said faith. Are we supposed to say to someone that they must read 4 Lee Strobel books before they should become a Christian? Absolutely not! Today is the day of salvation. Anyone who comes to Christ in humble repentance and faith can enter, because the Spirit testifies to them of the truth of Christianity.

Christian Evidentialism would also imply that those who have been presented with more cogent arguments against Christian theism would be justified in rejecting God and accepting atheism. This is the best evidence I got, and I just followed the evidence, so God can't be angry with me. Does that hold any water? Of course not. This view would create an intellectual elite, a priesthood of philosophers and historians who would dictate to the masses what they ought and ought not to believe concerning Christian matters. In Christian Evidentialism, faith is subjected to the vacillations of human reason. Faith in Christ is then rational in one generation and place, and irrational in another. But with the witness of the spirit, faith in Christ becomes rational in all places at all times.

So we conclude that Apologetics is not necessary, but it does not follow that it is useless! A person who is warranted both by faith and apologetics is simply doubly warranted in his Christian beliefs!

The argument could provide support for the believer when he goes through periods of doubt when the Spirit's witness is not as clear to him. The question then is: does apologetics indeed provide a sufficiently rational basis for Christian belief. The answer? If the arguments are sound, they provide a rational basis, and belief in Christianity is thereby warranted by k';j ;v[ [[[[v apologetics and the Spirit. Apologetics is then not necessary, but it is sufficient.

Bill then went on to argue for three ways in which Apologetics is indeed useful. First, with respect to shaping culture, "Apologetics is useful and may be necessary in order for the gospel to be heard in Western society today." Because of the specifics of historical Western philosophy, Western Individuals do not consider theological knowledge to be possible! Reason and religion are therefore at odds with each other, and the physical sciences are the only sources of truth. For the secularized person, you may as well tell someone to believe in leprechauns. What if someone walked up to you and invited you to believe in Krishna? It just wouldn't be a consideration. The same goes often for the gospel on college campuses. He argued that now is our opportune time to take back lost ground. It is the worst time to be lazy and let Christianity be considered by the masses to be only a harmless delusion! Christianity is experiencing a veritable Renaissance as to philosophical arguments for the existence of God.

He warned also of a danger to rational arguments. People may think that our postmodern society does not accept rational argumentation. But that is completely false. Consistent postmodernism is an unlivable worldview. Nobody is postmodern when it comes to reading the labels on bottles of aspirin. People are only relativistic in matters of religion and ethics. That's not postmodernism, that's just modernism - if you can't verify it with your senses, it's just personal expression. Postmodernism is a crafty deception of Satan. If we follow this suicidal plan of action (of laying down our old arguments and just telling a narrative), the church will face radical consequences. Something in me worried for emergent church people when Bill mentioned this warning. The fact is, if you approach an issue rationally, people will respond in kind, and of course, we always exemplify the biblical virtues of humility, compassion, and respect. One part of 1 Pet 3:15 that I often leave out is the part about "but with gentleness and respect." I have to be honest. That's not my favorite part of the verse, because it means I don't get to dance intellectual circles around them and shoot them down and then walk away smugly knowing that I've destroyed another doubter. That's what my flesh wants to do, but that is not what God wants me to do…

Takeaway point: We need to preserve a culture in which the gospel is an option for intellectual people.

The second way in which apologetics is useful is in the strengthening of believers. He told us a story of Anne Kimmal, a woman he met who doesn't prepare for her talks, but just shares her struggles; and she is totally effective! As he was talking to her he was wondering if all this school and degrees and preparing and notes were just barking up the wrong tree or something. But here's the catch: someday, those people who have been brought to God through Anne Kimmal are going to need to hear what you have to say. This is the beauty of the body of Christ. Each member has a different function. Bill shared stories in which people were prevented from falling away from the faith via apologetics. Apologetics can be the means by which God has providentially ordained that you maintain your faith. And that makes apologetics VERY important. Christian youth need doctrine and Christian apologetics, not just Bible stories that make them feel good about themselves. This is a war. It's a crime to send soldiers out with rubber swords and plastic armor. The time for playing games has long since passed.''

The third way in which apologetics is useful is in evangelizing unbelievers. Christians do not evangelize often because they are afraid they won't be able to answer questions. Of course, he immediately anticipated the common objection that "nobody comes to Christ through arguments," and wasted no time in refuting such a dismissive attitude toward apologetics in evangelism as unbiblical. The apostles always argued for the truth of the gospel! Those who make this objection are simply subject to faulty generalizations. The question is not: "Is apologetics effective," but "Why bother with the minority with whom apologetics is effective?" Like a missionary who is called to some tiny people group, so is the apologist called to the intellectuals, though a small group, and this people group, though small, is extremely influential, which makes them all the more important to reach. The conclusion that apologetics is ineffective is simply false. Biblically and practically. Lee Strobel lost count of how many people came to Christ because of his books! W.L. Craig's dissertation helped to convert a woman who lost faith. A man in Russia converted because of reading of the book on the radio. A woman converted because she heard a debate on the historical Jesus. Salim al Islam, who could have been killed for converting, was converted with apologetics instrumental in that conversion.

Takeaway point: Apologetics + gospel + testimony + humility can certainly be successful!

So the lecture start far differently than you might have expected given that it was an apologetics conference, and it ended far differently than you might have expected given his opening statements about apologetics being unnecessary. It was a great encouragement to me to keep apologetics in its proper context, yet also an encouragement to know that my labor and passion in this area are not in vain.

Closing line? "I am unapologetically enthusiastic about Christian apologetics!"