Scripture
“But in your hearts set apart 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, 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
Quotes/Color
The 3 Rules to Apologetics*
(1) It’s okay to say “I don’t know”
(2) Do everything with “gentleness and respect”
(3) Let your life serve as an object lesson – an explanation of your faith on its own
Context
As a Christian, your great commission in life is to “go and make disciples of all the nations.” In other words, your calling is to share your faith and to “train others in [the Christian way] of life,” as The Message Translation says. The gospel of Jesus has changed your life for the better and you now want to and are instructed to share it with others out of love.
Same page.
But that being said, this commission shouldn’t be taken lightly, right? This is Jesus’ last words to His disciples after all. His parting wish. His “if you didn’t remember anything else I’ve ever told you numskulls, remember this” statement (which they probably needed). So as followers of Christ (“Christians”), this should define our every moment of life! And with that, with an instruction that defines our every moment of life, we should have a specific strategy to go about doing it. Not just know that we should really try hard to make disciples and just see how it goes. No, we need a plan.
As John Wooden says, “Failure to prepare is preparing to fail.”
If you want to share your faith well, you need to be deliberate, not accidental.
Sharing our faith should have a strategy and structure to it. Rules to live by and core reminders. “The 3 Rules to Apologetics” are that for me. A set of guidelines to sharing your faith on purpose.
I’ve taught these 3 rules to students in the past, rooted in 1 Peter 3:15-16, and do my best to apply them myself as well.
Application
The 3 Rules to Apologetics (Sharing and Defending Your Christian Faith) are as follows.
(1) It is okay to say “I don’t know”
While you should always be prepared to give an account for the hope you have in Christ Jesus, you might not always have the right answer to difficult questions that non-believers ask you.
“Why do bad things happen to good people?”
“What do you think of evolution?”
“Why are you so confident that Jesus is the only way to heaven? What makes you so confident?”
Don’t get me wrong, having answers to these questions is important and should be part of your study as a Christian. However, it is unfair to think that you have the answer to every possible scientific, philosophical, societal, supernatural question that anyone could throw at you. If you have a polished, well-prepared, eloquent answer to every question coming from every category, you are far better a Christian than I.
But the key is this… Say you don’t know the answer to a difficult question that has troubled someone you are talking to. It’s a scientific question they can’t get past. Or a philosophical question that always leads them back to doubting the existence of God. They’ve thought about it and thought about it for years and can’t figure out an answer… So they ask you.
What is the worst thing that can happen?
- If you’re too afraid to say “I don’t know” – you give a watered down answer, dodge the question or get defensive. From there the conversation can be discouraging or go sideways. (Not a great turnout).
- If you’re NOT too afraid to say “I don’t know” – you swallow your pride, say “Actually that is a good question. That has not been a hindrance in my faith like it maybe has been for you.” And then here is the really important part… “Do you mind if I look into it or talk with someone about it and get back to you?”
This takes your worst case scenario (you being “exposed” and not knowing the answer to something) and instead makes way for the very thing you should be hoping and praying for in the first place… A follow up conversation.
The tough question allows you to continue the tough conversation, the hope in getting an opportunity to share the gospel with someone who doesn’t know it. It takes the pressure off of a “one-time shot” chat into an ongoing conversation.
Don’t be afraid to say I don’t know. Be authentic if you don’t, it’s okay! Allow your worst case scenario to be, “Can I follow up with you on that?” and get another chance to plant a seed.
(2) Do everything with gentleness and respect
John Maxwell says, “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.” You can know every answer in the book, every defense of the faith possible, airtight arguments through and through… But if you’re a jerk about it, you will repel more people from faith than attract, guaranteed.
Even if someone else is accusatory. Respond with gentleness and respect. Even if someone is demeaning. Respond with gentleness and respect. Even if someone speaks in a way that is intended to provoke you… Respond with gentleness and respect.
Which leads to the last rule.
(3) Let your life serve as an object lesson – an explanation of your faith on its own
More than any words you can provide, your life should serve as a living breathing explanation for the gospel. Your life should serve as an “object lesson” to others don’t believe in God. What do I mean by that?
As an example, say instead of the Christian faith, we are trying to explain the concept of gravity to a group of students for the very first time. There are two ways to do this.
First Way – “Okay so the first thing you need to know about gravity is the equation. Here it is… F=GM1M2/r2. Now F represents the force of gravity. That’s what we want to get to eventually… And G represents the gravitational constant. That is 9.81 m/s2, just take my word for it… And then there are 2 M’s right…?”
I’ll stop there… You get the point. The first way of explaining gravity is complex. It requires explanation, deliberation, agreement on “constants”, etc.
Let’s look at the second way to explain gravity.
Second Way – “Here in my left hand I have a pencil. Here in my right hand I have a 12 pound bowling ball. Which object do y’all think will hit the ground first?? Let’s see!” You then drop the 2 objects at the same time and they hit the ground at the exact same time to the students’ amazement.
In this explanation the objects (the pencil and the bowling ball) serve as the lesson. They take a complex topic and make it understandable.
“The formulas and the science tripped me up at first. But now that I’ve seen that… It simplifies things.”
That is the goal.
The way you live your life should serve as a simple explanation of the gospel. Your LIFE and your BELIEFS should be congruent. People should be able to look at you as a Christian and say, “I don’t have all the answers I want… But that (looking at your life) seems to make sense. So I get it.”
Just like the pencil and the bowling ball, aim for your life to serve as an object lesson for the Christian faith. Allow it to serve as the best possible, well-researched explanation of faith.
“A man may have knowledge like an angel and yet not be Christian. So your sign of knowledge as evidence is not valid. Indeed, to know is a thing that pleases talkers and boasters, but to do is what pleases God.”
John Bunyan
Something to Chew On:
- Do you have a durable faith, full of well-prepared explanations for the hope you have in Christ Jesus? If you don’t, do you have confidence to say, “You know what, that is a good question. I don’t have a good answer for that. Could we chat another time about it? I would love to follow up.”
- Are you approachable, even in tough topics because of your kindness? If someone is inconsiderate to you, do you respond accordingly? Or do you maintain gentleness and reverence?
- Does your Christian walk simplify things for non-believers? Or give them even more to question?
GreatValue Proverb:
The 3 Rules to Apologetics:
- It’s okay to say “I don’t know.”
- Do everything with “gentleness and respect”
- Let your life serve as an object lesson – an explanation of your faith on its own