Der Pilger
Puritan Board Freshman
The other thread about apologetics and arguing people into the kingdom got me thinking about this.
I put this out here more as a question than a statement.
I'm thinking that perhaps too often we have made the mistake of equating apologetics with evangelism, or at least thinking that apologetics is a necessary part of evangelism. (Just to be clear, when I say "apologetics" I have in mind the idea of "defending.")
Assuming my take on the meaning of the word apologetics is correct, is it right to think of the proclamation of the gospel as including its defense as well? Unless I'm mistaken, when I see the concept of defending the faith spoken of in the NT, it seems that it is either commanded as an action against false teachers (Jude 3-4) or as a means of explaining the reason for one's hope to unbelievers when facing the prospect of persecution (1 Peter 3:13-17). Unless I've missed something, it never seems to be commanded as an evangelistic tool per se.
On the other hand, whenever the gospel is preached or its preaching described, it seems to be referred to more as a proclamation than a defense, i.e., a proclamation because its truths are assumed from the beginning to be true and in need of no defense.
I put this out here more as a question than a statement.
I'm thinking that perhaps too often we have made the mistake of equating apologetics with evangelism, or at least thinking that apologetics is a necessary part of evangelism. (Just to be clear, when I say "apologetics" I have in mind the idea of "defending.")
Assuming my take on the meaning of the word apologetics is correct, is it right to think of the proclamation of the gospel as including its defense as well? Unless I'm mistaken, when I see the concept of defending the faith spoken of in the NT, it seems that it is either commanded as an action against false teachers (Jude 3-4) or as a means of explaining the reason for one's hope to unbelievers when facing the prospect of persecution (1 Peter 3:13-17). Unless I've missed something, it never seems to be commanded as an evangelistic tool per se.
On the other hand, whenever the gospel is preached or its preaching described, it seems to be referred to more as a proclamation than a defense, i.e., a proclamation because its truths are assumed from the beginning to be true and in need of no defense.