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Can You Use the Bible to Prove the Bible?
Christians are often accused of circular reasoning when they attempt to prove the Bible by citing the Bible. Those who level these accusations say that it is improper to attempt to prove that the Bible is God’s Word by using the Bible as evidence for that. This argument may appear strong at a surface level, but it neglects the real issues involved in epistemology (the study of how we know things). How do we know anything? Most people will acknowledge we can prove truth claims by three means: 1. Authority 2. Rationalism (reason or thought) 3. Empiricism (observation or experience) Which of the three options is most reliable in attempts to prove something? Either someone has the authority to tell us what is true (God), or we logically figure it out (reason with logic), or else we are able to observe or experience it (i.e., observe it through a scientific process).…
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Should Christians Quote the Bible to Unbelievers?
I remember reading an article by Matt Walsh, conservative blogger and devout Catholic, entitled, “When Christians Shouldn’t Quote the Bible.” In his article, he made a fairly bold statement: I contend that Christians should not appeal to the Bible when arguing with unbelievers about political and cultural topics. There is no need to quote Scripture when trying to explain, for example, why it’s wrong to kill babies. You don’t need to pull out Genesis to convince someone that a man in a dress isn’t a woman. It’s not necessary to mine the Epistles in order to advocate for free speech rights. And if your interlocutor doesn’t believe in the Bible, then this appeal to authority is not only unnecessary but counterproductive. You have now turned a conversation about logic, reason, or science, into a theological debate with a person who rejects the entire premise of your theology (emphasis added). Walsh…
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Different Apologetics: Which One is Best?
Christian Apologetics is not the discipline of apologizing to others. Rather, apologetics is the discipline of defending the faith against objections. Whenever someone brings up a claim of inconsistency or inaccuracy with the Christian faith (e.g., Existence of God), you are automatically engaged in apologetics. There are various methods that we use to answer objections to Christianity. The main approaches can be grouped into five major methodologies of apologetics: Classical Method Evidential Method Cumulative Case Method Reformed Epistemology Method Presuppositional Method The Classical Method of apologetics uses natural theology to prove theism, and subsequently, historical evidences are brought forward to prove the credibility of the Christian faith. The assumption behind this methodology is that Christianity is an inherently rational belief, and so it should be persuasive to those who think logically and rationally. The Evidential Method can be difficult to separate from the Classical. Within apologetics, the main difference in…