The following question was sent by email to the staff here at the Aristophrenium, and since it raised such a good and important question, we asked asked for, and received, permission to reproduce it for the benefit of other visitors. Although the original email is paraphrased, the response is nearly verbatim.

I’ve felt what seems like a calling to get into Christian apologetics, for which a competent grasp of logical reasoning and good debate skills are needed. But there is one thing that bothers me a little.

After observing relevant discussions online, such as on forums, I noticed that it can be rather easy to allow debating skills to take over, rather than allow for the Holy Spirit to work through me. This is something I have seen not only in myself but also other Christians. Now, I realize that such discussions might not lead someone to repent and believe, so for that reason I find myself thinking I should rather rely on God’s guidance than my ability to sustain a strong argument in a debate.

My question for you is, “What is your experience on this issue?” That is, how do you keep from going into debate mode, as it were, keeping the focus on God and his Word? Surely it is not about relying on mental acuity, like having a better grasp of logic than someone else—or in some cases being the one whose back is against the wall because their line of reasoning forced me there. How do we engage on God’s Word rather than man’s mental sparring?

I guess things will differ from person to person. From one of Paul’s letters it seems like there was a time once when “Jesus loves you” was the only thing needed, really. We live in such different times now.

Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts and concerns with us. The staff at the Aristophrenium welcome and appreciate genuine feedback from our visitors.

As I read your email, I detected two separate concerns being expressed as a singular one; and given the nature of those two concerns, I can tell you that it is common for people to conflate them. There is the issue of proclaiming the gospel (evangelization) on the one hand, and defending the gospel (apologetics) on the other. In both respects you are correct to speak about the need for the Holy Spirit to guide us through the efforts. But sometimes when evangelizing there arises a need for apologetics, where the latter is used for removing obstacles against the former. In developed countries, like in North America and Australia, evangelization and apologetics typically go together, leading to the tendency of conflating them.

When it comes to deciding between proclaiming or defending the gospel, or doing both but emphasizing one over the other, the circumstance typically dictates the need. In all cases the Holy Spirit is at work, but (a) sometimes you might be part of the front line effort, so your energies go into defending the gospel, (b) while sometimes much of that front line work has already been done before you, so your energies can be invested in proclaiming the gospel. Both when and where you are called, and into what sort of circumstances, all depends on the sort of work the Holy Spirit has gifted you to do, for there are as many circumstances as gifts suited to meet them. Some are gifted with teaching, some with healing, some with wisdom, etc. As the apostle Paul said, the foot is no less important than the eye, nor should the ear despair being just an ear. We are the body of Christ and God has arranged us, as parts of that body, exactly as he wanted. The body is one, though it has many parts.

Whether or not one should develop critical thinking skills, such as understanding logic and common fallacies in reasoning, will depend on the area to which God has called the person. I would be inclined to think that if you feel a pull toward that direction then it may very well be that God has deemed it an essential component to your individual ministry. But try to keep in mind one fundamentally important thing: never divorce the power of philosophical instruments from the God in whom their authority is found (e.g., the very intelligibility of logic is grounded in the God of the Bible). We reason properly only when it is consistent with his divine revelations, whether knowingly as believers or intuitively as unbelievers.

When it comes to defending the truth of the gospel against those who would attack it, one of the operating principles at the Aristophrenium is 2 Corinthians 10:5, that those who belong to the living God demolish strongholds only by divine power. “We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” There is no truth but that which belongs to the knowledge of God; that is, if we hold a strong argument in a debate, it is only by the Word of God for the glory of his holy name. As for the strength or effectiveness of our arguments, it is never by reasoning or wisdom apart from God. He is the final point of predication in all things, so that in all argumentation we strive to operate by three inseparable principles: the truth of God as our beginning, the Word of God as our means, and glorifying God as our end.

And finally, with regard to demolishing arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, there are times when it is helpful to assume for the sake of argument your opponent’s particular view. In apologetics this is known as the ‘presuppositional’ method, where we assume the opponent’s view in order to show that it fails under its own terms. Although we know their view is false (because it defies the sovereign authority of God), they don’t acknowledge their view is false; so we grant their view for the sake of argument to show how, under its own terms, it completely falls apart. That is why we say the only truth is that which belongs to the knowledge of God, because every view otherwise contrary fails to sustain itself. Only the truth of God stands forever. And once we’ve shown that their view falls apart under its own terms, while the truth of God stands firm under its own terms (this is apologetics), we confront a unique opportunity—right then or later, by God’s will—to present the message of the gospel (this is evangelization). So there is no trick to it, no superior worldly wisdom. Apart from God, the world has no wisdom. From start to finish it was the truth of God through his Word to the glory his name.

How does one keep that sort of spiritual mentality in their confrontations in the world? There is no way other than a life of prayer and study of the holy Scriptures. The deeper one cultivates their relationship with God and knowledge of him, the greater that God blesses their giftedness in the field to which he has called them. The more you rely on God, the greater he empowers you as an instrument of the gospel and the truth that is in him. Read the Bible constantly, pray always, and seek to glorify God in all things.

And realize that whether or not someone accepts Christ has nothing to do with you. One plants, another waters, but it is God who makes it grow, for the power of the gospel (whether by evangelization or apologetics) resides not in your words but in the Holy Spirit. You could give a terrible presentation of the gospel and have someone repent and believe; or you could give the best presentation of the gospel that this world has ever seen and have someone reject it and walk away. Among the Jews and God-fearing Greeks at the Areopagus, only a few followed Paul and believed. And try to remember that there are times when, in your apologetics efforts, God may choose to place you in a circumstance not so much for the sake of your opponent as for the sake of those who are witnessing the encounter; it may be that there is a believer whose weakened faith is strengthened by the defense of God’s truth that she heard you present.

Once again, thank you for writing to us with your feedback. I pray that this response has spoken to your concerns.

In the name of Christ our peace,

The Aristostaff

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