Apologia Session 4 | Anti-intellectualism Big Ideas: - Theology Matters - Bad Theology Hurts People Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; 1 Corinthians 8:1 Now concerning things offered to idols: We know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love edifies. Why-isn’t blind faith enough? - Biblical command to have a defense. 1 Peter 3:15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear; (Consecration) - 47% of the New Testament is apologetics. - Faith in what? Many people have this anti-intellectual, blind faith that simply believes. However, biblical faith rests in the revealed will of God. (bible) Healthy Hermeneutics and Biblical interpretation combat error and heresy - Dr. Francis Schafer referred to apologetics as pre-evangelism, a way to prepare the person to hear the gospel so that they could respond without the obstacles of those questions. - Worldview's- Many Christians separate secular from sacred in that they assume God expects our church life and outside of church life to be separate. (In the world not of the world) upwards of 95% of American Christians have never shared their faith with a non-believer. - Many believers don’t have a simple understanding of their own faith and worldview, let alone others. This is a hindrance many times to evangelism and discipleship. Many believers don’t feel confident in sharing their faith because they have not been equipped. Orthodox Christianity (in session 3 we defined some of the essential Christian orthodoxy and why it’s important to know.) - God called us to love him with our spirit, soul(mind) and bodies. What does this look like? Some Reasons People Shy Away from Intellectual Study of Scripture: - Bad Hermeneutics - People prefer subjective truth over objective truth. 1 Thessalonians 5:21 Do not quench the Spirit. 20 Do not despise prophecies. 21 Test all things; hold fast what is good. 1 John 4:1 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. Acts 17:11 These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so. - Wolf and shepherds’ wheat and tare- false teachers act like shepherds but are wolves and deceptive and people love to listen. (many prefer narcissist leaders)(sometimes its hard to tell between wheat and tares. Jesus said, let them grow together and the fruit will be eventually exposed.) 2 Peter 1:5-9 5 But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, 6 to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, 7 to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. 8 For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins. 2 Timothy 3:15-17 15 and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 2:15-17 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. 16 But shun profane and idle babblings, for they will increase to more ungodliness. 17 And their message will spread like cancer. Philosophy (love of wisdom) Colossians 2:8-10 8 Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ. 9 For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; 10 and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power. Colossians 2:6-7 6 As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, 7 rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving. Science and Christianity Take Away: 1. When you come away with questions, explore them to their furthers conclusions. If your faith is shaky because you don’t have a strong intellectual argument, then flip that script. 2. Find some good biblical resources (some suggestions in the additional resources) that you can begin to study on your discipleship journey. 3. Have many of these conversations within your biblical community for accountability, encouragement, and support. Additional Resources: - The Bible - A Good Systematic Theology Book - Alisa Childers Podcast -How to equip your kids to think critically about their beliefs. · https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-alisa-childers-podcast/id1260262855? i=1000534372836 - Another Gospel-Alish Childers - Foundation Worldview Ministry Website: https://foundationworldview.com/ - Kingdom of the Cults Book-Walter Martin - Handbook of Today's Religion Book-Josh McDowell - Evidence that Demands a Verdict Book-Josh & Sean McDowell - Case for Christ Book-Lee Stroebel - Understanding the Times Book-Jeff Myers and David A. Nobel - Cultish Podcast on Itunes - What’s So Great About Christianity?-Dinesh D’Souza - Beyond Belief to Conviction- Josh McDowell - The Subtle Power of Spiritual Abuse- David Johnson & Jeff VanVonderen - The Second Coming of the New Age-Steven Bancarz & Josh Peck - Fault Lines-Voddie T. Baucham - Jesus Among Secular God’s-Ravi Zacharias & Vince Vitale - The Bible Vs. Joseph Smith Documentary-Amazon - Mama Bear Apologetics-Hillary Morgan Ferrer - We Believe (Survey of Theology)-Fellowship Church NWA - I Don’t Have Enough Faith to Be an Atheist-Norman Geisler and Frank Turek. - Mere Christianity-C.S. Lewis - The Pursuit of God-A.W. Tozer - Hidden Worldviews-Steve Wilkens and Mark L. Sanford · https://www.summit.org/- Worldview Training