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Biblical
Christianity is being attacked by critics
and skeptics, liberals and legalists, false
teachers and false prophets all of the time.
We can take heart that God has given us good
and rational answers to respond to those
false beliefs. The only way to answer
objections to our faith is by understanding
what we believe and why we believe it. We
can thank God because he has given us logic,
reason, and the scriptures to defend our
faith against every false teaching and the
powers of darkness, but we have to be
willing to take a stand for Christ. God has
promised to give us the wisdom we need to
deal with objections we get to the historic
Christian faith. James 1:5 says, “If any of
you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives
generously to all without reproach, and it
will be given him.”
What we
teach matters to God!
John 15:13 says, “Greater love has no one than
this, that someone lay down his life for his
friends.” Jesus came and died so that we
could have new life and his apostles were
all willing to do the same to share what
Christ did for us. The apostles were eye
witnesses to the events of Christ’s life and
each one of them was ready to give their
lives in order to share the truths of the
gospel. 2 Peter 1:16 says, “For we did not
follow cleverly devised myths when we made
known to you the power and coming of our
Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses
of his majesty.”
We need to
understand the gospel.
Jesus came to earth according to the
scriptures, lived a perfect life, died for
our sins, was buried and rose to life again
on the third day to bring redemption to all
those who would put their faith and trust in
his righteousness and accept his free offer
of salvation by grace through faith in him
alone.
Our responsibility is to
share the truth about Jesus Christ with a
fallen world. Romans 10:14 says, “How then
will they call on him in whom they have not
believed? And how are they to believe in him
of whom they have never heard? And how are
they to hear without someone preaching?”
Luke wrote his gospel to a Gentile so he
could have an orderly account of the events
of Jesus’ life. We need to make sure the
message of salvation we share with the world
is what the Bible says it is, and not a
man-made, false gospel.
Luke 1:1-4
says, “Inasmuch as many have undertaken to
compile a narrative of the things that have
been accomplished among us, 2 just as those
who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and
ministers of the word have delivered them to
us, 3 it seemed good to me also, having
followed all things closely for some time
past, to write an orderly account for you,
most excellent Theophilus, 4 that you may
have certainty concerning the things you
have been taught.”
What do
the scriptures say about defending our
faith?
Jesus was a master at
answering questions, dealing with people’s
objections, and calling out legalists and
false teachers by using logic, reason, and
the scriptures.
Mark 12:12-27 says,
“And they were seeking to arrest him but
feared the people, for they perceived that
he had told the parable against them. So
they left him and went away. 13 And they
sent to him some of the Pharisees and some
of the Herodians, to trap him in his talk.
14 And they came and said to him, “Teacher,
we know that you are true and do not care
about anyone’s opinion. For you are not
swayed by appearances, but truly teach the
way of God. Is it lawful to pay taxes to
Caesar, or not? Should we pay them, or
should we not?” 15 But, knowing their
hypocrisy, he said to them, “Why put me to
the test? Bring me a denarius and let me
look at it.” 16 And they brought one. And he
said to them, “Whose likeness and
inscription is this?” They said to him,
“Caesar’s.” 17 Jesus said to them, “Render
to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and
to God the things that are God’s.” And they
marveled at him. 18 And Sadducees came to
him, who say that there is no resurrection.
And they asked him a question, saying, 19
“Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man’s
brother dies and leaves a wife, but leaves
no child, the man must take the widow and
raise up offspring for his brother. 20 There
were seven brothers; the first took a wife,
and when he died left no offspring. 21 And
the second took her, and died, leaving no
offspring. And the third likewise. 22 And
the seven left no offspring. Last of all the
woman also died. 23 In the resurrection,
when they rise again, whose wife will she
be? For the seven had her as wife.” 24 Jesus
said to them, “Is this not the reason you
are wrong, because you know neither the
Scriptures nor the power of God? 25 For when
they rise from the dead, they neither marry
nor are given in marriage, but are like
angels in heaven. 26 And as for the dead
being raised, have you not read in the book
of Moses, in the passage about the bush, how
God spoke to him, saying, ‘I am the God of
Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God
of Jacob’? 27 He is not God of the dead, but
of the living. You are quite wrong.”
Jesus was not afraid to defend his
ministry so that his disciples would know
that he was the promised messiah, the savior
of the world.
Luke 7:18-22
says, “The disciples of John reported all
these things to him. And John, 19 calling
two of his disciples to him, sent them to
the Lord, saying, “Are you the one who is to
come, or shall we look for another?” 20 And
when the men had come to him, they said,
“John the Baptist has sent us to you,
saying, ‘Are you the one who is to come, or
shall we look for another?’” 21 In that hour
he healed many people of diseases and
plagues and evil spirits, and on many who
were blind he bestowed sight. 22 And he
answered them, “Go and tell John what you
have seen and heard: the blind receive their
sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed,
and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up,
the poor have good news preached to them.’”
Jesus preformed many miracles in from of
John’s disciples and then told them to go
and tell John they saw Bible prophecies
fulfilled in front of them (cf. Isaiah 29:18; 29:19; 32:3-6; 42:6-7; 42:16; 61:1-3).
Sharing the good news of
the gospel is the most important message the
world needs to hear.
1 Corinthians 15:3-8
says, “For I delivered to you as of first
importance what I also received: that Christ
died for our sins in accordance with the
Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he
was raised on the third day in accordance
with the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared
to Cephas, then to the twelve. 6 Then he
appeared to more than five hundred brothers
at one time, most of whom are still alive,
though some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he
appeared to James, then to all the apostles.
8 Last of all, as to one untimely born, he
appeared also to me.” Paul was given the
gospel by those who were Christians before
him and that gospel was the same message
Jesus said the world needed to hear (cf.
Luke 24:44-48).
There are many false
religions in the world and we are often
called upon to demonstrate why Christianity
is superior to every one of those man-made
religions and the only way to salvation.
Just as there are many groups of people out
there who call themselves Christian but
really teach a different Christ and a
different gospel.
When
someone is trapped in a false religious
system with a false gospel, we have an
obligation to warn them about the danger
they are in.
2 Peter 3:17
says, “You therefore, beloved, knowing this
beforehand, be on your guard so that you are
not carried away by the error of
unprincipled men and fall from your own
steadfastness,”
Romans 16:17-18 says,
”Now I urge you, brethren, keep your eye on
those who cause dissensions and hindrances
contrary to the teaching which you learned,
and turn away from them. 18 For such men are
slaves, not of our Lord Christ but of their
own appetites; and by their smooth and
flattering speech they deceive the hearts of
the unsuspecting.”
The false
gospel of legalism (works-righteousness), is
a constant threat to believers.
Galatians 1:6-9 says, “I am astonished
that you are so quickly deserting him who
called you in the grace of Christ and are
turning to a different gospel— 7 not that
there is another one, but there are some who
trouble you and want to distort the gospel
of Christ. 8 But even if we or an angel from
heaven should preach to you a gospel
contrary to the one we preached to you, let
him be accursed. 9 As we have said before,
so now I say again: If anyone is preaching
to you a gospel contrary to the one you
received, let him be accursed.”
Both Jesus and Paul said some pretty
harsh things to people who were teaching the
false gospel of legalism.
Look at how
Jesus spoke to people who were teaching
works-righteousness.
Luke 12:1
says, “In the meantime, when so many
thousands of the people had gathered
together that they were trampling one
another, he began to say to his disciples
first, “Beware of the leaven of the
Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.“
Matthew 23:33 says, “You serpents, you brood
of vipers, how are you to escape being
sentenced to hell?“
Matthew 23:13-17
says, “But woe to you, scribes and
Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut the
kingdom of heaven in people’s faces. For you
neither enter yourselves nor allow those who
would enter to go in. 15 Woe to you, scribes
and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel
across sea and land to make a single
proselyte, and when he becomes a proselyte,
you make him twice as much a child of hell
as yourselves. 16 “Woe to you, blind guides,
who say, ‘If anyone swears by the temple, it
is nothing, but if anyone swears by the gold
of the temple, he is bound by his oath.’ 17
You blind fools! For which is greater, the
gold or the temple that has made the gold
sacred?”
Matthew 23:23-28 says “Woe
to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!
For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and
have neglected the weightier matters of the
law: justice and mercy and faithfulness.
These you ought to have done, without
neglecting the others. 24 You blind guides,
straining out a gnat and swallowing a camel!
25 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees,
hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the
cup and the plate, but inside they are full
of greed and self-indulgence. 26 You blind
Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup
and the plate, that the outside also may be
clean. 27 “Woe to you, scribes and
Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like
whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear
beautiful, but within are full of dead
people’s bones and all uncleanness. 28 So
you also outwardly appear righteous to
others, but within you are full of hypocrisy
and lawlessness.”
Luke 11:52 says,
“Woe to you lawyers! For you have taken away
the key of knowledge. You did not enter
yourselves, and you hindered those who were
entering.”
And John 8:44 says, “You
are of your father the devil, and your will
is to do your father’s desires. He was a
murderer from the beginning, and does not
stand in the truth, because there is no
truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of
his own character, for he is a liar and the
father of lies.“ (see also: Matthew 15:7; 23:29; Mark 12:38-40; Luke 11:39, 43; John 8:49, 55).
Paul said some
pretty harsh things to people too.
Galatians 5:11-12 says, “But my friends,
why am I still being persecuted if I am
still preaching circumcision? In that case
the offense of the cross has been removed.
12 I wish those who unsettle you would
castrate themselves!” (NRSV)
Philippians 3:2-3 says, “Look out for the
dogs, look out for the evildoers, look out
for those who mutilate the flesh. 3 For we
are the circumcision, who worship by the
Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and
put no confidence in the flesh”
Paul even called out people by name
in defense of the gospel.
1 Timothy 1:18-20 says, “This charge I entrust
to you, Timothy, my child, in accordance
with the prophecies previously made about
you, that by them you may wage the good
warfare, holding faith and a good
conscience. By rejecting this, some have
made shipwreck of their faith, among whom
are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have
handed over to Satan that they may learn not
to blaspheme.“
2 Timothy 2:17-18
says, “and their talk will spread like
gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and
Philetus, 18 who have swerved from the
truth, saying that the resurrection has
already happened. They are upsetting the
faith of some.“
2 Timothy 4:14-15
says, “Alexander the coppersmith did me
great harm; the Lord will repay him
according to his deeds. 15 Beware of him
yourself, for he strongly opposed our
message.“
It is obvious that
both Jesus, and Paul said some pretty harsh
things to people at times. They called them
hypocrites, fools, blind guides, whitewashed
tombs, lawless, liars, and of their father
the devil.
Why were they so
harsh with some people? It was because they
despised anyone who would hinder another
person from accepting the gospel of Jesus
Christ. Remember, saying harsh things to
people is not automatically wrong, but it
always needs to be tempered with wisdom and
love. We need to be careful when we speak
harshly to people, but it is not wrong, in
and of itself, to speak the truth when
dealing with peoples' rebellion against God.
We have an obligation to call
out false prophets and false teachers. The
Bible warns us about the false prophets and
false teachers who would come and try to
destroy the Church.
Matthew 7:15 says, “Beware of false prophets, who
come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly
are ravenous wolves.”
2 Timothy 4:1-5
says, “I charge you in the presence of God
and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the
living and the dead, and by his appearing
and his kingdom: 2 preach the word; be ready
in season and out of season; reprove,
rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience
and teaching. 3 For the time is coming when
people will not endure sound teaching, but
having itching ears they will accumulate for
themselves teachers to suit their own
passions, 4 and will turn away from
listening to the truth and wander off into
myths. 5 As for you, always be sober-minded,
endure suffering, do the work of an
evangelist, fulfill your ministry.”
1 John 4:1 says, “Beloved, do not believe
every spirit, but test the spirits to see
whether they are from God, for many false
prophets have gone out into the world.”
2 Timothy 4:2 says, “Preach the word; be
ready in season and out of season; reprove,
rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience
and teaching.”
Titus 1:9 says, “He
must hold firm to the trustworthy word as
taught, so that he may be able to give
instruction in sound doctrine and also to
rebuke those who contradict it.”
Ephesians 5:11 says, “Take no part in the
unfruitful works of darkness, but instead
expose them.”
The Bible is filled
with examples of God’s people defending the
true faith against false prophets and false
teachers. When someone preaches a false
gospel they need to be called out because
they are leading people away from the true
gospel.
The Apostle Paul
often had to refute the Jews publicly so
that everyone could hear the truth in
defense of the gospel.
Acts 18:27-28 says, “And when he wished to cross
to Achaia, the brothers encouraged him and
wrote to the disciples to welcome him. When
he arrived, he greatly helped those who
through grace had believed, 28 for he
powerfully refuted the Jews in public,
showing by the Scriptures that the Christ
was Jesus.”
Acts 19:8-10 says, “And
he entered the synagogue and for three
months spoke boldly, reasoning and
persuading them about the kingdom of God. 9
But when some became stubborn and continued
in unbelief, speaking evil of the Way before
the congregation, he withdrew from them and
took the disciples with him, reasoning daily
in the hall of Tyrannus. 10 This continued
for two years, so that all the residents of
Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews
and Greeks.”
Acts 26:8 says, “Why is
it thought incredible by any of you that God
raises the dead?”
God has
been revealing himself to the fallen world
ever since the beginning. He wants us to
know him and escape the lies of false
religion. The whole of creation stands in
opposition to their lies and unbelief.
Romans 1:18-20 says, “For the wrath of
God is revealed from heaven against all
ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who
by their unrighteousness suppress the truth.
19 For what can be known about God is plain
to them, because God has shown it to them.
20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his
eternal power and divine nature, have been
clearly perceived, ever since the creation
of the world, in the things that have been
made. So they are without excuse.”
We have a responsibility to defend
Christianity against false beliefs and the
powers of darkness.
2 Corinthians 10:3-5 says, “For though we walk
in the flesh, we are not waging war
according to the flesh. 4 For the weapons of
our warfare are not of the flesh but have
divine power to destroy strongholds. 5 We
destroy arguments and every lofty opinion
raised against the knowledge of God, and
take every thought captive to obey Christ,”
Colossians 2:8 says, “See to it that no
one takes you captive by philosophy and
empty deceit, according to human tradition,
according to the elemental spirits of the
world, and not according to Christ.”
God will give us wisdom and
power to answer objections to the faith.
Colossians 4:5-6 says, “Walk in wisdom
toward outsiders, making the best use of the
time. 6 Let your speech always be gracious,
seasoned with salt, so that you may know how
you ought to answer each person.”
Philippians 1:16 says, “The latter do it out
of love, knowing that I am put here for the
defense of the gospel.”
We
are not called to argue for argument’s sake,
our goal in defending the faith against
false beliefs should always be done to lead
someone to Jesus Christ.
2 Timothy 2:24-26 says, “And the Lord’s
servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to
everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring
evil, 25 correcting his opponents with
gentleness. God may perhaps grant them
repentance leading to a knowledge of the
truth, 26 and they may come to their senses
and escape from the snare of the devil,
after being captured by him to do his will.”
2 Timothy 3:16-17 says, “All Scripture
is breathed out by God and profitable for
teaching, for reproof, for correction, and
for training in righteousness, 17 that the
man of God may be complete, equipped for
every good work.”
Christians
should always be ready to give a logical
reason for their faith; and the answers they
give should always be done out of love. We
need to be gracious and considerate, even
when we are opposed by unbelievers.
1 Peter 3:15-16 says, “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, 16 keeping a clear conscience,
so that those who speak maliciously against
your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed
of their slander.” (NIV)
1 John 1:1-3 says, “That which was from the
beginning, which we have heard, which we
have seen with our eyes, which we looked
upon and have touched with our hands,
concerning the word of life— 2 the life was
made manifest, and we have seen it, and
testify to it and proclaim to you the
eternal life, which was with the Father and
was made manifest to us— 3 that which we
have seen and heard we proclaim also to you,
so that you too may have fellowship with us;
and indeed our fellowship is with the Father
and with his Son Jesus Christ.”
Jude 1:3 says, “Beloved, although I was very
eager to write to you about our common
salvation, I found it necessary to write
appealing to you to contend for the faith
that was once for all delivered to the
saints.”
Jude 1:22 says, “And have
mercy on those who doubt;”
People’s lives really are at stake!
God doesn’t want us to be afraid of
being called upon to answer questions about
the Christian faith. 2 Timothy 1:7 says,
“for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of
power and love and self-control.” The only
way to overcome our fear is by trusting in
Jesus Christ to give us the right answers at
the right time. And always remember, “If God
is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31).
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