Tony at The Shepherd's Scrapbook asks an important question:
"American churches seem to be cultivating a growing interest in apologetics.... In a pluralistic culture that grows ever diverse, it’s important for the church to formulate answers to the challenges. But along with this new emphasis on apologetics runs a concurrent temptation for churches to confuse evangelism and apologetics, to confuse defending and proclaiming.
"Does what I call evangelism look more like apologetics? Is the ultimate goal of my evangelism aimed towards mere agreement? Or am I lovingly and gently calling sinners to see sin as personal sin, and see wrath as wrath directed towards them?"
Paul at Reforming My Mind has created an excellent collection of mp3 files of lectures and sermons from dozens of different speakers including Voddie Baucham, John Stott, RC Sproul, and Wayne Grudem among many others. It's a great resource.
Christian Carnival 193 is at Lingamish.
2 comments:
I believe, for the most part, apologetics is for believers, in the same way that theology is "faith seeking understanding."
Evangelism is something else altogether--and for unbelievers. The Gospels are the best "tract" of all. Blessings, e-Mom
I agree that apologetics is good for believers -- it's good for us to know that there are answers to the hard questions. But I do believe there is a role for apologetics in evangelism.
Some unbelievers have honest, serious questions that stand between them and believing the gospel. It does not usurp the role of the Holy Spirit to remove those obstacles.
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