THE NECESSITY OF THE CHRISTIAN WORLDVIEW THE APOLOGETIC TASK: PRESENTATION ONE THE NECESSITY OF THE CHRISTIAN WORLDVIEW

WHAT IS APOLOGETICS? But set Christ apart as Lord in your hearts and always be ready to give an answer to anyone who asks about the hope you possess. 3:16 Yet do it with courtesy and respect (NET) ἀπολογίαν ἀπολογία - freq. as legal term. ① a speech of defense, defense, reply ② the act of making a defense, defense

WHY DO APOLOGETICS? But set Christ apart as Lord in your hearts and always be ready to give an answer to anyone who asks about the hope you possess. 3:16 Yet do it with courtesy and respect (1 PT 3.15-16, NET) QUESTION—What is meant by ‘sanctify’? It means to honor him as Lord [Alf], to have deep respect for him as Lord [TG]. It means to acknowledge or regard him as holy, to honor him as God [TH]. It means to reverence, honor, and obey him, or to hold him in reverence. Abernathy, D. (2008). An Exegetical Summary of 1 Peter (2nd ed.) (131). Dallas, TX: SIL International.

The Necessity of the Christian Worldview How do we honor Christ as Lord in apologetic efforts? Colossians 2:1- For I want you to know how great a struggle I have for you and for those at Laodicea and for all who have not seen me face to face, 2 that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God's mystery, which is Christ, 3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. (NASB)

1 COR 1.18-25 18 For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written, "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.“ 20 Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. 22 For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, 24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

The Necessity Of The Christian Worldview Jesus Christ must be at the forefront of all of our apologetic efforts What this means is that we presuppose Christ in all areas of life, experience and argumentation Jesus IS the treasure of ALL WISDOM AND KNOWLEDGE Therefore, He is the starting point

THE CHRISTIAN WORLDVIEW This means that we must “presuppose” a Christian worldview in all of life's experiences If Jesus Christ is Lord of your life at any one point, He must be Lord at every point In all of life experience, Jesus must reign No exceptions

What is a Worldview? A worldview is a network or complex web of presuppositions whereby all experience is related and interpreted. All of human experience and evidence is interpreted by a persons worldview and the various presuppositions which make it up. There is no such thing as neutrality All people are biased and will interpret evidences in correspondence with their ultimate faith commitment.

What is a Presupposition? “To suppose or assume beforehand; take for granted in advance.” Presuppositions are the most basic and foundational assumptions that exist in a persons worldview Beliefs are like a spider-web and not a bowl of marbles

Ultimate Faith Commitment An “Ultimate Faith Commitment” is at the center of a persons worldview It is the ultimate, all-governing presupposition that the worldview is formulated around Centrality of Christ Allah Materialism Nirvana

Ultimate Faith Commitment A persons worldview is going to include an ultimate faith commitment. This is the center of the web of a worldview With spider webs, one can break certain strands of the web, yet the web stays intact However, if one destroys the center of the web, the entire web falls apart

The Worldview Web ULTIMATE FAITH COMMITMENT PRESUPPOSITIONS

Neutrality There is no such thing as neutrality in a persons worldview Everyone is biased towards their own worldview This bias or lack of neutrality causes them to view and interpret evidence in a manner to protect their ultimate faith commitment All of us presuppose certain things about life We are called as Christians to presuppose Col 2.3

Colossians 2.3 Once Again Jesus Christ is the fountainhead or treasure of all wisdom and knowledge All truth comes from God Don’t be deceived “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. 9 For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily” – Col 2.8-9

THE GOAL OF APOLOGETICS Our goal in apologetics is going to be to unmask the person with whom you are debating We are going to show that the worldview that they hold to does not and cannot answer the essential questions of life and that it CANNOT account for our human experience When someone brings a charge against the Christian faith, you need to look at what they are standing on What is the foundation of their argumentation?

About the Unbeliever Romans 1.18 – “suppress the truth” Romans 1.19 – God has shown them the truth Romans 1.20 – without excuse Romans 1.21 – “they knew God” Romans 1.22 – “they became fools” Romans 1.24 – given over to a the lusts of their hearts Romans 1.26 – given over to dishonorable passions Romans 1.28 – given over to a debased mind

About the Unbeliever This is the condition of the unbeliever before you They know the truth and suppress the truth Make no mistake – everyone is a believer Every unbeliever is a believer unto condemnation We are believers unto exaltation Not simply a matter of information Noetic Effect of Sin Antinomianism