“No matter what’s going on in the culture, we need to be doing what God has clearly instructed us to do. We’re to be about the business of the King, preaching the Gospel, giving answers, and contending for the faith (Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 1:8; 1 Peter 3:15; Jude 1:3). “…but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence (1 Peter 3:15, NASB).” (Gospel Reset by Ken Ham, p.85).
Author Archive: luther
Gospel Reset Bible Class, Pt. 18: Apologetics Moving Forward
In previous classes we have defined Apologetics as the scientific validation of the truth and absoluteness of the Christian religion against unbelief on the basis of human reason and science. We previously looked at 1 Peter 3:15 and Jude 1:3, but these came up short as proof texts to support apologetics. It would seem that the right use and limits for apologetics may be a bit more complex. The use of human reason in apologetics is able to judge correctly in the things of this world. Based on creation and conscience, apologetics can reveal that there is a God, who makes a distinction between right and wrong. Nevertheless, apologetics cannot discover the will of God or validate “the truth and absoluteness of the Christian religion.”
Beginning with this class, we will look at the “Four Points Raised in John Warwick Montgomery’s article, ‘Christian Apologetics in the Light of the Lutheran Confessions.’” Today’s class looks at points one and two. 1. Man cannot “by his own reason or strength” accomplish or make any advance toward his salvation. Nevertheless, we do use human reason in a ministerial way when we use the laws of language to discover God’s will in the revealed knowledge of God. 2. History is a proper subject for apologetics. The Christian faith is a historical religion that correctly describes reality. Although faith is not merely knowledge, it does include historical knowledge of what the Triune God has done in history (combined with the promise concerning those facts). “Therefore it is not enough to believe that Christ was born, suffered, was raised again, unless we add also this article, which is the purpose of the history: The forgiveness of sins” (Ap IV, What Is Justfiying Faith, 51).
Outline for today’s lesson: Apologetics-Moving-Forward.pdf
Book of Concord References for today’s lesson: Apologetics-Part-2-for-Aug-4-2019.pdf
Handout from July 21: Apologetics-Definition-a.pdf Page 2 has outline of Four Points Raised…
Note: Sunday, September 1, we will begin a new 9-month Bible study on the Book of Concord. The following is a reading guide (through December) for those who would like to read along with us.
Reading Guide for Tappert, Kolb, English only of Triglotta, Concordia Reader’s Edition: Book-of-Concord-Reading-2019-2020-Chart-1-Page-1-2.pdf
Reading Guide for Triglotta, Jacobs, Henkel, Die BekenntnisSchriften, Tappert, Kolb: Book-of-Concord-Reading-2019-2020-Chart-2-pages-1-2.pdf
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#51 After a Sound Thrashing, Cookies!
By soothing the Galatians this way Paul prepares their minds to bear the fatherly rebukes with filial feeling. This is like tempering absinthe or bitter medicine with honey and sugar to make it sweet again. Thus when parents have given their children a sound thrashing, they soothe them by offering them cookies, cakes, pears, apples, and such little presents, by which the children recognize that the parents meant it for their good, even though the punishment was severe. (Luther’s Works, v. 26 p.417)
35A Creation: Shine More Brightly
“In fact, it’s just the opposite! It’s when we find ourselves in the midst of a ‘crooked and perverse generation’ that we are to appear as ‘lights in the world’ (Philippians 2;15). Paul told the Romans that the truth about the coming of the Lord is motivation to ‘wake up’ and ‘put on the armor of light,’ not to sit around passively and let culture go to hell…. As things get darker in culture, the Church must shine all the more brightly in society. It’s an opportunity to work, not an excuse to ‘wait’ (Gospel Reset by Ken Ham, p.84).
#50 Harsh to the Face, Affectionate in the Heart
On the other hand, if one stubbornly insists on the force of the Greek word, namely, that κατὰ πρόσωπον, “according to face,” always means “according to appearance”—as in John 7:24: “Do not judge by appearances”—this still does not demand the conclusion that there was hypocrisy on Paul’s part. On the contrary, the sense will be this: Paul was indeed in earnest when he opposed Peter and rebuked him verbally, but he did not do so from a malicious heart. It is in this way that Ecclus. 7:24 speaks: “Do you have daughters? Be concerned for their bodies, and do not show your face cheerful toward them.” Thus parents are stern to their children “according to face,” not from the heart, yet not hypocritically either. And every Christian should maintain cordial pleasantness and a feeling of unity when reproving a brother and disagreeing with him. But even of God Himself it is said (Lam. 3:33): “For He does not willingly afflict or grieve the sons of men.” But who would say that God plays the hypocrite when He scourges men and rejects them? Thus Paul rebuked Peter with a real reproof. He was harsh toward Peter “to his face” but affectionate toward him in his heart. Therefore Peter’s guilt was real and deserving to the highest degree of reproof, and in neither man was there any hypocrisy of the kind St. Jerome supposes. There was, however, that earlier hypocrisy by which Peter compelled the observance of Jewish and legalistic practices. (Luther’s Works, v. 27 p. 214).
Gospel Reset Bible Class, Pt. 17 Apologetics 2
Another passage used to support the task of apologetics is Jude 1:3, “…Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly (ἐπαγωνίζεσθαι) for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.” In context, the way in which we contend for the faith is by a Scriptural defense of the faith, and not an exhortation to make a scientific defense of the Christian faith by natural knowledge and human reason.
There has been “an incredible attack on the Bible” (p. 107) as atheistic evolution(naturalism) attempts “to explain life without God” (p.64-65). We are told that the Holy Scriptures are only fairy tales (p.22) about morality and salvation, while science presents the “real” history. The church’s response has been pitiful. Some within the church have added evolution to Genesis one and called it theistic evolution. Some have given up on the historicity of the Biblical accounts of creation and the flood, only to limit themselves to teaching morality and “spiritual” things (salvation). Even of those who disagree with evolution, many do not contend and defend the teaching of the Christian faith but resign themselves to fatalism (p.84) and do not speak up.
The right use of apologetics and the proper limits for apologetics are be a bit more complex than simply citing 1 Peter 3:15 and Jude 1:3. Next week we will begin a positive argument for apologetics by looking at the “Four Points Raised in John Warwick Montgomery’s article, ‘Christian Apologetics in the Light of the Lutheran Confessions.’”
Handout from last week: Apologetics-Definition-a.pdf
Outline for today’s lesson: Apologetics-Part-2a.pdf
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34A Creation: Different Worldview
“It’s a worldview issue that flows out of your foundation, either from God’s Word or man’s word. It’s a spiritual issue. Those with a man-based foundation will have a different worldview from those whose foundation comes from Scripture. This is why we view moral issues differently. What morally ‘right’ to one will not necessarily be ‘right’ to the other. Christians with a moral foundation coming from the God’s Word will often clash with those whose foundation is built on human reasoning” (Gospel Reset by Ken Ham, p.77-78).
Gospel Reset Bible Class, Pt. 16 Apologetics
Those who encourage apologetics almost always cite First Peter 3:15, “… always be ready to give a defense{ἀπολογίαν} to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you….” The Greek word, apologia {ἀπολογία}, simply means to give a defense against objections. In context, there is nothing to suggest anything other than a defense by means of Scriptural evidence. Nevertheless, modern day apologetics are exclusively devoted to the scientific vindication of the truth and absoluteness of the Christian religion against unbelief by means of natural knowledge and human reason. Both pre-Reformation theologians and Lutheran theologians have debated whether there is a proper use for apologetics, and if there is, what the proper use is.
Handout 1: Apologetics-Definition-a.pdf
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#49 Fathers Do Not Neglect Your Own Household
It is the duty of good parents to instruct their children from childhood in the fear of God on the basis of sound literature of Christian women. Here we see that a pig will train a pig, but that human parents do not know anything. Such a man is not even pagan; he is beastly. Matrons, Paul wants to say, have no need to wear themselves out with foolish and self-chosen works. They have tasks at home to keep them busy, but they turn away from these to pilgrimages and the like. It has been truly said that a father will find eternal life in his offspring; that is, a father has plenty of opportunity in his household to practice his piety, and if anything is left over, to distribute it to his neighbor. But let him see to it that he does not neglect his own household. (Luther’s Works, v. 29, p. 54 on Titus 2:8)
33A Creation: Hate Speech
“Many in my generation would never have though there would be a time in our Western world when the Bible would be accused of being a book of hate speak and be so ‘outlawed’ from a culture. And yet, this is starting to happen in our Western world…. In these nations, when Christians speak up against gay ‘marriage,’ gender fluidity, or abortion, it is considered ‘hate speech,’ and attempts are being made to try to outlaw such speech” (Gospel Reset by Ken Ham, p.76).