Every Believer Confident, Part 2
April 10, 2025 | by: Dale Thiele | 0 Comments
Posted in: Pastoral Encouragement
The Biblical Warrant for Apologetics
This is a multi-part series interacting with Mark J. Farnham’s new book, Every Believer Confident: Apologetics for the Ordinary Christian. Farnham is the founder and director of Apologetics for the Church and professor of apologetics at Lancaster Bible College and Capital Seminary. He states, “The purpose of this book is to help you to know, appreciate, firmly grasp, proclaim, and defend the Christian faith. My ultimate goal is to strengthen your faith, so you can confidently and effectively persuade unbelievers to believe in Jesus Christ” (p. 16). Let’s dig into the book together and see how our faith might be strengthened.
Farnham opens his book by explaining what apologetics is. We looked at this last week. In a nutshell, apologetics is the defending and commending of the Christian faith. Farnham contends that “apologetics and evangelism are designed to be complementary” (p. 19). In fact, he goes on to state, “If we abandon apologetics, we abandon evangelism” (p. 34). Apologetics is the means to address the concerns and objections unbelievers hold in order that they may be receptive to the truth of the gospel.
In his second chapter, Farnham demonstrates that there is biblical warrant for apologetics. He is responding to some Christians’ rejection of apologetics. Some might feel that the gospel does not need to be defended by Christians; we merely need to present it. Farnham walks through the Bible to show that God has called his people, from the very beginning, to defend the truth and God’s glory.
The defense of the truth starts in the Garden of Eden. In Genesis 2:15, God commands Adam to “work it and keep it.” That word “keep” literally means to guard or protect. The Fall of Genesis 3 results from the failure of Adam to defend his wife and the Garden from the lies of Satan.
When God rescues his people from bondage in Egypt, he could have easily moved Pharoah’s heart to let the people go. No confrontations. No plagues. No charging army at the Red Sea. But God wanted to defend his glory before a watching world. God directs Moses to tell Pharaoh, “For this purpose I have raised you up, to show you my power, so that my name may be proclaimed in all the earth” (Ex. 9:16). The plagues exposed the futility of Egypt’s gods and demonstrated that Yahweh is the one and only true God.
A significant part of Isaiah’s ministry was confronting the idolatry of the Jewish people. He sheds light on the folly of idolatry in chapter 44. He says in verse 19, “No one considers, nor is there knowledge or discernment to say, ‘Half of it I burned in the fire; I also baked bread on its coals’ I roasted meat and have eaten. And shall I make the rest of it an abomination? Shall I fall down before a block of wood?’” He then goes on to commend the truth in 45:18, “For thus says the Lord, who created the heavens (he is God!), who formed the earth and made it (he established it; he did not create it empty, he formed it to be inhabited!): ‘I am the Lord, and there is no other.’”
Of course there are examples in the New Testament of believers defending and commending the truth of the gospel. Farnham will develop some of these later in his book. For this chapter he focuses on 1 Peter 3:15-16. Peter writes, “In your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame.”
Farnham sees four steps in the apologetic task in these verses. First, a believer needs a “settled assurance that Jesus is the Lord” (p. 39). To “honor Christ the Lord as holy” means to hold to Christ with confidence that he truly is the Lord. Second, a believer must be prepared to “make a defense of the faith” (p. 40). This preparation includes both learning the Christian faith thoroughly and knowing as much as you can about your conversation partner’s beliefs. Third, a believer needs to “defend the faith in a way that encourages conversation.” Farnham explains this involves being informed on apologetics topics so one can engage in conversation with those who hold different beliefs (that’s the purpose of this book). It also involves being gentle and respectful with your conversation partner. “A gentle person doesn’t force a conversation but invites others into a conversation” (p. 45). And the fourth step is practicing regular repentance.” Farnham is reflecting on verse 16 where we are called to make a defense “having a good conscience.” A life of regular repentance ensures we are not harboring hidden or unconfessed sin, which could undermine our witness.
These early chapters are laying the foundation for learning apologetics. We are commanded to be prepared to make a defense of our faith. Studying apologetics is an excellent way to be prepared. This book will prove helpful in our preparation efforts.
