CLASSICAL AND REFORMED EPISTIMOLOGY OF APOLOGETICS -John Azie Kaivin T. Pascual

 

CLASSICAL AND REFORMED EPISTIMOLOGY OF APOLOGETICS

On the blog of our professor, He discussed E.J. Carnell’s introduction on Christian apologetics that can be used to show the similarities among the beliefs of every Christians. The other was the Resurrection Theism of Stuart Hackett demonstrated that there were persuasive, cogent arguments for God’s existence. According to my professor, he was convinced and stunned by these two theist. What he said aroused my curiosity regarding this topic.

Before I proceed in reading the blog Sir Chavez I first look for the definition of epistemology on Van Til’s Book where it was defined. Here’s what I found: The word “epistemology,” which derives from the Greek words episteme and logos, means “a discourse on (or study of) knowledge.” The author encourage the readers to begin by reflecting a bit on the nature of knowledge. What do people ordinarily mean when they say that they “know” something? According to the author, there is no single, simple answer to that question because the verb “to know” is used in such a wide variety of ways.

I pause for a while and reflected. I realized that not because we know about something. We really know about it. It doesn’t mean that everyone knows God really know Him deeply. Many people knows God but not everyone has a relationship with Him. Not because we know the “what” of something means we know its “how”. Most of us knows the Lord and even call on His Name but not all of us knows how to obey to Him.

Knowing Christianity to be true and showing Christianity to be true.

I have learned that rational arguments and evidence is essential in showing Christianity to be true. What we know must not remain only in our minds. A knowledge that is not shared is useless. A knowledge that is not applied and seen our lives is also useless. As apologists of this time, what we know about Christianity must be showed to others not only by the way we talk but by the way we live so it will make it for the unbelievers to believe that Christianity is true. It is by the power of the Holy Spirit that will work within us and that moving from within will be manifested in the physical. We and everyone around us will be amazed on how our minds and lives become transformed.

Reformed Theology Apologetics

According to Kelly James Clark, theist must admit that just like anybody else we are also seekers. It is important that we know how to listen to others for two reasons: 1. we might be wrong 2.we need to know where we share common intellectual ground on which to base our showings. With these points, I agree that listening to others is important in way that not everything we know is known by others and the things that we don’t know, they might know. Therefore by listening, learning can take place. We learn from others and they could also learn from us. Kelly Clark stated, “We often wield reason as a hammer to pound others, failing to recognize our own human cognitive limitations. While reason is a tool, it is a more modest tool; it may be a guide to the truth, but it is not an infallible guide.” I also have realized that a good apologist must know how to keep his head on the ground. Humility is also the character of Christ that we must also possess. The more we know about Truth, the more we must bend and let Christ be lifted up as we speak to people.

I will never forget what I have read on the writings on Van Til that says Christians are bound to tell men the truth about themselves; that is the only way of bringing them to recognize the mercy, the compassion, of Christ. For if men are told the truth about themselves, and if they are warned against the false remedies that establish men in their wickedness, then, by the power of the Spirit of God, they will flee to the Christ through whom alone they must be saved.

But before we use apologetics to others, it is important that we first defend our faith to the enemy, the devil and to ourselves. Our goal and purpose is to reach the heart of people and win them to Christ but we’re not able to reach the heart of people if we are struggling with our own heart. Therefore the aim of apologetics must be achieved first with ourselves.