THE TASK OF APOLOGETICS: The Aim of Apologetics - John Azie Kaivin T. Pascual

 

THE TASK OF APOLOGETICS: The Aim of Apologetics

I strongly believe that in everything that we do we must have a clear goal. As the saying goes “Without a vision the people perish.” Our stand to what we are fighting for will not be firm and could easily be twisted if the purpose is not clear to us. It is the same with apologetics, if we do not know our goal everything would be meaningless. We can be misled by anyone and we could easily give up to what we are doing if we do not know what we want to achieve. The time and effort that we invest will be wasted.

According to my reading on Van Til’s Aim of Apologetics, he was pointing that it is important for a Christian believer to have a strong stand on his faith and reason. Now, there is a question for every believers, “Are we really courageous and bold enough to accept the challenge to be an apologist?” Van Til believed that the Word of God is true and provable with evidences therefore every Christian must bravely stand for it.

I remember how the apostles during the New Testament times become so bold and willing to die for the sake of preaching the Gospel. They really stand for the Truth without any fear of death. Even Paul considered everything that he gain as garbage in order to gain Christ. It is because they found the Word of God as the real treasure. They believed the Word and did not hesitate to spread it for they knew that it is provable. Some people in our days fear to share the Truth because they think that they might meet people who are better to give reasons than them. Some people on the otherhand, was trying to avoid debate. They think that doing an apologetics will end up in debate. For me, these are just myths about apologetics. Doing an apologetics will not always end to negative result as long as the goal is well defined to us. As we share God’s words, we must not fear the negatives that might happen. We must take risk as we follow God. Taking risk is to agree to what God has commanded us even though we know that the path that we’re going to take won’t be a calm passage. What if the impossible barriers that we perceive are frequently obstacles in our own minds? Many people are held back by their belief system. We must overcome our fears with our faith because people will feel the effects of our courage.

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.