Defending Our Faith

DEFENDING THE BIBLE

ITS SCIENTIFIC, HISTORICAL, AND TEXTUAL RELIABILITY

The subtitle of this introductory chapter speaks to what all Christians should know, so as to remain “sure of what we hope for, and certain of what we cannot see” (Hebrews 11:1).

Simply put, God has revealed Himself to us in three ways: through nature; by His Son; and in the Word.

Having said that, virtually every believer at one time or another will be blind-sided by at least one of the following three questions from a blind-sighted skeptic, for which we need to prepare ourselves if we’re to be effective spokespersons for the faith:

(1) “Can the Genesis Creation account really be believed in light of recent scientific discoveries? What evidence can you muster to support that”?

(2) “Does the Christ of your faith match the Jesus of historical fact? How can you be so certain the gospels are credible eye-witness accounts of His ministry and crucifixion, not to mention some alleged ‘post-resurrection’ appearances”?

(3) “What makes you think that the Bible is God’s ‘inerrant, divinely-inspired’ word—much less, convince me of the same”?

“So why”, you might ask, “is being prepared to take a stand in defense of our faith so doggone important? After all, I’m quite comfortable with where I’m at, and what others do with their own “life’s view” is up to them!”

Well, for one thing, Father and Son command it. Scoffers and cynics misunderstand it--yet the times demand it, now more than ever! As deliverers of Jesus’ Good News, you and I have been given a sacred mandate to cultivate its favorable reception by those whom the Father—not man(!)—is calling (Matthew 28:19; Galatians 1:1;

1 Peter 1:1-2).

That means putting on the “full armor of God” for both defensive and offensive purposes, which His Son supplied us when encountering resistance in an alien culture (Ephesians 6:10-17).

Mind you, we’re hardly engaging the forces of darkness on “holy ground”! Therefore, as defenders of the faith we must first find common ground with unbelievers—beginning with what information they have and beliefs they embrace. Only then can we turn the conversation as the Holy Spirit leads, which He promises to do (John 14:26; Matthew 10:20).

Believe me, I know what it’s like to be engaged on the front lines in such spiritual warfare—and not just hunkered down on the defensive side of “No Man’s Land” as an advocate for the faith since surrendering to Christ some 20 years ago. As for my own “call to arms”, paradoxically, I came to Christianity on the offensive by first trying to disprove the Bible, beginning with a critical examination of the three foundational questions referred to earlier.

Befitting my inherently skeptical nature (sad to relate), I had to have Jesus “in the head” before ever accepting Him in my heart.

Now what seemed distinctly unworldly about all of this in retrospect is that God not only knew me in advance, but had prepared me for our encounter long before I ever acknowledged Him—for which, parenthetically, there is ample Scriptural precedent (Romans 8:29-30; Jeremiah 1:5).

Yet rather than risk a precipitate leap of faith out of the darkness, as Jesus would have me do, I chose to take a more deliberate, longer-day’s journey into the Light.

So I can only surmise that He must have loved me enough to take me as I was—but loves me too much to allow me to have stayed that way! By His prevenient grace alone, had I ever stopped asking my questions, I wouldn’t be answering for Him today.

Accordingly, this book is written for all believers of whatever denominational persuasion to define and then defend the foundational beliefs of Christianity.

The first part, “Knowing the Facts”, underscores why I was ultimately compelled to accept what the Bible says using the most rigorous academic standards with which I had cut my “wisdom” teeth as both a physician and historian. That meant reconciling the six-day creation account in Genesis with what science told me of our origins; thereafter examining the four gospels to ascertain their historical reliability as primary-source materials that document the life, death, and post-resurrection appearances of a man named Jesus.

The second part, “Defending the Word”, traces the emergence of Christianity from its Jewish roots beneath the soil of their covenant relationship with God and subsequent blossoming with Jesus’s fulfillment of messianic prophecies—only to have Christ’s family tree sprout into a wealth of denominations thereafter!

The third part, “Sharing the Gift”, is an exhortation to take the evidence gleaned from this handbook, apply it to one’s own spiritual quest, and then share it with others in a non-threatening manner when asked. I’ll not only demonstrate that God knows each of us personally but also suggest that His will for our lives can be readily discerned—and perhaps even be reconciled with all the misfortune, disease, and just plain evil that surrounds us.

Which brings us to the final part, “Weighing the Risks”, as regards the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19). Do we risk more by first drawing others to the faith with what Dietrich Bonhoeffer called “cheap grace”, only for them to discover that there’s an ongoing price to pay for the gracious gift they have received? Or do we gently alert them to that reality beforehand and thereby risk losing them from the get-go?

Yet before you and I weigh the risks of “walking on water” with the risen Christ to begin with—and perhaps catch a few fish along the way—we must first get out of the boat to meet Jesus where He is. Once there, however, we’ll discover that following Him to the opposite shore becomes non-negotiable…