ApologeticsThe word apologetics can be a little confusing, it doesn’t mean to say sorry although you should if you’ve done something wrong. It comes from a Greek word used several times in the New Testament (NT) such as 1 Peter 3:15 as well as Philippians 1:7,16 and means to give a reason for something. So as Christians we’re giving a reason why we think Jesus is the God-man, God incarnate, why he lived, died and rose from the dead. It doesn’t mean we’re apologising for anything, however the English word apologise does derive itself from the same root word. This is important, the Apostle Paul says in 1 Corinthians 15:19 that if Jesus hasn’t risen from the dead then Christians should be pitied for their misplaced hope and trust, so it’s important that there are good reasons to think that Jesus died and resurrected as it has both existential and theological implications for humanity.
The Christian Apologist Greg Pritchard describes Apologetics as this ‘explicitly and fundamentally Christian. Apologetics is, or it should be, a form of Christian love […] We need to love them enough to listen to them, to ask them questions, to answer their questions, to challenge them to become genuine seekers of truth, to urge them to examine the claims of Christ […] Apologetics is an application of Christian leadership, which includes a biblical way of life.’
