College/Young Adult

I might possibly have the most consistent record of any juror ever called. Every time I’ve been called, Ive been selected to be on a jury.

Let’s see, I’ve done a month and a half double murder, a child molestation, a CRIMINAL ASSAULT case. But, hey, I’m just venting.

Actually, to be completely honest, in spite of the inconvenience to my life, I find the whole system fascinating.

Here’s a forum where people offer arguments for both guilt and innocence. A panel of people listen to the arguments and then make decisions off of those arguments.

And you know what, I’ve noticed it works pretty well.

If people are willing to truly listen – and if the arguments that are well reasoned and backed by truth — the system works.

Did you know the scripture would urge us to offer the same types of defense an attorney might offer for his client?

Check out this verse found in 1 Peter 3:13

But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with
gentleness and respect,

It is interesting that he Greek word rendered as “Give the reason,” in that verse is APOLOGIA. And Apologia has a much more robust meaning in the Greek than is rendered in the English. Let’s take a look.

Greek root words: apo = “from”; & Logia = word, logic, reasoning .

Here’s how the word APOLOGIAis used ELSEWHERE in Scripture

Acts 22:1 – “my defense” 
Acts 25:16 – “make his defense” 
I Cor. 9:3 – “my defense” 
II Cor. 7:11 – “vindication” 
Phil. 1:7 – “defense of the gospel” 
Phil. 1:17 – “defense of the gospel” 
II Tim. 4:16 – “my first defense” 
I Peter 3:15 – “ready to make a defense”

The word Apologia was a Greek LEGAL term:

An answer
A defense
A verbal defense
A speech in defense
A speech of defense
A reply

Scriptures are indicating that you and I offer Reasoned Defense for our faith.

Acts 22:1 - “Brothers and fathers, listen now to my defense (apologia).”

1 Corinthians 9:3 – This is my defense (apologia) to those who sit in judgment on me.

And — the not so hidden implication behind this statement in 1 Peter is that THE CHRISTIAN FAITH IS “AN INTELLIGENT and REASONABLE FAITH”

Ours is a faith APPEALS TO THE “MIND” AS WELL AS TO THE “HEART”

Matthew 22:37 ,says that YOU are to,

“‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with
all your soul and with all your mind.’

God expects us to use our minds. And John 8:32 concurs with this.

John 8:32:

“Then you will know the truth, and the
truth will set you free.”

We can have knowledge of the truth AND we are to use our minds.

This means, of course that we do not have to commit “INTELLECTUAL SUICIDE” in order to have faith!

This is important. For as one person said:

“My
heart cannot rejoice in what my mind rejects!”

– Anonymous

Now we should be aware that we have many examples, right in our own bibles, of Jesus offering a well-reasoned defense of faith in him as God and Lord.

JESUS OFFERS THE EVIDENCE OF HIS RESURRECTION AS A REASON FOR FAITH IN HIM

John 2:18-21 ¹⁸ Then the Jews demanded of him, “What miraculous sign can you show us to prove your authority to do all this?”

¹⁹ Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple,
and I will raise it again in three days.”

²⁰ The Jews replied, “It has taken forty-six years
to build this temple, and you are going to raise it in three days?” ²¹
But the temple he had spoken of was his body.

JESUS OFFERS THE EVIDENCE OF HIS MIRACLES AS REASON FOR FAITH IN HIM

John 10:30-33, 37-38 –

³⁰“I and the Father are one.”

³¹ Again the Jews picked up stones to stone him, ³² but Jesus said to them, “I have shown
you many great miracles from the Father. For which of these do you stone me?”

³³ “We are not stoning you for any of these,” replied the Jews, “but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God.”

³⁷ Do not believe me unless I do what my Father does. ³⁸ But if I do it, even though you do not believe me, believe the miracles,
that you may know and understand that the Father is in me, and I in the
Father.”

John 15:24-25 –

²⁴ If I had not done among them what no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin. But now they have seen these miracles, and yet they have hated both me and my Father. ²⁵ But this is to fulfill what is written in their Law: ‘They hated me without reason.’

John 20:24-29 –

²⁴ Now Thomas (called Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. ²⁵ So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!”

But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it.”

²⁶ A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” ²⁷ Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.”

²⁸ Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!”

²⁹ Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

JESUS USED REASON AND ARGUMENTATION IN HIS DEFENSE

Check out Matthew 12:24-30 below. In that verse you will see our Lord use the following tools of logic:

Argument from analogy (vv. 25-26) 
The law of logical or rational inference (v. 26)
 Reductio ad absurdum (vv. 25-26) 
Argument from analogy (v. 27) 
The law of logical or rational inference (vv. 28, 29) 
Argument from analogy (v. 29)
 The law of non-contradiction (v. 30)
 The law of excluded middle (v. 30)

Matthew 12:24-30

²⁴ But when the Pharisees heard this, they said,
“It is only by Beelzebub, the prince of demons, that this fellow drives out
demons.”

²⁵ Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them,
“Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or
household divided against itself will not stand. ²⁶ If Satan drives
out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then can his kingdom stand? ²⁷

And if I drive out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your people drive them out?
So then, they will be your judges. ²⁸ But if I drive out demons by
the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.

²⁹ “Or again, how can anyone enter a strong
man’s house and carry off his possessions unless he first ties up the strong
man? Then he can rob his house.

³⁰ “He who is not with me is against me,
and he who does not gather with me scatters.

CAN’T I JUST USE MY PERSONAL TESTIMONY WHEN SPEAKING WITH NON-BELIEVERS?

Yes, absolutely, you should. But please be aware of the limitations of personal testimony.

Mystical, “Third Eye” experiences cannot be disproved. This may seem like a strength but the side is that no one can prove them right either.
Other faiths also use personal mystical experience as a justification for faith:

Mormon’s “Burning in the bosom.”
Jehovah’s Witnesses.
Hare Krishnas
New Age

CHRISTIN’S WE HAVE FACT FILLED HISTORICALLY ACCURATE SCRIPTURE ON OUR SIDE.

Look at the historical and verifiable facts and personages in the following verses:

Luke 2:1-5

1 In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a
census should be taken of the entire Roman world. 2 (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3
And everyone went to his own town to register.

4 So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. 5 He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child.;

Luke 3:1-2

John the Baptist Prepares the Way

1 In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar—when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, Herod tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip
tetrarch of Iturea and Traconitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene—
2 during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the desert.

Acts 2:22 - “Men of Israel, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know.

Acts 26:24-26 - 24 At this point Festus interrupted Paul’s defense. “You are out of your mind, Paul!” he shouted. “Your great learning is driving you insane.”

25 “I am not insane, most excellent Festus,” Paul replied. “What
I am saying is true and reasonable. 26 The king is familiar
with these things, and I can speak freely to him. I am convinced that none of this has escaped his notice, because it was not done in a corner.

So there you have just a small sampling of verses with Historically verifiable facts. You can appeal to these as an evidence for the historical nature of our faith. And you can use them to craft a well-reasoned defense.

One final thought – The only difference between a lawyer offering a well-reasoned defense to a Jury and yourwell-reasoned defense of Christianity is that the Jury is kind of a CAPTIVE AUDIENCE.

They AINT GOING NO WHERE.

This is why 1 Peter says, “be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you.”

Peter is telling us, that when that opportunity arises – when someone asks us – we need to ALREADY be prepared to:

Present evidence.
Offer logical arguments.
Offer reasons why a person ought to believe in Christ.

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