Final Flashcards
1 Peter 3:15
“but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect,”
1 Peter 3:15 ESV
John 21:24
This is the disciple who is bearing witness about these things, and who has written these things, and we know that his testimony is true.”
Classical view of apologetics?
It begins with the premise that Christianity is rationale.
What is unknown or unseen can be demonstrated through what is known.
I.e. the effect is known
Anselms ontological and Aquinas’ 5 ways are examples of classical apologetics.
What does 1 Peter 3:15 teach about apologetics?
Always be prepared To make a defense For anyone who asks For a reason for the hope With gentleness and respect Without the gospel there is no hope before God.
An example in John’s gospel how he uses testimony:
John 21:24
John 1:19
What can we learn about apologetics from Acts 17?
Paul had an acute spiritual sense for the lost (v.16)
Paul observes (v.16 & 22)
Paul is familiar with the audiences (v.17)
Gods aseity (being within himself) - acts 17:25 Sovereign (v. 26) Paul finds common ground to work with. He goes from aseity to the resurrection.
What are the big 3 charges against the early church?
Cannibalism: the lords supper
Incest: brothers & sisters in Christ
Atheism: Christian’s denied the Roman gods.
Anselm’s ontological argument:
The idea moves from the idea of the being of God to the actual being of God.
1. The idea of a being that is greater than can be thought
2. To exist in reality is greater than existing in the mind.
3. Therefore, God must exist.
The concept is within us. Because it actually exists.
Defends against gradation.
Aquinas’ 5 Ways:
5 ways are connected, interrelated arguments to fill in causation.
- Motion - whatever is in motion is put in motion by another.
- Causality - there is no cause known which the thing itself is found to be the cause of itself. There must be a first cause.
- Necessity- must be a necessary being since if everything were possible not to exist nothing could exist.
- Gradation - there must be a perfect being as the cause to every other perfection or goodness.
- Design - natural things which lack intelligence have purpose.
Kalam cosmological argument:
That which begins to exist must have a cause.
If the universe is real, did it have a beginning?
If it had a beginning then it had a cause.
If the cause itself is an effect it has its own preceding cause.
The cause is separate from the effect.
For causality to exist, it must begin, which requires a single uncaused cause.
Aristotle’s unmoved mover and law of infinite regress.
Argument for reliability of scripture - internal consistency
Bible is dynamic - 39 authors - 1,450 years - 3 languages - 3 continents - yet one book with one message Fulfilled prophecy Accuracy of stories/events Ordinary and uniquely beautiful
Argument for reliability of scripture - external corroboration
Archaeology
- Merneptah Stele, 13th century BC contains reference to Israel.
Cyrus Cylinder, records cyrus’ decision to release Jews back into land.
Biblical authors mention eye-witness testimony which invites scrutiny.
- many witnesses were still alive.
5 Pillars of Islam:
Shahada: reciting the creed. Salat: ritualistic prayer - pray 5 times per day toward Mecca - prostrate, imitating Muhammad Zakat: almsgiving - 2.5% of income to poor/religion Sawn: fasting - during month of Ramadan nothing is to be swallowed from sunrise to sunset. Haji: pilgrimage to Mecca
What do Muslims believe about Jesus?
Jesus (Isa) is called the word of God in Quran.
Quran speaks of Jesus as the light of the world.
Isa is a prophet not God.
-God could not have a son because how could he have relationship with a woman.
Jesus only appeared to be crucified.
What is the Muslim creed (Shahada)?
“I bear witness that there is no God but God and Muhammad is his prophet.”
4 types of inclusivism:
- Faith principle - what matters most is sincerity of faith.
- Salvation through direct revelation
- Amos young’s proposition
- Holy Spirit can save whoever, whenever it wants. - Primitive religion- there’s a small nugget of purity in all religion that is pleasing to God.
Christian response to faith principle of inclusivism?
What matters most is the sincerity of faith not the content.
- it is not faith that saves. It is faith in Christ that saves.
(Blind faith vs faith in Christ)
Christian response to direct revelation form of inclusivism?
Biblical view is faith through hearing (Roman’s 10).
It is not just faith in Christ but God has ordained human agency for the preaching of the gospel.
- dreams and visions bypass Gods need for humans.
Christian response to Amos Young’s inclusivism proposition?
In response to the Holy Spirit saving whoever and whenever he wants:
Problem with this is the Holy Spirit works in conjunction with the word of God.
God is the one who declared this way of salvation. The HS cannot contradict this.
Christian response to primitive religion form of inclusivism?
The belief that at the core of all religions is a nugget of purity pleasing to God:
This belief stems from wanting to help God out of “tight situations.” We are doing God a favor by making him more appealing.
God doesn’t need us to fix anything for him.
Pluralism vs inclusivism?
Pluralism says many gods many ways.
Inclusivism says one god many ways.
How is pluralism self-defeating?
Pluralism is many gods many ways.
The law of noncontradiction says that a trinitarian God and a nontrinitarian god cannot both be true.
Attempting to respect all religions pluralism offends all.
Bible verses teaching the exclusivity of Jesus?
John 14:6
Acts 4:12
What is privatized religion?
What you believe works for you.
“Neither picks my pocket, nor breaks my leg.” - TJ
Disestablishmentarianism
Beliefs don’t ultimately matter. If so, then beliefs aren’t about ultimate reality.
David Wells tells us secularism strips life of the divine by relocating the divine to that part of life that is private.