What is Apologetics?

 If you ever looked at the back page of Discovery, perhaps you noticed that it is published by Apologetics Press. But did you ever wonder what "apologetics" (uh-POL-oh-JET-iks) means? The answer to that question is so important that we have decided to prepare a special issue of Discovery to answer it.

The word "apologetics" comes from the Greek nounapologian (uh-POL-uh-GEE-un), which means "an answer" or "a defense." So if you hear people talking about apologetics, you can be sure they are discussing how to provide an answer in response to a question, or how to provide a defense in response to a challenge.

While it is true that the term "apologetics" can apply to almost any subject, you probably will hear it used most often in regard to the Christian religion. But what, exactly, does apologetics involve?

There are a lot of people who have serious questions about the religion Jesus gave His life to establish. Apologetics helps provide answers to those questions. For example, as we try to bring others to Christ, some of them may question the existence of God. Others might wonder whether it is possible to prove that the Bible is God's Word. Some may ask if we can know that Jesus is God's Son. Still others might wonder if Christianity is the best religion, or the only one approved by God. Many may want to know if God created them, or if they "evolved" from animals.

It is the task of Christian apologetics to provide answers to such questions, and others like them. It also is the purpose of apologetics to respond to challenges against Christianity by those who do not believe in God, or those who say they believe in Him, but do not follow the instructions He gave in His Word, the Bible. For example, if you have been reading Discovery, you know that we often write articles on how a person can know God exists, that the Bible is His Word, and that Jesus is His Son. We also include articles and activities to help people understand that God created them, and that evolution is wrong. We don't say, "this article or that article is on apologetics." But almost every article inDiscovery deals in one way or another with apologetics because we want you to know that there is good evidence for what you believe. And we want you to learn that evidence so you can teach it to others. Then you, too, can be involved in apologetics. And you can help others believe in God, His Son, the Bible, and their divine origin. This, after all, is what Christian apologetics is all about.

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