In 1 Peter 3:15, the apostle instructs his readers to always be “ready at any time to give a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you” (CSB). That is the biblical foundation for what we call apologetics — the defense of the truth of Christianity.
Where does this defense take place? Sometimes in personal conversations, we defend our faith. Other times, we may read such defenses in books or articles. On occasion, we might even observe a debate where someone is advocating for the Christian faith, perhaps against another speaker who is a skeptic.
Yet there is no place more likely to provide a platform for the defense of the Christian faith than the pulpit. It is in preaching that listeners are most likely to hear and respond to a bold proclamation of the truth of Christian faith. It is as the congregation gathers for worship that they are most likely to experience apologetics — and to learn to defend the faith for themselves.
Why are preaching and apologetics natural partners?
In one sense, it is understandable that preaching provides the most likely setting for people to hear an apologetic argument, since that is where more listeners gather regularly to hear biblical truth being presented. The numbers of people who might read a book on apologetics or experience a debate on the topic is dwarfed by the millions who gather each Sunday (and other days) to worship and hear the Word of God preached.
But the reality is that apologetics — the defense of the faith — is built into the very purpose and nature of Christian preaching. Preaching that is rooted in the biblical text will not only explain the meaning of a text but will also help the listener understand the significance and application of that text in our contemporary society, which includes helping listeners understand and affirm the truthfulness of the theological message being presented in that text.
In his classic book Between Two Worlds, John Stott writes, “To expound Scripture is to bring out of the text what is there and expose it to view.” As the preacher presents the meaning of a biblical text, illustrates the theological truth of the text for a contemporary listener and then applies that truth to life, it is essential that he do so in such a way that it engages people where they live and think — that it engages today’s culture and helps listeners understand why they can and should affirm that truth. That is apologetics.
Not only should Christian preaching help our people to affirm biblical truth in their own lives, it should also teach them how to present such truth to their family, their friends, their co-workers and neighbors. Few church members will ever read a book on apologetics, but as they listen to faithful preaching they should see how biblical truth can be understood, applied and shared with others. Good preaching teaches people how to do apologetics.
Several years ago, I did an interview for Preaching magazine with James Emery White, pastor of Charlotte’s Mecklenburg Community Church; that is a church where the vast majority of members were unbelievers who came to Christ through the ministry of that church. In that interview, he talked about his goal in preaching as “presenting the Christian faith to a secular mind in a way that they can grasp it and evaluate it and consider it for their lives” — to present biblical truth so that listeners understand that “it is not true because it works; it works because it is true.”
I know there are pastors reading those words and thinking, “I’m preaching to my church members, not to a secular mind.” But the reality is that our pews are filled with people who may have made a profession of faith and been baptized but whose worldview has been shaped by television and social media and a secular culture that has little connection to biblical truth. As we think about the relationship between preaching and apologetics, it is imperative that we understand that our first mission field is our own congregation.
That’s why an apologetics mindset is so valuable for pastoral preaching. As we preach Sunday by Sunday, it is important that we not presume a level of biblical literacy or understanding that is often not a reality for many. We simply cannot step into the pulpit and take for granted a level of biblical understanding and commitment that is not present in many of those sitting in our pews.
For example, in my own preaching — when I was a pastor, now as an interim pastor and frequent itinerant preacher — I spend a lot of time talking about the gospel: what it is, why it matters, and how it impacts our lives. It’s true that there may be people in any congregation who have never heard the gospel before, but there are even more church members who have an inadequate understanding of the gospel. They may not truly grasp the amazing truth of what Christ did for us on the cross and in His resurrection; they may think of the gospel as simply their entry point into faith and may not understand the continuing implications of the gospel for their ongoing walk with Christ. They need to hear preaching that explains and affirms this biblical truth in a way that they can claim it for themselves — they need preaching that provides “a reason for the hope that is in you.”
Preaching and apologetics are partners in the work of proclaiming biblical truth. In an age of moral confusion, we need preaching that clearly presents biblical truth in a way that helps listeners accept its truth and apply its message in their own lives.
— Michael Duduit is founding dean of the College of Christian Studies and Clamp Divinity School at Anderson University. He is also founder and editor of Preaching magazine.