Years ago, in my last year of university studies, I became a follower of Jesus Christ (his name is “Jesus;” his title is “Christ”). Upon graduating with a degree in engineering, my wife Sharon and I joined a student ministry organization rather than pursue engineering job offers. Along the way, to deepen my own understanding, as well as to encourage the faith of the students we were working with, I led a study on apologetics. We looked at things like “Can We Trust the Bible?”, “How Do We Know Jesus Was Really the Messiah?”, and “Was the Resurrection from the Dead of Jesus a historical event?”
The first century follower and apostle of Jesus, Peter, writes,
“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” (1 Peter 3:15).
The word “answer” in this passage comes from the Greek word apologia, which means “defense.” From this Greek term we get our English word apologetics, the study and defense of Christianity’s truth claims. The purpose of my apologetics’ study gave me confidence in the defense of the historical reliability of the Christian faith and its truth claims.
Sharon and I worked with university students in the Midwest and in Southern California during the 1960s and 1970s. From 1971 to 1976. I also travelled with a basketball team to Asia, Africa, and Europe where we shared the good news of Jesus with those attending our games. After two Master-degree study programs, we moved with our six children to France where we were part of launching an international church in the greater Geneva area. From 1987 to 1992 we did the same thing in the greater Amsterdam area in Holland. We returned to Southern California 1992 and led a church planning organization until 2011. Since then, we have been part of Global Training Network’s ministry to equip and encourage leaders in the Majority World, regions outside of the Western world, including Africa, Asia, the Middle East, Latin America, and Indigenous peoples.
When not traveling and training, I have led a Bible study we call the NO BS BS. Over the years we examined many books of the Bible, but more recently we took four years to revisit the subject of apologetics. It is “apologetics revisited” considering today’s worldview challenges. Much has changed in our world, and especially in Western culture since my earlier defense of the Christian worldview. This book is a result of the one hundred plus sessions we covered in our NO BS BS. It seeks to provide an answer and present reasons for the hope we have in Christ…but with a view toward pushing back against the skepticism all around us in contemporary culture.
THE BOOK
Part 1 examines “Does God Really Exist or Are We Just Making This Up?”. In Part 2 we will look at “What Kind of God Exists and How Do We Know?” Part 3 will examine “Isn’t Chance Wonderful? We Are Creatures of Chance Aren’t We?” We will then do multiple sessions on “Where Did the Western World Turn Off from a Judeo-Christian Theistic Worldview?”. This will take us back to the first century and forward to include sections on “19th Century Sledgehammers to the Faith,” and “20th Century Acids of Modernity.”
We will not only touch on secular ideologies that continue to radiate out and influence us today, but also where the Church went off the rails and contributed to the Western world’s turn from the Judeo-Christian worldview. Not all will be bleak, however, as, we will also bring into view some of great, heroic, positive, and inspirational followers of Jesus and the movements they fostered and frequently suffered and died for through the ages.
In the early sessions, I draw heavily on apologetic material presented by the late Hope Chapel Kihei pastor, Dr. Kit Lauer. Kit was a dear friend who “walked the talk.” Much of what is in this first segment is from his presentation called “The Cosmological Argument for the Existence of God.” He presented this as he was dying from a form of leukemia. This is a strong argument that God is not a figment of our imagination. He truly exists and is the ultimate reality upon which all else rests and derives its existence.
I will also reference past and present apologists like C.S. Lewis, Tim Keller, Greg Koukl, William Lane Craig, Vishal Mangalwadi, Claus Bockmuehl, and others. A special thank you to friend John Conley who helped me obtain the technology to facilitate this project and Joe Peterson who coached me in how to use it.
I dedicate this book to my dear wife of 60 years, Sharon, who (along with her grandmother) prayed me out of the darkness of my atheistic skepticism into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (2 Peter 1:11). Sharon wrote the following sometime before she passed into the presence of Jesus:
“Heaven will always be our home because it is God’s home, and we are God’s family. The God who lives in unapproachable light became approachable in the person of Jesus. Although He will always be the Creator and we His creatures, in heaven we will live with him, and actually see His face. Incredible!!!"
Because of Sharon and her grandmother, I will too.
