APOLOGETICS
SESSION 1: Being a Christian Is Intellectually Reasonable.
Being a Christian is intellectually reasonable. In fact, the Christian worldview is more intellectually reasonable than atheism or any other worldview.
SESSION 2: Truth is knowable.
Truth is knowable, and those who sincerely seek to know the truth will find it.
SESSION 3: God exists:
The Cosmological Argument, Leibniz’ Contingency Argument, Teleological Argument, The Moral Argument, The Ontological Argument
The scientific and philosophical evidence is overwhelming: God exists. Moreover, from the Cosmological Argument we conclude that God is infinite, personal (he makes choices), timeless, immaterial, omnipresent, and unimaginably powerful. From the Teleological Argument we conclude that God is the purposeful designer. From the Moral Argument we conclude that God is morally pure and the source of all that is good and right. From these scientific and philosophical arguments for the existence of God, then, we have already determined much of the character of God. These characteristics are also the same as that of the God described in the Bible. Moreover It must be noted that of all the world religions in existence today, only one can be true because they all contradict each other. (It is of course logically possible that none of them are true). From what we have determined already about the character of God, we have narrowed it down to one of the monotheistic religions (Islam, Judaism, or Christianity).
SESSION 4: The Bible is trustworthy: Miracles as Evidence for Revelation
Once it is shown that God exists beyond a reasonable doubt, the question is: what is God like? And if God exists, it then follows that miracles are possible. If God were to perform miracles, His miracles would be in accordance with his character (as described above): they would be a demonstration of his power for a loving purpose. In light of God’s character, it would be reasonable that God would choose to communicate to people, his creation (demonstrating his purpose for creating mankind, and demonstrating his love). It would also be reasonable that God would communicate to people through written Scriptures. Thankfully, we can then test such scriptures to see if they are historically reliable, internally consistent, etc. When we apply these tests to the Bible, the Old and New Testaments, we find that the Bible uniquely passes these tests! The Bible is also uniquely authenticated by miracles that are historically attested (even outside of the Bible).
SESSION 5: The Bible is trustworthy: Manuscript Integrity
Through textual criticism we can know beyond a reasonable doubt that the Scriptures we have today are not corrupted from the ones originally written down (Manuscript Integrity).
SESSION 6: The Bible is trustworthy: Eyewitness Testimony
We also have strong evidence from eyewitnesses.
SESSION 7: The Bible is trustworthy: Historical and Archaeological Corroboration
There is abundant historical and archaeological corroboration for the reliability of the Bible.
SESSION 8: The Bible is trustworthy: Internal Consistency
The Bible is also amazingly internally consistent,
SESSION 9: The Bible is trustworthy: Prophetic Evidence
and there is ample evidence for its divine origin from prophetic evidence alone.
SESSION 10: The death and resurrection of Jesus Christ is a historical fact.
After accepting the Bible as a historically reliable text, its most important claim of all can be tested: the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Again, there is ample evidence that Jesus Christ did, in fact, die and rise again.
SESSION 11: Jesus is God.
If Jesus really did die and rise again, this extraordinary miracle authenticates his claim to be God.
SESSION 12: The Bible is God's Word.
If Jesus is God, then he must have been telling the truth when he consistently affirmed that the Bible is God's Word. It is therefore true, beyond a reasonable doubt, that Jesus is God in the flesh, the Bible is God’s Word, and Christianity is true.
SESSION 13: We should put our trust in Jesus, in whom is life.
The Christian worldview is a very intellectually satisfying worldview. Christians are convinced that it is the most intellectually satisfying worldview. Christians are also convinced that if these things are true (Jesus is God and the Bible is God’s Word), then real life is found in knowing God and seeking Him with passion and commitment. The Christian faith, then, is not just an intellectual agreement with facts; it is a complete surrender to a God who loves us and gave himself for us. It is the intellectual and volitional trust in the reality that God truly does love me.
SESSION 14: Appendix: Cults and other religions are false.
In this session we briefly discuss other major cults and world religions, showing that they are false.
Being a Christian is intellectually reasonable. In fact, the Christian worldview is more intellectually reasonable than atheism or any other worldview.
SESSION 2: Truth is knowable.
Truth is knowable, and those who sincerely seek to know the truth will find it.
SESSION 3: God exists:
The Cosmological Argument, Leibniz’ Contingency Argument, Teleological Argument, The Moral Argument, The Ontological Argument
The scientific and philosophical evidence is overwhelming: God exists. Moreover, from the Cosmological Argument we conclude that God is infinite, personal (he makes choices), timeless, immaterial, omnipresent, and unimaginably powerful. From the Teleological Argument we conclude that God is the purposeful designer. From the Moral Argument we conclude that God is morally pure and the source of all that is good and right. From these scientific and philosophical arguments for the existence of God, then, we have already determined much of the character of God. These characteristics are also the same as that of the God described in the Bible. Moreover It must be noted that of all the world religions in existence today, only one can be true because they all contradict each other. (It is of course logically possible that none of them are true). From what we have determined already about the character of God, we have narrowed it down to one of the monotheistic religions (Islam, Judaism, or Christianity).
SESSION 4: The Bible is trustworthy: Miracles as Evidence for Revelation
Once it is shown that God exists beyond a reasonable doubt, the question is: what is God like? And if God exists, it then follows that miracles are possible. If God were to perform miracles, His miracles would be in accordance with his character (as described above): they would be a demonstration of his power for a loving purpose. In light of God’s character, it would be reasonable that God would choose to communicate to people, his creation (demonstrating his purpose for creating mankind, and demonstrating his love). It would also be reasonable that God would communicate to people through written Scriptures. Thankfully, we can then test such scriptures to see if they are historically reliable, internally consistent, etc. When we apply these tests to the Bible, the Old and New Testaments, we find that the Bible uniquely passes these tests! The Bible is also uniquely authenticated by miracles that are historically attested (even outside of the Bible).
SESSION 5: The Bible is trustworthy: Manuscript Integrity
Through textual criticism we can know beyond a reasonable doubt that the Scriptures we have today are not corrupted from the ones originally written down (Manuscript Integrity).
SESSION 6: The Bible is trustworthy: Eyewitness Testimony
We also have strong evidence from eyewitnesses.
SESSION 7: The Bible is trustworthy: Historical and Archaeological Corroboration
There is abundant historical and archaeological corroboration for the reliability of the Bible.
SESSION 8: The Bible is trustworthy: Internal Consistency
The Bible is also amazingly internally consistent,
SESSION 9: The Bible is trustworthy: Prophetic Evidence
and there is ample evidence for its divine origin from prophetic evidence alone.
SESSION 10: The death and resurrection of Jesus Christ is a historical fact.
After accepting the Bible as a historically reliable text, its most important claim of all can be tested: the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Again, there is ample evidence that Jesus Christ did, in fact, die and rise again.
SESSION 11: Jesus is God.
If Jesus really did die and rise again, this extraordinary miracle authenticates his claim to be God.
SESSION 12: The Bible is God's Word.
If Jesus is God, then he must have been telling the truth when he consistently affirmed that the Bible is God's Word. It is therefore true, beyond a reasonable doubt, that Jesus is God in the flesh, the Bible is God’s Word, and Christianity is true.
SESSION 13: We should put our trust in Jesus, in whom is life.
The Christian worldview is a very intellectually satisfying worldview. Christians are convinced that it is the most intellectually satisfying worldview. Christians are also convinced that if these things are true (Jesus is God and the Bible is God’s Word), then real life is found in knowing God and seeking Him with passion and commitment. The Christian faith, then, is not just an intellectual agreement with facts; it is a complete surrender to a God who loves us and gave himself for us. It is the intellectual and volitional trust in the reality that God truly does love me.
SESSION 14: Appendix: Cults and other religions are false.
In this session we briefly discuss other major cults and world religions, showing that they are false.
More Resources
Debates Worth Watching
These are great debates to watch and see Theism and Christianity defended by the experts against the experts. Be aware: they are long (an hour or two).