​The problem of evil in a world upheld by a good God (theodicy) is a recurring question and problem that the Devil uses to lead people into doubt, despair, and other great shame and vice. Christians, young and old, need to know how to answer this theodicy question, both for themselves and as an apologetic witness for others. Here is a simple way I've found for presenting the Bible's message of comfort and truth against the problem of evil. 

It's not a simple question, so there's not a simple - bumper-sticker-sized - answer. Rather, you need to understand at least 4 basic truths to be able to answer the objection of evil in the world. 

1. God is good and He created everything in the beginning as GOOD and VERY GOOD. There was not evil in God's creation, nor is God the creator or author of evil. Read through Genesis 1 and 2 and you'll find that recurring pronouncement of God that everything was GOOD. 

I find helpful here the story I've heard of the man who created dynamite. It's said he invented the explosive stuff to help build roads and railroads - to be a help to mankind. And it was even used in mountain art carvings to create beauty and culture and all things good. That's what he thought he was making and the GOOD he intended it for. But then someone thought, what if I lit the fuse and threw it at another human being? And thus what was created good for the help and benefit and beautification of the life of man was corrupted into a weapon to take life; to bring death. 

2. Evil is not God's doing, but a corruption of God's good because of the lies and murdering of the Devil. Prior to the Fall into sin of Genesis 3, Adam and Eve were good. They were free - they had the will to be free - to do good. It'd be like a man who had the choice to either gift his wife flowers or chocolates; both equally good, both equally a choice, but a good choice made out of love with no thought toward evil. That's the kind of freedom of will Adam and Eve had. So, if they're good already, what is gained by eating from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil? If you're already good, the only outcome is the ADDITION of EVIL. And that's exactly what happened in the Fall. The Devil and Mankind introduced Evil into God's good creation. So that now
- Both our spiritual life and our physical life are corrupted by evil that leads people to do unspeakable things to each other. 
- The relationship of harmony and care between men and women and the creation has been filled with enmity, thorns, hard labor, and death, that leads to the burdensome evils of vain toil and greed and feelings of inadequacy/worthlessness. 
- The complementary relationship of equality between man and woman has been filled with the desire for dominance and malcontment, that leads to broken homes and families, abuse, neglect, and all manner of shameful treatment of others. 
- The whole creation, itself, has been subjected to futility in the corruption that leads to cataclysmic events such as hurricanes, fires, earthquakes, tornadoes, famines and all manner of natural disasters that bring suffering and death that God never intended. 
- Man and woman are corrupted in themselves by the evil and pass that addition of corruption down through their generations that led the Apostle Paul to collect all of those Old Testament references together in one place, in Romans 3, that rightly summarizes our sinful condition as "There is none who is righteous; no, not even one." 

The early Church and the Reformers found the illustration helpful, here, of a glass of wine. In and of itself, wine is good. But add a drop of toxic poison into the wine - on the top, at the bottom, along the side, it doesn't matter where you add it - and suddenly the whole cup of wine has been corrupted and is poison. The wine is still wine, but because of the corruption, you can't separate the wine from the poison. In the same way, our human nature is good (that's why Jesus can have a human nature and still be perfect). But because of the corruption of sin in our nature, we are not good but wholly evil in God's sight, according to God's holy standard. 

3. But God, in his goodness and love cannot leave His creation in evil and death and misery. So He, himself, provides the remedy. He makes the promise in Genesis 3 of the seed of the woman to crush the serpent's head and then works all of time and history together to bring about the perfect timing and outcome of His redemption, until, "In the fullness of time, God sent forth his Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, to redeem those under the Law." Jesus accomplishes God's reversal of every evil our own sin introduced into the world. 
- By coming in the flesh, he redeems not only our spirits but also our bodies. 
- By casting Satan out from the cross and overcoming him and his minions by the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony, he defeats Satan and puts a stop to his lies and murderous power forever. In the absence of Satan's lies, there is only God's Word of life and mercy. 
- By dying on the cross he overcame the curse of death by his death and paid the full ransom price of our sins (just as was first foreshadowed by the clothing of Adam and Eve with animal skins after the first sin). In the absence of the fear of death and condemnation, life can be experienced and lived to its fullest ("I have come that they may have life and have it abundantly"). 
- By dying on the cross to forgive those who sinned against him, and by breathing His Spirit into those who believe in Him, Jesus gives us the power, the motivation, the example, and the essence of the forgiveness that we can and should give to others. This is especially true of those who are united Man and Woman, husband and wife. In this forgiveness in the blood of Jesus, reconciliation and unity is possible, and so peace. 
- By rising again on the third day he promised our resurrection in the fullness of God's time, which collects together all of God's promises of a new creation, a resurrection - if you will - of the creation, itself that Paul says in Romans 8 waits with eager expectation for it's renewal in the revealing of the sons of God. In this new creation there will be no more natural disasters of death and suffering. 
- By dying on the cross, washing us in Holy Baptism, and feeding us with his body and blood in the Holy Supper, Christ is cleansing our souls even as we await for the renewal of our bodies in the resurrection; of which we've seen Christ's resurrection as the firstfruits of the Lord's harvest and full redemption. 

That is how God handles the issue of the Evil that our own sin has brought into His Good world. Put simply:
1. God made us and all Creation Good. 
2. The Devil and our first-parents introduced Evil into the creation by rejecting God and His Word. 
3. God gave His eternally-begotten Son to be incarnate in the fullness of time in order to redeem and restore and reconcile His fallen creation. As we have seen the firstfruits of that redemption, we await the next day of the fullness of time when Christ returns to raise the dead, renew the creation, and dwell with His people forever. 

Now, if you can see that, then you're on the right track. However, that's not the end of what we need to say regarding evil in this world. We still have to give an account of why there is still suffering in this life that Christ has redeemed. When your loved one dies, when you contract a life-altering disease or disability, when God allows natural disasters to occur, how can that be explained in the way God intended to bring comfort and peace and faith? This is where the rubber really hits the road. We've explained why there's Evil and what God has done and is doing about it. But what about suffering? 

4. The Bible teaches that God has a purpose for allowing suffering; and, what's more, that NOT ALL SUFFERING IS EVIL. This is probably the hardest truth for the world to understand: that not all suffering is evil. We run away from suffering, do everything we can to prevent suffering, in our age. And so suffering has come to be seen as objectively, absolutely evil. That kind of absolute statement must be denied and decried by the Christian - if for no other reason than the simple truth that it was for the greatest good that Christ suffered on the cross. That's why we call it GOOD FRIDAY. God has done everything to save us from the evil we've brought into the world. Which means, if we suffer, we can know that it is either because of our own evil or because God has a purpose for that suffering. So we look to the Scriptures, especially in the New Testament's reflections on the suffering of Christ and His Church, and we find God's purpose for suffering. Read Romans 5, James 1, and 1 Peter 4 and you'll find almost verbatim a consistent message that "We rejoice in our sufferings" as Christians because God is using that suffering to prove/test/refine our faith, hope, and love in this life. 

Consider the weightlifter or the cardio-trainer. It's only by causing our muscles, including our heart, to suffer a measure that we grow stronger. The very muscles in our body react to suffering by growing bigger, stronger, more capable. As Paul says it, that suffering in the muscles produces endurance, the body's response to create endurance is a new character of bigger and stronger muscles, and that new character produces the hope and the confidence that we are now newly able to handle even more weight and strain than we once were - all because our muscles suffered. If there is no suffering, no use of the muscles, they atrophy. And, in the same way, if our faith is not tested, if we don't exercise our faith in the world of trials, tests, and refinements, our faith will atrophy.  

With that perspective, we come to understand that much of the suffering we undergo in this life is for the sake of strengthening our faith - not as if God is testing to try to catch us and make us fail, but as a good and loving God who puts us through these trials because he already knows that we can endure and he wants us to be able to see that truth for ourselves. 

It's the same thing as the parent who gets to teach their kid to ride the bike without training wheels. How many stories are there of the good and loving father who was holding on, congratulating the kid on doing so great, and then - BETRAYAL! - the dad lets go. The kid does great so long as they don't realize the fact, but upon discovery there's no more parent holding the bike, crash and cry ensue. The parent knows the kid can ride the bike. But you need to let the kid prove it to themselves, first - even when doing that usually involves that crash and frustration - that suffering. 

That's how the Apostles viewed God's use of suffering in their lives. And whatever suffering God allowed, they trusted that God had a reason and a purpose of love and the desire for them to grow in character and hope. And we see throughout the New Testament that this character we're supposed to grow into is the image of Jesus: the Jesus who helped, the Jesus who taught, the Jesus who suffered, bled, and died. So, if we're called to be "little-Christs," Christians, we should expect God to use us to show the world suffering for the sake of the name of Jesus. That's why the Apostles can rejoice in their sufferings, because it can only serve to draw them closer to the one who loved and died and lived for them. 

And to that must be added Hebrews 12 reminder that suffering is also used by God for the sake of discipline. Now, let's remember that discipline is simply the actions required to make a disciple. Discipline is directly related to the world Discovery. True discipline is about leading someone down the path of the disciple; providing correction and encouragement; punishment of the bad as well as encouragement of the good. Either way, the point of discipline, in light of the redemption of God in Christ, is to keep us in the faith in Jesus. And the Father will discipline his sons and daughters. And if you won't be budged from straying with simple words, suffering will be added to keep you disciplined. 

It's like my 3 year old who's usually awesome at staying next to mom and dad and holding hands as we walk through the parking lot. But, sometimes some wild hair strikes and she tries to bolt. If we let her do that, she could easily get hit by a car. So, what do you do? When you feel that resistance or her start to pull away, you take a firm hold of her hand. Light, not unpleasant, but still, could call it suffering. She's three - so what about the times she then throws the fit, really resists, balls and screams, and tries with all her strength to get away? You hold tighter. You pick her up. You speak sternly. Depending on the kid's personality, maybe you give a swat. What is all of that but suffering? What is that but discipline? And all because we love our daughter and won't let her do something we know better than she does will get her hurt. Discipline.  

This is how God uses suffering in the world. Certainly, then, not all suffering is bad. And more, ALL suffering for the Christian must have a purpose from God and must therefore be allowed for the sake of His good and our good - whether to refine our faith, give us a reason to rejoice in Jesus' suffering, or for the sake of discipline. 

So, if you can hold these 4 points together, you can give a godly and comfort-filled explanation to those who struggle with the problem of evil in the world. 

1. God made us and all Creation Good. 
2. The Devil and our first-parents introduced Evil into the creation by rejecting God and His Word. 
3. God gave His eternally-begotten Son to be incarnate in the fullness of time in order to redeem and restore and reconcile His fallen creation. As we have seen the firstfruits of that redemption, we await the next day of the fullness of time when Christ returns to raise the dead, renew the creation, and dwell with His people forever. 
​4. Suffering is not always Evil. It can either be the result of our own evil actions, or it can be allowed by God for our strengthening, encouragement, or discipline. 

The goal of this play is to present a model debate wherein the opponent attempts to use logical fallacies to prove their point – where the fallacies are identified and discredited. In such a way, the youth will learn not to engage in or fall for such false rhetorical devices. 

Author:  Rev. Matthew Tassey, 2016                                                                                             
Topic: Apologetics
Target Audience:  High School & Older                                                                                   

Cast
Moderator
Justin
Trypho (pronounced "Try-Foe")

​Props: Moderator's chair (maybe a table), 2 podiums
______________________________________________________________________________
 
Moderator: Welcome, friends, to our debate today between Justin and Trypho on the subject of Christianity. As with all debates we begin by establishing the Status Quo – the standard against which we debate. Today, Trypho has come to debate Justin in the truth claims of Christianity and Theism, in general. Thus, the Burden of Proof lies on Trypho to prove that Christianity is not true. Let's begin. Trypho, you have the first opening statement.
 
Trypho: Thank you. As a scientist, I was taught to seek truth wherever it might come. I grew up believing in God, but my studies and personal experience have brought me to seek answers about whether God really exists, and if he does exist if he is good. Might there be one God, many gods, or no god at all, and can we say anything on the matter with true certainty. There is enough reason to doubt, and if there is reason to doubt, there is reason not to believe.
 
Justin: Assuredly, the duty of science is to investigate the truth, especially regarding God. But can  science say whether there be one or more gods, whether they or he or she cares for us; loves us? For these statements are the heart of religion's claim on our lives and happiness. It's a very different thing to claim that God made the world but doesn't interact with it, as Deism does, compared to the claim of Christianity that there is one true God who continually cares for and interacts with his creation – so much so that he chose to send his Son to die for us. Is there more to knowing about God than what science can reveal?
 
Moderator: Thank you both, gentlemen. Let's get down to it. As the Status Quo, Justin, could you lay out for us what idea you entertain respecting God, and what your philosophy is.
 
Justin: I'll tell you: Science is, in fact, one of the greatest and most honorable studies before God. Without a rational creator, we couldn't have ordered science. The true maturity of science, then, is to look upon and know God. It's the knowledge of what really exists, what's true. God can be understood as that which always is the same, in nature, in manner, and that which is the creator, the cause, of all other things. This Creator of all things, including truth, is revealed by his knowable works in his creation – notably that the Son of God was born of a virgin, worked miracles in his life and taught the blessed truth, was crucified by those who could not recognize him as God, but rose from the dead on the third day – being seen by many witnesses – before publicly ascending back to heaven so that all who believe in him would be saved. That is the Christian truth, and studying that truth is mature science.
 
Moderator: Trypho, the Burden of Proof falls to you, then, to prove Justin and his position false.
 
Trypho: Let me start by saying that NO scholar actually believes that science is about God. That's just rid...
 
Moderator: (Interrupting) I'm sorry, Trypho, but I'll have to interrupt you there. You can't make unsupported generalizations like that in proper debates. It's an ambiguous False Appeal to Authority. Please continue without logical fallacies.
 
Trypho: (annoyed) Okay. There are scholars who reject that science is about knowing God. The scientific method is all about what we can see or test. Since I cannot see God or test him, I cannot prove him. Therefore there is no reason to believe in him or her or they or whoever on the basis of science.
 
Justin: They call that Special Pleading, sir. You've set a standard of knowledge based on only one perspective – a perspective that's not true for all knowledge. Some branches of knowledge come to us by testimony, some by experimentation, others by our reason. There are things in this world that don't repeat. You cannot test those things that have happened in the past that don't repeat. Therefore you must rely on the accounts of those who testify to it. You ascribe too much to the power of such a discipline as science because it is not the only way of knowing.
 
Trypho: You Christians are just afraid of science because you know it proves you wrong. That's why you don't read, don't study, and don't engage in real science.
 
Moderator: Again, Trypho, I have to interrupt you. Making universal claims against your opponent that you know aren't universally true is a Strawman Argument. And using that to attack your opponent personally, an Ad Hominem attack, is just bad form in a debate. Please continue without logical fallacies.
 
Trypho: Then, to the evidence of science that disproves Christianity, and Theism, in general: The fossil record shows a gradual change in species over great spans of years – rather than a god who created them. The appearance of man in the fossil record at a much later date than that of other prehistoric animals shows that man was not created in the beginning, as the Bible and Quran claim. The genetic similarity of man with the other primates demonstrate that homo sapiens evolved, and therefore are nothing more than animals, ourselves. Every so-called miracle can be explained with a natural explanation rather than an appeal to the divine. And what's more, the consistent, negative effects of religion on society prove that it is not in the best interest of our continued society to maintain the institution of any deity or religion.
 
Justin: I have seen the same evidence of the fossil record and come to different conclusions – especially based on the so-called Cambrian Explosion and what we know about Noah's Flood. Beyond that, basing our entire theory of life on an incomplete record with so many gaps and inconsistencies requires more faith than Theism. The similarity in our chemistry is easily explained in the Bible by God creating man and animals from the same dust. While many miracles can be seen to have natural explanations, the miracles of the Bible can just as validly be shown to have only divine causes – like raising the dead. And the Bible's anthropology, it's teaching on who we are as humans, clearly explains that sin in every person – religious or not – is the cause of the continued strife we all daily experience in minor and major ways and only Jesus can cure our sin problem. You seek to show things as Black and White, when really there is more than one way to interpret the same evidence.
 
Trypho: (Frustrated) You're Biased in your interpretations.
 
Justin: As are we all, including you. We all bring our assumptions and biases into how we interpret any evidence. You're bias is that there can be no God; my bias is that there is.
 
Trypho: 97% of scientists say that humans and other living things evolved over time without the working of the divine, according to a 2009 poll by the Pew Research Center. How could that many scientists be wrong?
 
Justin: Before we all jump on the Bandwagon, look at that poll, again – because you can make statistics say whatever you want. Actually, only 87% said that this evolution occurs by natural processes, alone, without God. Others, for better or worse, claim that God works through evolution. Even though that's still high, it's not as high as your first claim. Besides, basing your beliefs on a statistic about other people's beliefs is far from certainty.
 
Trypho: How can someone reasonably claim that we all come from 2 people? How can someone reasonably claim that every single creature in the world got on a boat for forty days and forty nights? How can any reasonable person believe the first 11 chapters of Genesis are anything but myth and legend, just like every other religious myth out there?
 
Justin: While there are many reasons to confirm my belief, including Jesus, himself, who clearly confirmed the truth of Genesis, including the information in our DNA that shows how carefully CREATED, designed we all are, and many other reasons; the Burden of Proof still lies on you to prove it false rather than on me to prove it true. Whether it makes sense to us or not wouldn't change its truthfulness. Spiders don't make sense to me, but they still exist. Now let me ask you: what do you think about man's soul?
 
Trypho: Science can't prove anything about a soul, therefore it doesn't exist. There is no life after death. No ultimate Judge who will decide whether or not I've been good or bad. There is no spiritual power giving me life; it's all just chemical, biological processes that keep me going until they stop – and then into the ground I go.
 
Justin: So, then, how did you come to have life in the first place?
 
Trypho: My parents.
 
Justin: How did they come to have life and so on? Either life is eternal or it was created. Science, itself, has shown that life had a beginning – it's not eternal. If life was created, what created it? The odds of all of the required parameters randomly coming together to form life is astronomically against reason, even with the most generous odds. It's far more likely life was created than evolved. And if life was created, we have a Creator. He created us and he enlivened us with souls intended to live forever. He has revealed Himself to us at many times and various ways throughout history by the prophets; ultimately in His Son, Jesus Christ, who died that we might have eternal life.
 
Trypho: And why should we believe your fairy tale is any more true than other religions'?
 
Justin: Again, Ad Hominem, personal, attacks, like name calling, just devalue your argument. But to the point: Christianity purposefully opens itself up for testing and verification as historical truth. Rather than relying on some mystic's vision, the Bible is 66 books written by over 35 writers, in some cases separated by nearly 1,500 years. It's remarkably consistent and is the most well attested book in all of antiquity. It's verified again and again by archaeological evidence, especially the evidence that Jesus of Nazareth taught and worked miracles, was crucified by the Roman governor, Pontius Pilate, died, and we even have some evidence outside of the Bible that fits with the accounts of his resurrection. All of this shows that the Bible is a book unlike any other religious book because it's historically verifiable.
 
Trypho: How can you prove that?
 
Justin: One example from within the Bible: even the most liberal scholar dates the book of Isaiah to around 500BC. At least 500, though more likely around 800, years before the crucifixion of Jesus of Nazareth, Isaiah describes in perfect detail Jesus' birth, death, and even resurrection – down to the detail that he would be condemned with other criminals and placed in a borrowed tomb. To prophesy that so many years in advance, shows the reliability of the Bible. That same book tells us why he died: to forgive our sins through his blood, as a sacrificial lamb. So that all who will receive his blood by faith have been forgiven by his sacrifice. It was promised. It happened. It's believable. And if you will believe it, you'll be forgiven, too, and you'll have eternal life.
 
Moderator: Well, friends, our time's about up for this debate. We'll let each make their closing statements, beginning with Trypho.
 
Trypho: We have completely different views of the world, Justin and I. I base my beliefs on the information and process that we call science. Our study of the universe unfolds new questions every day, and I'm excited to pursue the answers. We're all products of this constantly unfolding universe, and we're driven to find out where we came from. I'll look for those answers in the provable, compelling, process of science – rather than in the religions of the past. If we abandon all that we've learned in science about nature and our place in it, we stop moving forward. Let's not move backward by rejecting all that science has proven. Thank you.
 
Moderator: Thank you. Now, Justin.
 
Justin: We do have very different views of the world. And that's really the point. We all see the same world. Our assumptions, our beliefs, guide our interpretations of it. The desire to constantly move forward, to evolve beyond, is detrimental if we're already in the truth – for then we move outside of the truth and into falsehood. Jesus, himself, is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, and He has promised that all who believe in Him will have everlasting life. I pray that you'll consider ALL of the evidence and let the Holy Spirit work faith in your hearts through His Word: For God so loved YOU that He gave His only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to suffer, die, and rise in victory for YOU, so that believing in Jesus as the Savior from sin, YOU shall not perish, but YOU shall have everlasting life. Thank you.
 
Moderator: Thank you, both. (to audience) That's the end of our debate today folks. It's up to you to determine whether Trypho met the Burden of Proof against Christianity and Theism or whether Justin showed Trypho's arguments lacking, thus defending the faith. And, in the end, it's really about whether or not you'll believe that Jesus was the Son of God who loved you and died for you. Until next time, Goodnight.

Pastor Jacob Mueller used these videos during his workshop on Canvassing during the 2015 OAFC Summer Training and wanted to share them with all to see and learn to share.

Promo

Session 1: A Second Chance

Session 2: Dead is Dead

Session 3: Buried with Buddha

Session 4: X-Box Atheist

Especially in the issue of Creation vs Evolution apologetics, the Christian is faced is one thing before you ever start: why does it even matter? Why should the Christian engage in any apologetic against or with someone who holds a different position? Isn't everyone entitled to their opinion? (asks the relative-worldview commentator). Hasn't science already proven the issue, anyways? (asks the rationalistic-worldview commentator). As Christians, then, we have to realize that God has called us to approach such discussion in a different way than the world around us.

And that's because we, Christians, believe that the Word of God is the inerrant, inspired Word of God as The word from The Only God. Why does that matter so much? Did you know that everything naturalistic science holds about origins is based on non-provable theories and interpretations? Regardless of the circumstantial evidence that may be found (like fossils, ice-layers, visible light and stars, etc...), all of these things are not eye-witnesses and must be interpreted in order to have meaning. They are merely circumstantial evidences, not EYE-WITNESSES. But God claims to be the only eyewitness to the Creation. He claims to have been there, to have been the creator, and he therefore claims the only right to interpret the circumstantial evidence we see today. And he interprets this evidence in his Word: the Bible. Furthermore, this God who claimed to be THE eyewitness to Creation was made man and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth: Jesus Christ. The Apostle John testifies as Jesus taught him, that Jesus was there in the beginning and was the means by which all things were created. His testimony, therefore, must stand as eyewitness - not just circumstantial. And his resurrection proves his authority to do so. 

So the Christian's reason for responding according to the Faith of Scripture to those who doubt isn't just the propagation of an institutionalized faith - it's not just to further OUR religion. The Christian gives answer to the objections to the Bible because we desire all men to know the TRUTH, because "the truth will set you free." It's not about blind belief, but about the true and absolute reality of the world around us. God claims to be the only eyewitness, and therefore the only one with real authority to interpret the evidence. His interpretation is therefore the actual, absolute truth about who we are, what has happened in time and history, and also what will come.

That's why, in our apologetics and witnessing, the Word of God must always remain the core and focus of our witness - bolstered by logic, God-fearing science, and history, yes, but always through the lens of the Bible.

And here's why: what standard does a naturalistic scientist have to claim that their circumstantial evidence devalues the Bible? They begin by saying that there is no personal, interactive, miracle-working God, so everything in the Bible about such a God must be false. Therefore everything in nature that might point to such a God must have a different answer - an answer apart from God. Therefore they interpret their circumstantial evidences that way. Another evaluater might saw that they don't have any bias to bring towards the evidence, but even if they only bring their own logical reasoning to bear, Scripture tells us that such reasoning in all people is fallen and corrupted and therefore cannot yield the complete truth. We then must be fully aware of our standards and the reasons we have for those standards and we must recognize from where others - not like us - are coming with their standards and reasons. If we are unsteady on our core, we can soon be swayed another way by some other interpretation of the evidence other than our EYEWITNESS: God. 

But let's be clear from the start: you can't argue someone into believing in Jesus. No matter how logical, philosophical, accurate, or persuasive your argument, apart from the Holy Spirit working on a person's heart, no one comes to faith (1 Cor. 2). And the Holy Spirit works through the Word of Christ (Rom. 10:17). So it's not about breaking someone down, or winning a debate, but apologetics is about the groundwork for the Word. If someone knows THAT the Bible says something but doesn't believe the authority of the Bible to command or speak on that subject, we have to talk about why someone should trust the Bible in the first place so that a person will listen (Acts 17). We have to live the Bible ourselves so that people will see its power to change lives (1 Pet. 2). We have to confess our sins to one another that others may see that this stuff is for real (1 Jn 1, Jas 5). All of this is simply laying the groundwork so that a person will receive the Word when it is spoken. That's apologetics.

So in the days to come, we'll post questions and answers to tough questions that have been raised about the Bible and the Church and Christ in order that you may be equipped every day at any moment to give a reason for the hope that is within you with gentleness and respect (1 Pet. 2). So bookmark this page, like it, follow it, and even submit some questions of your own. It may take time, but we'll try to give a solid, yet simple, answer for each one. 

I also encourage you to check out some great resources on apologetics. CPH has a great one "Making the Case for Christianity," and Dr. Paul Maier has a fabulous one titled "In the Fullness of Time: a historian looks at Christmas, Easter, and the Early Church." There are many others out there. Go check 'em out.