I, along with some help from others, have created an introduction to apologetics curriculum. (Everything that we wrote, we wrote entirely independently.) It is very powerful, because it shows what apologetics are and why they are important, then proof that there is a God and that He is the Jesus of Christianity, and finally what to do after completing the course. It shows how to think by showing that Christianity is true beyond a shadow of a rational doubt.
There also is a list of resources included, and answers to four questions that were asked when we were planning this curriculum.
Here is the order of presentations:
1. Introduction to Apologetics: What Apologetics are and why they matter
2. Proof of the uniqueness of the Bible (not written by me)
3. Proof of God: The Cosmological Argument
3. Proof of the Historical Jesus: The True Lost Gospel of Peter argument
5. When and how to share Apologetics
6. What to do after you have finished this course: How to keep your faith well-defended
Here is a list of resources for when you are trying to find answers to questions.
Resources of apologetics
Answers to four questions that were asked when we were planning this curriculum:
1. "In the book of Job, why did God let the Devil test his relationship with multiple tests?"
First, there is no proof that we should know why. God tells us everything we need to know about how to live without explaining everything about His plan.
Even if we don't know why, we know God did nothing wrong. God created all life, and therefore He owns all life, and He can let it be lost and allow whatever He wants to happen to people. And, Job was very, very faithful to God (1:1; in all of his suffering he never cursed God, for example in 2:9-10). Job was able to choose to do right in the face of everything, and so God just let him exercise his free will (see also 1 Corinthians 10:13).
What we do know about why is God used extreme circumstances to draw Job extremely close to him, and to teach us three things to know when we face trials (search for "Job" in this blog post)
2. "In the book of Revelation it talks about apocalyptic things. Why does it talk about those things?"
One major reason the book of Revelation was written is to be an encouragement to believers. It shows us how God is in complete control of everything, because He knows everything that will happen and makes sure it happens as He wants it to. This includes that He will defeat all evil and that all Christians will enjoy Heaven forever (for example, 21:7-8).
Also, it is worth noting that much of the "apocalyptic things" are presented in metaphorical imagery -- that is, they are to make a point and aren't to be taken literally. It is obvious that that idea is extremely reasonable, because interpreters have no problem understanding Revelation without taking it literally.
3. "People have many different views on the Bible, but why do some people decide to turn away and worship the devil? I know it’s temptation and anger against him, but what else can cause it?"
There really is nothing that leads someone away from God but their own pride. Pride is, by its very definition, a person wanting to go their own way instead of obeying God. Temptation appeals to pride because it appeals to what someone wants that is against what is right. If someone is truly willing to follow God, He will enable them to do so, and then they would.
So, our question now is, "What are people tempted with that they are willing to abandon a relationship with Him?" Sometimes it is anger, because they love something or someone more than God, and He lets it or them be taken away. Often times nowadays, people want to do any sexual thing they want (such is discussed in this post). Or, they might want social acceptance more than God, and so they turn away to be like ungodly friends. These are all some examples; I don't know every other reason why.
All of these examples go to show that people never turn away because God doesn't give them enough to trust Him. They turn away because they wouldn't trust Him, no matter what is given to them.
4. "How was Jesus born of a woman but not into sin nature? How was He not affected by the fall?"
A common hypothesis says that the answer is found in that very question: Jesus was "born of a woman." It is the idea that sin nature is inherited only through the father. This aligns with these facts:
- It is "in Adam all die" (1 Cor. 15:22).
- There is a biblical picture throughout the Bible that men are to provide and women are to receive. This ranges from human men being the breadwinners of literal human households to the metaphor of God being a husband to His people (for example Isa. 62:5; Hos. 2:19).
- Specifically from the second point, God made men to be naturally inclined to instigate producing a child (which is hinted at in John 1:13).
Whatever the case, we know that Christ is born of the Father and the Holy Spirit, which means He has God's nature, and there is no "harmony" between the sinful and sinless (2 Cor. 6:15). God contributing His spiritual genetics overpowers and replaces anything fallen. Indeed, God created this whole process and always knows everything, so He knows the perfect way to let His Son be born as a perfect person, even before the world was created!
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