Thomas McCuddy
CCBS Instructor, Apologist, and Pastor
In Matthew 13:19, Jesus says, “When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is what was sown along the path” (ESV).
Many commentators describe the path as beaten, worn down, hard soil so the seed cannot penetrate. So the question for us today is this: Is there a way to cultivate the path to become good soil that will receive the Word? Is there a way we can help people understand so that the word is not snatched away? This is the role of apologetics.
Many people wrongly assume apologetics is just about arguing. If evangelism is telling people about Jesus, then apologetics explains who Jesus is and demonstrates why people should believe in Jesus rather than hundreds of other religious options. In fact, every believer is an apologist. If a believer gives reasons for why he or she is a Christian or why someone else should become a Christian, this is apologetics in action.
Apologetics is a form of pre-evangelism, and in the 21st century in a culture which has rejected the biblical worldview and continues to grow increasingly hostile to the Christian faith, we have returned to the early days of the church. Believers need to do apologetics the way Jesus and the apostles did apologetics. Jesus exposed false interpretations of Scripture (Matthew 6). Jesus demonstrated and proved his message with the paralyzed man (Mark 2). Paul and Silas spoke in such a way that many were saved (Acts 14:1). Apollos powerfully refuted the Jews in public using their own Old Testament Scriptures (Acts 18:28). Jude contends for the faith (Jude 3), and Peter commands we do the same (1 Peter 3:15-16).
For these reasons, CCBS offers a minor in apologetics to train believers to think deeply, widely, and biblically about their faith by bringing every thought captive to advance the kingdom of God. But what would a minor in apologetics look like? What would it “do” for a believer? Every student must learn the basics of defending the Christian faith with “Introduction to Apologetics.” Every student must also learn how to lead nonbelievers from their false ways of thinking in “Worldviews.” However, by minoring in apologetics, believers…
- Engage true Islam by understanding Islamic doctrine and learning how to build bridges to Muslims in “Christian Apologetics to Islam.”
- Train their minds to think clearly, systematically, and consistently in “Logic and Critical Thinking.”
- Explore the different ways of doing apologetics in “Apologetic Systems.”
- Engage the latest ideas and issues we face in “Problems in Contemporary Apologetics.”
- Dig deeper with the best methods for studying and interpreting the Bible in “Advanced Hermeneutics,” OR join the conversation of the last two thousand years by studying the ideas of intellectual giants in “Great Thinkers.”
These five classes prepare believers to engage the world in the marketplace of ideas by demonstrating as Paul did, that Christianity is both “true and rational” (Acts 26:25).