2015 Fall - Higher Things Magazine (with Bible Studies)

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Apologists Every Christian Should Know PART 5

Must-Reads

H I G H E R T H I N G S __ 12

History, Law, and Christianity: Evidence for Jesus is weighed by historical-legal standards. ­­­­­————————­­­­­— Faith Found on Fact: Clearly shows why faith should be based on evidence and reason. ­­­­­————————­­­­­— “Apologetics for the Twentyfirst Century” is a helpful essay on avoiding the mistakes of the last century and how to proceed in this one. It is found in Reasons for Faith. ­­­­­————————­­­­­— “Christian Apologetics in Light of the Lutheran Confessions” is an essay in Concordia Theological Quarterly (and available online) that answers the common complaint that Lutherans shouldn’t do apologetics. ­­­­­————————­­­­­— Where Christ is Present: This collection of essays (coedited with Gene Veith) stresses where to find a Christ-centered church. ­­­­­————————­­­­­— Craig Parton, a fellow lawyer and apologist, has simplified much of Montgomery’s work in two excellent books. In fact, readers should likely start with these. The Defense Never Rests (second edition). Religion on Trial.

The Masterful Mind of John Warwick

Why You Can K “Jesus may be true for you, but not for me.”

“All religions are basically the same.”“There is no way to know which religion is correct.” These views are a plague on the public because they are illogical, have no factual basis, and are deadly to faith. Yet everywhere you look, people are spreading the contagion that truth is relative. In fact, the unspoken creed of our culture is that every belief is acceptable … except the one that says it alone is right and all others are wrong.

Sadly, Christians are not immune to this disease. Many have been so infected with politically correct spiritual tolerance that they’ll even disagree with Jesus, who said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). Just as toxic is when Christians repeat the lie that belief is merely a matter of the heart, not a matter of the head. Feelings frequently trump faith. Facts cease to matter. And “God” is no longer identified as the Jesus who lived, died, and rose for our salvation. As the old line goes: With friends like these, who needs enemies! But what is the cure? How does one know that Christianity alone is true among the world’s religions? If there is any apologist whose special skill set has allowed him to provide an antidote to this disease, it’s John Warwick Montgomery. When It’s Okay to Like Lawyers The word “apologetics” comes from the Greek word apologia, which means “a reasoned defense.” It’s the sort of argument made in court, building a convincing case based on logic, testimony, and evidence. Thus, lawyers who routinely cross-examine witnesses and inspect the facts are especially suited to be Christian apologists.

Montgomery is an international lawyer and professor, with 11 earned degrees (yes, 11!) and more than 250 publications. He’s been called “God’s Universal Man” because of his ability to address a wide range of subjects, including theology, history, philosophy, jurisprudence, the occult, fantasy literature, social issues and human rights. He even climbed Mt. Ararat in search of Noah’s Ark. Here we will mention three ways Montgomery has masterfully defended the faith and helped eradicate false notions of truth. A Simple Law of Logic Montgomery begins his treatment by pointing out the plain fact that all religions contradict each other. Despite popular belief, disagreement is the only thing they all have in common. Some have one deity, some thousands, and others none. Some have a heaven/ hell scenario at death, others have reincarnation, and some say you become a god. Many believe in evil, some don’t. Therefore, it is mistaken to think each one essentially teaches the same thing. Even more foolish, however, is to say they can somehow all be true. This flies in the face of logic, since two contradictory claims cannot both be true. Can you imagine someone on trial