William Lane Craig was my teacher
This was while I was doing my graduate work at Biola University. In this post, I’ll share an important lesson I learned from William Lane Craig about speaking the truth in love.
I remember how he began our “Philosophical Issues for Apologists” course by saying he often signs his books with 2 Corinthians 10:5 as a subscript:
We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.
But he recognized a problem with using this verse:
It could lead certain younger, naive apologists to the impression that apologetics is all about arguing, and tearing things down and taking captive; so they become quarrelsome, aggressive, obnoxious, or proud. This is not at all what the intention of the Christian apologist ought to be.
Very true. Dr. Craig chose a secondary verse which should describe you and me: Ephesians 4:15.
Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ.
Truth and Love
I’ve taken a cue from William Lane Craig and now open my classes by making a similar point. This literally means “truthing in love,” and includes the ideas of “living” and “doing” the truth. Here’s the point: Biblical apologetics is about truth and love; false ideas and unloving attitudes are the exact opposite of that.
Gentleness and Respect
We’ve got to make gentleness and respect a natural part of every conversation. It’s not cool to quote1 Peter 3:15, but treat the last part of the verse like a suggestion. It’s not.
And it doesn’t honor God when we act like jerks. We’ve got to study and present the truth—not for the sake of winning arguments or looking smart—but because we love God and love people. It’s an obedience thing. It’s a love thing. And when people come to faith, it’s always a God thing.
Where can I find an objective definition of the word ”jerk”?
Too often it’s in the eyes of the beholder.
I completely agree and am glad to see another brother in the Lord admonishing us in this way. This is one reason I love listening to the brilliance of C.S. Lewis and John Lennox. The truth can shine so bright through them because they stay out of their message’s way by speaking truth graciously to the potential “pre-believers.”
“And all spoke well of him and marveled at the gracious words that were coming from his mouth..” -Luke 4:22a
Quarrelsome – unceasing willingness to keep going in the face of much hostility. Take a few days off from apologetics and see how nice it feels. (Man, I look forward to that breath of fresh air each week called Church)
Aggressive – ”psychic violence” they call it. ”…This is a serious problem in modern apologetics, one that Dr. Craig and his followers fail to appreciate.”
(Quote from an atheist at RF Forum today – a few hours ago in fact.)
Obnoxious – What? The style or the substance? My AvT interactions are almost entirely in RESPONSE to someone else trying to start an argument or making a polemic claim against God, Jesus, The Church, religion and doing so from the comfort of a forum where they (atheists) have the power. Most of the big online atheist fora have ‘’no preaching’’ rules and asymmetric rules of engagement. I don’t blog. I don’t Tweet. I don’t go around knocking on doors looking for atheists. What’s obnoxious about a bold apologetic response to a fight started by New Atheists? Don’t confuse relentless defence of Christianity in the public square with an unfair, ad hominem accusation that you’re being ‘’obnoxious’’.
Proud – Not tribulation, distress, persecution, famine, or nakedness, peril, sword…neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature…,
Yes, I guess that DOES come across as a little bit arrogant.