I Peter 3:15 tells us that we are to "always be ready to give an answer (make a defense) to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you". In other words, we should be able to respond to anyone who challenges us about our fundamental beliefs which are the basis of the hope we have now and in eternity. Not an easy command to obey, is it?

Well, how are we doing? Have you been in the situation where someone openly attacked basic Biblical doctrines and the authority of Scripture, and you made no response because you felt ill-prepared and perhaps intimidated?
If this has not already happened to you, it almost certainly will happen, particularly if you are a young person in high school or college where teachers or professors often boldly attack Christian beliefs and the Christians who hold
them. Many of us have learned - the hard way - that we are far from prepared to answer those who attack the basic tenets of Christianity.

We are told to “be prepared”. But how? The task often seems overwhelming. For many of us, our sense of being unprepared is not because we are totally unfamiliar with the arguments used against Christianity and good answers to
them. Many of us have had some exposure to people and materials (books, periodicals, etc.) giving good answers, including scientific evidence, to counter the various arguments raised against Christian beliefs.

However, it is one thing for us to be convinced by facts and arguments from Christian apologists who are experts in various fields of science or education. It is quite another thing for us to convince those who attack Christian beliefs. Are we not afraid that, if we contradict someone attacking basic Christian beliefs, our opponent may bring up any of a number of issues which are scientific or technical, to further undermine our position? And we know that
we are not able to remember, let alone master the many relevant facts and arguments and present them in a convincing way to those who consider Christian beliefs to be unscientific, irrational and foolish.

So what can we do to prepare ourselves and our children to face attacks by confident "authorities", with their variety of anti-Christian arguments?

To help us develop a strategy for dealing with such confrontations, we will first consider the ways that the Lord Jesus answered His critics. We will do this, looking for some basic principles we can apply today, even though our opponents and their arguments are far different from those the Lord faced. What methods did He use to support His arguments?

First of all, a person’s statements carry weight if he is a recognized authority in a field because of his education. Even Jesus' credibility was repeatedly attacked by critics on this very issue. They questioned His authority because His "formal" education was, at least outwardly, inferior to theirs. Although Jesus could and sometimes did claim inherent authority, He also chose to use other means to support His claims.

For instance, we also know that one's arguments are reinforced if one can cite supporting facts from nature or history which are widely known and accepted. Jesus often supported His claims by stating simple facts, such as things related to the weather, agriculture, etc., which His opponents could not deny.

Additionally, one's arguments can also be supported by quoting from sources recognized as authoritative by those we debate. Jesus frequently used this “tactic”, as we shall see subsequently.

Another key principle we see in the way Jesus answered His critics is summed up in the adage, "the best defense is a good offense". Almost invariably, Jesus refused to be put on the defensive by answering the specific question posed by His attackers. Instead, He would take the offensive by, in turn, asking his opponents a question.

In any interchange, the person asking a question always puts his opponent(s) on the defensive in several ways. First of all, the questioner gets to choose the topic, and he will invariably choose one that he has thought through and for which he expects his opponent to be relatively unprepared. Secondly, the questioner also assumes a superior position by, in a sense, "requiring" the respondent to answer and taking the place of a "judge" of the answer given. Finally, the wording of a question may frame an issue in a way that is disadvantageous to the one called upon to answer.

The questions that Jesus asked His critics usually forced them to address a more fundamental issue than they had first raised in questioning Him. And in His questions, Jesus often quoted a source which He knew His opponents would have to accept as authoritative, namely the Scriptures. And, of course, Jesus already knew that His opponents could not answer Him honestly without undermining their own attack.

So how can we apply these principles to the situations described initially, where we today may be attacked on multiple issues by those who scoff at Christian beliefs and reject the authority of scripture?

The most important and most difficult issues for many Christians to deal with today are attacks based on scientific "facts" supposedly supporting evolution and, therefore, supposedly dis-proving the Biblical world-view. In subsequent articles, we will apply the principles described above to develop a simple strategy for the modern Christian when he is called upon to defend his faith against such attacks.

In His Service,

Paul L. Tecklenberg, M.D.

(Dr. Tecklenberg, was a founding Board member of ENM. Now retired, he lives with his wife, Hilda, in western North Carolina.)