The role of Apologetics in Christianity

The role of apologetics in Christianity is one of strengthening the faith of the Church and to evangelize the lost.  How does one gain faith in something without knowing a little something about it?  How can you just say, “I have faith in you,” to someone if you have never seen them in action?  Having faith in them is not that you know, without a shadow of a doubt, that they can perform a specific task but that you have observed them doing related tasks with positive results.  So the evidence is there that this person will succeed, and that you can safely have faith that they will succeed, so it is with our faith.  Through the evidence all around us, whether that be material or experiential, comes our faith in Jesus as the Son of God.  We looked at the evidence for Christianity and made a decision to give our lives over to Jesus.  We may not understand why certain things are the way that they are but nonetheless we accepted that they just are.  Apologetics points out these evidences and lays them out logically in a way that can be understood, much like systematic theology.  Apologetics uses logic and reason to accomplish it’s goal, which is to lead the lost to Christ and to strengthen the faith of believers.  Many people spend most of their lives in the Church and cannot tell you, logically, why they believe in what they believe.  Apologetics helps these people see the reasons behind the faith and in this way strengthens the Church.  Someone who knows the reasons why they do what they do will be bold in defending their faith when questioned and apologetics gives us the understanding to be able to be bold in defending and sharing our faith.  Apologetics prepares us to deflect the many criticisms against Christianity.  Christianity is under attack more and more as we become more and more tolerant of other religions in this country.  There is a double standard in our country against Christianity and a growing anti-Semitism in the world.  Christianity is seen as a religion of haters and racists because of what is taught in the Bible.  In order to evangelize we must be able to answer the questions and rejections given to us by the nonbelievers.  Apologetics gives us the tools to do that with.  Although the responsibility to win people to Christ is the Holy Spirit’s we still are expected to play a part in evangelizing the lost.  The better prepared we are through the discipline of Apologetics the deeper the seed can be planted and prayerfully not be uprooted.