APOLOGETICS :
How to Train Children to DEFEND THEIR FAITH
BY DR . JOSH MULVIHILL
A pologetics is the defense of the Christian faith .
Peter states that Christians are to be prepared , “ to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you ” ( 1 Peter 3:15 ).
The goal of apologetics is to teach the truthfulness of Christianity over other worldviews , reveal the problems with false ideas , defend against attacks of faith , and persuade belief by presenting the evidence for Christianity . We are all apologists and need to make it part of our teaching ministry . We seek to answer the why questions that others have and give evidence for the truth of the Christian faith . Apologetics can be divided into four questions that build on each other and help someone develop a rooted and established faith in Christ .
2 . WHY SHOULD I BELIEVE THE BIBLE ? Develop a case for Christianity utilizing biblical , scientific , historical , and archeological evidence to establish the truthfulness of the biblical worldview . Show that Christianity is true , credible , reliable , and aligns with the real world . We have to work hard to help children develop a firm conviction that Christianity is true so that they actually have a faith to defend .
We can prioritize the following areas with children : What evidence is there for the trustworthiness of the Bible , the
1 . WHAT DOES THE BIBLE TEACH ? Young people will not remain faithful to a faith they do not understand and cannot defend . In a secularized culture , it is more critical than ever for young people to know what the Bible teaches , why they should believe it , and to be prepared to defend themselves from attacks to their faith .
Our children know Bible stories and VeggieTales . They know about Daniel and the Lion ’ s Den and Noah ’ s Ark because that ’ s what young people hear week after week . That ’ s not going to get them very far today . What will our young people do when someone makes a claim and provides “ evidence ” that the resurrection never happened ? Or that the Bible is full of errors ? Or that Christianity is guilty of horrible evils in history ? Or that science disproves the Bible ? Suddenly , a Bible story knowledge of Scripture is insufficient . Our children need to understand deep theological truths and core doctrines of the Christian faith .
Let us give ourselves fully to the task of diligently teaching the whole counsel of God to children and doing everything we can to persuade them to accept the truth claims about Christianity and trust Christ .
12 THE RENEWANATION REVIEW