Introduction

Should pastors teach apologetics? There are many things which are important for pastors to teach their congregations. Pastors should teach the Word of God from the pulpit. The Word of God is sufficient for the believer to navigate all the trials and complexities of life (2 Timothy 3:16-17). Therefore, Pastors should apply the Word of God to their congregations. Pastors should preach the gospel to encourage believers and make disciples (Matthew 28:18-20).

Yet, there are things congregations do not need to know in depth. Congregations do not need to know Greek and Hebrew in depth. They do not need to be taught in depth the geography of ancient Israel. Churches also do not need to be lectured on how to preach.

Should Pastors Teach Apologetics?

So the question comes up, “Should pastors teach their congregations apologetics?” With the issues of moral relativism, liberalism, and a carnal worldview being presented day in and day out, the answer seems obvious. The word apologetics comes from the Greek word “apologia.” It does not mean to apologize. It means to give a well-reasoned answer. With all the attacks on the Christian worldview, the church needs well-reasoned answers to these attacks.

Thankfully, the Bible is full of answers to attacks from Satan, the world, and humanity’s sinful condition. One example is the book of Romans was written giving well-reasoned answers regarding Jewish objections to the gospel (Romans 1:18 – 15). Accordingly, Matthew was written to answer the question of Jesus being the Jewish Messiah. John was written to prove Jesus is God. Since the Bible teaches apologetics, pastors should as well.

Example of Biblical Apologetics

Here is one example of the Bible teaching apologetics. Unbelievers have been denying the resurrection of Jesus Christ since it actually happened. Yet, the gospels themselves prove Jesus really rose from the dead historically. Matthew 28 shows five elements of the resurrection which prove Jesus really rose from the dead. First, we know from the context Jesus really died (Matthew 27). Second, there were guards at the tomb. Third, we have the testimony of the women. Fourth, his enemies knew of the empty tomb. Fifth, the disciples claimed to have seen Jesus risen from the dead and spoke with him.

Significance of those Elements of the Resurrection

The theory that Jesus didn’t really die was disproven by the first fact. The wrong tomb theory is disproven by the guards. The theory the resurrection made up is disproven by women being there. Women were not allowed to testify in court. If one was making up a story, it would not have included women! The mass hallucination theory is disproven by the fact the enemies knew of the empty tomb. They could have just produced the body if the disciples were hallucinating. Lastly the disciples would not be persecuted and die for something they knew was a lie.  To top it all off, Matthew’s account lines up with the major facts of the other gospels.

Following the Biblical Example of Apologetics

Since the Bible teaches apologetics, pastors who do expository preaching should sprinkle in apologetics in their preaching. Christianity is a reasonable faith. It is true. Accordingly, one would expect it to match up with reality, logic, math, history, etc. Thankfully, it does match up with all these areas of thinking. One only has to study the Bible with a discerning mind to find that out.

Therefore, the pastor can use the biblical arguments as they come in the text and present them to their congregations. The above passage in Matthew 28 could easily be presented in a three to five point sermon. What was written to combat the Jewish lie that the disciples stole the body when the guards were sleeping could easily be used to combat attacks today.

How to Apply Apologetics?

Aside from bringing this up in preaching, there are other things you can do to teach your congregation apologetics. One thing you can do is invite Andrew Rappaport and Anthony Silvestro to come to your church and teach your congregation apologetics. See how to invite a speaker here.

You can also listen to Apologetics Live every Thursday night from 8pm – 10pm EST. Andrew Rappaport, Anthony Silvestro, and Justin Pierce answer your questions, debate people, and interview interesting people. Sometimes I am on there to talk about hermeneutics or the Restoration Movement. We have also had Justin Peters on there to talk about the Charismatic Movement.

You can also use Answers in Genesis Sunday school material, called the Answers Bible Curriculum. It is designed for all ages to teach the Bible, apologetics, and theology. It is a great resource to help your congregation combat the lies of the world.

Conclusion

Yes. Pastors should teach their congregations apologetics. The Bible is full of apologetics to give answers to this confusing world. It helps strengthen the Christian in evangelism. It strengthens the Christian’s faith. It helps to stop the mouths of unbelievers. It also glorifies God.

Furthermore, if you want more biblical resources on studying the Scriptures, check out the store at strivingforeternity.org/store. There are also a lot of other articles on the website to encourage you to dive deeper into God’s Word. Please also check out Apologetics Live at ApologeticsLive.com, where Andrew Rappaport, Dr. Anthony Silvestro, and Justin Pierce answer your questions and teach you how to defend the faith. It is on from 8pm – 10pm EST. Also, do not forget to check out the Rapp Report, where you can hear the teaching of Andrew Rappaport and the Christian Podcast Community. Lord bless you.