“Now, brethren, if I come unto you speaking with tongues,
what shall I profit you, except I shall speak to you either by revelation,
or by knowledge, or by prophesying, or by doctrine?” – 1 Corinthians 14:6
Apologetics is a mental game, no different than a schoolyard verbal scuffle amongst more powerful adversaries. AKA destined to fail.
Apologetics falls flat. “You have your Bible, me, my Koran, now get out of my face and have a nice day”.
This is what the natives said to T.L. Osborne and John Osteen as they both went to Africa as Baptist missionaries in the 1940s and 1950s
Their nice speeches set no witch doctor free. They actually came back to America shocked that “The Gospel didn’t work”
Of course it didn’t! It wasn’t the full Gospel.
Tucking tail and heading home, T.L. and John soon learned that they needed to be filled with the Spirit before they overcame the Devil and False religions
Luke 24:49: “And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.”
Apologetics attempts to convince someone of God’s kingdom through argument, reasoning, or at best, at least remembering the subject at hand, aka, the Word of God.
Sinners are burned out on yet another speech without proof.
They are cynical and past caring.
The world already has its witches, cults, tribes and covens that supply all their supernatural needs.
South African Pastor Llewellyn Roberts once dealt drugs and had a female partner who could turn paper into gold nuggets.
What did she need God for?
God is not a mind, He is a Spirit:
Luke 24:39 -” Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have.”
John 4:24 – “God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.”
Acts 10:38 – “How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.”
If you are not filled with the Spirit, (with the automatic consequence of speaking in tongues), I suggest you get filled right now:
(PDF) Three Steps to Connecting with God
(PDF) Get filled with the Holy Spirit
Apologetics selects, uses, arrives at, stops at, completes its argument at and falls well short of the BIBLE way to preach the gospel.
It selects only one leg: knowledge.
Read the above scripture again, you will notice that the 5 methods Paul uses are ALL spiritual methods, not memory recall methods.
Impressive recall does not save, heal or deliver. Eloquence or knowing your subject matter well does not cast out demons, heal the sick, or raise the dead.
Men who write these books, have a good heart, but that’s not enough.
Apologetics is simply a GOOD PLACE TO START, BUT THAT’S ALL IT IS. A START:
2 Tim 2:15 – “ Study to shew yourself approved unto God, a workman that needs not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”
Apologetics merely attempts to solve the shame issue. The shame due to lack of study.
Apologetics totally omits the BIBLE WAY to preach the Gospel: in demonstration of the Power of God.
1 Cor 2:2 – “And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God.”
1 Cor 2:4-5 – “And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power,
That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.”
1 Cor 4:20-21 – “For the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power. What will ye? shall I come unto you with a rod, or in love, and in the spirit of meekness?”
Apologetics is akin to a denomination itself, as it slices and dices, forgets and omits the Word to fit it’s agenda:
The writers use Acts 6:10 as their mantra: “And they were not able to resist the wisdom and the spirit by which he spake.”
Step back two verses to Acts 6:8 and get the complete picture: “And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and miracles among the people”
Here is another example of preaching the full Gospel and the effects:
“Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and preached Christ unto them.
And the people with one accord gave heed unto those things which Philip spake, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did.
For unclean spirits, crying with loud voice, came out of many that were possessed with them: and many taken with palsies, and that were lame, were healed.
And there was great joy in that city.”
Acts 8:5-8
Great Joy! Ya think?! People got healed.
Finally, Apologetics puts a stain on the church and body of Jesus Christ by giving the world a powerless view of Christ Jesus
“Some indeed preach Christ even of envy and strife; and some also of good will:
The one preach Christ of contention, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my bonds:
But the other of love, knowing that I am set for the defence of the gospel.”
Philippians 1:15-18
Here is the defence of the full Gospel
The other 5 LEGS that you should be standing on , and flowing in , before you preach Christ to a lost world:
1) Tongues – the power base for all New Testament evangelism. Luke 24:49, Acts 1:8, Acts 2:4, Acts 6, Acts 8, Acts 10, Acts 19:1-7
AT LEAST let 1 Cor 14:22 accompany you into the combat spirit world you are about to enter: “Wherefore tongues are for a sign, not to them that believe, but to them that believe not”
2) Revelation – both via a) revelation of the Word from the Holy Spirit opening our understanding (Luke 24:47 and John 14:26),
and b) the gifts of discerning of spirits, word of knowledge and supernatural Faith in operation from 1 Cor 12
3) Knowledge – a) both of the Word (subject matter recall, recalling large or relevant portions of scripture while speaking) and
b) the 1 Cor 12 gift of the word of knowledge in operation.
4) Prophesying – The secrets of a man’s heart is revealed, leading to his salvation. 1 Cor 14:24-25
5) Doctrine – the teaching of New Testament doctrine (laying on of hands, baptisms (water, Holy Spirit), resurrection from the dead(and Immortality) and of eternal judgment (Heb 6:2) and many other subjects
that the denominations have thrown away. (Tongues, Miracles, 1 Cor 12 gifts, Ephesians 4:11 offices and1 Cor 12:28 governments)
I’m NOT Apologizing for Jesus. The World owes Him an apology. But none is sufficient.
Only the shed blood of Jesus Christ sets one free. You can only move in convincing power when you receive the Holy Spirit.
The Devil has his spiritists, mediums, preachers and priests as well.
This is where the fun begins!
The Spirit-Filled life is much better than the old, dead, denominational slag-and-drag way of relying on your flesh to make an argument.
Don’t let anyone tell you Apologetics is the NEW THING, you need to get its books, read its authors.
No.
You dont.
They need to read the Bible. Again. Again.
We DEMONSTRATE Christ.
WE don’t just TALK ABOUT Him.
We are in Him and He in us.
John 17:16-26
Prove it.
Show it.
As Evangelist Mike Francen says “A Miracle settles the issue”
Indeed it does.
Especially if you are the blind, deaf, injured, lame or dead one receiving healing, deliverance or resurrection.
No Apologies.
Just the Gospel please…the full Gospel.