Last year, I wrote a post about supporting apologetics ministries, and Steve Hays followed up with another post on the subject. In light of the unfolding story about some recent manuscript discoveries, I want to raise a related issue.
How much do you pray about matters pertaining to apologetics? Do you pray for people like Daniel Wallace and the work they're doing? Do you pray that new discoveries will be made? That people will be raised up to work in fields that have been neglected? Do you pray about your own involvement in apologetics? Your church's? Do you pray for your spouse, children, friends, and other people concerning apologetic issues? We often pray for missionaries, pastors, and others who are working in other contexts, and we even regularly set aside time to pray for them. What are you doing in the context of apologetics?
I pray for you Triabloggers and James White and the Answering Muslims guys a fair amount, that's for sure.
ReplyDeleteVery good point. I think many Christians have trouble with deeper theology. Where they think of deeper theology as the purview of those trained in seminary, they certainly take no thought for apologetics. That's the stuff of eggheads who really don't do anything practical.
ReplyDeleteHowever, what good is apologetics without a core evangelistic nature? I haven't seen a debate result in the conversion of the unbelieving opponent. However, I know debates where observers have become open to evangelism.
There is much to pray for:
1. The heart of the Christian apologist.
2. The accuracy of the Christian position.
3. The perception of the observers toward salvation.
4. People willing to carry the burden of evangelizing the non-believing observers afterward.