Historical Criticism

							 TACTICS IN CHRISTIAN
    APOLOGETICS:


An Introduction to the Strategic
       Aspects of Christian
     Apologetics/Evangelism
        Defending the Christian Faith:

Presumes 4 essential presuppositions:
(1) Knowledge: An accurately informed
               mind;

(2) Wisdom:     An artful and cogent application
                of knowledge;
            Defending the Christian Faith:

Presumes 4 essential presuppositions:
(3) Character:         An attractive manner; a person of biblical
    integrity in daily living;

(4) Dependency: A disposition of moment-by-moment
    dependency upon the God of the Bible (1 Thess. 5:22-23)
       Defending the Christian Faith:

Regarding Dependency upon God you must:
(a) yield to God (Rom. 12:1; Rom. 6:22);
(b) separate from sin (Psalm 119:11; Gal. 5:16-
    23; Rom. 8:4; 1 John 1:9);
(c) actively grow (2 Cor. 3:18; 2 Pet. 3:18).
       Defending the Christian Faith Involves
        Three On-Going Strategic Aspects:
(1) Strategy: deals with content, information, & reasons why
    someone should believe Christianity is true;
(2) Tactics: entails “arranging” your resources, employing
    your knowledge, the orderly, immediate, hands-on
    maneuvering of the particulars;
(2) Spiritual Self-Assessment: involves seriously examining
    our spiritual maturity. This involves both vivification and
    mortification. Where do we stand in our intimacy w/ God?
      Strategy in Apologetics Involves:

Defensive Apologetics: responding to the challenges and
    answering the problems when Christianity is
    challenged (e.g., reconciling the goodness of God and
    the reality of evil);

Offensive Apologetics: making a positive case for the
    truthfulness of Christianity (e.g., evidence for the
    existence of God).
   Strategy and Tactics in Apologetics:

Strategy is the big picture:

1. Planning & directing the large scale
   operation;
2. Positioning prior to actual engagement;
  Strategy and Tactics in Apologetics:

Strategy is the big picture:
             Always remember that…
     Christianity is well positioned (strategic
     superiority) in the larger context of religious
    alternatives & ideas because we have the best
   answers to the deepest questions (creation; sin;
                      redemption).
Tactics in Christian Apologetics:
Tactics involves the detail of actual engagement:
1. Literally “the art of arranging”;
2. Maneuvering in an engagement in the face of an
     enemy;
3. Deploying assets, putting them into action to gain an
     advantage;
4. Often a clever commander can obtain the advantage
     over a large force through superior tactical
     maneuvering (e.g., General George Patton).
             Spiritual Assessment
           for Christian Apologetics:
Spiritual Self-Examination involves the following:
1. Investigation of my sinful tendencies (e.g., the
     mortification of habitual sins; the confession of sin;
     avoiding temptation);
2. Investigation of my intimacy with God (e.g., am I
     walking by means of the Holy Spirit, actively pursuing
     the God of the Bible; meditating upon Scripture;
     meeting the needs of others above my own; being a
     person of prayer).