Yesterday in my Apologetics Class, we covered chapters 3 and 4 from the excellent book Tactics: A Game Plan for Discussing Your Christian Convictions. This was the first time I’ve attempted to deliver the information in a unique way – we both listened to the Tactics audio book (from Audible) and I displayed the Kindle book on the screen using read.amazon.com. As the audio book was playing, I was at the computer (which was displayed on the screen in front of class) and was advancing to the next page of the Kindle book (in really large font) so that people could both read and listen at the same time. Each chapter took approximately 1/2 hour, so doing 2 chapters was a perfect length of time. It turned out to be something that was well received. Below is the note-taking form I handed out to the class so they could follow along and fill in the blanks.
Chapter 3 Getting in the Driver’s Seat: The Columbo Tactic (56:56-1:30:44= ~33 min)
The 10-Second Window
Scene 1 – You son announces at dinner party that belief in God is not r_______________:
Scene 2 – At Bible study, “Who are we to say Christianity is b______________…?”:
Scene 3 – On bus, someone notices your Bible, says it was “o_______ w__________ by m____”:
Scene 4 – At car dealer, Wrong to f________ v______ on other people. Can’t legislate morality:
The opportunity when someone says something is about 10 seconds before door closes.
Columbo Tactic – the key to this tactic is to go on the o____________ in an in___________ way by using carefully selected q_______________ to productively advance the conversation.
Never make a statement, when a question will do that job.
Being an asker allows you control of situations that statement-makers rarely achieve.
3 Applications of the Columbo Tactic:
To G__________ I_________________ (What do you mean by that?)
To R___________ the B____________ of P________________
To L____________ the Conversation in a Specific D_______________
Don’t be surprised when your question, “what do you mean by that?” is met with a b____ s____
Be sure to pay attention to the response to your questions! If meaning unclear, follow-up.
The charge that belief in God is irrational is common, but completely without b___________. I’m not going to let anyone who makes this assertion off easily. I want to know specifically how theism is at odds with good thinking…believing in God is like believing in a_________. The process is exactly the same. You follow the evidence of what you can see to conclude the existence of something you cannot see. The effect needs a cause a_____________ to explain it.
Scene 2 person’s minimal theology (“The essence of Jesus’ teaching is love, not telling other people how to live or believe”) does not allow him to escape his own charge. That’s why I asked, “Isn’t telling people to love one another just another example of telling them how they should l________ and b_______________?”
Challenge 3 (Bible only written by men) p___________ what it is attempting to p__________ and therefore is c_______________.
Most people who believe in the authority of the Bible did not come to this conviction through a________________, but through e_____________. Hand out the Gospel of John and let Jesus s__________ for H_________________.
Challenge 4 “It’s wrong to force your views on other people”, this person does not have any business participating in the l___________ process. That’s why he asked question, do you vote?
Questions are:
Excellent c____________ s___________, inviting others to participate in dialogue
N_____________, protecting you from getting “preachy”
A means to b_______ v___________________ t__________.
Essential to keeping you in c______________ of the conversation.
Chapter 4: Columbo step 2 – The Burden of Proof (1:30:45 – 1:59:54=~29 min)
Christians aren’t’ the only ones that need to a___________ for their b________________
Many challenges to Christianity thrive on v_________ generalities and forceful s___________
2nd step of Columbo, is called “r_________ the b_____ of p___”. It’s the responsibility someone has to defend or give evidence for his view. Whoever makes the claim bears the burden.
An a_____________ is like a simple house, a roof supported by walls. The roof is the conclusion and the walls are the supporting ideas. No one can live in a house without walls.
There is a difference between giving an e________________ and giving e_________________ the explanation is true.
Model question is “How Did You Come to That Conclusion?”
The first Columbo question helps you know w_________ another person thinks. This 2nd question helps you know w_________ he thinks the way he does.
Most critics are not prepared to defend their f_______________, don’t be surprised if you get a blank stare.
Reject impulse to c_________________ ever assertion someone manufactures, steer burden of proof back.
It’s not your job to d___________ their claim, it’s their job to d_______________ it.
An a____________ e_______________ (e.g. “I can explain that”) is not a r_______________.
Imagining what might have taken place may be a legitimate 1st step, it is not the last one though.
3 Questions you should always ask when someone offers an alternate explanation:
Is it p___________? (Some options are completely unworkable after closer examination)
Is it p___________? (Does it fit the facts?)
Is it p___________? (Is it the best explanation, considering the competing options?)
Did he give me an a_____________? Or just an o_______________?
Just because it is possible to be mistaken about something that seems obvious doesn’t mean it’s reasonable to think we are. This is the sk___________ error, do not be taken in by it.
The P________’s P____ –professor may attempt to reverse burden of proof if you challenge him
Fundamental rule: Never make a f________ a___________ on a s___________ f__________ in an entrenched position.
You don’t have to be the e_______ on every s_______. Keep burden of proof where it belongs.
“Getting out of the hot seat”, ask probing c__________ q_________ and ask for r______. When all your questions have been answered, end conversation by saying “Let me t_______ about it”.
When the pressure is off, do your h______________. Craft a response based on your research.
It’s not retreat, it’s just a different type of engagement and it greatly reduces your stress.
It’s not enough for someone to c__________ your view by simply telling a s___________.
Additional Information
I would encourage you to listen to this book in your free time (I listen to it while driving)
If you have a smart phone (iPhone or Android), you can download the free app – Audible. All you need is an Amazon account to login. You can purchase this book on Audible ($11.99). Note, if you sign up for a membership, you can get this book for free.
You can also download the free Kindle app and purchase the Kindle book (Amazon) for $7.99.
Our church has small Gospel of John booklets (the Story of God) that you can hand out.
The Juvenilization of American Christianity – What does juvenilized Christianity look like? The National Study of Youth and Religion calls it moralistic, therapeutic deism. In sharp contrast to other subjects they care about, American teenagers are amazingly inarticulate about their faith, probably because there is little content there. In short, juvenilized Christianity is self-centered, emotionally driven, and intellectually shallow.: http://www.equip.org/article/juvenilization-american-christianity/
We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do–this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it. So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God–through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in the sinful nature a slave to the law of sin. Romans 7:14-25
On Sunday in our Apologetics class, I plan to depart a bit from the Apologetics theme and show a sermon on the topic of Hell. I believe that this is an important topic and that we don’t talk enough about this in the church. This is one of my favorite preachers of the Word of God, James MacDonald
Here is the note-taking form (with discussion questions) that goes with the video:
What’s Down with Hell (James MacDonald) – 5/13/2018
The story of the R________ M_______ and L_____________ – Luke 16:19-31
What is Hell? That question cannot be answered as normal questions can be answered – there’s no reference point (except the word of God).
Charles Hodge – Princeton Theological Seminary – said regarding hell, “It is a doctrine which revolts the heart. It is a doctrine which the heart struggles against and to which the heart submits only under the stress of authority. The church believes the doctrine of hell because it must believe it or renounce faith in the Bible and give up all the hopes founded upon its promises”.
Definition: Hell is a place of e________ t___________ for the impenitent (unrepentant people).
This is not a church full of righteous people, this is a church full of forgiven people, who have the righteousness of Christ, and by His grace are being changed.
Have you repented?
It is not a word we should use flippantly – hell is not a laughing matter…
Hell is so awful, that if you conceived even a fraction of it, you would not wish it on your worst enemy.
Purpose: Hell is a place for G______ w____________ to be poured out on the impenitent.
Wrath is God’s righteous response to sin.
God has made Himself known in the universe in 3 ways (Titus 2:11):
In C___________ (Ps. 19:1-3; Rom. 1:18-20)
In C___________ (Rom. 2:14-15)
In the G____________ of Jesus Christ
Not “want to know and don’t hear”, but “don’t w__________ to know”.
Terms describing the place:
Sheol – describing the state of d______________
Gehena – used 12 times in the New Testament. It is like a dump – put their garbage there and burned it (diseased animals, etc).
Hades – Luke 16:23 – used 10 times in the New Testament. It is the t_______________ abode of the u______________ (impenitent) d__________, until the final judgement. No one is technically in “hell” yet.
Hell – Matthew 5:22, 29-30. Used 14 times in the New Testament. Summary term describing the final place of eternal torment for the impenitent.
Second Death – a spiritual death (Rev. 20:14; 21:8). If you’re born o__________, you die t______, if you’re born t_____, you die o________. What dies at the second death?
O____________ dies (Hebrews 9:27)
G____________ dies – God’s not reaching out to people in hell and trying to reform them.
V____________ dies (Matt. 11:28-30; John 7:17)
The Lake of Fire – Revelation 20:10,14-15. Hell will be fire from “shore to shore”. “The safest road to hell is the gradual one…” – C.S. Lewis. There is life after death, and if I don’t know where I’m going it is not s________ to d______.
Jesus talked more about h________, by far, than He talked about h_____________.
Terms describing the punishment:
F___________ – 27 times in the scripture. Is the fire in hell a literal fire? “I see no reason to regard the fire as more literal than the worm” – Charles Hodge. So many times flames are referenced – it’s the most common picture of hell.
W__________ and g____________ of teeth (Matthew 8:11 and following) – describes the wicked and their vitriolic, violent hatred toward the righteous. If we picture people in hell as being repentant or regretful, that’s what the Scripture teaches. The people in hell are not wishing they were in heaven, they’re shaking their fists at it.
O_________ D___________ – intended to convey horror beyond imagination. Hell was originally prepared for the Devil and his angels (Matt 25:41). No one is together in hell – everyone is completely isolated and alone in hell. Daniel 12:2 describes it as “the shame of everlasting contempt”.
D____________ – 18 times. (e.g. Matt. 7:13-14, 2 Thess. 1:9) Every person born into this world has the Imago Dei (the image of God) – Genesis 1:26-27. This separates us from the animals (mind, emotion and will). In hell, the soul is abandoned by God to its own destruction. Some wrongly teach “Anni______________sm” (the belief that hell is a place where you’re punished for a period of time, then you cease to exist). Destruction does not mean “cease to exist” – a better word is “ruined”. Example of fruit thrown off building.
Modern objections to hell. Man has an amazing capacity to distort Scripture in the things that he wishes were not true:
E_____________ – too long, therefore God is not just. How can a finite life of sin deserve infinite punishment? Answer: The misnomer there is that people stop sinning in hell, which is not true. Sin actually accelerates in hell. People are not just punished in hell for the sins they’ve committed. They’re also punished for the sinful nature that was not eradicated by the Gospel. Example of a rabid dog – Pitbull. This dog needs to be “put down”, hasn’t done anything wrong, but it will – its nature is corrupted.
T_____________ – it’s too severe, therefore God is not merciful. Answer: God’s statement about the severity of sin is that 2,000 years ago, He sent His own Son and poured out His wrath upon Christ. On Him, almighty judgment fell that would’ve sunk the world to Hell.
Implications of hell:
I must be s_________ of my salvation. If you were accused of being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you? Admit that you’re a sinner, deserving of hell and expressing faith in the payment of Christ for your sin and for your forgiveness.
I must be t____________ for my salvation.
I must be at peace with i__________________.
I must be b_________ in my w______________. This is not a day for subtlety, or silence. We need to be loving, we need to be sensitive, but we need to be clear. I need to have “the conversation”. On this subject, I cannot be silent, but not obnoxious.
If Satan was a Professor – Frank highlights the morally vacuous courses at major universities. A new wave of identity politics is infecting higher education, playing directly into the hands of leftist administrators, professors, and students seeking to reach a new low in their victim olympics. The result is a disregard for personal responsibility or individual freedom. Don’t miss this podcast YOU NEED to know this.: https://subsplash.com/crossexamined/lb/mi/+zjct6kw
Jesus stepped into a boat, crossed over and came to his own town. Some men brought to him a paralytic, lying on a mat. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven.” At this, some of the teachers of the law said to themselves, “This fellow is blaspheming!” Knowing their thoughts, Jesus said, “Why do you entertain evil thoughts in your hearts? Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins…” Then he said to the paralytic, “Get up, take your mat and go home.” And the man got up and went home. When the crowd saw this, they were filled with awe; and they praised God, who had given such authority to men. Matthew 9:1-8
Tomorrow in our apologetics class (Lord willing) I will be having the students watch the excellent lecture by Dr. Craig Hazen on the evidence for the resurrection of Jesus, which includes a discussion of 12 facts agreed upon by scholars, both liberal and conservative. He then evaluates those 12 known facts against 13 theories about what happened to determine each theory’s explanatory power (which of the 12 facts it doesn’t account for). The only 2 theories that account for all 12 known facts are:
Jesus was an alien
Jesus was bodily resurrected
Great video, great analysis! Here’s the video:
Here is the note taking form, along with the chart showing the 13 theories which attempt to explain the 12 known facts:
Notes for “Evidence for the Resurrection” by Craig Hazen
(Professor of Comparative Religion and Christian Apologetics at Biola University)
Outline for talk at U.C.L.A. Jesus was:
A___________ at point A
D___________ at point B
Alive a_______ at point C
Student said, “You’re making it sound like its true true! You’re making it sound like I can k__________ i___ to be true.”
Pudd’nhead Wilson (Mark Twain book): “Faith is believin’ what ya know a______ so”
This idea that Christianity is t___________ sets it apart in dramatic fashion from the other great world religious traditions.
University of Miami talk – “if I’m going to address the topic of science and religion, it would probably be very helpful if I perform a miracle” – he proceeded to raise his arm and challenged his audience to explain what just happened. Someone shouted, “You did it!” (I am not my b________)
There’s something more to life than the stuff of the p______________ world.
We’ve got “the goods” on this – you are well within your e____________ rights to say “I know the resurrection happened”.
One of the strangest passages in all of religious literature: 1 C____________ 15:12-17
He (Jesus) doesn’t just live in my heart, He lives in His body, which came back from the grave on the 3rd day, exactly as the S____________ declare!
Scholars confirm, Jesus was indeed a real historical figure and He died by Roman crucifixion in 1st century J___________.
Same scholars (except for the conservatives), regarding the resurrection, based on the same body of evidence, said, “Well, who can possibly know what h_____________ so long ago?”
This is not about evidence – this is about people’s w________ v_______ – these people were not open to the idea of a miracle.
12 Minimal Facts about the Resurrection of Jesus That Most Scholars Agree On
Jesus died by cr_______________
He was b_____________
Jesus’ death caused the disciples to d____________ and lose hope, believing that his life was ended
The tomb was discovered to be e____________ just a few days later
The disciples had experiences which they believed were literal a___________________ of the risen Jesus
The disciples were tr_______________ from doubters who were afraid to identify themselves with Jesus to bold proclaimers of his death and resurrection
This message (the resurrection) was the center of pr_____________ in the early church
This message was especially proclaimed in J_____________, where Jesus died and was buried shortly before
As a result of this preaching the church was b____________ and grew
S_______________ became the primary day of worship
J____________, who had been a skeptic, was converted to the faith when he also believed he saw the resurrected Jesus
A few years later, P________ was also converted by an experience which he, likewise, believed to be an appearance of the risen Jesus
Discussion Questions
Would an unbiased observer conclude that the best explanation for the facts about Jesus is that He was raised from the dead? Why or why not? (there are no unbiased observers – most people have an anti-supernatural bias) – John 12:37 says “Even after Jesus had performed so many signs in their presence, they still would not believe in him”
If there was so much evidence for the resurrection, then why didn’t the Jewish leaders believe? (John 12:42-23 – they loved praise from men more than praise from God) – also, the Bible says that “it was out of envy that the chief priests had handed Jesus over to him (Pilate)” (Matt 27:18; Mark 15:10)
Why is it considered a piece of evidence that the disciples believed they saw Jesus risen from the dead? (Liars make poor martyrs. No one dies for a known lie. The disciples were in a position to know whether their beliefs were true or false).
Each day Jesus was teaching at the temple, and each evening he went out to spend the night on the hill called the Mount of Olives, and all the people came early in the morning to hear him at the temple. Luke 21:37-38
The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul. The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise the simple. The precepts of the LORD are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the LORD are radiant, giving light to the eyes. The fear of the LORD is pure, enduring forever. The ordinances of the LORD are sure and altogether righteous. They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the comb. By them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward. Who can discern his errors? Forgive my hidden faults. Keep your servant also from willful sins; may they not rule over me. Then will I be blameless, innocent of great transgression. May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer. Psalms 19:7-14
And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it. If you love me, you will obey what I command. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever– the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. John 14:13-17
Today in the Apologetics Class, Lord willing, we will be watching the video Sharing Your Faith- Embarrassing, Inappropriate and Unprofessional (Amy Orr-Ewing of RZIM Trust is the speaker):
Here is the note-taking page I handed out before the class:
Sharing Your Faith – Embarrassing, Inappropriate and Unprofessional – Amy Orr-Ewing RZIM Trust, February 25th 2018
A_______________ comes from Greek word “Apologia”, 1 Peter 3:15 “Always be prepared …”
Describes what a defense lawyer would do in a court – give a reasoned, persuasive d_________
Why is it unusual for us to feel unembarrassed, naturally to talk about Jesus?
Sometimes there is an “inner cringe” at the fear and a______________ of evangelism
2 “Motions” that happen in evangelism at our work places:
The P____________ Effect – be ready, so that when opportunity comes, you’re able to take it. You’re pulled into conversation about your faith. 4 characteristics of the kind of person:
Spend time with the Lord in p_______. “Coincidences” happen a lot to those who pray
Something different about them – their lives call forth questions. They r______ Christ.
People for whom “everything is on the altar” for the Lord-completely on f____ for Him.
People who are in c_____________ with other believers, where the quality of Christian love in that community speaks to their work colleagues.
The P____________ Effect – being pro-active. We are to “go therefore and make disciples of all the nations” (Matthew 28:19). We worry about seeming “weird”, we worry about being o_______________. Few ideas about how we can be pro-active in sharing our faith:
Pray daily for o_______________ and breakthroughs. We should have a mentality of expectation that God has put is in our workplace (or school) and wants us to be there and wants us to speak for Him. Sometimes, we’ll sow seeds that others will reap.
Ask people q______________. Sometimes we feel afraid of evangelism because we think, “I don’t know all the answers” and “I don’t know what I should say”. In the Gospels Jesus asked 1___ questions. Everyone can ask questions.
Questions can help “i____________” apathetic people (John 1:38)
Questions can help get a friend really t____________. Thinking is not the enemy of evangelism (Luke 18:19 – “Why do you call Me good?”)
Questions can bring the f______ to J_________ in a conversation. We want people to encounter the person of Christ, to introduce Jesus into the situation.
A question can “r______” an i_______. Especially in “tense” situations – sensitive topics. Jesus did this in Matthew 22:15-22. Lady on train in Britain asked, “What would it take for you to believe in God?”
A question can demonstrate e______. John 11:34 – “Where have you laid him?”
A question can reveal m___________ (John 5:6 – “Do you want to get well?”).
A question can open up frank discussions about b________ to belief (John 8:46)
A conversation needs questions-just talking/p____________ won’t work.
Conversations I’ve Had at Work and How They Got Started
Sharing Christ with my boss over lunch
We were alone together in the company cafeteria eating lunch
V. was on talking about a church shooting in N.C. (shooter in Bible study prior)
He characterized it as “he was sitting there listening to and reading the Word of God and yet he still did that”. This led to an extended conversation (~ 1 hour), & sharing the Gospel with him
Another conversation with Boss at end of the day
Conversation about weekend-I was preparing for class I teach at church & other church activities
His comment was, “Wow, that’s a lot of religion!” Then he admitted, “I’m not religious…“
This led to a 5 minute conversation about our respective spiritual histories
Conversation with an Associate at Work Before We Were Leaving for the Day
Talking about what we were doing this weekend – she was going to see a movie
Talked about “Silence” – Liam Neeson – missionary in Japan & missionaries killed by drowning.
Then I asked her if she’d ever seen the Passion of the Christ
Led to a conversation about why Jesus had to die on the cross.
Conversation with an Agnostic Former Youth Pastor
Conversation about football-mentioned having season tickets interfered w/ church activities
Led to him sharing why he became an agnostic due to the “problem of evil”
I was able to share a response to his objections and he later attended a Bible study with me
Conversation with Atheist in Lunch Line at Work Cafeteria
I can’t remember exactly what started the conversation
He was bringing up all these objections about Christianity (in a rapid fire fashion)
Suggested we go out to lunch. He sent calendar invite and we went to Espo’s
1 hour talk about Christianity-I shared testimony & answered his questions about the faith.
Conversation with an Agnostic at Work
We were making small talk at my desk.
The topic came up about feeling old and things that make you feel/look older
This led to a ½ conversation walking around the lake (at work) talking about Christianity
Other conversations
With an ex-Catholic while on a business trip to San Antonio
With a Mormon (LDS) who sat next to my cube
With a Chinese lady while on a business trip to Germany
With an British work associate on a trip to Manchester
With a Muslim who mentioned his Friday weekly prayers
With a Hindu couple from work whom my wife is watching their middle school child
A Hindu couple over lunch at Aunt Chilada’s
With Hindu lady asking her about Karma/Reincarnation– led to talk about faith
Several Roman Catholics while serving at St. Vincent de Paul with them
A Chinese atheist and a Malaysian Roman Catholic while on business trip in Australia
With German guy who didn’t want to become Christian b/c he’d have to give up beer!
Tomorrow in the Apologetics class, I plan to show the following videos:
Then this Living Waters video of the Way of the Master TV episode on Atheism (please note – you can purchase this video online here):
Here is the note-taking form with discussion questions that I plan to hand out:
Apologetics @ Ohio State & Atheism (WotM) 2/4/2017
Give Me an Answer – Cliffe Knechtle at Ohio State (~17 minutes)
God’s forgiveness and penalty for sin
God only forgives us when we a________ for forgiveness.
According to Christ, it’s God who we’ve sinned against. According to God, when I sin, what I owe him is my life-the wages of sin is death.
God is selfish/jealous. Doesn’t God owe me something?
God doesn’t owe us anything. God gave us g_______ of l_______, we messed it up. God gave His only Son, Christ to bleed and die on a cross, so God has given Himself for us. Question is, how are we going to r_______ to God’s g_______, love and generosity?
If children are drugs, & I’m not jealous, something wrong with my love! If wife is committing adultery, and I experience no jealousy, then I don’t understand what love is.
He’s so committed to us that he gives c_____________ to good people.
God doesn’t give cancer to good people. You and I live in a cursed, messed up world, in Genesis 3, we read about a big fall (not stubbing toe). Adam and Eve commit cosmic t_____________ against God. Book of Job… Did Job sin? Is that why he suffered? No! Job suffered because he was born into a cursed, unfair world.
Job s______________ because God had a bet with Satan!
Satan challenged integrity of Job’s faith. Satan’s point was, The only reason Job has faith in God is because he gets good things from Him and once He take those away, he’ll curse God to His face. Is Job’s faith based on based on having the good things in life? Or is Job’s faith based on the character of God being good, in spite of the circumstances of life? When the circumstances of life turn unfair and cruel, Job’s faith is so magnificent, because his faith not based on circumstances of life, it’s based on the character of God.
When you say that every other religion is wrong, who are you to say that?
Jesus Christ contradicts Buddha, Muhammad and the Avatars of Hinduism. The law of non-contradiction applies. ‘A’ and ‘non-A’ cannot be both equally right in the same way at the same time. Now, the question is, does the evidence support Jesus Christ as being reliable? Or Siddhartha Gautama Buddha? Or Muhammad? Or Shirley MacLaine? Or whoever you’re seriously considering? Jesus lived a sinless life, He taught amazing ethical teachings (Robert Cole, Psychology Professor at Harvard University, points out ‘All the writings on ethics over the past 2,000 years are simply footnotes to the Sermon on the Mount). The evidence is, you can t________ C_________, because He’s credible.
Your evidence is eyewitness accounts from a couple thousand years ago. Christians have a series of anecdotes, not hard evidence (e.g. videos) …how can you disclaim other evidence?
New Testament documents more than anecdotal. NT has so much more m_________ e____________ than any other documents from antiquity. Over 5,000 vs. 20 for others.
Belief with no evidence is blind gullibility. Faith had better be based on evidence.
Used example of not giving wallet to street person, but give to friend. That’s faith/trust.
A robot or machine can’t love. Love, in order to be real, has to be f___________.
Why does God allow terrible things to happen?
Genesis 3 – when we human beings r_______________ against God, He took a step back from planet earth and chaos filled the gap. We’re born into cursed world, not because God created it that way, but because we told God to “get lost”.
The only way there can be a moral a_____________ is if there’s a God that created it.
Do you think that the Nazi’s did wrong in gassing J_____? Student: “By my view of justice, of course”. Is there justice above cultural law? Cliffe cites the Nuremberg Trials (1945-1949).
Way of the Master – Atheism Episode (~28 minutes)
Atheism: the belief that there’s no God. Takes more f____ to be an atheist than believe in God.
The Atheist’s nightmare – the b____________. Designed for our consumption:
3 ridges on the far side, 2 ridges on the close side, matches hand
No slip surface with outward indicators of inward contents (green, yellow, brown)
Tab at top like soda can, when you pull tab contents don’t squirt in your face
Wrapper (skin) bio degradable and has perforations
Banana is curved toward the face to make eating it easier.
A building is absolute proof that there was a builder. Creation proof of C___________.
Like a car, that was obviously d____________, our bodies were designed by a Creator.
“There is no God” an absolute statement. I would have to have absolute k___________.
“There is no gold in China” – I would have to know everything about China.
“There is gold in China” – don’t need all knowledge about China, just a little.
A_______ (absolutely sure there is no God) vs. A_________ (based on limited knowledge only)
During discussion with atheist: 1) Changes m____, 2) Deliberate s______, 3) J_________ himself
Ray asks atheist, “Do you know what God has done for you so you don’t have to go to Hell?”
Atheist asks, “How good do you have to be…?” Ray answers, “You have to be p__________”.
Principal: Swing (the conversation) from the i__________ to the c______________.
An atheist may not want to believe in God, demanding absolute proof of His existence.
The atheist is not your enemy, so don’t argue with him. Help him see he’s really agnostic
Apologetics is like b____, God’s law is like the h_____. If no hook, fish swim away fat and happy.
Discussion Questions
1st video answered & didn’t avoid intellectual questions. 2nd video taught you shouldn’t dwell in the intellectual, but swing to the conscience. Which is the better approach, more biblical? Why?
Were any of the students in the 1st video humbly seeking the truth or really open to it?
Do you think there were unbeliever’s questions avoided during the 3 conversations presented?
How would you answer the woman near the end who said, “I believe everything on this earth was either accidental or created by man”?
How would you answer the young man who asked, why you should believe in a book written by people thousands of years ago, who were superstitious?
Fallacies of A_____________ – Equivocation, Amphiboly, Accent, Division, Composition, Reification. There is something unclear or vague in the argument.
Fallacies of P______________ – Sweeping Generalization, Hasty Generalization, Bifurcation, Begging the Question, Question Begging Epithet, Complex Question, “No True Scotsman”, Special Pleading, False Analogy, False Cause, Slippery Slope. The argument assumes something that is unwarranted.
Fallacies of R_______________ – Genetic Fallacy, Abusive ad Hominem, Circumstantial ad Hominem, “Straw Man”, Irrelevant Thesis, Appeal to (Authority, Ignorance). Where the conclusion is not strongly related to the premises.
Equivocation – the fallacy of sh_____ the meaning of a word within an argument (bait & switch)
Examples:______________________________________________________________________
Reification – attributing concrete (and often p_____________) characteristics to an abstraction.
Examples:______________________________________________________________________
Begging the Question-(circular reasoning) the conclusion of an argument is incorporated into premises or a premise d________ on the conclusion. This fallacy is actually “valid”, but arbitrary.
Examples:______________________________________________________________________
Question-begging Epithet-using b____ language to support conclusion that is logically unproved
Examples:______________________________________________________________________
Complex Question-phrasing a question such that it a______________ the conclusion.
Examples:______________________________________________________________________
No True Scotsman-protecting claim from c__________-argument by defining term in biased way
Examples:______________________________________________________________________
Ad Hominem Fallacy-when an argument is directed against a p______ rather than their p_____
Examples:______________________________________________________________________
Irrelevant Thesis-when an argument proves a point that is n___ at i___________
Examples:______________________________________________________________________
Fallacy of Irrelevant Thesis can be answered by this response: True, perhaps. But i___________
Straw-man-an argument against a mis____________ (rather than actual) of opponent’s position
Examples:______________________________________________________________________
Faulty Appeals-when person appeals to something/someone in way not relevant to the c______
Examples:______________________________________________________________________
Deductive logic: Propositional Logic: If-then, And, Or, Not
Mixed hypothetical Syllogism (these are valid):
if p then q, p, therefore q (affirming the antecedent)
if p then q, ~q, therefore ~p (denying the consequent)
Formal Fallacies (Mixed hypothetical Syllogisms which are invalid):
If p then q, ~p, therefore ~q (denying the antecedent)
Examples:________________________________________________________________
If p then q, q, therefore p (affirming the consequent) – most common committed
Examples:________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Pointing out logical fallacies to evolutionists take the w____________ out of their sails.
Discussion Questions
Have you heard any of these logical fallacies committed? If so, where (e.g. TV, Political debates, during witnessing situations, etc.)?
Have you tried to point out incorrect use of logic to another? What was their reaction?
Have you, yourself, committed any of these fallacies?
Do you agree that arguing in a way that commits fallacies is a bad thing?
Which is the hardest fallacy to spot?
How can you point out a fallacy, while still upholding the 2nd part of 1 Peter 3:15 (“with gentleness and respect”)?
Deepak Chopra vs Christian Apologist – The most prominent teacher of mysticism and New Age philosophy in the West Deepak Chopra goes toe to toe with Christian apologist Greg Koukl on Lee Strobel’s show “Faith under Fire”. This episode called “The Future of Faith” aired in 2005: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=meYHmFz33NE
2015-An Open Letter on Climate Change to the People, their Local Representatives, the State Legislatures and Governors, the Congress, and the President of the United States of America: http://cornwallalliance.org/climateletter2015/
David said to Saul, “Let no one lose heart on account of this Philistine; your servant will go and fight him.” Saul replied, “You are not able to go out against this Philistine and fight him; you are only a boy, and he has been a fighting man from his youth.” But David said to Saul, “Your servant has been keeping his father’s sheep. When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock, I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth. When it turned on me, I seized it by its hair, struck it and killed it. Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God. The LORD who delivered me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” Saul said to David, “Go, and the LORD be with you.” Then Saul dressed David in his own tunic. He put a coat of armor on him and a bronze helmet on his head. David fastened on his sword over the tunic and tried walking around, because he was not used to them. “I cannot go in these,” he said to Saul, “because I am not used to them.” So he took them off. Then he took his staff in his hand, chose five smooth stones from the stream, put them in the pouch of his shepherd’s bag and, with his sling in his hand, approached the Philistine. Meanwhile, the Philistine, with his shield bearer in front of him, kept coming closer to David. He looked David over and saw that he was only a boy, ruddy and handsome, and he despised him. He said to David, “Am I a dog, that you come at me with sticks?” And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. “Come here,” he said, “and I’ll give your flesh to the birds of the air and the beasts of the field! ” David said to the Philistine, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the LORD Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the LORD will hand you over to me, and I’ll strike you down and cut off your head. Today I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel. All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the LORD saves; for the battle is the LORD’s, and he will give all of you into our hands.” As the Philistine moved closer to attack him, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet him. Reaching into his bag and taking out a stone, he slung it and struck the Philistine on the forehead. The stone sank into his forehead, and he fell facedown on the ground. So David triumphed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone; without a sword in his hand he struck down the Philistine and killed him. David ran and stood over him. He took hold of the Philistine’s sword and drew it from the scabbard. After he killed him, he cut off his head with the sword. When the Philistines saw that their hero was dead, they turned and ran. Then the men of Israel and Judah surged forward with a shout and pursued the Philistines to the entrance of Gath and to the gates of Ekron. Their dead were strewn along the Shaaraim road to Gath and Ekron. When the Israelites returned from chasing the Philistines, they plundered their camp. David took the Philistine’s head and brought it to Jerusalem, and he put the Philistine’s weapons in his own tent. 1 Samuel 17:32-54
Today in the Apologetics class, we watched a video by Alan Shlemon called “Tactics for Defending the Faith”:
Here is the note-taking form I created and handed out:
Tactics for Defending the Faith – Alan Shlemon (1/7/2018)
Conversation with a Hindu, who was a “religious pluralist” (believes that all religions are t____).
What Alan didn’t do in that conversation:
Didn’t tell him he was w__________
Didn’t tell him religious pluralism was f_________
Didn’t d___________ any aspect of his own Christian convictions
Was able to convince him that he should a_____________ the idea of religious pluralism
The only thing he did in that conversation was ask q_________________
Learning how to use questions in order to make your case.
We are all a______________________s for Christ (2 Corinthians 5:20)
3 characteristics every ambassador for Christ should have:
K______________: an accurately informed mind
W_____________ : an artful method
C______________: an attractive manner
If you learn tactics, you will be able to
P_______________ the truth clearly and cleverly.
Choreograph your i_________________.
S_____________ an aggressive challenger in their tracks and turn the tables.
Recognize someone’s b_______ t______________ for the purposes of guiding them to the truth, yet remaining g______________ and c_______________.
Tactics should not be used as.
T_______________.
Empty rh_______________.
Clever Pl____________.
Attempts to belittle or h______________.
These tactics are powerful and a__________________ quite easily.
The goal is to guide people g___________ to the truth while remaining gracious and charitable.
When I think about talking to non-believers about my Christian faith:
I relish the encounter.
I’m willing, but nervous, uncertain, or scared.
I tried to avoid it.
If you are a number two, what are some of the reasons?
I’m not k______________________ enough.
I’m afraid of r___________________.
I might l__________ my job.
Not enough t___________ to address what I really want to address.
Concerned about physical th______________
The Columbo tactic, at its very core is about using q______________ rather than st_____________ in order to be able to make your point, or to respond to an objection.
What are some of Benefits of using questions in conversations?
Questions are e_______________g.
Questions allow you to have c___________________.
Questions don’t paint people into a corner, making them feel trapped, but rather allow them to e________________ their opinion.
You l_________________ a lot about the person you are talking to.
There are 2 applications of the Columbo tactic.
The first kind of question helps you g_______ information. “What do you mean by that?” This question tells you what a person thinks. Consider the following assertions:
“All religions are basically the same”
“The Bible isn’t reliable”
“I’m pro-choice”
“Evolution is a well proven fact.”
“Stem-cell research should be allowed”
The 2nd Columbo question helps you r_____ the burden of p____. “How did you come to that conclusion?” Tells you why they think the way they do. Consider these statements:
“The Bible has been translated and re-translated…”
“Jesus taught reincarnation after travelling to India”
“The universe came into existence by itself”
“The Bible is full of fables and myths”
“Every living thing came from a single-celled life form”
“Science has proven the Bible wrong”
How do you define an a________? A claim with evidence or reasons to back it up. Like a house.
Burden of proof: the responsibility someone has to give e___________ or reasons for their view. Rule: whoever makes the cl___________ bears the burden of proof.
The “Professor’s Ploy” – reverses the burden of proof back on you…
Don’t Worry If You Don’t Know Where To Go Next (like if you meet an “expert”):
“No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment. If he does, the new piece will pull away from the old, making the tear worse. And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the wineskins will be ruined. No, he pours new wine into new wineskins.” Mark 2:21-22
Atheist billboards say Church is ‘Fake News,’ cause outrage – This was interesting unfortunately, the audio is pretty bad. Frank Turek was apparently invited on Fox News for a very short debate with an Atheist. The atheist was in studio, while Frank was over skype, so his audio cuts out several times | Fox News Video: http://video.foxnews.com/v/5672661343001/
Every year his parents went to Jerusalem for the Feast of the Passover. When he was twelve years old, they went up to the Feast, according to the custom. After the Feast was over, while his parents were returning home, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but they were unaware of it. Thinking he was in their company, they traveled on for a day. Then they began looking for him among their relatives and friends. When they did not find him, they went back to Jerusalem to look for him. After three days they found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. Everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding and his answers. When his parents saw him, they were astonished. His mother said to him, “Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you.” “Why were you searching for me?” he asked. “Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?” But they did not understand what he was saying to them. Then he went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. But his mother treasured all these things in her heart. And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men. Luke 2:41-52
Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior. The Sovereign LORD is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to go on the heights. Habakkuk 3:17-19
Here is the video we watched in class today (part 2 from 1:01-1:45:40) – What Better Explains Reality: Atheism or Theism:
Here is the note-taking form I passed out:
What Better Explains Reality: Atheism or Theism (Part 2) 1:01-1:45:40
Frank’s Rebuttal
Not God of the Gaps – we’re not arguing from what we don’t know, but what we do know.
Difference between the G_____ C______ and Mount Rushmore. Wind, rain and erosion did not create the faces on Mount Rushmore. These faces required i________ cause, not natural cause.
“Take out the garbage mom”, is positive, verifiable e____________ for an Intelligent Cause. You don’t just lack a natural explanation.
“…Astronomical evidence leads to a Biblical view of the origin of the world… the essential element in the astronomical and biblical accounts of Genesis is the same.” Robert Jastro (from the book “God and the Astronomers”, page 14), NASA’s Goddard Institute of Space studies.
“Astronomers now find they have painted themselves into a corner because they have proven, by their own methods, that the world began abruptly in an act of c____________ to which you can trace the seeds of every star, every planet, every living thing in this cosmos and on the earth. And they have found that all this happened as a product of forces they cannot hope to discover… That there are, what I or anyone would call, supernatural forces at work is now, I think, a scientifically proven fact.” Robert Jastro.
Why couldn’t nature have created the universe? Because there was no nature! Nature is the e______________, so it can’t be the c____________. The cause must transcend the effect.
That would be like saying, “if you just give me more time, I’ll find out that I gave birth to my own mother.” I wouldn’t be able to do that, because I’m the effect, not the cause!
“The beginning seems to present insuperable difficulties unless we agree to look on it as frankly s________n__________.” -Arthur Eddington.
Can’t know whether something designed poorly or well, unless you know i________ of Designer.
Bad design is not no design. Car not designed perfectly – doesn’t mean that it wasn’t designed.
We live in a fallen world, so everything’s broken! Nothing’s going to work perfectly!
Atheistic materialism is s____-d_________. If we are all just molecules in motion, we don’t really reason, we just react. Why should we believe any of our thoughts, including “atheism is true”?
David said that societies decide morality. Which society? Mother Teresa’s, or Hitler’s?
The question isn’t “how do we know morality?”, the question is “how do we know a moral law exists?” There must be a Moral Law G______________ e_____________ to ourselves.
Is there a Being beyond world, Who created & sustains the world. Don’t need Bible to know it.
If you claim that you need the Bible to know morality, then God was completely unjust for judging the entire generation of N__________. They didn’t have a Bible!
To be an atheist, you have to give up c______________ s_______________.
David’s Rebuttal
I’m a product of my parents. If my sister’s friend hadn’t called her that night, if my younger sister hadn’t gone with her that night … I wouldn’t be here.
The universe looks ordered and designed because we’re here.
Frank insists that the first cause argument is not an argument from i__________________.
Evolution not about exploding in falling into place, it happens over a long, long period of time.
It’s not a “defeat” to say that we’re all m____________ and e_______________.
David refers to the Bible being i______________, because in Psalm ____ it says “…he who seizes your infant’s and dashes them against the rocks.”
If morality is fluid, actually makes everything work, because it puts all the responsibility on us.
David confirms that, in his view, the H______________ is just a matter of opinion. The Germans and the Nazis were simply doing what they thought was right.
The idea of objective morality is extremely d________________.
If you get two theologians in a room, and they disagree, they don’t try to work out their differences, instead they go off and create two different s__________s.
Objective morality causes people to not take responsibility for their actions.
The reality is, we’re all going to die. The reality is, morality is all r________________.
David cites, “leaving a baby in an orphanage, rather than letting it be adopted by a g________ c________________”, as an example of something religious people do that is immoral.
Religion makes you do immoral things because religion preaches objective morality, and takes the d________________ away from you.
Crossfire
David: The hard answer is, they (the Nazi’s) thought they were doing objective good – they did!
Frank: They may’ve thought they were doing good, but they weren’t according to a standard
David: According to w___________ standard?
Frank: The unchanging, objective, moral standard that is G______’s n_____________.
David: They did it under the name of God!
Frank: You don’t judge a philosophy or religion by it’s a___________. Jesus never said that we ought to kill the Jews, quite obviously – He was a J____ Himself – you should know that! Because people have abused a religion doesn’t mean that the religion is f_________.
David: That people have abused religion shows that morality is relative, if objective couldn’t.
Frank: You’re confusing Sociology and Morality – Sociology is how people b__________, Morality is how they o_________ t___ We all ought to behave a certain way, but we fail to – by the way, that’s why we need a S___________.
David: I’m saying there’s no objective evil!
Frank: then what are you complaining about?
David: Why does God need babies to have c_________________?
Frank: God doesn’t need it, God might allow it! (showed 1 min 46 sec video)
David: God’s the one who sends everyone to h________; Frank: No, you send yourself there.
Discussion Questions
Why couldn’t “nature” have created the universe? Why must it be God?
What is “Atheistic Materialism”? Why is it “self-defeating”?
Can an atheist be a “good person” (relative to other humans)? Can an atheist justify morality?
What is David’s point about leaving a baby in an orphanage vs. adoption by gay couple?
Because of David’s relative view of morality, what does he conclude regarding the Holocaust?
Do we need the Bible to know morality?
David quotes Ps. 137 – does he have a good point, or is he misinterpreting the passage?
David says “objective morality is extremely dangerous”, how would you respond?
David lumps all religions together by citing the 9/11 terrorists believing what they were doing was objectively moral. Is that a fair point?
Belly Flopping | Reasonable Faith – Someone wrote in to Dr. William Lane Craig and said, “I had a discussion over God’s existence tonight and totally botched it!! I feel I did a dis-service to the reasonableness of the Christian worldview”: https://www.reasonablefaith.org/writings/question-answer/belly-flopping
Whatever Happened in Corinth? – Did Paul believe that he had failed in his encounter with the philosophers in Athens (Acts 17:16-34), leading to a change of approach in Corinth (Acts 18:1-18)? The start of Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians (1 Corinthians 2:1-5) is sometimes seen as supporting this change and undermining the value of apologetics today. Peter May considers the matter.: https://www.bethinking.org/apologetics/whatever-happened-in-corinth
“Men of Israel, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know. This man was handed over to you by God’s set purpose and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross. But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him. Acts 2:22-24
On October 26th at work I had a conversation about religion with a woman who sits next to me at work I’ve known her for over 15 years. She knows that I’m a devout Christian. But we’ve never had a substantial conversation about faith. It started because, over lunch that day, I was reading an article about Karma and reincarnation. So I asked her if she goes to Temple on a regular basis for her Hindu faith? She said she only goes on special occasions like festivals. I asked her why she didn’t go regularly? She said that the parking at her Temple is horrible. She mainly went to the Temple when her kids were young just to teach them about the faith and about all the stories and all the festivals.
I asked her also does she read her scriptures? She said no not really. She said that her parents do. I asked her why she doesn’t read them? She said it’s mainly because of time she doesn’t have enough time.
I then asked her about reincarnation and Karma. I mentioned to her that I had read an article about it today and I wanted to hear from a real Hindu whether these things I read in the article or true. I asked her if she believes in Karma, and she said yes, and that the concept of Karma is very important for Hindus. She said that’s the way she was raised. I asked her do you believe that you will be reincarnated? Again she said that’s the way I was raised. She said she doesn’t really think about it that much. I asked her why. She said she doesn’t like to think about death.
We were talking a little bit about some of the similarities between Christianity and Hinduism. I asked her about the nature of God that this article said that God was really impersonal and that he talked about something called Brahman. She said that there are three main Gods the Creator, the Destroyer and the Comforter. I think it was Vishnu, Shiva and some other name I don’t know if it was Krishna. One of them was like sir Swati or something like that. So that was different from what the article had said.
Then she said she talked about the goal of Hinduism which is to reach… she couldn’t think of the name and I finished her thought: Moksha. She was impressed that I knew the name of that. She asked doesn’t Christianity believe in reincarnation? I said, “No Christianity teaches that you die once and after that you face judgment for sin.” She said, “Oh, so it’s either heaven or hell, right?” I said yes. It depends on whether you believe that Jesus died to pay the penalty for your sins. If you accept that you will go to heaven. If you don’t accept that you will go to hell to pay for your own sins for eternity. We acknowledge that the topic of karma is a little bit similar to sins. In Christianity we have a concept called Grace. I explained what that means to her. Whereas with Karma you’re actually paying for your own sins, in Christianity Christ pays for your sins if you accept his sacrifice on your behalf.
It was a good conversation it was on the way out the door at the end of the day and it probably lasted 15 minutes or so. It was a very cordial conversation and she actually thanked me, because she said you don’t really think about these things trying to explain to your religion to someone unless you have to actually explain it to them. I hope that I’m able to talk to her again in the future.
So I will always remind you of these things, even though you know them and are firmly established in the truth you now have. I think it is right to refresh your memory as long as I live in the tent of this body, because I know that I will soon put it aside, as our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me. And I will make every effort to see that after my departure you will always be able to remember these things. 2 Peter 1:12-15
Zacharias – from the English Translation of the Greek Septuagint Bible, in the third century before Christ – read Zacharias Chapter 3 and see the real name Jesus in the Old Testament!: http://www.ecmarsh.com/lxx/Zacharias/index.htm
The Potters Hands. The amazing dexterity and sensitivity of the human hand so exemplified by a skilled potter is the envy of robotics engineers. Dubbing it one of nature’s marvels, the human hand remains a stupendous challenge to engineers who would replicate it, despite years of trying. That’s understandable, given the hand has over 30 muscles, along with 29 flexible joints and thousands of specialized nerve endings providing a sensory system that can instantly detect whether an object is hot or cold, its surface smooth or rough, and even how firmly or gently it should be grasped. – creation.com: https://creation.com/potters-hands
How do you discuss hell with a Christian who does not believe in its existence? | Christian Apologetics & Research Ministry: https://carm.org/discuss-hell
When he had led them out to the vicinity of Bethany, he lifted up his hands and blessed them. While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven. Then they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy. And they stayed continually at the temple, praising God. Luke 24:50-53
Remember the words I spoke to you: ‘No servant is greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. John 15:20
Today we started a series on Islam by watching a video of Dr. Nabeel Qureshi’s testimony:
Here is the note-taking form I handed out before the video:
Dr. Nabeel Qureshi’s Journey to Christ
Nabeel was very hesitant to write down his story, but he realized it was not his story but G______ story.
Nabeel’s Childhood Story
Nabeel’s sect of Islam (Ahmadi) was persecuted heavily in Pakistan
The Pakistan immigrant community was very tight
Nabeel came from a very d_____ Muslim family (missionaries). He did not grow up as a “passive Muslim”, but Islam was his very identity. He viewed himself as an ambassador for Islam.
In Islam, there’s a tight adherence to t_________ and c_________ – this includes speaking Arabic, because Mohammed spoke Arabic.
Nabeel’s mother taught him to recite many memorized Arabic prayers each day.
There’s a lot of overlap between the stories in the Old Testament and the Qur’an
Nabeel had memorized the final 7 chapters of the Qur’an by the age of 5, because those are part of the 5 daily prayers. By the age of 15, he had memorized the last 15 chapters of the Qur’an.
Nabeel read entire Qur’an in Arabic by age of 5, but didn’t fully know how to read English yet.
Nabeel had been trained from an early age how to respond to Christianity & d__________ Islam
Girl Betsy asks Nabeel if he knows Jesus – he replies, “I do know Jesus”. According to the Qur’an:
Jesus is v__________ b___________
Did m____________ (heal the blind and cleanse the lepers and raise the dead)
He is the M_______________ and will come back at the end of time
But Jesus was not G__________
The Bible is not trustworthy, it has been c________________
Nabeel threw back some objections at Betsy.
Where does Jesus say he’s God? (Betsy replies Jesus & the Father are one – John 10:30)
Nabeel replies “One what?” – Jesus also prayed he and the disciples would be one too.
When Jesus was in Galilee in Mark, he said that he could do no m____________.
When Jesus says, “Why do you call me good? No one is good but G_________”
When Jesus says in Mark chapter 13 that no one knows when the end of times is – not the angels, not the Son, but only the F____________. How could he be God if he doesn’t know something that only God knows?
In John 14:28, Jesus says, “The Father is greater than I”.
If I were you Betsy, I would believe Jesus –that the Father is g___________ than Jesus.
The moment she shared the Gospel, my respect for her went up through the r_________. Here is someone who c__________ enough about her faith to share it with me.
Other Christians never shared. I know what Christians believe, that if you don’t accept Jesus you’re going to go to hell. So, either they don’t b_______ it or they don’t c_____ if I go to hell.
Nabeel asks students – “Do you know w_________ you believe w_________ you believe? Can you give a reason for your faith, that’s compelling?”
Nabeel’s Meets David Wood in College
Nabeel met David Wood on the speech and debate team. They roomed together and he saw David reading his Bible and he was flabbergasted, because he thought all Christians knew that the Bible was c__________. He had never seen a Christian reading the Bible outside C________.
Nabeel’s objection: Bible is in English, Jesus spoke Aramaic, early church spoke Hebrew, NT written in Greek, translated to Latin, then to German (translation of a translation…)
Most people just replied they believe it by f______________ (synonym for ignorance)
David was different. David pointed out that Nabeel is bilingual – what he hears in one language, he can repeat in another language without losing the m_________ and that’s what disciples did.
We have in our possession _,____ manuscripts of the Greek NT – we know what it said.
We have over __,_____ quotations of the NT from the early church fathers w/in 150 years of NT.
Nabeel and David became friends – they did life together, Nabeel knew David c_____ about him.
“Nobody cares what you know until they know that you care”. Friendship is that glue that you need to have in order to sh__________ your m____________ with people.
Investigating the Claims of Christianity
After acknowledging that the Bible is reliable, Nabeel needed to find out where in there does it say that Jesus c__________ to be G________?
“I want to believe what’s true in the world – I want to have reasons for it”
It doesn’t matter if we have warm, fuzzy f__________ about Christianity – if that man Jesus did not rise from the dead, then Christianity is false and we are deluded.
Good case to determine if Christianity is true:
D___________ of Jesus –you’d have to throw out history not to believe this
R____________ of Jesus – the best explanation by far of what happened to Jesus is that He rose from the dead (looking at the evidence as a historian would)
D_____ – Nabeel took the verses out of context that seem to be saying Jesus is not God
Nabeel considered the case for Christianity strong (80-85%), but considered Islam 100%!
David encouraged Nabeel to apply the same level of c____________ to Islam.
Nabeel’s Worldview is Shaken and He is Converted
Nabeel: “The evidence for Islam came nowhere near the evidence for Christianity”
Nabeel: “You can’t just come out and tell your doubts to your parents.”
Muslims often ask for God to give them visions and dreams. 50-70% of Muslim à Christian c______________ had a dream or vision.
God gave Nabeel a vision and 3 dreams to guide him toward Christianity
Nabeel needed time to mourn, since he knew what was going to happen to him and family
Nabeel pulled out the Qur’an and the Bible, looking for comfort – couldn’t find any in Qur’an, only in the Bible. There is not a single verse in the Qur’an to comfort a h____________ person.
God, why didn’t you kill me between the moment I believed and when my family found out?
“It’s not about you” – When Nabeel walked out, the whole world changed, felt c____________.
Discussion Questions
On page 1, point 13, Nabeel comments about so many Christians that never shared their faith with him, saying that either they don’t believe it or they don’t care if I go to hell? How did that make you feel? Is that a true assessment of people who don’t share their faith?
In what ways was David Wood different than other Christians Nabeel had met in the past? What role did David play in Nabeel’s conversion?
What are the “costs” for a Muslim (or someone of another religion) to convert to Christ?
What were the 3 key facts about Christ that Nabeel focused on in evaluating Christianity?
The First Vision: Key to Truth? A Review of Seventy Richard J. Maynes June 2017 Ensign article | Mormonism Research Ministry: http://www.mrm.org/first-vision-maynes
Do not join those who drink too much wine or gorge themselves on meat, for drunkards and gluttons become poor, and drowsiness clothes them in rags. Proverbs 23:20-21
Today I wrapped up our Mormonism class by reviewing the information we covered in the last 6 weeks. We watched a short video by Bill McKeever on the golden plates:
Here are the slides I used for our recap:
Slide 1 – Mormonism Recap, What did we learn during the last 7 weeks?
Hopefully you’ve enjoyed this class series on Mormonism… Here’s where we’ve been for the last 7 weeks
Slide 2 – Where We’ve Been the Last 7 Weeks:
We started off with the overview video “Good News for LDS”
2009 podcast from J. Warner Wallace, the cold case homicide detective, gave unique, evidential perspective on Joseph Smith and the book of Mormon.
Then watched the hour long film on the Lost book of Abraham
We also watched the Way of the Master episode on Mormonism
We continued with a Mormon role-play with Brett Kunkle of Stand to Reason
And finally, today, we looked at Bill McKeever’s argument concerning the weight of the golden plates
Slide 3 – Topics and Areas We Covered during these weeks:
History of the LDS beginnings
“Translation” process of the Book of Mormon from Golden Plates
The Character traits and motives of Joseph Smith, the founder
The story of the Book of Abraham
Overview of Mormon doctrines, theology and practices
Strategies and approaches in reaching Mormon people
Responding to Mormon claims with grace and truth
Slide 4 – Good News for LDS:
We started this whole series with a 12 chapter video overview of Mormonism
Mormons say Jesus was the first spirit born to our heavenly Father
According to Mormonism, Jesus is the spirit brother of Lucifer (Satan)
Christian view of Jesus – He was God in the flesh, eternal, the uncreated Creator of all things (including angels). (Man à God vs. God à Man)
Who is God?
According to Joseph Smith, the Father has a body of flesh and bones. (D&C 130:22) – read this
According to the Bible, God (the Father) is Spirit. (John 4:24)
God is everlasting (Psalms 90:2)
According to the Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, God was once a man.
According to LDS teaching, there are many gods.
According to 1 Corinthians 8:4-6, there is no God but one.
Book of Abraham 2:24 has God telling Abraham to lie, which contradicts Ex. 20:16
How Do We Obtain Eternal Life?
Christian view – belief in Christ as Savior and Lord guarantees eternal life (free gift).
Mormon view – 2 Nephi 25:23b read this
Mormon view – (D&C 76) 3 Kingdoms: Telestial, Terrestrial, Celestial. You have to keep all the commandments, be baptized, etc…
Christian view – all authority is in Jesus Christ (Matthew 28:18)
Mormon view – Joseph Smith holds the keys to heaven.
Christian view – we can know that we have eternal life (1 John 5:13)
Mormon view – they can’t be sure if they will make it into the celestial kingdom
Archaeological Evidence:
No book of Mormon location is known with reference to modern topography (Professor Dee Green – BYU)
Biblical archaeology can be studied – we know where biblical places are (e.g. Jerusalem)
Joseph Smith – Prophecies and Revelations
Inhabitants of the Moon – look like Quakers
City of New Jerusalem – to be built in Independence, Missouri
David Patten Mission, but he died at the battle of cricket river in the fall of that year (this was a false prophecy)
See Deut. 13:1-3, a warning against false prophets
Biblical requirement for a prophet – 100% accuracy (Deut. 18:21-22)
Joseph prophesied the coming of the Lord, but Jesus said that’s impossible (Matt. 24:36)
The Character of Joseph Smith
He is portrayed by the LDS church as a virtuous family man who is persecuted for his beliefs, but prevails, due to his tremendous faith and his miraculous works.
At the age of 14, Joseph claimed to have a vision of God the Father and Jesus.
At age 21, Joseph was arrested in Bainbridge, NY for deception of Josiah Stole (a misdemeanor for his “glass looking”)
Joseph Smith committed multiple adulteries. 27 women were “sealed” to him. He revealed the doctrine of “plural marriage” in 1843 after being caught in an adulterous affair with Fanny Alger. He married underage girls & women who were already married.
Warren Jeffs is in prison for the same behavior that Joseph practiced.
The Bible condemns multiple wives. (Deut. 17:17, Mark 10:7-9, 1 Tim. 3:2,12; Titus 1:6)
The First Vision
Joseph Smith recorded several different accounts of his first vision. Some of these accounts have Jesus only, some have an angel, some have multiple angels, but the official version of the LDS church has God the Father and Jesus appearing to him.
Since the official vision was before Smith’s official ordination to the priesthood, this would conflict with D&C84:21-22, which says without the authority of the priesthood, no man can see the Father and live.
There are 9 varying accounts of the first vision. The first vision is considered the foundation and the cornerstone of the Mormon religion.
Joseph was a 14 year old boy when he supposedly first had this visitation.
He was known around the country as a fabricator of stories. Even his father-in-law thought so.
In 1855 Brigham Young preached a sermon in which he denied that the Lord came to Joseph in the first vision, but was rather visited by an angel.
The Occult
Joseph, his father and brother were actively involved in the occult while living in NY
Joseph found his seer stone while money digging. This seer stone was claimed to have been used by Joseph to translate the Book of Mormon from the golden plates.
On March 15th 1842, Joseph Smith joined the Freemasons (believe Jesus is not divine)
Joseph’s Mason membership affected the development of the temple ceremonies
The Jupiter Talisman – one of Joseph’s intimate possessions. Guaranteed the possessor the gain of riches, favor, power, love and peace and ability to influence female love. This talisman was found is Joseph’s pocket the day he died in Carthage.
The Translator
The golden plates were not used during the translation of The Book of Mormon. Rather, it was translated by Joseph looking into a “peep stone” (seer stone) inside a hat.
Oliver Cowdery was primary scribe for Joseph & 1 of “the 3 witnesses” listed in BoM
Joseph Smith boasted that the BoM was the most accurate book in existence.
If this book was translated by the power of God, why thousands of corrections?
The witnesses said that they never physically saw or handled the golden plates.
Paul warns of another gospel in Galatians 1:8 (even from an angel [e.g. Moroni]…)
Kinderhook Plates – a trap set for Joseph, a hoax to expose him as a false prophet.
Lamanites and DNA
Lamanites are described by Joseph Smith as ancestors of the ancient Israelites
DNA testing of > 5000 Native Americans from 150 different tribes has been completed
Not 1 person contained DNA that was of Hebrew descent, but rather of Asian descent.
In order to be a Mormon, one must trust in the “stories” of Joseph Smith
The Book of Abraham has been proven to be completely false. No Egyptologists agree with Joseph’s interpretation of the ancient scroll. Rather, it is a common funeral text.
Conclusion – Jesus Christ vs. Joseph Smith
Joseph claimed that there were many ancient cities in the Americas (38) – not one has ever been found.
DNA evidence disproves his story about Native American origins
He was a liar, a false prophet, a womanizer/adulterer, a fraud.
Examine objectively the life of Joseph Smith and the teachings of the Book of Mormon over against the Jesus of the New Testament and the reliability of the Bible
The Mormons are good people and they’re worth the fight. We love them.
There are no excuses at the final judgement
All you have to do is believe in Christ.
You must choose to follow Joseph or to follow Jesus – you can’t do both. CHOOSE!
Slide 6 – J. Warner Wallace, Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon:
He is a cold case homicide detective and has a very unique perspective in looking at the Mormon issue
Slide 7 – J. Warner Wallace Topics
Evidence Related to Motive:
Sexual Lust
Financial Greed
The Pursuit of Power
Evidence Related to the Timing of the Writing
The Second Great Awakening Swept Through New York
The Great Preachers of the Awakening Left Little Guidance
The Culture Was Fascinated With the Origin of Native Americans
Ethan Smith – “View of the Hebrews”, published 5 years before BoM
The People of Palmyra Were Interested in Treasure-Digging
Evidence Related to the Author of the Book
Joseph was a Local Treasure-Digger
Joseph Used a “Seer Stone”
Joseph Was Charged with Fraud
Evidence Related to the Translation Process
Joseph Translated Just As He Searched for Treasure
Joseph Was Unable to Duplicate the Lost 116 Pages
No One Ever Observed the Plates with Their Natural Eyes (3 witnesses)
Slide 8 – the importance of the 3 & 8 Witnesses
While the Mormon Church often portrays these critical three witnesses as trustworthy and reliable, history seems to indicate something different. Oliver Cowdery was eventually excommunicated from the Church after exposing Smith’s first polygamous relationship to Fanny Alger. Smith described Cowdery as a thief, liar, perjurer, counterfeiter, adulterer and leader of “scoundrels of the deepest degree”. Cowdery later became a Methodist and denied the Book of Mormon altogether and publicly confessed his “sorrow and Shame” for having any connection with Mormonism.
Martin Harris was a member of 5 different religious groups before becoming a Mormon, and he was part of eight different groups after leaving Mormonism. He was also excommunicated from the Mormon Church and later reported that he did not see the plates as Smith described, but only saw the plates three days after Cowdery and Whitmer and then only in a spiritual sense:
“I never saw the gold plates, only in a visionary or entranced state. …In about three days I went into the woods to pray that I might see the plates. While praying I passed into a state of entrancement, and in that state I saw the angel and the plates.” (Anthony Metcalf, Ten Years Before the Mast, n.d., microfilm copy, p. 70-71).
David Whitmer was also excommunicated from the Church and later declared he was himself a prophet of the New Church of Christ. Joseph called him a “dumb beast to ride” and an “ass to bray out coursings instead of blessings”. Whitmer later admitted he saw the plates “by the eye of faith” rather than with his physical eyes and he waffled between three varying accounts of how he saw the plates.
Eventually, Smith decided this group of three “witnesses” was insufficient; he involved eight additional men and recruited them as potential eyewitnesses, forming a group of eleven total witnesses to the golden plates. Smith limited his choices to men who were close friends and relatives. He first involved four brothers of David Whitmer. Smith next recruited his own father, two of his brothers and Hiram Page (who was married to David Whitmer’s sister, Catherine). Even though Smith limited his choices to close friends and relatives, these men also had trouble staying true to the faith founded on the golden plates they claimed to see. Two of these eight men apostatized and left the Church altogether. Another was excommunicated. Of the eleven men who claimed to see the golden plates, only five remained faithful to Mormonism. Three of these five men were blood relatives of Joseph Smith. Martin Harris later reported these additional eight witnesses also observed the plates in a vision and never saw the plates with their “natural eyes”.
Slide 10 – Book of Abraham Points
How he came to possess the scrolls
The book of Abraham is considered inspired Scripture (word of God) by the LDS church.
Joseph Smith translated this from an ancient Egyptian scroll of hieroglyphics (bought in Kirtland, OH 1835) but at that time in America, no one could read Egyptian hieroglyphics.
Joseph Smith purchased the scrolls (and mummies) for $2,400, which he raised from investors.
How he “translated” the scrolls
Joseph started by creating an alphabet and grammar of the Egyptian language. We have his notes for this process.
Joseph created a bank in Kirtland, OH, which failed, after which he fled from there at night.
Joseph and the Mormons moved to Commerce, IL and renamed it to Nauvoo, where he became mayor of the city, had a large militia & even announced his candidacy for president of the US
In Nauvoo, IL in 1842, Joseph published his translation of the book of Abraham.
The book of Abraham includes a creation story “they, that is the Gods, organized and formed…”. See the book of Abraham chapters 4 & 5 – Mormonism is polytheistic.
In June 27th, 1844, Joseph was assassinated while in jail in Carthage, IL
Scrolls were lost:
1846 – 1856: the papyri are lost to the church
In 1846, under the leadership of Brigham Young, the Mormons moved to Salt Lake City, UT
It was assumed that the papyri was destroyed in the great Chicago fire of 1871
3 drawings in book of Abraham misidentified by Joseph, according to Egyptologists.
These drawings are actually, from the “book of the dead” (Egyptian funeral text)
Scrolls found and actually translated
1966 – A dramatic discovery – the papyri was found in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, NY.
1967 – the lost papyri presented to the LDS church along with attesting letter from Emma Smith
Abraham not mentioned once in the papyri. Joseph’s translation was found to be incorrect.
The LDS church claims that a large portion of the scroll is missing, but this is not correct.
Some argue that Joseph may’ve received the translation by direct revelation from God…
According to Joseph Smith’s diary, this is not correct – he was translating it directly.
According to Egyptologists, there is no historical validity to the translations in that book.
Are the Mormon truth claims credible? Are they the kinds of things that we ought to bet our lives on?
Since Joseph’s translation of the book of Abraham, which can be tested, has been found to lack credibility, then how can we accept his translation of the book of Mormon, which cannot be tested?
Slide 12 – Way of the Master Topics
The Mormon Holy Books and Sources of Authority
The Book of Mormon (“the most correct of any book on earth” according to Joseph Smith)
Doctrine and Covenants – a book mostly about theology
The Pearl of Great Price
The King James Bible (in so far as it is translated correctly)
The ultimate authority in the Mormon Church comes from living Mormon apostles and prophets, especially the president, who is considered to be “the voice of God on earth”.
Mormon Teachings about God:
God has not been God from all eternity
Jesus is a god
Jesus is the Jehovah of the Old Testament
They limit Jesus to being the Creator only of this planet
There are an infinite number of gods who created an infinite number of other worlds
God has a body of flesh and bones like us
We can become like God if we adhere to his commandments
God is married and has many wives and they had many spirit babies, resulting in you and I getting here.
It is possible to become a god, reigning over your own planet.
The Mormon Jesus
Law of progression – men and God are of the same species. We are at different point in our progression
God, the Father of this planet is called Elohim
The Mormon God cannot create anything Ex-Nihilo (out of nothing) – he “organized” this earth
The first “begotten” of his spirit children was Jehovah (or Jesus) – we all are the spirt brothers of Jesus.
Another one of the offspring of Elohim was Lucifer – according to Mormonism, Jesus is the spirit brother of Lucifer.
Jesus was not the eternal Creator of all things, who became a man (as the Bible says) – they have it reversed, they believe that man became a god instead
The Mormon Afterlife
Almost a universal salvation – only those who’ve actually had revelation of the truthfulness of Mormonism and reject it have sinned bad enough to merit eternal hell.
There is a temporary hell in Mormonism (the spirit prison) that non-Mormons would go to.
They would not believe Hitler went to hell
4 levels of afterlife:
Eternal (outer) darkness – devil, demons, a few apostate Mormons
2 Nephi 25:23b – “for we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do”
Moroni 10:32 – if you “love God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you” (vs. 2 Corinthians 12:9)
Spencer Kimball (former president of the LDS Church) – one of the most fallacious doctrines (of the devil) is that man is saved alone by the grace of God.
Witnessing Tips
You must define your terms, because Mormons use all the same terms as Christians, but they have different meanings for those terms
Ask the Mormon first to explain who their God is, who their Jesus is and how salvation is gained
Pose this to a Mormon – “If the Mormon religion is right and I’m wrong, then I go to the 3rd level of heaven. But if the Bible is right and the LDS church is wrong, then you are following a false Jesus and you’ll end up in hell forever.”
Baptism for the Dead
Mormons get baptized for dead people. They use 1 Corinthians 15:29 to justify that.
If anyone dies without believing in Mormonism, they can still make it to heaven if someone is baptized on their behalf. They can accept Mormonism in the spirit world.
The main point in reaching the Mormon is using the power of the Gospel (Romans 1:16).
Slide 14 – Mormon Role Play Points
How would you define a Christian?
Elder Kunkle: You probably believe something like this – Mormons are not Christians
Elder Kunkle: How would you define a Christian, what is a Christian?
Someone answered “Someone who has been saved by Jesus and professes Him as their Lord and Savior”
Mormon definition of Jesus:
“Mormons have a different definition of Jesus” – but Elder Kunkle affirmed that Jesus was:
Born of the Virgin Mary
Is the Son of God
Lived a sinless, perfect life
Died on the cross to atone for our sins
Rose from the dead – bodily
Deity of Christ & the Trinity:
“Jesus claimed to be God” – Elder Kunkle challenged, “Where did Jesus claim to be God?”
Elder Kunkle: the oneness that Jesus is talking about is oneness in unity.
Elder Kunkle: I affirm, “One Lord and One Savior”
Audience member says that his Bible does not say that God was once a man, like Mormonism believes. Elder Kunkle replies, “You don’t believe Jesus was a man?” Person replies, “I’m not saying Jesus, I’m saying God”
Elder Kunkle: we believe in the Father, we believe in the Son, we believe in the Holy Spirit…I believe in the God of the Bible…. But one of the differences we have is the Trinity… the claim of the Trinity is that you have 3 beings in 1 being, but that is a patent contradiction.
One audience member brought up Jesus is considered to be Lucifer’s brother in Mormonism
Elder Kunkle: Colossians 1 – Jesus is the first born of all creation. So, He is the first born Son of God.
Elder Kunkle: If Jesus is God, in Matthew 26 Jesus is praying to God, but if Jesus is God, then He is just praying to Himself.
Elder Kunkle: There’s nowhere you can point to in Scripture to show the Trinity – where is the Trinity in the Bible?
One audience member brought up John 10:30 – I and the Father are one. Elder Kunkle replied that in this church, you probably all consider yourself to be “one”, but not the same being.
Elder Kunkle: where in the Bible does it say that to be a Christian, you have to affirm that Jesus is Yahweh?
Elder Kunkle quotes John 14, where Jesus says, “The Father is greater than I”
Book of Mormon / additional revelation:
One audience member says he has been “taught his doctrine” – he was indoctrinated differently
One audience member said you put your faith in a man who brought an additional book
Elder Kunkle: that’s all the Book of Mormon is – it’s God speaking through a man
Elder Kunkle: Just like God built on the Old Testament and gave us the New Testament, God builds on the New Testament and gives us another testament to Jesus Christ (BoM)
One audience member quotes Revelation 22:19 “If any man shall take away from the words…”
Elder Kunkle replies with Deut. 4:2, which has the same warning.
One audience member quotes John 8:58 – says Jesus claimed to be Elohim.
Elder Kunkle made a case for works salvation (James 2, Philippians 2, Acts 2, Eph. 2 etc.)
Christians inarticulate / apologetics not optional, but required – asked everyone to do a self-assessment
What we wanted to do tonight was provide you a little test.
Most evangelical Christians do not know what they believe or why they believe it
Most Christians are completely inarticulate about what they believe and why they believe it.
We wanted you to take this test here, now, with me before you go out the door and have this test with “the real thing”.
We need to be effective ambassadors for Jesus Christ and being an effective ambassador means that you have to know some things – you have to have knowledge of the truth.
How many of you would be able to make the case that Jesus is God, the Holy Spirit is God and that the Father is God and that those 3 persons are together the one God, who offers salvation solely through faith in Christ by grace alone? Rate yourself on a scale of 1-10.
How well would you be able to reason from the Scripture? How prepared would you be?
2 Timothy 2:15 – how many can say that we are workmen who do not need to be ashamed because we can accurately handle the God’s Word?
Many of you had courage to defend, but many of you did not accurately handle God’s Word
I would much rather have you fail in here, than with your Mormon neighbor.
We Christians spend most of our time talking with other Christians
Many of us are fearful to open our mouths about Jesus b/c we don’t have answers to objections
Apologetics is not some optional thing we do as believers, apologetics is not a club for nerds. Apologetics should be an essential part of our discipleship under Jesus Christ.
It’s not enough to simply be right. Not only need knowledge, but wisdom and character too…
How were you as representatives of Jesus Christ? He came in grace & truth (Jn 1:14) – need both
Sometimes you’ve got to be made uncomfortable before you realize that you need to grow.
John 10:30 – you have to go further in reading that passage in order to make the case from that
Here is the note-taking form I handed out:
Notes for the LDS Recap Session
Bill McKeever – Problems with the Golden Plates
Good News for LDS
Warner Wallace on Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon
The Book of Abraham
The Way of the Master Mormonism Episode
Mormon Role-Play, Brett Kunkle (Elder Kunkle)
Discussion Questions
How has your view of Mormonism changed during this study?
How has your view of the Mormon people changed during this study?
What new information did you learn about Mormonism that will be useful to you?
In your view, what is the most compelling evidence demonstrating that Mormonism is false?
Do you now feel moreorless likely to reach out to Mormons in your circle of influence?
When talking to Mormons, do you think it is more effective to:
Address their non-orthodox theology & doctrines
OR
Talk about Joseph Smith’s character, the translation process of the Book of Mormon and the lack of archeological support
OR
Just share the Gospel
How would you explain to a Mormon why you don’t think Joseph Smith is a prophet of God?
What reason(s) do you have for not accepting the Book of Mormon as Scripture?
Why do we believe Mormon people are not evil enemies to be opposed?
What were the 3 ungodly motivations that drove Joseph to perpetrate his lies?
How do the biblical and Mormon views of the following differ?
Jesus
God the Father differ?
Eternal life (as well as how one obtains it) differ?
Is there any archeological evidence that the Book of Mormon is true? Is there any archeological evidence that the Bible is true?
Has Joseph Smith met the biblical test for a prophet of God? Where is that biblical test found?
How is the Joseph Smith portrayed by the LDS church different than the Joseph Smith of history?
How would you answer the following charges?
“Men of God in the Old Testament had multiple wives, so this must be a practice approved by God”
“Several biblical authors were also sinners (e.g. David, Solomon, Abraham, Moses, Peter, Paul etc.) like Joseph, so we can still believe Joseph’s writings”
How old was Joseph when he supposedly received his first vision?
Were the accounts of Joseph’s vision always consistently told by him?
What is a “peep stone” or “seer stone”? What did Joseph use it for?
Was Joseph ever in trouble with the law? Was he ever arrested? How is this different from the apostles Peter, John and Paul being imprisoned in the book of Acts?
How did Joseph supposedly translate the “Book of Mormon” into English?
What are the “Kinderhook Plates” and what do they tell us about the nature of Joseph Smith?
How does DNA evidence contradict Joseph Smith’s story of Native American origins?
What is the Book of Abraham? What is the story of that book’s origin? What does it tell us about the reliability of Joseph Smith as a translator of ancient languages?
What evidence could you provide to show Joseph Smith is a womanizer and an adulterer?
What circumstances led Joseph Smith to claim that polygamy was a “God-ordained” practice?
Dear friend, you are faithful in what you are doing for the brothers, even though they are strangers to you. They have told the church about your love. You will do well to send them on their way in a manner worthy of God. 3 John 1:5-6
