Apologetics Writings

This blog site is all about my passion on apologetics

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Bakit nga ba kailangan nating sumangguni muna sa Diyos sa mga plano natin sa hinaharap?

Habang nag-kakaroon tayo ng "spiritual maturity", mapagtatanto talaga natin na bawat plano na mayroon tayo para sa 'ting kinabukasan, kailangan muna natin palaging ipagdasal ang mga ito. Kung iyan ay kalooban ng Diyos mangyayare mga iyan, kailangan natin ng gabay, at kailangan nating sumangguni sa kanya. Hindi pwede yung gusto mo lang kahit hindi mo naman kailangan ay dapat matupad.

Minsan kaya hindi natutupad yung mga plano natin sa buhay, kahit na ipinagdadasal natin ay dahil hindi pa siguro panahon para sa 'tin yung gusto nating mangyare, marahil kapag ibinigay agad ng Diyos ang mga hiling nating mangyare ay mauwi lang sa hindi magandang posisyon at timing. Pwede ding kapag ibinigay niya agad ay mapalayo tayo sa kanya at hindi na makalingon pa sa pinanggalingan natin.

Kaya sana wag tayong magtampo o magalit sa Diyos kapag hindi naayon ang lahat sa buhay natin at hindi ibinibigay ang mga kahilingan natin. May dahilan kung bakit natin nararanasan ang mga iyon. Karamihan sa mga pagsubok ay hinahasa tayo kung paano magiging matatag.

Kadalasan lahat ng nangyayare sa buhay natin na napapahamak tayo ay dahil sa sarili nating kagustuhan, ipinipilit natin ang mga bagay na hindi dapat. Kaya naman marapat na lagi tayong sumangguni sa Diyos para sa guidance.

Isaiah 55:8-9 [NIV] says,

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord.

“As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.

Manatili tayo sa pananampalataya kahit hindi naaayon ang lahat sa plano natin, kahit hirap na hirap na tayo sa pagsubok, manatili tayo sa kanya dahil darating din yung panahon na lilipas yung bagyo at muling sisikat ang araw, at sa pagsikat ng araw ay matatag na tayo dahil sa mga napagdaanan natin. Ang mahalaga dun ay kasama natin ang Diyos habang tayo'y nasa pagsubok at kapag kasama mo ang Diyos sa pinagdadaanan mo ay malalagpasan mo yan ng may buong pusong may katatagan sa hinaharap.

James 1:2-6 [NIV] says,

Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.

Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.

But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.

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Kalam Cosmological Argument vs. Contingency Cosmological Argument

What's the difference between the Kalam Cosmological Argument (KCA) and Contingency Cosmological Argument (Thomistic) (CCA)?

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KCA: P1. If (since) there cannot be an infinite regress

CCA: P1. If (since) there is a first cause, ===============================

KCA:  P2. there must be a first cause 

CCA: P2. there cannot be an infinite regress

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KCA: P3. there cannot be an infinite regress

CCA: P3. there is a first cause

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KCA Conclusion: Therefore, there is a first cause

CCA Conclusion: Therefore, there cannot be an infinite regress

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Post Scriptum of mine: Kalam argues in "Infinite number series", while CCA of Aquinas isn't about "Infinite number series". KCA focus first on how we measured the length of series in the numbers. While CCA of Aquinas is in how the first action was noticed not on the basis of how we measured the length of the numbers.  

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The Hebrew words yôm, 'ereb, and boqer.

The Hebrew word yôm, translated day, may be used (and is) in biblical Hebrew, as it is in modern English, to indicate any of three time periods: 

(a.) Sunrise to sunset

(b.) Sunset to sunset

(c.) A segment of time without any reference to solar days (anywhere from weeks to a year to several years to an age or epoch). 

This does not mean, however, that yôm can be interpreted as referring to an indefinite time or infinite time.

William Wilson, in his Old Testament Word Studies, explains that yôm is

 "frequently put for time in general, or for a long time, a whole period under consideration. . . . Day [yôm) is also put for a particular season or time when any extraordinary event happens."

Even in English ━ which includes many more words than Hebrew for describing time periods ━ such expressions as "my grandfather's day" or "the day of the dinosaurs" are common. Biblical examples would be 

Genesis 4:3 (yôm = process of time); 

Genesis 30:14 (yôm wheat harvest time); 

Joshua 24:7 (yôm = a long season); 

Proverbs 25:13 (yôm = harvest time); 

Isaiah 4:2 (yôm = a future era); 

Zechariah 14:8 (yôm = summer + winter); and many references to the day of the Lord (yôm = forty-two months or more, depending on interpretation of certain end-time prophecies).

The Hebrew word 'ereb, translated evening, also means "sunset," "night," or "ending of the day. And the word boqer, translated morning, also means "sunrise," "coming of light," "beginning of day," "break of day," or "dawning," with possible metaphoric usage.

In other words, evening and morning refer to the beginning and ending components of "day," however it is used. For example, "in my grandfather's day” refers to my grandfather's lifetime. So the morning and evening of his day would be his youth and old age.

Young-earth creationists have argued for twenty-four-hour days on the basis that yôm when attached to an ordinal (second, third, fourth, etc.) always refers to a twenty-four-hour period. This argument can be challenged on several accounts.

For one, it is true only for passages describing days of human activity rather than days of divine activity. For another, nowhere else does the Bible have the occasion to enumerate sequential epochs. More important, the rules of Hebrew grammar do not require that yôm must refer to twenty-four hours, even when attached to an ordinal.

Hosea 6:2 prophesies that "after two days he (God) will revive us [Israel]; on the third day he will restore us." For centuries Bible commentators have noted that the “days” in this passage (where the ordinal is used) refer to a year, years, a thousand years, or maybe more.

Young-earthers also hold the view that the Hebrew word 'olam (as opposed to yôm) would have been used to indicate a long time period. However, Hebrew lexicons show that only in post-biblical writings did 'olam only refer to a long age or epoch. In biblical times it meant "forever," "perpetual," "lasting," "always," "of olden times," or "the remote past, future, or both." But the range of its usage did not include a set period of time.

Copied from:

Ross, Hugh. Creation and Time: A Biblical and Scientific Perspective on the Creation-Date Controversy. (p. 46), NavPress, 2000.

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What is Christian Apologetics?

          In the light of this new generation in the Philippines, people are getting more serious about what they are believing, often critical in everything, overthink, and criticize most of what they don't want. I remember when I introduced Christian Apologetics in some local churches and to some youth leaders. Some of them asked: is it a kind of apology? Well, it's not because Apologetics by its definition is a "defense" that comes from the Greek word "apologia", and everyone can use this term to protect their ground of beliefs. Some people misinterpret "Apologetics" same to "Apologies", Apologies by its definition is an "expression of regrets" while "Apologetics" is a kind of art for giving a defense for your position to protect your ground from your opponent offensive dive. 

You are not in Christian Apologetics to shout them "sorry because you are not a Christian!", You are in Christian Apologetics because you have a rational ground of defending your Christian faith. And that's the difference. For me, the top main rules of doing Christian Apologetics through breaking the wall of the doubters is to maintain respect, gentleness (1 Pet 3:15), love (Eph 4:15), compassion, kindness, humility, and patience (Col 3:12). As long as you have these seven, you can maintain the calmness of your ground to not be shaken and overwhelmed by your opponents. You have to train yourself, know-thyself, know your ground, and most importantly, you should Pray before your engagement because the Lord itself encouraged us to do Apologetics (Isa 1:18, Prov 27:11). As Apostle Paul once said, (1 Corinthians 13:1-3 NIV) 

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing. 

Telling the truth to them is a kind of love, If they didn't listen then just respect their decisions. Let's not force our beliefs by mere hating them because they're not still believing, let's Pray them for the guidance of the Holy Spirit. As an ambassador of Christ winning the argument is nothing and useless compared to winning the doubters to Christ. The purpose of rational engagements within Christianity is not about to win the argument; rather, to win the soul. No matter how good your argument is, if your listeners are not rationally convinced and their hearts are untouched by the Holy Spirit, the conversation is futile. 

Please note that Apostle Paul once said, (Colossians 4:6) 

Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.

+Keep safe everyone+

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Apologetics under Christian Churches

Christian Apologetics is essential for the church foundation. It is not simply a disguise or a perfume for your faith. True, you can preach the Gospel, you can give a sermon, and you can quote inspired passages; however, can you defend the Gospel’s reliability? Because if you cannot defend the its reliability; then, why should I believe in the Gospel that you are preaching at all? And that is an awkward position if I am the preacher. While on one hand we are not just called to preach the Gospel alone (2 Corinthians 10:5) and on the other we are not just called to defend our Christian faith alone (2 Timothy 4:2).  We are admonished do to both. If Churches here in the Philippines will practice Christian Apologetics, and not simply to preach the content in the Bible, I guarantee their members will gain a rational ground for what they are believing.  

Most Churches today, even in the past, are easily bombed by questions of the atheists, skeptics, cultists, or even the member of their own church itself.  Sadly, what will happen when a pastor or youth leaders are not well equipped for defending the Christian faith? Well, they often post empty rhetorical responses like, “Just have faith.” Is that enough? I submit to you, that we are not simply in the church to just preach the Gospel, and preach the Gospel again. Please do not get me wrong, I am not against preaching the Gospel.  But can you give the reason for the faith that you have?  Why do you believe what you believe? Why is Christianity the most plausible ground to believe among thousands of religions in the world? Why are most churches hesitant to practice Christian Apologetics?  Some churches are indeed rationally poor. Why not reasonable faith? After all other religions have “faith” too. What makes Christianity unique?  Are they afraid to questions like “Why can I trust the Bible and not the Koran or the Book of Mormons”? Or are they simply lazy (forgive me if I am harsh) to study the fundamentals of Christianity? Another sad situation is that when members leave the church because of lack of guidance for what they are believing, most of the remaining members will surely misinterpret those who left for having a shaken faith or lack of faith in God --- the consequence of a church pastor or youth leaders who are not well equipped in defending the Christian faith.

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Dr. Craig gave one of the foundation of Apologetics.

Some people think that apologetics is unbiblical. They say that you should just preach the gospel and let the Holy Spirit do His work! But I think that the example of Jesus and the apostles affirms the value of apologetics. Jesus appealed to miracles and to fulfilled prophecy to prove that His claims were true (Luke 24:25-27; John 14:11). What about apostles? In dealing with other Jews, they used fulfilled prophecy, Jesus' miracles, and especially Jesus' resurrection to prove that He was the Messiah. Take, for example, Peter's sermon on the day of Pentecost recorded in the second chapter of Acts. In verse 22, he appeals to Jesus' miracles. In verse 25-31 he appeals to fulfilled prophecy. In verse 32 he appeals to Christ's resurrection. By means of these arguments the apostles sought to show their fellow Jews that Christianity is true.

In dealing with non-Jews, the apostles sought to show the existence of God through His handiwork in nature (Acts 14:17). In Romans 1, Paul says that from nature alone all men can know that God exist (Rom. 1:20). Paul also appealed to eyewitness testimony of Jesus' resurrection to show further that Christianity is true (1 Cor. 15:3-8).

So it's clear that both Jesus and the apostles were not afraid to give evidence for the truth of what they proclaimed. This doesn't mean they didn't trust the Holy Spirit to bring people to God. Rather they trusted the Holy Spirit to use their arguments and evidence to bring people to God.

~On Guard, 15 (Defending your faith with reason and precision)

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Is Apologetics Biblical?

I heard this verse many times to most religious people who against in formal debate or any discussion within their beliefs. According to 2 Timothy 2:24-26 which it says, 

And the Lord's servant must not QUARREL; instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, NOT RESENTFUL. Those who oppose him he must GENTLY INSTRUCT, in the hope that God will grant them REPENTANCE leading them to a knowledge of the truth, and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will.

In a blink of an eye those people who against in a formal debate automatically saw the "Lord's servant must not quarrel" without reading the next passages. And this is what we called "Out of Context".

According to Merriam-Webster, Quarrel means an angry argument or disagreement. It is also described by Cambridge Dictionary as an angry disagreement between two or more people or groups.

On 2 Timothy 2:24, it is described as If you are a servant of the Lord then you must avoid any angry debate, discussion or conversation because it can bring mental stress and become not healthy. It is not described as avoid any debate or discussion. Actually, debate and argumentation are also encouraged by the Lord. As Isaiah 1:18 says, 

"Come now, let us reason together," says the LORD. 

Any debate and argumentation possessing "Reason" and from that we must be genuine gentle and respectful for it is also commanded on 1 Peter 3:15 which it says,

But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect,

We must argue for the truth and balance every learnings. Instead of being angry through words, We must speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15). When I was reading Titus chapter, I was hint this. Titus 1:9 says, 

He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it. 

If you are a true servant of Christ you have to acknowledge sound doctrine of other religious people within the denominations of Christianity who are not in your camp, but if they're not sound doctrine then you must cut their wings immediately but it is not easy as you think. For there are wolf clothing sheep and the real battle is in the spiritual realm then you must guard yourself as Ephesians 6:16-17 says, 

In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

Lastly, WE MUST DEMOLISH every argument against God. As 2 Corinthians 10:5 commanded it, 

We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

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Engagement

The purpose of rational engagements within Christianity is not about to win the argument; rather, to win the soul. No matter how good your argument is, if your listeners are not rationally convinced and their hearts are untouched by the Holy Spirit, the conversation is futile. Indeed, we seek through the mind but are convinced through the heart.

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Free-choice

You are free to choose but you are not free from the consequences of your choices, whether good or bad. So whatever the result is, remember the lesson and evaluate yourself.