The following post was contributed from the able pen of Reverend John Carroll.
“But in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect” (1 Peter 3:15)
It will be my contention that the Apostolic movement needs to apologize to the world. There are many Pentecostal issues for which apologies are necessary. And I for one would like to participate in the process. I also hope that I can inspire other preachers (young and old) to become more apologetic to the world about what they believe.
Of course as many of you already suspect, I am using the various forms of apology in a nuanced, theological way. The Greek word is “apologia” and is found in 1 Peter 3:15. It is the Greek word that the English Standard Version translates as “make a defense.” Apologia is a Greek legal term that means to give a reasoned defense whether oral or written. It refers to an attorney providing a defense for his client’s actions. Or one may provide a defense of one’s self like Paul (Acts 22:1). In theology it refers to providing a reasoned defense for one’s doctrinal beliefs.
This post is an appeal for apologists. Apostolics need men and women who can give a reasoned defense for Christianity—as well as Pentecostal particulars. I want to discuss how we should go about doing this. There is an appropriate way to apologize. As we shall see in the following sections, we must apologize in a way that is Christ honoring.
Always Being Prepared to Make a Defense
Peter tells us to be “prepared to make a defense.” But we cannot make a reasoned defense until we understand the culture’s case. Getting ready to answer what may be asked of us from the culture demands that we anticipate and prepare. We must anticipate what they will be asking and prepare accordingly.
To anticipate what questions will be asked of us, we cannot live in a perpetual Pentecostal bubble. We must have a working knowledge of the world so we can properly engage it. While we are not of the world (John 17:16) we are in the world (John 17:11). Jesus compared our position within the world to his own (John 17:16). Furthermore, he suggested that what he did while he was in the world would could continue to be done in his absence and in his stead (John 14:12). What was Jesus’ level of involvement with the world while he was in the world? If we discover how Jesus lived in the world, then we can know how we are to live in the world. There are three possible ways to interact with the world around us:
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Isolation
The first response to the world we will call isolation. Isolation is the tendency of many holiness-minded Apostolics. Isolationism places a strong emphasis on the biblical motif of separation. They take separation to mean that we should avoid contact with the world. While I consider myself a strong advocate of scriptural separation, I reject an isolationist approach to living in the world. The two metaphors (light and salt) that Christ used of Christians will not allow us to be isolationists. Do not allow the Pharisees of our day to conflate separation with isolation. The two are not synonymous.
If light refuses to go into the darkness, then light will not do what light is intended to do. The purpose of light is to dispel darkness, but it has to “shine as lights in the world” (Philippians 2:15). And if salt doesn’t touch what needs preservation then it can never delay the decay. If salt remains in its box, then it may as well not be salt. As long as salt is isolated the putrefaction will prevail. If, as the salt of the world, we remain in our church boxes then we will be ineffective. Light must engage the darkness, and salt must engage the decay. Isolation is not the answer!
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Assimilation
The second possible response to the world is assimilation. To become like them; to live like they live. This, too, is a not a biblical option. The Bible clearly calls us to separation (2 Corinthians 6:17). As Christians we are to live lives of holiness (1 Peter 1:16). So the Christians should neither isolate nor assimilate. So how are we to live in the world?
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Insulation
God’s plan for Christians in the culture is not to isolate nor assimilate, but to insulate. We are not to isolate from the world, assimilate to the world, but we are to insulate in the world. This is where separation becomes salt and light. It is only in the world that separate becomes the effective contrast that Christ intends for it to be. Notice Jesus’ analogy of how Christians survive in culture:
“Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves” (Matthew 10:16).
Notice the two things that Jesus does not tell the disciples. He does not tell them to stay away from wolves. He does not tell them to blend with the wolves. But they are to be as sheep in the midst of the wolves therefore they are to be wise and harmless. Jesus is the ultimate example of not being of this world. He was the living bread from heaven (John 6:51). Even though he was not of this world, he came into the world to save sinners. And because he came to save sinners, he engaged sinners on their level (tax collectors, sinners, etc).
How Then Shall We Respond?
By engaging the culture, we become aware of their questions and concerns about God. Based on this information, we can begin to prepare our response to the culture’s questions. Isolationists never engage and so they never understand the questions so they cannot provide the answer. The assimilationists don’t think the answer is really that important. The insulationists know how important their questions are, and how important our answers are, and see taking the answer to them as our mission. So we insulate ourselves by the Spirit and the Word and we go wherever we must to share the gospel.
I believe that the Apostolic doctrine gets the most right about theology and Christian living—at least in theory. We need men and women who are willing to engage the culture with an a efficient working knowledge of the culture that prompt us to prepare to provide adequate answers to their questions.
To Anyone
Who should be the object of our apology? The answer is, to anyone. To be able to make a defense “to anyone” we need to have a broad working knowledge of the cultural issues. Let’s narrow the focus just a little bit. How about instead of going crazy trying to master ever possible opposing worldview we get a good geographical understanding of the world in which we live? What are the dominate worldviews and religions in our world where God has called us to evangelize—or apologize? What are the most likely concepts that you will face daily on your job? Begin with those and go from there. This is great advice for laypersons. However, we preachers may need to have a broader working knowledge of theology and other disciplines.
Who Asks You for a Reason for the Hope
According to Peter, we are not to go about giving reasons to people who haven’t asked. This is what I will term, “passive apologetics.” While we are in the passive portion of apologetics, there is something that we can do all the time. Peter told us to, “sanctify the Lord God in your hearts” (KJV). This personal sanctification is part of the preparation. I don’t have the time to talk about reverse sanctification. Normally it is Jesus by his Holy Spirit who is sanctifying us. But in this text we are to sanctify the Lord. But this prepares us for the next step.
We are to be prepared to make a defense to anyone who “asks us” for a reason of our hope. We are not to be the obnoxious Christian protestor that lobbies to shut down all the local bars. We are not to model Westboro Baptist and their hateful mantra. We are to embody “peaceable and quiet” lives (1 Timothy 2:2). We are to live quietly and ready. And when someone has a question about our lives then we can give a reasoned defense.
I like to use the phrase, “living a questionable lifestyle.” When is the last time your life has led to a question from an unbeliever? We must live in such a way as salt in the earth that it creates a thirst in the hearts of sinners to know the Lord that we have sanctified in our hearts.
Conclusion
The conclusion of the whole matter is live in a good way that makes people ask questions about your Christianity. Engage the world; don’t hide from it. Sanctify the Lord in your heart so that through your apology he may sanctify others to himself.
How do we live in the world? We live apologetically. When we are confronted with the same-sex agenda, we apologize. When we are faced with atheism, we apologize. When we are faced with secularism, we apologize. We must stop living in our Apostolic bubbles and start apologizing to the world for what we believe.
Rev. John Carroll is the lead pastor at Point of Mercy Sanctuary in Lisbon, Ohio. You can listen to Pastor Carroll’s sermons on their podcast. He is currently working on his Bachelor’s in Biblical Studies through Wilson University and Patten University. Pastor Carroll is a theologian, writer, and apologist for the Apostolic faith. You can read more of his outstanding work on his blog.