Unapologetic Apologetics

By now, everybody has heard about the riots in Baltimore as a result of the arrest-related death of Freddie Gray.  One viral video shows a mother, Toya Graham, grabbing her son Michael out of a crowd of rioters, slapping him repeatedly, yelling at him, pulling off his hoodie to reveal his face, and escorting him to the car.  Many have hailed her as a parental hero, saying that her use of force might have been excessive if it weren’t for the extreme nature of the situation.  Later in an ABC News interview on World News Tonight, Michael apologized for his role in the riots, saying, “I understand how much my mother really cares about me…so I’m just gonna try and do better.”  Michael came to realize his need to apologize for his behavior, not just to his mother, but to the world.

Christians need to understand the importance for apologizing for wrong things that we’ve done, and for offenses we’ve given.In Matthew 5:23-24, Jesus says, “…If you are presenting your offering at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your offering there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and present your offering.”  Unapologetic Christians create a relationship barrier between themselves and other people, and between themselves and God.  Yet, while we should be quick to apologize for our sins, we must never apologize for what we believe.

In chapter six of the Book of Acts, Deacon Steven performs signs and wonders by the power of the Holy Spirit.  False witnesses rise up against him, and he is brought before the council on a charge of blasphemy.  In chapter seven, Steven gives a defense for his faith, but he never apologizes for it.  He reminds his hearers of their link to the past, calling upon the spiritual authority of patriarchs and prophets.  He leads them on an historic tour from Abraham to Moses and Aaron, to Joshua and David and Solomon.  Perhaps he intends to take them all the way to the cross and the empty tomb in his message, but he allows his emotions to get the better of him, and he never finishes.  What starts out as a well-thought-out testimony ends up as an angry tirade:

***“You men who are stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears are always resisting the Holy Spirit; you are doing just as your fathers did.  Which one of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? They killed those who had previously announced the coming of the Righteous One, whose betrayers and murderers you have now become;  you who received the law as ordained by angels, and yet did not keep it (Acts 7:51-53).”***

As a result of his insults, the Sanhedrin became bitterly angry.  They condemn him of blasphemy and stone him to death.  Christians often look to Steven as an example of faith, and admire him for his courage to become the first Christian martyr.  Yet I am not convinced that Steven needed to die that day.  We praise him because he didn’t apologize for his beliefs.  But he didn’t die because he stood unwaveringly for his faith.  He died because he defended his beliefs in an insulting manner.  He didn’t practice good apologetics.

“Apologetics” is a word that is often misunderstood.  Many people think it means apologizing for what you believe.  In fact, it means quite the opposite.  It means defending your faith in a way that will hopefully win people over.  Unapologetic apologetics would mean steadfastly sticking to your testimony about Jesus, but giving such a testimony that would convince others to place their faith in Him as well.  Steven did one, but not the other.

1 Peter 3:15 says, “…***Sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence.”  This gentleness and reverence is what Steven lacked as he gave his testimony about Christ.

The Gospel can sometimes be an offense—but we ourselves should never be offensive.  1 Corinthians 1:23-25 says, “…We preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block and to Gentiles foolishness, but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.”  Because the subject of our testimony is so foolish and offensive to the world, we should take extra care to not be offensive ourselves.  “Speaking the truth in love,” we should strive to make love the technique of our testimony.***

Come to think of it, while Christians should never apologize for what we profess, good apologetics can and should mean apologizing for those ways in which the technique of our testimony has offended our audiences.  We should be sorry for those hypocrisies in our personal lives, and in the history of the Church, that jeopardize our witness.  While we must never apologize for the Gospel, we ought to repent of the offensive way in which we may have pushed it down someone’s throat, misrepresented Jesus, or been a bad example of what a follower of Christ ought to be.

Let’s remember that as offensive as the Gospel can be, it’s important that we remain as inoffensive as we can.  “Gentleness and reverence,” says 1 Peter  3:15.  This is the way that the Christian can practice unapologetic apologetics.