The following article was written by David Wheeler for publication in an apologetics encyclopedia. However, the subject matter of the article is equally as important in the realm of evangelism. Considering that most approaches to evangelism, including Share Jesus Without Fear, are basically driven by supplying proper “information”, at what point does one’s incarnational lifestyle enter into the equation? Is evangelism only the communication of proper information, or does it also include the total person in reference to one’s outward behavior that validates the information to the world? Is it both “information” and “incarnation”?
Read and respond on discussion board.
Subject: Incarnational Apologetics
Definition:
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The same argument can be applied to other areas of traditional apologetics. Consider for a moment the important issues related to the resurrection of Christ. While the historical and biblical aspects are imperative in validating the authenticity of the event, one must never ignore how that miraculous event transforms the individual expressions of a Christian’s daily life.
For instance, a Muslim friend who converted to Christianity communicated that it was not the great arguments of traditional “informational” apologetics that finally drew him to examine the claims of Christ. On the contrary, it was the consistent caring actions of a high school friend who lived out a “resurrected” life before him.
It was not that his friend ever stopped verbally sharing the “informational” truths about Christ with him. The truth is that he boldly shared the gospel on many occasions. The bottom line was the simple undeniable fact that his friend’s life “incarnationally” validated the biblical truths he graciously espoused.
In fact, the former Muslim admitted that he regularly abused and embarrassed his schoolmate hoping that he would grow weary and leave him alone. In the end, the former Muslim became a Christian because he could not argue with the evidences of a transformed life that ultimately became a tool of the Holy Spirit prompting his heart to further examine the directions of his faith.
It is here that both the “incarnational” and “informational”
Beilby, James. Thinking about Christian apologetics: what is is and why we do it. Downers Gove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2011.
Award-winning journalist, Lee Strobel wrote The Case for Christ to retrace and enlarge his journey toward becoming a Christian. Strobel once atheist, and now Christian, shares how he began to look upon the Bible and God. As an atheist, Strobel lived the life of selfishness and only worried to please himself. When his wife began to go to church he wasn’t very pleased until after he saw the positive and attractive change in her. This is the start of his curiosity and investigation about Christianity. He wanted to understand what changed her like this. He wanted to relate with his wife so he decided to study about this and attend church services with her. Strobel began his journey and interviewed thirteen leading scholars who defended their views concerning the historical reliability of the New Testament. Strobel splits the case for Christ into three basic sections: Examining the Record, Analyzing Jesus, and Researching the Resurrection.
Another strength, which also seems to be the helpful part of making this article effective and overall worth the read to a Christian as a whole, is seen in his concluding statement of a quote by Timothy Richard of China, “How can we expect an unbelieving world to take us seriously in our talk about a gospel of reconciliation when we remain so obviously un-reconciled to one another?”4
My faith and how I lived in my faith made serves as a lasting example to believers in Christ (Lindslay, 3). In life, I believed that all work that I did was spiritual work for the betterment of the Lord’s kingdom. Whether I was writing, ministering, eating out, or simply talking with friends, all work, all things, all I did was for the advancement of the Lord’s kingdom. For the work of “a Beethoven” or the work of a “charwoman” were all the same in my eyes; for both the workers, their work should be “offered to God” and done “humbly” “as to the Lord” (Eshlemen, 2). Although I struggled with cynicism, this way of living life challenged and brought new meaning to my life (Lindslay, 3). This idea on the life I lived and how I lived the life I was given serves as an example of Colossians 3:17 for Christians who wish to live and long to live in similar fashions (The Holy, 237). This way of living my faith truly required me to be quite public and open with my thoughts and beliefs. My faith was not always outright and public. When I was young, my family was my first spiritual influence (Eshlemen, 5). My faith started when I was young, but was shattered with the death of my mother when I was ten years of age (Lindslay, 1). This tragedy shook who I thought God is. The death of my mother affected me deeply. In fact, in college, I denounced the protestant
Identify the Author’s Thesis (10 points) The author, Greg Boyd from, ‘Letters from a Skeptic’ thesis’ is to simply convert his skeptic and agnostic father to Christianity and to also answer all the questions that his father has about God and this religion. Greg promises his father that for each question that he had he would offer a response to the question. Greg feels that by giving his father the answers to all his questions that he would ultimately lead him to Christ. Development of the Thesis (30 points)
After reading “Meeting Jesus Again for the First Time” by Marcus J. Borg I realized that I myself have to find ways in loving and embracing Jesus differently than how I used too. This book is how the author addresses the yearnings of those who want a fully contemporary faith that welcomes rather than oppresses our critical intelligence and openness to the best of historical scholarship. The author shows how a rigorous examination of historical findings can lead to a new faith in Christ, one that is critical and at the same time sustaining. The author shows how an understanding of the historical Jesus can actually lead to a more Christian life. He looked at the major findings of modern Jesus scholarship from the perspective of faith, bringing
Randy Newman’s book, Questioning Evangelism, is a book about on how evangelizing is to ask questions, and therefore, letting people communicate with questions about their own truths about God. Newman writes this book hoping that anyone who reads it will gain a better understanding of what evangelism is. Newman’s book is divided into three parts: why questioning evangelism is needed, considering what questions non-believers are asking, and observing why asking questions and knowing answers doesn’t mean a Christian’s own problem like cold-heartedness or anger. Throughout the book Newman brings readers right back to bible scriptures. Even though he appeals to accounts of people like Paul in Acts preaching on Mars Hill, he also shows how the wisdom literature is applied to our evangelistic attempts.
This book “The Art of Personal Evangelism is not to hard to read all of the task of the person who winning to believe in Jesus Christ. McRaney well said about task of evangelism as a practitioner for both the
For my undergraduate career I attended Elon and majored in Psychology. In summation Elon University’s vision and mission inspires students “freedom of thought and liberty of conscience” by focusing on four major commitments. The first is fostering a community of active student engagement with faculty and staff dedicated to scholarly accomplishment and proficient teaching. The second is supplying students with challenging and dynamic curriculum anchored in traditional liberal arts and sciences. Third is fitting students to become informed leaders and global citizens catered towards the concern for the common good in society. Fourth is having respect for “human differences, integrity, desire for learning, as well as work ethic and service.” Personally
The Jesus I Never Knew Reading the Jesus I never knew gave me a perspective on Jesus from the point of view of the world that He lived in and every aspect of His ministry in which pointed to His mission. Yancey used modern day examples and Jesus’s culture to explain that Jesus was not the kind of guy to do something accidently. There is something about The birth, the Temptation, The way Jesus looked, The way He spoke to the people, His miracles, and His all together mission fulfilled in His death. From death to life Yancey Explores Jesus’s mission, the importance He had to our life even close to 2000 years later.
Many people believe that there is only one account of the Passion of Jesus Christ or they believe that each story is the same; whereas there are four separate Gospel accounts of the Passion of Our Lord. Each of these Gospel accounts supplements the others, however each gospel account of the crucifixion of Jesus is unique, not only in how the story is told but also in the events and features themselves. Matthew, Mark, Luke and John clearly present different portrayals of the death of Jesus Christ. By examining each account the reader discovers the evangelist's understanding of the death accounts of the crucifixion and death of Jesus. The reader must examine and compare all of the Gospel accounts to have a full and
There has also been a decline in spiritual enrichment in churches to its followers which has allowed new religions and new age innovations to come up. Christians convert to these religions trying to look for spiritual enrichment and fulfillment. “Christian knowledge is being challenged with scientific and worldly knowledge. There is no longer the idea of one truth, one correct body of knowledge,” (Bruce, 1996). In a world based on facts, Christians are continually looking for facts of God’s existence and they forget that faith believes in the unseen.
Diane J. Hymans suggests that evangelism and education suggests a variety of meanings and that it is a matter of language that is clouding what the connotation of the definitions of evangelism, discipleship, and education are (Hymans). She states that evangelism is “making the gospel known in church and world”, while education “invites people to understand and claim their identity as baptized children of God and to clarify their vocation as people called by God to live lives characterized by love of God and neighbor” (Hymans).
In order to direct one’s thinking they need negative emotions. The article “Happiness: Enough Already” declares that, “Studies show that when you are in a negative mood,” says Diener, “you become more analytical, more critical and more innovative” (Begley 456). Which proves that the happier one is the more absent minded they are; whereas when one is negative one is more likely to think before doing. According to “Don’t Worry, Be Gloomy” it states, “When we’re overly cheerful, we tend to neglect important threats and dangers” (David 124). There is something called being “too happy” meaning one experiences extreme levels of happiness and when one has these extreme levels that person tends to take riskier actions that would harm themselves or others. As the article continues it states, “Our so-called negative emotions encourage slower, more systematic cognitive processing” (David 124). Meaning that one would acknowledge and recall the more important details instead of following the interpretations and judgments of a situation from others. Therefore, the negative emotions actually help people get through their situations or life in general.
Self managed training is a when an individual plans, executes and evaluates his or her own learning. The learner is in control of when learning can happen, the duration and the learning experience or outcome. It is important to always review and adapt your training plan. It is unproductive to remain rigid with the plan, and allowing adaptations will improve its applicability and suitability to individual needs. On the job training is another way to self manage training as it allows the individual to apply what they have learnt to real life experience and develop their skill set by actively taking on tasks and duties within their