Apologetics Part 7

Problem with the Supernatural and Miracles listen here
Definition: Unable to be explicated by natural factors or produced by the will of manChristianity is by some perceived to be irrational because it’s supernatural element. i.e. Miracles signs and wonders. The modern notion is these things are mythological, and part of an unenlightened culture. This is misrepresentation of the past; the anti-supernaturalist has slandered the past. There were many in Christ’s day that denied supernatural, i.e. The Sadducees Acts 23:5-8, did not believe in Angels or spirit, or the resurrection. The Epicureans of Athens also denied the resurrection of the dead and the miraculous. In short there was as much unbelief in the 1st century as there is today.The Christian miracle compared to the pagan miracleAnother error of the materialist is to view biblical miracles on the same level of the “miracles” of pagan culture. i.e. Greek mythology, where you have demi-gods behaving as a celestial pranksters, doing all types of irrational entertaining “miracles”. These claims are completely contrary to the nature and purpose of the biblical miracle. The biblical miracle was always a reaffirmation of what was already intended for creation i.e. glory happing before its time Heb 6:4.For the Christian the supernatural is not a problem nor an irrational position to hold to since there is enough evidence in creation itself to point to the Supernatural creator Rom 1:20. If one can believe Gen 1:1 then there is no difficulty whatsoever in acknowledging the reality of the supernatural. And since Gen 1:1 (i.e. the TAG) is necessary precondition for any knowledge then the unbelievers has no rational reason to reject the supernatural element of Christianity.Everyone has a metaphysic
The materialist/Atheist fails to realize to recognize that he too has a supernatural belief in that he has a metaphysical presupposition on how the world must be. He dogmatically asserts that the supernatural is impossible while all the while holding universal characterization of existence, a metaphysic in it self. This-worldly outlook of the unbeliever is just as much a metaphysical opinion as the "other-worldly" viewpoint he attributes to the Christian.Cessationism is often overlookedMiracles, Signs and Wonders are limited to special moments of redemptive history when God was giving new revelation to His people 1 King 17:21, Heb 2:3, Matt 11:2-5, Acts 2:22. Since we have the full revelation of God’s will for the church the Signs and Wonders have ceased Jude 3. So we should not expect to see miracles in the same way the first century church did when New Testament revelation was being inscripturated.However that does not mean the supernatural does not still take place in the church age. God by the Spirit continues to save His people through the gospel and to do the extraordinary in His church . Deism should always be rejected as heretical view of God.

Apologetics Part 6

Problem of faith listen here
Christianity is often perceived as fideism; that is belief in something despite its irrationality or absurdity. Contrary to this the bible calls us to reason (Isa 1:18), to love God with all our mind (Matt 22:37), to know things with certainty (Luke 1:3-4)The bible also says that we have not followed cunningly devised fables, but have heard from God, who cannot lie (Heb 6:18), with a sure word of prophesy (2 Pet 1:21).Biblical faith is not irrational. God never demands us to believe in something illogical (1 John 1:1-3), but to believe in the coherent propositions of the scripture (Rom 10:9-13). This is the true challenge to unbelief; to believe that Christ is only unique savior of mankind (Act 4:12). The unbeliever’s unbelief is not rooted in an intellectual difficulty with Christian Theism, but rather it is a moral failure to repent and believe the *truth*(John 3:19).

Apologetics Part 5

Problem of evil (Theodicy) listen here
The reality of evil is often perceived as a reason to doubt the existence of a good God. The argument is normally two-fold. First it is moral complaint against God: How can God be good if He allows evil. Second it is argument for the non-existence of a good God. The argument is as follows:
1. The Christian God is all good
2. The Christian God is all powerful,
3.But evil exists
4.Therefore the all good God of Christianity must not exist since if He did He would but an end to evil.

The argument is flawed in many ways, beginning from the premise. The God of the bible is by definition good (Nah 1:7, Psa 25:8) and all that He does is good Psa 145:9-10), but that does not mean that goodness is limited to the eradication of evil (Rom 11:22) i.e. It is good for God to judge sin (Deu 28:63). That is, the all good God of the bible has a moral sufficient good reason for evil, known at least Him. For example God means for good what man means for evil. (Gen 50:20, Acts 4:27-28)

Apologetics Part 4

Objections to the Transcendental Argument for the Existence of God listen here
The TAG is just a form of traditional arguments i.e. indirect arguments. Not so. The TAG does glean from traditional arguments, in particular an indirect argument. But it is much more than that because it seeks to give the preconditions for any possible intelligibility, not just proving Christianity by employing certain rational arguments. The TAG can’t refute all possible worldviews. Not relevant since there are only real two worldviews in question; the Christian worldview and the non-Christian worldview. Plus a worldview needs be objective in nature with an objective source i.e. you can’t just make up worldview because it’s completely subjective. We are dealing with what actually is, not hypotheses. The TAG does not establish Christianity as the necessary precondition for intelligibility but only a sufficient precondition. Does not allow for just sufficiency, since in the nature of the case there can only be one transcendental for meaningfulness i.e. only one ultimate authority, and that ultimate authority by nature necessitates complete submission to its claims IOW we can justifiably fall back on the claims of the Christian world. i.e. no sense can be made of such an alternative sufficient worldview, such as a quadrinity, since you first would have to analyze its claims by standing/relying on the Christian worldview. The TAG only proves the Christianity is only conceptually necessary not ontologically necessary. i.e. Christianity has perfect compatibility with reality but doesn’t necessarily prove that Christianity actually is true. This assumes that the TAG is only a conceptual scheme with no binding authoritative revelation from the One who is the precondition for intelligibility. The Christian worldview has divine revelation from the Triune God who created everything and He has told us how creation is, and since this objective revelation gives us the necessary precondition for intelligibility for man’s experience, it demonstrates it self to be true!