Applying Apologetics to Christian Ministry - Essay Example

Threads
The three most important reasons for including apologetics as a part of my ministry are 1) it strengthens believers who have emotional struggles, factual doubts, and questions about their beliefs 2) it is useful in witnessing to the non-believers, and 3) it helps the faithful in understanding and validating the authority of the Holy Scripts. According to Gary R Habermas, “applying apologetics to ministry… can profitably be utilized in strengthening believers who have questions or even factual doubts and in laying a theological foundation on which to build (along with the application of additional, non-apologetic methods) for those who have certain emotional struggles concerning their beliefs. Such a strategy might also be useful in witnessing to unbelievers by the power of the Holy Spirit.” (Habermas, 121). Similarly, the use of apologetics in ministry can tremendously help the believers in comprehending the realities of the Word of God and appreciate the authenticity of the Bible. Therefore, my views of the inclusion of apologetics in my ministry are supported by several scholars dealing with the topic.

Therefore, the faithful can be led to the exact understanding of the fundamental teachings on the questions concerning the faith.
In my personal opinion, apologetics has an important role in Christian ministry. Although it has a crucial relevance in the strengthening of the believers’ faith and in witnessing to the non-believers, the utility of applying apologetics as a part of my ministry is most essential because it helps the faithful in recognizing the authority of the word of God. The contemporary world is troubled by the ever-improving tendency for skepticism and cynicism where the Bible as well as its teachings are given almost no value at all. Once the believers are able to recognize the implications of the Holy Script through apologetics, the world will be in a better position to lead life according to the teachings of God. Therefore, the three most important reasons for including apologetics as a part of my ministry have vital validity, though the third reason has more important relevance in the contemporary situation.

After reading the Doctrine of Truth documents in the Instructor's Notes folder, answer the following questions:
a) Which of these three claims is most important to defend today, and why?
A careful reading of the Doctrine of Truth documents confirms that the third claim, which tells that truth is a property of propositions, is the most defendable argument in the contemporary situation. It is because this statement incorporates the claims of the first two arguments as well, i.e. truth is a property of sentences as well as statements.
b) Which three of the claims to refute are most urgent?
The most refutable claim of the three arguments is the first one which asserts truth is a property of sentences.
c) Then choose one from each of your groups of three, and post a defense of the one and a refutation of the other.

It is important to defend the third of these arguments which states that truth is a property of propositions as there is a great idea conveyed by this argument. A proposition may be understood as what is asserted when a statement is made, i.e. it is the content of the statement. Therefore, the idea asserted through a proposition incorporates both the properties of sentence and statement. The truth conveyed through a proposition is much superior to the one suggested by a sentence and statement. The truth conveyed by a sentence is the one that must be refuted the most, as it has the least validity in comparison to the other modes of truth.