What’s the Difference Between Evangelism and Apologetics?
Let’s start by defining our terms! – It’s important to begin with the definition of evangelism and the definition of apologetics. There are many definitions to evangelism, but my favorite is to “take the initiative to share the Gospel by the power of the Holy Spirit and leave the results to God.”[1] There is so much in that definition that can’t be addressed today, but what we can address is that the Gospel is about what God intended for us, what took place with us, how Jesus came to us, and ultimately that if God is who He says He is, then an eternal God has an eternal price that we can’t pay but Jesus did and rose again. WOW! That’s a mouthful! But it covers the beautiful essentials of the Gospel truths.
The short definition for apologetics is that it is the “WHY” behind the “WHAT” to Christianity. The longer definition is that apologetics is part of theology. Anything that ends with “ology” is the study of something. “Theo” is in relation to God. So, theology is the study of God. And the way that apologetics fits into that is that it is that branch of theology that studies the evidence and logic or reason behind the belief for the truths of Christianity. In other words, apologetics discovers, studies, works to present, and helps others to see the evidence that Christianity is true using examples within Christian circles and outside of them. I don’t think that everyone needs to study apologetics, or theology professionally (that they necessarily need to go to school to study them) but learning more in these areas is important for healthy Christian growth. And there are lots of opportunities to learn more about apologetics and grow in those areas even through reading books or taking a short course online that many ministries offer to help with that kind of growth.
Apologetics and evangelism have very different definitions. One presents evidence to help see truth and the other is simply to share our position in relation to who God is and what He has done for us and how we can be restored to relationship with Him again.
Are both evangelism and apologetics important for Christians? – It’s important to note that evangelism and apologetics go hand-in-hand. It is virtually necessary for a Christian to study apologetics or to have some idea of what apologetics is in order to accomplish evangelism in today’s culture. In Matthew chapter 28, we’re told to “go make Disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things I have commanded you, and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” When the fullness of this act of evangelism and discipleship is being accomplished, there will be always be questions asked – enter apologetics.
Is there ever an excuse against evangelism or against apologetics for a Christian? – The Matthew passage already mentioned is called the Great Commission. It indicates that every person who follows Jesus is given a task to follow this along with whatever other calling we have in our lives. In other words, there may be some who are particularly gifted at sharing with others about Jesus, but every believer is told that they must do that to make more followers of Jesus regardless of your giftedness.
Along those same lines, the go-to apologetics verse is 1 Peter 3:15, “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.” This is not just a verse explaining how apologetics works, although it does that. This verse is telling all Christians that there is a need to be prepared to explain why you believe the things that you believe. You may not have every answer – that ‘s okay. But if you believe something, you should know why you believe it. Although, logically speaking, keep in mind that the same is reverse for the those who don’t believe in Jesus. You should be able to ask someone who isn’t a Christian, questions as well. If they don’t know why they believe something, follow that lead! Perhaps it can help clarify understanding and give both of you common ground in discussion!
If there is a Christian who thinks that they are exempt from evangelism or apologetics, their excuses are a bit of a cop out, since it’s clear from the verses we just covered! The 1 Peter verse even begins by saying to “honor Christ the Lord as holy” before giving instructions. If we aren’t doing what He asks, how is that honoring? God wants us to engage both in evangelism and in apologetics. I’m not sure there’s a way out of this one. Additionally, Scripture tells us that we should love the Lord our God with all our hearts, souls, minds, and strength. There are a lot of people out there asking questions and we need to be prepared to share a hope with them that we have inside of us as Christians. We don’t talk enough about hope! Propaganda is rampant and it feeds fear and hopelessness, and Christians bring with them a hope that the soul craves!
Unfortunately, apologetics is far too often marketed as only useful to intellectuals. This just isn’t true! I would go so far as to say that it’s a ridiculous notion! I was teaching at a church once and had someone say that it’s only for thinking people or for the smart ones! I held my tongue, but so badly wanted to respond, “What are you saying about yourself?” But that’s not the right response! Mainly because this is probably the BIGGEST misunderstanding! While I have seen so many who are intellectuals that present well and speak well and know a lot of things, that doesn’t mean anything in terms of who should pursue a deeper understanding in this field. And no one has all the answers. The goal is to know where to find the answers. And if you don’t have an answer OR know where to find the answer, it’s completely respectable to say, “I don’t know” and always follow that with, “But let’s find out together!” or “But let me find out and get back to you!” Hopefully that will help ease some tension of misunderstanding!
The more I know, the more I know I don’t know! – As you begin to learn and grow in these areas, you will grow in confidence! This is a great thing! Initially, you’ll have a surge of confidence and even take some risks of sharing and answering questions and become bold! That’s a great thing. But it’s important to keep in mind, that none of us knows everything! The more I’ve learned, the more I’ve discovered I don’t know. Thinking of others as probably knowing more than you about a topic or knowing more than you in general is always a great rule-of-thumb! But there is always a level of discernment involved in knowledge. We must be careful about where we get our knowledge and be aware of the places that others get theirs. In today’s social media and get-it-now culture that we live in, people get their information from everywhere! Not just books and academic journals, but also Memes and Wikipedia, and everyone truly believes that every person’s opinion holds equal weight in every single discussion about every topic. But those things just simple aren’t true. If they were, then there would be no need for anyone to get degrees in specific fields or professors to teach them. If my opinion was just as important as my professor’s opinion, then I don’t really need my professor. But additionally, a lot of people, Christians included, see apologetics as picking a fight of some kind. Even the verse mentioned before says to “be prepared to make a defense.” Well… em’s fightin’ words! Sounds like a lawyer ready to lay down the law! Even the word Apologetics has its base (apologia) as a term that is originally legal, meaning to give a defense. But the word is more theologically based now and is about persuasion and evidence!
In any case, it’s important for us to learn when to stand up and speak out and when to let something go. Especially when there are often individuals who are just looking for an argument. That’s not what we should be about. It isn’t about winning an argument, it’s about the people. The people are more important than all of it! The people are more important than the argument. The people are more important than the theology. All of it has to do with the decision between JESUS and the PEOPLE. Always bring it back to that.
The further we get from the resurrection of Christ, the more heresies we need to address – I once heard a Pastor say that and it stuck with me. The first apologists were in the 1st and 2nd centuries as Christians answering questions about things like calling each other brother and sister or getting together for things like a “love feast” and those who were not Christians didn’t understand what was happening and were trying to draw conclusions on their own so the first Christian apologists were responding to those who were not Christians by helping them to understand what exactly was happening. Calling each other brother and sister was and still is a common practice because Jesus calls us joint heirs with one another in Scripture. Meaning that when we decide to follow Him, we are adopted into God’s family like siblings of Jesus – brothers and sisters. The “love feasts” were simply gatherings where they were having lunch or dinner together and enjoying one another’s company. That’s a terrible name for it, but they actually did care for each other! They loved each other. Not in a weird romantic way, but in a very real sense of the word. So they called it a love feast because they were spending time together and growing in community together.
It could be argued that Jesus was an apologist. Because he answered the questions of so many. In John chapter 3 – Nicodemus came to Jesus asking questions. Jesus talked about what salvation actually looks like and discussed all it with him, trying to help him see the truth. Starting in verse 10, Jesus asks him, “Are you the teacher of Israel, and do not know these things?… I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things?” And this eventually gets to one of the most famous verses in all of Scripture, verse 16. Jesus, here, uses both evangelism and apologetics. He is answering Nicodemus’ questions using historical reference, quotes from text that Nicodemus would understand – all evidence presented that Nicodemus trusts to help him see truth. And presents the Gospel message. It’s a beautiful picture and example for us to follow – and this passage is one of the reasons that I’m involved in apologetics today!
How can someone get started in learning how to evangelize or learn apologetics? – Practice! Think back to when you made the decision to follow Jesus. What was it that persuaded you that it was the right choice? Was it something someone said or did? Was it a particular verse in the Bible? Was it a book you were reading? Was it a conversation with a friend or stranger?
You should know your story! Think about your life before you were following Jesus. Just think of a few things that were different from now. And think about how you are now. What’s different? Think about what happened at the moment that made the decision. THAT’s your story. You were going about your life. You now have new life. And between those two – Jesus.
Find a friend and the two of you discuss your story and their story together and take turns practicing and sharing with each other in a role-playing scenario. Ask each other questions, pretend you don’t know each other! Go all out! Practice! But remember, when you’re sharing with someone else, to ask them about THEIR story – people don’t want to know as much about you as they want to talk about themselves.
Apologetics – AGAIN, Practice! The way I started in this field is that I made a list of my own questions about Christianity. Some of the questions were very basic and some were very complicated. Be prepared – most of the people I know that have taken the kind of search seriously end up going further than they ever expected when they started! I’m a seminary student now and never expected that when I first sat down to make a list! Once you have a simple list of your own questions, go in search of the answers! Discovering the answers for yourself will help develop your skills in finding answers and learning more than just the answer to your questions! And you’ll know the answers for yourself, not just because someone told you! When you’ve discovered an answer or two, meet up with your friend again and role-play practice on them. Have them ask questions about that topic and just do your best! Better to practice with your friend ahead of time. Don’t forget, saying, “I don’t know” is perfectly acceptable and encouraged, just be sure to follow up!
There are also several apologetics ministries that offer articles, YouTube videos, and even classes online that can aid in understanding and training. See the Resources Page for more information.
You can do this! – Jesus promised that He would never leave us nor forsake us! Of everyone that advocates for us, no one does it like Jesus! Evangelism and apologetics can be hard, but we don’t have to make them more difficult out of fear! Trust and obey – there’s no other way!
[1] Cru (previously Campus Crusade for Christ) Definition of Evangelism provided through Evangelism Training.
