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CHRISTIAN APOLOGETICS

Copyright © Bahram Khozairy. All Rights Reserved.

The material presented below are based on the Classical - Evidential (empirical) Apologetic Style, as opposed to Pre-suppositional Style.

Content
Defintion
Essential Doctrines of Christian Faith
Peripheral Doctrines of Christian Faith
Cults-Occults-Heretical & Aberrational Groups - Non-Christian Religions
Recommended Scholars

DEFINITION

What is Christian apologetics?  It is that branch of theology that deals with the defense and confirmation of the Christian faith.  In a simple layman level, it is a method by which a Christian can affectively answer a non-Christian criticism against Christianity.  It is a scientific as well as artistic method that a Christian can utilize to not only defend and define the Christian Faith, but also can affectively substantiate his or her claims and convictions for his or her stand and witness for Christ.  The primary source that a Christian must learn to utilize is the Bible, based on the correct Christian Hermeneutics.  Apologetics may then utilize other extra Biblical sources, such as:  Science, History, Archeology, Philosophy, etc in order to defend and define the Christian faith and Christianity.

I coined the following phrase in the early 1990's at our first academy in Milpitas and it is still hangs at our academy wall even to this day:

DON'T BE ASHAMED WHAT YOU BELIEVE TO BE THE TRUTH AS LONG AS YOU CAN PROVE YOUR TRUTH !

This has a two fold admonition and encouragement message:

1. Advising the Christian to stand firm and not be embarrassed or ashamed for their conviction and Christian faith.

2. Encouraging the Christians that if they want to not be embarrassed and ashamed of their belief, they need to find answers and reasons for their faith.  Prove their conviction in order to substantiate and present their claims.

This goes back to one of the points I constantly hammer on as well:

We can never convince others, if we can't convince ourselves !

First, I will emphatically say that Apologetics is first and foremost is for ourselves; us Christians that is making the claims.  Apologetics gives us the assurance, conviction and it substantiates our claims.  It makes our faith strong and unshakable.  Once we are convinced and have a solid foundation of what we believe, Holy Spirit will open opportunities for us to go out and bring that conviction to other non-believers, in order to answer their questions and meet their objections.

Second, Apologetics is for the body of Christ, as a whole.  Via correct facts and well reason answers, we can help our dear Christian brothers and sisters family members in Christ, to help them with their questions, their doubts and their inquires.  It safe guards the body of Christ from false doctrines, false teachers, deceptions of the world, non-Christian cults, occults and heretical, aberrational and deviant philosophies, theologies and principles.

Finally, Apologetics is for giving reasons, giving answers and presenting basis and believable arguments to the non-believers in general for why we believe, what we believe, all with love, gentleness and respect.

"Beloved, while I was making every effort to write you about our common salvation, I felt the necessity to write to you appealing that you contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints."  Jude 3

"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,"  1 Peter 3:15
ESSENTIAL DOCTRINES OF CHRISTIAN FAITH

Following are the Essential Doctrines of Christian Faith.  They are in a sense, Salvatory Doctrines:

·         Trinity

·         Deity of Jesus Christ

·         Virgin Birth of Christ

·         Death of Christ on the Cross for the Atonement of our sins

·         Physical and bodily Resurrection of Christ

·         Salvation by Grace Alone through Faith Alone in Christ Alone

·         Sinfulness of man

·         Bible as the only Inerrant Word of God

·         Christ’ Second Coming

PERIPHERAL DOCTRINES OF CHRISTIAN FAITH

Following are the (Peripheral) Non-Essential Doctrines of Christian Faith.

·         Baptism and it’s methods.

·         Communion and it’s methods.

·         Governing and structure of the Church.

·         The Timing of Christ Coming.

·         The Timing of the Rapture.

·         The Timing of the Tribulation.

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CULTS - OCCULTS - HERETICAL & ABERRATIONAL GROUPS - NON-CHRISTIAN RELIGIONS

Following are some of the well known Cults, Occults, Non-Christian Religions, Heretical and Aberrational Groups of our time ...

Note:  There are certainly overlaps between various cults and groups, however, for the sake of ease of identification, I categorized the following as such:

Ancient: Gnostic cults:

Ancient: Judaizers & Legalists:

Ancient: Sabellianists  (modalism, modalistic monarchianism, modal monarchism) cults:

Ancient: Arianism cults: (not to be confused with Aryanism)

E. W. Kenyon, Kenneth Hagin, Kenneth Copeland, Robert Tilton, Benny Hinn, Marilyn Hickey, Paula White, Paul and Jan Crouch, John Avanzini, TD Jakes, Joyce Meyer, John Avanzini, Jerry Savelle, Morris Cerullo, Oral Roberts, Brian & Bobbie Houston (Hillsong Church), Joel Osteen (Lakewood Church), Robert Schuller, Rod Parsley, Robert Morris, Carl Lenz, Rodney Howard-Browne, Peter Popoff, Juanita Bynum, Witness Lee and the Local Church ... etc

 

Eastern & Asian Religions, Cults & Occultic Groups:

 

Other various New Age Cultic and Occultic Groups:

  • Baha’ism

  • Theosophical Society

  • Existentialism

  • Humanism

  • Human potential movement

  • EST- Erhard Seminars Training

  • Spiritism and Spiritistic Groups

  • Children of God or Family of Love

  • Rosicrucian Fellowship

  • Kabbalah

  • Scientology

  • TM (Transcendental Meditation)

  • Foundation of Human Understanding – Roy Masters

 

Other various New Age, Cultic & Occultic Practices:

 

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RECOMMEND SCHOLARS

There are many many great Christian resources such as Books, Pamphelets, Audios, Videos and documents pertaining to Apologetics.  However, I recommend further reading by the following Christian Scholars & Theologians:

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Copyright © Bahram Khozairy.All Rights Reserved.