Many Christians believe they do their due diligence by reading the Bible every day, conducting Bible study and reading a devotional. While these spiritual practices are worthwhile, Christians should broaden their horizons to consider theological works aside from Scripture. As the word of God, the Bible takes priority over other supportive readings, but it is important to expound upon events and discussions pertaining to the Christian community.
KNOW THY ENEMY
Christians should be aware of trending debates and conversations so they can participate appropriately and create opportunities to evangelize. In a debate, a skeptic may bring forth textual criticism, evolution or the resurrection. How Christians respond to these questions is vital and they need evidential reasoning.
Starting by understanding the opposing side, the Christian needs to know the positions of agnostics and atheists. Many secular writers such as Bart Ehrman and Richard Dawkins focus on challenging Christian beliefs. Ehrman analyzes the New Testament while Dawkins focuses on the idea of a creator from a secular perspective.
According to Ehrman, the manuscripts used for the Bible are not reliable. He explores this notion in his book “Misquoting Jesus: The Story Behind Who Changed The Bible and Why.” Dawkins’ approach is more extreme as he claims that anyone who believes in God is delusional and ignorant. In his book “The God Delusion” Dawkins calls God a “sex obsessed tyrant.”While their views seem offensive or heretical, it is the Christian’s responsibility to learn their arguments and counter them.
The Christian may wonder why they would read materials that oppose God. Biola’s The Good Book Blog answers this question by saying, “Before speaking on an issue, ask yourself: Do I have all of the facts? Or at least a sufficient amount to make a reasonable judgment?” It is vital to understand the opposition’s argument to better understand how to reach them. By truly understanding the material, the Christian is able to uncover the foundation of their unbelief.
TOOLS OF THE TRADE
On the other side, Christians need to find scholarly authors who put in time to research and support what the Bible says. Authors such as James White and Michael Behe also address the opposing secular world. What the Christian may notice is that these two authors attack different opposing positions.
White focuses primarily on the strengths of Christianity versus that of other religions. He also writes on the Trinity in his book “The Forgotten Trinity” and on the King James translation dispute in his book “The King James Only Controversy You Trust Modern Translations?”
Behe is an evolutionary biologist, but when visiting his website, he refers to himself as a revolutionary biologist. He focuses on the shortcomings of evolution and pushes for intelligent design. His most popular books include “Darwin’s Black Box” and “The Edge of Evolution: The Search for The Limits of Darwinism”.
BRINGING IT ALL TOGETHER
Believers are called to refuse ignorance and counter unbelief with effort and determination. By studying opposing viewpoints, Christians see the holistic picture of current theological debates.
