The Powerful Relationship Between Apologetics and Expository Preaching
In 2021, the Christian Post reported of a Nashville-based church whose pastor proclaimed online, “The Bible isn’t: the Word of God, self-interpreting, a science book, an answer/rule book, inerrant or infallible. Rather, it is: a product of community, a library of texts, multi-vocal, a human response to God, living and dynamic."[1] Many evangelicals have become familiar to the tenets of so-called “Progressive Christians” (as the Nashville church describes its congregation) as they define a new religion that has little in common with historic, traditional Christianity and very little dependence on Holy Scripture for guidance. However, while not surprised with secular rejection of the spiritual authority of a sacred text, one may be surprised with how this perspective is growing among self-identified evangelicals, themselves.
Evangelical Christianity has long been defined in its foundation of the Bible as the authority of God’s revelation to humanity. Deviant variations continue to spring up, bearing only a feint shadow of historic Christianity, which has happened throughout history. Mainly motivated by an attempt to create the perception of theological legitimacy of culturally biased and heretical ideologies, a snapshot of this movement displays the embrace of heresy among these “neo-evangelicals.” Not surprisingly, surveys in 2022 suggest that only 40% of this segment believe that the Bible is the inspired Word of God.[2]
The Bible clearly predicts this widespread affirmation of propaganda and rejection of biblical truths. Apostle Paul writes, “For the time will come when they will not tolerate sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance with their own desires, and they will turn their ears away from the truth and will turn aside to myths (2 Timothy 4:3,4).
With Jesus’s prayer in John 17:15 (“I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one”) and His promise to Peter regarding the church in Matthew 16:18 (“the gates of Hell will not prevail against it”), it is evident that God will not allow evil to destroy His church, ultimately; however, legitimate followers of Jesus Christ must understand their role in combating this plague (see Revelation 2 and 3 for the apostle John’s various warnings to the churches in Asia regarding deviant ideologies infiltrating the church at that time). Likewise, there are a number of areas the church must address in standing against this phenomenon.
Start a Christian Apologetics Training Program in Your Church
Christian apologetics (Greek, “apologia”) simply means to give a reasoned defense of the Faith. Paul exhorts readers to always be prepared to give a reasoned defense of the gospel (1 Peter 3:15). Given the incredibly small percentage of evangelicals who believe in the authority of the Bible as the written Word of God, the apologetic illiteracy level for the contemporary Christian surely must be at its highest point in modern history.
The average Christian lacks basic understanding of the historicity of the Bible with less than a third of Protestant churchgoers who even bother to read the Bible daily.[3] Sadly, many are unaware of the mountain of archaeological evidence supporting innumerable data points in the Bible. They are unaware of the scientific fine-tuning evidence that screams out in defense of a Creator-God.
Probably the most famous atheist of the twentieth century, Antony Flew, on his eventual conversion to Theism, wrote, “There were two factors in particular that were decisive. One was my growing empathy with the insight of Einstein and other noted scientists that there had to be an Intelligence behind the integrated complexity of the physical Universe.”[4] Similarly, many others are unaware of the clinical research evidence that supports the positive mental and physical health of believers versus those who claim no faith, and therefore no hope or meaning in the world.[5] [The fruits of toxic, narcissistic existentialism]
Most importantly, they are unaware of the evidence that supports the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. (See the latest from Gary Habermas, who just released the first volume of his 5000+ page magnum opus on the evidence for the resurrection of Christ.[5]) The church must understand that formal apologetics training programs are necessary for current believers to understand the historicity and viridity of the claims of Christianity and by doing so, establish the evidence for the authority of Holy Scripture.
Shift to Expository Preaching in the Pulpit
Expository preaching is the process of interpreting and explaining the Biblical text in its original context, understanding that the Bible written to and about others, but on our behalf. This discipline differentiates from topical preaching, the other method of preaching common today, by its traditional verse by verse analysis of the text. Of the many benefits of expository preaching is its high view of scripture. Jason Allen, President of the Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, explains:
It’s one thing for theological liberals who disavow the inerrancy of Scripture not to preach the Word, but it’s altogether another thing for evangelical preachers to neglect the Scriptures. To do so is illogical, and it undermines one’s claim to believe in the inspiration, inerrancy, and authority of Scripture. Consistent exposition affirms a Bible that is true, powerful, and life changing.[6]
Topical preaching does not require a tight tether to scripture, and it can promote personal perspectives as a basis of biblical interpretation. This is not always the case, of course, as many biblically-sound ministers use topical preaching because it is perceived to offer a sense of modern relevance to scripture. However, it is rare to see those who devalue the authority of the Word of God when using the method of expository preaching.
Many of these sects steal the term “Christian” and apply it to their clearly non-Christian ideology (usually driven by political and/or social movements—i.e., Progressive Christians, Christian Socialists, “the Christian Left,” etc.) Such groups are forced to reference Holy Scripture (via circular reasoning) only marginally in order to claim justification for their deviant beliefs. A church that is anchored in expository preaching has correspondingly prioritized its preaching to be anchored in the singular power and authority of the Word of the Living God.
Return to Personal Ministry
Approximately 70% of evangelical churches in America today have congregations of 100 or less.[7] This number reflects a challenging dynamic financially, considering the need to employ a full-time pastor (the percentage of bivocational pastors, those who have primary employment outside the church, averages roughly 26 percent) [8] and a modicum of other church staff. As a result, church growth is an understandable priority, even considering the church’s Great Commission mandate (Matthew 28:19-20).
There is evidence that suggests, in the era of “the seeker” (those not committed to single church but desire a home base for Christian worship), it seems the evangelical church may be inappropriately prioritizing the allure of slick marketing in place of the hard truth, yet life-changing message of sin and redemption. The allure is illusory.
Even when evaluating the reasons “seekers” look to change churches (the most common reason is physical relocation), it seems the influence of cultural norms dominates.
As Christians navigate these changes, discussions within the faith community, such as those surrounding controversial topics like LGBTQ+ inclusion, continue to provoke reflection and debate. Individuals like Alistair Begg, whose recent remarks on attending same-sex weddings stirred controversy, prompt broader conversations about the intersection of faith, culture, and personal convictions. The experiences and perspectives shared in these discussions underscore the dynamic nature of Christian fellowship and the ongoing quest for spiritual authenticity and relevance in contemporary society.[9]
Interpretation: Seekers desire a church that will affirm twenty-first century societal norms, not the transcendent, objective, immutable truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I challenge the contemporary church to keep their faith rooted in the calling and the commission: Keep your message focused on Jesus Christ. There is no promise of volume, grandeur, or fame as a result of your calling.
There is a promise that Jesus Christ will honor your ministry when it is focused on His truth and on His people (Matthew 22:37-39), However, there are indeed people sitting in the church pew’s todays who are spiritually starving. Worship can happen corporately (as a group) but ministry happens on an individual basis. Go back to ministering to your church, one child of God at a time.
May we pray that God’s church has the backbone to stand against evil, hatred, and deceit and eventually become worthy of the declaration, “Well done, my good and faithful servant” (Matthew 25:21).
[1] Leonardo Blair, “Nashville Church Says the Bible Isn’t the Word of God, Then Draws Ire,” christianpost.com, https://www.christianpost.com/news/nashville-church-says-bible-isnt-the-word-of-god.html.
[2] Staff Article, “Gallup: Less Than Half of Evangelicals Believe the Bible is ‘The Word of God,’” decisionmagazine.com, https://decisionmagazine.com/gallup-less-than-half-of-evangelicals-believe-bible-is-actual-word-of god/#:~:text=According%20to%20the%20random%20telephone%20survey%20of%201%2C007, the%20Bible%20as%20the%20%E2%80%9Cinspired%20word%20of%20God.%E2%80%9D.
[3] Aaron Earls, “Few Protestant Churchgoers Read the Bible Daily,” lifeway.com, https://research.lifeway.com/2019/07/02/few-protestant-churchgoers-read-the-bible-daily/.
[4] Bejamin Wilker, “How the World’s Most Notorious Atheist Changed His Mind,” strangenotions.com, https://strangenotions.com/flew/?_ga=2.30826679.948443674.1707160459-1193725818.1707160456.
[5] Gary Habermas, On the Resurrection: Evidences (Nashville, TN: B&H Academic, 2024).
[6] Jason Allen, “12 Reasons to Commit to Expository Preaching,” lifeway.com, https://research.lifeway.com/2019/09/18/12-reasons-to-commit-to-expository-preaching/.
[7] Aaron Earls, “Small Churches Continue to Grow but Not in Size,” lifeway.com, https://research.lifeway.com/2021/10/20/small-churches-continue-growing-but-in-number-not-size/.
[8] Aaron Earls, “Most Pastors Started Their Career Outside the Church.” lifeway.com, https://research.lifeway.com/2019/01/11/more-than-half-of-pastors-started-their-careers-outside-the-church/.
[9] Richard Rosales, “American Christians Opt for Different Churches in Search for ‘Authenticity,’” msn.com, https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/american-christians-opt-for-different-churches-in-search-of-authenticity/ar-BB1i5PCR?ocid=msedgntp&pc=HCTS&cvid=5cb8359bb534479f982ebea24c64edca&ei=8, accessed February 10, 2024.