Apologetics Unpacked

[7] You hypocrites, rightly did Isaiah prophesy of you: [8] 'This PEOPLE HONORS ME WITH THEIR LIPS,BUT THEIR HEART IS FAR AWAY FROM ME. [9] 'BUT IN VAIN DO THEY WORSHIP ME,TEACHING AS DOCTRINES THE PRECEPTS OF MEN.'"

Matthew 16:12 NKJV

[12] Then they understood that He did not tell them to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

Matthew 24:24 CSB

[24] For false messiahs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders to lead astray, if possible, even the elect.

Mark 7:6-7 CSB

[6] He answered them, "Isaiah prophesied correctly about you hypocrites, as it is written: This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. [7] They worship me in vain, teaching as doctrines human commands.

Acts 20:29-30 CSB

[29] I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. [30] Men will rise up even from your own number and distort the truth to lure the disciples into following them.

Galatians 1:6-8 CSB

[6] I am amazed that you are so quickly turning away from him who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel- [7] not that there is another gospel, but there are some who are troubling you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. [8] But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, a curse be on him!

Ephesians 4:14-15 NIV

[14] Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. [15] Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ.

1 Timothy 1:7-8 CSB

[7] They want to be teachers of the law, although they don't understand what they are saying or what they are insisting on. [8] But we know that the law is good, provided one uses it legitimately.

1 Timothy 4:1-2 CSB

[1] Now the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will depart from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and the teachings of demons, [2] through the hypocrisy of liars whose consciences are seared.

2 Timothy 2:14-15 CSB

[14] Remind them of these things, and charge them before God not to fight about words. This is useless and leads to the ruin of those who listen. [15] Be diligent to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who doesn't need to be ashamed, correctly teaching the word of truth.

2 Timothy 4:3-4 CSB

[3] For the time will come when people will not tolerate sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, will multiply teachers for themselves because they have an itch to hear what they want to hear. [4] They will turn away from hearing the truth and will turn aside to myths.

2 Peter 2:1-3 CSB

[1] There were indeed false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, and will bring swift destruction on themselves. [2] Many will follow their depraved ways, and the way of truth will be maligned because of them. [3] They will exploit you in their greed with made-up stories. Their condemnation, pronounced long ago, is not idle, and their destruction does not sleep.

2 Peter 3:15-16 CSB

[15] Also, regard the patience of our Lord as salvation, just as our dear brother Paul has written to you according to the wisdom given to him. [16] He speaks about these things in all his letters. There are some things hard to understand in them. The untaught and unstable will twist them to their own destruction, as they also do with the rest of the Scriptures.

1 John 2:18-19 NASB

[18] Children, it is the last hour; and just as you heard that antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have appeared; from this we know that it is the last hour. [19] They went out from us, but they were not really of us; for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us; but they went out, so that it would be shown that they all are not of us.

1 John 4:1-3 CSB

[1] Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see if they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. [2] This is how you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, [3] but every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming; even now it is already in the world.

Defense Building the Case

1 Peter 3:15 NASB95

but 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;

Sanctify Christ as Lord

Always Being Ready

Do This with Gentleness and Reverence

The Greek word apologia, which is where we get our word apologetics, is used to describe a defense, as in a legal defense or making a case.6

Doug Powell

How does this serve the Church?

Weapons of Our Warfare

2 Corinthians 10:4–5 NASB95

for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ,

Destruction of fortresses

Against the Knowledge of God

Thoughts Captive to Christ

Emphasizes the total destruction of the fortresses of human and satanic wisdom and the rescuing of those inside from the damning lies that had enslaved them.

John F. MacArthur

Contend Earnestly for the Faith

Jude 3 NASB95

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.

Defining Salvation

Fight for the Faith

Passed Down to the Church

The covenant of grace may be defined as that gracious agreement between the offended God and the offending but elect sinner, in which God promises salvation through faith in Christ, and the sinner accepts this believingly, promising a life of faith and obedience.