A Spirited Defense: Apologetics and the Holy Spirit According to Luke

Transcription

1 1 A Spirited Defense: Apologetics and the Holy Spirit According to Luke Douglas Lindquist New Hope Christian College Almost every Christian has heard it. Many hear it so often they accept it without a second thought. It s taken as a rock-solid maxim upon which all good evangelism is based, and is usually expressed in the following way: You cannot argue anyone into the kingdom of God! At one level this statement reflects a wise caution about reaching people for Christ. It trades on the fact that petty quarreling will do no good in effective evangelization. It also serves as a helpful reminder that Christians cannot intellectually muscle a non-believer into the kingdom against her will. In some cases, however, believers understand this phrase to mean much more. When they say that no one can be argued into God s kingdom, they mean that reasoned arguments and evidence have no place in advancing the gospel. These believers reject the historic Christian practice known as apologetics, which seeks to provide a rational defense of the gospel. They often feel that such an appeal is incompatible with a reliance on the Holy Spirit. Greg Koukl, a Christian theologian, encounters this perspective often, and describes it as follows: Some suspect that using reason isn t spiritual. After all, you can t argue anyone into the kingdom, they say. Only the Spirit can change a rebel s

2 2 heart. Jesus was clear on this. No one can come to him unless the Father draws him (John 6:44). No intellectual argument could ever substitute for the act of sovereign grace necessary for sinners to come to their senses. (Tactics 35). This evinces a tendency among some to view the Spirit and human reason in opposition. They see the two as mutually exclusive ways to spread the gospel: one legitimate, the other not. Many followers of Christ believe it better to avoid rational considerations altogether when trying to communicate the gospel. They think it more effective to simply offer the gospel in a spirit of love, and to leave the work of convincing entirely up to God. Like any convictions held by followers of Christ, these ought to be checked against the teaching of Scripture. If Scripture confirms this dichotomy between reason and the Spirit, then believers ought to give up on arguments and evidence, and instead rely on the Spirit. The perspective of this paper, however, is that the New Testament teaches nothing of the sort. More specifically, this work attempts to reveal that according to the author of Luke-Acts (hereafter assumed to be Luke) evidence and argument go hand-in-hand with the work of the Holy Spirit. It argues that the evangelistic dilemma, according to which Christians must either trust the Spirit, or offer strong evidence for the gospel, is not supported by this biblical text. Rather, Luke-Acts reveals a third option: believers can trust the Holy Spirit to use arguments and evidence to support the truth of the gospel.

3 3 Although the New Testament letters of Jude, Peter, and Paul speak indirectly to this question, the ministry of Jesus and the history of the early church bring the most to bear. Justo Gonzalez, a historian of the early church, mentions that as a single twovolume work, Luke-Acts stresses the role of the Holy Spirit, both in the life of Jesus and in the life of the early church. There are seventeen references to the Spirit in the Gospel of Luke and the main protagonist of the book of Acts is not any of the apostles but the Spirit, who is mentioned no less than fifty-seven times (Luke 10-11). Thus, while the Gospels focus primarily on Jesus, some scholars declare that Acts is the Gospel of the Spirit (Gonzalez 11). Still, as will become evident, the Spirit works alongside human reasoning throughout. As the chief evangelist of the Holy Spirit, Luke s commitment to evidential persuasion can be seen immediately, in his prologue. Rather than enjoining Theophilus (and all who would read this account) to simply trust the accuracy of the gospel on the basis of the Holy Spirit, Luke emphasizes his careful work as a historian interested in data. He writes: Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the things that have been accomplished among us, just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word have delivered them to us, it seemed good to me also, having followed all things closely for some time past, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, that you may have certainty concerning the things you have been taught. (Luke 1:1-4 ESV).

4 4 Gonzalez confirms this point by reminding readers that this is not fiction. Luke is not telling us what he thinks Jesus could have done or said. He bases his writing on the testimony of those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and servants of the word (16). Of special note is the purpose for which Luke writes. His desire is not for Theophilus to merely believe in the truth of the gospel, but to know it for certain (ἵνα ἐπιγνῷς περὶ ὧν κατηχήθης λόγων τὴν ἀσφάλειαν). Luke clearly wants to cement certain facts in Theophilus mind so he can trust the truth he learned about Jesus of Nazareth. It is vital to see that one of Luke s major purposes for the whole Gospel is to provide credible data concerning the life of Jesus. Craig Keener, an eminent professor of New Testament, makes a similar observation about Luke. He notices that Luke promised to confirm Theophilus s faith (Luke 1:4) and frequently emphasizes both physical evidence (3:22; 24:38-40) and apologetic dispute (Acts 9:29; 17:3; 18:4, 19; 19:8-9; 28:23) (Acts: An Exegetical Commentary, 667). Beyond the prologue, Luke sets the stage for Jesus ministry by describing him as full of the Holy Spirit and led by the Spirit, as well as in the power of the Spirit and having the Spirit of the Lord upon Him (4:1, 14, 18). According to Acts 10:38, it is precisely because of Jesus dependence upon the Holy Spirit that all through the Gospel, he is able to perform astonishing deeds which serve as evidential signs of the in-breaking reign of God (Luke 4:28-30, 5:1-11, 7:11-17, 13:11-17, 14:1-6). Even as he relies upon the Spirit, Jesus is so committed to substantiating his messianic claims that when John the Baptist sends his own followers to ask him if he is

5 5 really the Messiah, Jesus refers them to his performance of miracles as evidence of his identity. He instructs them to go and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them (7:22). After the resurrection, a similar situation arises while the resurrected Jesus walks and talks with two doubting disciples on the road to Emmaus. Not recognizing that it is Jesus who walks with them, they mention how their hopes in Jesus as the Messiah had been dashed when he was crucified. He responds to them by revealing his fulfillment of the messianic prophecies in the Hebrew Scriptures. He asks, Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into His glory? Then, beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself (24:26, 27). Like the evidential emphasis in the prologue of the Gospel, Luke records a similar stress on evidence in the introduction to the book of Acts, only this time he describes Jesus commitment to confirm that his resurrection really happened. Luke explains: In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach, until the day when he was taken up, after he had given commands through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. He presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God. (Acts 1:1-3). Here Jesus sees no contradiction between providing evidence for his resurrection and advancing the kingdom of God. In fact, this introduction shows that he understood a link between the two. It describes the continuation of the evidential process which started at

6 6 the end of the Gospel, when the resurrected Jesus appeared to his skeptical disciples saying why do doubts arise in your hearts? See my hands and feet, that it is I myself. Touch me and see (24:38-39). Craig Hazen, a scholar of world religions, identifies Jesus tendency to substantiate his radical claims with powerful signs, and he views Jesus ministry as the model for later appeals to evidence by the church. He writes: It is important to understand that in justifying the task of Christian apologetics throughout the history of the church, it was Jesus himself who set the stage. He did this not by writing apologetic tracts and treatises but by creating what I shall call here an ethos of demonstration among his followers. Jesus demonstrated the truth of his message and his identity over and over again using nearly every method at his disposal, including miracle, prophecy, godly style of life, authoritative teaching and reasoned argumentation. (To Everyone An Answer 39). Clearly, if Jesus had believed that relying on the Holy Spirit and providing reasons to believe the gospel are somehow at odds, he would not have modeled this connection in his own ministry. The biblical witness confirms that he saw the two as complimentary rather than contradictory. The same ethos of demonstration seen in Jesus continues in the ministry of the apostles throughout the book of Acts. After the Day of Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit comes to fill and permanently indwell the apostles, they are able to say and do many astonishing things to demonstrate the power and authority of the kingdom of Jesus (2:43, 3:7-11, 5:12-16, 5:19, 8:6,7,13, 12:10, etc.).

7 7 Fundamental to the mission of the Spirit-filled apostles is the proclamation and defense of the gospel. They often speak to hostile or skeptical crowds, so they have to communicate in a thoughtful, compelling way. Douglas Groothuis, professor of philosophy and apologetics, describes the way in which these men rationally demonstrate the truth of the gospel. He states: The sermons of Peter and Paul recorded in Acts all have a strong apologetic backbone. For the Jews, these apostles develop an apologetic of Jesus as the fulfillment of ancient Jewish prophecy concerning the Messiah. For the Gentiles the emphasis rests more on the evidence of God s workings through nature and history in general. (Christian Apologetics 34). This principle of knowing how to make specific appeals to one group and other kinds of appeals to a different group is just what would be expected if God himself is leading and guiding these apologists, especially since only God really knows what every person needs to hear to be persuaded of the gospel. The Jews esteem prophecy, while the Greeks need evidence from nature. One instance involving the apostle Peter reflects the fact that Jews strongly resonate with prophetic appeals. It occurs on the Day of Pentecost, after the Holy Spirit fills the apostles and causes them to miraculously speak so that foreign Jews can all understand them in their own languages (Acts 2). The text states that all were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, what does this mean? (2:12). But others mock the apostles, and accuse them of being drunk (2:13).

8 8 Then, full of the Holy Spirit, Peter stands up to give a persuasive speech, explaining the significance of what happened (Acts 2:4, 14-36). Throughout his speech, Peter supports the gospel by appealing to various facts. William Lane Craig, a theologian and philosopher, observes several apologetic aspects of Peter s speech. He remarks that in verse 22, he appeals to Jesus miracles. In verses he appeals to fulfilled prophecy. In verse 32 he appeals to Christ s resurrection (On Guard 15). Craig concludes that by means of these arguments, the apostles sought to show their fellow Jews that Christianity is true (15). The combination of a Spirit-filled apostle using reasoned argument can also be seen in the apostle Paul, principally in Acts 17.This chapter describes Paul as he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the devout persons, and in the marketplace every day with those who happened to be there (17:17). Then Paul goes to the Areopagus to speak to Gentiles about Christ. Verses 22 to 34 show that since Paul is speaking to Gentiles instead of Jews, he does not appeal to Jewish prophecies. Nor does he start by mentioning Christ. Rather, he understands Greek thought well enough to know that he first needs to convince them of a Creator. Groothuis finds Paul s approach compelling. He comments: (Paul s) declaration (Acts 24-31) is a masterpiece of Christian persuasion Knowing the perspective of the philosophers he was facing, Paul begins not with the message of Jesus, but the biblical doctrine of creation a belief alien to both Stoics and Epicureans (and to all Greek thought). (35).

9 9 Those who don t believe in a creator God would have a difficult time understanding the gospel. Paul wisely chooses this as his starting point. After Paul establishes the existence of a Creator, he is eventually able to mention the person and work of Jesus. Paul concludes on this point, saying that God commands all people everywhere to repent, because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed (17:30-31). Surely many Athenians present would wonder what evidence exists that this God would judge them by Jesus of Nazareth. Paul preempts this question by pointing to the resurrection of Jesus. He states that God has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead (17:31). It is crucial to see the result of Paul s persuasive speech. The text affirms that while some men mocked the resurrection and remained unconvinced, others joined him and believed (17:32, 34). This coheres with other portions of Luke-Acts which reveal that although many choose to ignore or discredit evidence for the gospel, others are persuaded and believe (Lk. 5:26, 6:11, 7:16, 7:22, 8:25, Acts 2:37, 4:4, 4:16,5:33, etc). Groothuis admires Paul s well-rounded and thorough approach. He explains that Paul is not content to give a philosophical lecture comparing the biblical and Greek worldviews. He calls his audience to respond individually and existentially to Jesus Christ (37). Indeed, and this is merely one prominent example of Paul s commitment to apologetic engagement. While there are other instances of these Spirit-led apostles using arguments and evidence in the book of Acts, these suffice to show Luke s general perspective. It is clear at this point that Luke-Acts presents no contradiction between the power and work of the Holy Spirit, and a reasonable defense of the gospel.

10 10 Rather than presenting an either/or situation, Luke offers an evangelistic vision that is both/and. Both the Holy Spirit, and human reasoning. Both the gospel, and human persuasion. Both preaching, and argumentation. Moreover, this cooperative vision of God and the church goes much deeper than merely the mind of Luke, as Christians believe this text to be more than just the words of Luke. Christians understand that the same Holy Spirit described in this work actually inspired Luke to write it (1 Peter 1:20-21, 2 Timothy 3:16). Therefore, the cooperation in Luke-Acts between Christian apologetics and the Spirit bears the divine imprimatur of the third Person of the Trinity. Even after seeing this holistic vision of defending the gospel while relying on the Spirit, some believers will still maintain that using arguments and evidence to bring others into the kingdom is not a helpful or fully biblical approach. Many of them will assume that acts of love and kindness coupled with a basic gospel presentation should be used instead of rationally engaging nonbelievers. This minimalist approach turns out to be very problematic. It tends to be just as deficient as the other extreme of only focusing on apologetics. Greg Koukl s explanation of the love and gospel only error may startle those who hold it when he says that, contrary to popular belief: You cannot love someone into the kingdom. It can t be done. In fact, the simple gospel is not even adequate to do that job. How do I know? Because many people who were treated with sacrificial love and kindness by Christians never surrendered to the Savior. Many who have heard a clear explanation of God s gift in Christ never put their trust in him. (36).

11 11 What may seem shocking at first glance actually reflects a biblical insight. In John 6:44, Jesus mentions a fundamental link absent from the love and gospel only mentality. He promises that no one can come to me unless the father who sent me draws him. More is needed than love and the gospel. By the same token, more is needed than arguments and evidence. Koukl clarifies the key principle at work when anyone comes to Christ: without God s work, nothing else works; but with God s work, many things work. Under the influence of the Holy Spirit, love persuades. By the power of God, the gospel transforms. And with Jesus at work, arguments convince (36). He concludes that God is happy to use each of these methods (36). Further, it must be acknowledged that one powerful way to love nonbelievers is to take their questions about Jesus seriously by providing credible and thoughtful answers. Indeed, if Jesus, as the very embodiment of God s love, saw it necessary to provide reasons to believe in him, it would be radically unloving for his followers to deny nonbelievers this basic ministry. In light of this conclusion, how should Christians think about the claim that you cannot argue anyone into the kingdom of God? It s true that no one can be forced into the kingdom against his will. It s also true that ugly bickering and fighting will move no one closer to God. But if this phrase is taken to mean that arguments and evidence serve no role in advancing the gospel, the testimony of Luke, Jesus and the Spirit says otherwise.

12 12 Bibliography The Holy Bible ESV: English Standard Version: Containing the Old and New Testaments. Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, Print. Cole, G.A. "Holy Spirit In Apologetics." New Dictionary of Christian Apologetics. By Walter Campbell. Campbell-Jack, Gavin McGrath, and C. Stephen. Evans. Leicester, England: Inter-Varsity, N. pag. Print. Craig, William Lane. On Guard: Defending Your Faith with Reason and Precision. Colorado Springs, CO: David C. Cook, Print. Gonza lez, Justo L. Luke. Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox, Print. Groothuis, Douglas R. Christian Apologetics: A Comprehensive Case for Biblical Faith. Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic, Print. Hazen, Craig. "Defending the Defense of the Faith." To Everyone an Answer: A Case for the Christian Worldview: Essays in Honor of Norman L. Geisler. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, N. pag. Print. Keener, Craig S. Acts: An Exegetical Commentary. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, Print. Koukl, Gregory. Tactics: A Game Plan For Discussing Your Christian Convictions. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, Print. Luther, Boyd. "Holy Spirit, Role In Apologetics." The Popular Encyclopedia of Apologetics. By Edward E. Hindson and Ergun Mehmet. Caner. Eugene, Or.: Harvest House, N. pag. Print. Tappeiner, D.A. "Holy Spirit." The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. By Geoffrey W. Bromiley. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, N. pag. Print.

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