About Mikel Del Rosario - Mikel Del Rosario helps Christians defend the faith with confidence. He is an Apologetics professor specializing in making apologetics accessible to the church. He s taught for Western Seminary, Biola University and William Jessup University. Mikel is the author of the Accessible Apologetics curriculum. He holds a Master s Degree in Christian Apologetics with Highest Honors from Biola University. He is also completing a Master of Theology, focusing on Historical Jesus Studies at Dallas Theological Seminary where he does Cultural Engagement work at the Hendricks Center. Mikel is the Apologetics Guy at ApologeticsGuy.com. Education Mikel holds a B.A. in Communications with an minor in Biblical Studies and an M.A. in Christian Apologetics with highest honors from Biola University (1999 and 2003 respectively). He s currently completing a Master of Theology (Th.M) at Dallas Theological Seminary, and plans on entering Stage 2 of the Ph.D program in New Testament in 2017. Teaching He has taught college courses as a missionary professor in the Philippines and at Biola University. In addition, he has also taught a Christian Apologetics and Evangelism course at Western Seminary. Finally, he teaches Christian Apologetics and World Religion at William Jessup University. Speaking Mikel is an active speaker for youth and adult audiences at churches, schools, and conferences. He s presented at small, medium, and large apologetics events alongside expert apologists like J.P. Moreland and Craig Hazen. In 2003, Mikel was ordained as a missionary by the Baptist General Conference and is a current member of the Evangelical Theological Society. Mikel Del Rosario Questions? mikel@apologeticsguy.com Twitter: @apologeticsguy
Conference Agenda. 8:30-9:00 9:00-10:00 10:00-10:15 10:15-11:15 11:15-11:30 11:30-12:30 Check-in & Light Breakfast Session 1 Apologetics, Faith & Reason Break Session 2 The Evidence for God Break Session 3 The Problem of Evil But in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect. - 1 Peter 3:15
Session 1: Does Faith Make Sense? Apologetics is that branch of Christian theology which seeks to provide a rational justification for the truth claims of the Christian faith. William Lane Craig I. Two Kinds of Apologetics 1. : Builds a positive case 2. : Responds to challenges Apologetics is simply to defend the faith, and thereby destroy arguments and every proud obstacle against the knowledge of God. It is opening the door, clearing the rubble, and getting rid of the hurdles so that people can come to Christ. Norman Geisler II. Three Essential Elements 1. Find answers for. 2. answers with others. 3. Be a wise of Christ.
III. Why Defend the Faith? 1. gave people reasons to believe. (Mark 2:1-12) 2. told believers to contend for the faith. (Jude 3) 3. believed eyewitness testimony and careful history. (Luke 1:1-4) 4. said to be ready to give a reason for the hope you have. (1 Peter 3:15) 5. explained and proved Jesus was the Messiah. (Acts 17:2-4) God has used believers who reason, persuade, and present evidence to lead people to salvation. William Lane Craig, Reasonable Faith: Christian Truth and Apologetics, 3 ed. (Wheaton: Crossway Books, 2008), 15. Quoted by Josh McDowell in To Everyone an Answer: A Case for the Christian Worldview: Essays in Honor of Norman L. Geisler. Downers Grove, Ill.: IVP Academic, 2004, 9
IV. Do Faith and Reason Mix? You can t separate believing from. We need in order to have. V. How Do I Know Christianity is True? It s ultimately the that assures Christianity is true. (Galatians 3:26, 4:6; Romans 8:16; John 14:16-17, 20) It s ultimately the that convinces Christianity is true. (John 16:7-11; Romans 3:1-11; John 6:44, 7:16-17) VI. How Do I Show Christianity is True? One of our roles is to for Christian truth claims. The Holy Spirit s role is to in the unbeliever s heart in such a way that he or she is that Christianity is true.
VII. Defending the Faith with Truth and Love The early church responded to opposition by their neighbors well. (Acts 4:24-32) We should culture as ambassadors of Christ. (2 Corinthians 5:20; Philippians 3:20) Paul communicated with, balancing invitation and challenge. (Acts 17:16-34)
Session 2: Is There Evidence for God? In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. - Genesis 1:1 The heavens declare the glory of God; the sky displays his handiwork. - Psalm 19:1 I. Does God Exist? It s a good. There s a good. If God is not, life has no meaning. If God is, life has meaning.
II. The Existence of the Universe God is the best explanation for why the exists. A. A Cosmological Argument 1. Whatever begins to exist has a. 2. The began to exist. 3. Therefore, the has a. B. The First Cause must be: 1. 2. 3. Is the First Cause an impersonal thing or a personal being?
III. The Existence of Intelligent Design in the Universe God is the best explanation for things that look in the world. The theory of intelligent design holds that certain features of the universe and of living things are best explained by an intelligent cause, not an undirected process such as natural selection. Coded, instructional in DNA The order of the nucleotide bases (A, T, G, & C) are similar to a or the in a book. It now seems to me that the findings of more than fifty years of DNA research have provided materials for a new and enormously powerful argument to design. - Anthony Flew Instructional information implies an. Encoded information implies an. An information processing system implies a. Intelligent Design, The Science of Intelligent Design, http://www.intelligentdesign.org/whatisid.php Gary Habermas and Anthony Flew, Atheist Becomes Theist, Philosophia Christi (09 December 2004): http:// www.biola.edu/antonyflew/page2.cfm. See also: Antony Flew and Roy Abraham Varghese, There Is a God: How the World s Most Notorious Atheist Changed His Mind. (San Francisco, Calif.: HarperOne, 2007).
IV. The Existence of Objective Moral Values in the Universe God is the best explanation for values in the world. An argument from human rights Moral laws have an to them Moral laws are the products of Objective moral laws imply a For since the creation of the world his invisible attributes his eternal power and divine nature have been clearly seen, because they are understood through what has been made. So people are without excuse. - Romans 1:20 V. Three Theistic Arguments The existence of the universe points to God Intelligent design points to God Objective moral values point to God
Session 3: Does Evil Disprove God? I. The Logical Problem of Evil Challenge: It s logically for God and evil to co-exist. If God is all-powerful, He destroy evil If God is all-good, He destroy evil But evil is destroyed Therefore, God exist If God exists, either he can do nothing to stop the most egregious calamities or he does not care to. God, therefore, is either: Impotent or evil. Sam Harris This challenge represents a logical fallacy called a. It s possible that God has for allowing evil. shows God can have a good reason for allowing evil.
II. The Evidential Problem of Evil Challenge: It s extremely that God could have good reasons for allowing evil. God can have good reasons for allowing evil even if we what those reasons are. The Evidential Problem of Evil doesn t take all of the into account. Both the Logical and Evidential versions point us to. The Problem of Evil assumes is real. Objective evil requires objective. My argument against God was that the universe seemed so cruel and unjust. But how had I got this idea of just and unjust? A man does not call a line crooked unless he has some idea of a straight line. C.S. Lewis Sam Harris, Letter to a Christian Nation (New York: Vintage Books, 2008), 55. C S. Lewis, Mere Christianity(San Francisco: HarperSanFrancisco, 2001), 38.
III. Emotional Problem of Evil Challenge: I just don t the idea that God would allow evil for any reason at all. The Atheist alternative: In a universe of blind physical forces and genetic replication, some people are going to get hurt, other people are going to get lucky, and you won t find any rhyme or reason in it, nor any justice... there is at bottom, no design, no purpose, no evil and no good, nothing but blind pitiless indifference. Richard Dawkins Atheism leaves us with a second problem the problem of. Christianity our evil. IV. Christianity and The Problem of Evil Jesus on the Problem of Evil (Luke 13:1-5). God offers. is the solution to the Problem of Evil. God does not stand idly by, coolly observing the suffering of His creatures. He enters into and shares our suffering He was prepared to suffer on our behalf, to accept suffering of which we can form no conception. Alvin Plantinga
V. The Problem of Evil Restated If God is all-powerful, He defeat evil. If God is all-good, He defeat evil. But evil is defeated. Therefore, God and one day defeat evil. I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world. - John 16:33 VI. Conclusion The problem of evil points us to God. The universe, design, and moral values point us to God. Faith makes sense. Richard Dawkins, The Blind Watchmaker: Why the Evidence of Evolution Reveals a Universe Without Design (New York: Norton, 1996), 133. D. A. Carson, How Long, O Lord?: Reflections on Suffering and Evil (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker 1990), 66-67. James E. Tomberlin and Peter Van Inwagen, eds., Profiles, vol. 5, Alvin Plantinga (Dordrecht: D. Reidel, 1985), 36.
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