Paul Gould - Stand Firm: Apologetics and the Brilliance of the Gospel

Stand Firm is a fresh, integrated, up-to-date, and accessible guide to Christian apologetics. Rather than being daunting, overwhelming, dry, and intellectualized, it is insightful, thoughtful, and practical. Im glad to recommend this lively, readable resource!

Paul Copan , Pledger Family Chair of Philosophy and Ethics, Palm Beach Atlantic University

Separating this volume from a plethora of titles that treat similar topics, Gould, Dickinson, and Loftin move directly to the core of each subject, beginning with the most up-to-date explications. The responses that follow are directed straight to the heart of each quandary, providing the reader with a grasp of the most crucial components. Introductory and advanced topics alike are expressed in easily-grasped language, helped along by charts, highlighted insights, the best scholarly references, and discussion/study questions. One will look long and hard to find so many of the very toughest issues, solutions, and special features addressed thoroughly in a sophisticated manner within the covers of a single text.

Gary R. Habermas , distinguished research professor of apologetics and philosophy, chair, Department of Theology and Philosophy, Liberty University

The French polymath Pascal once remarked that those who hate or fear Christianity are difficult to persuade by direct argument. Here is a book that follows Pascals strategy. The authors take pains to show their readers how Christianity is both good and beautifulto make skeptics wish that it were trueand then to show them that it is.

Timothy McGrew , chairman, department of philosophy, and professor of philosophy, Western Michigan University

This volume seeks not only to offer a reasonable case for the veracity of Christianity, but also for its goodness and beauty by appealing to our longings in reason, conscience, and imagination. The authors appeal to the apologetically suspicious, the enthusiastic, and the intimidated by offering a winsome apologetic for apologetics for a contemporary culture. Stand Firm is good for laymen and well-trained apologists alike.

Corey Miller , president and CEO, Ratio Christi campus apologetics alliance

I give my highest endorsement to Stand Firm . It covers the central apologetics topics, but I have never seen an apologetics text that, chapter after chapter, makes an effort to connect apologetics with evangelism, the gospel, and devotion. This will be an excellent text for undergraduate and seminary students.

J. P. Moreland , distinguished professor of philosophy, Biola University

As a Christian case-maker, I travel the country training Christians to make an adequate defense of their Christian worldview. My audiences repeatedly ask for resources to help them understand the evidence for Christianity and the relationship between making the case and sharing the Gospel. Stand Firm fits the bill perfectly. Stand Firm offers an excellent overview of the case for Gods existence, the reliability of the Bible, and the truth of Christianity. More than just a book, Stand Firm also provides readers with brief, engaging assignments and a complete list of additional reading options. If you want to learn how to make the case for Christianity, Stand Firm is an excellent place to start.

J. Warner Wallace , cold-case homicide detective, and senior fellow, Colson Center for Christian Worldview, and adjunct professor of apologetics, Biola University

Stand Firm: Apologetics and the Brilliance of the Gospel

Copyright 2018 by Paul M. Gould, Travis Dickinson, and R. Keith Loftin

Published by B&H Academic

Nashville, Tennessee

All rights reserved.

ISBN: 978-1-4336-8923-9

Dewey Decimal Classification: 239

Subject Heading: APOLOGETICS \ CHRISTIANITYAPOLOGETIC WORKS \ BIBLE. N.T. GOSPELS

Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations have been taken from the Christian Standard Bible, Copyright 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible and CSB are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers, all rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked KJV are taken from the Holy Bible, King James Version (public domain).

Scripture quotations marked NASB are taken from the New American Standard Bible, Copyright 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.

Scripture quotations marked NET are taken from the NET Bible copyright 1996-2006 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. http://netbible.com. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked NIV are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

The web addresses referenced in this book were live and correct at the time of the books publication but may be subject to change.

Cover photo Vadim Kurland.

Printed in the United States of America

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VP

To our students

A pologetics is best done in community. Weve had the pleasure of writing this book and teaching this material together within an institution that values the life of the mind and the defense of the gospel. Each of us has benefited from the friendship, teaching, and mentorship of many. Special thanks to J. P. Moreland, William Lane Craig, J. Warner Wallace, Timothy McGrew, Doug Geivett, Scott Rae, David Horner, Garry DeWeese, and Steve Cowan.

The process of writing the book also involves the sacrifices of many. To our families, thanks for putting up with our relentless asking of many oddball questions and forcing fine-grained distinctionsespecially at the dinner table. Seriously, we love you. And by love we mean...

To our artist and illustrator, Judith Dickinson (Hi Mom! From Travis) and Wayne Miller, thank you for an incredible job of adding beauty to our words. To Amy Davison, Audrey Greeson, and the B&H team who saw us through the editorial stages, thank you for all the help. We clearly needed it.

To our friends, Aristotle is right: some of you are merely useful. Oh, and please buy this book; we are poor. Finally, to Ross D. Inman, you complete us , and so we cant wait to write the next book with you.

W hat comes to mind when you hear the word apologetics ? What emotions surface when you think about doing apologetics? For some, apologetics is all the rage. Its fun, exciting, cutting-edge, essential. For others, the idea of apologetics elicits little enthusiasm or perhaps, worse, some suspicion or even disdain. Its head over heart, too intellectual, pass, irrelevant. For most, however, apologetics is something they know to be important, something they want to learn more about, and something that may be a little intimidating.

We write this book with all three camps in mindthe enthusiast, the suspicious, the open but intimidatedhoping to show the relevancy and importance of apologetics to evangelism, spiritual formation, and indeed, all of life. In fact, what we find in Christianity is a perfect joining together of reason and romance. Nowhere in Scripture is there a call to separate head (reason) and heart (romance) in our love of God and man. This is good news! Christianity does not require us to abandon the intellect or emotions. Christianity is both true and satisfying. Consider C. S. Lewiss description of himself before conversion: The two hemispheres of my mind were in the sharpest conflict. On the one side a many-island sea of poetry and myth; on the other a glib and shallow rationalism. Nearly all that I loved I believed to be imaginary; nearly all that I believed to be real I thought grim and meaningless. Lewiss point in writing the allegory, which is also partly autobiographical, is that Christianity and Christianity alone affirms and honors reason without falling into a kind of calculating disembodied rationality as well as romance without falling into a kind of narcissistic and base sentimentality. What encouragement! God wants us to be whole people who love him with all of our beingwhich includes our minds, hearts, and willsand likewise, to love others with our whole being too (as Jesus himself calls us to in Matt 22:3739). In this introductory chapter, we hope to whet your appetite and set the stage for what follows by clearly articulating what apologetics is and why it matters.