In Depth:  apologetics

defending our faith

Chris Sinkinson

One of the great challenges facing the church is how we train the next generation of apologists, pastors, evangelists and other workers.

The needs are great. I know many churches who are looking to recruit pastors but struggling to find someone appropriate. Likewise, how do we train apologists? Many online apologists using YouTube and other forms of social media are self-taught, mean well, but sometimes mislead.

defending our faith

Chris Sinkinson

Archaeological excavations at Corinth have revealed a wealth of remains that help us understand the New Testament and also demonstrate that the books were written during the middle of the first century AD. We have just returned from filming there for a new series on the Bible – it really brings the Bible to life.

Corinth was an important travel hub for the Roman Empire, sitting on a narrow neck of the Greek mainland. Nowadays a canal joins the Ionian Sea to the Aegean Sea and saves boats a long journey around the coastline. In Paul’s day, boats were dragged overland along a portage road, remains of which can still be seen.

defending our faith

Chris Sinkinson

My wife and I have just come back from a short city break in Rome. Among all the sites to see, the Colosseum stands out as a stunning testament to ancient engineering and a grisly reminder of ancient cruelty. It is certainly breathtaking.

Taking eight years to build, it opened in 80AD. An estimated 100,000 slaves were recruited for its construction. Covering an area of six acres, the tiered seating could hold as many as 80,000 spectators. With an elaborate underground system of chambers, elevators and trapdoors, the arena could be supplied with gladiators, criminals and exotic animals ready for sport and violent death. So many exotic animals were killed for sport at the site, including giraffe, hyena and tiger, that it is thought the Colosseum contributed to the extinction of some species.

defending our faith

Chris Sinkinson

I have been writing this column in Evangelicals Now for many years. The general theme is apologetics – the defence of our faith – using reliable evidence and being aware of contemporary questions.

I have done so as a lecturer at one of our nation’s Bible colleges. Archaeology, Biblical texts, ethical dilemmas and philosophical questions are all familiar territory for anyone studying academic theology.

defending our faith

Chris Sinkinson

One of the most imposing exhibits you view at the British Museum are the enormous human-headed, winged bull sculptures that stand guard as you enter the Assyrian galleries.

Excavated by Henry Austen Layard in the Victorian period they were shipped, along with many carvings and reliefs from Nimrud, near Mosul, to London where they have been on display ever since. A number of these sculptures are on display at the British Museum, but they can also be seen in museums in Berlin, Paris, New York and Iraq.

defending our faith

Chris Sinkinson

Children’s nativity plays, up and down the land, are blessed with many roles, allowing for a good number of children to take part.

Sometimes there are too many children for parts, so we might include a donkey, a cow and an underage bartender.

defending our faith

Chris Sinkinson

As regular readers of this column will know, I have always had an interest in archaeology.

I don’t just mean watching YouTube videos or Indiana Jones, I mean getting wet and cold in muddy excavations in England. Or hot and sweaty in Israeli ones. Regardless of any connections to the Bible I love the thrill of excavating broken pots and corroded coins buried beneath the earth. I don’t know why anyone would not.

defending our faith

Chris Sinkinson

Among the many Christians who God has raised up over the centuries to defend the faith, G.K. Chesterton must be one of the great figures at the dawn of our contemporary age.

A significant influence on the intellectuals of his day, Chesterton communicated his faith with a style of writing that would only be matched by C.S. Lewis (and some of Lewis’ own words are heavily dependent on what Chesterton had already written!). Gilbert Keith Chesterton (1874–1936) was a writer by profession. Author of over 80 books, he was enormously versatile: producing history, detective novels, poems, plays and newspaper columns. He was also literally enormous. Standing at 6’4”, and weighing nearly 300 pounds, the adult Chesterton was a forceful presence. In days when humour did not need to be filtered for the easily offended, he said of his friend George Bernard Shaw: ‘To look at you, anyone would think a famine had struck England.’ Shaw replied to Chesterton: ‘To look at you, anyone would think you had caused it.’

defending our faith

Chris Sinkinson

I have just returned from an archaeological excavation in Israel. Brushing off the dust, it has been another reminder of just how much ongoing work is continuing to reveal life in Biblical times to us.

The site I was involved in this year, Tel Hadid, occupies a prominent place overlooking the main coastal highway used throughout history to travel between Africa and Asia.

defending our faith

Chris Sinkinson

One of the most influential Christian apologists in the 18th century was inspired by a pocket watch in his presentation of the faith.

William Paley (1743–1805) was an Anglican minister, mathematician, and philosopher. He wrote extensively on arguments in favour of miracles, the reliability of the New Testament, and fulfilled prophecy in the life of Jesus. His works became standard textbooks at Cambridge University.

defending our faith

Chris Sinkinson

This month I want to describe an unusual Christian apologist who has had an enormous influence on Christian thinkers since his time.

Blaise Pascal [see also the article 'Isn't Christianity Restrictive'] (1623–1662) died before the age of 39 and struggled with ill-health all his adult life. Yet, in that time he produced groundbreaking work in geometry, science and philosophy. He has a computer programming language named after him, along with a minor planet and a unit of measurement in science.

defending our faith

Chris Sinkinson

There is no doubt that Thomas Aquinas (1225–1274) is one of the most influential Christian thinkers.

The foremost Roman Catholic theologian, he is considered the patron saint of Catholic schools. So why should Evangelical Protestants pay him any attention?

defending our faith

Chris Sinkinson

Cities are often associated with progress and culture. A capital city represents the best, the newest, freshest and most intelligent ideas. Evangelism often focuses on the city. So what if a city goes into decline? There is a great apologist who, many years ago, thought hard about this.

Without doubt, one of the most influential Christian thinkers, after the authors of the New Testament, is Augustine. Born in North Africa in 354 AD, he went on to become a bishop in the church during the decline of the Roman Empire. Not all his ideas are considered Biblical, but we can all learn from his defence of the faith in a time of social turbulence.

defending our faith

Chris Sinkinson

The recent criticisms of Kate Forbes’ (see picture) personal faith and values have shone a spotlight on tolerance in contemporary society. Is it possible to run for high office, or any public service, if it requires us to conform to the values of modern secularism?

Christianity has often been persecuted and marginalised. Whether accidental misunderstanding or deliberate oppression, the church has been familiar with suffering. This is evident in the history of Christian witness and, over the next few months, I would like us to learn what we can from Christian apologists of the past.

defending our faith

Chris Sinkinson

Sceptics of the New Testament include a fringe element who dismiss the historical existence of Jesus altogether.

It is commonplace for those who hold such a view to claim that there is no archaeological evidence for various sites connected to Jesus, particularly in the area of Galilee. One example is so-called mythicist, Rene Salm, who published The Myth of Nazareth. He proposes that Nazareth was not settled until after AD 70 and that there was nothing there at the time of Jesus. Published in 2008, archaeology made the book out of date by 2009.

defending our faith

Chris Sinkinson

The recently revealed Office for National Statistics 2021 census showed, for the first time, that less than half the country consider themselves Christians.

While in 2011 59.3% described themselves as Christians, ten years later only 46.2% do so. You only have to go back to 2001 to have seen 71% of the population ticking the Christian box.

defending our faith

Chris Sinkinson

As you probably know, my name is Christopher. That was the most popular boy’s name given to babies in 1972. And I was born just a couple of years before.

We all know, over the decades, that names come and go in and out of fashion. In 1939 Margaret was the most popular girl’s name. In 2015 it was Amelia, and Margaret was nowhere to be seen. Very few names remain popular for a long period of time (only William has been in the top ten for boy’s names over an entire century). The patterns of naming reflect local fashion, politics or interests and change over time.

defending our faith

Chris Sinkinson

At present the role of women in ministry is one of the most pressing topics among evangelical Christians.

Recent books reassessing complementarian and egalitarian perspectives on the Bible have provided some helpful reconsideration of the topic and reflection on the nature of leadership in the contemporary church. However, for onlookers from outside the evangelical church, the debate can seem antiquated and out of touch.

defending our faith

Chris Sinkinson

The Evangelical Alliance Talking Jesus report for 2022 makes interesting reading. In particular, questions repeated from an earlier survey in 2015 allow us to note changes in UK beliefs.

Perhaps most striking is that those describing themselves as Christians has dropped from 58% to 48% over that period (those who describe themselves as practicing their faith is 6%). The second largest group were not Muslims or atheists but simply those preferring to declare no affiliation. This group has risen from 11% in 2015 to 26% in 2022. This suggests not so much a rise in militant opposition to religion but a decline in confidence or interest in religious faith.

defending our faith

Chris Sinkinson

While a pastor of a local church I was always interested in philosophy and apologetics – the various challenges to our faith.

But pastoral ministry is busy: church meetings, hospital visits, preparing sermons, local school assemblies and a crisis in the congregation could sometimes make matters of apologetics seem very abstract.

defending our faith

Chris Sinkinson

Last year Chicago public library withdrew six of the Dr Seuss children’s books.

This followed the decision of their publisher to drop the titles over what was considered racist imagery. One of those books, If I Ran the Zoo, tells the story of Gerald McGrew who visits ever more exotic locations to collect a fabulous collection of animals. Some of the lands he visited are illustrated using what may be considered racial stereotypes. Are they really racist? Many would now consider them, at best, crude and insensitive.

defending our faith

Chris Sinkinson

Anyone visiting London will be pleased to know that the British Museum is back to normal opening times and viewing.

After a recent tour with Moorlands College students I returned impressed as ever with what a fabulous, free-to-visit resource this museum provides for anyone interested in the historical credibility of the Bible.

defending our faith

Chris Sinkinson

American comedian Joey Adams is credited with coining the phrase: ‘With friends like these, who needs enemies?’

Sometimes, in teaching theology, I feel the same way with the works of many influential theologians. Whatever valuable insights they offer is tainted to the point of embarrassment by their misjudgments.

defending our faith

Chris Sinkinson

In March 2022 an announcement was made, carried by many news outlets, that could have enormous value for apologetics.

A tiny lead tablet (or amulet), discovered at an archaeological site, seems to cast light on the period of Joshua. If the artefact has been accurately interpreted it will certainly be an important discovery but, for various reasons, it is worth being cautious.

defending our faith

Chris Sinkinson

Excavations at the City of David in Jerusalem have persisted through the lockdown period and continued to produce material evidence for Old Testament history.

In 2021 the excavators made an announcement that was literally earth-shattering – walls from the middle of the eighth century BC that had suffered from a major earthquake. Inevitably, archaeological sites often look like an earthquake has hit. But this is rarely the case. Cities and towns often crumble through war, poverty or neglect. However, the discipline of archaeoseismology (try saying that out loud) can identify destruction caused by earthquakes.

defending our faith

Chris Sinkinson

Archaeological excavations rely heavily on volunteers and students who must often travel significant distances to join a dig of interest to them.

Inevitably, this means the last 18 months of the pandemic have suspended or greatly reduced the number of excavations. For many of us it has meant turning closer to home and made access to the Bible Lands practically impossible.

Chris Sinkinson

In the midst of Covid, brutal murders, energy crises, and the impact of climate change, no doubt many of us are drawn to the Book of Job as a work that expresses what it means to live in a world of sorrow.

For apologetics and sermons it provides a context to deal honestly and directly with tragedy and pain.

defending our faith

Chris Sinkinson

Fictional history often betrays itself with what are called ‘anachronisms’. This is when an object, person or event is attributed to the wrong period. They can be rather glaring and undermine credibility in the whole story.

Some anachronisms are humorous mistakes. Fans of archaeology might note the maps that appear in Raiders of the Lost Ark showing Indiana Jones’ plane flying over Thailand and Jordan in 1936 (see photo). Those countries did not exist, or at least had no such names, until some years later. In the 1959 film Ben Hur one of the chariot racing Roman soldiers is wearing a wristwatch. In the 2004 Troy movie, coins are placed on the eyes of corpses, problematic as it is set centuries before the invention of coins.

defending our faith

Chris Sinkinson

I am sometimes asked how to get training in apologetics. Given that I am a Bible College lecturer who teaches these things it may surprise you that recommending a college course is not at the top of my list.

If you are interested in apologetics, and feel the need for more training, here are the suggestions I would offer.

defending our faith

Chris Sinkinson

I recently took part in a secular radio interview on the archaeology of Nineveh and was surprised that the radio show host had never heard of Jonah.

Perhaps I should not have been – Biblical literacy has been waning fast. On Jeremy Clarkson’s recent TV farm show, his side-kick labourer indicated that he had never heard of Moses. Given the origins of his own name, Caleb, that is all the more striking.

defending our faith

Chris Sinkinson

Christians have always loved books. When Paul was in prison facing the cold winter he asked Timothy to bring him a coat and ‘my scrolls, especially the parchments’ (2 Tim. 4:13).

Despite the prevalence of e-readers, many Christians have bookcases groaning under the weight of their collection. At Moorlands College we have a three-storey library with over 40,000 physical books along with a vast range of e-books and journals.

defending our faith

Chris Sinkinson

During the early days of archaeology some important finds went missing and their whereabouts remain unknown.

One important example was a seal uncovered during 1903-1905 excavations at Megiddo which subsequently disappeared. But a recent announcement may have brought its existence to light again.

defending our faith

Chris Sinkinson

The discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls was one of the most important archaeological finds of the 20th century, and of incalculable significance for Biblical studies and apologetics. Newly-announced Biblical fragments retrieved from the Dead Sea region remind us that the story is not over yet.

In 1947 three Bedouin boys were herding their sheep and goats near the Dead Sea when they discovered the first of what became known as the Qumran caves. In the cave were ten jars, mostly empty, but one of which contained three leather scrolls. A later trip retrieved even more scrolls from the cave. What they had discovered were only the first of many ancient Jewish manuscripts that had been hidden in the caves during Roman times.

defending our faith

Chris Sinkinson

The Old Testament refers to many different groups of people who have long since disappeared – the Amorites, Hivites, Jebusites, and so on. Millenia after those Biblical references were written, archaeology is finding the material evidence for many of them.

A good example from the 20th century were the Hittites. Frequently appearing in the Bible, they have a presence in the land of Canaan from the time of Abraham to the united monarchy of King Solomon. Their disappearance from historical records led some to attribute their presence in the Old Testament to myth and legend.

defending our faith

Chris Sinkinson

In 2012 we reported in these pages the claim of Harvard University professor, Dr Karen L. King, to having discovered the ‘Gospel of Jesus’ Wife’.

On a small ancient fragment she had identified Coptic text in which Jesus spoke of Mary Magdalene as his wife. With the wild conspiracy theories of Dan Brown’s Da Vinci Code in the air the media were primed to pick up and run with the sensational claim: the church has been covering up the truth about Jesus and his marriage.

defending our faith

Chris Sinkinson

In the defence of the faith, God has raised up significant men and women who have been recognised as great apologists, such as C.S. Lewis, Francis Schaeffer and Amy Orr-Ewing. Their teaching, writing, and even their lifestyle, offers a ‘word back’ to Christianity’s critics.

Sadly, we all have our failings. Sometimes we make mistakes, sometimes we deliberately sin. Many of us have been deeply saddened by the unravelling of one recent apologist’s life story as investigations have been launched into his financial dealings, personal relationships and dubious academic credentials. Ravi Zacharias was a popular and persuasive communicator, but even an interim report from an ongoing investigation has acknowledged very serious issues of abuse and immoral behaviour. As Christians we are grieved for the impact on victims and appalled at the dishonouring of God’s name.