Ang Kahalagahan ng Biblikal na Apologetics

Ano ba ang Apologetics?

• Sa kunteksto ng Teolohiya, ang Apologetics ay ang paraan ng paglalatag ng mga argumento o paliwanag bilang depensa o patunay sa [isang] pinaninindigang doktrina. Ang terminong ito ay hango sa wikang Griego na apologia, na ang kahulugan ay "verbal defence / speech in defence / a reasoned statement or argument" [reperensya].

Mahalaga ba ang Apologetics?

• Ang salitang apologia ay mahigit 19 na beses ginamit ng mga manunulat ng Bagong Tipan. Isa na diyan ang talata sa 1 Pedro 3:15 na ganito ang sinasabi: "Kundi inyong ariing banal si Cristo na Panginoon sa inyong mga puso: na lagi kayong handa ng pagsagot (apologia) sa bawa't tao na humihingi sa inyo ng katuwiran tungkol sa pagasang nasa inyo, nguni't sa kaamuan at takot" (TAB). Ito ay utos hindi lamang sa mga apostol, o sa mga pastor ng iglesia, kundi sa lahat ng mga mananampalatayang Cristiano. Ayon kay F.F. Bruce, mahigit 47% ng Bagong Tipan ay ukol sa pag-depensa sa pananampalataya. Hindi dapat isawalang-bahala ang Apologetics; ito'y mahalaga.

Dapat ba tayong maging masigasig sa pagtatanggol sa Katotohanan gaya ng mga sinaunang Cristiano?

• Dapat! Sapagkat wika ng apostol, "Mga kapatid, kayo'y mangagkaisang tumulad sa akin... ayon sa halimbawang nakikita ninyo sa akin. Sapagka't marami ang mga... kaaway ng krus ni Cristo" (Filip. 3:17-18, Ibid.).

Saan natin makikita ang halimbawang pinakita ni Pablo?

• Ang isang "halimbawa" na pinakita ni Pablo hinggil sa pagtatanggol ng Katotohanan ay makikita natin sa Gawa 17. Sa kabanatang ito'y makikita natin kung paano ipinagtanggol ng apostol ang ebanghelyo upang hikayatin at akayin ang kanyang mga tagapakinig sa pananampalataya kay Cristo.

Bakit kailangan nating sawatain at punahin ang mga aral ng mga kaibayo natin sa pananampalataya?

• Sapagkat iyan ay ipinaguutos ng Diyos: "Ipangaral mo ang salita; magsikap ka sa kapanahunan, at sa di kapanahunan, sumawata ka, sumaway ka, mangaral ka na may buong pagpapahinuhod at pagtuturo. Sapagka't darating ang panahon na hindi nila titiisin ang magaling na aral; kundi, pagkakaroon nila ng kati ng tainga, ay magsisipagbunton sila sa kanilang sarili ng mga gurong ayon sa kanilang sariling mga masasamang pita" (2 Tim. 4:2-3, Ibid., cf. 1 Ped. 3:15). "Mga minamahal, samantalang ako'y totoong nagsisikap ng pagsulat sa inyo tungkol sa kaligtasan nating lahat, ay napilitan akong sumulat sa inyo na inaaralan kayong makipaglabang masikap dahil sa pananampalataya na ibinigay na minsan at magpakailan man sa mga banal" (Jud. 3, Ibid.).

Nakakalungkot isipin na maraming mananampalatayang pinoy sa panahon ngayon ang may mababa at negatibong pagtingin sa Apologetics. Sa tuwing naririnig nila ang salitang "debate", ang unang pumapasok sa kanilang isipan ay pakikipag-away, sigawan, murahan, etc. Marahil ito ay sapagkat nakikita nila sa media ang lantarang bangayan ng mga relihiyon na umaabot na sa personalan, demandahan, at minsan ay patayan (!). Dahil diyan, nagkaroon ng masamang kahulugan ang Apologetics sa isipan ng mga tao.

Pero likas bang masama ang pakikipag-debate? Hindi. Nagiging masama lamang ito kung ito'y humahantong na sa pagkakasala [gaya halimbawa nito]. Bagamat ipinaguutos ng Kasulatan na tayo'y dapat "makipaglabang masikap dahil sa pananampalataya", binabalaan din naman tayo nito na huwag tayong makilahok sa mga "walang kabuluhang pakikipagtalo sapagkat ito’y hahantong lamang sa awayan" (2 Tim. 2:23, MBB). Ano ang mga walang kabuluhang pakikipagtalo? Ito yung mga uri ng pakikipag-debate na ang layunin lamang ay ang makipag-pataasan ng ere sa kausap. Hindi ganyan ang layunin ng biblikal na pagtatanggol sa ating pinaninindigang katotohanan.

Dapat tayong maging masigasig sa pagtatanggol ng Katotohanan ng Diyos, "ngunit sa kaamuan at takot" (1 Ped. 3:15, TAB). Sabi nga ni Jesus, "Sinusugo ko kayong katulad ng mga tupa sa gitna ng mga lobo. Kaya nga, magpakatalino kayong katulad ng mga ahas at maging maamong katulad ng mga kalapati" (Mat. 10:16, SND). Kung tama ang pamamaraan at motibo sa pakikipag-argumento, ito'y kalugod-lugod sa Diyos.

1. Ang Pamamaraan - Sa kaamuan at takot. (1 Ped. 3:15)
2. Ang Motibo - Upang akayin sa Katotohanan ang tagapakinig. (Kaw. 11:30)

Mahalaga ang Apologetics, at ito'y obligasyon ng bawat mananampalataya (1 Ped. 3:15; Jud. 3). Ito ay isang napaka-halagang ministeryo na dapat bigyan ng kaukulang pansin sa bawat iglesia sa ikatitibay ng pananampalataya ng mga kapatiran, at sa ikasisiwalat ng katotohanan upang maakay ang mga naliligaw ng landas--na sa huli ay makapagbibigay ng luwalhati sa Diyos na ating Panginoon.

~~~~~

"A dog barks when his master is attacked.
I would be a coward if I saw that God's truth
is attacked and yet would remain silent."
~John Calvin~
~~~~~

Martin Luther's Account Of His Own Conversion

The following selection is taken from the Preface to the Complete Edition of Luther's Latin Writings. It was written by Luther in Wittenberg, 1545. This english edition is availble in Luther's Works Volume 34, Career of the Reformer IV (St. Louis, Concordia Publishing House, 1960), p. 336-337. In the first few lines of this selection, Luther writes, "during that year;" the immediate context indicates he is refering to the year of Tetzel's death (July, 1519). This puts the date for Luther's conversion, in his own view, two years after the posting of the ninety-five theses.

Meanwhile, I had already during that year returned to interpret the Psalter anew. I had confidence in the fact that I was more skilful, after I had lectured in the university on St. Paul's epistles to the Romans, to the Galatias, and the one to the Hebrews. I had indeed been captivated with an extraordinary ardor for understanding Paul in the Epistle to the Romans. But up till then it was not the cold blood ab out the heart, but a single word in Chapter 1, "In it the righteousness of God is revealed," that had stood in my way. For I hated that word "righteousness of God," which, according to the use and custom of all the teachers, I had been taught to understand philosophically regarding the formal or active righteousness, as they call it, with which God is righteous and punishes the unrighteous sinner.

Though I lived as a monk without reproach, I felt that I was a sinner before God with an extremely disturbed conscience. I could not believe that he was placated by my satisfaction. I did not love, yes, I hated the righteous God who punishes sinners, and secretly, if not blasphemously, certainly murmuring greatly, I was angry with God, and said, "As if, indeed, it is not enough, that miserable sinners, eternally lost through original sin, are crushed by every kind of calamity by the law of the decalogue, without having God add pain to pain by the gospel and also by the gospel threatening us with his righteousness and wrath!" Thus I raged with a fierce and troubled conscience. Nevertheless, I beat importunately upon Paul at that place, most ardently desiring to know what St. Paul wanted.

At last, by the mercy of God, meditating day and night, I gave heed to the context of the words, namely, "In it the righteousness of God is revealed, as it is written, 'He who through faith is righteous shall live.'" There I began to understand that the righteousness of God is that by which the righteous lives by a gift of God, namely by faith. And this is the meaning: the righteousness of God is revealed by the gospel, namely, the passive righteousness with which merciful God justifies us by faith, as it is written, "He who through faith is righteous shall live." Here I felt that I was altogether born again and had entered paradise itself through open gates. There a totally other face of the entire Scripture showed itself to me. Thereupon I ran through the Scripture from memory. I also fount in other terms an analogy, as, the work of God, that is what God does in us, the power of God, with which he makes us wise, the strenght of God, the salvation of God, the glory of God.

And I extolled my sweetest word with a love as great as the hatred with which I had before hated the word "righteousness of God." Thus that place in Paul was for me truly the gate to paradise. Later I read Augustine's The Spirit and the Letter, where contrary to hope I found that he, too, interpreted God's righteousness in a similar way, as the righteousness with which God clothes us when he justifies us. Although this was heretofore said imperfectly and he did not explain all things concerning imputation clearly, it nevertheless was pleasing that God's righteousness with which we are justified was taught.

(Source)

A Brief Response To Those Who Say Christmas Is Pagan

"he was laid in a manger" (Lk. 2:7)

CHRISTMAS is a joyful season when families gather together to commemorate the incarnation of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. It is a celebration of God's love in giving us (sending) His Son in the likeness of sinful flesh so that sinners might be saved through Him (Jn. 3:16; Rom. 8:3). It is the Gospel which is (or which should be) the essence of Christmas.

Sadly, however, most people today who celebrate  the season don't really take what it means by heart. Worse, there are people out there who repudiate the celebration altogether, saying it is an evil tradition which is of pagan origin meant to worship Satan. These people I call the "anti-Christmas Gang." The gang offers three basic arguments against the tradition:

1. We are told nowhere in the Bible to celebrate Christ's birth.
2. The belief that Christ was born on December 25 is a myth. There is not a single concrete evidence that can prove Christ was born exactly on December 25. In fact, bible references points us to a different date which is most probably in the month of March.
3. The feast of Nativity was placed by the early Christians in ancient Rome on December 25 to correspond with the official feast day of a prominent pagan god in Rome named Sol Invictus. Thus when you celebrate Christmas, you are actually worshiping Satan.

Based on these assertions, they conclude that those who celebrate Christmas are not really honoring Christ but the Devil. But is that true? Can they prove that objectively? We shall see.

First, they argue that the Bible never commands us to celebrate Christmas. But I ask, is there any prohibition in the Bible against it? or perhaps indications in Scripture that it is sin to do so? How many times have we seen Paul commemorating the birth of Christ in his letters (cf. Rom. 8:3; Gal. 4:4-5; Php. 2:5-8)? Sure, Paul doesn't prescribe a specific date on which to commemorate Christ's nativity, but nobody's saying that celebrating Christ's nativity every December 25th is an absolute moral obligation either. The funny thing is that most (if not all) who demonize Christmas would still celebrate their own birthdays and wedding anniversaries without even asking themselves if they were ever told by the Bible to do so! 

Second, they say that December 25 is not really Christ's exact birth-date. But who cares? How is it a big deal? They could quote hundreds of references all day to prove that, but they would just end up taking down strawmen. I myself am convinced that nobody knows the exact date of Christ's birth, but this doesn't automatically mean it is ungodly to celebrate His birth on any chosen date. After all, we must commemorate Christ's birth everyday, aren't we? 

Lastly, the gang have this old chestnut that the choice of Dec. 25 as the official birthday of Jesus Christ was influenced by the pagan celebration of the feast of 'sun god' named Sol Invictus. Now in fairness to these anti-Christmas folks, it is somehow true that the feast of Sol Invictus had something to do with the choice of December 25; yet again, it cannot be proven that the early Christians had chosen the date to purposely identify Christ with the pagan god. Their intent was most probably to divert attention away from idolatry to the worshiping of the True God (which is indeed an admirable tactic to propagate the Gospel), not to paganize Christianity. But whichever the case, it is still an invalid reason to insist it is sinful to celebrate Christmas just because it corresponds to a pagan feast. Otherwise, those who were born on December 25 are also sinning if they celebrate their birthdays on that cursed date!

In conclusion:

Romans 14:4-6 (NIV): "Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To their own master, servants stand or fall. And they will stand, for the Lord is able to make them stand. One person considers one day more sacred than another; another considers very day alike. Each of them should be fully convinced in their own mind. Whoever regards one day as special does so to the Lord. Whoever eats meat does so to the Lord, for they give thanks to God; and whoever abstains does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God."

Peace out and Merry Christmas!

- Jeph

 

Kamusta Ang Puso Mo?

"Kayong mga mapagpaimbabaw, mabuti ang pagkahula sa inyo ni Isaias, na nagsasabi, Ang bayang ito'y iginagalang ako ng kanilang mga labi; Datapuwa't ang kanilang puso ay malayo sa akin" (Mat. 15:7-8, TAB).

Mga 2 taon na ang nakakaraan ay binigyan ako ng tiyahin ko ng isang magandang relos na medyo may kamahalan. Luma na ito, ngunit mukha parin namang bago at maayos. Nang inabot sa akin ang magandang relos, nagpasalamat ako at agad itong isinuot sa aking kamay. Ngunit napansin kong hindi gumagana ang relos. Ang sabi sa'kin ng tiyahin ko, baka baterya lang ang problema. Bumili ako ng baterya para naman magamit ko nang kaagad ang magandang relos na ito. Nang mapalitan ko na ang baterya, hindi parin ito gumana. Hindi na ako nagtaka. Walang duda na ang problema nito'y hindi ang baterya, kundi ang piyesang nasa loob nito.

"Marami" (hindi ko po sinasabing lahat) sa mga nagpapakilalang 'Cristiano' ngayon ay katulad ng relos na ito. Sa labas ay mukha namang maayos at walang sira: relihiyoso, aktibo sa mga gawain ng simbahan, ngunit ang totoo'y hindi sila nakapagbibigay-lugod sa Diyos. Mayroon silang depekto na hindi nakikita ng mata ng tao, at ang depektong ito'y nasa kanilang mga PUSO.

Hindi ko maaaring ituro sa pamamagitan ng aking mga daliri kung sino ang tunay na naglilingkod sa Diyos, at kung sino ang nagpapakitang-tao lamang. Ito ay sapagkat hindi ko naman talos ang nilalaman ng puso ng aking kapuwa. (Sa katunayan, maging si Satanas ay wala ring kakayahang bumasa ng puso ng tao! - 2 Chro. 6:30). Ngunit isang bagay ang nasisiguro ko: maraming nagaangking Crisitano ngayon ang nalilinlang ng sarili nilang puso (Jer. 17:9). Inaakala nilang sila'y ligtas na, ngunit ang totoo'y alipin parin sila ng kasalanan. Gayunpaman, "nakikilala ng Panginoon ang mga kaniya", at hindi kayang linlangin ng sinuman ang Diyos (2 Tim. 2:19, Ibid.).

Kamusta ngayon ang puso mo? Sino ang nakaupo ngayon sa trono ng iyong puso? Ang sarili mo? o si Cristo? Siyasatin mo ang iyong puso: "Suriin ninyo ang inyong sarili kung kayo ay nasa pananampalataya, subukin ninyo ang inyong sarili. Hindi ba ninyo kinikilala ang inyong sarili, na si Cristo ay nasa inyo, maliban na lang kung kayo ay mga itinakwil?" (2 Cor. 13:5, Ang Salita ng Diyos).

Kung hindi ka pa nakatitiyak sa iyong sariling Kaligtasan at nais mo itong malaman ngayon, basahin mo ito.

-Jeph

When The Enemy Strikes

Yesterday I dropped by the OMF Lit. Bookstore at Boni to browse for a book I could buy for myself as an advance Christmas gift. It was a good timing because the bookstore is now on a Christmas 20% discount sale, and I thank God for that. 

They have many new good books, really, but there's a particular one (not a new one, though) that really caught my attention. The book is entitled "When The Enemy Strikes: The Keys To Winning Your Spiritual Battles" by Charles F. Stanley. I did a little peeping through a couple of pages of the book and was made convinced this one's really for me. In short, I didn't hesitate to purchase one.

The book is about identifying who our spiritual adversary is (if you think you know him already, think again), the tactics he is using to bring us down and destroy our joyous fellowship with the Lord, and the defenses and offenses we must make to counter the enemy's constant assault. Here's what its jacket has to say regarding its contents:

Fear, discouragement, loneliness, anger, temptation. These struggles are common to every human. Yet not all circumstances or negative emotions originate within. They could be the result of a willful, coordinated assault of Satan.

In When The Enemy Strikes, best-selling author Dr. Charles Stanley explores the often-overlooked reality of spiritual warfare--the tactics used by Satan to taunt, confuse, slander, and harm. Your adversay wants to crush your will, delay your promise, hinder your destiny, destroy your relationships, and lead you into sin. Dr. Stanley reveals how you should respond.

The most important component of warfare, says Dr. Stanley, is the supremacy of God--both His sovereignty and His power. Practically, this means the battles you face are ultimately allowed by God to bring you to a place of greater reliance on Him. His strength crushes the enemy.

This is a world of conflict between good and evil, of powers beyond the merely human. The battle is unavoidable, but take heart! God has given you the strength to stand.

-Jeph