I was trained in classical apologetics by Dr. Norman Geisler, who championed an approach that “stresses arguments for the existence of God.” (BECA, 41). Geisler observed that “classical apologetics is characterized by two basic steps: theistic and evidential arguments.” (BECA, 41) Step One establishes the theistic worldview, what we might call the preambles of the faith. Step Two is more of an historical argument, establishing specific Christian evidences (reliability of the Bible, resurrection of Christ, etc.) The basic logic of this approach is that before one argues that Jesus is the Son of God, or the Word of God, one must first establish the existence of God. From this, Dr. Geisler developed a comprehensive twelve-step argument for the truth of Christianity. In my own teaching ministry I’ve made a very slight modification to the approach in expanding Step One to itself include two steps. So really I’m using a three step argument, like this:
Stage One lays the Foundation: TRUTH ABOUT REALITY IS KNOWABLE
Stage Two builds upon that Foundation: THEISM IS TRUE
Stage Three rounds out the argument: CHRISTIAN EVIDENCES
With this basic grid in place, we can now fill in these three basic stages of the argument with the twelve steps of Geisler’s classical apologetic (see BECA 129). A full 14-week course on apologetics is available here.
STAGE ONE: TRUTH
1 – Truth about reality is knowable
2 – Opposites cannot both be true
STAGE TWO: GOD
3 – The theistic God exists
4 – Miracles are possible
5 – Miracles confirm a messenger of God
STAGE THREE: CHRISTIANITY
6 – The New Testament is a reliable historical document
7 – In the New Testament, Jesus claimed to be God
8 – Jesus’ claim was confirmed by miracles
9 – Therefore, Jesus is God
10 – Whatever Jesus says is true, is true
11 – Jesus affirmed the Bible as the word of God
12 – Therefore, Christianity is true
SOURCE CITED: Geisler, Norman L. Baker Encyclopedia of Christian Apologetics. Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 1999.