"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." With these words Moses began the greatest story-- in fact the only original story-- in all creation. The existence and reality of God is assumed from the first sentence of scripture. Likewise, the editors who arranged the New Testament put the letter to the Romans at the beginning of the epistles. There we read Paul say, "For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them." Again, the existence of God is seen as a self-evident reality, one which is plain to all and has been made evident through creation.
So why have we within Christianity spent so much time, so much ink, and so much money, attempting to prove and defend what God says is a self-evident truth? Why do we invest in the intellectual pursuit of defending what God says about himself if his revelation is indisputable? First of all, because there are aspects of God's revelation that must be explained, taught, and defended; secondly, because we are commanded to invest ourselves in this great task. Thus, for the sake of obedience and the joy of logic, these are my apologies.
In accord with Stephen (Acts 7), Paul (Acts 22; 24; 25), and Peter (1 Peter 3), I have decided to here lay out my defense for what I believe. In Deuteronomy 6 God commanded Moses to pass certain rules on to the Israelites. In accord with the command of God and following the example of the saints of old, I am placing here my explanation of the statutes that I have received. And this first post is my first apology, my reason for posting at all.
Many have written before me in words more eloquent than I can muster. Many have written more convincingly than I am learned to write. Many have been wiser, smarter, older, more faithful, and of truer character than my own. Yet, in spite of all that I lack, I have no defense for not laying out a defense. So please, understand that in all I may lack I hope my earnest conviction will be of use for the faith.
I will not undertake to explain everything, for certainly no man is master of all knowledge and sufficient to the task of explaining all things. Yet, the example of Paul was that we should become all things to all men in the hopes of winning some. So that is my hope. That in laying out my defense, in presenting what I hold to be true, there may be some who will be convinced of the accuracy of that which has been handed to me. And perhaps there will be some who will be strengthened and so persevere in the midst of doubts and turmoil of their own.
What God may do with what is here is entirely up to him, and at the end of things my hope is only that this may be of some service to my master. If it is his delight, then it will be so. But this is written first in obedience to what I hold my faith commands. It is not written first to anyone person or any group of people. It must, of necessity, be in conversation with some, for one cannot present an apology without an accusation. In court there must be a prosecution in order for there to need be a defense. Yet in all things it will be deemed a success if this has pleased my Lord.
So this is my defense. A defense laid out in response to the command and joy of presenting such a defense. A defense laid out of necessity to those who would make an accusation against the faith I hold as true. A defense written first of all, not to men, but to the honor and glory of God. A defense written in full recognition of the limits of my ability to present any defense at all.
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