It is often a joyful privilege for followers of Jesus Christ to answer questions about what they believe, or to proactively share their faith when presented with opportunities to do so. Yet there are also times in which a zeal to see lost sinners converted can potentially become discouraging if conversations do not bear any perceivable fruit. Moreover, as Western culture becomes increasingly hostile to Christianity, the fear of persecution can tempt God’s people to grow gradually less vocal in their public witness. In an effort to speak to these potential hindrances to stewarding the Great Commission, this article will utilize 1 Peter 3:13-17 to underscore seven motivating factors for a faithful defense—and urgent proclamation—of Biblical Christianity. 

 

 14 But even if you should suffer for righteousness' sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, 15 but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, 16 having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. 17 For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God's will, than for doing evil.[1] 

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1. Apologetics and Evangelism Should be Conducted with Boldness.  

 

When the Apostle Peter writes “have no fear of them nor be troubled” (v. 14), he is referring to opponents of Christianity. They are the source of the believer’s persecution. Yet, Peter says that Christians should not be troubled by such people because—as noted at the beginning of this text—suffering for the sake of righteousness is a sign of divine blessing (cf. Matt. 5:10-12). It is with full assurance of God’s favor that believers can go forth in their apologetics and evangelism with a God-honoring boldness. 

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2. Apologetics and Evangelism Should be Conducted with an Awareness of Jesus Christ’s Lordship.   

 

Peter says in verse 15 that Christians are to “honor Christ the Lord as holy [in our hearts].” Practically speaking, this means that every point of the believer’s witnessing efforts must be seen as an opportunity to worship and glorify the God of their salvation (cf. 1 Cor. 10:31). Defending and proclaiming the Christian faith is not about the one who is doing the speaking, but is ultimately about the Master who is being spoken of. The people of God must repeatedly remember these truths, lest apologetics and evangelism be reduced to winning an argument or seeing how many responses one can generate through their labors. 

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3. Apologetics and Evangelism Should be Conducted with Intentionality.    

In looking at verse 15 once again, Peter says to “always [be] prepared to make a defense… for the hope that is in [the believer].” This Spirit-inspired summons is not only a call to intentionality in Christian apologetics and evangelism, but it’s also a challenge for God’s people to be intentional in pursuing growth in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ (cf. 2 Pet. 3:18). It is no surprise that the most effective apologists and evangelists for the kingdom of God tend to be those who are the most diligent students of God’s self-disclosure. Therefore, by regularly increasing in a knowledge of sacred Scripture, the believer becomes better equipped to articulate their biblically-informed convictions to a watching world.  

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4. Apologetics and Evangelism Should be Conducted with Epistemological Certainty.  

 

The phrase epistemological certainty simply refers to the possession of “justified true belief.”[2] Thus, epistemological certainty pertains to knowing truth, and knowing the grounds for why the truth is true. For followers of Jesus Christ, epistemological certainty is tethered to the Bible’s identity as God’s inerrant, infallible, and inspired self-revelation (cf. 2 Tim. 3:16-17; 2 Pet. 1:16-21). In other words, Christians know the truth—and know why the truth is true—because the one true living God has provided an unchanging standard for interpreting the universe He has created (cf. John 10:35; 17:17). These convictions seamlessly harmonize with Peter’s exhortation to “always [be] prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you” (v. 15). Whether defending or proclaiming the truth of their most holy faith (cf. Jude 1:20), the calling for every follower of Christ is to do so with full persuasion that their belief in the truth is justified (cf. Ps. 119:89, 142, 151-152); to know the reason for the hope that is in [them].

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5. Apologetics and Evangelism Should be Conducted with Christlike Gentleness and Christlike Humility.  

 

In a 2022 seminar hosted at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Dr. Timothy Paul Jones exegeted 1 Peter 3:13-17 for a room of students who were pursuing a doctoral degree in Christian Apologetics.[3] Amongst all of the rich insights that Dr. Jones was able to extract from the passage, perhaps his most impactful were related to the words “with gentleness and respect (v. 15).” As rightly stated by Dr. Jones-

 

You can win every debate. You can be the most intelligent person in the world. You can be the most accomplished and scholarly apologist in Christian academia. But if your efforts to defend the faith are not marked by ‘gentleness and respect,’ then you are not doing apologetics [or evangelism]; you are doing something else. You are doing something different than what Peter is calling Christians to model in his letter.  

 

These remarks from Dr. Jones highlight that it would be a great tragedy if a believer became masterful at defending and proclaiming Christianity as a system of beliefs to be embraced, but did so in a manner that was inconsistent with the character of the God he/she was seeking to represent. It must therefore be the burden of God’s people to place an equal emphasis on cultivating competency to witness on behalf of King Jesus, and modeling character that is becoming of a citizen who belongs to Jesus’ Kingdom. 

 

6. Apologetics and Evangelism Should be Conducted with Exemplary Character. 

 

In keeping with this article’s previous section, it must be noted how Peter uses verse 16 to stress that a Christian’s character should not be on the table for unbelievers to criticize. The unbeliever may have many negative things to say about a believer’s doctrinal or ethical convictions, but the unbeliever should never have any just grounds for denouncing how a believer conducts themselves. The encouraging paradox of this text is that when Christians are reviled and slandered for their faith, the persecutor is effectively “put to shame.” Peter’s observations allude to the Last Day in which God will vindicate every Christian who endured volatile treatment for their faith (cf. Rom. 12:19-21), and it’s through clinging to this future hope that believers can maintain their commitment to Christlike conduct in the midst of present difficulties.

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7. Apologetics and Evangelism Should be Conducted with a Contentment in God’s Will.  

 

The Apostle Peter closes this portion of his letter by reminding Christians that suffering for good in accordance with God’s will is far better than suffering for doing evil (v. 17). When the people of God faithfully engage in apologetics or evangelism within a sin-cursed world, it’s only a matter of time before persecution and suffering arises. Therefore, believers must strive to remember that resting in the gracious providence of their Heavenly Father is the most reliable antidote to bitterness and despair (cf. Rom. 8:18-39). Whatever our lot, may God teach us to say, “it is well with my soul.” For whether one is an officer or a layperson in the local church, the believer’s timeless calling—and inestimable privilege—in every season of life is to defend and proclaim the faith that has been once for all delivered to the saints (cf. Jude 1:3). 

 

May every Christian reader of this article be propelled into action upon contemplating how apologetics and evangelism ought to be conducted for the glory of God!

 

Work Cited:

[1] Unless otherwise noted, all cited Scripture references are from the English Standard Version. 

 

[2] Steven B. Cowan and James S. Spiegel, The Love of Wisdom: A Christian Introduction to Philosophy (Nashville: B & H, 2009), 65.

 

[3] The story being shared at this point in the article represents the author’s best effort to accurately portray what was said by Dr. Timothy Paul Jones during the seminar that transpired on July 12-15, 2022 at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (Louisville, KY). 

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About the Author:  Dewey Dovel is a pastor at Emmaneul Reformed Baptist Church in SeaTac, WA.