Witnessing Tips
Apologetics, Truth and Humility
by Douglas Groothuis
Recently when I was discussing philosophy with an earnest
undergraduate student, she informed me that she rejected the idea that
she could know "the truth" because
this would condemn everyone who disagreed with her. Since philosophers
have traditionally exulted in winning arguments instead of eliminating
them, I asked why she shunned victory in favor of terminal agnosticism.
She explained, "If I claim to know the truth, then I must also
claim that whoever disagrees with me is wrong, and that would make me
intolerably arrogant." This student was suffering from a case of
dislocated humility. Instead of being rightly humble about her ability
always to know truly or infallibly, she was instead humble over the mere
possibility of discovering the truth. She
identified the very idea of possessing truth with pride.
I suggested a shift in perspective: What if we view truth as
something that might be discovered by diligent seekers? Then one who
claims to know the truth need not be arrogant. She need not view herself
pridefully as the owner or creator of truth, but could rather behave as
a humble servant of truth who wants to make it known to others for their
own good. She could thus humbly enter into dialogue over the matter by
giving arguments and evidence to support her views.
The student reluctantly admitted that she had never thought of it
that way before, and said she would think more about it. I prayed she
would, because until she grasps the concept of attainable
truth, she will never comprehend the identity of Christ, who is
"the way, the truth, and the life" (John
14:6).
This encounter highlights how crucial humility is to the Christian's
apologetic task in a world steeped in relativism. On the one hand, we
must place humility in the right place. We should never misplace our
humility by disparaging the only thing that will ever set anyone free
– the truth itself. The central claims of God's revelation should be
understood, explained, and defended. I thank the one true God that this
journal and those involved in apologetics ministries are providing sound
reasons for the faith and are challenging the critics of Christianity.
On the other hand, ambitious Christian apologists often lose
something indispensable in the very process of defending the
indispensable. In refusing to jettison the idea of truth, we often
jettison humility instead. We can become, as the student feared,
arrogant. We may hold the truth falsely.
It is dangerously easy for apologists to become prideful when we
identify the truth with our ego instead of with God Himself. Instead of
contending for "the faith that was once for all entrusted to the
saints" (Jude
3), we may end up contending for our own
infallibility. We should heed Blaise Pascal, who wrote in his Pensees
(Thoughts on Religion and Some Other Subjects) that "it is
false piety to preserve peace at the expense of truth. It is also false
zeal to preserve truth at the expense of charity." Several facts
can point us toward the fruitful partnership of true piety and true
zeal.
First, Christian truth is best defended when it is held
both firmly and humbly – in the manner one would hold a newborn
child. It is infinitely precious and therefore worth defending; but it
is a gift not of our own making. We lay no claim to its greatness or
even to the fact that we recognize it as truth (Ephesians
2:8-9). We know by grace that grace may be known. If we speak of
"our faith" we should emphasize that the truth is not our
possession; rather the truth possesses us. No one put it better than G.
K. Chesterton in Orthodoxy who confessed
concerning Christianity: "I will not call it my philosophy; for I
did not make it. God and humanity made it; and it made me."
Second, our knowledge of biblical truth should grow
over a lifetime. Orthodoxy will always exceed my present
understanding of orthodoxy. The humble apologist will defend
Christianity's core claims to the best of his ability – the
inspiration of Scripture, the Trinity, the Incarnation, justification by
faith, and so on – while remaining open to discussion about less
central and more debatable issues such as the particularities of
eschatology or church government.
Third, Jesus said that the meek, not the belligerent, will inherit
the earth. No matter how winsome the presentation, the gospel will
offend those with hardened hearts; but we should avoid
increasing the offense through arrogance. Paul is a model when he
says, "We have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this
all-surpassing power is from God and not from us" (2
Corinthians 4:7). The principles of Paul's pastoral instruction to
Timothy apply to all apologists: "And the Lord's servant must not
quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not
resentful. Those who oppose him he must gently instruct, in the hope
that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the
truth" (2
Timothy 2:24-25). Our aim should be to speak the truth in love (Ephesians
4:15).
Fourth, no matter how adept our advocacy of the faith, we must glory
in the Lord and not in our apologetic prowess. Without humility,
even the best arguments will ring hollow. Our aim in defending the
gospel is to set people free, not to defend ourselves or acquit
ourselves of all error. The humble apologist stands valiantly for God's
absolute, objective, and universal truth, even as he stands on feet of
clay with an ear open to correction.
Fifth, whatever our skill at defending the faith, any humble
presentation of Christian truth is a powerful tool in God's hands. The
Lord opposes the proud and exalts the humble (Matthew
23:12; James
4:6). Christian humility is an arresting apologetic in and of
itself. Those who with plain speech forget themselves in service of
Christ outshine those who eloquently defend only their egos.
Let all apologists pray with Albert Outler: "Lord, protect us
from the mindless love that deceives and the loveless truth that
kills." Amen.
This article first appeared in the Spring 1992
issue of the Christian Research Journal.
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