I love murder mysteries. I probably know way more than is healthy about crime scenes, autopsies, DNA testing, and criminal profiling. If this describes you, too, then you will be captivated by the Bible study on apologetics from MasterLectures, called Person of Interest – now available on the Study Gateway. The author, J. Warner Wallace, was a cold-case homicide detective who had been featured on NBC Dateline for a number of the cases he solved. He also happened to be spiritual skeptic who decided to apply his investigative techniques to the questions surrounding the existence and deity of Jesus.
This unique approach to defending the Christian faith is why this study made my curated collection of Top 7 Bible Studies on Apologetics.
Don’t be fooled by the name. Apologetics may sound like it’s the art of making apologies, but it’s actually “the reasoned defense of one’s beliefs or worldview.”
This collection on apologetics departs from the traditional objection-handling approach to defending our faith. Whether we’re journeying with a former Muslim, or looking through the lens of a filmmaker, or talking about a classic Christian book, or watching a discussion amongst avowed nonbelievers, these studies deliver intriguing perspectives, compelling arguments, and inspiration to improve upon our traditional approach to defending our faith.
Let’s set our minds to learning something new from these apologetics Bible studies about the reasons for our beliefs and why it matters.
Top 7 Bible Studies on Apologetics
Study: Person of Interest
Teacher: J. Warner Wallace, cold-case homicide detective and former committed atheist.
Premise: Apply investigative techniques used in “no-body homicides” to determine the existence and deity of Jesus.
Topics: The “fuse” of the events leading up to Jesus’ birth, and the “fallout” of Jesus’ life in terms of his impact on literature, art, music, education, science, religion.
Study: Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus
Teacher: Christian apologist Nabeel Qureshi, raised as a devout Muslim.
Premise: Understand the heart of the Muslim and what keeps them from receiving the Gospel message.
Topics: Why the Bible is a hurdle, why Jesus’ death is disputed, the offense of Jesus’ claim to be God, the conundrum of the Trinity, the roadblock of justice vs. mercy, the uncomfortable truth about Muhammad.
Study: The Reason for God
Teacher: Tim Keller, bestselling author and pastor in New York City.
Premise: Discuss common objections to Christianity with a panel of people who are skeptics of the Christian faith.
Topics: Christianity’s exclusivity, rules, and hypocrisy; a loving God vs. suffering and hell; the Bible—truth vs. myth.
Study: Searching for God
Filmmaker: Brandon McGuire, featuring Lee Strobel, Nabeel Qureshi, Mark Mittelberg, and 15 more Christian thinkers and apologists, plus man-on-the-street interviews.
Premise: Investigate the ideas in American culture that have shaped the way we think and distorted our understanding of who God is.
Topics: Naturalism, relativism, what sets Christianity apart from other religions.
Study: The Problem of God
Teacher: Mark Clark, raised in an atheistic home, became a Christian, then a pastor. (I know who this guy is! He planted a church out of the church I used to attend in Vancouver, B.C., and it exploded into one of the largest churches in Canada. When I watch him teach, I can see why!)
Premise: Apologetics for the rest of us.
Topics: Science, the Christ myth, evil and suffering, hypocrisy, Hell, and sex.
Study: Discussing Mere Christianity
Host: Eric Metaxas, with Philip Yancey, Lewis’ stepson Douglas Gresham, and professors from Oxford, Wheaton College, Azusa Pacific University, Asbury University, Aquinas College.
Premise: Explore the ideas in C.S. Lewis’s Mere Christianity, “One of the most respected and revered books of the twentieth century.”
Topics: Right and wrong, free will and the problem of evil, morality and pride, the cost of following God.
Study: Tactics
Teacher: Gregory Koukl, apologist, radio talk show host, founder of Stand to Reason.
Premise: How to maneuver the minefields of talking about your faith with a skeptic.
Topics: How to ask questions, avoid traps, handle their contradictions, appeal to their needs.
Each of these studies on apologetics will help us engage in meaningful conversations with people of different faiths, ideologies, or worldviews, and equip us to not only articulate and defend our own beliefs, but to engage with the perspectives of others in a respectful and empathetic way.
RELATED ARTICLES:
A Liar, a Lunatic, or the Son of God?
Why is Evidence Important for Faith?
8 Quick Tips for More Powerful Christian Evangelism
LEARN MORE: WATCH THESE VIDEOS
NBC Universal news story: “Jim Warner Wallace: Cold Case Atheist Detective Challenges the Bible”Watch Nabeel Qureshi’s personal story Meet the skeptics Tim Keller talked with in The Reason for GodSearching for God investigates American culture and its distortion of ChristianityTo introduce The Problem of God, Mark Clark recalls his own arguments against ChristianityDiscussing Mere ChristianityTactics