Role of an Apologist, Role of a Seeker
Listening further in the Ravi Zacharias "Mind & Heart" series, I came across his definitions of the roles of the Apologist (an answer to the question I put to Pistos) and the Seeker. According to him, paraphrased in my words:
Apologist - The job of a Christian apologist is to remove the intellectual obstacles of a seeker in order to let the seeker see that their problems are moral, and no longer intellectual, in nature.
This would be why Pistos was probing for a moral issue (the question about if I'm serving money) behind my doubt in his letter. He was trying to determine if I'm being honest that I don't have enough reason to believe or if there is a moral impediment to my belief. In other words, am I being honest that I'm unconvinced intellectually or is there a moral behavior that I know I'd have to give up if I became a Christian, but refuse to do so? I'm unsure, but I think my questions are more intellectual in nature.
Seeker - The role of a seeker is to :
Apologist - The job of a Christian apologist is to remove the intellectual obstacles of a seeker in order to let the seeker see that their problems are moral, and no longer intellectual, in nature.
This would be why Pistos was probing for a moral issue (the question about if I'm serving money) behind my doubt in his letter. He was trying to determine if I'm being honest that I don't have enough reason to believe or if there is a moral impediment to my belief. In other words, am I being honest that I'm unconvinced intellectually or is there a moral behavior that I know I'd have to give up if I became a Christian, but refuse to do so? I'm unsure, but I think my questions are more intellectual in nature.
Seeker - The role of a seeker is to :
- Be ruthlessly honest, or you will be smothered with your own deceit.
- Get into the Bible; he suggests the Gospel of John.
- Be aware of the emotional & experiential baggage you're taking with you in your search. Get help for it, maybe from a book.
- Know that the propositional answers you come across in your search will become relational answers as you develop a relationship in your own experience with Jesus.
You shall seek me, and find me, when you shall search for me with all your heart. -- Jeremiah 29:13
This promise is effectively all I have to go on. I'm trying to be honest, as number 1 requires, and I suppose I need to honestly and thoroughly consider the possibility of a moral, not intellectual, impediment.
This promise is effectively all I have to go on. I'm trying to be honest, as number 1 requires, and I suppose I need to honestly and thoroughly consider the possibility of a moral, not intellectual, impediment.
Labels:
Christianity,
God
No comments:
Post a Comment