We are told to handle God’s word well. That requires us to read it, but we also need to understand how everything fits together so we can explain it to others. Equally importantly, we need to be ready to defend the truth of the Bible from those who would attack, whether those attacks come from a world in love with sin or from within the church itself. This is called “apologetics,” and James White, from Alpha and Omega Ministries, dedicates his life to the study and defense of God’s truth.
How I unwind to apologetics
Although my reading time is limited, I’m usually able to eke out some time to listen to something for 20-60 minutes every day. Over the years, I’ve tried to redeem this time well, using it to fill my mind with something valuable. I will mix it up with things like sermons, podcasts like The Briefing, and occasionally music or an audiobook.
Yet my absolute favorite thing to do is listen to men and women debate all aspects of the Christian faith. I find it invigoration to hear people present arguments that sound logical and reasonable, then spend 1-2 hours going back and forth as they examine and critique one another. It deepens my understanding of what I believe, challenges me to study (and possibly abandon) non-essential beliefs that don’t hold up, and overall it helps sharpen my ability to love and defend my faith.
Above all, one of my favorite ways to relax is listening to a James White debate while doing a mindless hobby.
Why it’s worth your time
If we’re honest, that doesn’t sound like a good time for most people. Good debates are the result of both sides spending countless hours studying and preparing, then trying to distill it down into a comparatively small amount of time. They talk about things most people have never heard of, and have levels of knowledge most of us will never approach.
Yet what they do is so critical. Christians have spent centuries trying to better understand God as He’s revealed Himself to us. We’ve tried to better understand sin, salvation, Heaven, the Old Testament, Christ’s time on Earth, and an impossible number of other things. Some wave their hands dismissively and insist people are just wasting their time, yet it’s this intense love of God and His word that has kept the church from falling into deep heresy (or rescuing us from it when we weren’t being careful).
James White has dedicated his life to studying God’s word. He understands the original languages, keeps up-to-date on things like the discovery of ancient manuscripts of the Bible, and flies around the world defending the faith. He is a gentleman in debates, taking highly-controversial topics and handling them with grace and patience. He’s an example of how any Christian should present themselves – able to handle God’s word, willing to understand their opponent’s beliefs, and mature enough to speak with gentleness mixed with wisdom and knowledge.
As Christians, we can’t avoid defending our faith. Whether it’s explaining it to family or having a discussion with our friends, we need to be ready to defend our beliefs. Watching an apologist like James White provides a huge benefit because he discusses topics we will all be faced with in one way or another. Whether it’s the trustworthiness of the Bible, whether homosexuality is compatible with Christianity, or if Muslims worship the same God as us, these aren’t discussions that can be defended with our feelings, tradition, or a shrug of the shoulders. Watching debates like this is valuable because it lets us invest in our faith and the people we talk to.
Great debates to watch
There are so many debates on his YouTube channel, and it’s so hard to pick just a few to start with. However, I’ll list some that I’ve always enjoyed, but I’d encourage you to check out his channel, go to the playlists, and check out whatever topic looks interesting!
- Does the Bible teach that Jesus is God?
- Are Roman Catholics our brothers and sisters in Christ?
- The Baptism Debate
- Is homosexuality compatible with authentic Christianity?
Again, these are just a taste of what can be found on his channel. You can also find episodes of his podcast, The Dividing Line, which is much more discussion-based while containing tons of great information and insights.
I hope you’ll take a chance and listen to a debate. It’s hard to imagine it could ever be appealing, but it’s definitely a matter of “don’t knock it until you try it.”
We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5)
