We begin with a review of apologetics and witness.  Apologetics pertains to a defense of the Christian faith either by written word or oral confession.  Witness has to do with a testimony to others for the sake of their conversion.  These two intersect.  Apologies also have the purpose of converting others.  Witness may include an apology to defend and promote the faith.

With these thoughts in mind, we now look at the relationship between apologetics and doctrine.  Doctrine refers to the central and essential teachings of the Christian Church.  If these teachings are tampered with, our witness and defense are made ineffectual and unfaithful to the Lord.  We must not teach what is false.  Throughout the centuries the Church has reflected on and defended the Holy Scriptures, the very ground of our teaching. When we lost our way, reformation was required.

In the first centuries of the church’s life many battles were fought.  One of the earliest was with Gnosticism.  Gnosticism was expressed in a number of different systems.  Its basic thesis was that the material world was evil.  The savior came to deliver the spirit within us from the material world.  This is heresy, that is, false belief.

At a later time, still in the first centuries of the church, the Trinity became an issue.  Is the Son co-equal with the Father or is He a creature made by God?  Then, the question arose, is Christ truly God and man, two natures in one person?   In the ninth century issues regarding the nature of the Eucharist and predestination were disputed.  In the Reformation the doctrine of justification was central, especially in the Lutheran Reformation.

Augustine dealt with Pelagians and Donatists.  The Pelagians believed that human beings had much to do with their own salvation.  They challenged the Christian teaching regarding the depth of original sin and the need for a Savior.  The Donatists believed that an unworthy priest or bishop administered invalid sacraments.

At the time of the Enlightenment, many of the doctrines of the church were put aside as irrational.  The church may still be recovering from this movement of the end of the 18th century.  Modern heresies connect back to earlier ones.  Christian ethics, especially in the area of sexuality have today gained much notice.

The integrity of the the church’s teaching is directly related to the value of our witness and defense.  Because of the truth of their teaching, the apostolic and post-apostolic teachers bore a truthful witness and defense of Christian faith.

The fighting of heresy is found in the New Testament itself.  Saint Paul disputes those within his congregations who have deviated from the faith. If you read his epistles carefully, you will notice that there were many opponents of Paul.

A test of orthodoxy, that is, right belief. is whether one adheres to the Apostles’, Nicene, and Athanasian Creeds.   Lutherans use several authorities for doctrine, but the Holy Scriptures is pre-eminent.  It is the measure of all doctrine.  The creeds summarize Scriptural doctrine.  The Confessions of the 16th century further elaborate Christian teaching in an environment of threat to it.  Tradition maintains the doctrine of Scriptures and further elaborate its, but must not override or contradict it.

Must all apologists and witnesses take college courses in order to present Christ to others?  No.  An adult witness of the faith is informed by orthodox, strong, informative, and challenging sermons week in and out.  Witnesses attend church.  Let me repeat, witnesses attend church every week.  It is good also for Christians to attend an adult class every week.

Apologetics requires faithfulness to the teachings of the Christian Church, otherwise it does harm.  The confession of the faith in apologetics and witness is always faithful to the doctrines found in the creed, itself based on the teachings of the Holy Scriptures.

Michael G. Tavella

September 16, 2024

Saint Cyprian of Carthage, Martyr, 258