Introduction to Apologetics

Jia is a young Christian in Taipei. She has been a Christian for one year. For the past few months, she has been trying to share the gospel with Lee, her neighbor. Lee is an unbeliever and likes to ask Jia difficult questions. Sometimes Jia thinks that Lee has sincere doubts and is seeking the truth; at other times, she thinks he may just like to argue. However, regardless of his motivation, Jia tries to be respectful and to show Christian love. Even as a young believer, she knows that not only her mind, but her spirit, must reflect Jesus to her neighbor.

This week, Lee excitedly came to Jia. From the internet, he had found a list of ten questions to “confuse Christians.” The website said, “No Christian can answer these questions. These questions will prove that the Bible cannot be trusted.”

Lee said, “Jia, I have a question for you.  You say that the Bible is the Word of God and cannot have error. Mark 15:25 states that Jesus was crucified the third hour; that is 9:00 a.m.  John 19:14 states that Pilate did not announce his judgment until the sixth hour; that is 12:00 p.m. If the Bible is the Word of God, why do these verses disagree?”

► If Jia came to you for help, how would you respond? Would you be afraid that Lee had found an error in the Bible? Do you think it is important to be able to defend your faith?