Posted by practicus [practicus] on November 30, 1999 at 05:14:54 {JEfy6n1mcI0qEQSQWE66XLrxSb9K/Q}:
In Reply to: Apostate = Apostle? posted by Joey on November 29, 1999 at 21:21:51:
Some who listened to Jesus and Paul felt that Jesus and Paul could not "defend" their beliefs either. Those were the ones who opposed them, or kept right on practicing their Judaism or paganism.
No matter what "defense" is made, people will accept and believe what they wish. In the "New Testament," a defense [apologia] is simply a response, an answer. It carries no obligation on the part of the one responding to make the questioner accept or believe.
Christians are also under no obligation to hew to the wisdom of this world, nor to engage in contentions or debates. If that means that some reject what we say, what of it? I have seen adequate "defense" of the truth by several persons on this forum. Yet, there is no record in the Bible of the words of truth being accepted by everyone, regardless of who was speaking that truth, from Moses to Jesus to Paul. Why should we expect anything different today?