Apologetic is the discipline that deals with a rational defense of Christian faith. Christian apologetics is neither a new practice nor is it unbiblical. It comes from the Greek word ''apologia'' which means to give a reason or defense. Apologetic is the theological discipline that defends the truth of the Christian message. Defending the faith, therefore, is a Biblical practice. The discipline of apologetics seeks to instruct Christians in such defense.
Christian apologetics have taken many forms over the centuries, starting with Paul the Apostle in the early Church. .
In contemporary times Christianity has been defended through the work of figures such as Ravi Zacharias, Robert Hutchinson, John Lennox, Doug Wilson, Lee Strobel, Lee Strobel, Francis Collins, Henry M. Morris, Alister McGrath, Ken Ham, Alvin Plantiga, and William Lane Craig. Apologetics have based their defense of Christianity on historical evidence, philosophical arguments and arguments from other disciplines.
One of the most pressing apologetic model or praxis in the Naga’s present context should be how to live out an authentic Christian faith. The need for the Nagas to wake up from their slumber is a must; it is now or never. Sub consciously, we are all aware of the God we worship; be it in the church, office, school, booze joints, bars, colleges etc -whenever someone speaks ill about our faith,most of the Nagas are always ready to give a defense about their faith ; this signifies that many of them have proved to be a profound apologetic. Directly or indirectly, all the Christians are apologetic in propagating the gospel in our daily life. But, instead of propagating the gospel to the people of other faiths around us, we have become a stumbling block to them in bringing them to the saving knowledge of Christ and have failed to live our lives up to the mark of the Cross.
We Nagas consciously believe in Jesus as our Lord and Savior who died for our sins and who rose again form the death to give us life. While in the text John 3:16; by using the word “believes” where its original meaning is to believe God continuously, it is a continuing process. God wants us to believe in Him and follow His paradigms in our daily lives. But today many of us have failed to fulfill the protocol of God’s decree in our lives in many areas. The theological praxis here is a must for every believer to apply it in our lives and to endure the hardships till the end.
John 8:32 says “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” Likewise, many of our people know the truth, the protocols of God and its decrees. But surprisingly, we don’t allow our hearts to be free from the bitter truths that is binding us. It is true that almost all the Nagas today believe in God; but the irony is that most of us only want to be confined in our comfort zones and compromise ourselves with the worldly pleasures. Hence, we have failed to live our lives according to the teachings of Christ. Theological praxis and the job of an apologetic is a must for every believer to take up the cause of Jesus Christ in spreading the gospel to every corner of the world and in fulfilling the command of Christ given to all of us to go to every nation and spread the Salvation plan of God.
The Naga Christian leaders do not require fancy means to take on the role of the apologist. We are not called to rely on our wit and act clever; we simply need to be content to present the truth. No matter how bleak the situation, we need not be disheartened because God is the ultimate hope for us.
When we study about the calling of Peter, it sheds immense light on how we, as Christians, are destined to reign as co-heirs with Christ, because our Lord came to give us life in abundance. Before Peter met Jesus, he only had mundane hopes. His biggest goal each day was for a bigger catch of fish. Many a time he would come home empty-handed. Then Jesus happened. Jesus changed Peter from a hopeless fisherman into a wonderful fisher of men! Peter now possessed true hope and a clear purpose in life. In Jesus, we have a living hope. And the hope of life in the kingdom of God is one that will never perish, decay or fade.
After the recent Easter Sunday bombings by the Taliban in Pakistan which claimed 72 lives, the spokesperson representing the terrorist group said, "It was our people who attacked the Christians in Lahore, celebrating Easter. It is our message to the government that we will carry out such attacks again until Sharia is imposed in the country." Even though Christians compose only 2% of the population, they remain unflinchingly apologetic in their approach to life. In fact, these kinds of trials only fuel them to witness all the more ferociously for Christ.
If we compare and contrast, the Naga people do not seem to face a life and death situation such as our Christian counterparts in Pakistan. After all, Christianity is the major religion in Nagaland, we are declared a dry state and our motto states that we are for Christ. But the irony lies in the fact that the invisible enemy is all the more deadly. Each time we fail as a Christian, we deny Jesus just as Peter did, and the same story echoes through the ages. I would like to challenge all of us through the words of C.S. Lewis, "Only a real risk tests the quality of a belief." The time is now here for every Naga believer to generate an apologetic approach - to sanctify, speak out with meekness and fear, and to defend and live the faith we preach. May the living God empower us as we radiate His likeness and witness for His glory.
Husezo Rhakho Kohima Bible College
