How to Teach Apologetics: 5 Steps to Success

Dr. Wes Moore
Sep 26, 2024
9 min read

Updated: Oct 30

So, you want to teach apologetics? I can't tell you how glad I am to hear you say that. Welcome to the team!

Getting started is not as easy as you thought, though, is it? There's a lot of information out there, and teaching this subject is different from anything else you've ever taught.

But the good news is, it is also more powerful than most anything you've ever taught.

So, to help you get off to a good start, this article will walk you through five steps you need to take to become an effective apologetics teacher.

*Note: If you have any questions about apologetics in general or how to teach it, reach out to Dr. Moore directly on our Contact page.

Download a printable pdf of this article:

How to teach apologetics

Step 1: Come to terms with the profound and ongoing need.

The first step is really about coming to terms with how greatly apologetics teaching is needed in the church and culture. The Bible, and every single thing it says, is being attacked relentlessly in our nation today. And, in fact, it has been under attack for the last 50 years.

Today, the average unbeliever can spout off four or five objections to the Bible without even thinking about it. If you stopped a guy on the street today, he would tell you the Bible is full of errors, that evolution proves the Bible's not true, that there is no evidence that God even exists, that all religions lead to the same God, and that no one can know the truth for sure.

Atheists mock God today openly and in public. Both church members and the lost see these billboards but rarely hear a rebuttal of their arguments from the pulpits. Source: https://www.atheists.org/activism/billboard-campaigns/.

The doubts do not stop with the unbelievers, however. Believers share many of the same doubts. And because the pulpits have never given them the answers to their questions, they accept the world's lies about God and his Word while trying to hold on to their ever weakening faith.

This skepticism has had a devastating effect. First, it has prevented millions of lost souls from even considering the truth of the Bible. After all, why would you accept the Jesus of the Bible, if you have rejected the Bible of Jesus? If there are no good reasons to believe the Bible, then there is no reason to believe in Jesus.

It has also left many believers doubting their faith and unable to commit fully to the Christ of the scriptures. Many of God's people live in a no-man's-land between faith and unbelief. This robs God of his glory and keeps them on the spiritual sidelines.

Apologetics, therefore, is not a side issue. It never has been. It is absolutely essential that we recognize its importance and integrate it into every facet of our ministries, from children to youth to adult; from mercy work to evangelism to music. (For more on how to integrate apologetics into ministry, see my book Saving the American Church.)

Step 2: Pick your subject.

Once you are convinced that apologetics is critical and that you must begin to teach it, the next thing you must do is choose a subject. Sounds simple enough, doesn't it? It is...until you realize how many subjects there are.

There are literally dozens of categories and subcategories of apologetics topics that need to be addressed today. The table below identifies some of the most common ones:

Science and evolution (Genesis 1-11, millions of years, dinosaurs)	God: His nature, attributes, and actions (existence, the Trinity, miracles)
Bible questions (copying/translation, slavery, books included)	Jesus: His nature, attributes, and actions (existence, godhood, exclusivity)
World religions (Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism)	Social issues (marijuana, abortion, gambling)
Church and Christianity (denominationalism, hypocrisy, crusades)	Death, suffering, and evil (sickness, murder, hell)
Cults, the occult, and the New Age (Mormonism, ghosts, karma)	Sexuality and marriage (homosexuality, transgenderism, polyamory)

(For resources related to each of these categories, see the article Apologetics Resources by Subject.)

So, how do you choose from all of these? Here are a few ways to narrow down the list:

Listen for the questions your audience is asking. When you talk to your people, what do they seem interested in or what are they asking about? An attentive ear will help you identify the apologetic topics you need to cover.
Ask your audience directly what they want to learn about. You don't always have to beat around the bush. You can just ask your congregation (or youth group or Sunday school class) what their questions are. And then you answer them.
Pick something that is happening in the culture at the time. The Bible and the Christian faith are almost always in the news or being discussed somewhere on social media. Check out news sites and social media posts to see what is in the public sphere now.
Ask your lost friends, coworkers, and neighbors why they don't believe or why they doubt the Bible. There's no better place to find good questions than with unbelievers. They will tell you why they don't believe, and then you can use that information to equip your people (and, of course, give you're lost friends an answer, too).
Pick something that interests you. What have you always wondered about? What apologetic teaching has made the most difference in your life? If it matters to you, it will likely matter to someone else.

An example of doubt about the Bible entering the public sphere. This one has to do with the creation/evolution question. The manifestation of these issues offers a great opportunity to the Bible teacher.

Step 3: Conduct in-depth research.

Probably the biggest mistake made by those who decide to teach apologetics is to do inadequate research. They read a few articles, combine that with their own common sense and Bible knowledge, and then start talking. Most of the time when they do this, they come off as ignorant amateurs and are quickly dismissed by their audience.

Having said that, you do not need a PhD in apologetics to research and understand your subject well enough to teach a lay audience. What we must always remember is that most people don't know what they're talking about. They know what they've heard, or the talking points of the world, but they do not know things more than a layer deep.

(For more on using apologetics effectively, see the "7 Laws of Apologetics" [1] table below. Article continues after.)

The 7 Laws of Apologetics

Law 1: The other guy doesn't know as much as you think.	Most people don’t know what they’re talking about. What they know is what they’ve been told all their lives, what they heard in history class, or what they saw on social media. So, don’t be intimidated.
Law 2: Everybody has faith.	Everybody has faith, even the scientist. Science itself is based on assumptions that cannot be proven through the scientific method. The reliability of the senses, laws of logic, existence of objective reality—all must be accepted by faith.
Law 3: A contradiction can never be true.	Something cannot be both A and non-A at the same time and in the same relationship. It cannot be true that I am both Wes Moore the author of this article, and not Wes Moore the author of this article. This is important because many people accept contradictions when it comes to spiritual things.
Law 4: Never say, “I don’t know,” twice.	When you get a question you can’t answer, don’t give some half-thought-out response. Say, “I’m not sure about the answer to that, but I’ll find out,” and then go research the answer. This will give you a chance to learn something new and then add it to your apologetics toolbox.
Law 5: Verify everything.	When makes a claim you've never heard before, whether it is in support of our faith or an attack against it, don’t accept it as true until you’ve had a chance to validate it yourself. If the argument is over what Charles Darwin said, read Darwin’s writings yourself; if it’s over a certain passage in the Bible, go read it yourself.
Law 6: You’ve got to have proof.	Put other people on the defensive by asking them to prove their beliefs are right. If God is a woman, give me your proof. If reincarnation is true, show me some evidence. Many times, the truth is, there is no proof; there’s only wild conjecture by those who have already made up their mind.
Law 7: Never get angry.	It’s always a bad idea to get angry when discussing issues of faith. Why? 1) Anger escalates into arguing and conflict; 2) Anger keeps you from understanding what the other person is really saying; and 3) Anger keeps you from thinking clearly. It is critical, therefore, that you discipline yourself to stay calm when engaging in apologetics argumentation.

Another mistake in this area is to rely on an unscholarly source. Everybody and their brother has to take on questions related to the Bible, but not everybody is sound in what they claim to know. People can use bad facts, bad science, bad logic, and bad hermeneutics. Therefore, you want to make sure your sources are strong in all of these areas.

For a list of scholarly resources for different categories of apologetics, see Apologetics: Recommended Study Resources by Subject.

Step 4: Present your material wisely.

Making the apologetic presentation is different than preaching a Bible sermon or sharing a Bible study. Because the material is so foreign to most people, and because some of the concepts are so complex, you need to observe some new rules when making presenting your material. Here are a few:

Don't use big words. Use synonyms for big words that people can more easily understand. For example, instead of saying "presupposition," say "starting assumptions." Imagine you are talking to 8th graders no matter how old your audience is. If they can't understand you, they can't learn from you. Then you are just wasting everybody's time.
Choose two or three major points maximum. Do not try to teach everything there is to teach about a subject in one sitting. Remember, people don't know much, so for the most part, stick to the basics. If you are wondering if you are providing too much content, you probably are.
Use visuals and illustrations. You simply cannot be effective teaching apologetics if you just stand up there and talk. You absolutely need to use PowerPoint, and you need to have illustrations in your slides that help make your points. Here are some examples from a presentation I do on the process of translation/copying of the Bible (this is a major objection in the culture today).

*Note: For examples of how to teach apologetics, watch the videos below where Dr. Moore addresses the objection that translation corrupts the Bible and that Paul never mentions Jesus' nativity in his writings. They can also be downloaded as PowerPoint or pdf files. You are free to use them in any way in your ministry.

Apologetics Presentation Example	PPT File	PDF File
"Bible Objections Answered" (includes the objection that Jesus did not speak Greek, Paul never mentions the nativity, and the NT books were chosen at the Council of Nicaea)

Step 5: Prepare for questions, but don't over prepare.

One of the scariest parts of doing an apologetics presentation is answering questions from the audience. Sometimes they come up as you are speaking, and other times they come up when you are done. So, how do you deal with these?

Trust your preparation. You have thoroughly researched this subject. You know a lot more than you think, and your audience knows a lot less than you assume. Relax in these truths and do the best you can.
Make sure you understand the question. Sometimes we start answering a question before we really understand what is being asked. Be sure to ask clarifying questions and make sure you understand the nuance of what the person is asking. Only then should you try to answer.
Don't be afraid to say, "I don't know." You will get stumped; there's no way around it. People ask the oddest questions. If you don't know the answer, just say you don't and promise to get back to them with the answer. That will gain you more credibility than trying to make something up on the fly.
Never say, "I don't know," twice (see the 7 Laws above). When you get a question you can't answer, go back and research it immediately. Find the answer for yourself and then share it with the person who asked it (remember, always keep your word, Ps. 15:1, 4a). This way, over time, you can build up a toolbox of answers so you will get stumped less as time goes on.

What to do now?

Once you do all this, you need to be bold, step out in faith, and teach your material. Have confidence in yourself and what you have learned. And always remember how important and vital what you are doing really is. It's worth the effort, and the risk.

OTHER RESOURCES:

*Please use these in your preaching and teaching ministry.

For more detail on integrating apologetics into ministry, see chapter 10 in Dr. Moore's book Saving the American Church. Amazon.

NOTES:

[1] This table is from The Spiritual Top 50, 2010, by Wes Moore. Amazon.

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