Pakikibahagi ng Apostol Sa Ating Pagtatanggol ng Ebanghelyo: Evangelism & Apologetics || John Pesebre (Feb 15 2018)

Itutuloy po natin ang ating discussion sa divine mandate ng apologetics. Today we will talk about a mandate we get from Philippians 1:7 “Matuwid na aking isipin ang gayon tungkol sa inyong lahat, sapagkat kayo'y nasa aking puso, yamang kayong lahat ay kabahagi ko sa biyaya, sa aking mga tanikala, at sa pagtatanggol at pagpapatunay sa ebanghelyo.”

We share in the ministry of the apostles when we do apologetics. That’s an interesting thought kasi tayong mga believers put a high premium in apostolic imitation. Sabi ni apostol Pablo, “Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ” (1 Corinthians 11:1).

I think he learned this idea from Christ who said in John 20:21, “As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” Etong process na ito na parang multi-level imitation nakita natin ang mas intricate na design sa 2 Timothy 2:2 “and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also.” Ang Christianity ay pasahan kumbaga, na sinimulan ni Kristo. So kaya naman when we read sa Philippians 1:7, “It is right for me to feel this way about you all, because I hold you in my heart, for you are all partakers with me of grace, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel” makikita natin na “partakers” tayo ng ministeryo ng mga apostol. Naipasa sa atin para maging partakers tayo din sa ginagawa niya.

The Greek word for “partakers” simply means, according sa Friberg Lexicon, “ one who takes part in something along with another fellow participant, partner.” The word in Philippians 1:7 is not a verb that suggests an admonition, but a common noun -- it is just describing who we are, na tayo ay, ayon sa salin ng Ang Biblia, “kabahagi sa biyaya, sa aking mga tanikala, at sa pagtatanggol at pagpapatunay sa ebanghelyo.”

Anong kinalaman ng apologetics dito? See that word sa Philippians 1:7 na “defence” o “pagtatanggol”?  Na nakikibahagi tayo daw diyan kay Apostle Paul?

Those are translations of the Greek word “apologia.”

Ang sinasabi niya ay ang four-fold na katangian ng paglilingkod for the sake of the gospel ay ang mga biyaya nito, ang mga tanikala nito, ang pagpapatunay nito at ang pag-a-apologia o pagde defend nito. It is quite interesting po di ba? May pagtatanggol din sa pagbabahagi ng ebanghelyo. We see this practiced by Paul in Galatians 2. He defended the Gospel against, “false brothers secretly brought in—who slipped in to spy out our freedom that we have in Christ Jesus, so that they might bring us into slavery” (v4). Pinagtanggol talaga nila kasi sabi sa verse 5 hindi daw sila nag “yield in submission even for a moment.” At ano ang purpose nila Pablo, “so that the truth of the gospel might be preserved for you.” In other words huwag siyang mawala sa inyong isipan sa pamamagitan ng maling turo na binabahagi ng mga “false brothers.”

So hindi na po mahirap isipin siguro ito kapag ikaw ay malimit nagse-share ng ebanghelyo. Laging may opposition na mararanasan tayo. Ang problema nga lang sa mga Pilipino parang asiwa tayo sa mga context na may conflict tulad ng mga hindi sumasang-ayon sa pagpe-presenta mo ng ebanghelyo.

May pagtatanggol talaga in the presence of conflict. Sa isang napakagandang linya ng Christian song na “Maintain” ni Johathan McReynolds, may ganito, “You gave me all the weapons, but it's still a fight.” Totoo naman ito at least ayon sa Jude 3 “Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints.” Sabi sa Lexicon ni Louw & Nida yung word na “contend” sa original Greek niya means, “exert intense effort on behalf of something.” In behalf of what sa verse na ito? In behalf po of the faith that is once and for all entrusted to the saints.

The Lord does not admonish us to contend for "a faith" or "the faith of your choice". The definite article "the" is used which means a specific faith is being discussed. What is it? Sometimes the word "faith" refers to our own attitude of trust, and sometimes it is used to refer to that truth into which we have placed our trust. It is in this second sense that Jude uses the term; "the faith" is God's truth; the gospel.*

Malinaw din dapat sa atin na ang mandato na pagbabahagi ng ebanghelyo ay bahagi ng ating calling bilang mga anak ng Diyos. Ang mahalaga pa nating makita diyan, ay ang pinapatungkulan ng “pagtatanggol.” Basahin po natin uli, “Matuwid na aking isipin ang gayon tungkol sa inyong lahat, sapagkat kayo'y nasa aking puso, yamang kayong lahat ay kabahagi ko sa biyaya, sa aking mga tanikala, at sa pagtatanggol at pagpapatunay sa ebanghelyo.” Makikita natin na oo kabahagi tayo sa biyaya, sa tanikla, sa pagtatanggol, at pagpapatunay -- at ang mga bagay na ito ay mga bagay that we share with the ministry of the apostles that was entrusted to us also.

So kung may pagpapahalaga tayo sa pagbabahagi ng ebanghelyo, mag pagpapahalaga tayo sa pagtatanggol nito against those who malign it or even simple curious lang of what it is but they have questions.

So marahil itatanong ninyo, “Kuya John, makikipag-argue ako pag ganyan.” Oo pero you have to do this intelligently. Next month I will share po sa inyo how to determine the argument nung kausap mo at paano ka rin sasagot using an argument. However next episode po, ang gagawin ko ay I will present muna a case for negative apologetics, o yung direct na pagre-refute sa kamalian ng iyong kausap. So next week po, we will use Scripture to embrace the conflict presented to us.

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*   http://www.bible.ca/ef/expository-jude-3.htm

PS

"Paul was not content only to proclaim and expound the gospel. He also argued its truth and reasonableness, and defended it against misunderstanding and misrepresentation. ... We too in our day must include #apologetics in our evangelism. We need to anticipate people’s objections to the gospel, listen carefully to their problems, respond to them with due seriousness, and proclaim the gospel in such a way as to affirm God’s goodness and further his glory. Such dialogical preaching has a powerful apostolic precedent in this passage."

John R. W. Stott, "The Message of Romans: God’s Good News for the World, The Bible Speaks Today" (Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2001), 98.