Mikel Del Rosario

Mikel Del Rosario has equipped believers from the West Coast to the Far East, challenging both young people and adults to be better-prepared ambassadors of Jesus Christ. He completed his B.A. in Communications with an minor in Biblical Studies at Biola University (1999). After this, he went on to earn his M.A. in Christian Apologetics with highest honors from Biola University (2003). He was ordained as a minister by his local church in 2005. Today, Mikel teaches Christian Apologetics classes at Bridgeway Christian Church and is an Adjunct Professor of Philosophy and Religion at the University of Phoenix.

A former missionary professor and student ministries pastor, Mikel is an active speaker at churches, schools and conferences. He has lectured for the Association of Christian Schools International, the Billy Graham Center‘s Mission America Network, and youth conferences at Azusa Pacific University and Biola University. He has also appeared in Focus on the Family’s Citizen Magazine.

Mikel lives in Roseville, California, with his wife and child. An interesting bit of trivia is that he also appeared as an extra in the 2002 film, Spiderman. Find out more about his apologetics speaking and training ministry at his blog, Apologetics Guy.

Three Essential Elements of Everyday Apologetics

Written by Mikel Del Rosario on 05 June 2012. Posted in Blogs - Mikel Del Rosario

Are you new to Apologetics? Here are three things every Christian should do with the apologetics information they learn from radio shows, lectures, books and other training resources. In my presentations and workshops. I like to call these the three essential elements of everyday apologetics.

1. Find answers for yourself

First, know that Apologetics is for you. It helps you, as a Christian, discover that there are good answers to the hard questions. No need to lose any sleep at night wrestling ideas like “Do I really have to let go of my reason just so I can have faith?” Or “Do I need to chuck the faith so I can be reasonable?” Apologetics helps you understand the answers to tough questions about Christianity.

2. Share those answers with others

But it's not just for you. We need to give good answers to people who are asking the tough questions about Christianity. Peter said, we should be ready to share reasons with anyone who asks us about the hope that we have in Jesus. But we’ve got to do this with gentleness and respect (1 Peter 3:15).

3. Be a wise representative of Jesus

Part of this is being a good listener. Think about it. If we want people to listen to our ideas, we’ve got to be willing to listen to theirs. Seems like a no-brainer, right? Even just asking a question like, “What do you mean by that?” really gets a good conversation going.

If your friend says something like, “It’s stupid to believe in God.” Ask, “What do you mean by God?” Because if you find out your friend thinks it’s stupid to believe there’s a super-old guy with a big white beard who's sitting up on a cloud, granting wishes, well…you can see where they’re coming from.

Also asking questions like, “What’s your thinking on that?” can also help your friend consider what he believes and why he or she believes it, too. Two great books on asking good questions are Tactics by Greg Koukl, and Questioning Evangelism by Randy Newman.

But another part of this is making our answers memorable. Apologetics involves all kinds of other disciplines. We can use theory, evidence and arguments from things like history, science, philosophy and even communication. Interestingly, we typically forget 50% of what we’ve heard—immediately after someone finishes talking to us. But it gets worse. 8 hours later, we're down to just 20%. What makes up that 20%?

It's the examples: Stories, illustrations, objects or pictures you can see in your head. These are things that tend to stick. Incidentally, the number one book I recommend on this topic isn't an apologetics book at all. It's a book by Chip and Dan Heath, called Made to Stick.

Think of these examples like business cards you leave behind with the people you talk to. When they come across your card, they’ll remember you. In kind of the same way, when your friend remembers the example you used, they’ll probably remember your point. Jesus actually used a number of really vivid examples:

The camel going through the eye of a needle
The lamp under the bushel
The story of the Good Samaritan

By the way, the number one Christian apologetics book I recommend on this subject is a book by J.P. Moreland and Tim Muelhoff called The God Conversation. It’s not enough just to have good answers for ourselves. Let’s share good reasons to believe in way that’s simple to get and easy to remember.

Why Should I Give People Reasons to Believe?

Written by Mikel Del Rosario on 04 May 2012. Posted in Blogs - Mikel Del Rosario

Maybe you’ve encountered well-meaning Christians who look down on the practice of providing evidence for Christian truth claims. I used to get that a lot. How should you respond?

JUST POINT TO JESUS

What’s Jesus' example look like? Turns out, Jesus provided evidence—reasons to believe—in many different ways. For example, Luke said Jesus “gave many convincing proofs” of his resurrection from the dead (Acts 1:3).

In To Everyone an Answer, Craig Hazen noted:

Jesus demonstrated the truth of His message and his identity over and over again, using nearly every method at his disposal, including miracle, prophecy, godly style of life, authoritative teaching and reasoned argumentation.

Remember the healing of the paralytic in Mark 2? First, Jesus said, “Your sins are forgiven.” But then, he actually performed a miracle and healed the man. Why? Because you can’t tell if his forgiving the guy really meant he was forgiven by God. Without the miracle, observers would be left there going, “Well? Did it work? Can anyone else besides God really forgive sins?”

Jesus gave them good reasons to believe he had divine authority to forgive sins–and, by implication, that he was the Messiah. His audience knew the signs of the Messianic era: the blind would see, the deaf would hear, the lame would walk, and the mute would shout (Isaiah 35:5-6). And one of these things just happened right there in front of them.

This approach seems consistent with how God presented evidence in the Old Testament. Remember Elijah’s Mount Carmel showdown against Baal’s prophets in 1 Kings 18? This miraculously proved Yahweh was the true diety. I also love how God issued a bold challenge to his enemies: “Present your case. Set forth your arguments” (Isaiah 41:21-22).

CHRISTIAN OBJECTIONS TO APOLOGETICS

I’ve been surprised to hear believers say things like, “Apologetics doesn’t work. People won’t repent no matter how much evidence you give them.” Really? Then why did Jesus say this?

Woe to you, Korazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! If the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes (Matt. 11:20-21).

In light of these things, why shouldn’t we provide evidence for the truth of Christianity? What are we supposed to do instead? Let’s follow Jesus’ example. Let’s give people reasons to believe.

The Resurrection of Jesus: An Unlikely Easter Conversation

Written by Mikel Del Rosario on 08 April 2012. Posted in Blogs - Mikel Del Rosario

Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally

One Easter, a relative cornered me at a family reunion and wanted to talk about the resurrection of Jesus. Let's just call her my dear Aunt Sally. Some people try to stay away from politics and religion a parties. Not Aunt Sally. :-)

Aunt Sally was Religious Studies major and she started off by telling me that Jesus didn’t come back from the dead in any real sense--that the story of Jesus' resurrection just emerged over decades after the crucifixion. She said that Jewish peasants who missed Jesus and needed a Messiah figure basically made the whole thing up--probably because it helped them feel better emotionally and things like that.

But she said something else, too. She said that it doesn't really matter if the resurrection of Jesus actually happened. After all, can't we draw inspiration from a story even if it’s not true?

In this post, I'll share how you can respond to these two challenges:

It doesn't matter if Jesus really rose from the dead
The story of the resurrection of Jesus emerged over decades after the crucifixion

Does it really matter if the resurrection of Jesus is a total lie? I'll bet you've heard this kind of question before: "Can't we draw inspiration from a story even if it’s not true?"

Jesus and the Truman Show

This reminds me of an old Jim Carry movie: “The Truman Show.” If you've seen the film, you might remember that Truman basically lived the perfect life. But he had no clue that he was part of this fantasy world that was made up by the people who produced the Truman Show. Truman had no clue his view of the world was built on a total lie. Now I guess you could say, “What does it really matter?” I mean, he’s happy, right? But Truman got suspicious and he tried to figure out what's going on. And I don't blame him. I mean, what would you do? Wouldn’t you want to know if your best friends were a bunch of fakes? If your idea of the world was based on a total lie? I would. That’s because the truth matters--especially when we're talking about spiritual stuff. The apostle Paul thought so, too. Here's what he wrote in 1 Corinthians 15:14-17 (ESV):

If Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain...and your faith is in vain...if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins.

Paul wasn't a fan of drawing inspiration from fiction. He was convinced that if Jesus didn't come back from the dead in any real sense, the entire faith tradition is a waste of time--and that Christian religion is based on a total lie. As a Christian, I've got to be OK with saying that if the resurrection of Jesus was faked, we're in the same kind of spot that Truman was. We wouldn't have hope in anything real. In fact, we'd be totally hopeless. Our worldview would be based on a total lie.

You might consider sharing this illustration and idea with a skeptical family member who asks something like, "Can't we draw inspiration from a story even if it’s not true?" on Easter Sunday.

It's interesting that virtually every critical scholar believes that 1 Corinthians is an authentic letter of Paul. Even more, that Paul's conversion is a fact of history.

Paul and History

Christians and non-Christian scholars see the historical importance of Paul's writings. I was reminded of this last week, when a Jewish author named Amy-Jill Levine (who teaches New Testament and Jewish studies at Vanderbilt University Divinity School) was quoted on CNN's Belief Blog:

The best source on the period for Jewish history other than (the first-century historian) Josephus is the New Testament... It's one of those ironies of history that the only Pharisee writing in the Second Temple period from whom we have records is Paul of Tarsus.

Paul says he persecuted Christians, threw them in jail and had no problem with people who killed Christians. But then, Paul suddenly became a Christian himself. Paul's conversion is a fact of history. And it makes historians ask, "Why did someone who hated Jesus' followers become a Christian all of a sudden?"

When people asked Paul himself, he said it was because he was convinced that he had a real experience of the risen Jesus. He wrote this about in his letters to people living in Corinth, Galatia and Philppi. Paul was originally a skeptic and an enemy of the church--certainly no friend of Jesus. But he put himself in harm's way over and over again just for saying that the resurrection of Jesus was true---that he actually saw Jesus alive after the crucifixion.

Now, let's turn to Aunt Sally's second idea, that the story of the resurrection of Jesus emerged over decades after the crucifixion. But what about this?

Early Reports of the Resurrection of Jesus

Jesus died in 30 A.D. and most scholars say Paul’s conversion happened about 2 years after that. Critics also believe that 3 years after this, Paul made a special visit to Peter and James, where he discovered an early Christian creed that reports the resurrection of Jesus--something that was around way before the New Testament was even written. In 1st Corinthians 15, scholars believe that Paul quoted an early creed This is how Rabbis would pass on tradition. Creeds are kind of like the lyrics to a song that you can’t get out of your head. They’re a way to preserve and memorize important information. This creed says Jesus appeared to his disciples and others. Here’s the quote Paul used (1 Corinthians 15:3-7):

For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas (Peter), then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles.

An agnostic historian, Gerd Ludemann, says this creed was being used within 2 years after the crucifixion. In fact, some very well-respected scholars are now saying that the teaching of the Resurrection and the formulation of this creed started in 30 A.D. For example, James D.G. Dunn--one of today’s leading biblical scholars--says the teaching of the resurrection of Jesus and the formulation of this creed began no later than 6 months after Jesus' crucifixion.

So it's just not true that the story of Jesus' resurrection emerged over decades after the crucifixion. It wasn't made up by Jewish peasants who missed Jesus and needed a Messiah figure. Paul was a skeptic and an enemy of the church. He didn't miss Jesus one bit. And it certainly didn't help him out emotionally when he was persecuted and jailed for insisting that his testimony was true--that he was an eyewitness of the risen Jesus.

Not the Stuff of Legend

Still, some people continue to suggest that the resurrection of Jesus is basically the stuff of legend, like Osiris and Isis. Could Jesus actually be nothing more than a fictional character in religious mythology? No way. Another agnostic New Testament scholar, Bart Ehrman, was quoted by The Washington Post last week:

The celebration of Jesus’ death by crucifixion from the very early days of the Christian movement is, odd as it might seem, secure evidence that Jesus in fact really did exist...Those who deny that Jesus ever even existed...typically claim that he was invented by early Christians in imitation of pagan gods and demi-gods who, like Jesus, but before him, were said to have died and risen again. This view is wrong on all scores.

How the Story Ends

So let me tell you what happened in my conversation with Aunt Sally. Here's how it ended: She said that the story of the resurrection of Jesus probably just emerged over the decades from Jewish peasants with kind of an underdog mentality--maybe people who missed Jesus or needed a Messiah figure. And it helped them feel better emotionally and things like that.

We talked about Paul for a bit and she finally ended up saying, “OK. I don’t know what happened...But something happened.” This is where a lot of our skeptical friends and family members may end up. Because I really haven't found a plausible, naturalistic explanation that can account for all of the historical facts in this case. But this event has huge implications, not just for Christians, but for everyone.

On Easter Sunday, we're not commemorating the resurrection of John Doe. We're celebrating the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. And given the context of his life, it seems to say something about who he is and claims that he made.

The Goal of Religious Studies

Aunt Sally was a Religious Studies major. I don't know where she heard some of these things, but I do know that one of the stated goals of her program is to "cultivate understanding of and respect for religious diversity and non-religious perspectives." Reminds me of another quote from Levine, who emphasized mutual respect on CNN's Belief Blog last week:

Speaking personally as a Jew, if I want my neighbors to respect Judaism, which means knowing something about Jewish history, scripture and tradition, I owe my Christian neighbors the same courtesy. It's a matter of respect.

As a World Religion professor at a couple of universities, I believe students of religion should do the hard work of fact-finding, seek to understand the source material, and honestly investigate the historical facts surrounding Jesus' resurrection reports with an open mind. As a Christian, I believe every Christian needs to be prepared to talk about the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ---our Living Hope.

What is Christian Apologetics?

Written by Mikel Del Rosario on 26 March 2012. Posted in Blogs - Mikel Del Rosario

Apologetics is Like Soccer

I'm Still Not Sorry

Many years ago, while I was in the Christian Apologetics program at Biola University, my wife and I attended a family gathering in Northern California.

While we were there, one of my wife's aunts heard I was in grad school and she asked me, “What are you getting your degree in?”

I said, “Apologetics.”

She replied with a chuckle, “I’m SO sorry!”

“It’s not really that bad,” I said, looking kind of confused.

In 2003, I did earn my M.A. in Christian Apologetics---and I'm still not sorry about that! But today, I still get a few odd responses at family gatherings when this comes up. Even in my ministry, Christians who come to my live apologetics workshops at area churches ask me, “Why does it sound like apologizing?”

I get it. This entire discipline has a totally weird name.

Sometimes, it's good to revisit the basics. In this post, I’ll explain what Christian apologetics is, two general kinds of apologetics and what I like to call “the three essential elements of everyday apologetics.” So what is Christian apologetics anyway?

What is Apologetics?

An “apologetic” just means a defense. Peter commanded Christians to be ready with answers when people ask about the faith. In 1 Peter 3:15, the word translated as “answer” (in the NIV) is the Greek word, apologia. And that’s why the word apologetics kind of sounds like apologizing.

But it’s actually more like what a lawyer does when he or she presents an opening statement or argues a case. As I like to say, obeying this command just means you’ve got reasons for what you believe and you’re ready to talk with anyone who’s got questions.

It doesn’t mean getting all flustered or defensive.

It doesn’t mean being a jerk or getting into fights.

It means speaking the truth in love as we represent our Lord in everyday life.

Does Apologetics Really Help Anyone?

Interestingly, Apologetics can help both believers and unbelievers, too. For Christians, apologetics can help us confirm that the faith is true. But the Holy Spirit can also use apologetics to help unbelievers discover that Christianity is true.

William Lane Craig defined it this way in one of my favorite books, Reasonable Faith:

"Apologetics is that branch of Christian theology which seeks to provide a rational justification for the truth claims of the Christian faith."

Two Kinds of Apologetics

Think about it like soccer. You’ve got your forwards and you’ve got your defenders. Forwards can help you remember something called “positive apologetics.” This is where we build a positive case for Christianity by giving someone good reasons to believe God exists, Jesus rose from the dead, etc…

Defenders can help you remember the flip side: “Negative apologetics.” This is where we respond to challenges—where we deal with objections to belief in God and refute arguments against the truth of Christianity. Just like in soccer, these positions can work together.

Norman Geisler put it like this in To Everyone An Answer:

"Apologetics is simply to defend the faith, and thereby destroy arguments and every proud obstacle against the knowledge of God. It is opening the door, clearing the rubble, and getting rid of the hurdles so that people can come to Christ."

The Three Essential Elements

I like to say that there are three essential elements of everyday apologetics:

Understanding the answers to tough questions about Christianity
Giving good answers to those who ask tough questions about Christianity
Being a wise ambassador of Jesus Part of this last point is being a good listener.

But it also includes making our answers memorable. That’s one reason I’m a big fan of using stories, objects and illustrations to explain the faith. It helps make ideas that have to do with apologeitcs easier to understand and easier to remember. Being a wise ambassador–speaking the truth in love–is part of loving God and loving others.

So a quick way to understand apologetics is “defending the faith.” Whether your building a positive case for the Christian faith or defending against common objections, keep in mind “the three essential elements of everyday apologetics.” Listen. Share. Love.