12 Bible Verses about Apologetics

Revere the Christ as Lord in your hearts; always ready to give an answer to any one who asks your reason for the hope that you cherish, but giving it humbly and in all reverence,

We are engaged in confuting arguments and pulling down every barrier raised against the knowledge of God. We are taking captive every hostile thought, to bring it into submission to the Christ,

Show tact in your behavior to the outside world, making the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation always be kindly, and seasoned, as it were, with salt; that you may know in each case what answer you ought to give.

Meanwhile Stephen, divinely helped and strengthened, was showing great wonders and signs among the people. But some members of the Synagogue known as that of Libertines, Cyrenians, Alexandrians, and Visitors from Cilicia and Roman Asia, were roused to action and began disputing with Stephen; Yet they were quite unable to withstand the wisdom and the inspiration with which he spoke.

Every Sabbath Paul gave addresses in the Synagogue, trying to convince both Jews and Greeks.

who holds doctrine that can be relied on as being in accordance with the accepted Teaching; so that he may be able to encourage others by sound teaching, as well as to refute our opponents.

For he vigorously confuted the Jews, publicly proving by the Scriptures that Jesus was the Christ.

So Paul took his stand in the middle of the Court, and said- -"Men of Athens, on every hand I see signs of your being very devout. For as I was going about, looking at your sacred shrines, I came upon an altar with this inscription--'To an Unknown God.' What, therefore, you worship in ignorance, that I am now proclaiming to you. The God who made the world and all things that are in it-- he, Lord as he is of Heaven and Earth, does not dwell in temples made by hands,read more.
Nor yet do human hands minister to his wants, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives, to all, life, and breath, and all things. He made all races of the earth's surface--fixing a time for their rise and fall, and the limits of their settlements-- That they might search for God, if by any means they might feel their way to him and find him. And yet he is not really far from any one of us; For in him we live and move and are. To use the words of some of your own poets--'His offspring, too, are we.' Therefore, as the offspring of God, we must not think that the Deity has any resemblance to anything made of gold, or silver, or stone--a work of human art and imagination. True, God looked with indulgence on the days of men's ignorance, but now he is announcing to every one everywhere the need for repentance, Because he has fixed a day on which he intends to 'judge the world with justice,' by a man whom he has appointed--and of this he has given all men a pledge by raising this man from the dead."

Paul went to the Synagogue there, and for three months spoke out fearlessly, giving addresses and trying to convince his hearers, about the kingdom of God. Some of them, however, hardened their hears and refused to believe, denouncing the Cause before the people. So Paul left them and withdrew his disciples, and gave daily addresses in the lecture-hall of Tyrannus. This went on for two years, so that all who lived in Roman Asia, Jews and Greeks alike, heard the Lord's Message.

Three days after our arrival, Paul invited the leading Jews to meet him; and, when they came, he spoke to them as follows: "Brothers, although I had done nothing hostile to the interests of our nation or to our ancestral customs, yet I was sent from Jerusalem as a prisoner, and handed over to the Romans. The Romans, when they had examined me, were ready to release me, because there was nothing in my conduct deserving death. But, as the Jews opposed my release, I was compelled to appeal to the Emperor--not, indeed, that I had any charge to make against my own nation.read more.
This, then, is my reason for urging you to come to see me and talk with me; because it is for the sake of the Hope of Israel that I am here in chains." "We," was their reply, "have not had any letter about you from Judea, nor have any of our fellow-Jews come and reported or said anything bad about you. But we shall be glad to hear from you what your views are, for, with regard to this sect, we are well aware that it is spoken against on all sides." They then fixed a day with him, and came to the place where he was staying, in even larger numbers, when Paul proceeded to lay the subject before them. He bore his testimony to the Kingdom of God, and tried to convince them about Jesus, by arguments drawn from the Law of Moses and from the Prophets--speaking from morning till evening. Some were inclined to accept what he said; others, however, rejected it. So, as they disagreed among themselves, they began to disperse, Paul adding only--"True, indeed, was the declaration made by the Holy Spirit, through the Prophet Isaiah to your ancestors-- 'Go to this nation and say--"You will hear with your ears without ever understanding, and, though you have eyes, you will see without ever perceiving." For the mind of this nation has grown dense, and their ears are dull of hearing, their eyes also have they closed; lest some day they should see with their eyes, and with their ears they should hear, and in their mind they should understand, and should turn--and I should heal them.' Understand, then, that this Salvation of God was sent for the Gentiles; and they will listen." OMITTED TEXT For two whole years Paul stayed in a house which he rented for himself, welcoming all who came to see him, Proclaiming the Kingdom of God, and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ, with perfect fearlessness, unmolested.

On his arrival in Jerusalem, Saul attempted to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him, as they did not believe that he was really a disciple. Barnabas, however, taking him by the hand, brought him to the Apostles, and told them the whole story of how Saul on his journey had seen the Lord, and how the Lord had talked to him, and how in Damascus he had spoken out fearlessly in the Name of Jesus. After that, Saul remained in Jerusalem, in close intercourse with the Apostles; and he spoke fearlessly in the Name of the Lord,read more.
Talking and arguing with the Jews of foreign birth, who, however, made attempts to kill him. But, when the Brethren found this out, they took him down to Caesarea, and sent him on his way to Tarsus.

Then Peter, surrounded by the eleven other Apostles, stood up, and, raising his voice, addressed the crowd. "Men of Judea," he began, "and all you who are staying in Jerusalem, let me tell you what this means. Mark well my words. These men are not drunk, as you suppose; for it is only now nine in the morning! No! This is what is spoken of in the prophet Joel--read more.
'It shall come about in the last days,' God says, 'That I will pour out my Spirit on all mankind; your sons and your daughters shall become Prophets, your young men shall see visions, and your old men dream dreams; Yes, even on the slaves--for they are mine--both men and women, I will in those days pour out my Spirit, And I will show wonders in the heavens above, and signs on the earth below--Blood and fire and mist of smoke; The sun shall become darkness, and the moon blood-red, Before the Day of the Lord comes--that great and awful day. Then shall every one who invokes the Name of the Lord be saved.' Men of Israel, listen to what I am saying. Jesus of Nazareth, a man whose mission from God to you was proved by miracles, wonders, and signs, which God showed among you through him, as you know full well-- He, I say, in accordance with God's definite plan and with his previous knowledge, was betrayed, and you, by the hands of lawless men, nailed him to a cross and put him to death. But God released him from the pangs of death and raised him to life, it being impossible for death to retain its hold upon him. Indeed it was to him that David was referring when he said-- 'I have had the Lord ever before my eyes, For he stands at my right hand, that I should not be disquieted. Therefore my heart was cheered, and my tongue told its delight; Yes, even my body, too, will rest in hope; For you wilt not abandon my soul to the Place of Death, nor surrender me, your holy one, to undergo corruption. Thou have shown me the path to life, you wilt fill me with gladness in your presence.' Brothers, I can speak to you the more confidently about the Patriarch David, because he is dead and buried, and his tomb is here among us to this very day. David, then, Prophet as he was, knowing that God 'had solemnly sworn to him to set one of his descendants upon his throne,' looked into the future, And referred to the resurrection of the Christ when he said that 'he had not been abandoned to the Place of Death, nor had his body undergone corruption.' It was this Jesus, whom God raised to life; and of that we are ourselves all witnesses. And now that he has been exalted to the right hand of God, and has received from the Father the promised gift of the Holy Spirit, he has begun to pour out that gift, as you yourselves now see and hear. It was not David who went up into Heaven; for he himself says- -'The Lord said to my master: "Sit on my right hand, Till I put your enemies as a footstool under they feet."' So let the whole nation of Israel know beyond all doubt, that God has made him both Lord and Christ--this very Jesus whom you crucified." When the people heard this, they were conscience-smitten, and said to Peter and the rest of the Apostles: "Brothers, what can we do?" "Repent," answered Peter, "and be baptized every one of you in the Faith of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and for your children, and also for all those now far away, who may be called by the Lord our God." With many other words Peter enforced his teaching, while the burden of his exhortations was--"Save yourselves from the perverse spirit of this age." So those who accepted his teaching were baptized, and about three thousand people joined the disciples on that day alone.