马太福音12: 22-29：22当下，有人将一个被鬼附着，又瞎又哑的人，带到耶稣那里，耶稣就医治他，甚至那哑巴又能说话，又能看见。23众人都惊奇，说：“这不是大卫的子孙吗？”24但法利赛人听见，就说：“这个人赶鬼，无非是靠着鬼王别西卜啊！”25耶稣知道他们的意念，就对他们说：“凡一国自相纷争，就成为荒场；一城一家自相纷争，必站立不住；26若撒但赶逐撒但，就是自相纷争，他的国怎能站得住呢？27我若靠着别西卜赶鬼，你们的子弟赶鬼又靠着谁呢？这样，他们就要断定你们的是非。28我若靠着神的灵赶鬼，这就是神的国临到你们了。29人怎能进壮士家里，抢夺他的家具呢？除非先捆住那壮士，才可以抢夺他的家财。
“护教学”是当代神学的一个分支，依靠它我们可以用合理的方式来捍卫我们的信仰。这可不是说我们在为自己的信仰道歉。耶稣使用护教学来回应法利赛人对他的指控，他们说耶稣是靠着鬼王别西卜赶鬼。耶稣回答他们说：“那根本不成立，因为撒旦等于在自相纷争。”
有时候我们也不得不做同样的事情。有人会指责你是没有爱心的偏执狂，因为你相信耶稣是通往天堂的唯一途径。你可以为自己辩解说：“如果耶稣的确是通往天堂的唯一途径，否认这一点才是没有爱心呀。我非常想利用这个机会对你说说我为什么要相信。”
如果我们只想赢得一场争论，使用护教学会徒劳无益。但如果我们想让对话重新回到耶稣和信仰，它一定有所裨益。正如耶稣在上面的经文说到的那样：“我若靠着神的灵赶鬼，这就是神的国临到你们了。”我们赢了，不是因为我们赢得一场争论，而是因为我们有机会更多地传讲耶稣。
祷告：亲爱的耶稣，在今天的世上我们不得不随时捍卫我们的信仰。首先，请让我每天扎根在圣经的话语里，这样我的信心才得坚固。其次，请教给我谈话的艺术，让我抓住每一个机会同别人谈论你。奉你的名求，阿们！
Matthew 12:22-29: 22 Then they brought him a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute, and Jesus healed him, so that he could both talk and see. 23 All the people were astonished and said, “Could this be the Son of David?” 24 But when the Pharisees heard this, they said, “It is only by Beelzebul, the prince of demons, that this fellow drives out demons.” 25 Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand. 26 If Satan drives out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then can his kingdom stand? 27 And if I drive out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your people drive them out? So then, they will be your judges. 28 But if it is by the Spirit of God that I drive out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. 29 “Or again, how can anyone enter a strong man’s house and carry off his possessions unless he first ties up the strong man? Then he can plunder his house.
“Apologetics” is a discipline in religion today in which we defend our faith in a reasonable way. It has nothing to do with apologizing for what we believe. Jesus uses apologetics to answer the accusation of the Pharisees that he was driving out demons by Beelzebub, the prince of demons.” Jesus answered them by saying, “That doesn’t even make sense, because then Satan would be working against himself.”
Sometimes we have to do the same thing. Someone may accuse you of being an unloving bigot because you believe that Jesus is the only way to heaven. A reasonable defense would be to say, “Well, if it is true that Jesus is the only way to heaven, wouldn’t it be an unloving thing to do to say that he is not? I’d love the opportunity to show you why I believe this.”
Apologetics is not helpful if we just want to win an argument. It is helpful if we can bring the conversation back to faith and back to Jesus. That’s what Jesus did in the words above, when he said, “But if it is by the Spirit of God that I drive out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.” We win, not when we win an argument, but when we get a chance to teach more about Jesus.
Prayer: Dear Jesus, in the world today we are always having to defend what we believe. First, make me more rooted and grounded in the Scriptures every day so that my faith remains strong. Second, teach me the art of turning every conversation into an opportunity to tell someone about you. I ask this in your name. Amen.