Apologetics has a necessary ministry both outside the church towards unbelievers and inside the church towards believers. Apologetics has two functions: (1) persuade skeptics (1 Pet 3:15) and (2) strengthen the church (2 Cor 10:5; Titus 1:9). Both ministries are essential. For unbelievers, the focus is on defense (apologia) of the faith, offering rational justification against unjust accusations (1 Pet 3:15; Jude 3; Phil 1:7, 16). For believers, the focus is on addressing doubt and strengthening faith (2 Tim 4:3-4). There is a difference in how we approach each ministry. Some apologists make the mistake of focusing on one extreme or the other—either concentrating on unbelievers or believers. Both are necessary ministries of apologetics, but each requires different skills, knowledge and methodology.

Apologetics towards unbelievers requires a different mindset than helping a believer who is struggling with doubt. To reach with an unbeliever, the apologist must insert himself into the worldview of the unbeliever to identify the fatal flaw(s) in their grasp of reality. The unbeliever is not the “enemy”, but rather a prisoner-of-war whose mind is blinded (brain-washed) by the true enemy. We are not attacking the unbeliever, but the deception that they are under (2 Cor 4:4). Apologetics for unbelievers always seeks to liberate them. The ultimate goal in apologetics for unbelievers must always be the gospel. Arguments and evidence don’t save anyone; only Jesus Christ can do that. However, the Holy Spirit can use effective apologetics as a powerful springboard into the gospel.

On the other hand . . . for believers . . . the apologist seeks to strengthen existing faith and unbelief (Mark 9:24) and address the source/cause of any doubt. We seek to identify “chinks” in their armor. For example, a Christian may fail to recognize orthodox diversity in the Body of Christ, essentially asserting it’s “their way or the highway.” We can strengthen their faith by helping them to recognize the wonderful diversity in the church (i.e., both continuationism [the view that miraculous gifts are still operable] and cessationism [the view that miraculous gifts ceased at some point in history] are acceptable orthodox viewpoints). When faith is weakened by a theological conundrum, we can help by either working through the enigma or helping the believer to embrace the principle of “skeptical theism” (the truth that a finite mind cannot ever fully comprehend everything an infinite mind does.) Apologetics for believers tends to be more theological, requiring a solid theological foundation.

As the culture freefalls into postmodern paganism and collectively abandons a Judeo-Christian worldview, there is a temptation to “pull up the drawbridge” and shelter in the Fortress Church. That would be a monumental mistake. The best defense is a good offense. Apologetics is not only defensive; it can be offensive when we attack false beliefs.