Elias Ayala

By Elias Ayala (MDiv & M.A.T.) Apologetics should be practical and useful for everyday life situations and not confined simply to academia and the discussions/debates between the scholars. If we are reminded of the primary context of the New Testament, much of its content is aimed at the average joe of the first century of which we as modern readers can glean great practical application. The New Testament itself presents to us a narrative in which God used normal people to proclaim and defend his truth. Indeed however, this is … Read More »

By Elias Ayala (MDiv & M.A.T.) For those who are interested in getting into apologetics but are having difficulty finding good learning resources, I want to share some helpful content here to send you on your way. Often times there is great zeal to engage in the defense of the faith but little knowledge as to what sites to visit or what books to read to get started. Hopefully I can provide some helpful guidance. Books: Bible All joking aside, I just want to get the obvious out of the … Read More »

By Elias Ayala (MDiv & M.A.T.) As is the case with a variety of theological issues, this is a hotly debated topic. I can do nothing more than share my opinion on the matter with the hopes that folks find it useful. To be simple, there is a sort of yes and no answer to this question. Let us consider first that when we speak of the “Law” we are not speaking of simply one “Law”. In the Old Testament there are 613 commandments that the Jews were to follow. … Read More »

By Elias Ayala (MDiv & M.A.T.) When a person experiences spiritual rebirth (regeneration) and they are hence united with Christ by faith and are justified (declared righteous) by faith in Christ alone, the Christian life has just begun. The believer then begins his/her journey in being conformed into the image of Christ. This is called “sanctification.” Sanctification is a progressive work of God and man that makes us more and more free from sin and like Christ in our actual lives.”1 Before progressing then, it will become important to distinguish … Read More »

By Elias Ayala (MDiv & M.A.T.) The role of the Bible in apologetics is of utmost importance. Indeed, what we as Christian apologists are defending is the veracity of the Christian worldview which is itself grounded in the Bible. While it is true that in apologetics, the discussion may not always be about any particular part of the Bible directly, everything we defend will be either directly or indirectly related to the Biblical witness. Our apologetic discussions can range from debates about biology, anthropology, mathematics, and science but for the … Read More »

By Elias Ayala (MDiv & M.A.T.) We live in an interesting time in which many seem to reject the notion of absolute and objective truth. In fact, many consider it an arrogant thing to acknowledge both that there is an absolute truth and that we are capable of accessing it. We will be told by many that “there is no absolute truth!” Or, people will say that “truth is relative”, “what is true for you is true for you but not true for me.” The truth about truth however, is … Read More »

By Elias Ayala (MDiv & M.A.T.) The idea that truth is that which works is the philosophical position known as pragmatism. Briefly summarized, a pragmatist holds the view that “a statement is known to be true if it produces the right results”. This view is typically attributed to William James and his intellectual disciples. It is also often associated with those who pride themselves in the legitimacy of the scientific method. (I agree that the scientific method is legitimate). If the scientific method applied to some hypothesis produces the right … Read More »

By Elias Ayala (MDiv & M.A.T.) Fideism within a religious context, is the position that argues that issues of faith and religion are not themselves based on reason. Indeed, on this position, religion is an issue of faith independent of reason. On fideism, one does not rationally argue for the truth of religion, rather, the person simply believes and that is it. Christians who understand religion in this fashion will often point to Hebrews 11:6 to support this claim: “And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever … Read More »

By Elias Ayala (MDiv & M.A.T.) Well, who gets to define what “science” is? It is quite easy for someone who disagrees with another to claim their methodology is not the “true” methodology. In reality, when we do science, science itself involves the search for causes. Scientists search for the causes of some phenomena with the hopes that we get a better grasp on the natural world. When considering the cause of some natural phenomena you can really have only two options: Either the cause is intelligent or it is … Read More »

By Elias Ayala (MDiv & M.A.T.) The assumption of the regularities of nature is a powerful one indeed. Surely, what we observe in nature must be that way, and it is irrational to believe that the laws of nature can act contrary to what we have continuously observed all throughout history…right?! This line of reasoning is sometimes coupled with the assumption of the immutability of the laws of nature. That is to say, that the laws of nature do not change, they cannot change. The nature of the laws of … Read More »