Stands With A Fist: Women In Apologetics
John Dunbar: How did you get your name? Stands With a Fist: When I came to live on the prarie, I worked every day... very hard... there was a woman who didn't like me. She called me bad names... sometimes she beat me. One day she was calling me these bad names, her face in my face, and I hit her. I was not very big, but she fell down. She fell hard and didn't move. I stood over her with my fist and asked if any other woman wanted to call me bad names... No one bothered me after that day.
Sometimes you need to stand up for yourself and your beliefs. In today's world this can be very hard for anyone. Some women often have a much harder time doing this than men do. Women are judged on a somewhat different scale than men. We see this clearly in politics. While strong men are applauded , strong women are labeled as nags and the "B" word. More attention is paid to how we look, what we wear than the substance of our character. This is also true in Christian Apologetics. There are many male Apologists but very few females. Why is this? I have a few ideas:
- Many women are peacemakers by nature. Any Mom with more than one child knows we spend a lot of time keeping the peace. We don't "like" getting things "started".
- Some churches abuse 1 Corinthians 14:34 meant to bring order in a worship services and never meant to keep women from defending the faith.
- Some women lack confidence in their Bible knowledge, teaching and debate skills.
- Many women take disagreements as rejection and avoid them.
- Often women don't want the label of being overbearing
- Women are seldom encouraged to go into apologetics.
These are just a few reasons, I am sure there are many others. Women can learn a few things from our male counterparts. Men don't seem to take debating personal. They do not often get hurt or dejected or swayed by people that disagree with them. Men tend to debate from logic not emotion. Men often use less words and keep it simple, long explanations tend to lose people fast. Now this doesn't ring true always but mostly. While working over the years with men and women, interesting debates and discussions were common. After the discussion I found that the women that disagreed with me were often upset and quiet while the men were fine. I grew up with a brother and a close relationship with my father. My Dad taught me to love God, be strong, self sufficient, independent, take up for myself, persevere, achieve whatever I dreamed I could be and to respect myself. My brother taught me to joke around, don't take life too seriously, to keep fighting until one of us yells uncle, and that I will not always win the battle but at least I tried. My husband has given me support and love and fostered my original interest in Apologetics.
Apologetics is neither male or female. It is just a willing heart to defend the faith we love. Never make it personal and don't take it personal, just present the facts. Women lets get out there and spread the Word, share the Gospel and win souls with a don't back down attitude. How do we do this?
1 Peter 3:13-17 (Defend and push through)
13 Who is there to harm you if you prove zealous for what is good? 14 But even if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, you are blessed. And do not fear their intimidation, and do not be troubled, 15 but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence; 16 and keep a good conscience so that in the thing in which you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ will be put to shame. 17 For it is better, if God should will it so, that you suffer for doing what is right rather than for doing what is wrong.
2 Timothy 2:15 (Study God's Word)
15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.
2 Corinthians 10:5 (Study defenses to the Gospel to build a knowledge base)
5 We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ,
Colossians 4:5-6 (Live the Christian life, be an example, never miss the chance)
5 Conduct yourselves with wisdom toward outsiders, making the most of the opportunity. 6 Let your speech always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person.
Acts 6:8-10 (Be wise and filled with the Holy Spirit)
8 And Stephen, full of grace and power, was performing great wonders and signs among the people. 9 But some men from what was called the Synagogue of the Freedmen, including both Cyrenians and Alexandrians, and some from Cilicia and Asia, rose up and argued with Stephen. 10 But they were unable to cope with the wisdom and the Spirit with which he was speaking.
Titus 1:9 (Sound doctrines are key)
9 holding fast the faithful word which is in accordance with the teaching, so that he will be able both to exhort in sound doctrine and to refute those who contradict.
Isaiah 50:4 (Lift people up, don't tear them down)
4 The Lord God has given Me the tongue of disciples,
That I may know how to sustain the weary one with a word.
He awakens Me morning by morning,
He awakens My ear to listen as a disciple.
Acts 19:8-10 (Never give up! Lose one, don't lose heart, move on to the next one)
8 And he entered the synagogue and continued speaking out boldly for three months, reasoning and persuading them about the kingdom of God. 9 But when some were becoming hardened and disobedient, speaking evil of the Way before the people, he withdrew from them and took away the disciples, reasoning daily in the school of Tyrannus. 10 This took place for two years, so that all who lived in Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks.
So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.................. God's Word has the power.... we are merely one of the delivery systems He uses.
By Robin Wilson
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