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<v Speaker 1>If we dedicate ourselves to the intellectual quest of defending

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<v Speaker 1>the faith, but it's not done with Christ sanctified in

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<v Speaker 1>your heart, then our witness will be limp and without

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<v Speaker 1>evangelical power unto conversion and perhaps even a scandal. Remember,

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<v Speaker 1>the ultimate apologetic is our love for Christ. By this,

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<v Speaker 1>the Lord says in St. John's Gospel, all men will

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<v Speaker 1>know that you are my disciples if you love one

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<v Speaker 1>another as I have loved you.

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<v Speaker 2>Hey, everyone. God bless you. Thanks a lot for tuning in.

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<v Speaker 1>The practice, the great discipline and investment on the church's

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<v Speaker 1>part of defending the faith to the outside world and

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<v Speaker 1>even strengthening her own children by an articulate explanation of

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<v Speaker 1>and defense of the Christian faith. Traditional Christianity. This is

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<v Speaker 1>Orthodox Catholic Christianity from the beginning. We see this even

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<v Speaker 1>in the texts of Holy Scripture, not just the example

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<v Speaker 1>of the apostles, of course, publicly preaching and defending the

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<v Speaker 1>knowledge of the one true God and bringing a critique

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<v Speaker 1>against pagan society. But texts like 1 Peter 3, verse 15,

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<v Speaker 1>where St. Peter writes to his spiritual children and asks them,

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<v Speaker 1>he says, to sanctify Christ in their hearts, always being

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<v Speaker 1>ready to make a defense for the hope that is

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<v Speaker 1>in them, but to do so with faith. gentility and love.

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<v Speaker 1>That text, 1 Peter 3.15, is a very important text

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<v Speaker 1>in the context of talking about apologetics and defending the faith.

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<v Speaker 1>And I'd like to have your ear just for a

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<v Speaker 1>moment about this very important subject and help you understand,

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<v Speaker 1>at least from my mind, what the traditional Christian attitude

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<v Speaker 1>is towards this, towards the process of defending the faith.

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<v Speaker 1>I have many, many old and beautiful memories of seeing

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<v Speaker 1>the faith defended in public. When I was a college

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<v Speaker 1>student in the 1980s at Westmont College, I had for

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<v Speaker 1>one year the happiness of participating as the leader of

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<v Speaker 1>what we called the evangelism team. And it was simply

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<v Speaker 1>a group of students that would get together on Friday

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<v Speaker 1>night We would pray together and then we would go

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<v Speaker 1>out and talk with people on the streets in the

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<v Speaker 1>downtown Santa Barbara area, which is a very, very beautiful,

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<v Speaker 1>beautiful area about the faith and see if we could

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<v Speaker 1>answer any questions or engage in a profitable interactions. And

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<v Speaker 1>then when we were done and the evening was over,

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<v Speaker 1>we would return and Pray that the seeds that we

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<v Speaker 1>had planted in some people's lives might be watered by God.

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<v Speaker 1>I also spent, as many young people do, summers abroad

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<v Speaker 1>when I was in college, traveling to different places with

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<v Speaker 1>mission teams with the goal of being able to meet

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<v Speaker 1>people and talk with them about the Christian faith.

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<v Speaker 2>My senior year in college, I had a class called Doctrine.

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<v Speaker 1>It was one of the four required religious studies courses

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<v Speaker 1>when I was a student in the 80s at Westmont.

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<v Speaker 1>And I had a professor there, a really wonderful professor

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<v Speaker 1>named Dr. William Lane Craig. He had accepted a one-year

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<v Speaker 1>position at Westmont. And it was my senior year. And

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<v Speaker 1>I consider that a great providence because he is a

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<v Speaker 1>very fine person and a very articulate and well-educated Christian person.

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<v Speaker 1>He had just finished, I think, his second doctorate in Europe.

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<v Speaker 1>And he came and I had him for a doctrine class.

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<v Speaker 1>He did it. teach again after that year. I left

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<v Speaker 1>Westmont after I graduated and he didn't continue teaching. Instead,

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<v Speaker 1>he launched his apologetics ministry, traveling from American campus to

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<v Speaker 1>American campus and also outside the country, defending the Christian

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<v Speaker 1>faith against particularly atheistic scientists. I remember going to see

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<v Speaker 1>him in a debate with an atheist professor professor of

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<v Speaker 1>science at the University of California, Santa Barbara. And walking

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<v Speaker 1>away from that, thinking to myself how deeply grateful I

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<v Speaker 1>was at the effort that Dr.

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<v Speaker 2>Craig put into defending the faith.

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<v Speaker 1>He absolutely, well, what shall I say, decimated this atheistic

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<v Speaker 1>scientist who went into the debate clearly overconfident and came

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<v Speaker 1>out completely embarrassed by the great competent defense of the

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<v Speaker 1>Christian faith that Dr.

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<v Speaker 2>Craig made. He's gone on, of course, Dr.

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<v Speaker 1>Craig, to become a very well-known internationally defender of the

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<v Speaker 1>Christian faith and an incredible debater. Back in the 80s, too,

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<v Speaker 1>I was happy to see Cliff Kinectly. Cliff is very

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<v Speaker 1>well known for his apologetics.

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<v Speaker 2>These are both.

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<v Speaker 1>Protestant Christians, but who have worked very hard to defend

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<v Speaker 1>their faith on America's campuses, which sadly over the last

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<v Speaker 1>50 years have become often centers of atheism and places

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<v Speaker 1>where many Christian students lose their faith. So to see

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<v Speaker 1>these incredible men, these incredible men come into the belly

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<v Speaker 1>of the beast, so to with great spirits and with

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<v Speaker 1>incredible intellectual devotion and great personal investment.

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<v Speaker 2>To see them defend the faith is fantastic, really fantastic.

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<v Speaker 1>And I remember as a young person how much it

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<v Speaker 1>helped me to hear such intelligent reflection and defense of

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<v Speaker 1>the teachings of Jesus and the way of Christians.

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<v Speaker 2>When I went to seminary in the late 80s, I.

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<v Speaker 1>Had the happiness of receiving some more instruction with regards

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<v Speaker 1>to apologetics.

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<v Speaker 2>I remember R.C.

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<v Speaker 1>Sproul, who was my systematic theology professor, was also very

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<v Speaker 1>committed himself to classical apologetics and would constantly be making

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<v Speaker 1>defenses of the faith and giving lectures on classical apologetics.

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<v Speaker 1>As a matter of fact, he brought... A very well-known

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<v Speaker 1>Southern Baptist theologian and philosopher and apologist to the campus

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<v Speaker 1>in the early 90s in Orlando.

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<v Speaker 2>He brought Dr. Ronald Nash there.

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<v Speaker 1>And I remember being very blessed to listen to that

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<v Speaker 1>man who was also extremely competent and well-educated in the

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<v Speaker 1>Christian faith, especially in its apologetics against atheism. At that

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<v Speaker 1>same time, I was studying with Dr. Richard Pratt and Dr.

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<v Speaker 1>John Frame, who was at Westminster Seminary at the time

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<v Speaker 1>out here in California. And they both are very much

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<v Speaker 1>heirs to what I call the presuppositional apologetics tradition. But

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<v Speaker 1>in all of that, all through college and all through seminary,

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<v Speaker 1>I was basically just basting in this... this soup of

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<v Speaker 1>committed Christian defense against atheism and alternative religions. It was

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<v Speaker 1>a great blessing to me. Due to the fundamental ahistoricism

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<v Speaker 1>of Protestantism, however, I was not aware until I became

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<v Speaker 1>an Orthodox Christian. I was not aware of the long

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<v Speaker 1>history of apologetics from the first century that the church

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<v Speaker 1>has been engaged in. Most of the apologetic work was

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<v Speaker 1>contemporary that I was exposed to, some of it perhaps

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<v Speaker 1>going back to the scholastic period into Thomas Aquinas and

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<v Speaker 1>that period in Western Christianity.

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<v Speaker 2>But I was quite shocked.

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<v Speaker 1>As I approached Holy Orthodoxy to say, discover the pedigrees

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<v Speaker 1>of numerous saints who invested themselves most vigorously to defend

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<v Speaker 1>the faith out of love for Christ and out of

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<v Speaker 1>a love for people, and especially out of a love

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<v Speaker 1>for people who were gripped by polytheism and idolatry. The

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<v Speaker 1>church produced by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Many

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<v Speaker 1>great apologists. I'd like to just name some of them

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<v Speaker 1>to you. If you know these already, then you can

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<v Speaker 1>now listen to me for a second. But I suspect

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<v Speaker 1>quite a few of you won't be familiar with these

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<v Speaker 1>great apologists. And it will be much to your edification

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<v Speaker 1>to read them. So let me tell you just about them.

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<v Speaker 1>a few of these incredible apologists of the early church. St.

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<v Speaker 1>Justin Martyr, this is the middle of the second century,

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<v Speaker 1>a great prominent Greek philosopher.

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<v Speaker 2>He converted to Christianity.

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<v Speaker 1>He wrote his first and second apologies defending the Christian

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<v Speaker 1>faith against all sorts of accusations and slanders that were

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<v Speaker 1>being brought against us by the polytheists. And he developed

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<v Speaker 1>a lot of apologetic tactics designed to build bridges with

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<v Speaker 1>the pagans and help them even using their language, especially logos,

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<v Speaker 1>to develop a new concept of the one true God

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<v Speaker 1>and his co-eternal son, his word, his logos, Jesus Christ.

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<v Speaker 1>Another early apologist is St. Quadratus of Athens. This is

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<v Speaker 1>early second century. He wrote a defense of the Christian

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<v Speaker 1>faith to the emperor Hadrian. This is very early, like

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<v Speaker 1>in the.

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<v Speaker 2>Middle of the 120s.

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<v Speaker 1>Defending the miracles of Christ and how they're continuing in

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<v Speaker 1>the church. St. Aristides, the philosopher, this is also early

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<v Speaker 1>second century, an Athenian philosopher who wrote an apology to

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<v Speaker 1>the emperor Antonius Pius, arguing for the existence of God

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<v Speaker 1>and the one true God and the order of creation

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<v Speaker 1>and contrasting our way of life, our morality with kind

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<v Speaker 1>of the degraded behavior of the Greek gods and their myths.

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<v Speaker 1>Athenagoras of Athens, this is getting nearer to the end

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<v Speaker 1>of the second century, who was a pagan Athenian philosopher

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<v Speaker 1>who was one to Christ and wrote a defense of

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<v Speaker 1>the Christian faith. refuting all sorts of absurd pagan accusations

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<v Speaker 1>that we were atheists because we didn't believe in the

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<v Speaker 1>gods and we're being accused of incest, cannibalism, of course,

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<v Speaker 1>because we were eating the body and blood of Christ

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<v Speaker 1>as we do to this day. We today appreciate all

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<v Speaker 1>of these early apologists for their efforts to defend the faith,

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<v Speaker 1>for their commitment not to live in what we might

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<v Speaker 1>call pietism or seclusion without a concern for the outside world.

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<v Speaker 1>They all, all of these apologists reflect Jesus's heart that

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<v Speaker 1>his people go into all the nations and make a

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<v Speaker 1>defense of the faith and preach the gospel and help

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<v Speaker 1>people come to know the living and true God.

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<v Speaker 2>And so we deeply appreciate that.

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<v Speaker 1>These dedicated apologists for their evangelical labors, for showing great

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<v Speaker 1>interest in the nations and laboring to explain the faith,

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<v Speaker 1>to answer questions, to dispel myths, and in every way

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<v Speaker 1>to smooth the road for the conversion of all men

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<v Speaker 1>and women, which is God's will for the human race.

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<v Speaker 1>This is why we have always maintained this disposition. towards

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<v Speaker 1>the outside world and labored to build bridges and to

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<v Speaker 1>make the faith known through our devotion to apologetic effort. Clearly,

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<v Speaker 1>we have an incredible and long tradition of apologetics, this

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<v Speaker 1>intellectual exercise of defending the faith. But remember, dear ones,

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<v Speaker 1>and this is important, I think, remember that this call

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<v Speaker 1>that St. Peter makes to make a defense of your faith.

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<v Speaker 1>It begins, that verse begins by this call, sanctify Christ

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<v Speaker 1>in your hearts, right? The intellectual effort to bring the

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<v Speaker 1>faith to the nations and to answer their criticisms. follows

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<v Speaker 1>the initial example of holiness in the church. If we

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<v Speaker 1>dedicate ourselves to the intellectual quest of defending the faith,

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<v Speaker 1>but it's not done with Christ sanctified in your heart,

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<v Speaker 1>the first part of that verse, then our witness will

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<v Speaker 1>be limp and without evangelical power unto conversion and perhaps

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<v Speaker 1>even a scandal. The intellectual apologetics of the church flow

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<v Speaker 1>from the heart of believers who love Christ in their

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<v Speaker 1>hearts and are embracing this sacred task of apologetics as

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<v Speaker 1>a matter of devotion to Christ, as a matter of holiness,

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<v Speaker 1>as a matter of love. Sanctify the Lord God in

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<v Speaker 1>your hearts and always be ready to make a defense.

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<v Speaker 2>That word defense is apologia. So, Peter is saying, yes,

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<v Speaker 2>make it apologetic.

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<v Speaker 1>Engage in the work of defending the faith, but do

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<v Speaker 1>it following the sanctification of Christ in your heart as

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<v Speaker 1>an outwork of your devotion to Christ and your love

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<v Speaker 1>for men whom He loves. Remember, the ultimate apologetic is

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<v Speaker 1>our love for Christ. By this, the Lord says in St.

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<v Speaker 1>John's Gospel, all men will know that you are my

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<v Speaker 1>disciples if you love one another as I have loved you.

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<v Speaker 1>The miracle, the unexplainable miracle, apart from Christ, of Christian

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<v Speaker 1>love is the ultimate apologetic. And it's that which is

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<v Speaker 1>the base upon which all of our intellectual apologetics resides.

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<v Speaker 1>In that context, our intellectual work of defending the faith

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<v Speaker 1>is of the greatest value. I'd like to recommend to

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<v Speaker 1>you a beautiful, newly published book. by New Rome Press

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<v Speaker 1>and the extremely talented Father Michael Monos. I'd like to

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<v Speaker 1>recommend this new apologetic treatise that he has published. It's entitled,

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<v Speaker 1>An Apology for Christianity by the Great Saint Athanasios Parios.

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<v Speaker 1>This is the co-laborer of St. Nicodemus of the Holy

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<v Speaker 1>Mountain and St. Macarius of Corinth, these incredible Kolivades fathers.

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<v Speaker 1>This defense of the faith was written, this is early

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<v Speaker 1>19th century, and it's a response to the French Revolution.

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<v Speaker 1>and to the so-called Enlightenment, which was a great darkness

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<v Speaker 1>with the rise of communism and violence and this reign

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<v Speaker 1>of terror which followed the beginnings of the French Revolution.

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<v Speaker 1>This was St. Athanasios' defense of the Christian faith and

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<v Speaker 1>refutation of I highly recommend it. I hope you'll buy

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<v Speaker 1>it from New Rome Press. An Apology for Christianity by St.

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<v Speaker 1>Athanasios Parios. I think that you'll love it. I loved it.

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<v Speaker 2>And thank you, New Rome Press, for publishing it.

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<v Speaker 1>And I'll end this reflection by simply pointing out to you,

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<v Speaker 1>dear ones, that we are living at a terrible time

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<v Speaker 1>in the West in general. And particularly now, as I

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<v Speaker 1>speak as an American, our nation is in a tremendous.

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<v Speaker 2>Crisis, cultural crisis.

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<v Speaker 1>I have, of course, lots of hope because of how

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<v Speaker 1>the gospel is moving today and many people are repenting.

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<v Speaker 1>But the The abandonment of American tradition, the rise of

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<v Speaker 1>a self-centered oligarchy at the expense of a whole generation

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<v Speaker 1>of young people is so dangerous and so awful. The

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<v Speaker 1>disconnect of our leaders from their constituents, the complete disregard

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<v Speaker 1>of the opinions of constituents by our political leaders, and

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<v Speaker 1>the selfishness of the tech titans and the The oligarchs

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<v Speaker 1>who are ruling our land has It itself is a

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<v Speaker 1>great foul offspring of infidelity to our own American mores.

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<v Speaker 1>And it's also provoked the rise of communism, a very

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<v Speaker 1>serious rise of communism, what we might call Mamdani-ism now,

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<v Speaker 1>under the guise of so-called democratic socialism, which don't be

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<v Speaker 1>confused by that. This is full-blown communism, and they have

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<v Speaker 1>an agenda to completely dismantle traditional America. This is a

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<v Speaker 1>very important time for us to have our minds clear

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<v Speaker 1>about what we think about communism and the revolutions that

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<v Speaker 1>it sparks. And this text, this apology for the Christian

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<v Speaker 1>faith and refutation of the Enlightenment and the French Revolution

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<v Speaker 1>is very, very important. Both the corrupt oligarchy governing our

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<v Speaker 1>land now and even the even worse communism that is riding.

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<v Speaker 1>These are foul. And we pray that the Lord God

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<v Speaker 1>will protect us from them both. and raise up great

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<v Speaker 1>defenders of the faith who can articulate the Christian faith

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<v Speaker 1>at this time in which we desperately need it. Thanks

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<v Speaker 1>a lot, dear ones, for listening to me. I ask

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<v Speaker 1>your prayers. God be with you.

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<v Speaker 2>Hey, everyone.

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<v Speaker 1>I hope you've downloaded the Patristic Nectar app on your phone.

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<v Speaker 1>It is a treasure trove of soul nourishing content. And

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<v Speaker 1>I hope you'll consider becoming a regular donor to Patristic

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<v Speaker 1>Nectar today.