How can I be 'prepared to give an answer'?

“Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.” (1 Peter 3v15)

You may well have heard a talk on this verse, explaining that the Greek word behind “answer” (or “defence”) is where the word apologetics comes from.

You may well also have been overwhelmed at the thought of mastering the skills of a good apologist.

Some seem to be able to give five arguments for the existence of God, four explanations for the problem of suffering, three proofs of the historical reliability of the Bible, two deep insights into the Christian origins of our cultural norms, and at least one explanation of the symbolic meaning behind a partridge in a pear tree! There is no way you can ever read all the books and hold all that information in your mind when talking with an unbeliever!

Thankfully, that is NOT what 1 Peter 3v15 is all about.

Apologetics according to 1 Peter

Peter has already told us about our hope and the reason for our hope. Our hope is our confidence that suffering leads to glory, that Jesus Christ will one day be revealed in splendour, and that after death we will be raised, glorified, and given our imperishable, unfading inheritance. He started his letter explaining the reason for this “living hope” – the reason is that Jesus Christ was raised from the dead.

This hope sustains us through the struggles and suffering. This hope enables us to do the “good deeds” that Peter has been talking about in 1 Peter 2v11–4v14.

By this hope we endure accusations thrown at us, knowing that the Father is our ultimate judge. By this hope we submit ourselves to human authorities, knowing that Christ is Lord over all. This hope enables slaves to suffering unjustly. It enables wives to submit without fear. It causes husbands to honour their wives. From the resurrection of Jesus comes a hope that means we can show blessing when insulted, entrust ourselves to God when threatened, and seek peace even when the world desires to harm us.

And if someone asks “How do you live this way?” you can answer, “Because Jesus rose from the dead, which means the best is yet to come”.

This is apologetics, according to Peter.

When you smile and bless, in the face of threats and insults, and someone asks “Why aren’t you retaliating?”, give the reason for the hope you have: tell them that Jesus is Lord and that every person will give account to Him.

When you keep going despite terrible illness, and someone asks “How do you cope?”, give the reason for the hope you have: there’s no health problem that can’t be fixed by the resurrection to glory!

Some people are gifted with the ability to give deep technical answers to knotty philosophical questions. But Peter’s vision of apologetics is the easier (and harder!) task of obeying a suffering Saviour with confidence in God of a glorious future.