COVENANTAL APOLOGETICS

Principles and Practice in Defense of Our Faith

K. SCOTT OLIPHINT

Foreword by William Edgar

wheaton, illinois

Covenantal Apologetics: Principles and Practice in Defense of Our Faith

Copyright © 2013 by K. Scott Oliphint

Published by Crossway

1300 Crescent Street

Wheaton, Illinois 60187

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher, except as provided for by USA copyright law. Crossway® is a registered trademark in the United States of America.

Cover design: Dual Identity, inc.

First printing 2013

Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway. 2011 Text Edition. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked NASB are from The New American Standard Bible®. Copyright © The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995. Used by permission.

Scripture references marked RSV are from The Revised Standard Version. Copyright © 1946, 1952, 1971, 1973 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A.

All emphases in Scripture quotations have been added by the author.

Trade paperback ISBN: 978-1-4335-7636-2

Mobipocket ISBN: 978-1-4335-7638-6

PDF ISBN: 978-1-4335-7637-9

ePub ISBN: 978-1-4335-7639-3

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Oliphint, K. Scott, 1955–

Covenantal apologetics: principles and practice in defense of our faith / K. Scott Oliphint; foreword by William Edgar.

pages cm

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN 978-1-4335-2817-0

1. Apologetics. 2. Reformed Church—Doctrines. I. Title.

BT1103.O453 013

239—dc22

2013006320

Crossway is a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

To John and Elise Maynard

Contents

Foreword by William Edgar

Acknowledgments

Introduction

1 Always Ready

Christian Truth

Required to Respond

What Is Covenantal Apologetics?

The Ten Tenets

Tenets and Texts

2 Set Christ Apart as Lord

I Am

Condescension and Apologetics

He Who Is Not with Me

3 Proof to All Men

Paul at Athens

Where Shall I Flee?

Proving the Proofs

What a Burden

How Do You Know?

4 We Persuade Others

“Trivial” Matters

Conclusion

5 We Destroy Arguments: The Achilles’ Heel

The Good Fight

Negative Apologetics

Positive Apologetics

6 Walk in Wisdom toward Outsiders

The Wisdom of Persuasion

The Spirit of Persuasion

Dennett, Dawkins, and Doubt

A Concluding Word to the Wise

7 You Are Very Religious

Idol Worship

God Is (Not?) Great

Conclusion

Bibliography

General Index

Scripture Index