Quick Guide: Why Christian Fathers Should Teach their Children Apologetics
Introduction
Apologetics is the discipline of defending the truth of the Christian message.
Is this something that you, as a Christian father, needs to intentionally be teaching your kids? This is a huge question—it’s one that every Christian dad needs to answer for himself.
When your kids are really young, you’re not really focused on this. When they are in the preschool and elementary years, you just want to lay down a foundation in the Christian worldview.
However, as they get older—into upper elementary and especially middle and high school years—it’s something you’re going to have to really think about.
For me, I’ve become convinced that the answer is yes. And in this episode, I am going to lay out why. I want to share with you why I believe every Christian father needs to be teaching his kids how to defend their faith.
You want to build a legacy for your family in the Christian worldview. Teaching your kids how to defend their faith is a huge part of that.
If you have kids, or you aspire to have kids someday, and you have been thinking about how to best prepare them to grow up in the Christian faith, then what I am about to say is for you.
This won’t be a “how-to,” as much as a “why-to.” I am going to share with you:
Why teaching your kids apologetics is a God-given duty.
Why learning apologetics is good for your kids.
Why teaching your kids apologetics also benefits you, as their father.
Does God Want Me to Teach My Kids Apologetics?
Let’s begin with why teaching your kids apologetics is a God-given duty.
Here are 5 Scripture Passages about Teaching Your Kids to Defend Their Faith.
Deuteronomy 6:6–7: “...You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.” This command for Jewish fathers under the Old Covenant is echoed in the New Testament, as we will see below.
Psalm 145:4: “One generation shall praise Your works to another, And shall declare Your mighty acts.” God wants our children to hear us declaring the His glorious deeds. Of course, this is a large part of what apologetics is—declaring the works and character of God.
Proverbs 22:6: “Start a youth out on his way; even when he grows old he will not depart from it.” This is the CSB, so it probably looks slightly different than how you’ve heard it before. However, the principle is rock solid: the process of raising children who can defend their faith begins in childhood. The knowledge and skills they glean early on will help them later in life.
Ephesians 6:4: “Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.” Fathers (and mothers by extension) are to teach their children to obey God’s words. Naturally, this includes all the commands about being ready to defend the faith. Speaking of which, that brings us to our fifth passage…
1 Peter 3:15–16: “but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect.” Being ready to answer “anyone who asks” means being ready to answer our own kids. As you answer their questions, you will be teaching them to defend the truth as well.
How Does Apologetics Benefit Kids?
Now let’s look at why learning apologetics is good for your kids.
We live in a world in which young people are leaving the Church in record numbers (J. Warner Wallace gives a breakdown of the latest studies here: https://coldcasechristianity.com/writings/are-young-people-really-leaving-christianity). As a Christian man, you want to leave a legacy in your family. One of the best steps things you can take toward that goal is to teach them apologetics.
Learning apologetics is amazingly beneficial for your children. Here are three ways it benefits them.
It prepares kids for the world. From a young age, children are surrounded by conflicting, unbiblical claims from the world. Apologetics helps them think clearly and interact well with a largely non-Christian world.
It encourages kids to evangelize. One obstacle to sharing the Gospel is the fear that someone will ask a question we can't answer. Apologetics prepares kids to answer the world's questions, so they can evangelize with more confidence.
It helps kids overcome their doubts. Have you ever wondered, "Is all this stuff really true?" Questions like this are inevitable, for us and our children alike. Learning to engage in apologetics well will enable kids to address their own unbelief and respond to their own questions with biblical truth.
How Does Teaching Apologetics Benefit Parents?
“So, what’s in it for me?” I know you weren’t asking that, but I’m going to answer it anyway. Seeing our children grow in the Lord is benefit enough. That being said, there are other blessings that we personally reap, when we teach our children apologetics. It is important that we recognize those now. Here are three benefits you receive, when you teach your kids apologetics.
It will strengthen your own faith. In order to teach your kids apologetics, you have to study it for yourself. You will find yourself doing a deep dive into your own faith. Why do you believe the Bible? How do you know the Christian worldview is true? As you uncover the answers to these questions, and the absolute truth of God’s word, your own faith will be reinforced.
It will help transform you into the worldview leader your family needs. Scripture is clear that families follow fathers (1 Co 11:3; Ep 6:4). God has entrusted dads with the duty of making disciples of their own children, which includes teaching them to defend their faith. As you do this more and more, you will find yourself living out the plan of God for your life. What an amazing blessing!
It will draw you closer to the Lord. To study apologetics is to uncover questions about God, and to search out their answers. In the Bible, God promises that those who seek Him will find Him (Je 29:13; Pr 8:17; Mt 7:7). Approach your study of apologetics as a spiritual discipline. Pray and study Scripture, and your teaching will flow out of an ever-increasing love of God.
What If I’m Not Sure How to Begin?
The first thing you need to know is how to defend the faith yourself. The best apologetics lessons flow from a convinced teacher. Want an introduction to apologetics? Here is a good place to start: https://thethink.institute/articles/if-you-can-answer-this-one-dumb-question-you-can-defend-your-faith.
Conclusion
So let’s look back on where we’ve been.
We looked at five Scripture passages that show that teaching your kids apologetics is a God-given duty. Personally, I find it especially powerful that preparing our kids to grow up ready to defend their faith begins in childhood (Proverbs 22:6).
We saw three ways learning apologetics benefits kids: it prepares them for the world, encourages them to evangelize, and helps them overcome their doubts.
Finally we observed three benefits that you will get, when you teach apologetics to your kids. It strengthens your own faith, helps transform you into your family’s worldview leader, and draws you closer to the Lord.So, what’s the answer?
Should you be teaching your kids to defend their faith?
Yes, you should.