The Apologetics Forum I did not expect

Once you have already attended several evangelical events, you are usually prepared and even wary of what to expect.

Apologetics sounds like lectures, exercising your mind, questioning, responding, confronting and debating. All of that was present at the Apologetics Forum we attended in El Escorial this past weekend.

But the Forum was not just good food for thought. What surprised me most was the emotion and heartfelt connection that this intellectual feast stirred within us after three days of lectures and, above all, honest conversations.

All Evangelical Focus news and opinion, on your WhatsApp.

I think all 170 of us who attended were pleasantly surprised. Firstly, we saw that there were many young people, and they were not just there to fill space.

Almost a third of the attendees were university students or recent graduates who actively participated in the sessions and with whom you could sit and talk about their genuine interest in equipping themselves to share the gospel with their peers or colleagues.

The programme was demanding and packed, but the conversations continued during breaks, with many sacrificing sleep to keep talking.

You could see Peter J. Williams, who had almost five hours of speaking time on Saturday, staying to answer and chat with the young people who approached him with questions.

That is not trivial. There is a prevailing narrative about the lack of interest in faith among younger generations. And, to some extent, that's true, but it is not the whole picture.

 

 

 

 

Ver esta publicación en Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Una publicación compartida de Fórum Apologética (@forumapologetica)

As Andy Wickham pointed out at the start of the event, something is happening in the opposite direction.

“In the 18 years that I have been preaching in the public sphere, I have never seen so many people having an encounter with Jesus”, he said. Seeing that movement reflected in the faces of those who filled the chairs was very significant.

“I love seeing a young man like Denis, able to speak to his generation about the Bible in a language they understand”, a veteran of these gatherings told me.

Several young people present at the event are also being trained in the Proclama programme, through which Pontea prepares them to explain the faith in their own context.

I also spoke with some young women who were thrilled to see their Bible study groups at university grow from five to thirty participants in just a few years.

Yes, something new is happening among young people in Spain that will change the face of the evangelical church (and it will be for the better!). “Let's do it again soon!”, I heard someone said as I said goodbye to a person I had met for the first time.

I conclude with a personal note. Peter J. Williams, the director of Tyndale House in Cambridge and one of the most respected voices in the study of New  manuscripts, spent his second plenary session telling us the parable of the prodigal son. A story we all know. Or think we know.

Williams unfolded layers of the story that we usually overlook, such as the contrast between the son who goes far away and is near, and the one who stays near and is far; Jesus' narrative economy, which doesn't tell us that the father was generous, but shows it; and the detail that, upon returning, the younger brother begins his speech with “Father”, while the older brother, in his resentment, begins with “Look”.

Finally, he encouraged us to find parallels and contrasts in this story with Genesis and the Gospel itself.

Jesus as the younger son who leaves home to save us. Jesus is like the eldest son who arrives at the feast to rejoice in welcoming us as younger brothers and sisters before his heavenly Father, making us co-heirs of his inheritance.

I left that session thinking that perhaps the most powerful apologetics involves not so much seeking complete arguments or answering every question, but rather letting the Word itself speak to our hearts, and being able to share its depth and beauty with others.

[analysis]

[title] Do you see a need for this kind of journalism? [/title]

[text] Evangelical Focus is a network of many people in Europe and beyond who strive to bring a uniquely Christian perspective to the big issues of conversation.

Through news, interviews, opinion and analysis, we seek to build bridges between evangelical churches and the societies in which they live.

As a non-profit entity, the big challenge is to be sustainable, month by month. We invite you to make a difference! Join the readers who make Evangelical Focus possible.

[/text][/analysis]