2010 National Conference on Christian Apologetics
Gilson: Christians must reclaim
the ethical, intellectual high ground
By Paula R. Kincaid, The Layman, October 25, 2010
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Christians have lost the “high ground” ethically and intellectually in the culture wars, Tom Gilson told those attending his workshop at the 17th annual National Conference on Christian Apologetics, and then he discussed ways to reclaim that high ground.
The apologetics conference was sponsored by Southern Evangelical Seminary along with North Carolina Baptists, Breakpoint, Summit Ministries, the American Family Association and World Magazine. It was held Oct. 15-16 at Northside Baptist Church in Charlotte, N.C.
Gilson is an author and missions strategist with Campus Crusade for Christ. He is currently on special assignment to Breakpoint working in the area of worldview ministry strategy. He hosts the Thinking Christian blog and also writes for the First Things Evangel blog.
“We stood on ethical high ground at one point – and intellectual high ground,” Gilson said, mentioning names of Christians including Augustine of Hippo, Thomas Aquinas, Galileo Galilei, Jonathan Edwards and Blaise Pascal. “And the list goes on and on,” he said. “Christians have a strong intellectual heritage.”
“We have stripped [the Gospel] of much of its power,” he said. The Gospel can “change not only the human heart, but the world.”
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What does high ground mean?
In a battle, Gilson said, military officers like to be on high ground. “It’s easier to fight from there … it’s not about hand-to-hand combat at that point. It’s about positioning.”
He said that Christians are good at hand-to-hand combat, but what they don’t do well is think about the big picture or the broad scope strategy.
“We minister in a context,” he said. “We don’t just minister in these hand-to-hand direct contacts … We minister in a context where we deal with question of plausibility.”
Gilson said that when telling people about Jesus, Christians are trying to explain someone who lived 2,000 years ago, taught, died, rose again, and “if you believe that it will change you forever. … There can be a plausibility issue there.”
In terms of persuasion, Gilson used the Apostle Paul as an example. Paul approached the Thessalonians –“with the Word, but not just with the Word, but with relationships,” Gilson said. He quoted the words written by Paul in Scripture to make his point:
“For we know, brothers loved by God, that He has chosen you, because our Gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction. You know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake.” (1 Thessalonians 1:4-5 esv)
“For we never came with words of flattery, as you know, nor with a pretext for greed – God is witness. Nor did we seek glory from people, whether from you or from others, though we could have made demands as apostles of Christ. But we were gentle among you, like a nursing mother taking care of her own children. So, being affectionately desirous of you, we were ready to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you had become very dear to us.” (1 Thessalonians 2:5-8 esv) Gilson said that Christians “need to learn to engage in the real battle of issues,” including gay marriage and abortion.
It can’t just be that Christians just don’t get abortions, he said. “We have to regain the high ground by making the case that abortion really is wrong,” he said, and with more than just bumper stickers and slogans.
Intellectually, to reclaim the high ground Christians must study, Gilson said. “When God gave us His revelation, He gave it to us in a book. Funny thing, what are you supposed to do with a book? Study.”
He asked, “How many have had a quiz in Sunday school? How many go to Sunday school and expect to learn something?”
Gilson encouraged those in the workshop to advocate for reclaiming the high ground. He said “we need to go back to our churches, and say, ‘You know what we have a strategic position to regain. We need to study.’ We need to encourage people to study.”
Christians do have the truth, he said. “I think that because we have such an incredible foundation of truth … because we do have history on our side, I think we can reclaim the high ground and if we do, how much stronger will everything else we do in ministry become?”
Gilson has written a book, Reclaim the High Ground that will be published soon. Chapter One can be read for free atwww.reclaimthehighground.org/HighGroundIntro.pdf.
For more information about reclaiming the high ground, visit www.reclaimthehighground.org