When I first began in full-time ministry I remember thinking that it would be important for me to spend significant time studying apologetics, especially the defense of the Bible. This was an unexpected blessing in so many ways. The most substantial blessing was that my faith was strengthened to cling to the inspiration and authority of the Bible. Of course, I found myself more equipped to defend the Bible against those who sought to undermine its authority. While I enjoyed many evangelistic opportunities, I was not, after all, primarily an apologist. I was a pastor in a local church.
As I reflect over the last 10 years it is striking that most of my defense of the Bible does not have to do with its truthfulness but its sufficiency. And further, the context for these discussions has been among professing Christians. Does this surprise you? The more I talk with other pastors the more I find this to be true: the doctrine of the sufficiency of Scripture is under attack both explicitly and implicitly.
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