The Intellectual Disciple: Arming the Mind for the Defence of the Faith

By Oyewole O. Sarumi

In an age characterised by scepticism, secularism, and a pluralistic marketplace of ideas, the call to Christian discipleship is increasingly a call to intellectual rigour. For too long, a dangerous dichotomy has existed within certain quarters of the church, a separation between the heart and the head, between spiritual fervour and theological substance.

However, the biblical mandate is clear. The Apostle Peter, writing to a persecuted church, instructed believers to “always be ready to give a defence to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear” (1 Peter 3:15). This “defence; translated from the Greek word apologia, is the foundation of Christian apologetics.

To engage in apologetics is not merely to argue; it is to reason, to clarify, and to dismantle the obstacles that keep people from the Cross. But one cannot defend what one does not know. You cannot offer a reason for your hope if you do not understand the historical, theological, and philosophical underpinnings of that hope. Faith is not a leap into the dark; it is a step into the light of revealed truth, supported by history and reason.

To be a robust witness in the twenty-first century, the modern believer must become a student of history, a theologian-in-the-making, and a cultural anthropologist. We must trace the evolution of our faith from the dust of first-century Palestine to the halls of the Council of Nicaea, through the fires of the Reformation, and into the vibrant revivals of Africa. This article outlines the necessary curriculum for the intellectual disciple.

The Guardians of Continuity: The Apostolic Fathers

The journey of apologetics begins where the New Testament ends. A frequent criticism levelled against Christianity is that the Bible was corrupted over centuries or that the divinity of Christ was a later invention. To counter this, one must study the Apostolic Fathers, the generation of leaders who immediately succeeded the Apostles.

Men like Clement of Rome, Ignatius of Antioch, and Polycarp of Smyrna provide the vital link in the chain of apostolic succession, not necessarily a succession of power, but a succession of truth. Polycarp, for instance, was a disciple of the Apostle John. When we read Polycarp’s letters, we are reading the theology of a man who sat at the feet of the disciple whom Jesus loved. Another significant figure, Papias of Hierapolis, claimed to have known those who knew the Apostles personally.

Studying these early fathers defeats the argument that Christian doctrine evolved centuries later. In the letters of Ignatius (written circa 107 AD), we find a high Christology, an apparent belief in the deity of Jesus, long before any church council convened. For the apologist, these men are the historical bridge, proving that the faith we hold today is the same faith delivered to the saints in the first century.

The Forge of Orthodoxy: Councils and Creeds

As the church expanded, it encountered diverse cultures and philosophical challenges. This necessitated the precise definition of doctrine.

A lazy student of history might view the early Church Councils as bureaucratic meetings, but they were actually battlegrounds for the soul of Christianity.

The intellectual disciple must understand the Council of Nicaea (325 AD). It was here that the church decisively affirmed the full divinity of Christ against the teachings of Arius, who argued that Jesus was a created being. The resulting Nicene Creed is not just a liturgical recitation; it is a protective wall around the mystery of the Trinity.

Similarly, the Council of Chalcedon (451 AD) is indispensable for understanding Christology. It defined the “Hypostatic Union”, the doctrine that Jesus is one person with two distinct natures: fully God and fully man. Without this knowledge, a believer is ill-equipped to answer modern cults or sceptics who claim the church “invented” Jesus.

Understanding these councils shows that the church did not create truth; it recognised and codified the truth handed down by Scripture to protect it from error.

The Shadow of Truth: Understanding Heresies

One cannot fully appreciate the truth without understanding the lies that have attempted to subvert it. Interestingly, there are very few “new” heresies today; most modern cults are ancient errors wearing new suits.

Arianism: The belief that Jesus was the first creation of God, superior to man but inferior to the Father. This ancient heresy is the exact theological framework of modern-day Jehovah’s Witnesses.

Gnosticism: This complex movement taught that the physical world is evil and salvation comes through secret knowledge (gnosis). It denied the physical incarnation of Jesus. Today, we see echoes of Gnosticism in New Age spirituality and “The Da Vinci Code”- style conspiracies that seek “hidden” gospels.

Docetism: A subset of Gnostic thought claiming Christ only seemed to have a human body.

By studying these heresies, the apologist can quickly identify theological poison. When a modern philosopher or cult leader suggests that Jesus was merely an enlightened teacher or a spirit manifestation, the knowledgeable Christian recognises the echo of ancient errors that were debunked over 1,500 years ago.

The Blood of the Martyrs: The Roman Context

To defend the faith, one must also understand the price paid for it. The history of the church is inextricably linked to the Roman Empire. The execution of the Apostle Paul by Nero and the martyrdom of Peter set a precedent for the early church.

The study of the “Great Persecution” under Emperor

Diocletian, beginning in 303 AD, reveals the resilience of the church. It was a systematic attempt to wipe out Christianity by burning scriptures and destroying church buildings. Yet, the church grew. This historical reality serves as an apologetic argument in itself: how did a marginalised, persecuted Jewish sect conquer the greatest empire on earth without raising a sword?

The turning point came with the Edict of Milan in 313 AD, issued by Constantine I and Licinius, which decriminalized Christianity. While this brought relief, it also introduced new challenges regarding the relationship between Church and State, a dynamic that remains relevant in political theology today.

The Reformation: A Return to the Source

Moving through history, the apologist must grapple with the great divides. The split between Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy (1054 AD) and the seismic shift of the Protestant Reformation define the modern church landscape.

Understanding Martin Luther and his 95 Theses is non-negotiable. Luther’s protest was not merely about corruption; it was about authority. The concept of Sola Scriptura (Scripture Alone) reestablished the Bible as the supreme authority in matters of faith, above and beyond church tradition.

This is the cornerstone of evangelical apologetics.
Furthermore, one must trace the lineage of Protestantism to understand the diversity of the body of Christ.

The Anglican Church: Born out of the English Reformation, blending Catholic liturgy with Reformed theology.

The Methodists: The story of John and Charles Wesley is a masterclass in disciplined faith. At Oxford, their “Holy Club” was mocked as “Methodists” for their rigorous approach to prayer and Bible study. Yet, their method sparked a revival that saved England from a bloody revolution similar to France’s.

This knowledge prevents the apologist from viewing the church as a monolith and helps them engage intelligently with Catholics, Orthodox believers, and mainline Protestants.

The Shift to the Global South: The African Church

A glaring omission in many Western-centric apologetics courses is the explosion of Christianity in the Global South, particularly Africa. The centre of gravity for the Christian faith has shifted.

The intellectual disciple must study the rise of Pentecostalism and the indigenous church movements. Key figures like Pa Sydney Elton, a British missionary who became a spiritual father to the Nigerian revival, provide a link between Western heritage and African pneumatic reality.

Even more critical is the study of Apostle Joseph Ayo Babalola and the Christ Apostolic Church (CAC). The 1930 revivals led by Babalola demonstrated the raw power of the Holy Spirit, challenging the African traditional worldview not just with logic, but with power.

This creates a specific type of apologetics necessary for the African context: “Power Apologetics.” In a worldview dominated by fear of witchcraft and ancestral spirits, the apologetic argument is not just that Jesus is true, but that Jesus is supreme.

The Arena of Worldviews: Philosophy and Comparative Religion

Finally, the apologist must step outside the church bubble to understand the alternative options available in the marketplace of ideas. You cannot counter what you do not know.

World Religions:

We must understand the fundamental differences between Christianity and other major faiths.
Islam: Understanding the nature of Allah (Unitarian) vs. the Trinity, and the difference between salvation by submission (Islam) vs. salvation by grace (Christianity).
Hinduism/Buddhism: Understanding the Eastern concepts of Karma, Reincarnation, and Pantheism, and contrasting them with the Christian linear view of history and the resurrection of the body.
African Traditional Religion (ATR): Understanding the veneration of ancestors and the transactional nature of sacrifice, contrasting it with the finished work of Christ.

The Cults

Groups like the Mormons and Jehovah’s Witnesses use Christian vocabulary but rely on different dictionaries. Knowing their specific deviations (e.g., the Mormon rejection of the Trinity, the JW denial of hell and the bodily resurrection) is vital for effective engagement.

Philosophy and Atheism:

The modern secular mind is shaped by philosophers whom many people have never read but whose ideas they have absorbed.

Friedrich Nietzsche: His declaration “God is dead” predicted the collapse of objective morality.

Jean-Paul Sartre and Albert Camus: Their Existentialism argues that in the absence of God, life is absurd, and we must create our own meaning.

René Descartes: His Rationalism (“I think, therefore I am”) shifted the centre of reality from God to the human mind.

The Christian apologist must be able to show that, without God, these philosophies lead to despair. As C.S. Lewis argued, Christianity provides a coherent “sun” by which we see everything else.

Science and History:

We must reject the false conflict between science and faith. Studying the origins of the universe (Cosmology) and the complexity of life (Teleology) points to a Designer. Furthermore, we must rely on historical scholarship. Jewish historians like Flavius Josephus (referencing the Testimonium Flavianum) and Roman historians like Tacitus provide extra-biblical evidence for the existence and execution of Jesus.

This establishes the historicity of the Gospel narrative against those who claim Jesus was a myth.

This is an excellent addition. A “Recommended Reading” section transforms an article from a mere commentary into a resource for lifelong learning. It empowers the reader to take the “Berean” step you mentioned earlier, investigating the truth for themselves.

The Intellectual Disciple’s Library: 5 Essential Books to Begin Your Journey

To move from passive belief to active defence of the faith, one must engage with the great minds of the past and present. The following five books represent a “starter kit” for the modern apologist. They are accessible yet rigorous, covering Church history, the logic of the faith, the defining councils, and Africa’s unique contribution to global Christianity.

The Historical Sweep

Book: Church History in Plain Language
Author: Bruce L. Shelley
Why it fits your study: Your notes highlighted the need to understand the entire timeline, from the execution of Paul by Nero to the Edict of Milan, the Reformation, and the Methodists. Shelley’s book is widely considered the gold standard for a single-volume history of the church.
What you will learn: It reads like a novel rather than a textbook, making the complex history of the Roman Emperors, the Reformation (Luther and the 95 Theses), and the Great Awakenings (the Wesleys) easy to grasp. It connects the dots between the early martyrs and the modern denominations.

The Apologetic Foundation

Book: Mere Christianity
Author: C.S. Lewis
Why it fits your study: You mentioned the need to understand philosophy and the logic behind the faith to counter thinkers like Nietzsche and Sartre. C.S. Lewis, a former atheist and Oxford professor, is the master of this.

What you will learn: Lewis dismantles the arguments of moral relativism and materialism. He explains the “Trilemma” (Lord, Liar, or Lunatic), which directly addresses the claims of Arianism and Gnosticism by logically proving that Jesus must be who He claimed to be. It is the essential handbook for reasoning with the secular mind.

The Evidence for Jesus

Book: The Case for Christ
Author: Lee Strobel
Why it fits your study: Your material emphasised the need to “read Josephus and other historians on the historicity of Jesus” and to understand the “evolution of Christianity.” Strobel, a former legal editor for the Chicago Tribune, approaches the Gospels as a cold-case detective.
What you will learn: This book tackles explicitly the reliability of the New Testament documents. It interviews experts who explain the historicity of the Resurrection, the reliability of the manuscripts, and the extrabiblical evidence (such as Josephus and Tacitus) that confirms that Jesus lived and died under Pontius Pilate. It counters the claims of sceptics and liberal theologians.

The Theological Guardrails

Book: Know the Creeds and Councils
Author: Justin Holcomb
Why it fits your study: You specifically mentioned the Council of Nicaea (325 AD) and the Council of Chalcedon (451 AD), as well as heresies like Arianism and Docetism. Most history books gloss over why these mattered, but this book focuses entirely on them.
What you will learn: Holcomb breaks down every major creed and council in plain English. He explains exactly what Arianism taught, why it was dangerous, and how the Nicene Creed saved the church from error. It is a vital tool for understanding the “two natures of Christ” and the Trinity.

The African Root & Future

Book: How Africa Shaped the Christian Mind
Author: Thomas C. Oden
Why it fits your study: Your notes rightly emphasise the Early Church Fathers (Clement, Ignatius, Polycarp) and the African Church (Pa Elton, Apostle Babalola). There is a misconception that Christianity is a “white man’s religion.” Oden, a world-renowned theologian, debunks this.
What you will learn: He demonstrates that many of the great Early Church Fathers (like Augustine, Tertullian, and Athanasius) were African. This book bridges the gap between the Early Church and the rise of the African Church today.
Bonus Note for your context: While Oden covers the ancient roots, for the specific history of the Nigerian revival mentioned in your notes, I highly recommend finding a copy of “Messenger of the Kingdom” (The biography of Pa Elton) or “The Great Revival of 1930” (The story of Joseph Ayo Babalola). These are harder to find globally but essential for understanding the specific lineage of the Nigerian Pentecostal movement.

A Strategy for Reading
Do not try to read all of these at once. Start with Shelley to get the timeline in your head. Move to Lewis to sharpen your logic. Use Holcomb as a reference guide whenever you encounter a theological term you don’t understand.
By digesting these materials, you will move from merely inheriting a tradition to inhabiting the truth.

The Doxological End of Knowledge

The pursuit of this vast ocean of knowledge, from the early church fathers to the philosophies of Sartre, from the Council of Nicaea to the revivals of Babalola, is not for the sake of winning trivia games. It is for the sake of worship and witness.

Profound theology produces deep worship. When we understand the intricacies of the Incarnation defined at Chalcedon, we marvel more at the Saviour. When we know the price the martyrs paid under Diocletian, we value our faith more. When we see the intellectual bankruptcy of atheism, we preach the Gospel with more confidence.

The church today needs fewer celebrities and more scholars; fewer soundbites and more substance. We need believers who, like the “Holy Club” at Oxford, are willing to be methodical and rigorous. By arming our minds with the whole counsel of history, theology, and philosophy, we do not just defend the faith; we demonstrate its beauty, its rationality, and its enduring power to save.

Prof. Sarumi, a pastor and Bible scholar, writes from Lagos, Nigeria. Email: oyewolethecoach@gmail.com

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