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Sye Ten Bruggencate: Presuppositional Apologetics

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Sye Ten Bruggencate

Sye Ten Bruggencate left his factory job a few years ago in Dorchester, Ontario to go full time into the ministry of apologetics. He began as an evidentiary apologist, but was soon won over to the presuppositional model.

Sye's ministry is called Proof that God Exists, and he recently released a film called How to Answer the Fool (referring to the fool in Psalm 14:1, and Proverbs 26:4-5)

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Outline of the Discussion
  • Sye is gifted in being able to understand complex apologetical arguments, and is able to “dumb them down” and explain them in a way that is easy for average Christians to understand.
  • Apologetics is a reasoned defence of the Christian Faith.
  • Evidential apologetics seeks to give evidence to convince the unbeliever that God exists. Presuppositional apologetics begins with the understanding that the unbeliever already knows that God exists (as the scriptures state)
  • Presuppositional comes from the root “Pre-suppose”, it deals with the pre-beliefs that are brought into a discussion before it even begins
  • Sye states that if the belief in God is not in question, and if the unbeliever just asks for evidence, go ahead and give them evidence
  • The easiest place to start is to show the unbeliever that without God, they can't know anything (Psalm 111:10, Colossians 2:2)
  • Neither of us know if there is a real difference between “Presuppositional” and “Covenantal” apologetics. Any differences seem to be subtle.
  • Sye begins by asking “could you be wrong about everything you claim to know”. If the answer is “yes” (which it is the vast majority of the time), then the unbeliever has crossed into the realm of absurdity. If you could be wrong, then you don't really know.
  • A friend asked Sye “How are you so certain that God exists?” His response was “the same way that you are, I just choose to follow Him.”
  • Sometimes the use of presuppositional apologetics is very similar to using evidential apologetics. The key difference is that presuppositional apologetics never stands back and attempts to stand on neutral ground. It never abandons our presuppositions (an unbeliever isn't going to abandon his presuppositions).
  • Poor use of apologetics often reveals a flawed theology
  • Presuppositional apologetics is a Reformed apologetic
Scriptures Referenced
  • 1 Peter 3:15
  • Ephesians 2:1
  • 2 Timothy 2:24
  • Proverbs 1:7
  • Colossians 2:2-3
  • Luke 21:15
  • Proverbs 26:4-5
  • Romans 11:36
Additional Resources
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