Contrary to the common misconception, you don’t need to be an intellectual to engage in apologetics. The defense of the Christian faith is something that all believers are called to do and are capable of doing. Nonetheless, it does sometimes feel like to be an effective apologist in today’s world, you have to do a lot of studying.

After all, we Christians are supposed to be ready to give an answer to any question or objection raised about our faith, right (see, e.g., Col. 4:6; 1 Pet. 3:15)? Doesn’t this suggest that we need to know all the answers to said questions and objections? And wouldn’t such extensive knowledge only come through lots and lots of study?

What’s more, to turn a practical problem into a moral issue, wouldn’t such requirements mean that the very discipline of apologetics flies in the face of the biblical warning against engaging in too much study (Eccles.12:12)?

First, let’s address that warning, and then we’ll be in a better place to answer those other questions.

The Search for Wisdom

The warning comes from Ecclesiastes 12:12, which says “there is no end to the making of many books, and much study wearies the body.” (And all the college and university students said, “Amen!”) Now, this verse isn’t saying that studying in and of itself is bad and ought to be avoided. Rather, it warns against excessive reading or study of “many books.”

But two questions emerge which need to be answered: (1) What counts as excessive? and (2) What kind of reading or study are we talking about here?

Surely, the author isn’t suggesting that there’s such a thing as too much Bible study, right? Such a suggestion would certainly oppose passages like Psalm 119 and 2 Timothy 3:16-17.

As always, context is key: The book of Ecclesiastes is all about how life without God is futile, and the warning in question is immediately preceded by an endorsement of writings that teach godly wisdom (12:9-11). Such is why the warning of v. 12 is actually prefaced with the phrase, “But beyond these, my son, be warned…”

The warning, then, is best understood as one against excessive study of those teachings which are not conducive to godly wisdom for this life. But, again, what counts as excessive? The author doesn’t say, and it may very well be relative to the individual since different people have different tolerance levels for what “wearies the body.”

By way of example, I absolutely love to read and could easily go days on end without looking up from a book. My wife, on the other hand, isn’t a big reader (an irony which I’m always quick to point out given her educational background in English). She’ll usually spend months slowly working through a single book in small, bite-sized chunks. Evidently, one of us gets wearied by reading much more quickly than the other does! We both need to listen to our bodies, and while I may need to heed the warning of “too much study” after several hours of reading, my wife may need to do so after twenty minutes.

In any case, I don’t think the biblical warning poses a problem for apologetics, for the latter is wholly dedicated to the proclamation and defence of the godly wisdom of the gospel. And that’s exactly the type of thing endorsed by the author of Ecclesiastes.

Getting Equipped

So, what does all this mean for the amount of studying needed to do apologetics effectively in today’s world? Must we read everything so that we know the answers to every possible question and objection we might hear raised against our faith?

Frankly, I don’t think that’s a particularly reasonable approach for most people, whether due to limited ability, time, or resources. (I doubt even the likes of William Lane Craig or Craig Keener read everything.)

What I do think is reasonable is to do the best with what you’ve got, and to be honest when you don’t know the answer. (After all, omniscience wasn’t listed among the spiritual gifts, last I checked.) Just make sure you always offer to find the answer later and to follow up with the person.

That said, I would suggest that every Christian take the time to learn some of the basics, such as why we believe that God exists, that the New Testament is historically reliable, that Jesus rose from the dead, that Jesus is God, and that the Bible is God’s Word. These are among the most common topics that arise when discussing whether Christianity is true, and they all work together quite nicely in building an overarching case for the faith.

In fact, the Bible itself lays out arguments and evidences for each of these, which provides a great starting point for beginners who want to learn how to defend the faith but are overwhelmed by the vast amount of literature and other resources on the subject.

Studying to the Glory of God

The warning of Ecclesiastes highlights a textbook example of how too much of a good thing can be bad for you. While there’s certainly nothing wrong with studying in and of itself, studying too much of the wrong things will eventually wear you out.

It’s important, then, for each of us to moderate ourselves each according to our own tolerance levels. Furthermore, even when we’re studying books not inherently intended to help one increase in godly wisdom, we ought to seek to do so to the glory of God nonetheless (1 Cor. 10:31).

This principle is integral to the discipline of apologetics, which regularly makes use of non-Christian books, articles, and so on to build a case for the Christian faith and draw more people to Christ, who is himself the embodiment of godly wisdom.

And to draw more people to Christ is, inarguably, one of the most God-glorifying things we can do.