There are many ways Christians go about defending the truth of Jesus Christ. The Four Squares is one method that helps people think quickly through most of the major apologetics arguments commonly used today.

I am currently working through the Four Squares with my church on Sunday nights. If you are interested, you can hear these talks by clicking here.

OVERVIEW OF THE FOUR SQUARES

The bottom two squares, creation and people, work together to establish Theism, that is, that a supernatural being (God) exists. The upper two squares establish that Christianity is the one true Theism.

The Creation Square includes two major categories of arguments: origins and design. In the origins category, there are two major arguments. First, the origin of the universe and second, the origin of life. In both of these arguments, it is concluded that a divine, eternal, living being is the best explanation for the existence of the universe and the existence of life.

In the design category, discussion is usually directed toward three major arguments. First, the encoded messages of DNA. Second, irreducibly complex systems. Third, the fine-tuning of the universe. Each of these arguments are compelling in demonstrating the logic of believing that the universe and life are both designed.

Like the Creation Square, the People Square also breaks down into two categories: universal human qualities and society. Under universal human qualities, attention is brought to the innate sense of God that most people have and have had through history. The drive for meaning and happiness is examined. Deeper still, the innate sense of morality humans universally possess is explored. In each of these three areas, it makes more sense to see God as the reason people have those universal human qualities, than any other theory.

Furthermore, the People Square also shows that societies tend to thrive where Christian Theism is the dominate worldview. This is contrasted with societies in which atheism or agnosticism, or some false theism dominates the mind of a collection of people.

The Jesus Christ Square brings a particular focus on the existence, claims, and works of Jesus Christ. Emphasis is placed on His self-understanding and verbal claims of being God Himself (Jn. 8:58 for example). The question is, was Jesus able to prove His claims? Indeed, it is through His resurrection from the dead, a historically verifiable event, that Jesus demonstrated His divine nature and His love for people.

The Bible Square brings to a sharp focus the trustworthy nature of the Old and New Testaments. Emphasis is placed on the divine edge of the Bible, revealed through its self-attestation, unity and continuity, fulfilled prophecies, and the changed lives that often result when people encounter it. The idea that the Bible corresponds with reality is also here explored. In addition emphasis is placed on the accurate transmission of the Bible from the original autographs, through the copying process, to the copies we possess of the Bible today.

It is important to note that each of the four squares has multiple arguments and sub-arguments, that support each other. In addition, each of the four squares supports the other three squares, providing a superstructure of linked arguments in favor of Christian Theism. When presenting this material to others, it is hoped that the believer can start in any of the squares (depending on the concerns or questions of the person being addressed), and can move fluidly in conversation to the other squares as needed.

This extremely brief overview of the Four Squares does not do justice to the informational content involved in a full study. I encourage you to listen to the audio recordings linked above, and spend considerable time learning the powerful arguments in the four squares, and learning how to present the arguments effectively with the love of Christ.