Yet the quality

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I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way. - Eph 1:17-23

For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. - Eph 3:14-19
This two prayers that are found in Ephesians... are exactly the prayers that I would want to pray at this stage and all stages of my Christian life. But it does seem especially relevant at this period of my life.

Indeed, as I was reflecting, the qualities needed and required for in an apologist are as such, courage and power to speak the truth, wisdom and discernment to know the real questions asked, love and grace for the questioners involved. Certainly to defend the Christian faith is not just being passive and nice, but it is to reasonably show the world that Christianity does indeed have an intellectual warrant. And to be able to do this and yet show the world that the gospel is worth believing in, it is not enough to be just reasonable, but indeed the qualities mentioned in these two Ephesians prayers. Paul was an apologist, he knew what he was saying and praying...

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