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Michael Ramsden

RZIM

"Michael Ramsden is the International Director of RZIM for Europe, the Middle East and Africa and has been part of RZIM since its foundation in Europe in 1997. Michael is also joint Director of the Oxford Centre for Christian Apologetics and Honorary Fellow at Wycliffe Hall, Oxford. Michael was brought up in the Middle East and later moved to England where he worked for the Lord Chancellor’s department investing funds. While doing research in Law and Economics at Sheffield University, he taught Moral Philosophy and lectured for the International Seminar for Jurisprudence and Human Rights in Strasbourg."

"According to the American Heritage Dictionary, apologetics is “formal argumentation in defense of something, such as a position or system.” A Christian “apologetic” is not an apology as we usually use the term, that is, to say you are sorry for something. We use the word “apology” in the sense that we give a defense of the Christian faith. Apologetics comes from the Greek word apologia, “to give an answer.” 1 Peter 3:15 gives us the defining statement: “But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer (apologia) to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.” The Scriptures do not divorce the content of apologetics from the character of the apologist. The apostle Peter, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, knew the hazards and the risks of being an answer-bearer to the sincere questions that people would pose of the Gospel. For that very reason the Scriptures give us a clear picture of the apologist: one who has first set apart Christ in his or her heart as Lord, who then responds with answers to the questioner, and does so, with gentleness and respect."

The Gospel?

Apologetics - Michael Ramsden

michael ramsden

The Lords will eph 2:8-10

Michael Ramsden: Good God, Bad God?

Michael Ramsden: Contemporary challenges faced by those of faith

Michael Ramsden: A Wasted Life? Aren't Christians Missing Out?

Michael Ramsden: Logic and Fallacies - Thinking Clearly

We are asking why is the Christian faith so exclusive?
Whenever you say that something is true, you are automatically saying that any contrary statement is untrue.
For someone raised in an Islamic culture, Christianity can clearly be seen as a different message from Islam, however, in the West, many would argue that Islam, Christianity, Hinduism and Buddhism are basically the same. Maybe we need to allow the adherents of these beliefs to explain their own systems.
Surely if God is loving, isn’t being a good person all that matters? Jesus was very clear, all good people are going to heaven. When someone came to Jesus, asking, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus answered, “Why do you call me good? No-one is good, but God alone” (Mark 10:17-18) If good people are going to heaven, and only God is good, then who is going to heaven?
In Luke 18:9-14 Jesus tells a story that is pertinent to our situation, which shows us that there are only two possibilities as to how a person can become righteous, either (1) we make ourselves righteous or (2) someone else makes us righteous.
A Phariseeand tax collector were both praying at the same time in the temple. The Pharisee thanks God for making him such a good person, the tax-collector beats his breast – a strong gesture of remorse. The tax collector literally prays, “may this sacrifice be for me“. Jesus has come into the world as the sacrificial lamb which takes away the sins of the world.
Richard Dawkins argued after the Asian tsunami that it is morally reprehensible that an innocent man should be sacrificed for the guilty.
Why this emphasis on sacrifice, why is the cross at the centre of Christian teaching?
The answer is that we cannot separate love and judgement.
In Pride and Prejudice, Elizabeth Bennett rejects Mr Darcy’s eloquent proposal of marriage, because Darcy states that he loves her against his will, reason and better judgement. He claims to love her though he does not know her.
Most of us project an image of ourselves which is better than the person we really are, the danger of this is that people fall in love with the image, not the real person. Love is only truly meaningful if the one who loves us truly knows us, but God sees everything, therefore, his love is truly meaningful.
True love can only exist in the presence of judgement, “If you never know truth then you never know love” (Black Eyed Peas, “Where is the Love?”).
If your sister is raped, and the judge lets the offender go free, saying, “we must be merciful” then where is the justice? In Christianity alone, God exercises mercy through the exercise of his justice.
Jesus, teaches us that the man who prayed, “may this sacrifice be for me” went away having received God’s gift of righteousness. Christianity is radically humbling – not only does it teach that no-one is good, but also that no-one can make themselves good.
Jesus’ answer to the question, “don’t all paths lead to God?” is that there are no paths that lead to God, only the path that God has made in coming to us.

Michael Ramsden: A Matter Of Exclusivity

It is often argued by sceptics that the church has, over time, inflated Jesus’ claims about himself
It is a matter of historical record that early Christians worshipped Jesus as God, even pagan opponents, such as Pliny the Younger record this.
The argument that the Church inflated the claims about Christ fails on a number of levels, but, perhaps the clearest is that the time-line involved is too short.
The books of 1 Corinthians and Galatians are almost universally accepted by scholars as having been written in the mid 40s A.D. about twenty years after the events that they record.
In 1 Corinthians 15:3-8 Paul cites a creedal hymn about the death and resurrection of Christ, which had been passed down to him. We know from Galatians that Paul met with Cephas (i.e. Peter) around 34-37 A.D. and Cephas would doubtless have passed the core teachings about Jesus down to him at that time, only years after the death and resurrection of Jesus.
Even the leader of the Jesus Seminar, which argues that 90% of the recorded sayings of Jesus in the New Testament are false, has recently argued that the Gospel message was held by Christians from day one, although he argues from this that the church was wrong from day one!
Another question raised by sceptics is why Jesus didn’t just tell us that he was God. The gospel of Mark is probably the first gospel to have been written and in it, Jesus is asked whether he is “the Christ, the son of the Blessed One” to which he replies “I am” – this is not a question of interpretation. Even though some may not accept its authority, they do so because they don’t like what it clearly says.
This question as to whether Jesus’ claim to being God has been inflated can be answered using a passage of scripture accepted by almost all scholars.
In Ezekiel 34, the shepherds of Israel are denounced for feeding themselves at the expense of the sheep, until the true shepherd rescues the sheep from their abuse. At the end of the passage, it is made explicit that God is the good shepherd, the people are the sheep and that the bad shepherds are the religious leadership.
We should note from this passage that God is disgusted at the behaviour of the bad shepherds and that he himself has promised to intervene as a good shepherd, to seek out the lost and rescue them.
In Luke 15:1-7 Jesus compares himself to a good shepherd who searches out the lost sheep and asks the religious leaders whether they would not leave the ninety-nine safe to seek after the one lost sheep.
“This is who I am” said Jesus, and this is why the bad shepherds killed him. Jesus wasn’t killed because the religious leaders misunderstood him, they killed him because they understood.

Michael Ramsden: A Matter Of Inflation

This is a challenging and difficult message, but we must note how the world sees us in order for us to be able to minister effectively.
We should acknowledge that some of the things which the “new atheists” say about us are 100% correct!
Luke 10:25-37 – An expert in the law asks Jesus what he needs to do to inherit eternal life. Jesus’ answer is a relational answer about love for God and for others.
The lawyer’s next question is “who is my neighbour?”  One of the key accusations levelled against the church by the “new atheists” is that Christianity makes life convenient for us
Professor John Gray, the author of “Straw Dogs” argues that there is nothing special about being human, and attacks humanism as being simply Christian morality dressed up in secular language, ignoring scientific reality. According to his argument, all human morality is a matter of convenience, something which people follow when things are going well, but discard in tough times, when we revert to acting in our own interests.
Jesus replies to the lawyer’s second question “who is my neighbour?” with the story of the Good Samaritan. Jesus’ first audience probably wouldn’t have been surprised that the priest walked past on the other side. The priest was not only in danger, but in a moral dilemma.
The story continues with the appearance of a Levite, one who served the priests.
Audiences in Jesus’ time would have expected a story about a priest and a Levite to be followed by the appearance of a member of the congregation of Israel, who served the Levites, however, Jesus departs from this formula by introducing a despised Samaritan as the rescuer of the wounded man.
It was manifestly not convenient or safe for the Samaritan to help the wounded man, but he did so.
When Jesus ends the story the audience must have realised that the Samaritan may have had literally to lay down his life for his neighbour.
Jesus therefore changes the question, from “who is my neighbour?” to “who is neighbourly?” We are called to “go and do likewise” and love everybody, whatever the cost to ourselves.
This moral choice is particular problematic for those, who, like us, live in an affluent part of the world. It has been found by sociological research that affluence often leads to a lack of a sense of meaning to life. If our Christianity is too convenient, we should not be surprised if the world is not impressed.
Is your Christian faith simply a matter of convenience?
In struggling with addictive behaviours (such as internet pornography) have you so accommodated God into your way of living, that you barely feel guilt anymore?

Michael Ramsden: A Matter Of Convenience

Luke, the author of this third gospel, was called by Paul the apostle "the beloved physician." There is some speculation that his patron was a man by the name of Theophilus. In those days physicians were often slaves. And there are some who theorize that Luke was Theophilus' personal physician and servant. Whether or not that be so is only a matter of speculation, and thus, worthless to delve into.

Luke was a Greek. And he is the only Gentile to have the privilege of placing scripture in that holy canon of scripture, which we recognize as inspired of God. And there are two New Testament books that are ascribed to Luke. Of course, the gospel according to Luke and then the Acts of the apostles, which he begins again addressing himself to Theophilus saying, "The former treatise have I made onto thee, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and to teach" (Acts 1:1).

There are some who say that the word Theophilus is not actually a person at all, but just the word in Greek, Theophilao is "lover of God". And so that Luke is actually addressing his letter to the lovers of God. However, the people were usually named after hopes or aspirations or whatever of their parents, and there is no real reason to believe that Theophilus was not an actual person. In fact, being addressed as the most excellent Theophilus indicates that he was actually a ruler in the Roman Empire, as that is a title that is given to men who had a ruling position within the Roman Empire.

Luke 8:43-48 (Jesus' power to make people whole)

Luke 8:26-39 (Jesus demonstrates His authority over a Demons & multiple reactions to His power)

Luke 7:36-50 (Jesus forgives a sinful woman that is not loved by a religious leader)

Luke 1:1-25 (Introduction to the Gospel of Luke & John the Baptist's Announcement)

"Dr. Andy Bannister is the Director and Lead Apologist for RZIM Canada. He speaks and teaches regularly throughout Canada, the US, Europe, and the wider world. From churches to universities, business forums to TV and radio, Andy regularly addresses both Christian audiences and those of all faiths and none on issues relating to faith, culture, politics, and society. With a background in youth ministry before studying theology and philosophy (focusing especially on Islam), Andy was previously based in Oxford, where he worked with churches and organizations across the denominational spectrum. Andy holds a PhD in Islamic studies, a topic on which he has taught extensively. He has spoken and taught at universities across Canada, the US, the UK, and farther afield on both Islam and philosophy and is an Adjunct Research Fellow at the Centre for the Study of Islam and Other Faiths at Melbourne School of Theology."

"According to the American Heritage Dictionary, apologetics is “formal argumentation in defense of something, such as a position or system.” A Christian “apologetic” is not an apology as we usually use the term, that is, to say you are sorry for something. We use the word “apology” in the sense that we give a defense of the Christian faith. Apologetics comes from the Greek word apologia, “to give an answer.” 1 Peter 3:15 gives us the defining statement: “But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer (apologia) to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.” The Scriptures do not divorce the content of apologetics from the character of the apologist. The apostle Peter, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, knew the hazards and the risks of being an answer-bearer to the sincere questions that people would pose of the Gospel. For that very reason the Scriptures give us a clear picture of the apologist: one who has first set apart Christ in his or her heart as Lord, who then responds with answers to the questioner, and does so, with gentleness and respect."

Andy Bannister: Understanding Muslims and Answering Their Questions

Michael Ramsden: Affluenza - The Effects of Affluence on the Soul and Society (Part 1)

Michael Ramsden: Affluenza - The Effects of Affluence on the Soul and Society Q&A (Part 2)

Michael Ramsden: Apologetics (evening session)

Michael Ramsden: Apologetics Workshop (part-2)

Michael Ramsden: Broken world, Broken lives

Michael Ramsden: Truth & Love (2 John 1-6)

"Michael Ramsden is the International Director of RZIM and has been part of RZIM since its foundation in Europe in 1997. Michael is also joint Director of the Oxford Centre for Christian Apologetics. Michael was brought up in the Middle East and later moved to England where he worked for the Lord Chancellor’s department investing funds. While doing research in Law and Economics at Sheffield University, he taught Moral Philosophy and lectured for the International Seminar for Jurisprudence and Human Rights in Strasbourg. He has also been a Professor-in-Residence at the Wolfsberg Executive Institute in Switzerland. Michael has been invited to lecture in various settings including the White House in Washington DC and has in the past addressed leaders at NATO HQ in Brussels, Members of the European Parliament, as well as bankers and investment managers on the current global financial crisis. Michael is also involved in a number of initiatives to equip and train emerging leaders and evangelists throughout Europe, the Middle East and Africa."

"According to the American Heritage Dictionary, apologetics is “formal argumentation in defense of something, such as a position or system.” A Christian “apologetic” is not an apology as we usually use the term, that is, to say you are sorry for something. We use the word “apology” in the sense that we give a defense of the Christian faith. Apologetics comes from the Greek word apologia, “to give an answer.” 1 Peter 3:15 gives us the defining statement: “But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer (apologia) to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.” The Scriptures do not divorce the content of apologetics from the character of the apologist. The apostle Peter, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, knew the hazards and the risks of being an answer-bearer to the sincere questions that people would pose of the Gospel. For that very reason the Scriptures give us a clear picture of the apologist: one who has first set apart Christ in his or her heart as Lord, who then responds with answers to the questioner, and does so, with gentleness and respect."

Michael Ramsden: Interview On How to Deal with Addiction

Michael Ramsden: One Man’s Murder And The Pursuit Of Happiness

Crown Him King Week 3 Michael Ramsden Audio

RZIM May Training 7th session 2 Michael Ramsden - Introduction to apologetics

Michael Ramsden answers the question "How can we convince non-believers that Christ was raised from the dead when it sounds so crazy?" during a question an answer session after his final talk at Woodmen Valley Chapel on March 20, 2011. 

Michael Ramsden - The Resurection of Christ & Science

"Christ says "Give me All. I don't want so much of your time and so much of your money and so much of your work: I want You. I have not come to torment your natural self, but to kill it. No half-measures are any good. I don't want to cut off a branch here and a branch there, I want to have the whole tree down. I don't want to drill the tooth, or crown it, or stop it, but to have it out. Hand over the whole natural self, all the desires which you think innocent as well as the ones you think wicked—the whole outfit. I will give you a new self instead. In fact, I will give you Myself: my own will shall become yours." (Scholar C.S. Lewis)

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Michael Ramsden: Interview On How to Deal with Addiction

Jesus: The Way, The Truth, The Life