SS Outline 1.4.2026

Practical Theology - Apologetics Week 4 – The Image of God and Suppression of Truth

Theme: Every person knows God through creation, but sin leads to the suppression of that truth. Apologetics must account for both human dignity and human rebellion.

I. Humanity as Image-Bearers

• Genesis 1:26-27: Humans created with rationality, morality, creativity, and relationality.
• Every person you speak to carries dignity and worth.
• Image-bearing means all people have built-in knowledge of God.
• Calvin: “There is within the human mind, and indeed by natural instinct, an awareness of divinity.” (1.3.1)

II. The Reality of Suppression

• Romans 1 does not say unbelievers lack knowledge of God.
• They “suppress the truth in unrighteousness” (Rom 1:18).
• Suppression is not intellectual; it is moral.
• The problem is not a lack of evidence but resistance to God’s rule.

III. How Suppression Shows Itself

• Replacing God with idols (v. 23).
• Trusting in self, reason, science, pleasure, or politics as ultimate.
• Shifting blame onto Christians or religion to avoid responsibility.

IV. Implications for Apologetics

• People need regeneration, not just more arguments.
• Apologetics exposes suppression but cannot remove it.
• We must speak with compassion because we, too, once suppressed the truth (Tit 3:3-5).

Real-Life Case Study
Scenario: You are talking with a brilliant scientist at a neighborhood cookout. He says:
“If God really existed, I’d see better evidence. Smart people don’t fall for ancient myths.”

• Affirm dignity: “You think deeply about the world. That’s part of being made in God’s image.”
• Gently challenge suppression: “But you’re interpreting the evidence through a worldview that rules God out before you start.”
• Redirect to Scripture: “Romans 1 says God has revealed Himself so clearly that we are without excuse.”
• Bring it to Christ: “God has given ultimate evidence in raising Jesus from the dead.”