Sye Ten Bruggencate
- 5 June 2014
This man is a great example of a modern day ‘Daniel’. Listen to his remarkable testimony of how he got into public Christian apologetics here. Sye’s journey has been similar in some respects to my own. We both, it seems, were terrificially inspired to pursue Van Til’s presuppositional apologetic procedure after being ‘wowed’ by Greg Bahnsen’s demolition of Gordon Stein (listen here).
Sye’s manner may at first appear somewhat aggressive – even unkind, but to the discerning, God fearing, Bible following FULLY CONSISTENT Christian he is not. Rather, Sye is affronted when the glory & character of God is affronted by hostile unbelievers. His passion for God’s glory is so exemplary, most of us are jarred by it. So intoxicated and bewitched have we become by wordly worldviews that when the uncompromising character of God’s holiness and truth confront us we find ourselves uncomfortable and ready to side with covenant breaking unbelievers.
Sye is right to denounce so much of contemporary evangelism and apologetics as ‘unbiblical’ or as ‘salt that has lost its saltiness’ and therefore worthy of being cast out and trodden under foot (see Matthew 5:13). We urgently need to begin again ACTUALLY BELIEVING THE SCRIPTURES instead of compromising what we say in order to avoid ‘rocking the boat’ or causing offense.
IF OCCASIONALLY Sye gets frustrated that his questions are being deflected or that his hearers are obfuscating, etc and he reacts a little ‘ungraciously’ let me say I reckon for the most part he is dignified and highly restrained. I’ve heard him apologise a lot and exchange with humorous banter as much as anyone. He clearly strives to hold his hearers to account and reduce to absurdity their worldview in the interest of demonstrating & defending God’s truth. The unbeliever seeks to suppress the truth in unrighteousness (as per Romans 1) and is understandable uncomfortable and excessively defensive (typically vitriolic) when their mask is being tugged so hard. Read the wikipedia entry for Sye and see for yourself!!
It is both Sye’s & my own prayer that through Sye’s good example and notable courage others brighter and better than he might be inspired to jump into the water. His good friends Dustin Seger and Eric Hovind are likewise well worth listening to (here and here). Bravo my fellow labourers in Christ. Keep up the good work & fight the good fight. I am just one of many looking on and gaining confidence & conviction to sharpen my own armour and contend for God’s truth and dominion. His EXCELLENT WEBSITE and treasure trove of resources is here. Enjoy and start learning from him yourself.
