Apologetics

How do we approach others with the Gospel? This question has been debated about for years and is one that people think a lot about or don't think about at all.

I've sat in on a few debates about apologetics and I hear two very clear and very extreme opinions. I've heard fellow Christians say that: "We should not be afraid to voice the truth about God! We should not shy away from the Gospel! We should never worry about offending someone when we speak the truth!" I also hear fellow Christians say that: "We shouldn't force ourselves on others. If people ask about Jesus Christ, then we should tell them, but we have no right to get into peoples faces with our beliefs."

Should we be confident, forceful, and sometimes even offensive to others when communicating the Gospel? Or, should we be passive and only talk about our beliefs when someone else asks us about them? I don't believe that it is a question of whether or not we are to be "offensive" or "defensive".

Those who believe in the "offensive' approach usually quote scripture that talks about Jesus turning over the market place tables in the temple courts. (Matthew 21:12-13) "12Jesus entered the temple area and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves. 13"It is written," he said to them, " 'My house will be called a house of prayer,'[e] but you are making it a 'den of robbers.'[f]"" Or they refer to verses such as Matthew 3:7, 12:34, 23:33, or Luke 3:7. These verses are examples of when Jesus accused people of being "brood of vipers". These are examples in scripture of when Jesus was forceful, offensive, and direct in his ministry. So, some say that because Jesus is like that, we should do the same because we are called to be Christ-like.

Those who believe in the "defensive" approach usually quote scripture that talks about loving your neighbour. "The commandments, "Do not commit adultery," "Do not murder," "Do not steal," "Do not covet," and whatever other commandment there may be, are summed up in this one rule: "Love your neighbor as yourself." (Romans 13:9) "Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law." (Romans 13:10). Or they refer to verses such as Leviticus 19:18, Zechariah 8:17, Matthew 5:43, 19:19, 22:39, Mark 12:31, 12:32-34, Luke 10:27, Galatians 5:14, James 2:8, James 2:8. They say that because we are to 'love our neighbour" we have to avoid being forceful or offending others.

Now again, I do not believe that it is a question of whether or not we are to be "offensive" or "defensive" when proclaiming truth. I believe that in realizing one of Christ's greatest gifts we find the answer to the question of apologetics. The gift that I am referring to is understanding. Jesus Christ as the son of God had an ultimate understanding of truth in creation as well as the truth of God's character. Every single person he met and interacted with he knew. He knew who they were and where they were coming from. He understood them, how they thought, how they related to others, what they believed, and what they were gifted in and not gifted in.

Because he knew these things, because he had a clear understanding of the person and the situation, he could approach relationship and communicate to any person in the most effective way. He understood them and because of his understanding he knew how to communicate the Gospel in a way that was specific and most efficient. So when Jesus preached about hell and made accusations, and when he pointed his finger and got angry with someone, or when he showed someone mercy and grace, and when he invited sinners into his house he did so with full knowledge and understanding of that person. So when, where, how, and to whom Jesus preached the good news to, he did so with full consideration of the person or audience.

Now I realize that Jesus was and is the son of God, so his understanding of others was and is far greater then ours is. However, I think that because we are called to be Christ-like, we should strive for a greater and deeper understanding of others that we are sharing the gospel message to. We should consider others in regards to who they are, where they came from, what their world view is, etc. before we through the Gospel message in their face.

Now I know that in passing we meet people that we should share the gospel with and that it is not always possible to know and understand someone in passing. We should then treat those situations with great care. I believe that our knowledge and understanding about someone has a direct connection to how accountable we are in explaining the gospel. We must strive to understand others around us, and then reveal more and more about the truth that we have come to know through Christ to them. This is how God relates to us. God knows where we are and where we have been, and he treats us accordingly. He also reveals more about himself to us when we grow deeper in our relationship with him.

My prayer for you is that you would strive to understand and love the people around you. Treat each person specifically, because everyone is created unique and special by God. Truth is universal, so don't be afraid to communicate it in different ways to different people.

"All truths are easy to understand once they are discovered; the point is to discover them." - Galileo

"You cannot teach a man anything; you can only help him discover it in himself." - Galileo

"I do not feel obliged to believe that the same God who has endowed us with sense, reason, and intellect has intended us to forgo their use." – Galileo

Posted By Jordan Todd