In and of itself, sharing one’s faith can be an intimidating task. Often times this intimidation comes from the fear of someone asking a question that you do not know how to answer. Other times the intimidation comes from the fact because your neighbor or friend rejects the Bible outright, you don’t even know where to start. How do you start a conversation about the Bible with someone who rejects the Bible?
There is no perfect answer to this question because the reality is that people are different. People’s reasons for rejecting the Bible differ and so one might not start a discussion in the same way with one person as they would with another person. While there isn’t an easy straightforward answer to the question, I would like to share how I approach this difficulty.
Asking Questions:
It is amazing how much progress can be had by asking questions. It sounds simple enough but many times would-be-apologists get so caught up in anticipating objections and answering questions, their pride gets in the way and they fail to ask clarifying questions. When someone rejects the Bible from the start, instead of asking why they reject the Bible, they go off into a discussion as to why they have no good reasons for rejecting the bible. They do this instead of asking questions that can help them identify the relevant issues which would help them address the specific concerns of the unbeliever. When someone rejects the bible some good questions to ask are: Why? Listen to their response and perhaps follow up with something like: What led you to that conclusion? You will quickly find that many of the reasons that people have for rejecting the bible are based off misunderstandings of the Bible or basic Christian belief. Other times you will find that unbelievers reject the Bible for emotional reasons as opposed to rational and logical one’s. Of course, there are those who reject the bible for various rational reasons, but when they are brought up, we address them accordingly, listening to what these reasons are and then responding.
I think there is a great power and effectiveness in asking questions for not only do they help in clarification, but they often times turn the tables on the questioner thus highlighting the fact that perhaps they have not thought through their own position in a meaningful way. If your questions are asked in a respectful and strategic fashion then this helps move the conversation forward, and in some cases removes unnecessary barriers and misunderstandings. We must always be sure to remember that the point of the discussion is for clarification and meaningful communication so we can hopefully present a strong witness to the gospel of Jesus Christ.