By Larry Rosenbaum
Earlier in this century, most Americans believed in Jesus Christ even if they did not serve Him. Today, we have seen a rapid change in our nation. Many if not most Americans no longer believe that the Bible is God’s Word or that Jesus Christ died for our sins. Some are atheists or agnostics. Some have an Eastern or new age concept of an impersonal god or force. Many are involved in occultism‑‑astrology, yoga, channeling, etc. Many who are critical of Christianity will accept Eastern and occult teachings simply because they sound good or seem to line up with some subjective experience they had.
The word “skeptic” comes from the Greek word “skeptikos (inquiring)” and means “one who habitually questions matters generally accepted” or “one who doubts religious doctrines.” How are we to witness to people who tell us they don’t believe in Jesus or the Bible? In Acts 17, Paul spoke to the people of Athens, who were not much different from today’s skeptics. These Athenian philosophers, it is written, “spent their time in nothing else, but either to tell, or to hear some new thing.” Some have argued that Paul must have been out of God’s will in his witnessing that day because there was no indication anyone was saved. However, the scripture gives us no basis for such conjecture. I believe, rather, that this incident is given as an example for us of how to witness to the intellectual skeptic.
I would like to point out three things about Paul’s encounter with the Athenians. First, he was extremely kind, gentle, and patient with them (see 1 Corin. 13, 2 Tim. 2: 23‑26). He didn’t rebuke them as many modern preachers would. Instead, he acknowledged a limited truth to their beliefs, but said he had come to bring them to a fuller knowledge of truth.
Also, he explained the gospel in terms these people could understand. He talked about the unknown god, about God as creator of all and not an image to be worshipped, and even quoted from one of their own poets to make his point.
Finally, he didn’t give them more information than they could absorb at that time. He didn’t try to explain the entire gospel to them or give an altar call, but he wanted to lay a foundation for them to understand the gospel in the hope that some would eventually be saved. He spoke of judgment and resurrection as facts they would need to deal with. In speaking to calm, reasoned, intellectuals, he didn’t give a passionate appeal to the emotions, but rather an appeal to the intellect, to their desire to know truth.
Peter exhorted us to “always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect” (1 Peter 3:15). The Greek word used for “answer” here is “apologia,” from which we get the term “apologetics,” which is the study of evidences for the Christian faith. When people ask us to “prove that the Bible is God’s word or that God exists,” they expect us to put Him in a test tube and conduct an experiment. Obviously, this is impossible, but it is possible to give people various kinds of evidence that Christianity is true.
Next month, I want to continue this teaching. Meanwhile, I would suggest you get hold of three books and begin reading them:
1. Know Why You Believe by Paul Little (Intervarsity)
2. Mere Christianity by C. S. Lewis (Macmillan)
3. Evidence that Demands a Verdict (Part 1) by Josh McDowell (Here’s Life)
Of these books, the third is the most difficult, but well worth reading. All should be available at your Christian bookstore.
Part 2
An increasing number of the people we witness to in Berkeley and San Francisco, but also everywhere in the U.S., do not believe in the Bible or the God of the Bible. Last month, I began a teaching on how to witness to these people. Today, I want to discuss the use of Bible prophesy. The Bible is unique among books in that it is the only book that predicts the future with perfect accuracy. Shortly after I was saved, I received a booklet “Messiah in Both Testaments” which compared Old Testament prophecies of the coming of Messiah with their New Testament fulfillments. This booklet helped confirm my faith in Jesus. As a Jew, I had been taught that the Old Testament was God’s word and that the Messiah had not yet come. Yet reading these words from the Old Testament, and seeing how clearly they referred to Jesus, removed my remaining doubts about Him being the Messiah. I encourage you to become familiar with these prophetic passages, especially Isa. 53, Psalm 22, Daniel 9 and Zech. 12. These scriptures are particularly effective with Jews, even unbelieving Jews, but they can be used with anyone to show that the Bible is not just another book.
You can also use many modern day examples of fulfilled prophesy. Talk about the nation of Israel, how it is the only nation ever to be cast out of its homeland for more than one generation and return, how Hebrew is the only dead language ever to return to life, and that the nation has survived despite incredible opposition and is still at the center of world conflicts. Next, talk about Revelation and the mark of the beast, that the Bible predicts that a future world ruler called the Antichrist will put a mark on each person’s hand or forehead without which he cannot buy or sell. We now have the technology for such a mark, with bar codes on all our food, computers, lasers, ATM’s etc. Also, the uniting of Europe scheduled in 1992 with one currency and the reuniting of Germany all seems to point to a reestablishment of the old Roman Empire in line with the prophesy of Daniel 2. Then mention Jesus’ comment that he would return at a time when the world was on the verge of total destruction (Matt. 24:22), something that was impossible until 30 years ago but a reality today. Often, you can use articles from today’s news‑‑such as events in Israel and Iraq.
It is important in communicating these things to avoid arguments. Remember that “the servant of the Lord must not strive, but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, in meekness instructing those that oppose themselves, if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; and that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil” (2 Tim. 2:24‑26). I believe that if you share these things in this attitude of gentleness and love, you will be planting gospel seeds in people’s hearts that will one day bear much fruit.
