Hi Charis,
I thought that this was going to be a post with some response from you.
The above poster wrote:
As the saying goes, "preach the gospel at all times; when necessary, use words".
That doesn't come from the Scriptures.
Correct.
It's GENERALLY attributed to St. Francis of Assisi, although from my understanding, we don't know for sure precisely who said it. In the end, it doesn't matter: the point of it is to preach Christ with our lives. And THAT is a very biblical concept.
That's generally an encouragement that many use who are wary of sharing their testimony.
Really? I honestly wasn't aware of that. The quote is just a guideline, a way of saying "always let people know about Christ with how you live, and when you need to actually SAY something, use words to tell them about Christ, too." I don't take the quote as scripture by any means.
However, I'll note that it certainly DOESN'T say "do NOT use words". It says the opposite. Sometimes it is VERY necessary to use words.
But it's also necessary to be practical: Jesus commanded us to feed the hungry, and clothe the naked, and visit the imprisoned. He said that whatever we do "to the least of these", we do to Him. He was perfect, and yet He washed the feet of those with Him. How much MORE are we called to serve with humility, those who are as equally fallen as we are?
I know the phrase "actions speak louder than words" isn't in the Bible either, but that doesn't make it untrue. Christians have a long and rich history of showing through their actions exactly what the gospel of Christ is. We feed and love people in His name -- and we do so even before those people know His name.
There is ample New Testament evidence that the teaching of the gospel from one person to another was always done through words. There is, of course, the admonition that unbelievers should see the difference in our lives by how we live, but all the Pauline epsitles were written as he journeyed through all of the cities and towns of the first century teaching and preaching.
I don't disagree at all. Although I'd add that when we're interacting with people who don't believe in Jesus Christ, even if they DO believe in God, it does take a lot more than words alone. It takes prayer, discernment, and above all, the guidance and work of the Holy Spirit. He prepares hearts to receive His gospel. And the Bible calls us to serve, as Christ served. To love as He loves. To relate to people where they are, so that they can understand and turn to Jesus Christ.
Paul encourages his protege, Timothy, to always be prepared to give a reason... I forget who it was that first coined the above phrase, but its probably a good reason that his words weren't canonized as Scripture. The words simply aren't true and there is no Scriptural basis to support such a teaching.
I hope to hear from you soon and you may IM me anytime if you like.
God bless.
In Christ, Ted.
Yes, we always need to be prepared to give a reason for our faith. And when we're asked questions about God, about Jesus, about why we believe what we do... we need to be as ready as we can to explain the hope in Christ we have. Verbally.
The OP asked us, though, "Pretend you are face to face with someone who, while they do believe in God, is not what most would define as a Christian. What would you say in order to bring them to Christ?"
...so, perhaps I simply took the question a different way. I focused more on the style (the method) of getting to know people, and listening to them, etc etc so that when it actually came time to SAY something when they had questions, the answers given may be better received. Or even if someone never asks me a question about Jesus, it's my prayer that if they understand they are valued and cared for as a person because OF Jesus Christ, they'd be more receptive to the message of Jesus.
Hopefully that made a little sense.
God bless!
