When someone doesn't believe the Bible

[GTchick12]

How can you witness? If they don't believe what the Bible says, what authority can you speak to guide them to the truth?

 

[PaladinValer]

How about "when someone doesn't believe in your interpretation of the Bible?"

Let's not commit the Fallacy of Begging the Question

 

[Dad Ernie]

How can you witness? If they don't believe what the Bible says, what authority can you speak to guide them to the truth?

Greetings GTchick12,

What you are asking is "How can you evangelize?" You ARE a witness for Christ if you are His.

Romans 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.

As you continue to study the Word of God, you will find that always and consistently with Jesus, Paul and all the apostles, that only a relative few accepted the Gospel of Jesus Christ. So if you have already shared the "gospel of Jesus Christ", and the person refuses to believe, then all you can do is pray that God change the person's heart and as the Holy Spirit gives utterance, then you may share with that person what the Lord puts on your heart. Just be the "witness" God has called you to be, salvation is of God and you are NEVER going to change ANY person's heart. That is God's job.

Blessings,

Dad Ernie

 

[eutychus]

The easiest answer is to say, "show them with your life and pray that they notice," but that's not always the best one. I think it's easiest to stem things is first from creation, to prove that there is a Prime Mover and creative force. Secondly, to work from Christ and the fact that he did live, die, and live again. There's enough historical evidence to back it up without Scripture.

 

[Willo]

If you are interested in learning how to over come numerous objections when witnessing check out: http://www.evidencebible.com

Also you may like to check out: www.livingwaters.com

 

[Willo]

Secondly, to work from Christ and the fact that he did live, die, and live again. There's enough historical evidence to back it up without Scripture.

It would be interesting to see what evidence you have for that?

 

[silentpoet]

It would be interesting to see what evidence you have for that?

I can reccomend two books, More Than a Carpenter and Mere Christianity both address the issue of evidence for Christianity.

 

[daveleau]

How can you witness? If they don't believe what the Bible says, what authority can you speak to guide them to the truth?

First, there is a difference between a person not believing the Bible and not believing a person's interpretation.

The best thing to do is to learn about the person. Find out what types of things would prove the Bible to him/her. Do some study yourself on the external proofs of Scripture. While external proofs are not a way to prove the Bible 100%, they do act as great pointers to the reliability of Scripture. Check out McDowell's "The New Evidence that Demands a Verdict". It's long, but there's a ton of stuff discussing corroborating evidences of the Bible.

 

[A Brother In Christ]

How can you witness? If they don't believe what the Bible says, what authority can you speak to guide them to the truth?

then they are not enlight by the H.S. till one is they do not have hears to hear the gospel....

go to salvation thread... free will vs election

 

[filosofer]

Also, belief in the Bible as the Word of God does not precede faith in Jesus Christ. Rather faith in Jesus Christ precedes acceptance of the Bible as God's Word and as true. "So faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes by the preaching of Christ." (Romans 10:17).

Thus, we have to be clear on what is witnessing to Christ, and what is apologetics (defense of the faith). Sometimes Christians err by trying to use apologetic arguments rather than telling about Jesus Christ and Him crucified.

 

[Gkbarnes]

Another good website is www.biblequery.org

 

[johnd]

How can you witness? If they don't believe what the Bible says, what authority can you speak to guide them to the truth?

First of all your witness must be from genuine concern. People can spot a fraud a mile off. If you are telling them the truth about God only to put another spiritual notch in your sword handle, it will come across that way. If you are doing it from some sense of obligation even to God, that will come across as well.

People need to know they matter. And the most powerful witness comes from genuine love.

1 Corinthians 13:

1 If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.

2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.

3 If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.

4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.

6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.

7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.

9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. 11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. 12 Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

Don't preach these things, live them. And when you have gained their trust tell them the truth about Jesus. And when they are saved, tell them the truth about the Bible.

I have been praying for and loving an atheist coworker for years. This is the kind of chap who recently donated a kidney to another coworker who was dying from kidney disease. So I know he has a heart for God's love. It's just a matter of his decision to believe or not. One I told him both God and I respect. He was surprised by that information.

God respects people's choices even the worst ones (what could be worse than choosing to continue on to hell?). I only told him that God respects his decision and if it's good enough for God it's good enough for me.

But if you ever do want to change your mind or if you have any questions I am here.

He "tested the waters" a few times over the years with zingers evolutionists use to shut uninformed believers up... most of the time I just told him I'm willing to get into this discussion if you wish, but you'd better know your salt... he usually backed down.

Once we got into it and he did not back down until I went into the differences between micro and macro evolution, the fusion of the sun, and some other things I'll skip here, and he backed off for good (so far). It means he has to have a big doubt in his mind now about what he once thought was certain. Now he can either live on avoiding that doubt or he can seek the answer to it. It is his choice.

"To every man an answer..." means they must be interested or inquiring. I never met success with collaring somebody and saying "Have you heard the word of God today?"

I have had success in applying biblical truth (without calling it that up front). Chuck Colson taught me that in his book Kingdoms in Conflict (a must read).

Read in the Gospels how Jesus taught scriptural truth without calling it that. For example: "don't take the highest seat and run the risk of being asked to take a lower one" (paraphrase) this is righ out of the book of Proverbs. But Jesus taught only the principle.

Regards.

 

[mythbuster]

What to do if someone does not believe the Bible?

Continue to speak the words of truth. It is like sowing seeds. The key is to speak what you enjoy. First, enjoy, eat, drink, absorb, sing, the words of the Bible and just share what you enjoy. Not some dead doctrines, that is just death, the dead letter. But the living, operative, piercing, spirit and soul dividing, words of life.

Have faith in those seeds. At first it may seem that nothing happens but He is the resurrection and He will prevail in the way of life.

There is the river of water of life...proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.. and all drank the same spiritual drink for they drank of a spiritual rock that followed them, and the rock was Christ. Rev. 22:1, ICor.. 10:4

 

[Dmckay]

Also, belief in the Bible as the Word of God does not precede faith in Jesus Christ. Rather faith in Jesus Christ precedes acceptance of the Bible as God's Word and as true. "So faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes by the preaching of Christ." (Romans 10:17).

Thus, we have to be clear on what is witnessing to Christ, and what is apologetics (defense of the faith). Sometimes Christians err by trying to use apologetic arguments rather than telling about Jesus Christ and Him crucified.

Excellent response, you are to be commended. Actually there have been several good responses to the OP. We NEED to REMEMBER that faith cometh by hearing, (hearing what? our oh so elegant arguments?) NO!!! and hearing by the Word of Christ. Our only authority is that which comes from the Holy Spirit as we use His Word. For I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ.

Paul went the whole philosophical, human wisdom and reasoning route on Mars Hill with the Athenians, to NO avail. When he arrived in Corinth he decided to know nothing while among them, but Christ, and Him Crucified. With completely different results.

25 years ago I was Pastoring a Church in Phoenix. I had a little elderly woman in the church from one of the Carribbean Islands. She was uneducated and worked as a seamstress (by hand) in a shop in downtown Phoenix. She was a very new believer, and firmly believed in sharing her faith with others, no matter how they responded to her. She would go on her lunch break and stand outside one of the large Bank/Office buildings and witness to the people coming and going for lunch.

She managed to attract the attention of a banker who worked in the building. Every day she would tell hiim, " Jesus loves you and died for your sins." Then she would quote John 3:16 to him, the only verse she had memorized. Every day he ridiculed her for her belief, and her inability to come up with even a change in her material. But every day she was there saying the same thing to him and putting up with his abuse with a smile.

He told her repeatedly that he didn't believe the Bible, didn't believe in Jesus, and was sure that if there was a G-d, He certainly didn't care about what happened to people. She just kept repeating her same message and verse. This happened 5 days a week for 5 and a half weeks. Then one day when he came out, he walked up to her and apologised for the way he had treated her. He had grown up in a Christian home and had rejected everything that he had been taught because "all Christians were hypocrites.

He went on to tell her that her cheerfully taking his abuse day-after-day and reciting that one verse to him over and over again was stuck in his mind. The Holy Spirit kept boring the message of John 3:16 into his thoughts day and night. Finally he repented of his sins and came to accept Jesus as Lord of his life. The last I heard he was working in ministry at least part-time in Phoenix. All because a woman who didn't know better in the ways of the world, to not quote Scripture to someone who said he didn't believe it.

We act like the Bible is the lamb of G-d, in need of our protection and defense, instead of the Sword of the Lord. We need to draw and use it as the powerful weapon it was meant to be. A sword does absolutely no good when left at home or in it's sheath.

 

[EdtheJesusfreak]

It would be interesting to see what evidence you have for that?

A book called The Case For Christ addresses the issue pretty well.

 

[EdtheJesusfreak]

How can you witness? If they don't believe what the Bible says, what authority can you speak to guide them to the truth?

Everybody here seems to have some great ideas. I was saved when I was 22. I didn't respond to well to people throwing Bible verses at me. You need to prayerfully meet them where they're at. also recognize that you might only create a spark but someone else might have to finsh the job. Sometimes witnessing is a team sport.

 

[Wanderer1]

I forget who said it, but someone said: "YOU may be the only Bible someone gets to read." In other words, witness with your life.

Second, there is a difference between believing in the Bible and believing in God. The Bible is not God, Jesus Christ is.

It's much more important to me that someone sees the grace of Christ in my life than my winning an argument.

 

[Ozbeliever]

I have to agree with both Dad Ernie and filosopher. Whilst you can prepare yourself with proofs to show the reliability and truth of the gospel, only the Lord can lead a person to Christ, only the Holy Spirit can prepare the heart of a non-believer. The Lord can and does use all the talents, gifts and abilities you have to also be a witness for Him.

"No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day." - John 6:41.

When someone choses to believe in Christ as their saviour, they do so only in response to the urging of the Holy Spirit.

 

[nephilimiyr]

How can you witness? If they don't believe what the Bible says, what authority can you speak to guide them to the truth?

The Spirit that is within you.

God wants His Spirit to be shown through you. When people look at you they should see Christ. You are an ambassador of Christ and His kingdom. YTou are to represent with what you do, what you say, and how you say it. God gives you the authority to be a representative of His kingdom because you are His child.

The Holy Spirit is the key to our authority. As long as the Holy Spirit is inside of us and as long as we allow Him to have control of us, then God's kingdom will be seen by unbelievers and this is how they will be able to see the truth.

There is no other way GTchick12. You can't beat your Bible over someone's head if they refuse to believe it but you can give them Jesus Christ by being a living testimony. He lives inside of you, all you got to do is show them. Let God manafest himself through you.

 

[linssue55]

How can you witness? If they don't believe what the Bible says, what authority can you speak to guide them to the truth?

Stick to the subject...."believe on the Lord jesus Christ and thou shall be saved"...PERIOD....do not mention sin, or hell or ANYTHING that they might find frightening or negative to them....I mean look at it from the Lord's view point...He doesn't say believe and stop your horrible ways, or stop smoking, stop swearing, stop this and stop that....God sticks to the point "BELIEVE on Him" ...PERIOD!!! Remember he takes care of all of the sins and terrible things we do, the issue is "BELIEVE" AND it only takes a mustard seed size of FAITH for them to get in the royal family....AND they can accept the Lord by believing of Him in their mind....not out loud...too embarrassing for them...Thats all they have to say in their MIND is "I am believing on you Lord".........from there the Lord does the work....remember "Salvation is a GIFT from God, NOT OF WORKS"....so they need to SIMPLY believe....after they believe the Godhead will enter the new belivers soul, then the Holy Spirit now regenerates him and he is good to go......so keep it very simple...