Communicating the Gospel through Conversations
Engaging through conversations is a biblical method.
Paul’s main method of witnessing in Athens and Ephesus was through “disputing” (Acts 17:17, 19:9). This word does not mean that Paul argued or got into heated debates with people. It is not a confrontational word.
Disputing literally means “to speak separate.” It means to speak back and forth or to converse with. It is where we get our English word “dialogue” from. It simply means Paul had conversations in which he engaged people in for the purpose of sharing the Gospel.
When you examine the Scriptures, both Paul and Jesus were conversationalists. Jesus’ main method of engaging unbelievers was through conversation. When He wasn’t preaching, the overwhelming majority of His ministry was in conversations in and around daily life. He intentionally did life with people while He shared the truth with them.
Engaging through conversations is an effective method.
There are various methods of communicating the Gospel to other people, and each has its place and effectiveness. There has been a noticeable shift over the years in the effectiveness of the methods.
The book, Faith for Exiles, describes this shift: “In a previous era, we had semblance of success with mass-producing disciples. We had big rallies and crusades and whiz-bang events, and many young people came forward to pledge their lives to Christ. But as the growing dropout rate starkly reveals, that approach alone doesn’t seem to work here and now as well as it did there and then. In digital Babylon, faithful, resilient disciples are hand-crafted one life at a time.”
One way that stands out in our current culture is a more conversational one-on-one approach. What’s so effective about utilizing conversations? True conversations are a two-way street. One where we share well and also listen well. Conversations build relationships and tear down walls. Conversations should be a space where both people can share openly and honestly. Building relationships and utilizing conversations involve follow-up. Conversations are not about winning any argument of whose belief or religion is right. This misses the entire point of the gospel completely. The goal of our conversation is to help people know what they believe and why they believe it.
Regarding conversations in witnessing, research from the book, Faith for the Curious, reveals that, “People of no faith are more likely to have positive responses to spiritual conversations that are exactly that: a true conversation, one where dialogue (even across differences) is embraced. In these scenarios, stories are shared and questions are asked.” Unbelievers are actually wanting to and looking to engage in conversations about spiritual matters.
The book also describes what spiritually open people want from spiritual conversations. They are hoping to interact with Christians who listen without judgment. This is vital to engaging someone in a spiritual conversation and building a relationship. Seek to find common ground. They want people who are honest about their own doubts. Transparency is key to engaging in authentic conversations. If you are honest, they will be honest. They want people who do not force a conclusion but instead let others draw their own conclusions. Forcing a conclusion is telling people what they should believe. For example, "The Bible says it, so you should believe it." Allowing them to draw their own conclusions is presenting the information in a logical way, answering any questions they might have. This helps them move from what they believe to why they believe it.
