Questioning Evangelism

I'll never forget his name. It was one that I'd never heard before—Artyum. He was from Ukraine and was possibly the most sincere seeker I've ever met. We struck up a conversation on the center lawn of the American University in Washington, D.C., on a spring-like day in November. It wasn't supposed to be that warm. But there we were, Artyum and I, basking in the sunshine, when the calendar said that we should have been inside sipping cups of hot chocolate.

We talked about the weather, classes, hometowns and things like that. Then he asked me what I did on campus. When working for an organization with the name Campus Crusade for Christ and people ask, "What do you do?" it doesn't take long to steer the conversation toward the gospel.

As a trained evangelist, I steered our chat to a good evangelistic tool for sharing the gospel, a booklet called Would You Like to Know God Personally? I read the first point, "God loves you and created you to know Him personally." I don't remember pausing at that point. I don't think I even breathed. But somehow Artyum interrupted.

"What do you mean when you say the word God?" he wondered aloud. "And what do you mean when you say the word love? And, most importantly, how do I know all this is true?"

It was a difficult moment for me. All of my training had told me to sweep away any and all questions with, "That's a good question. How about we come back to that when I'm done reading the booklet?" That line had worked well many times for me. Often, questions that are asked during an evangelistic conversation are just smokescreens. But Artyum's questions were different. They weren't smokescreens. I know the difference between an honest inquirer and a truth-avoider. Artyum's questions were foundational. Could I progress to the second page of the booklet and read, "People are sinful and separated from God" if he was stuck on the words God and love? What would be in store for us when we hit the word sin?

Artyum wasn't annoyed by my initiation of evangelism. Unlike me, however, he didn't feel any pressing need to work through the green booklet. He did feel, however, the pressing need of eternal questions. He wanted to dialogue.

What followed was a 90-minute discussion, revolving around questions that strike at the foundation of faith: "How do we know what we know?" "What do we know for certain?" and "What difference does it all make?" Toward the end of the conversation, I was asking more questions of him than he did of me.

Artyum helped me rethink the task of evangelism. Any evangelistic skill requires three skills. The first and most basic involves declaring the gospel, including the ability to clearly and concisely articulate the message of salvation and one's own story or testimony. The second evangelistic skill is ability in defending the gospel. The third skill is built on the foundations of declaring and defending the gospel.

The skill is called dialoguing the gospel. Often neglected, difficult to master, but absolutely essential is the skill of asking questions and bouncing ideas around. We need all three skills if we're to be Christ's ambassadors in the 21st century.

Answering a question with a question often has significant advantages over direct answers. It brings to the surface the questioner's assumptions. It also takes the pressure off you—the one being asked—and puts the pressure on the one doing the asking. As long as we're on the defensive, the questioners are not really wrestling with issues. They're just watching us squirm.

Responding to a question with a question paves the way for a concept that the questioner might not otherwise consider. Many ideas that are central to our gospel message—God's holiness, people's sinfulness, Christ's atoning work on the cross, and people's responsibility—are alien today for many people. Questions bring these concepts into clearer focus for consideration and even acceptance. Let me give you an example:

Non-Christian: I can't believe that you believe Christianity is the only way.

Christian: Then why do you think Jesus said such a narrow-minded thing?

Non-Christian: I don't think Jesus was narrow-minded.

Christian: Me neither. Why do you think He claimed that He's the only way to God?

Non-Christian: Are you sure He said that, or is that just something His followers made up?

Christian: No, I'm really sure that He said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life."

Non-Christian: Well, I don't understand the Bible all that well. I don't know why Jesus would say those things.

Christian: Would you like to hear what I think He meant?

I'm proposing a style of evangelism that is more dialogue than a sales pitch. If we were to try to convince someone to "buy" the gospel, we'd shy away from some difficult words that need to be said. Confronting a prospect with unpleasant truths doesn't work in sales, but it is essential in evangelism.

Christian: Do you ever think much about spiritual things?

Non-Christian: A little. I think religion is a private thing, though.

Christian: Are you saying that people shouldn't discuss religion with others?

Non-Christian: No, I wouldn't say that. I just don't like it when people blab on endlessly.

Christian: So is some talk about God OK?

Non-Christian: Sure. But not when a total stranger talks to you about God like they talk about the weather.

Christian: Oh, I see. You say it's a private thing because you don't talk about private things with just anyone.

Non-Christian: Exactly. I think your religion is something reserved for only certain situations.

Christian: It sounds like you think religion is very important.

Non-Christian: Yeah, but I don't know what I believe about God.

Christian: Is that something you'd like to find out more about?

Non-Christian: I think so. But where do you begin to find answers?

Christian: I think I've found some good answers. Would you be interested in what I've found?

By asking questions in our evangelism, our conversations can lead to conversions, rather than presentations that lead to preconceptions. An exchange of ideas might lead both participants to the truth of the gospel. For one participant, it will be the first arrival at that point; for the other participant, it will be a rediscovery and a new appreciation of the message of the Cross.

Adapted from Questioning Evangelism by Randy Newman, ©2004 Kregel Publications, Grand Rapids, Mich. Used by permission of the publisher. All rights reserved.