Rabbinic Questioning-A Better Way to Evangelize

Some people have told me that my lack of evangelistic fruit results from lack of prayer. I certainly don't pray enough, but I wonder if that's all there is to it. Other people have told me that I don't push hard enough in "closing the sale." I don't know how to respond to that; the gospel isn't a product that we sell. On introspection, I've wondered what I haven't said to work the same magic as so many others.And I'm not alone in my frustration. In fact, frustration might be the most common emotion that Christians associate with evangelism(followed closely by guilt, confusion and despair). Our frustration is multifaceted. We're frustrated that our message doesn't yield more decisions, genuine fruit, cultural impact, or advancing of God's kingdom in the way about which Jesus talked.

There are three fairly common reasons for our frustration and intimidation. They've led to a condition that borders on evangelistic paralysis-what one speaker has referred to as "spiritual lockjaw."First, we believers just don't engage in as many evangelistic conversations as we know we should. The message that has gripped our hearts and forms the centerpiece of our lives remains unspoken,unshared, and unproclaimed. Our culture's secularism has silenced us when we should be sharing, and we wonder why the topic so often on ourminds is so seldom on our lips.

Second, we're frustrated by the lack of lasting fruit. If you've ever led someone to Christ, and later found that person totallyuninterested in spiritual growth, you know the pain to which I'm referring. True, not all the seeds in Jesus' parable landed on good soil. Still, we wonder why some plants spring up and then wither in the sun, or on the rocky soil, or under the distractions of this world. We wonder why, for all of our evangelistic efforts, the percentage of born-again Christians in our country has remained stagnant for more than thirty years while the percentage of Mormons,Muslims, and purchasers of New Age crystals has grown.

Third, most of us don't hold a candle to people who are gifted by Godas evangelists. And when we actually do step out in faith and share Christ, not as many people as we'd like bow their heads and pray "the sinner's prayer." Hearing about the successes of a Billy Graham only adds to our frustration. Instead of motivating us to be bold, the success stories discourage us. That's not an excuse, though. Paul told Timothy, who was a timid non-evangelist, to "do the work of anevangelist" (2 Tim. 4:5). So we find ourselves clinging to the promise that God forgives even the greatest of sinners-assuming that sinnersmeans those who are evangelistic failures-and hoping for a method of evangelism for non-evangelists.

A Better Way to Evangelize
A better way than the traditional fire-on-all-cylinders sales pitch approach does exist. And, it looks, sounds, and feels more like Jesus the rabbi, than Murray, the used car salesman. It involves more listening than speaking, inviting rather than demanding "a decision."Perhaps the most important component to this kind of evangelism is answering questions with questions rather than giving answers. It's uncanny how often our Lord answered a question with a question.A rich man asked Jesus, "Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?" That question was a great set up for a clear, concise gospel presentation. I can almost hear a disciple whispering in Jesus'ear, "Take out the tract." But how did Jesus respond? He posed aquestion, "Why do you call me good?" (Mark 10:17-18).When religious leaders asked Jesus if it was right to pay taxes, Jesus referred to a coin and asked, "Whose portrait is this?" (Matt.22:17-20). When the Pharisees asked him, "Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?" Jesus' response was a question: "If any of you has a sheepand it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will you not take hold of itand lift it out?" (Matt. 12:9-12).

At times (far too many, I'm afraid), I've answered questions with biblically accurate, logically sound, epistemologically watertight answers, only to see questioners shrug their shoulders. My answers, it seemed, only further confirmed their opinion that Christians are simpletons. So I started answering questions with questions, and have gained far better results.

Once a team of skeptics confronted me. It was during a weekly Biblestudy for first year college men in a dorm room. The host, in whose room we met, had been telling us for weeks of his roommate's antagonistic questions. This week, the roommate showed up-along with a handful of likeminded friends. The question of the gospel's exclusivity arose, more as an attack than a sincere question."So, I suppose you think all those sincere followers of other religions are going to hell!""Do you believe in hell?" I responded.He appeared as if he'd never seriously considered the possibility. Helooked so puzzled, perhaps because he was being challenged when he thought that he was doing the challenging. After a long silence, he said, "No. I don't believe in hell. I think it is ridiculous."Echoing his word choice, I said, "Well, then why are you asking such a ridiculous question?" I wasn't trying to be a wise guy. I simply wanted him to honestly examine the assumptions behind his ownquestion.The silence was broken my another questioner, who chimed in, "Well, I do believe in hell. Do you think everyone who disagrees with you is going there?"I asked, "Do you think anyone goes there? Is Hitler in hell?""Of course Hitler is in hell.""How do you think God decides who goes to heaven and who goes to hell?Does He grade on a curve?">

From there, the discussion became civil for the first time, and serious interaction about God's holiness, people's sinfulness, and Jesus' atoning work ensued. Answering questions with questions turnedout to be a more effective, albeit indirect, way to share the gospel.

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