A Christian may be the only person in a family, workplace, or neighborhood whom someone can readily ask about Christ. A pastor can help that believer understand the Scriptures, but the conversation may arise while they are apart and in circumstances the pastor will never see. Luke records that believers scattered from Jerusalem carried the good news with them (Acts 8:1–4). Paul directs Christians to act wisely toward outsiders and to know how to answer each person (Colossians 4:5–6). Peter calls believers to be ready to give a reason for the hope they possess, even when speaking about it may bring opposition (1 Peter 3:13–16). Together, these passages show what the congregation should equip its members to do and why each Christian has a part in speaking about the faith.

The Believers Who Carried the Word From Jerusalem

After Stephen’s death, severe persecution broke out against the congregation in Jerusalem, and believers were scattered through Judea and Samaria while the apostles remained in Jerusalem (Acts 8:1–2). Saul was entering houses and dragging away men and women to prison (Acts 8:3). Luke then says that those who had been scattered “went about proclaiming the good news of the word” (Acts 8:4, UASV). The people doing the speaking in that sentence are the believers Luke has just described as scattered. They carried the message into the places they went, even though the apostles had remained behind. The expansion of the witness in this account depended in part on believers who spoke as their circumstances changed and brought them into contact with people elsewhere.

Luke later returns to those scattered by the persecution connected with Stephen and traces the spread of the word as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch (Acts 11:19–21). He identifies some of the men who spoke in Antioch by the places from which they came, Cyprus and Cyrene, and describes them announcing the good news about the Lord Jesus. When the congregation in Jerusalem heard what had happened, it sent Barnabas, who encouraged the believers to remain devoted to the Lord (Acts 11:22–24). The initiative of the people who spoke and the later help of an experienced worker belonged to the same work. The people who first carried the message could speak to those before them, and Barnabas could strengthen those who believed. A congregation today can likewise help members do work in places that its elders could rarely reach themselves.

Giving a Reason for the Hope Within

Peter calls believers to sanctify Christ as Lord in their hearts and be ready to answer anyone who asks for a reason for their hope (1 Peter 3:15). He gives that instruction in a passage about suffering for righteousness and maintaining good conduct when others speak against them (1 Peter 3:13–17). Setting Christ apart as Lord gives the believer a reason to speak faithfully when fear of the hearer might otherwise govern what he says. A Christian whose refusal to retaliate draws a question can explain the conviction that governs his conduct. He can acknowledge the wrong he suffered and explain why he still expects Christ’s judgment to be righteous. His conduct gives rise to the question, and his answer makes known the hope that helped him act as he did.

The hope Peter expects believers to explain has definite content. At the beginning of the letter, he connects their living hope with the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead (1 Peter 1:3). He also points to Christ’s suffering for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring people to God (1 Peter 3:18). In a conversation with a neighbor who asks why a Christian has hope when facing death, the Christian can explain that God raised Jesus and that Jesus promised a resurrection to those in the tombs (John 5:28–29). He can give the neighbor a passage to read and explain what the promise actually says. The listener then has something more definite to consider than the fact that the Christian takes comfort in his religion.

Peter also requires the answer to be given with gentleness and respect (1 Peter 3:15). This requirement matters when a question carries an accusation or is asked in a dismissive tone. The Christian can address the claim without returning the insult and can distinguish what the hearer has actually said from what he supposes the hearer believes. If someone asks how a Christian can speak about forgiveness after being wronged, he can explain that the command to forgive governs his response and still acknowledge that a wrong was done (Ephesians 4:31–32). The answer may leave room for further questions, especially if the listener has known people who used the language of forgiveness to avoid admitting wrongdoing. Gentleness helps the hearer consider the answer without having to defend himself against a personal attack.

Wisdom Toward Outsiders and Speech Suited to Each Person

Paul asks the Colossians to pray that an opportunity for the word will open and that he will make the message clear as he ought to speak (Colossians 4:2–4). He then directs the congregation to walk in wisdom toward outsiders and make good use of the time (Colossians 4:5). The movement from his request to their responsibility shows that the opportunities they encounter also call for attention. A Christian can recognize such an opportunity when a coworker asks why he made a particular decision or when a relative brings up something she read in the Bible. A wise response takes account of the setting, the time available, and whether the person wishes to pursue the subject. A brief answer at work can make the Christian’s reason clear and leave the coworker free to continue the conversation at a more suitable time.

Paul continues, “Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person” (Colossians 4:6, UASV). The expression “each person” directs attention to the one asking the question. Two people may ask whether God forgives serious sins while having very different reasons for asking. One may think he has done too much wrong to be forgiven, while another may wonder whether forgiveness means that the wrong no longer matters. The same gospel governs both answers, but the Christian can address the first person’s fear by explaining the purpose of Christ’s sacrifice and address the second person’s concern by explaining why God calls people to repent (Acts 3:19; 1 Peter 3:18). Listening long enough to understand the question helps the believer give an answer that is gracious and relevant.

Beginning With a Question and Opening the Scriptures

Philip’s conversation with the Ethiopian official shows how a believer can begin where a hearer’s interest already lies. Philip heard the man reading Isaiah and asked whether he understood what he was reading (Acts 8:27–30). The official invited Philip to sit with him and asked whom the prophet was speaking about. Philip began with that Scripture and announced the good news about Jesus (Acts 8:31–35). His opening question helped bring the man’s difficulty into the conversation, and the explanation began with a passage both men could consider. A Christian can follow that example when someone mentions a verse he finds puzzling by asking what he understands it to say, reading the surrounding words with him, and explaining the point at issue.

Beginning with the hearer’s question also requires knowing where the answer should lead. The message Philip preached in Samaria concerned the Kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, and those who believed were baptized (Acts 8:12). Jesus’ commission likewise joins making disciples with baptizing them and teaching them to observe what He commanded (Matthew 28:18–20). An initial conversation may properly deal with a single question, but further instruction should help the hearer understand who Jesus is, why His death and resurrection matter, and what a response of obedient faith involves. A Christian who talks with a friend about prayer can explain that Jesus gives believers a basis for drawing near to God and offer to read the relevant passage together (Hebrews 4:14–16). That gives the friend an opportunity to understand how the subject he raised relates to the person and work of Christ.

Equipping Members to Speak Clearly

Congregations can prepare believers for these conversations by helping them explain the message in plain words and show where it comes from. Paul identifies Christ’s death for sins, burial, resurrection, and appearances to witnesses as matters of first importance in the gospel he delivered to Corinth (1 Corinthians 15:3–8). A mature believer can read that passage with someone who wants to speak about his faith and ask him to explain why Paul includes both the burial and the appearances. The learner can then practice stating the main point briefly and find the verses again without assistance. A listener who has never heard the message needs to understand what Christians claim happened before he can ask why they believe it. Preparation makes it easier for the believer to state the claim accurately without burying it under unfamiliar expressions.

A congregation can also give members practice in listening and answering. One person can ask a question a neighbor might raise, and the other can restate it before offering a response. If the question is whether Christians believe everyone will receive eternal life, the learner can answer from John 3:16–18 and explain the connection Jesus makes between faith in the Son and everlasting life. The person helping him can notice whether the answer addressed the question, whether the passage was explained accurately, and whether the language was respectful. He can also encourage the learner to say when a question requires more study and, if the hearer is interested, to return with an answer he has checked. A congregation that provides this kind of practice helps people prepare for conversations in which they have to think and respond for themselves.

Following Up Beyond the Church Meeting

An ordinary conversation can continue through an agreed time to read a passage or discuss another question. If someone wants to know why Christians speak of Jesus’ death as a ransom, a believer can suggest reading Mark 10:42–45 and ask what Jesus says He came to give and for whom He gave it. At a later conversation the believer can ask what the person understood, clarify a point that remains difficult, and consider where to read next. The pace can follow the hearer’s questions while giving him a fair opportunity to understand what the Scriptures say. If the subject exceeds the believer’s present knowledge, a mature member of the congregation can help him prepare or join the conversation by agreement. That support gives the hearer access to careful instruction and helps the believer grow in his ability to give it.

The congregation can also encourage members who have spoken faithfully when the response was limited. In Corinth, Paul planted, Apollos watered, and God gave the growth (1 Corinthians 3:5–9). That description gives a believer reason to do his part with care and to recognize that another person may contribute at a later point. A man who gave a brief answer to a relative can consider whether his words were accurate and gracious, whether he understood the question, and whether he has reason to offer a further conversation. A mature brother can help him learn from what happened without treating the hearer’s immediate reaction as the measure of his faithfulness. The next opportunity may come in a different place, with a person whose question he is now better prepared to answer.

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Unity in Doctrine: Upholding Biblical Truth through Conservative Exegetical Exegesis

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