Sharing the Gospel? *
Sharing the Gospel
How can we share the Gospel with people who have a worldview different from our own?
Two Iranian college students, Arak and Emman were having coffee at a Donut shop and agreed to discuss their beliefs. Emman believes “When we die, we die, that’s it” and Arak believes we all have a spirit that lives on after we die, but didnt think we can’t know anything beyond that.
I told them some of the things I know about Iranian spiritual beliefs from previous conversations with Iranian students – about how many view Islam as a colonizing influence over their original Persian culture and Zoroastrian religion.
Sharing what I had learned about their culture did a lot to quickly build up some rapport with them in much the same way that 45 minutes of listening won the trust of a young Buddhist man a few days earlier.
Is this a biblical form of evangelism in much the same way that Paul demonstrated his knowledge of Athenian culture by referring to their “Unknown God” when he had gone into the marketplace to talk with “those who happened to be there” in Acts 17.
Like Paul, I went on to reason with them not about Jesus, but first about God and His attributes. I needed to build a foundation of who God is before I could hope to explain who Jesus is.
Whether we go into all the world or we go to “all the world” right here on our doorstep, we must be prepared to share the Gospel with people who have a world view very different from our own.
A: America in 2024 has become more of a global melting pot than it was in 2008. More and more are coming to the West. There are 8 million people from Islamic countries alone in the US now, and 4.4 million people from India, & millions of other foreign eastern nations.
While we are to engage the lost, regardless of who they are, we only need to have a general or basic understanding of a religion for apologetic. But for sharing the Gospel, we know all of the beliefs of all religions outside Christianity are "Works based and Idolatry". So that is enough to share the truth of the Gospel with anyone.
Believers need to have a firm understanding of Grace & the Essentials of Salvation while knowing how to biblically present the Gospel; that is really all we need. They'll either have seeds planted or God will convert them during our convo. Either way ultimately they'll either be saved or be accountable to God after they die. We are just faithful messengers, but we need the knowledge of Scripture to do our job rightly.
"preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching." 2 Timothy 4:2
And "but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect"1 Peter 3:15.
Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman who needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. 2 Timothy 2:15
"But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of GOD; and that believing ye might have Life through His name." John 20:31
"For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope." Romans 15:4
Paul wrote, "Just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not to please man, but to please God who tests our hearts". 1 Thessalonians 2:4
Related Resources
Reaching Muslims
Reaching the Religious
Evangelism Resources
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