“…but in your hearts regard Christ the Lord as holy, ready at any time to give a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you. Yet do this with gentleness and reverence…” (CSB – Read the chapter)

A little something different for you this morning. Part of the reason I started this blog so many years ago was to be able to spark conversations about things that matter through a faithful engagement with the Scriptures. The bulk of what I post on here takes the form of what I hope are encouraging devotional reflections on the Scriptures. I have covered a lot of ground during this time. I don’t believe there is a document in the Scriptures I haven’t written at least something about over the last six and a half years. Because I have covered so much ground, I have occasionally touched on big or hot button issues. Recently, a post I made drew the attention of a couple of different skeptics of Christianity. This has resulted in what is a still-ongoing conversation about a whole range of topics. I’m sure I haven’t gotten everything right in my method and approach in these conversations, but if you are interested in what engaging with someone who does not at all accept any of the truth claims of the Christian faith including the historical existence of Jesus in the first place can look like, I submit these two conversations to you as an example.

If you are someone who follows Jesus, my hope is that this will be an encouragement to you to engage in your own Gospel conversations with the unbelievers in your life. I have sought throughout both conversations to have a very even and humble tone. There have been times I have acknowledged errors on my part. As far as my interlocutors go, one was very passionate with strongly negative feelings toward Christians and Christianity. That conversation train pulled into the station fairly quickly. The other has been most genial, and we are continuing to debate back and forth. While I have been willing to respond to a whole range of issues as they have arisen, my goal has been to keep steering the conversation back around to the matter of the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. Along the way, I have sought to make observations to my conversation partners about where their own presuppositions are influencing the kinds of arguments they are making.

As a fair warning before you go and get started on reading: there’s a lot there. These conversations have unfolded over the span of a couple of weeks, and during that time a great deal of digital ink has been spilled. I am sure I did not move the first individual in his convictions at all. I don’t know that I will yet move the second. But my hope is that they will come away having had an interaction with a follower of Jesus who was not angry or harsh or belittling of them and their beliefs. If that alone leaves them with a somewhat more positive opinion of Christians and their practice of their faith, then that will have been enough. Certainly I hope for more, and I have prayed over these conversations and my responses throughout this process. Who knows how God may yet use these interactions.

That all being said, if you are interested in what it can (not necessarily should, but can) look like to engage with a skeptic on matters of faith, here you go. Click here to get started.