Traditionally, apologetics has been concerned with defending and commending the truth claims of the Christian faith. In the 1990s Christian apologist Alister McGrath, in response to changing social attitudes, suggested that apologetics should not just be interested in establishing the truth of the Christian faith, but also its relevance.[1] People wanted to know whether the Christian message had any impact on their lives. Today, the world has moved on again and we find ourselves needing to address a new situation: the view that Christianity is harmful. We now need to commend the Christian faith in terms of its truth, relevance and its goodness.
The Power of Personal Testimony
There are various ways we might seek to commend the gospel to people today. But one of the best, in that it addresses questions of both relevance and goodness, is to share our testimony. This includes recounting how and why we came to faith in Jesus, how this changed our life for the better and how God has helped us in some particular situation. We might even speak about how we have wrestled and come to terms with some difficult aspect of Christian teaching.
My wife and I regularly have meals with good friends who are not believers. Although they can be quite resistant to talking about Christianity, my wife had the opportunity to speak of how God had helped us with a challenging family situation. You could have heard a pin drop. Everyone listened intently. My guess is they could relate to what my wife was describing. She was able to find a hearing with her personal testimony, highlighting both the relevance and the goodness of the Christian faith. On another occasion a non-believing friend said to me: ‘Don’t talk to me about doctrine, talk to me about your life.’
We should still work towards explaining the gospel message. But as a starting point, people are often genuinely interested in our personal testimony.
Contexts for Sharing Christian Testimonies
Given the particular value of testimonies in our context, it is worth regularly incorporating them into our regular church services as well as our evangelistic courses and events. Testimonies can be used as illustrative material in sermons or delivered as a formal part of the church service or evangelistic event. In some cases, we could even set aside some time for people to informally share with those around them.
Sharing how God has helped us is worthwhile in everyday conversation for the same reason. You might be fearful of being asked a question you are unable to answer. The good thing about sharing your testimony is that you are speaking on a topic about which you are the world expert.
[1] See Alister McGrath, Bridge-Building (Leicester: IVP, 1992), 9.
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