The Written Witness
Did any of you remember seeing the much-ballyhooed debate in 2014 between Ken Ham of Answers in Genesis and Bill Nye, the Science Guy? Their televised wide-ranging debate on evolution vs. creation raised quite a stir and provided a significant audience an opportunity to tune in and ponder points both men made.
Whether you saw the debate or not, which you can access even now in 2022, there was a catchphrase Ken Ham used on several occasions, that when uttered in his Australian accent, got my attention. And though, on the surface, it may have seemed like a simple answer to one of Bill Nye’s objections, it did, and still does, pack a punch, a significant punch!
A number of times, in response to Bill and with the goal of reaching out to the approximately 3 million people in the television audience, Ken said:
“I do want to say, that there is a book out there . . .”—clearly referring to the Bible.
Following the debate, Ken noted that his goal was not to move Bill Nye, but to witness to the millions of people in the TV audience. And so his quip, “there is a book,” was a repeated talking point, a witness to the authoritative, transcendent, and powerful Word of God. Undoubtedly, part of his motive in that statement was to compel people to read the Bible for the themselves, think for themselves, and come to their own conclusions.
As we conclude this long-running series of blogs focusing on lessons from Jesus, the Word of God is front and center.
You see, foundational to a witness for Jesus ought be our exhortation to people to read the Bible for themselves. Why?
The Bible is the infallible, inspired, inerrant word of God. It is wholly trustworthy and accurate. It’s God’s love letter to man and blueprint for reality. As one Christian commentator notes: “The Bible gives us objective verifiable, information about God and our relationship to Him. However, it is fundamentally a book of faith. The Bible does not tell us everything we want to know about reality, but it does tell us everything we need to know.”
Romans 10:17 states: “Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God.” This is true for both the Christian and for the one who hasn’t yet met Christ.
While Jesus often quoted the Old Testament in His teaching, on a few occasions He testified specifically about Himself from those same Scriptures, which in the first century was The Bible. (Luke 4:18-19, Matthew 21:42, Mark 12:35-37.)
In Luke 24:27, the resurrected Jesus witnessed to the two disciples on the road to Emmaus using the Word of God:
And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself.
Praise God for the blessing of the New Testament Scriptures we have as believers today, for they reveal the person and work of Jesus Christ and how to know Him!
Unfortunately, in our present day people often get their ‘take’ on who Jesus is from sources other than the Bible. There is the Jesus of this magazine article or that television feature. But what about the Jesus of the Bible?
Years ago I was witnessing to an orthodox Jewish man I’ll call Adam. Adam had not read the New Testament, yet railed about Jesus not being the Messiah. One day I said to Adam in so many words, “Adam, I like you and you’re a smart guy (which he was), but I do not accept and cannot respect a man who is forming an opinion about Jesus without ever having read the record of His life in the gospels.” I then challenged him to read one gospel, the gospel of John. Then, after reading the record of Jesus’ life there, he could share any opinion he’d like based on the information he read.
Interestingly, Adam agreed with my premise, and don’t you know, he began reading the gospel of John for himself. Now Adam didn’t come to faith in Jesus as Messiah, during that time, but he received my challenge.
A few years ago, an unbelieving family member wanted me to send them an autographed copy of my book, Into The Gale: 12 Evangelistic Lessons From The Book Of Acts. They said they wanted to read it, even if they didn’t like what they read! And you know what? It was exciting to know they would be exposed to the the Word of God and the gospel as they read much from the book of Acts. For the Word of God provides the foundation of the book. Although they haven’t come to faith in Christ, I was thrilled they exposed themselves to the truth that sets people free and that gospel seeds were sown.
Perhaps there are people you have a witness to who have never read the Bible. Pray God would bring them to a place of openness and also pray for ways to encourage and possibly challenge them to inquire and explore the Bible for themselves.
In our day of media abundance and technological tools, how we share can be varied. We can utilize Facebook and other social media, email, books, tracts, personal notes, audio and video recordings and links. In addition to these means of communicating God’s Word, we can also share His Word in a traditional fashion, reading the Bible person to person. There is no end to the available delivery systems. The goal is to share the Word of God and let it do what it does—accomplish His will.
Whatever methodologies and strategies we employ in our evangelistic efforts, at the end of the day, we need to share God’s Word with the people we’re seeking to reach. For God tells us in Isaiah 55:10–11:
“For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, and do not return there, but water the earth, and make it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.”
May the Lord open up doors for us to spread His Word among those in our sphere of influence. And as they interact with the wonders of His Word and interface with truth, may many of these precious people come to a saving knowledge of our wonderful Savior. Amen.
And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name (John 20:30-31).