Dr Paul Allen

It’s not easy to initiate gospel conversations in a secular age. There can be various reasons: perhaps unhurried interactions are rare, the vibe isn’t conducive to profound moments, or we fall into relational and conversational ruts that make the thought of going there seem painfully awkward. But what if the reasons for our silence go deeper? One way to become reinvigorated for a task is to reflect on what keeps us from doing it in the first place. Here, then, are three common reasons we keep quiet. 1. We ignore our context. In a post-Christian age, we can’t presume any basic assumptions in those we’re trying to reach with the gospel. So we must lean in and listen well to climb into our neighbour’s way of seeing and inhabiting the world. Otherwise, we’ll speak about terms—even biblical ones—that’ll be misunderstood or rejected outright. “God loves you” is great news but meaningless if you don’t understand the nature of God (or, for that matter, love). “You are a sinner” is true, but me...

Recent years have witnessed a growing debate over classical theism—the doctrine of the triune God found in the Nicene Creed, the Definition of Chalcedon, and in the Reformed confessions. Authors such as James Dolezal in his book All That Is in God have pointed out how prominent evangelical and Reformed theologians are redefining and/or rejecting various elements of the classical doctrine of God such as the attributes of simplicity, immutability, and impassibility. Many Christians, however, wonder whether this debate has any relevance outside the ivory towers of academia.  How does understanding attributes such as divine simplicity or immutability or eternity help me to share the gospel with my lost neighbour who has never opened a single theological book in his life?  These kinds of questions are unfortunate, but they are also entirely understandable. For centuries now, serious theology has been divorced from the life of the church and is considered to be only an academic disc...

If sharing the gospel sounds like we’re saying, “Come to Jesus for a better life,” we’re doing it wrong. In a day when religion is appreciated for its moral or therapeutic benefits, someone will hear us telling them about Jesus and presume we’re trying to sell them a version of personal, privatized spirituality. One good option among many. Even when that’s not what we say, that’s what people hear. Just Share Your Testimony? “Sharing your testimony” doesn’t avoid the problem; it sometimes makes the challenge more difficult. I once heard someone recommend a method of evangelism that relied solely on personal testimony. “No one can argue with your testimony!” he said. Exactly. That’s why it’s insufficient. If you talk to your neighbor about what Jesus means to you and how being a Christian has made your life better, how will you respond when your neighbor smiles and says, “I’m so glad Jesus has made your life better.  Here’s a mindfulness app that’s given me peace . . .” or “I’ve been...