Why Study Other Belief Systems?

A Topical Bible Study

First, in order to quench unneeded misunderstanding:

1.     We can’t “save” anyone by clever arguments or even by presenting truth.

2.     What works for one person won’t necessarily work for another.

3.     We need to always trust the Holy Spirit to guide our conversations.

 

The message we share is good news, that God loves us so much to allow His Son to die in our place.  He wishes us to be with Him forever and the only pathway is through Jesus.  Accepting His free gift results in us being His children.  In order to accept His gift, we need to admit our need for Him, our wrongdoing, even the smallest of sins standing in the way, turn toward Him and follow His ways.

 

Whereas not all examples of witnessing apply today, for example Paul saying that those present witnessed the risen Christ, there are principles and examples of how to witness.

 

The high points of the below study are to be as prepared as possible to answer any argument that may come our way.  Learning the belief system of others is necessary to effectively become all things to all men. Share the “good news” as the message, and sin as the roadblock.  Share with love and respect.    

(All the bible verses quoted can be found below the outline.)

 

The message overall is a positive one.

·        Proclaiming the good news, Jesus is the Christ Acts 5:42  Acts 8:12 Acts 10:36

·        We are to give the message of reconciliation  II Cor 5:19

·        Proclaim the mystery of Christ Col 4:3

 

The message requires change

·        Turn to God in faith and repentance  Acts 20:21

 

The message is preceded by finding common ground.

·        Stephen Acts 7:2-52

·        Philip Acts 8:30-35

·        Paul Acts 13:17-40

·        Paul in Athens “looked carefully at your objects of worship”  Acts 17:16-31

·        All things to all men to win some  I Cor 9:19-23

 

The message is better received because of preparation.

·        To be able to reason preceding and defending gospel.

o   Paul in the synagogue Acts 17:2-3  Acts 18:4-6, 19

o   Paul in Athens Acts 17:17

o   Paul was prepared Acts 18:28, Acts 19:8-9a

·        We are told to be prepared

o   Not to be swayed by false teaching Eph 4:14-15

o   Always be ready to give answer Col 4:4-6

o   Answer for the hope within us I Pet 3:15

o   Correct with careful instruction 2 Tim 4:2     

 

The message is to be shared with love, grace, gentleness and respect

·        Speak truth in love, seasoned with grace, gentle and with respect  Eph 4:14-15, Col 4:4-6 I Pet 3:15

·        Did not speak against the other religion  Acts 19:37

 

The message may be shared in different ways

·        Believe and be saved - The jailer Acts 16:30-31

·        Gave personal testimony  Acts 22:3-21

·        Christ be preached no matter what   Phil 1:15-17

 

The message to the Jews, “You crucified Jesus.” Acts 2:22-24 Acts 2:36-38 Acts 3:15-20 Acts 4:10-12 Acts 5:30

·        God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.

·        God raised him from the dead

·        Repent and turn to God

·        No other path to salvation

·        Receive forgiveness and refreshment from God and the Holy Spirit




All references below use the 1984 NIV

 

22"Men of Israel, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know. 23This man was handed over to you by God's set purpose and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men,F9 put him to death by nailing him to the cross. 24But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him.  Acts 2:22-24

 

36"Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ." 37When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, "Brothers, what shall we do?" 38Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Acts 2:36-38

 

15You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead. We are witnesses of this. 16By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong. It is Jesus' name and the faith that comes through him that has given this complete healing to him, as you can all see.

17"Now, brothers, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did your leaders. 18But this is how God fulfilled what he had foretold through all the prophets, saying that his ChristF13would suffer. 19Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, 20and that he may send the Christ, who has been appointed for you--even Jesus.  Acts 3:15-20

 

10then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed. 11He is

   " 'the stone you builders rejected, which has become the capstone.F16 'F17 12Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved." Acts 4:10-12

 

30The God of our fathers raised Jesus from the dead--whom you had killed by hanging him on a tree. 31God exalted him to his own right hand as Prince and Savior that he might give repentance and forgiveness of sins to Israel. 32We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him." Acts 5:30

 

 42Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Christ.F22 Acts 5:42

 

2To this he replied: "Brothers and fathers, listen to me! The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham while he was still in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran. 3'Leave your country and your people,' God said, 'and go to the land I will show you.'F23 Acts 7:2-3

…the history lesson...

52Was there ever a prophet your fathers did not persecute? They even killed those who predicted the coming of the Righteous One. And now you have betrayed and murdered him-- Acts 7:52

 

 12But when they believed Philip as he preached the good news of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. Acts 8:12

 

30Then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. "Do you understand what you are reading?" Philip asked.  Acts 8:30

 35Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus.  Acts 8:35

 

36You know the message God sent to the people of Israel, telling the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all. Acts 10:36

 

 17The God of the people of Israel chose our fathers; he made the people prosper during their stay in Egypt, with mighty power he led them out of that country, Acts 13:17

...history lesson…

32"We tell you the good news: What God promised our fathers 33he has fulfilled for us, their children, by raising up Jesus. As it is written in the second Psalm:

   " 'You are my Son;

       today I have become your Father.F48 'F49 34The fact that God raised him from the dead, never to decay, is stated in these words:

   " 'I will give you the holy and sure blessings promised to David.'F50 35So it is stated elsewhere:

   " 'You will not let your Holy One see decay.'F51

Warning from their belief system

  40Take care that what the prophets have said does not happen to you:  41" 'Look, you scoffers,        wonder and perish,    for I am going to do something in your days

       that you would never believe,        even if someone told you.'F52 "

 

1At Iconium Paul and Barnabas went as usual into the Jewish synagogue. There they spoke so effectively that a great number of Jews and Gentiles believed. Acts 14:1

 

30He then brought them out and asked, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?"

31They replied, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved--you and your household." 32Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house. Acts 16:30

 

 2As his custom was, Paul went into the synagogue, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, 3explaining and proving that the ChristF61 had to suffer and rise from the dead. "This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Christ, Acts 17:2-3

 

16While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was greatly distressed to see that the city was full of idols. 17So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the God-fearing Greeks, as well as in the marketplace day by day with those who happened to be there. 18A group of Epicurean and Stoic philosophers began to dispute with him. Some of them asked, "What is this babbler trying to say?" Others remarked, "He seems to be advocating foreign gods." They said this because Paul was preaching the good news about Jesus and the resurrection. 19Then they took him and brought him to a meeting of the Areopagus, where they said to him, "May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting? 20You are bringing some strange ideas to our ears, and we want to know what they mean." 21(All the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there spent their time doing nothing but talking about and listening to the latest ideas.)

22Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: "Men of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious. 23For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription:|sc TO AN UNKNOWN GOD. Now what you worship as something unknown I am going to proclaim to you.

24"The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands. 25And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else. 26From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. 27God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us. 28'For in him we live and move and have our being.' As some of your own poets have said, 'We are his offspring.'

29"Therefore since we are God's offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone--an image made by man's design and skill. 30In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. 31For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead."   Acts 17:16-31

 

 4Every Sabbath he reasoned in the synagogue, trying to persuade Jews and Greeks.

5When Silas and Timothy came from Macedonia, Paul devoted himself exclusively to preaching, testifying to the Jews that Jesus was the Christ.F64 6But when the Jews opposed Paul and became abusive, he shook out his clothes in protest and said to them, "Your blood be on your own heads! I am clear of my responsibility. From now on I will go to the Gentiles." Acts 18:4-6

 

19They arrived at Ephesus, where Paul left Priscilla and Aquila. He himself went into the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews. Acts 18:19

 

28For he vigorously refuted the Jews in public debate, proving from the Scriptures that Jesus was the Christ. Acts 18:28



8Paul entered the synagogue and spoke boldly there for three months, arguing persuasively about the kingdom of God. 9But some of them became obstinate; they refused to believe and publicly maligned the Way. So Paul left them.  Acts 19:8-9a

 

37You have brought these men here, though they have neither robbed temples nor blasphemed our goddess. Acts 19:37

 

 21I have declared to both Jews and Greeks that they must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus.  Acts 20:21

 

Gave testimony

3Then Paul said: "I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city. Under Gamaliel I was thoroughly trained in the law of our fathers and was just as zealous for God as any of you are today. 4I persecuted the followers of this Way to their death, arresting both men and women and throwing them into prison, 5as also the high priest and all the Council can testify. I even obtained letters from them to their brothers in Damascus, and went there to bring these people as prisoners to Jerusalem to be punished. 6"About noon as I came near Damascus...  Acts 22:3-6

 

Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. 20To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. 21To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God's law but am under Christ's law), so as to win those not having the law. 22To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some. 23I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.  I Cor 9:19-23

 

: 19that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. II Cor 5:19

 

4The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. 5We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ II Cor 10:4-5

 

14Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. 15Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. Eph 4:14-15

 

 14Because of my chains, most of the brothers in the Lord have been encouraged to speak the word of God more courageously and fearlessly.

15It is true that some preach Christ out of envy and rivalry, but others out of goodwill. 16The latter do so in love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. 17The former preach Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing that they can stir up trouble for me while I am in chains.F3 18But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice. Phil 1:15-17

 

 3And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. 4Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should. 5Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. 6Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone. Col 4:4-6

 

15But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, I Pet 3:15

 

Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage--with great patience and careful instruction.  2 Tim 4:2