The text is a transcript of a podcast episode titled "Crossing the Barriers" from the series "Truth For Life". The speaker, Aleister Begg, provides tips on how to effectively respond to difficult questions about faith. He emphasizes the importance of patience, not getting off-sides, not drowning people in details, not talking down to people, not serving up canned answers, and not shining the light in their face. He also stresses the importance of treating questions seriously and not relying on our own knowledge but on the Holy Spirit to illuminate a person's mind. He warns against the limitations of human persuasion and reminds listeners of God's boundless power to do what we cannot.
Begg also addresses the question of how to defend the Bible. He suggests using the Bible's self-authenticating claim, its unity, fulfilled prophecies, and its life-changing power as arguments. He encourages listeners to be prepared to answer difficult questions with sensitivity, humility, reality, and diligence about the things of faith, relying on God rather than their ability to articulate. He ends the talk with a prayer, asking God to give listeners these qualities.
1. The speaker is discussing evangelism and provides tips to overcome fear when dealing with difficult questions.
2. The speaker emphasizes the importance of patience and courtesy when dealing with difficult questions.
3. The speaker advises against being drawn off-topic and against providing answers before the question is fully asked.
4. The speaker warns against giving canned answers and recommends treating each question seriously.
5. The speaker suggests that accurate answers do not save people, only Jesus does.
6. The speaker emphasizes the importance of prayerfulness and humility over knowing all the answers.
7. The speaker encourages listeners to be diligent in understanding the scriptures and to bear witness to Jesus Christ.
8. The speaker provides an outline on how to answer the question, "How do you know we can trust the Bible?"
9. The speaker emphasizes the uniqueness of the Bible, which claims to be the word of God.
10. The speaker points out the unity of the scriptures, stating that they possess a remarkable unity that could not be created over the manifold books, multiple years, and various authors.
11. The speaker discusses fulfilled prophecy in the Bible and illustrates this with examples.
12. The speaker speaks about the life-changing power of the Bible and encourages personal testimony regarding the change God has wrought in one's life as a result of these scriptures.
13. The speaker concludes by praying for listeners, asking God to give them sensitivity, humility, reality, and diligence about the things of faith.