“Now while Paul was waiting for them at Athens, his spirit was provoked within him as he saw that the city was full of idols. So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the devout persons, and in the marketplace every day with those who happened to be there.” Acts 17:16-17
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We can have confidence in our ability, through reason, to help our unbelieving friends begin to consider the Good News of Jesus Christ and His Kingdom. We know this because God Himself is reasonable, and we believe He commends the use of reason in making Himself and His will known to men.
We can have confidence in reason for a second reason as well, because human beings are made in the image and likeness of God (Gen. 1:26-28) and are therefore also reasonable beings. To be sure, human reason is not on the same level as God’s, and is affected by sin in our hearts; nevertheless, enough of reason still functions in men that the Apostle Paul employed it in talking with Jews, Greek philosophers, and people in the street.
Like God, men make plans, take counsel, and communicate in reasonable language. They want to be understood, and so they work hard to make their meanings make sense. Reason, as exercised by human beings, is analogous to God’s reason; it is not exactly like His, because He is reason itself, while human reason is practiced in finite and fallen creatures (Is. 55:8, 9). But the reasoning of men is sufficiently like God’s way of thinking that He is able, as we have seen, to make known Himself and His will by various means to the minds of men.
Because human beings are reasonable beings, and because they are made in His image in order to know Him (Jn. 17:3), God expects and, indeed, the history of Gospel abundantly shows, that human beings can make sense out of the Lord’s will and plan, even to the point of agreeing with it and embracing it as their own.
I should add that human beings are made in the image of God whether or not they think so or agree with us on this matter. They are who they are, as God has made them. They may rail against the prospect of it and deny any affinity with God whatsoever, but this does not change who they are or how we must approach them, as reasonable beings, in seeking to make God’s Good News make sense. In truth, we know more about the people with whom we would reason about the Gospel than they do themselves. We know that, as reasonable creatures, they are amenable to God’s Reason – His Logos. But they must be helped to discover a way through the ceiling of false and faulty reasoning under which they have chosen to dwell, so that the clear light of truth can begin to illuminate new and more reasonable accommodations for their souls.
We can also see that people are reasoning beings because each one of them has chosen a way of life that seems right to them (Prov. 14:12). They have values, make decisions, pursue vocations, make and spend money, and everything else they do according to a few basic ideas about what’s really important in life. For many people today, this way of living is not critically considered and embraced; it’s merely imbibed from their upbringing, social environment, and the surrounding culture. Many – perhaps most – people who live this way have not made a reasonable examination of the way of life they’ve chosen to pursue. Part of our task will be to help them undertake this effort.
We do not ask people to put reason aside in considering the Gospel. Rather, we hope to lead them, through patient questioning and conversation, to learn how to use reason aright, as God intended when He made them in His image. We can have confidence, therefore, that, by the gracious and prudent use of reason in communicating the Gospel of the Kingdom, those we are seeking to reach can understand the message we are urgent to convey. They may not like it, agree with it, or receive it; but they will be able to understand it, and this is all we, as God’s witnesses, are responsible to achieve.
Next steps
Take some time today to pray for each of the people in your Personal Mission Field. Today, make a point to try to initiate a conversation with as many of these people as you can. See what you can find out about them, something you might add to your prayers. Practice being a good listener. Offer affirmation and appreciation. Then, as the Lord gives you opportunity, say to as many people as you can, “By the way, I want you to know that I pray for you. If you have any needs or requests, just let me know.” What do you think that will accomplish in helping to further your witness for the Lord?
Begin your own ViewPoint study group. Start with this ViewPoint series, “A Reasonable Faith.” A free PDF version is available, complete with questions for reflection and discussion which you can use to study the seven lessons in this series with others.
Francis Schaeffer was one of the great defenders of the faith of the previous generation. You can order this Trilogy of his most seminal works and discover the power of a reasonable faith all over again. You might also benefit from reading the article “Truth with Love: The Apologetics of Francis Schaeffer” by Bing Davis.
Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture references are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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