HOW TO ANSWER INTELLECTUAL QUESTIONS!
--By Maria       Maria #168 DO 2794 7/92

         1. We have heard through the reports of various teen shepherds that you teens are often hit with heavy intellectual questions or head trips when out personal witnessing. When faced with such questions, you just have to be willing to be simple and be looked upon as foolish, ignorant, unlearned men and women. But if we're full of the Lord's Spirit and His love, then no matter how ignorant and unlearned we seem, the people we witness to are going to take knowledge of us, that we have been with Jesus, just like they did of Peter and John. The Bible says, "Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marveled and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus" (Acts 4:13). They're going to see Jesus in us, and their hearts are going to cry out for love and for Jesus, regardless of how intellectual and/or sophisticated they are.
         2. So I think you teens need to stop worrying about trying to answer all of these difficult intellectual questions and just be bold and give them Jesus. You need not be intimidated by those questions or afraid to say, "Look, I'm not intellectual and I don't have a lot of worldly knowledge, but do you at least consider that the Bible is a great book and that millions have patterned their lives after it? It must have something going for it! Do you know that two of the writers of the Bible are described as `unlearned and ignorant men,' but what they had to say has, through thousands of years, completely changed millions of lives!
         3. "Our mission is just to be simple and preach the truth. And in order to do that, we can't be intimidated by people who try to condemn us or make us feel badly because we're not as educated as they are. We're preaching Jesus, who takes the weak and the foolish things to confound the wise. Look at this verse right here, see what it says? `But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise, and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty' (1Cor.1:27). And the verses right before this one are really heavy too. Look what they say: Even `the foolishness of God is wiser than men' (1Cor.1:25). That means that to preach the Word, which looks like foolishness to many people, is wiser than the wisdom of this world. The Bible goes on to say, `Not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble are called' (1Cor.1:26). See, by that verse you can logically conclude that in order to serve Jesus you don't have to be wise in the ways of the world or mighty or noble.
         4. "And here's another interesting verse, `My speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God' (1Cor.2:4,5). And the Bible warns us to not be corrupted with too much of man's wisdom. Look at this verse: `Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the traditions of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ' (Col.2:8).
         5. "Although I don't have a lot of worldly education like you do, and I'm not going to school to get an advanced education like you are, I am happy. And when it comes right down to it, which is the most important thing in life?--To be intellectual and have a lot of knowledge, or to be happy? Many people would give all that they have--all the wealth and material goods and knowledge they have--if they thought they could be happy.
         6. "I happen to know that Jesus is the only one who can truly make people happy. As a comparison, we could say it's like having a cure for AIDS; if we had a cure for AIDS and didn't tell anyone, what would you think of us? If we kept it selfishly to ourselves and never told the world about it, what would you think? Well, we have a cure for more serious and far-reaching diseases than AIDS! We have the cure for unhappiness, for loneliness, for rejection, for fear--illnesses that afflict millions or billions of people, a far greater number than AIDS has ever touched, or will ever touch. And if we didn't share this cure with people, we would be failing God, failing others, failing ourselves, and we couldn't live with ourselves. This cure is Jesus, plain and simple! Don't you want to give Him a try?"
         7. You can show the intellectual people you witness to the verse where King David said, "I have more understanding [of spiritual truths] than all my teachers, for Thy testimonies are my meditation. I understand more than the ancients, because I keep Thy precepts" (Psa.119:99,100). Knowledge and understanding don't have to be complicated and confusing. In the Bible, the great Apostle Paul said, "But I fear, lest by any means, as the Serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ" (2Cor.11:3). The Bible is a simple enough book that the common man down through the centuries has been able to understand it and live by it, yet it is one of the most profound.
         8. To go on the attack and take the initiative when witnessing to intellectuals, we almost have to show that what we have is a lot better than what they have. We can show them what we have and how enthusiastic we are about it and how happy it makes us, which will by contrast show them how little they have. They will probably come to that conclusion on their own, without us really having to tear down their education too much. We can chase their darkness away not by blasting it, but by letting the light in with the Word, which will bring them understanding.
         9. Just showing them the Word would probably do it. You can share verses about how God doesn't think much of worldly education and how the Word should be our education. The majority of people today are so ignorant of the Bible and hardly know anything at all about it. So when you're discussing almost any subject at all, if you will show them what the Bible teaches about it and the great wisdom that is in the Word on every subject, I think they will be fascinated. They'll see that the Bible is a wonderful source of knowledge, encouragement and guidance!--And they'll see that it's truly living waters that will satisfy their souls! It's not a dead book, it's a living book!--It's Jesus!
         10. So if you don't feel very confident in yourself and wonder what you'll say when out witnessing, cheer up! The Lord has promised, "Open thy mouth wide and I will fill it!" (Psa.81:10). PTL!
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(Following are more verses which show the emphasis the Lord puts on love for Him and others, and the knowledge of His Word, rather than worldly knowledge and intellectual attainments. You may find some of these helpful to share when witnessing to hungry intellectuals.)

         "For in much wisdom is much grief: and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow" (Ecc.1:18).
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         "Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches: but let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth Me, that I am the Lord which exercise lovingkindness, judgment and righteousness in the Earth: for in these things I delight, saith the Lord" (Jer.9:23,24).
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         "And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God" (Rom.12:2).
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         "Walk not as other Gentiles [unbelievers] walk, in the vanity of their mind, having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them" (Eph.4:17,18; 5:11).
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         "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness" (2Tim.3:16).
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         "Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of truth" (2Tim.2:15).
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         "The entrance of Thy Words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple" (Psa.119:130).
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         "From a child thou hast known the Holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus" (2Tim.3:15).
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         "Knowledge puffeth up, but charity [love] edifieth" (1Cor.8:1).
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         "For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?" (Mk.8:36,37).


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