by Matt Slick

There is no easy answer to this question because it depends on the person and the situation. No single answer works every time. Therefore, you must first ask questions and discover what the person believes before you start defending the Bible. Ask if the person is an atheist, a Muslim, a skeptic, or an agnostic. Ask if he believes in evolution, aliens, or nothing. Ask if the person believes in God. If so, which kind? Does he believe that God is in us all, or that God is part of the universe, or if God is a personal being? You have to ask questions before you begin teaching. You must first find out what the person's assumptions are and then tackle those assumptions. You must prepare the ground before planting the seeds. See if the person's assumptions are logical or not. See if they agree with the facts concerning history, the Bible, Christianity, or other topics. Find out if the person is just being difficult or actually wants to talk. All of these things are important and affect how the conversation will go.

Take an atheist, for example. He won't believe the Bible is the word of God because he doesn't believe in God. So, you first have to discuss the issue of God's existence. A Muslim, on the other hand, believes in a god but will undoubtedly bring up alleged contradictions in the Bible in an attempt to discredit it. A Hindu might not even know what the Bible really is. A Buddhist really doesn't believe in a God, so that is a hurdle you'd have to get over. You must ask questions to find out about the person. Here's a brief outline of how to do this: