Is it honest to befriend someone with the sole purpose of sharing the message of Christ with them after you get to know them a little better? Is such an approach biblical?
2007-04-20 16:42:53 · 17 answers · asked by Steve 3 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
It's kind of funny you should ask this question.... Any time you meet someone you should automaticly share the gospel with them. There really is no such thing as friendship evangelism. A true friend out of the love that's within should always minister to friends and family
2007-04-20 17:09:12 · answer #1 · answered by ru4rael 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well, it is a biblical, but the way it is done now a days is just wrong in a few points. For one, you don't want to wait too long before sharing the gospel with a person, because death can snatch us up in a blink of an eye. I can build a relationship with someone in about 3 minutes if I truely care about their eternal salvation. Another problem with it now a days is that it just focuses on bringing people to church, and inviting them to church. There is no attempt to give them the gospel at all. Its all about inviting a person to church and "hoping" that the pastor is doing a sermon that is gonna give a gosel message. For that to work all the time the pastor is gonna have to make his message for non-believers all the time, and the Christians in the church will not be about to grow in their faith as a result. I have no problem with non-believers going to church and what not, they are more than welcome. But church is clearly for Christians only. It has always been that way since the book of Acts and what not. Besides, the command is to "go and preach the gospel to every one" not to invite them to come to us to get the gospel.
Now I don't think there is anything dishonest about it though, unless the person doesn't truely become a friend to the non-believer and what not.
2007-04-20 16:57:39 · answer #2 · answered by Jason M 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Sounds sort of fishy to me. I think it depends on how you act after you share Christ with this person. If you drop them like a hot potato if they do not receive Christ, then you are not being honest. You had no real interest in this person.
The act of befriending someone is biblical. You are showing love to your brother. I think you should be careful, though. If you can't follow through on the friendship after you share Christ, regardless of the outcome, then you need to examine your motives in initiating the friendship in the first place. Try to act in genuine love and concern for your brother at all times.
2007-04-20 16:51:43 · answer #3 · answered by anne p 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If that's your SOLE purpose, then that's not a real friendship. I mean, you don't just abandon this friend once they've converted- that would be wrong.
That said, Jesus did commonly befriend sinners, including people in the less respected positions, i.e. prostitutes and tax collectors. So yes- a true friendship, in which conversion occurs, but that isn't just a "means to an end," is Biblical.
2007-04-20 16:48:27 · answer #4 · answered by Kelsey H 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well, that's what evangelism is. The Bible says to love others as ourselves and if we don't love them, why would we even care? Christians SHOULD be quick to befriend anyone whether they are believers or not. If they are not, we were commissioned to share the gospel with them. It's not a game, we're not just trying to score one more for the team. We're talking about showing someone eternal life and showing them Christ's love. I'm sorry if you don't believe in that, but as Christians we were commanded to share the gospel with others. I don't see how it could be unbiblical, we're not just trying to get numbers here.
2007-04-20 16:54:33 · answer #5 · answered by melissa 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You make it out like we're trying to add more members to our cult. It's not as cut and dry as you make it. When others join in the Christian walk, it's not a matter of, oh well, since we're sharing this religion thing, I guess we're friends now. No! Christians consider other Christians as 'part of the family of God' and not the other way around. You are accepted for you AND your faults and that's a friendship that I wouldn't mind keeping, if you ask me. Next time when you try attacking Christians on Y!A, why don't you try something that's not so black and white?
Last time I checked, we're still all part of the human race, so can't we put philosophy and religion aside, instead of attacking one another and making this pilgrimage through life more difficult?
2007-04-20 16:50:23 · answer #6 · answered by KiWi 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
As a christian, when I meet someone and spend time with them I find that I cannot resist sharing with them all that I feel about Gods goodness. Especially as our relationship grows. I begin to really get a burden for them and that they should get to know God through His Son Jesus.
I guess it depends on how your looking at it. Do we make friends soley as a means of proselytizing OR do we share the good news of the new birth Christ offers because we love.
2007-04-20 16:50:43 · answer #7 · answered by Jimguyy 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
i for my section examine all of what you printed sturdy examine. yet in basic terms to remark, i replaced into continuously lower than the effect that christianity replaced into on the decline and that the U. S. replaced into transferring contained in the route of Europe via growing a extra secular and non non secular united states. i have not carried out any study no matter when you're maximum excellent that we contained in the U. S. are dropping our side in technology and or math skills because of creationist indoctrinations. i'm conscious that the learn contained in the technology disciplines have decline yet i ought to suspect that it truly is by a lack of pay in those fields. Our Society is extra about the biggest go back of capital for the smallest volume of work. Our American children are turning out to be up in a subculture were each thing is about having it on the instant: quickly video clips, speedy video games, instant techniques and quickly food. extremely some what technology is about calls for dedication and discovery and that i'm positive that the training of technology contained in the school rooms possibly hasn't stay alongside of the technologies as a fashion to captivate the minds of as we talk's youths. i trust and desire that faith/faith will quickly fade away.
2016-12-04 09:42:30 · answer #8 · answered by halbritter 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I believe that when you make a friend, it is benifit that person. However, if one intends to cut off friendship after the conversion, then the friendship served no purpose but to convert that individual. Sure, the conversion was a very kind act, but it was rather cold to cut off the friendship once the "friend" had accomplished his conversion goal.
2007-04-20 16:46:35 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's Amway Christianity.
2007-04-20 16:45:14 · answer #10 · answered by Doc Occam 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋