To Quote, Or Not To Quote the Bible to Non-Believers

Hey Andy, why do some Christians quote the Bible to people that don’t believe?

Hi, you know, that’s actually a really good question. I mean, if non-believers don’t even acknowledge the authority of the Bible, then why even mention it in a conversation about God? I suppose it can sometimes be like an atheist quoting biased scientific articles to support their claims. However, I can think of 5 good reasons as to why some Christians quote the Bible to non-believers, and why we should, also:

5 Reasons Why Christians Quote the Bible to Non-Believers:

1. There’s life in the scriptures, and they’re hoping that by quoting them, non-believers might recognize this life and embrace it.
2. Whenever Jesus encountered Satan, He countered him with scriptures. It’s not to say that we believe non-Christians are possessed or anything, but that we realize the fact that Satan is the one who blinds them from understanding and accepting. So it’s sort of like taking out the guy behind them with a sniper rifle.
3. Sometimes the Christian’s not properly trained in talking with non-believers. I know this sounds like a no-brainer, for every Christian was once a non-believer, so you’d think they’d know how to talk with others, but this is sometimes not the case. In this matter, they might also think that because they believe it, the person they’re talking with should also. It’s sort of like having blinders on while walking – they only see part of the picture, and don’t realize that non-believers don’t see things like them.
4. Many Christians learn certain scriptures to use when witnessing. For instance, kids are often taught things like “The Roman Road”. Unfortunately, they’re not taught that many people just don’t believe the Bible — they don’t realize that non-believers may be looking at our Bible the way we look at that of a Mormon, Jehovah Witness, Quran, or any other religious book — as non-authoritative, or just non-relatable.
5. They may just be sharing their excitement about what they’d recently read. This is how I shared the Bible when I first began to read the Old Testament. I’d walk to work, and when a homeless person walked up to ask for change, I’d ask if he’d like to hear what I’d just read about in the Bible (and they’d often accept). Then I’d talk about everything I’d read, where it was, and why I’m so excited about it. Actually, it was a form of ministry, but at the time, I was just sharing my excitement about something so cool, I couldn’t hold it in.

Other reasons for using Scripture in Conversation with Non-believers

I often use scriptures when talking with somebody because:

1. I’m often addressing a question about scripture taken out of context, and so it needs to be addressed within its context, and supported by other scripture, for it’s really pointless and naive to use only one passage to explain the whole gospel;
2. To show that I’m not just blowing hot air out my mouth — it shows authority to what I’m saying, and that it’s not just my opinion.

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