Throughout my life as a believer I have been confronted with the perception that godly followers of Jesus must witness in direct and confrontational ways that disrupt the equilibrium of unbelievers and sometimes wreck havoc in the social environment. There are certainly texts that can be used in isolation to support such an approach (Matt 28:19-20; 1 Pet 3:15). But this perception needs to be balanced with the importance of modeling the grace, gentleness and self-sacrifice of Jesus, as seen in other texts.

My favorite in this regard is Second Timothy 2:24-26: "And the Lord’s servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. Those who oppose him he must gently instruct, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will."

Paul’s use of the phrase "the Lord’s servant" implies that followers of Jesus will teach others in the way that Jesus did. The words "gently instruct" are based on the Greek word for meekness (Matt 5:5). To quarrel is the opposite of meekness. The basis for a kind, teachable, and meek approach is the recognition that those in the trap of the devil cannot be freed by human coercion or cunning. They can only be freed by the power of God. That power is best brought to bear by gentleness and kindness rather than confrontation.

This text leads me to think it is unfortunate when confrontational styles of mission are held up as models and more passive ones lead to a charge of "syncretism." The appropriate approach is the one that has the best long-term effect on mission. Paul here, contrary to his reputation, seems to side with the "laid-back" approach that shows respect to others, even when one perceives that they may have become captives to the Devil.

A couple of other helpful texts are in First Peter (2:17; 3:15-16, NIV): "Show proper respect to everyone: Love the brotherhood of believers, fear God, honor the king. . . . But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander."

First Peter 2:17 is a summary of the previous four verses (13-16). Peter here essentially offers the same strategy for mission that Paul does in 1 Thess 4:11-12. He encourages believers to show sensitivity and respect toward the civil authorities and toward those who believe differently, even when the strength of their pagan views provokes them to slander. In principle, Christians are free from the bonds of society, the social order pales in value next to Christ. Yet Christians are to show respect for the sake of the gospel, and to avoid behavior that could be criticized by outsiders. Not only so, Peter wants Christians, as far as possible, to behave in ways that the pagan society would regard as praiseworthy, although their ultimate loyalty is to God. I Peter 3:15-16 repeats many things already said in chapter 2.

When truth is presented in an argumentative manner it loses its attractiveness. The object of truth is to make people more like Jesus, to share such truth in an unChrist-like manner is counter-productive. The key word here is respect. To approach others as if they know nothing of God, as if we are inherently superior to them, is to show disrespect and incline them to reject our message. But an open, respectful, teachable spirit is winsome and can bring people to conviction.