Kinds of Objections

Learning to answer objections can seem less daunting if you stop to check what kind of objection it is, and realize that your answer would be one of four types:

IV. TYPES OF OBJECTIONS:
                 (the bold print indicates abbreviations to use in the activity that follows)

    MISUNDERSTANDINGS (terms or concepts)

    CONTRADICTIONS (between Bible places, or between Bible and actions)

    QUESTIONING TRUTH (really in Bible? Any proof? Is it for today?

    SELF-WILL (not want to give up a sin, or not want to be accountable to God)

 

V. TYPES OF ANSWERS:

    PROCLAIM a Bible truth Romans 4:2-3

    ILLUSTRATE or tell a story. Romans 7:1-4

    COMMON SENSE, show it is reasonable (called "apologetics) Acts 17:17

   ENCOURAGE or exhort. Acts 2:40

VI.  Activity: for each objection listed below, can you determine which of the four types it is, and then which of the types of answers could be used?   Check under the question mark if you have run into this particular objection.

VI. EXAMPLES: Can you fit these into the types above? ? Objection type Answer type
1. I don’t think the Bible actually says that Jesus is God      
2. I don’t understand why you say Jesus is a substitute?      
3. Nobody’s going to tell me what to do: I’m my own boss.      
4. what does it mean to be "justified?"      
5. I don’t care what the Bible says, I don’t want to stop living together.      
6. If God is love, why do the innocent suffer?      
7. Because of science, we know someone can’t rise from the dead.      
8. The Bible says we must be more righteous than the Pharisees, but in another place says we’re saved by faith, not by works.      
9. Prove to me that God really exists.      

 

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