View PDFThe content displayed below is for educational and archival purposes only.
Unless stated otherwise, content is © Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania
You may be able to find the original on wol.jw.org
How to Persuade Others
1 The apostle Paul earned the reputation of being a persuasive minister. (Acts 19:26) Even King Agrippa told him: “In a short time you would persuade me to become a Christian.” (Acts 26:28) What made Paul’s ministry so persuasive? He reasoned logically from the Scriptures, adapting his arguments to his listeners.—Acts 28:23.
2 In imitation of Paul, we too need to be persuasive in our ministry. How? By using insight when speaking with and listening to others. (Prov. 16:23) Three important steps will help us to accomplish this.
3 Listen Carefully: As the other person speaks, listen for a common ground on which to build. If he raises an objection, try to discern the reasoning behind it. It would help to know exactly what he believes, why he believes it, and what convinced him of it. (Prov. 18:13) Tactfully draw him out.
4 Ask Questions: If a person expresses belief in the Trinity, you might ask: “Have you always believed the Trinity?” Follow up with: “Did you ever make a thorough study of what the Bible says on the subject?” You might also ask: “If God were part of a Trinity, could we not expect that the Bible would clearly say so?” The responses that you receive will help you reason with the individual on what the Scriptures say.
5 Use Sound Reasoning: A Witness asked a woman who believed that Jesus was God: ‘If you were trying to illustrate that two persons are equal, what family relationship might you use?’ She replied: “I might use two brothers.” He added: “Perhaps even identical twins. But in teaching us to view God as the Father and himself as the Son, what message was Jesus conveying?” The woman got the point that one is older and has more authority. (Matt. 20:23; John 14:28; 20:17) Her mind and heart had been reached with the art of persuasion.
6 Of course, not all are receptive to the truth, no matter how logical and accurate our presentation may be. But like Paul, let us be diligent in searching out honesthearted ones in our territory, persuading them to accept the Kingdom message.—Acts 19:8.
