Conversing the Gospel

by Allen and Marilyn Andrews

We teach a Bible study Tuesday evenings at a Quechua congregation four kilometers outside of Sucre. Recently after the study, one of the brothers said that he had brought his nephew and wife along and that they wanted to give themselves to Christ.

We teach a Bible study Tuesday evenings at a Quechua congregation four kilometers outside of Sucre. Recently after the study, one of the brothers said that he had brought his nephew and wife along and that they wanted to give themselves to Christ.

He asked me, Allen, to stay and "share verses" with the couple. Well, the first time I was asked to do this with a Quechua couple, almost the whole church stayed, which upended my North American expectation of privacy in the "inquirer's room." Quechuas often make decisions in community.

This time, I decided to ask the church members questions based on Scripture. Their answers told this couple about their own faith in Christ. As we "conversed the gospel" in this way, several mature men in the church answered most of the questions, while others chipped in as they felt comfortable.

The church leaders also questioned the couple, and in turn the couple asked for information about the church. I was pleased with how we shared the gospel in the context of the church. I also thanked the Lord for the growth and faith that the church manifested verbally.

Pertinent issues for Quechuas were addressed. Church members said people should not come to the gospel because they want to get healthy, wealthy, or out of some problem. The couple was told to keep trusting Christ no matter what persecution they encounter. Different people underlined verses in their Bibles. Some in the church were no doubt helped in their faith.

I chose to start with creation, including the creation of Lucifer and his subsequent fall, then the fall of man, before finally moving to the Savior. The devil (supoy) is a key figure in the Quechua pantheon. Too often Christ is seen as the key to the "Pearly Gates" by Quechuas, and not the answer to their search for the abundant life here on earth-or perhaps just another answer among the myriad possibilities.

As we finished talking through the Scriptures and the issues this couple would face in a decision to believe in Christ, I rejoiced that the church folk emphasized believing in Christ as the key to salvation. I asked one of the mature brothers to lead the couple in the sinner's prayer. I'm satisfied that the couple understood adequately the gospel, and that the church will nurture their spiritual growth.

This approach is a good way to share the gospel in the Quechua context. It encourages people to share the gospel through natural family ties; the uncle had already had an impact in witnessing to this couple. It also allows people to share their faith in a conversational way. In our case, I merely acted as moderator. This approach allows believers to mark Bible verses for future use. It also helps less mature believers hear Christian truth once again. This approach occurs in a natural community context in which Quechuas feel comfortable.

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EMQ, Vol. 37, No. 1, pp. 88-89. Copyright © 2001 Evangelism and Missions Information Service (EMIS). All rights reserved. Not to be reproduced or copied in any form without written permission from EMIS.

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