J. Mack Stiles, Speaking of Jesus: How to Tell Your Friends the Best News They Will Ever Hear. IVP Books, 1995.
Sequel: Stiles, Marks of the Messenger
Referenced in: Approaches to Evangelism – Modern Classics
LifeandLeadership.com Summary
This is a very popular text in evangelical circles. It is similar in genre to the classic by Robert Coleman, The Master’s Plan of Evangelism, though not quite as influential. Stiles also has a more recent work on the same subject, Marks of the Messenger. This first one, Speaking of Jesus, is about doing the work of evangelism. The second is about the concepts of healthy evangelism.
Stiles draws implications from how Jesus and Paul engaged their worlds. He demonstrates a standardized approach to sharing the gospel that comes from his experience of training enthusiastic university students. It is a simple, formulaic, base-level method, not unlike most books of its genre. One does not have to adhere to the pattern, however, to appreciate Stiles.
There are two special values of this text. One is the numerous examples of conversational evangelism. This led Mark Dever to say Speaking of Jesus
Provides masterful examples of naturally speaking about Jesus Christ to friends and family. Mack is one of the best personal evangelists I have ever met and never ceases to exhibit a personal and spiritual empathy for those around him. His ability to relate and remember spills over into his book in the entertaining and instructive stories he recounts. (The Gospel and Personal Evangelism, 113)
Another rich feature is Appendix 3, A Code of Ethics for Christian Witness. It is a series of eight statements that are a revision of a similar code by InterVarsity Christian Fellowship. Here is an example:
While respecting the individual integrity, intellectual honesty and academic freedom of other believers and skeptics, we seek to proclaim Christ openly. We reveal our own identity and purpose, our theological positions and sources of information, and we will not be intentionally misleading. Respect for integrity means no false advertising, no personal aggrandizement from successfully persuading others to follow Jesus, and no overlye emotional appeals which minimize reason and evidence. (191).
Books that enjoy a wide audience usually do so for a reason. Stiles text has that enduring quality, and is a worthy read by church leaders who are interested in evangelism.
From the Publisher
Mack Stiles knows that sharing our faith these days can seem to be in bad taste. How can we reach over such barriers with genuine love? In reading Stiles’s lively and often moving stories of success and failure, you will learn how to be open to divine appointments, develop a servant spirit, cross barriers effectively, expect God to do something good, answer questions with confidence, and tell your story to others. Evangelism isn’t about exhibiting superhuman courage or perfecting specialized techniques or exercising extraordinary eloquence. Rather, this book will open your eyes to how ordinary people in commonplace situations can use everyday language to reveal the simple news about Jesus.
About the Author
Mack is the southeast regional director for InterVarsity Christian Fellowship. He and his wife, Leeann, live in Kentucky with their three sons.
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