Sharing the gospel in the Age of the Leaks

Perhaps, when we look back at the time we’re living through, we’ll call it “The Age of the Leaks”. There’s been the expenses scandal; the Wikileaks revelations; and in the last few days, a news story about how the Palestinian negotiators were secretly prepared to give up far more than they admitted in public.

All of which means people are massively suspicious of what those in authority tell us. Even if they tell us they think that black is black, we’re waiting for a leaked document revealing that really they think it’s probably white.

We have become instinctively distrustful of what we hear. Yet, at the same time, I know that I tell stories which put me in the best possible light, and keep quiet about things I know might damage my reputation.

And perhaps that’s why I was struck by a particular comment in some Explore Bible notes I’ve been editing for the July-September issue, written by Christopher Ash, who is the Director of the Cornhill Bible Training course in London.

On trial for His life, Jesus told the high priest: “I have spoken openly to the world … I said nothing in secret. Why question me? Ask those who heard me” (John 18 v 20-21).

Christopher comments: “What Jesus said privately was the same message as the one He gave publicly. He had no secret agenda. He had nothing to hide.”

How wonderful to have a leader who says what he means, holds nothing back, and never seeks to distort or deflect.

But Christopher points out that we need to copy this approach in how we speak about the gospel with people today:

“Like Paul, who ‘renounced secret and shameful ways [and did] not use deception, nor … distort the word of God’ (2 Corinthians 4 v 2), we need to think about our openness about the gospel.

“There ought to be no part of the Bible’s teaching that we keep secret, or only talk about when we’re with people who are already Christians.”