The Question that Stops Christians in Their Tracks – Greg Koukl

The YouTube video titled “The Question That Stops Christians in Their Tracks” by Greg Koukl discusses a challenging question often posed to Christians. Koukl refers to this question as “THE question” because it can leave Christians unsure of how to respond. He recounts a debate with Deepak Chopra, a New Age guru, where Chopra asked, “So you’re saying that anyone who doesn’t believe just like you is going to Hell.” Koukl explains that answering “Yes” would be accurate but would reinforce negative stereotypes and not convey the full message of Christianity effectively.

Koukl emphasizes the importance of addressing the exclusivity of Christ but suggests using a tactical approach to handle such situations. He introduces the Colombo Tactic, which involves using questions to lead the other person to make their own arguments. He shares an example from a Q&A session at a bookstore where someone asked why they needed to believe in Jesus, given their Jewish faith and moral living. Koukl responded by asking the person if they believed that people who commit moral crimes should be punished, to which they agreed. He then asked if they had ever done wrong things themselves, and they admitted they had.

By getting the person to acknowledge these moral intuitions and their own wrongdoing, Koukl established common ground. He highlighted the problem of guilt and judgment and then presented the concept of substitutionary atonement, explaining that Jesus took the punishment for humanity’s sins, offering forgiveness and salvation. Koukl emphasizes that Jesus is the only solution to the guilt problem and the reason why Christians believe in Him.

Overall, the video showcases Koukl’s tactical approach to navigating difficult questions about faith, aiming to engage others in a meaningful dialogue while effectively conveying the core message of Christianity.