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We can conclude, then, with some questions that Christians shouldn't ask, and a question we should always ask instead.

"Is he saved?" I don't know, and I cannot know until "the roll is called up yonder." The actual condition of another's heart is mysterious, even to that individual. So from the outside I certainly cannot presume to know, and therefore I do not need to try to know.

"What can I do to convert him?" Nothing. God's Spirit alone can truly convert. Again, God does not call us to do what we cannot do. So we need not, and must not, try to convert anyone—including through what we might suppose are impressive apologetics.

"Does he need to hear the gospel?" Of course he does. We all do, again and again, until we see Christ face to face. That's one of the reasons Christians take the Lord's Supper regularly: to hear the gospel once again. No one outgrows it.

The good question to ask instead is simply this:

"How shall I treat my neighbor?" And the answer is just as simple: with love. Until all of our neighbors are fully mature in Christ, there is something left for serious Christians to do, and when we have the opportunity to assist that neighbor somehow, then we should take it. I daresay that will keep us all plenty busy until the Lord Jesus returns.

As for Professor Sack? Well, I think we did each other the good that we could do in that academic relationship. And since our paths have diverged widely over the years, I simply must entrust him to the ongoing care of Christ and his church—as I hope Professor Sack has done with me.

John G. Stackhouse Jr. is Sangwoo Youtong Chee Professor of Theology and Culture at Regent College in Vancouver, Canada. Humble Apologetics, from which this article is condensed, was published by Oxford University Press in 2002.

Copyright © 2003 Christianity Today. Click for reprint information.

Humble Apologetics by John G. Stackhouse Jr. is available at Christianbook.com.

For more articles, see Christianity Today's archives on Theology.

Other Christianity Today articles by John Stackhouse include:

Ears to Hear, Eyes to See | Luci Shaw's poetry helps us pay attention to God's world. (Dec. 26, 2003)

Music at the Theological Roundtable | What it teaches us about God and the universe. (November 1, 2002)

The True, the Good, and the Beautiful Christian | Beauty is making a comeback in science and theology. Will it find its place in the lives of believers? (January 7, 2002)

What Has Jerusalem to Do with Mecca? | Two new books on the world's religions raise new possibilities, and new questions, for evangelicals. (September 4, 2001)

Mind Over Skepticism | Philosopher Alvin Plantinga has defeated two of the greatest challenges to the Christian faith. (June 20, 2001)

The Seven Deadly Signs | Ministries that think they can do no financial wrong deceive themselves. (June 30, 2000)

An Elder Statesman's Plea | John Stott's 'little statement on evangelical faith' reveals the strengths and limitations of the movement he helped create. (Feb. 14, 2000)

The Battle for the Inclusive Bible | Conflicts over "gender-neutral" versions are not really about translation issues. (Nov. 5, 1999)

Finding a Home for Eve | We are right to criticize radical feminist scholars—and wrong to ignore them. (Mar. 1, 1999)

The Jesus I'd Prefer to Know | Searching for the historical Jesus and finding oneself instead. (Dec. 7, 1998)

The Perils of Left and Right | Evangelical theology is much bigger and richer than our two-party labels. (Aug. 10, 1998)

Bad Things Still Happen | A concise, clear argument for how God can be both good and omnipotent. (July 13, 1998)

Fighting the Good Fight | A plea for healthy disagreements. (Oct. 6, 1997)

Confronting Canada's Secular Slide | Why Canadian evangelicals thrive in a culture often indifferent to religious faith. (July 18, 1994)

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February 2003, Vol. 47, No. 2