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Aug 11, 2020Liked by Tony Payne

Cheers Tony and thanks again for another great stimulation to think again. Really looking forward to seeing the revision and watching the interaction around this. I agree that Sam's critique doesn't ring true with those attitudes and challenges to authority being a special characteristic of the 80s. It will be interesting to see though (with the benefit of the distance that the passage of time provides), whether we can recognise some elements of 2WTL that may have been more culturally flavoured than we realised. I've no doubt in future articles you will articulate the folly of starting with cultural categories as we develop a gospel outline more clearly and persuasively than I can. My experience has been that it is much harder for me to see the way that my culture impacts my framing and summarising of the gospel - even when I am trying intentionally to avoid that happening. Very much looking forward to your insights here again brother.

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Tony firstly I’m really enjoying this podcast thanks so much.

The first time I encountered two ways to live was in the early 1990s. I knew I had a passion to be involved with gospel ministry but I didn’t have a clue how to go about it. Sitting in Glasgow, Scotland I watched your training videos for two ways to live as you sat in front of your Laura Ashley curtains and it gave me the confidence to begin sharing the gospel with more and more people. More than that it encouraged me to train others how to share the gospel.

Looking back now I see that this was the crucial first step that led me towards paid gospel ministry. And over the decades since it has still been the default tool I have used to share the gospel. The crucial part of the course for me was the force me to ask the question of which way were people living now which we would they like to live. This enabled made by God’s grace to lead many people to Christ who are still going on in the faith. So please do keep going with refreshing this course. I’m convinced it still continues to have great relevance.

Paul Rees

PS my wife still shudders at the memory of us taking a team of people to try out two ways to live on strangers in a shopping mall in East Kilbride. Shiona took the lead with a younger women and encountered a very deaf lady so that my demure wife increasingly was shouting out Hebrews 9v27 ‘And after that to face judgement!’ ‘What’s that Deary?’

‘AFTER THAT TO FACE JUDGEMEMENT!’ She found herself shouting out multiple times to some surprised shoppers walking by.

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Hi Tony

Another good article and issues raised.

I've loved and used 2WTL for many, many years. What I have liked so much about it is that it is a good gospel outline and framework to base an explanation of what is a Christian and how to become one, either drawing it, speaking it or going for things like "Chappos" God, Man, God, what if you do, what if you don't - which I find really helpful

Like other comments, I'm a bit puzzled by Sam's thoughts, perhaps because I unconsciously or consciously contextualise my explanation, but having said that, 2WTL is a Biblical Gospel outline and therefore it does use Biblical terminology so in that sense, it's kind of timeless.

My issue has pretty much always been with the questions asked at the end; which way do you want to live and which way are living now?

I've never had anyone say they want to live "Way A" but when I ask "Which way are you living now?" almost always I get "a bit of both", which then requires a lot of work to explain diagram 2 - things like the "book illustration" from Christianity Explained, the bridge illustration, and going to passages like Luke 15 and the prodigal son. To my mind it just shows what a spiritual battle we are involved in!

Having said all that, I think a good gospel outline is essential. 2WTL majors on the majors, and as you said, it can't (and shouldn't) have everything.

Looking forward to the next steps!

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My question is about what you want 2WTL to do.

In the 80's it was used (effectively) as a gospel presentation verbatim. I remember in the 90's being on library lawn at Sydney Uni and having a student from mainland China perplexed by Boxes 1 & 2.

The tool is good. How the tool is used is key.

It is an excellent catechesis and provides confidence for evangelism.

So how do people use 2WTL in gospel conversations today?

More importantly, how do we get people engaging in personal evangelism (ie Tony Wright Whatever happened to (Personal) evangelism)?

The approach to evangelism has changed. I think that's where the work is:

Equipping Christians to engage in gospel conversations having 2WTL as a tool to effectively communicate to a post Christian culture.

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