Any suggestions for not scaring someone away from Bible study

[Magdalena59]

I am just hoping for some suggestions here. I have started a Catholic Bible study recently and brought a long my protestant friend. She is kind of an elderly woman and has been protestant, Baptist, all of her life and this is the first time she has been in a Catholic church or even heard anything positive about the Catholic faith.

Right from the start the study talked against assurance of salvation, as in one is not saved just by accepting Christ as a personal savior but the need for obedience to God and participation in the sacraments.

She said she enjoys the Bible study but doesn’t agree with it and I was just hoping for any ideas of how I could offer encouragement for her to continue but not be argumentative either.I just think it would have to be hard after so many years to think you are saved and then have someone tell you that you are not.

 

[Della]

I think she should be assured that no one is casting doubts on her salvation. You could say something like: “Do you love God and your neighbor and do as you believe God wants you to do? Then you have nothing to fear regarding your salvation.” Fear is what keeps many people from looking into Catholicism. They think they will get involved in some superstitious, idol worshiping cult. That’s not the case, of course, but many do have that fear. So, whatever you can do to assure her that the Church is not sitting in judgment of her or wants to suck her into anything might help, especially for someone who has never known anything else. I will offer a Our Father, Hail Mary, and Glory be for her and for you in your efforts to help her.

 

[John_Martin]

It is a difficult thing when you cannot “control” the other members of the Bible study.
I have been in Bible studies with a group from a Baptist Church (including its Pastor), with my wife. They knew we were Catholic, by the way.
But I was aware of what they believe (doctrinally) so my comments and insights were about things they would not disagree with, yet I could give fuller emphasis to things they do believe, giving a taste of the fullness of those within my beliefs, such as with Baptism. For them, Baptism is required to be a full member of the Church, but as Catholics, that is true, but also true is the Grace of New Birth into the Kingdom in Baptism, the Holy Spirit with Grace, etc. So I get excited to tell what my Baptism means to me.

Our study was on the Book of Acts, which has great importance to us is seeing Sacred Tradition in practice in the early Church. So without being obvious about it being “Catholic” (though it is), I was able to inject insights on how people were viewing the Apostles as having a special authority, and show my excitement at that still being in effect.

You have a difficult challenge - it is best not to “pontificate” (sorry Francis), but to be instead excited about what the texts mean to you. Instead of a statement like, “Faith has to be united to Works”, something like, “When I read Paul in Romans I think it is so good to be like Abraham, trusting God and going where he calls me - it gives me such confidence in knowing I am one of his Chosen People”. (that is “faith and works” and “justification” without using the words, and it is your own testimony). Then you listen to what your friend thinks, what gives her confidence of oneness with God, and be happy for her, for what she understands.

 

[Magdalena59]

Thank you both for your replies. They were very helpful. I appreciate your insight.

God bless.