"2 Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving. 3 At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison— 4 that I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak. 5 Walk in wisdom towards outsiders, making the best use of the time. 6 Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person."
Colossians 4:2-6
Paul's direction and advice to the Christians in Colossae is not along the lines of possessing better techniques with which to approach people. He turns such a notion on its head and places our Christian responsibility in a much more promising light. Our privilege, our duty as Christians, is to answer everyone (v 6). This is, if you like, 'responsive evangelism'. We are to respond with the right words, full of grace, to the questions we are asked regarding our beliefs and behaviour. Rather than initiating conversations on leading topics, rather than making and forcing openings, we are to be primed and ready to accept them when they come along. The apostle Peter writes in exactly the same vein (1 Peter 8:15-16). What a strain this should remove from all who are conscientious for the Lord. There is no pressure to be always on the lookout for prospective converts. On the contrary, Paul urges us to live wisely and well, to live and talk normally and winsomely, so that our life, our families, our wholehearted service to our employer and our treatment of our employees, all tell for Christ and have a cleansing and preservative influence on the outsider and on society as a whole. This is what it means to be the salt of the earth. You would surely expect those who are the salt of the earth to have some savour about their life and conversation and to exercise a seasoned, wholesome influence wherever they are (v 6). Only thus, by being ready and prepared to respond, by making the most of every opportunity that presents itself to us, by our habitual conversation always being full of wisdom and grace (both content and manner of our conversation are important - how we speak is equally, if not more important than what we say, particularly when our answers provoke an argument); only thus do we commend the gospel to the outsider.