A trio of well-dressed young men arrived at the door of my home. I knew right away they weren’t there to sell me a vacuum cleaner. They wanted to convert me to their religion.

I engaged them in polite conversation, commending them for their dedication on a hot summer day. Then I said, “I know you’re going to give me some literature, so please allow me to give something to you.” I stepped inside the house and picked up some magazines that contained a clear gospel presentation.

They said they wanted to give me a book that is the basis of their beliefs. I told them that I already had a copy and had read portions of it. When they asked what I thought of it, I told them about the differences between it and the Bible, and why I thought their book contained error. No arguing, just a good conversation about truth and error.

When we’re confronted by people who distort or deny biblical doctrines, we need to know what the Bible teaches. The goal, as stated by the apostle Paul, is to gently correct those who are in error “that they may know the truth” and “come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil” (2 Timothy 2:25-26). After all, our goal is to help people find the truth, not to win arguments.