--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If we do not question well then those who…" description: "\"“If we do not question well then those who follow behind will almost certainly question badly. And if we are not confidently proclaiming the shape of o..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6d0/matthew-lee-anderson-52357_evangelism_if-we-do-not-question-well-then-those-wh_1121225.jpg" --- # If we do not question well then those who follow behind… ![“If we do not question well then those who follow behind will almost certainly question badly. And if we are not confidently proclaiming the shape of our faith, then our faith will be of little use to those who desperately need it.” quote by Matthew Lee Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6d0/matthew-lee-anderson-52357_evangelism_if-we-do-not-question-well-then-those-wh_1121225.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6d0/matthew-lee-anderson-52357_evangelism_if-we-do-not-question-well-then-those-wh_1121225.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6d0/matthew-lee-anderson-52357_evangelism_if-we-do-not-question-well-then-those-wh_1121225.jpg) > ““If we do not question well then those who follow behind will almost certainly question badly. And if we are not confidently proclaiming the shape of our faith, then our faith will be of little use to those who desperately need it.”” [Matthew Lee Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-lee-anderson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Questioning and confidently expressing faith are essential; without them, followers may develop weak or misguided beliefs. **In simple terms:** Clear faith and questioning guide others. Key Takeaway Encourage thoughtful questioning and confident proclamation. Themes faith leadership questioning Mood inspirational thoughtful Type spiritual educational When to use this quote - church teaching - leadership training - personal study - public speaking Key Concepts theology critical thinking Questions to Reflect On - How can you model confident faith while inviting questions? - What risks arise from unexamined belief? A Different Perspective Overemphasis on questioning can lead to doubt if not balanced with guidance. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Evangelism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evangelism/) [Faith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faith/) [Faith Faith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faith-faith/) [Influence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/influence/) [Question Badly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/question-badly-3034764/) [Question Follow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/question-follow-3034765/) [Shape Faith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shape-faith-3034763/) ## Related quotes > [I believe faith is a human universal. We are endowed at birth with nascent capacities for faith. How these capacities are activated and grow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-w-fowler/i-believe-faith-is-a-human-universal-we-are-endowed-at-birth-with/) [James W. Fowler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-w-fowler/) > [Oftentimes, if you're talking to a seasoned interviewer who asks you a question, they may do a follow-up if they didn't quite get it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-greene/oftentimes-if-you-re-talking-to-a-seasoned-interviewer-who-asks-you-a/) [Brian Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-greene/) > [Every man is a missionary, now and forever, for good or for evil, whether he intends or designs it or not. He may be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-chalmers/every-man-is-a-missionary-now-and-forever-for-good-or-for-evil/) [Thomas Chalmers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-chalmers/) > [Even if 80 percent of the population of a country are Christian believers, they will have almost no cultural influence if the Christians do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/even-if-80-percent-of-the-population-of-a-country-are-christian/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [I'm still breathing because I have faith. My faith and my kids are the two things that matter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-gosselin/i-m-still-breathing-because-i-have-faith-my-faith-and-my-kids-are-the/) [Kate Gosselin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-gosselin/) > [“Nothing is more dangerous, more compelling, more freeing, more radical, more real, more satisfying, more powerful than a person holding a smidgen of faith.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennie-allen/nothing-is-more-dangerous-more-compelling-more-freeing-more-radical/) [Jennie Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennie-allen/) > [You can adhere to your faith, but that faith needs to march in line with the rest of the world and needs to find…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/you-can-adhere-to-your-faith-but-that-faith-needs-to-march-in-line/) [Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/) > [Faith in yourself and faith in God are the key to mastery of fear.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-sherman/faith-in-yourself-and-faith-in-god-are-the-key-to-mastery-of-fear/) [Harold Sherman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-sherman/) > [The history of the world is the history of a few men who had faith in themselves. That faith calls out the divinity within.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-vivekananda/the-history-of-the-world-is-the-history-of-a-few-men-who-had-faith-in/) [Swami Vivekananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-vivekananda/) > [“Those who respond in trust or faith to the faith of Christ are moved into Christ, into the sphere of his life. In that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-j-gorman/those-who-respond-in-trust-or-faith-to-the-faith-of-christ-are-moved/) [Michael J. Gorman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-j-gorman/) > [“Although he knew all the best — or, at least, the least boring — stories in the Bible, Mr. Merrill was most appealing because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/although-he-knew-all-the-best-or-at-least-the-least-boring-stories-in/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [Faith, faith, faith in ourselves, faith, faith in God, this is the secret of greatness.If you have faith in all the three hundred and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-vivekananda/faith-faith-faith-in-ourselves-faith-faith-in-god-this-is-the-secret/) [Swami Vivekananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-vivekananda/) > [For the sacrificed, in the hour of sacrifice, only one thing counts: faith-alone among enemies and skeptics. Faith, in spite of the humiliation which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dag-hammarskj-ld/for-the-sacrificed-in-the-hour-of-sacrifice-only-one-thing-counts/) [Dag Hammarskjold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dag-hammarskj-ld/) > [I believe in my Mormon faith, and I endeavor to live by it. My faith is the faith of my fathers - I will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitt-romney/i-believe-in-my-mormon-faith-and-i-endeavor-to-live-by-it-my-faith-is/) [Mitt Romney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitt-romney/) > [Faith is the avenue to salvation. Not intellectual understanding. Not money. Not your works. Just simple faith. How much faith? The faith of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-graham/faith-is-the-avenue-to-salvation-not-intellectual-understanding-not/) [Billy Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-graham/) ## More by Matthew Lee Anderson > [“Apparently, the easiest way to overcome any awkwardness of speaking about sex is to sterilize it and outsource it to the professionals.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-lee-anderson/apparently-the-easiest-way-to-overcome-any-awkwardness-of-speaking/) [Matthew Lee Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-lee-anderson/) > [“The body is not a task to be completed but a gift we receive from God himself.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-lee-anderson/the-body-is-not-a-task-to-be-completed-but-a-gift-we-receive-from-god/) [Matthew Lee Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-lee-anderson/) > [“In any miracle, chase the causation back far enough and eventually you'll find yourself irrepressibly singing in praise of the marvelous goodness of God's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-lee-anderson/in-any-miracle-chase-the-causation-back-far-enough-and-eventually-you/) [Matthew Lee Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-lee-anderson/) > [“The path between faith and understanding demands both obedience and inquiry. If Christianity is true, if it goes to the center of the universe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-lee-anderson/the-path-between-faith-and-understanding-demands-both-obedience-and/) [Matthew Lee Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-lee-anderson/) > [“We want all the benefits of the resurrection without acknowledging our dependence on God as mortal creatures.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-lee-anderson/we-want-all-the-benefits-of-the-resurrection-without-acknowledging/) [Matthew Lee Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-lee-anderson/) > [“There’s a reason why many people feel most loved and cared for in the therapists’s or counselor’s office: few people ask us questions as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-lee-anderson/there-s-a-reason-why-many-people-feel-most-loved-and-cared-for-in-the/) [Matthew Lee Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-lee-anderson/) [Explore all 7 Matthew Lee Anderson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-lee-anderson/) ## More Evangelism quotes > [I think it's unhelpful to suggest that the task of evangelism is essentially the responsibility of ministers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-dever/i-think-it-s-unhelpful-to-suggest-that-the-task-of-evangelism-is/) [Mark Dever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-dever/) > [People forget that there is a big difference between coercion and persuasion. The idea that evangelism is coercive is nonsense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-dever/people-forget-that-there-is-a-big-difference-between-coercion-and/) [Mark Dever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-dever/) > [What really concerns me is for Christians to understand the fundamentals of evangelism in a way that is helpful in the contemporary scene.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-dever/what-really-concerns-me-is-for-christians-to-understand-the/) [Mark Dever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-dever/) > [Every man is a missionary, now and forever, for good or for evil, whether he intends or designs it or not. He may be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-chalmers/every-man-is-a-missionary-now-and-forever-for-good-or-for-evil/) [Thomas Chalmers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-chalmers/) > [“Evangelism will come organically in friendship if we don’t let our pride, fears, and pessimism cause us to hide our faith and heart.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/evangelism-will-come-organically-in-friendship-if-we-don-t-let-our/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [“Be a Kingmaker, Not Just a King.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tan-seow-how/be-a-kingmaker-not-just-a-king/) [Tan Seow How](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tan-seow-how/) > [“Author conveys contemporary respect for Methodist preachers who rode the circuit of frontier settlements to put themselves at risk for the Gospel near the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-pearcey/author-conveys-contemporary-respect-for-methodist-preachers-who-rode/) [Nancy Pearcey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-pearcey/) > [Well, the mission statement of Heart of David is that we're a ministry of evangelism and encouragement. Evangelism meaning that I evangelize I travel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-dibiase-sr/well-the-mission-statement-of-heart-of-david-is-that-we-re-a-ministry/) [Ted DiBiase Sr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-dibiase-sr/) > [May even the concept of unreached peoples be totally intolerable to us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-platt/may-even-the-concept-of-unreached-peoples-be-totally-intolerable-to-us/) [David Platt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-platt/) > [“Run to and fro everywhere, holy fires, beautiful fires; for you are the light of the world, nor are you put under a bushel.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augustine-of-hippo/run-to-and-fro-everywhere-holy-fires-beautiful-fires-for-you-are-the/) [Augustine of Hippo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augustine-of-hippo/) > [“Most Christians have enormous respect for the space and freedom of others, it is only that they have found a joy in Jesus they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-miller/most-christians-have-enormous-respect-for-the-space-and-freedom-of/) [Donald Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-miller/) > [“Typical evangelism books always seem to locate airplanes as the most advantageous setting for evangelistic encounters, where, at 30,000 feet, restive unvelievers are unable…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-s-mchugh/typical-evangelism-books-always-seem-to-locate-airplanes-as-the-most/) [Adam S. McHugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-s-mchugh/) > [“I’ve heard it said many times when talking about going to heaven, ‘You can’t take it with you.’ It’s true that you cannot take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-harden/i-ve-heard-it-said-many-times-when-talking-about-going-to-heaven-you/) [Van Harden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-harden/) > [I assume that normally the Lord will be bringing people to himself through the instrumentality of the preached word. However, we have to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-dever/i-assume-that-normally-the-lord-will-be-bringing-people-to-himself/) [Mark Dever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-dever/) > [“A schoolmate of Matt Chandler's with the locker next to his: "I need to tell you about Jesus. When do you want to do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-chandler/a-schoolmate-of-matt-chandler-s-with-the-locker-next-to-his-i-need-to/) [Matt Chandler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-chandler/) [Browse all 363 Evangelism quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evangelism/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“If we do not question well then those who follow behind will almost certainly question badly. And if we are not confidently proclaiming the shape of our faith, then our faith will be of little use to those who desperately need it.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Matthew Lee Anderson" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-lee-anderson/if-we-do-not-question-well-then-those-who-follow-behind-will-almost/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Evangelism" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-lee-anderson/if-we-do-not-question-well-then-those-who-follow-behind-will-almost/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6d0/matthew-lee-anderson-52357_evangelism_if-we-do-not-question-well-then-those-wh_1121225.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6d0/matthew-lee-anderson-52357_evangelism_if-we-do-not-question-well-then-those-wh_1121225.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6d0/matthew-lee-anderson-52357_evangelism_if-we-do-not-question-well-then-those-wh_1121225.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If we do not question well then those who follow behind will almost certainly question badly. And if we are…” — Matthew Lee Anderson", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Matthew Lee Anderson", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-lee-anderson/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“If we do not question well...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-lee-anderson/if-we-do-not-question-well-then-those-who-follow-behind-will-almost/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-lee-anderson/if-we-do-not-question-well-then-those-who-follow-behind-will-almost/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```