2Tim2:23-26
23 Again I say, don't get involved in foolish, ignorant arguments that only start fights. 24 A servant of the Lord must not quarrel but must be kind to everyone, be able to teach, and be patient with difficult people. 25 Gently instruct those who oppose the truth. Perhaps God will change those people's hearts, and they will learn the truth. 26 Then they will come to their senses and escape from the devil's trap. For they have been held captive by him to do whatever he wants.

Paul again reminds Timothy to not engage in arguments for the sake of arguing. But, this time the warning precedes instruction on how a servant of the Lord is to act, and within relation to unbelievers.

Paul states that a servant of the Lord, which in this case is referring to the call of ministry, not just that of all believers, is to:

1. Be Kind to everyone
2. Be Able to teach
3. Be Patient with difficult people

it is interesting that these 3 things precede how to work with "those who oppose the truth", I imagine Paul would have thought of these 2 sections as working together. That the minister needs to be Kind to everyone (including those who oppose the truth), needs to be able to teach (including those who oppose the truth, which will and should look different from teaching those who already believe) and to be patient with difficult people (which nowadays seems to be the people within the church more often than those outside of the church!) and through these instructions we are to

4. Gently instruct those who oppose the truth.

I love this.

Gently. I wonder sometimes how good of a job we do at the Gently part. Having grown up outside of the church, I can say for the most part Gently does not really happen that often. It is not "gentle" to put signs of bloody fetuses on university property as a way of expressing the truth of the importance of life. It is not Gentle to speak of homosexuality as "disgusting" as many mainstream evangelists have done in the past.

Gentle. Gentle why? because these people are "held captive" and ultimately it is God who is going to change their hearts in order that they may learn about the truth. We need to create environments where Gentle can happen, but not at the sacrifice of conviction and absolute truth. But i truly believe that this can happen. It has to happen, eternity is at stake.