Tim Keller discusses biblical contextualization in his book Center Church (Kindle version). In one section he talks about how to persuade unbelievers, and specifically that you can't only persuade in one way only since "people of different temperaments and from different cultures reason differently." (p 114) We can't take one biblical story and draw out a one-size-fits-all appeal to believe the Gospel. Here's Keller's list of the different ways we appeal to unbelievers to believe the Gospel. He explains them further in the book with Scripture, so please go read more on pages 114-115.
- Sometimes the appeal is to come to God out of fear of judgment and death.
- Sometimes the appeal is to come to God out of a desire for release from the burdens of guilt and shame.
- Sometimes the appeal is to come to God out of appreciation for the “attractiveness of truth.”
- Sometimes the appeal is to come to God to satisfy unfulfilled existential longings.
- Sometimes the appeal is to come to God for help with a problem.
- Lastly, the appeal is to come to God simply out of a desire to be loved.