When we share the gospel, we want it to be as clear and simple as possible. Paul asked people to pray for him in Colossians 4:4 in his evangelism : "Pray that I may proclaim it clearly as I should."
I remember a Men's Camping Weekend we had in the White Mountains of
New Hampshire. It just rained and rained and rained. Regardless, some of us climbed up to a high cliff. The view from the summit was the most spectacular fog we had ever seen! All we could see was fog "for miles." When we prayed, one brother said, "Thanks Lord, that it wasn't too lousy. At least we were able to make it to the top safely."
Here is a humorous illustration to help appreciate that point. It is attributed to W.A. Criswell - a conservative denominational preacher from Dallas whose congregation was once "complimented" during some persecution by a person who said, "The only way to get rid of that church, is to join it."
Criswell used simple illustrations and tried to always relate to the people he spoke to. Here is a creative illustration he used to warn against foggy proclamations. Clarity matters... The relatability ... and simplicity for the listeners. If they don't "get it" - forget it!
____________________________
"The modern theologians, Barth, Bonhoeffer, Brunner, Bultmann and Tillich met the Lord Jesus, and the Lord asked these famed, illustrious theologians, "Who do men say that I am?"
They replied, "Some say you are John the Baptist, raised from the dead. Some say you are Jeremiah, or one of the prophets, and some even say you are the Christ, the Son of God."
Then the Lord said to these illustrious theologians, "But who do YOU say that I am?"
Barth, Bonhoeffer, Brunner, Bultmann and Tillich chorused back their learned answer, "Thou art the ground of being, thou art the leap of faith into the impenetrable unknown. Thou art the existential, unphrasable, unverbalized, unpropositional confrontation with the infinitude of inherent subjective experience."
The Lord looked at them and said, "Huh?!"
Then he warned them not to tell this to anybody!!
____________________________
Here are a few other thoughts and examples.
NIV 
"Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent, and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you"
KJV
"Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls. "
Thank God for modern translations! Most of us would struggle greatly trying to translate Elizabethan English into modern lingo! Although, the KJV has hundreds of wonderful sections of poignant, conviction building verbiage we can grow from - including plurality differentiation within pronouns. The recent Holman Christian Standard is wonderful new translation to look at as well, if you're looking for something fresh, "new" and accurate.
Below are some fun brain-teasing puns taking this lack of clarity to the extreme... (Verbal PUN-ishment for many!)
"My maternal procreator possessed ocular receptors in the posterior portion of her cephalic protuberance."
"Putting the cart before the horse"
"Getting hot under the collar"
"To accumulate an excess of temperature beneath a circular, tight-fitting clothing component. "
"Out of the frying pan into the fire"
"Projecting short, loud, canine-like noises erroneously toward the top of an incorrect arboreal plant."
"Kill two birds with one stone"
"Slay a brace of avian creatures with just a single petrous conglomeration. "
"Casting your pearls before swine"
"Thrusting dense shelly concretions through the air to fall in front of stout-bodied, artiodactyl creatures."
"Burning the candle at both ends"
"Subjecting a slender illumination device to rapid carbonization on its antipodal points. "
"It takes two to tango"
Hopefully, you got a chuckle from at least one of the above phrases! As Proverbs 17:22 states; "A cheerful heart is good medicine." But, let's make sure our Bible talks, studies and lessons are not like those brainteasers!
Jerry Maday
Worcester, MA