Evangelism (Part 1)
By J.P. Thackway
The Great Commission at the close of the four Gospels leaves us in no doubt about our marching orders to take the message of salvation to all the world. These four accounts are not mere repetition. Each of them is different, with unique and encouraging features.
a] Matthew 28:18-20
This begins by emphasising Christ’s sovereignty: “All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations.” “Teach” literally means, as in the margin, “make disciples of” all nations. This is not getting decisions from sinners: this is instructing them that they might become “wise unto salvation” (2 Timothy 3:15) and genuine converts through grace. Following baptism in the triune Name, they are to be brought under the authority of King Jesus: “Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you.” As we seek to fulfil this, we have His pledge: “and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.”
b] Mark 16:15,16.
Here is the universality of the gospel: “to every creature.” Then follow the consequences of faith or unbelief: “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.” The mention of baptism here is significant. Our Lord does not say “He that believeth not, and is not baptized shall be damned” but “he that believeth not shall be damned.” It is unbelief that condemns, not the absence of baptism. This is the same as the Matthew account: baptism should follow believing, and is the fruit of salvation not the basis of it. The place of baptism here can be likened to this: “he who gets on a bus, and sits down shall reach his destination.”
c] Luke 24:46-49.
Luke records our Lord’s definition of the gospel: “it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day” (cf. 1 Corinthians 15:1-4). Christ crucified for sinners is the heart of the gospel, and therefore Paul will preach nothing else at Corinth (2:2). Here also is the necessity of repentance in order to receive free pardon: “That repentance and remission of sins should be preached among all nations.” Then comes the wondrous command: “beginning at Jerusalem” – where the Jewish leaders were who clamoured for His death; where the crowds were who mocked and blasphemed Him; where the Roman soldiers were who nailed Him to the cross and thrust the spear into His side; and where the Lord interceded for His murderers (Luke 23:34). Truly He is a Saviour for sinners! As John Bunyan’s sermon on these words put it: The Jerusalem Sinner Saved; or Good News for the Vilest of Men. The early success of “beginning at Jerusalem” was seen in “a great company of the priests were obedient to the faith” (Acts 6:7).
d] John 20:21-23.
John’s account of the Commission has unique features. Our Lord begins with a benediction “Peace be unto you.” It reminds us that we can calmly go in His name with the gospel, and not be troubled or afraid. He also likens His sending us with His Father’s sending Him: “as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you.” It is an astonishing parallel! We are as the Lord Himself: loved with His Father’s love (John 17:23) and sent by that same love. Can there be any higher or more momentous calling than to spread the gospel? He then gives a pledge of the Holy Spirit’s equipping: “Receive ye the Holy Ghost.” Then comes the effect of the gospel on the two categories of hearer: those who believe and those who do not: “Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained” (cf. 2 Corinthians 2:14-16).
Understood
Historically, our responsibility to spread the gospel has been well-understood by the Church of Christ. But it is the way we go about it that has not been so straightforward, particularly in more recent times. We have been bombarded with jargon like “the methodology of evangelism,” “communication;” and have been offered consultant “evangelists” who will provide seminars and webinars to churches, or who will come themselves and lead “missions.”
When we lose sight of biblical teaching, human wisdom can easily take over. In our day we face an ever more pressing need to evangelise. However, why, and how we do this must be under the Lordship of Christ for us, just as much as for new converts: “Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:20). What double standards, to teach new Christians to go by the Bible, when those who have supposedly “won them for Christ” do not heed the authority of Scripture for themselves!
Let us then consider the subject of evangelism. How should the Church of Christ fulfil the Great Commission?
1. THE MOTIVATION FOR EVANGELISM
Often when asked about what moves us to evangelise, the answer comes back, “compassion for lost souls.” This certainly comes into it, as our Savour’s being moved with compassion on the multitudes tells us (Matthew 9:36). However, that is not the chief motive. The biblical motives for evangelism include the following:–
1] The glory of God.
This is shown us in the Lord’s pattern prayer. After asking for the hallowing of God’s name, comes the petition for the advancement of the kingdom of grace, i.e. the success of the gospel (Matthew 6:9,10). Reformed evangelism puts God’s glory ahead of everything else. An illustration of this is found in the life of the missionary William C Burns (1815-1868). A lady once asked him: “What good are you doing in China, Mr. Burns?” To which he replied, “Madam, I did not go to China to convert the Chinese, I went to glorify God.” It is this motive that keeps God’s servants faithful and persevering, even when there is little or no fruit.
2] The publishing of the Covenant of Grace.
Our Lord’s parable of the marriage of the king’s son in Matthew 22:1-4 illustrates this. “A marriage for his son” (verse 2) is the choosing of the church to be a blood-bought bride for Christ (Ephesians 5:25). The “all things are ready” (verse 4) are the gracious blessings of that Covenant, promising everything we need in spiritual and temporal mercies (2 Samuel 23:5). It was sealed when our Lord declared, “It is finished” and was confirmed when the Father raised Him from the dead.
“Come unto the marriage” (Matthew 22:4) is the gospel call which “his servants” (verse 3) are sent to sound forth to all who will hear. Those who reject it, stand for the Jews who crucified Christ (verses 5-7). The second category of people who did come, stands for the Gentiles (verses 8-10), meaning the rest of the world. The indispensable “wedding garment” (verses 11-14) stands for one of the choicest blessings of that Covenant: the righteousness of Christ imputed for our justification and acceptance with God (Ephesians 1:6). This is a glorious gospel indeed worthy to be sounded out to all!
3] The honouring of a Word-based message.
This is clear from Romans 10:17 “faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” This is the only proper way to communicate a message from heaven. The term “ambassadors for Christ,” for Paul’s description of preachers (2 Corinthians 5:20 and Ephesians 6:20), demands the same conclusion. An ambassador is a minister of the highest rank, employed to do for his sovereign what he would do if he were present. Standing for him in delivering a message, therefore, requires that the ambassador convey exactly the words of the Monarch. There can be no question of putting it in a more entertaining, contemporary, or “relevant” way. Woe betide such a messenger when he gets back home and answers to the one who sent him! The application to preaching the gospel in “plainness of speech” (2 Corinthians 3:12) is obvious.
J C Ryle, in his marvellous “Expository Thoughts” on the Gospel of John, makes this point tellingly. The following extract (pages 69,70) comes from the passage John 1:35-42, concerning Andrew and another disciple (possibly John) who heard John the Baptist preach and consequently followed Jesus:
We see … in these verses, what good is done by continually testifying of Christ. The first time John the Baptist cried, “Behold the Lamb of God,” no result appears to have followed. We are not told of any who heard, inquired, and believed. But when he repeated the same words the next day, we read that two of his disciples “heard him speak, and followed Jesus.” They were received most graciously by Him whom they followed: “They came and saw where he dwelt, and abode with him that day.” Truly it was a day in their lives most eventful, and most blessed! From that day they became fast and firm disciples of the new-found Messiah. They took up the cross. They continued with Him in their temptations. They followed Him withersoever He went. One of them at least, if not both, became a chosen apostle, and a master builder in the Christian temple. And all was owing to John the Baptist’s testimony: “Behold the Lamb of God.” That testimony was a little seed. But it bore mighty fruits.
This simple story is a pattern of the way in which good has been done to souls in every age of the Christian Church. By such testimony as that before us, and by none else, men and women are converted and saved. It is by exalting Christ, not the Church, – Christ, not the sacraments, – Christ, not the ministry; – it is by this means that hearts are moved, and sinners are turned to God. To the world such testimony may seem weakness and foolishness. Yet, like the ram’s horns before whose blast the walls of Jericho fell down, this testimony is mighty to the pulling down of strongholds. The story of the crucified Lamb of God has proved, in every age, the power of God unto salvation. Those who have done most for Christ’s cause in every part of the world, have been men like John the Baptist …
One thing, however, must never be forgotten. There must be patient continuance in preaching and teaching the truth if we want good to be done. Christ must be set forth again and again, as the “Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world.” The story of grace must be told repeatedly, – line upon line, and precept upon precept. It is the constant dropping which wears away the stone. The promise shall never be broken, that “God’s word shall not return to him void” (Isaiah 55:11). But it is nowhere said that it will do good the first time it is preached. It was not the first proclamation of John the Baptist, but the second, which made Andrew and his companion follow Jesus.
In saying this, it is proper to extend this principle to other word-based methods of spreading the gospel. The circulation of the Scriptures, handing out gospel tracts, booklets that explain the gospel, internet messages, social media posts – all come into this category and can be used with confidence. How many who are now Christians owe they conversion, under God, to such worthy means! One in particular I would like to recommend here is a video documentary produced by one of our trustees, Jason Pallister. It is entitled “The Divine Word,” and shows compellingly for unbelievers how the Bible is from God, and how it is full of the Lord Jesus Christ as its central message. The video shows this by fulfilled prophecy, the way the Lord Jesus fulfils the types and shadows of the Jewish law, features preachers, and Bible texts. It is an excellent tool for evangelism, honouring God’s word and preaching Christ. It can be accessed here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u-WdNiXBX50&t=65s
4] Doing God’s work in God’s way.
This is further seen in 1 Corinthians 1:21: “it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.” Here we plainly have the instrumental cause of sinners being saved. It is called “preaching,” but also called “foolishness.” Paul is acknowledging that this is how the world sees this means which God has chosen. “Foolishness” can be understood as referring to: –
a] The contents preached.
It is offensive to the natural man that forgiveness and salvation are obtained through Someone who died a shameful death in the place of sinners (Galatians 5:11). Substitutionary atonement, the Sinless One dying in the place of sinners, flies in the face of proud, carnal nature. This is because it says that our need as sinners is as bad as it can be: needing Another to come into our place and make salvation possible by His doing and dying. Moreover, it requires that sinners acknowledge their helplessness to save themselves: all saving is done by the Saviour. It also humbles them into the need to repent, believe the gospel, and come to Christ to receive a full and free salvation. No wonder to the Gentiles this is “foolishness” and to the Jews “a stumblingblock” (1 Corinthians 1:23).
Tragically, this is true of modern-day liberals as well. Some years ago, we had occasion to write against a book entitled “The Lost Message of Jesus,” by Steve Chalke and Alan Mann.
(see https://www.bibleleaguetrust.org/page/2/?s=Chalke&Submit) At one point in the book, Steve Chalke caricatures substitutionary atonement as “cosmic child abuse.” This shocking blasphemy illustrates human enmity against the very heart of the gospel. Nonetheless, this is the very truth the Holy Spirit is pleased to use in the salvation of precious souls. Those quickened from spiritual death, and convicted of their guilt before God, will welcome the revelation that Christ died in their place “to bring us to God” (1 Peter 3:18).
b] The preached contents.
That it should be by simply proclaiming this message that God is pleased to bring sinners to His Son. Nowadays the notion of a man preaching such a message is generally reckoned to be archaic. With the claim that the average hearer’s attention span is only about ten minutes, something snappier and soundbite must supersede preaching. It is revealing how in many quarters we read of “the speaker” at Christian meetings now, and worse, the more visual and “impactful” methods that many churches resort to these days
(see https://www.bibleleaguetrust.org/where-have-all-the-preachers-gone/ and also, more recently, John Hooper’s “The Primacy of Preaching” in the previous issue of the Quarterly – issue 500.)
The fact is, however, that it is by the preaching of the word that God is pleased to save souls. It is not for us to do otherwise, but simply to honour God in His appointed way of giving saving enlightenment to sinners and bringing them to his dear Son.
Next time, God willing, we will consider the departures from scriptural evangelism and draw some lessons to conclude.