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You are My Witnesses: Evangelism in the 21st Century
Julius J. Kim
First published in Evangelium, Vol.5, Issue
2.
Much to the chagrin
of my budget-conscious wife, I have the kind of hair that
requires a trim every month. I, however, actually look forward
to going to my local barber shop because it provides me with an
opportunity to chat with my non-Christian barber on a variety of
current issues and events. During one visit several months ago,
we struck up a conversation on an intriguing movie he had
watched: Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ. He
began to share how mesmerized he was with the movie, especially
the remarkably vivid portrayal of Jesus’ torture and execution.
As he began to describe what he watched, he plaintively asked
me, “Why did Jesus have to suffer like that?”
While this may no longer be a common
scenario, it does nevertheless illustrates the fact that as
Christians we will undoubtedly encounter people within our
families, neighborhoods, and workplaces who need to hear a clear
presentation of the gospel. As followers of Christ, we are
reminded by the apostle Peter: “Always be prepared to give an
answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope
that you have” (1 Pet 3:15).
In light of this, what are some significant
truths to keep in mind as we engage in this important ministry
of being a witness to the message of the gospel? Though this
article cannot address every component related to sharing the
gospel in the 21st century, I would like to share
three: the message of our witness, the messengers sent to
witness, and the materials for our witness.
The Message of Our Witness
Though some may conceive of evangelism solely in terms of carefully
defending God’s existence in an apologetic encounter or perhaps
of providing food in a social outreach for the poor and needy,
it is crucial that we remember that evangelism at its core is a
message. It is a declaration of the biblical God who in his
great mercy has saved sinners dead in their trespasses through
the life, death, and resurrection of the God-man Jesus Christ.
Simply put, evangelism is proclaiming the evangel—the
gospel. It is proclaiming the good news that “Jesus
is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may
have life in his name” (John 20:31). The apostle Paul put it
this way in his letter to the Corinthians: “By this gospel you
are saved . . . that Christ died for our sins according to the
Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third
day” (1 Cor 15:2-4).
In this day
and age, however, there continues to be confusion about the
essentials of this message. This is where Reformed theology has
been so helpful in getting the gospel message right. In
response to the departure from the biblical gospel by the Roman
Catholic Church, the Reformers of the sixteenth century
clarified the fundamental truths concerning the message of our
witness. And while the role of Scripture (sola Scriptura)
was formally debated, what was materially at stake was the
doctrine of justification by faith alone (sola fide).
That’s why Reformers like Martin Luther and John Calvin argued
that sinners are pardoned and accepted by God’s free grace only
through the imputation of Christ’s righteousness received by
faith alone. They were right in arguing that this is the
doctrine on which the church stands or falls.
Jesus, the
sinless Son of God, offered himself to God as a substitutionary
sacrifice for sin and endured God’s judgment for it on the
cross. But he conquered sin and death by being raised from the
dead, and his life of perfect obedience has been vindicated.
So, in giving our reason for the hope that lies within us,
Christians must remember that evangelism is primarily the
proclamation that “salvation is found in no one else, for there
is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be
saved” (Acts 4:12).
The Messengers Sent to Witness
If evangelism is primarily about what
we say, who then should witness? Some think that only
“professionals” such as pastors, professors, and evangelists
should evangelize—after all, isn’t that part of their job
description anyway? Others, however, have been taught that
every Christian, without exception, must actively find ways to
evangelize every person with whom they come into contact.
Failure to do so demonstrates disobedience and a lack of love
for the lost.
In Ephesians 4:11, Paul mentions
evangelists and pastors and teachers after the
apostles and prophets. Since the New Testament teaches that all
Christians are under the obligation, as they have opportunity,
to witness to the hope they have in the gospel, the offices of
evangelist and pastor must be something different. Mentioned
two other times in the New Testament (Acts 21:8; 2 Tim 4:5), the
noun evangelist refers to those ministers called by God
and tested by the church who are gifted in making the gospel
particularly plain and relevant to unbelievers. In fact, most
of the missionaries serving in areas around the world where the
church of Jesus Christ has not made significant inroads are
called to their work as evangelists. Furthermore, while pastors
by virtue of their office of ministering the gospel also
engage in the work of evangelism, evangelists are especially
called to the work of spreading the seed of the gospel to
previously unreached regions.
In addition to these special offices of
evangelists and pastors, the New Testament also describes
average laypeople sharing the gospel with others. Besides
Peter’s exhortation mentioned earlier in this essay, Christ’s
command to “go and make disciples of all nations” (Matt
28:18-20) is given to all disciples of Jesus, not just to the
original twelve. Furthermore, as Christians in the first
century were scattered about due to persecution, they engaged in
proclaiming the Gospel fearlessly (Acts 8:1-4, 11:19-21).
Michael Green in his book, Evangelism in the Early Church,
has demonstrated that many Christians in the early church
were actively involved in giving witness to Christ through their
word and deed ministry. Clearly everyone in the early church
was bearing witness of Christ, not just the apostles or other
leaders.
But a question still remains: How does the
ministry of witness carried out by the evangelists and pastors
of the church interact with the work of evangelism done by
average Christians? First, the primary and ordinary ministry of
witness is done by the church. If the ministry of witness is
essentially the proclamation of the gospel, it is the church-through
the preaching ministry of her ministers—that carries out this
task. Every Sunday when the church gathers together in worship
and ministers the gospel through the spoken Word (preaching),
and the visible Word (sacraments), the ministry of witness is
taking place. The Bible teaches that the grace of God is being
dispensed in the faithful preaching of the Word and
administration of the Lord’s Supper and baptism. This means
that the best place your neighbor or barber can hear a clear
presentation of the gospel is at the church that faithfully
preaches the good news every Lord’s Day.
Second, lay people who desire to
exercise their gift of evangelism need training and oversight
from the church. Again, the passage in Ephesians 4 is helpful.
Paul describes the work of evangelists and pastors as those who
“prepare God’s people for works of service” (Eph 4:12). This
equipping ministry involves training followers of Christ with
the essentials of the Bible so that they can readily express the
truth of the gospel with clarity, cogency, and compassion. This
training ministry also provides natural accountability
structures whereby leaders can guide and support Christians with
discernment as they seek to use their gifts. Since the ministry
of witness is church-based, those who are evangelized will be
led most directly into church membership.
The Materials of our Witness
What are some resources available to the
church as she seeks to carry out this ministry of witness?
While not exhaustive or perfect, here are some materials that
might be helpful to you and your church.
Books
- Will Metzger. Tell the Truth, 3rd ed. (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity
Press, 2002).
- C. John Miller. Powerful Evangelism for the
Powerless (Phillipsburg: P & R, 1997).
- J. I. Packer. Evangelism and the Sovereignty of
God (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1991).
Programs
- Michael Bennett. Christianity Explained
(Queensland, Australia: Scripture Union, 1985).
- Phillip Jensen. 2 Ways to Live (Kingsford,
Australia: Matthias Media, 1989).
- Rico Tice. Christianity Explored (Milton
Keynes, U.K.: Authentic Media, 2003).
Conclusion
“So, why did Jesus have to suffer?” asked
my barber. Where should I begin? “Well, Jesus suffered because
he was willing to pay the penalty for my disobedience to God.
Now, you’re probably wondering what my disobedience has to do
with Jesus, right? How about we start at the beginning. . . .”
While Jesus is central to the gospel
message, my barber (and most 21st century people
living in North America) do not have the background or worldview
to understand the basic story line of the Bible in which the
death and resurrection of Jesus makes sense. If we are to
present the gospel to those who are biblically illiterate and
have adopted worldviews that are contrary to the Bible, there
are certain assumptions about God the creator and man’s original
dignity and subsequent guilt that must be shared so that the
rest of the gospel story line makes sense. The resources
mentioned above will help fill in that biblical story line so
that the gospel can be presented with clarity and power.
One thing these resources cannot do,
however, is persuade my barber of the truth. That is something
only the Holy Spirit can do. And that’s comforting, isn’t it?
We need to remind ourselves that God is the only one who can
change a heart of stone into a heart of flesh. He is the one
who draws his people to himself and grants his mercies in
Christ. Nevertheless, what I do, out of love for God and for
the lost, is simply offer the gospel freely and fully so I can
say along with the apostle Paul, “When I preach the gospel, I
cannot boast, for I am compelled to preach. Woe to me if I do
not preach the gospel!” (1 Cor 9:16).
Ó2007
Westminster Seminary California All rights reserved
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S. M. Baugh
R. Scott Clark
Iain M. Duguid
Bryan D. Estelle
W. Robert Godfrey
Michael S. Horton
Dennis E. Johnson
Hywel R. Jones
Peter R. Jones
Joel E. Kim
Julius J. Kim
George C. Scipione
Robert B. Strimple
David M. VanDrunen
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