"Praedicate gospelium!" ...and the five W-questions of evangelism

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Is it an exaggeration to claim that the reason for the existence of the church of Jesus Christ on earth is its God-given mission to proclaim the Gospel? What happens to a church that no longer fulfills its purpose of being a lifeline in distress? If God was so serious about the global spread of the Good News about the sin-redeeming crucifixion of His Son Jesus Christ and His guilt-justifying resurrection for believers, what aspects of this greatest and noblest mission must I, as a Christian in the 21st century, be aware of in order to fulfill it conscientiously? The following five questions will now be answered concisely.

1. Why aren't we evangelizing?

The practice of critically reflecting on one's own spiritual state is a fundamental characteristic of every Christian. Scripture repeatedly calls for this, with words such as: “ Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Or do you not realize that Jesus Christ is in you? Unless, of course, you are faulty ” (2 Corinthians 13:5). Against this backdrop, the question of possible reasons why we Christians do not evangelize not only seems justified, but, in short, answering it is our duty.

First, the loss or waning of joy in salvation is one of the reasons why the topic of evangelism no longer ignites our hearts with burning passion. This very thought was emphasized again at this year's Brethren Conference in Bremen. Jesus touches upon the same fundamental question in the house of Simon the Pharisee and summarizes it with the following words: " But whoever has been forgiven little loves little " (Luke 7:47b). The answer to the question of how much we have been forgiven is directly dependent on the depth of our awareness of our sin. If we have been allowed to recognize the sheer magnitude of our guilt before God, the experience of God's grace fills us with even greater wonder and, to that same degree, with zeal for the work of saving souls. The same message is conveyed in the well-known words of a Russian hymn: "To whom forgiveness comes, forgiveness comes." Этот закон нам дала благодать.", or in English: "Whoever is saved is called to save [others]. This law has given us grace."

Secondly, fear of people plays a major role in why, when God opens the door to proclaiming the Gospel, we don't seize the opportunity and enter. Are we Christians alone in the 21st century so fearful? Are we in a class of our own? The Apostle Peter, in one of his letters, albeit in the context of suffering for Christ's sake, offered edifying words precisely regarding this problem of fear of man: " Do not be afraid of them, nor be troubled, but in your hearts honor Christ as Lord " (1 Peter 3:14b, 15a). According to Peter, the solution lies in becoming aware of our attitude toward Christ as our Lord and focusing instead on who He is, so that, as a consequence, fear of God replaces fear of man. The practical conclusion of this echoes from the apostles and Peter to this day: " We must obey God rather than men " (Acts 5:29b). Peter, therefore, writes his letter not as a theorist, but with firsthand practical experience.

Third, many Christians do not feel prepared to answer the potential multitude of questions they may encounter while carrying out this ministry. The very words, “ Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have ” (1 Peter 3:15b) and “ Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone ” (Colossians 4:6), leave many perplexed as to how it is possible to put these words into practice, given the multitude of possible questions in a pluralistic, multicultural, and secular society like ours.

Is there a simple solution here? Every Christian willing to share the Good News should understand that this is a continuous process of growth. I won't be able to answer all of a seeker's questions overnight. In fact, I will never be able to answer them all ! However, this growth is determined by one crucial factor: obedience. Am I willing, despite my intellectual shortcomings and other weaknesses, to obey the words of Jesus' Great Commission, trusting in His guidance? Every father rejoices in his child's first steps, even if they are quickly followed by a, sometimes ungraceful, fall. Doesn't our heavenly Father rejoice in our first steps, which are a sign of our obedience to Him?

All of Heaven is interested in the cross of Christ, all of Hell is terribly afraid of the cross, while humans are the only ones who more or less ignore its meaning.

2. What is evangelism and what is not?

Evangelism, simply put, is the proclamation of the Gospel message using selected methods . However, the fundamental question that actually precedes this is a different one, because it significantly determines the outcome of the aforementioned question about the nature of evangelism: What is the content of the Gospel message?

Paul addresses this question in his first letter to the Corinthians, writing to them: “ Now I proclaim to you, brothers and sisters, the gospel that I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless, of course, you believed in vain. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, and that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures ” (1 Corinthians 15:1-4). Three essential aspects are mentioned here: first, the foretold and subsequently fulfilled death of Christ; second, his burial; and third, his resurrection from the dead on the third day. In his letter to the Romans, Paul summarizes the reasons for this: “ He was delivered over to death for our transgressions and was raised to life for our justification ” (Romans 4:25).

According to Luke, Jesus himself, in his farewell words before the Ascension, addresses the same two events, death and resurrection: “ And he said to them, ‘This is what is written: the Messiah had to suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and repentance for the forgiveness of sins had to be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem ’” (Luke 24:46-47). Evangelization is therefore the proclamation of the good news of the Lord Jesus Christ’s death on the cross, which redeems from sin (cf. Hebrews 9:15), and his resurrection from the dead, which justifies sinners, with the purpose of the forgiveness of sins, to which every believer receives access by grace through the act of repentance.

Statements like, "Jesus loves you!", or "Jesus gives you peace, joy, and lasting happiness!", or "Jesus wants to be your friend," selectively reflect a specific aspect of the Gospel message and can certainly serve as a springboard for people to become interested in the Christian faith. Strictly speaking, however, they do not proclaim the full message of the Gospel! The listener of these words has only heard a small part of the bigger picture. The reader of these statements, figuratively speaking, has unfortunately only read the last chapter of the book. Evangelization takes place when the listener has heard the full and complete message.

“Sometimes, like at the airport, you only have five seconds for a conversation. Shouldn’t I use that time for a sentence like, ‘Jesus loves you!’?” Absolutely! Nevertheless, we must be careful to define the terms “evangelism” and “gospel” precisely, because we are not proclaiming a good business model or a nice, uplifting perspective on life, but rather the uniquely saving message with eternal consequences. Metaphorically speaking, we are proclaiming to a humanity teetering on a tightrope between skyscrapers that their rope hangs by a thread and they have no net or safety net beneath them. We are shouting at the top of our lungs to the celebrating passengers of a sinking Titanic to get into the lifeboats. Here, the words of Paul resonate: “ Jesus, who saves us from the wrath to come ” (1 Thessalonians 1:10b).

3. Why should we evangelize?

Oswald Chambers once said: “All of Heaven is interested in the cross of Christ, all of Hell is terribly afraid of it, while humans are the only ones who more or less ignore its significance.”

What distinguishes the born-again Christian from the natural, emotional, or even carnal person is precisely the fact that he accepts the facts described in the Bible as spiritual reality as true and genuine. While someone far removed from faith might scoff at a Christian's outlook on life, the Christian is serious about aligning his life with the Bible's description of reality: sin, law, and judgment are real, just as the cross, grace, and mercy are. Herein lies the first and most obvious reason why we should evangelize: because the Bible is true and its contents are real.

We do not evangelize to desperately avoid a guilty conscience, nor to escape punishment for non-compliance or omission, although these too must be taken seriously (cf. Luke 12:47-48). While all these motives may not be inherently reprehensible, they do not constitute a perfect foundation for the ministry of a Christian in the body of Christ. God's primary motivation for sending His Son into the world was love; of that there is no doubt: " For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life " (John 3:16).

The Word of God also points elsewhere to a healthy motivation for fulfilling Jesus' commission, even for future servants: " For the love of Christ compels us " (2 Corinthians 5:14a), writes the Apostle Paul to the Corinthian church. Thus, it is no exaggeration to say that God's overwhelmingly great love for us, and the love for God born in us through it, arising from the experience of God's glorious grace in salvation, is the primary reason for evangelism.

In combination with the terrible reality of sin and the eternal punishment for it, these thoughts should truly motivate us to share the Good News with others out of love. We are therefore obligated to do so, or as Paul says: “ For if I preach the gospel, I have no boasting, for I am under compulsion. For woe is me if I do not preach the gospel! ” (1 Corinthians 9:16). Or, as Manfred Siebald expresses it with the beautiful and vivid language of a well-known song: “He who knows the water in the desert and keeps it secret is to blame when the dying overlook it. He who knows the firm paths in the swamp and does not show them is to blame when others perish.”

In Luke 15, the Word of God reveals the “heart of the heavenly Father” through three vivid examples, all centered on the loss and recovery of an object: the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the prodigal son. In each of these parables, boundless joy fills the heart of the seeker and the finder: the shepherd rejoices over the sheep he has found, for which he leaves behind the other 99; the wife rejoices over the coin he has found; and the father rejoices over his son, once lost and now returned. All three share their joy with those around them. When we are born again of God’s Spirit, God places in us a heart like His own, filled with profound love and infinite compassion for lost souls. Herein lies the answer to the question, “Why?”

Furthermore, we evangelize because we want to obey the words of Jesus. We surrendered the lordship of our lives to him when we came to faith (cf. Mt 28:16-20 and Mk 16:15-18). If the Gospel and its preaching were the very essence of life for Jesus and his disciples, then it is not surprising that Paul so clearly explains the continuation of this mission to proclaim the Gospel through the body of Christ: “ All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, just as God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, not counting people’s trespasses against them, and who has entrusted to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God! ” (2 Cor 5:18-20).

Finally, we evangelize to glorify our heavenly Father, following the example of Jesus. He alone is worthy to receive this honor. Jesus' so-called high priestly prayer (cf. John 17) is filled with the Son's desire to glorify His Father. Paul also takes up this idea in the "Praise of God" at the beginning of his Letter to the Ephesians and repeats it several times: " To the praise of the glory of his grace , which he has freely given us in the One he loves. […] so that we , who for a time were to have our hope in Christ, might be brought to the praise of his glory . […] He is the deposit of our inheritance, the redemption of his possession, to the praise of his glory " (cf. Ephesians 1:3ff).

4. Who should evangelize?

Although there is indeed a calling to be an evangelist specific to a particular person, which Scripture clearly speaks of (cf. Eph 4:11), it should nevertheless be evident and clear that every Christian has the universal calling given by God to zealously participate in the ministry of proclaiming the Good News. As described above, this is directly connected with the experience of the glory of salvation: “Those who are saved are called to save others.”

Shortly after the divinely authorized founding of the early church in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost, we read in the Acts of the Apostles an incredibly gripping and fascinating sentence from the mouth of a high priest who was questioning the apostles: “ We strictly commanded you not to teach in this name, and behold, you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and want to bring this man’s blood on us ” (cf. Acts 5:28), or elsewhere from those scattered by the persecution in connection with the stoning of Stephen: “ Then those who were scattered went about proclaiming the word ” (Acts 8:4). Of the Samaritan woman whom Jesus met at Jacob’s well it is said: “ The woman left her jar of water and went away into the town and said to the people , ‘Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did! Could this be the Christ?’ […] And many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s word ” (John 4:28-29, 39a).

These passages testify emphatically that where the gospel fell on fertile ground, it moved its hearers, through the power of the Holy Spirit, to share its message with others. How else could the rapid spread of Christianity in the known world of that time be explained? God does not ask the impossible of us, although He uses us as weak vessels to make the impossible possible: “ For consider your calling, brothers and sisters: not many of you were wise by human standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and the weak things of the world to shame the strong ” (1 Corinthians 1:26-27). In His wise and unsearchable plan of salvation, God has provided that the word of reconciliation is made known and spread through His church—which in turn consists of many individual local congregations. Everyone, wherever they are, working and living: “ so that now […] the manifold wisdom of God may be made known through the church ” (Eph 3:10).

Will Durant wrote a powerful statement that addresses the collective fulfillment of this noble task by the suffering community of Christ throughout history, defying the harshest persecutions: “There is no greater drama in the history of mankind than the scene of a few Christians who were despised or oppressed by a succession of emperors. They endured all trials with utmost perseverance, multiplied in silence, established order while the enemy created chaos, fought the sword with the word, brutality with hope, and finally defeated the most powerful state history has ever known: Caesar and Christ met in the arena, and Jesus Christ had triumphed.”

5. How should we evangelize?

One of our fellow countrymen, named Philipp Spitta, once wrote a verse of the song "Spirit of Faith, Spirit of Strength" that fits this question. He wrote:

Give us the high apostles,
unbowed courage to bear witness
Despite ridicule and threats from all over the world
to proclaim the blood of Christ.
Let us confess the truth,
that made us happy and free;
Grant that we cannot stop,
Have the upper hand!

Karl Johann Philipp Spitta (1801-1859)

The Apostle Peter, who is also indirectly mentioned in the verse above, wrote a response to this in his first letter (cf. 1 Peter 3:13-17). In it, he names five principles that we, as disciples of Christ, must develop if we want to proclaim the gospel and be prepared to answer for our faith.

Firstly, in view of a “sect that is opposed everywhere” (cf. Acts 28:22), we need the willingness to suffer for doing good.

Secondly, we must be people filled with the fear of God, because we sanctify Christ the Lord in our hearts. Otherwise, we will be enslaved by the fear of man, which will completely paralyze us in this responsible and challenging ministry.

Thirdly, we must proceed with gentleness, and fourthly, with reverence (comparable to "respect"). It's perfectly clear: I can't disrespectfully cut off someone's nose only to then offer them a fragrant rose, expecting them to enjoy its wonderful scent.

On the other hand, following the example of the apostles, we must and may hold unshaken to the biblical beliefs.

Fifthly, Peter writes, it is essential to have a clear conscience. No one will believe our message if we do not live it out in the presence of those to whom we bear witness. Often enough, dry words cannot convey the intellectual depth that poetry and literature, in their powerful language, are able to express and make accessible. In response to the question of "how," Fanny Jane Crosby once wrote the following song, which hits the nail on the head:

Have you faithfully sought the sheep?
who got lost on a rocky path,
with unwavering shepherd's faithfulness,
How does Jesus, our shepherd, seek us?
Did you follow the trail through the valley?
through the eerie night of the gorges,
until you are tired, but with a jubilant heart
Did you bring your sheep to the hurdle?

Have the lonely, grieving hearts
you visit her with comforting love,
where united in prayer, bowed
She brought her sorrow to Jesus?
Turn your sinners' hearts to Jesus
and directed her gaze towards the cross,
until the tears of joy flowed
and the Lamb gave them peace?

Have come to the dwelling of the needy poor
Did she bring the gift of love?
Have you often spoken in the spirit of Jesus?
Did you keep watch at the bedside of the sick?
Pick up the flowers along the way,
Those that were already trampled and lying in the dust?
Have you wound them into a wreath for Jesus?
and snatched the robbery from hell?

One day the king will gather at the throne.
an innumerable multitude from all peoples;
What reward will the servant receive?
who was faithful in love here!
Oh, what happiness when one graciously inclines
The face of your Savior to you:
“What you did for the poorest of the brothers,
You did the same to me."

Fanny Jane Crosby (1820-1915)
(Rights: Oncken-Verlag, Wuppertal and Kassel)

Daniel Asmus

Municipality of Bielefeld

 

All Bible verses are taken from the Elberfeld translation.