Biblical Evangelism

If we look at the Great Commission in Matthew 28:18-20, we discover several things.
The Lord gives the commission on the basis of the fact that he now has all power in heaven and on earth (v 18). This implies that the point of making disciples is intended to be bringing the world to acknowledge his Lordship over all. As Paul says, "he must reign until all his enemies are put under his feet - and the last enemy is death." Twice, in this small passage of the Bible we are encouraged by this fact. First Jesus tells us that we are given this task because he has all authority granted to him and second as we are about the task he reminds us that he will be with us in all his power to accomplish that which is his purpose in sending us out. It is the Risen Lord who would have us fulfill this commission.

Then, the Greek of verse 19 actually says "Going, make disciples of all nations" - the only command in the section is "make disciples" and the present participle "going" implies an attendant circumstance to the main verb. It would be as accurate to translate "as you go ..." or "wherever you go ..." The point is that this command applies as much for home missions as it does for overseas missions. As we read the book of Acts we can see this at work. Stephen responding to the Sanhedrin, Peter and Silas singing in the jail in Philippi, Philip overhearing an Ethiopian reading on the way back to his country or Paul finding himself in Athens waiting for the rest of his companions to rejoin him; wherever they found themselves, they took the opportunity offered to speak for their Lord in order to make disciples.

According to the text (verse 19b and 20a), making disciples implies two things, baptizing and teaching the nations. So, not only are we told this is something the Lord Jesus requires of us (rather than an idea of the Church authorities), and not only where we are to do this but we are even told what it entails. In the light of my understanding of Covenant Theology, baptizing would be adding them to the covenant community and then instructing them of the obligations, blessings and curses such membership implies for them. If we think of the inauguration of the Old Covenant under Moses we notice there are similarities to what happened just before the Israelites crossed the Jordan to enter the Promised Land. They were to circumcise all the people and read them the Law of God. And again the book of Acts shows this in action, not just in Jerusalem but all the way to Rome.

But, if we focus, for a moment on the last section of verse 20 we will see how this approach differs from what is often called evangelism. In most cases today people are taught there are certain steps that have to be taken if we are to be successful in evangelism. Almost everyone, it seems, has a program for us to follow. I remember one which went each person speaks to one other until they make them a disciple. then the two speak to two others and so on. The program was promoted as a sure way to evangelize the world in our generation. Yet, verse 20 - right where you would expect the Lord to spell out in detail how to do these things - only contains the assurance that the Lord will be with us always, even to the end of the age.

I remember wondering why. Is there enough detail in the earlier verses to tell me how I am to make disciples (leaving aside the issue of whether I can actually perform a baptism for the moment)? I don't think so. Then I got to thinking about how we actually become Christian - it is the work of the Holy Spirit. That's what I had seen as wrong with the wonderful geometric progression of discipleship - it didn't allow for the possibility that the Holy Spirit might use our evangelism to convict of sin, but not savingly. As I remembered this it became plain that the reason Jesus reminds us he will be with us is because we only have to be faithful as witnesses or heralds, the result, the success or otherwise, is in his hands and we can trust him to use it his way.

That's why we find no evangelism program outlined in Paul's writings. It's why we find Paul just going from place to place and preaching. We see the results because the Lord is blessing his faithfulness. Do we find Paul including an altar call in his preaching? Do we see him passing out tracts as he travels? And, why does he seem to spend so long (compared with modern evangelists) in the various cities? Do we find him setting up a music group or even a Bible reading program? No, if we summarize what he was doing it was: arrive in a city; debate with the Jews; after being thrown out of the synagogue, reason with the Gentiles; baptize those who believed (and their households) and instruct them until the new Church was formed. We are not given any more details, all that is clear is that Paul's approach was very much more flexible than we might expect if he was using some of the modern systems.

The key element of Biblical evangelism is that we are working together with the Lord. Our role is to be as faithful to our responsibilities as we can. He will provide us with both the opportunities and the words to say and he will do the rest. The trouble with modern systems is that they require us to do more. They want us to produce believers by some kind of decision. There is seldom space left for the Holy Spirit to work in the heart of the person with whom we've been brought into contact.

We should expect that, if he has worked and the person has been convicted, he or she will take the initiative. It is the Holy Spirit's work to make our hearers think through the issues and make their response - Paul allowed that of the Jews. He discussed and debated ... then, only after they responded unfavorably, did he stop dealing with them and turn to the Gentiles. That response, however, was always brought about by the work of the Holy Spirit using the preaching to convict the hearers of sin.

On the Day of Pentecost, after Peter finished his speaking, the admonition to "repent and be baptized" was a response to the crowd's question "Men and brethren, what shall we do?" He didn't prompt it - he finished by letting them know in no uncertain terms that they had crucified the Messiah foretold by the prophets! It was the Lord Jesus, through the work of the Holy Spirit that brought the new disciples into being.

What a wonderful task, working with the Lord to bring about his kingdom! And we have not only the privilege of doing it but he requires it of us in order that we might see his glory extended everywhere. Now that's Biblical evangelism.