Jargon

Jargon-- it is something that you hear all of the time. When you understand it, everything is well and good. When you are not "in the know," however, it can be quite frustrating!

Jargon is language specific to a particular group of people, generally understood in terms of specialties. There is medical jargon--CPT codes, the many long terms from Latin and Greek for various conditions and illnesses that always sound scary, pharmaceutical names, and so on. There is also legal jargon--that legalese in contracts that is very difficult to understand. There is also plenty of jargon in the tech community--apps, HTML, CSS, PHP, Java, and all other kinds of terms that you either understand or you do not! Jargon can be found among almost every group of people, and in many cases, it serves necessary functions for those who understand it. It would be much more difficult for a lot of groups to function if they could not use terminology specific to their groups!

There is also a lot of jargon in religion, especially in the Church. Think about it for a moment: how many terms do you use among Christians that you would probably not use in any other circumstance? Baptism, gospel meetings, faith, repentance, justification, sanctification, hermeneutics-- all these are examples of jargon. Even whole phrases like "guide, guard, and direct us," "separate and apart," "watery grave of baptism," and so forth are examples of jargon.

Is it wrong or sinful to use jargon? No, not at all! Nevertheless, jargon can become a barrier hindering understanding for those who are not in Christ or who are not familiar with the terms. This can become a particularly acute problem when we assume that everyone else understands what we mean when we use this jargon and, in reality, they do not!

For a long time it was believed that the whole New Testament was its own form of jargon-- some suggested that "Holy Spirit Greek" was its own dialect of the language. Yet papyri discoveries over the past two hundred years have painted a very different picture for us. The New Testament was not written in some special form of language that was not understood; it was written using the common language of the people. God's message was communicated to the world in a form that was designed to be understood!

We see this push toward understanding throughout the book of Acts. When preaching to Jews, the Apostles used language and stories familiar to the Jews (cf. Acts 2:14-36, 3:12-26, 13:16-41). When preaching to Gentiles, they used language and even quotations familiar to the Gentiles (cf. Acts 17:22-31)! Paul provides the general principle in 1 Corinthians 9:22-23:

To the weak I became weak, that I might gain the weak: I am become all things to all men, that I may by all means save some. And I do all things for the gospel's sake, that I may be a joint partaker thereof.

If we are to become all things to all men so that some may be saved, should that also not mean that we should communicate to our fellow man in ways that he understands?

The New Testament is clear: the message is to be taken to all men so that all men may understand and come to the knowledge of the truth (Matthew 28:18-20, 1 Timothy 2:4). For them to understand, the message must be presented in a way that is understandable. Yet how can the message of the Gospel be understandable if the people with whom we speak do not understand the terms that we use to describe the message of Jesus?We should give some thought to the version of the Bible we use in order to teach others. How effective will our teaching be if those whom we teach must first decipher the English in order to get to God's message?

Our main concern must be with the language we use in presenting God's message. We must come to grips with the fact that we live among a generation of people to whom Biblical terms and concepts might as well be a foreign language. On the whole, people do not know the Bible or the terms used in its pages. For example, what do people think of when they hear "gospel"? They might think of it in terms of a genre of music as much or more as "the good news of Jesus Christ." What is "baptism" to them beyond a religious ritual that many experienced as a baby (or not at all)? For too many, "faith" is nothing more than the opposite of "science." People might know what "sin" is, but what actions are defined as sin and the consequences of sin are not as well understood. Terms like repentance, sanctification, justification, Trinity, and the like are almost entirely unknown to many of those in the world.

But how can we present the message of God without using some of these terms? We really cannot, just like people in technical fields cannot describe their work without using some of their jargon. The issue is not the use of jargon in and of itself; the issue is making sure that people understand the message that is being communicated!

In terms of evangelism, therefore, we should give some thought as to how to explain the terms that we use, and, whenever possible, get away from jargon and use terms people understand. For example, if one of the main evangelistic events is a "gospel meeting," let us ask ourselves: do people know what a "gospel meeting" is? Would they know what to expect at a "gospel meeting"? How can we expect anyone to attend a "gospel meeting" if they do not know what it is?

Another example of this is the phrase, "the watery grave of baptism." For believers "in the know," it is a way of speaking of baptism in terms of Romans 6:3-7, making clear that it indicates immersion and what its purpose is. But if someone is entirely ignorant of Scripture and Christianity, what does "the watery grave of baptism" sound like? Does it sound like anything in which they would want to participate, or does it sound more like an event in a horror movie and therefore something to avoid?

We could go on and on, but the point ought to be clear. We are supposed to take the message of Jesus Christ to all people and help them to understand who Jesus is, what He has done, and why it should be of the greatest importance to them (Matthew 28:18-20, Romans 10:13-17, 1 Timothy 2:4). Would we ever dream of going out and trying to teach the message of Jesus in Greek to Americans who speak English? Of course not! Therefore, why would we try to teach the message of Jesus to people today in terms that people do not know or understand without any sort of explanation?

Jargon is a part of life. It is not wrong, but we must be careful to make sure that we "make the message plain" and make sure that people understand the ideas and concepts behind the message of the good news of Jesus Christ. We cannot assume that people automatically understand the words we use, and therefore we should give consideration how to best present the Gospel of Christ to all men. Let us do so, becoming the servant of all, so that some might be saved!

Ethan R. Longhenry
April 2011

Evangelism in the 21st Century (4): The Possibilities of the Internet

We have spent some time investigating the climate of evangelism in the 21st century, and the situation could seem quite distressing. We have seen that our world today mirrors the first century world of the New Testament, with many not knowing much about the faith and others being quite hostile to it. We have seen how isolationism and relativism has caused an erosion of trust in others and has contributed to a lack of willingness to be persuaded by the truth claims of the New Testament. We have also seen how many in denominations have attempted to evangelize in recent times, and demonstrated that such methods do all kinds of things, but rarely actually get to preaching the Gospel. While there are many reasons to be distressed, not all is lost, and not all is negative. Let us conclude by considering a great possibility for hope in the future: evangelism and the Internet.

Many Christians are apprehensive about the Internet. There are some good reasons for this, but other reasons are more based in exaggeration and misunderstanding of the resource. As with every tool of man, the Internet allows for people to do good things, bad things, and ugly things. Sadly, the works of the flesh are indeed on the Internet in full force, and the relative anonymity the Internet provides does not help matters (cf. Galatians 5:17-24). On the other hand, the Internet mirrors real life in many ways: if you desire to seek out sin, you will find it; if you desire to avoid sin, you will find ways to avoid it online.

We need to be careful about ourselves and what we do on the Internet. Nevertheless, the Internet provides for opportunities for evangelism that represent great potential-- if we are only willing to consider them and use them.

Recent research has come up with some startling conclusions. Not a few of the members of the younger generation, when seeking information and knowledge, go online. Many Americans indicated that they had searched the Internet for religious information.

This may be surprising to many people who find the Internet to be rather untrustworthy. Unfortunately, it is still true that you cannot believe everything you hear on the Internet, and in fact you cannot believe much of it. On the other hand, the Internet provides the perfect opportunity for our isolationist and individualist society to investigate, learn, and discover: they can visit websites at their leisure, learning whatever they seek to learn, and remain anonymous. They do not feel pressured, pushed, or cajoled into accepting anything. Most such persons have decent discernment abilities, and will not just accept and believe whatever they hear on the Internet.

While impersonal forms of evangelism may not be as successful in the "real world" today as it perhaps was in the past, the Internet provides the opportunity to put forth the truth of the Gospel of Christ, and people very well may come and consider it. Basic websites are often free, and many tutorials are available to help people figure out how to make the website work. Websites can be as simple or as complex as desired. If such websites are known to search engines like Google or Yahoo!, then if people want to search for a given subject, they just might well come upon your website. Who knows what may come of it?

As the technology develops, we are better able to connect with people on the Internet. Websites can have question and comment fields, allowing visitors to ask questions, make comments, or seek additional information from you. Podcasting now allows for sermons and other audio files to be made available for people across the world to hear and to consider.

Special mention should be made about weblog systems and social utility websites (Facebook, MySpace, etc.). While we must always be on the lookout for sin, and to seek to avoid participating in it, there is also the potential for doing good on these websites. Weblog systems allow people to interact with each other in ways that are like communities, and that can have great value for Christians seeking to associate with fellow Christians at many opportunities. MySpace and Facebook and other such social utility websites allow Christians to connect with each other or with people they may know in other contexts; both websites provide ways of promoting the truth of Christ and even to post sermon audio files and other related matters.

As Christians, we should always seek to discover ways by which our light may shine, and ways in which we can have positive impact on others (Matthew 5:13-16). The Internet is a place that needs the light of Christ, and there is much good that has already occurred on account of it, and greater good is possible. Let us seek to use the Internet-- and other opportunities in life as presented-- to promote the Gospel of Christ!

Ethan R. Longhenry
March 2008

Evangelism in the 21st Century (3): Modern Evangelistic Methods

We have spent some time considering evangelism in the 21st century. We have surveyed the modern religious climate and have demonstrated how the first century offers many parallels with the twenty-first century. We also considered the modern trend toward isolationism and the need for the church to be the community of God's people that God desires it to be. Having seen the religious condition of the twenty-first century, what can we do to promote the Gospel in this day and age? What methods are currently being used, and do they really accomplish what God desires?

As we survey the religious landscape around us, we see many different groups attempting to promote their given brand of Christianity by many different methods. All kinds of evangelism fads are present; many persevere, others go by the wayside after awhile.

Some of the current fads involve "seeker friendly" services. A given church will go "all out" to attract potential members, using the entire assembly and everything surrounding it to make the seeker feel "welcome". These services (along with many others) are designed to be entertaining, trying desperately to appeal to the vanity of average twenty-first century Americans. Very few, if any, negatives will be presented; much of what is said could easily pass as a self-help resource. The service is very comfortable and familiar for the twenty-first century American-but would it be familiar to God?

Assemblies of Christians in the New Testament were not designed to be "seeker friendly" or "seeker resistant": they were designed to encourage and edify the members of the church (Hebrews 10:24-25, 1 Corinthians 14:26). Unbelievers may enter the assembly and be present within it, and may even be convicted of their condition (1 Corinthians 14:23-25). The assembly, however, is never described as the vehicle of conversion-it is designed for the members, and if the service always focuses on "seeker" matters, it will never provide the spiritual meat so necessary for proper maturation and growth (cf. Hebrews 5:12-14).

Other fads involve small, focused groups, bringing together people in similar conditions. One can find community with fellow divorced persons, or never married persons, or married persons for that matter; if you can think of a group of people in a similar condition, there likely is a small group in some church tailored for such persons! After all, if you can get someone to feel as if they are part of that small group, they can become part of the larger community.

While there can be value in such groups, and building of community is important within the church (cf. Acts 2:42, Romans 12:10), the community is to be based in a shared walk in the Lord (1 John 1:6-7). The Gospel does not discriminate or segregate (Romans 1:16-17, Galatians 3:28), and neither should its promotion.

Appealing to the needs of the flesh has been a constant in evangelistic programs in many places. Food, be it in a fellowship hall or through a food pantry, is often present. Many hospitals and other forms of medical assistance are provided. Gymnasiums are built to provide a place to exercise and to witness about Jesus. Some churches have even developed cafes and bookstores to these same ends. Not a few promotions are based on popular video games or big sporting events.

While it is necessary for individuals to do good to all men (Galatians 6:10), and Christians should be benevolent people, benevolence and evangelism are different tasks indeed (cf. Acts 6:1-7). The example of Jesus and the 5000 in John 6 clearly demonstrates this: people were easily converted to the fish and loaves, yet only the Twelve were converted to Jesus' spiritual nourishment. The good example of Christians living benevolent lives may open hearts to the Gospel (cf. Matthew 5:13-16), but we cannot confuse providing physical needs from spiritual needs. Attempting to provide spiritual instruction or guidance using fleshly appeals cannot properly succeed; the two are opposed to one another (Galatians 5:17-24), and we are quite deluded if we think that we can appeal to the flesh and then slip in the Gospel and fulfill God's mandate. If we appeal to the flesh, people expect to fulfill the desires of the flesh; if we desire people to be spiritual, we must appeal with that which is spiritual.

All of these methods, along with many others, miss the mark because they do not faithfully present the point. In all of these methods examined, the Gospel remains unpreached. It is as if there is shame involved in the message, and we must find other inducements for people to come! As it is written,

"By their fruits ye shall know them. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but the corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Therefore by their fruits ye shall know them" (Matthew 7:16-20).

If our message is a "seeker friendly" service that intentionally presents a disfigured Gospel, we will reap people believing a disfigured Gospel. If our message is to bring people in based on social connections, we reap people being present for social connections. If our presentation involves fleshly desires, we reap people desiring to fulfill fleshly desires. It stands to reason, therefore, that if we seek to reap people to be obedient servants of God, we must sow the Gospel message directly and fully.

This, then, represents our difficulty, for we are not inherently appealing to the vanity of twenty-first century Americans. We cannot promote Christianity like marketers sell products. It has indeed happened according to the words of Paul:

I charge thee in the sight of God, and of Christ Jesus, who shall judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word; be urgent in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. For the time will come when they will not endure the sound doctrine; but, having itching ears, will heap to themselves teachers after their own lusts; and will turn away their ears from the truth, and turn aside unto fables. But be thou sober in all things, suffer hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfil thy ministry (2 Timothy 4:1-5).

Myths are as popular today as they were in the first century. "Have it Your Way Christianity" is quite popular. "I deserve to be the focus Christianity" also has many adherents. Christianity that appeals to the desires of people here and now with only positive reinforcement is on the rise. There are more than enough people willing to preach these messages and satisfy itching ears. If we desire to be faithful to God, the message itself must be the focus, both in ways acceptable to the average modern American and also where it may offend his sensibilities.

The means of promoting the message are many. We have seen that direct preaching in the midst of large crowds, as done in Apostolic days, is not as feasible in our isolationist society; nevertheless, Bible correspondence courses, door knocking programs, Bible lectures or studies open to the public, bulletin or tract distribution, and other ways can be variously used to promote the message. Some methods are more successful in some areas and not in others, and different methods of course will appeal to different persons. Such means of promoting the message may bring in some who would otherwise be unfamiliar with the truth.

Of course, there never is a substitute for the Christian who is living according to God's standard, being the light in the darkness, and actively promoting God's message to those with whom he comes into contact (Matthew 5:13-16, Romans 1:16-17, Romans 12:1-2). Such Christians exemplify Galatians 2:20, and God's message is able to be delivered both in word and in deed. All of us can work to do better in this area.

As we have seen, there are many evangelistic methods present within our world, but anything that diverts from the core message or uses other incentives before promoting that message should be reconsidered. Paul never needed to use a potluck to get people to hear the Gospel. Peter did not go into a Roman arena to promote a Gladiatorial tailgate party with a little Gospel thrown in at the end. John did not encourage the churches in Asia Minor to develop "seeker friendly" services. All of these people went out and preached God's message to everyone who would hear, and did what they could to put that message into practice in their own lives. The same is expected of us, come what may.

In the end, any results-based evangelism program is almost certainly doomed to failure and is entirely against the point. God's message is sound and powerful not because of us, how we may present it, how novel the way of its promotion, or in any way because of our labors. God's message is powerful because it is His means of salvation (Romans 1:16). Our task is to preach it-to inform our fellow man of the Gospel and encourage him to obey God. Any conversion or growth is due to God, not to our own feeble labors (1 Corinthians 3:5-8). Evangelism is promotion-based, not results-based, and the message should not be altered due to the vicissitudes of culture or tradition. Let us do all that we can to promote God's saving message in Christ Jesus, that He may have the glory in all things!

Ethan R. Longhenry
December 2007

Evangelism in the 21st Century (2): Isolationism and Community

Previously we began considering the nature of evangelism in the twenty-first century by considering the twenty-first century context and the different types of people that we find around us. We demonstrated that even though much has changed over two millennia, many aspects of the twenty-first century mirror the situation into which the Gospel was first brought back in the first century. Nevertheless, there are many glaring differences between our current society and society in the first century, and many of these differences represent significant stumbling-blocks to evangelism. Perhaps no stumbling-block is as acutely felt as the isolationist trend in our society with its subsequent loss of community. How can the Gospel overcome?

The trend toward isolation in our society has developed gradually and in many ways imperceptibly over time, yet ought to be manifest today. The way that technology has been used deserves a good share of the blame, but so also does the general American ethos of individualism and personal privacy. Consider the average middle- to upper-class American in his existence: he wakes up in his suburban house with his wife and 2.5 children, gets into his automobile to drive into the city to go to work, surrounded by thousands of other persons in their automobiles, all separated from one another yet sharing the same roads. He then gets to his place of employment, where he works in a cubicle or an office, and although there are hundreds of other employees around, he is shielded from them and interacts mostly with the telephone or the computer screen. On his way home he may stop at a supermarket or "big box" store where he is again surrounded by many other people and yet does not interact with them much at all. He then comes home to his fenced-in home in his subdivision, turns on the television, and wonders why his life feels empty.

It is indeed a sad irony-we live in an age where people can directly communicate across the globe, and yet we are more and more set apart from other people. It ought not to surprise anyone that we have so much more depression and other psychological disorders manifest in our society. Individuals were never meant to be islands, and yet that is what they have become.

How is this so? As human beings have become more isolated, the concept of community has significantly changed or has been entirely lost. As more and more people flock to cities, one's "community" is not defined by physical boundary markers as much as voluntary association. People have as large of a community as they would desire to have, and can change that community as they wish. Nevertheless, the ties that bind the communities of today are not as strong as the bonds of communities of old.

We have surprising evidence of these trends from the Amish. The Amish are renowned for their more simplistic lifestyle and how they are utterly different from "us". In the Amish community, all teenagers have the opportunity to either go out into the world or to decide to become full members of the community. These days, according to statistics, well over 90 percent remain part of the community (Steven Nolt, A History of the Amish, 284-285). While we could investigate all kinds of factors-brainwashing, familiarity issues, etc.-such do not really answer the more startling statistic: this percentage is higher than it has ever been in the past! In 1900, the Amish way of life looked like it would become extinct; the movement was absorbed into the Mennonite church in Europe, and half of the Amish in America also drifted into the Mennonite church. At that time, 79 percent of the teenagers stayed (ibid, 284). One hundred years earlier, only 40 percent stayed; in fact, in 1800, there was not one Amish family in the United States in which all the children remained faithful to their traditions (ibid, 74).

Such information confuses us-after all, the Amish in 1800 were not as distinct from the rest of the world as they are now. We have all these technological developments that make life so much easier; do they really want to do all that extra work? It is highly doubtful that Amish teenagers would not appreciate labor-saving technology; the reasons for the change in patterns do not lie with the Amish as much as it does with "us". When the Amish see our world, they see the isolation of our society and the lack of support structures. While they have to work harder, they at least have a tight-knit community that will make sure that everyone's needs are met. Twenty-first century America requires the government to do the things that the Amish community has been doing for their own for years-- Social Security, welfare, healthcare, etc. The Amish demonstrate to us the power of community and what modern society has lost.

How, then, does this impact evangelism in the twenty-first century? Much in every way. Realistically, we are not going to be able to do the types of things that Peter and Paul did, standing in a public forum and addressing the multitudes. First of all, such public forums rarely exist; even where they do exist, modern man has trained himself to ignore and avoid all such things with which he is unfamiliar. We still use such methods as door-knocking, direct mail, Bible correspondence courses, posting gospel meeting announcements and the like, and so on and so forth, to try to present the Gospel to those with whom we are unfamiliar. We certainly should still strive to reach such persons, but we must recognize that we will not achieve momentous results with such programs. We must work with the community structure that is in place today.

Polls that have been taken correspond with evidence "on the ground": personal evangelism is the best way to reach people in an isolated society. The focus can no longer be sustained on the evangelist, for most likely he is one of the least enmeshed persons within the community and for whom there are more boundaries raised. People have been "sold things" to death, but people are still open to hear about new things from their family, friends, and associates who have no vested interest in what they are promoting. When members talk to their friends, family, neighbors, and associates about spiritual things, inviting them to the assemblies, showing proper Christian love and care for them (Galatians 6:10, Philippians 1:14). More than ever, the life lived by each individual member is the best form of evangelism today (Matthew 5:13-16).

What should be done about the tendency toward isolation? Many have found success in using the tools of isolation-television, the Internet, etc.--but most are only truly successful when they provide the appearance of breaking down that isolating barrier. There is no problem with promoting the Gospel with many of these tools, but overall the church must stand against this isolationist tendency, and it does so by promoting the church as a community. Acts 2:42-47 describes the early church in Jerusalem, and one notable aspect of this church is how they devoted themselves to "fellowship", which is the Greek word koinonia, which also can mean "community". In this early church community, all the members had everything in common and were together, constantly in the Temple and in houses, praising God (Acts 2:42-46). Should we then be surprised to see that their numbers were constantly growing (Acts 2:47)? Consider again Matthew 5:13-16: we must be the light of the world, a city on a hill that cannot be hidden. If the church represents the type of community it ought-brethren who love one another, working with one another, encouraging one another, bearing one another's burdens (1 John 4:15-21, Hebrews 10:24-25, Galatians 6:1-2)-many others will see how it is different and can see why they ought to participate. Maintaining a healthy church community is not evangelism per se, but evangelism will not be easy if a church does not provide the community that God has charged it to provide. If the church acts just like a social club or a dysfunctional family, how is it any different from the world at large? What makes it attractive to others?

If societal trends continue, isolationism and the loss of community will still be acutely felt for generations to come. These difficulties are not going to go away; we must consider them and how we must confront them. Let us do what we can to promote the Gospel in our own lives and increase the Kingdom in this age.

Ethan R. Longhenry
September 2007

Evangelism in the 21st Century (1): God's Message, Our Context

And Jesus came to them and spake unto them, saying, "All authority hath been given unto me in heaven and on earth. Go ye therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I commanded you: and lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world" (Matthew 28:18-20).

Thus Jesus commissioned His Apostles and His followers after them to preach the Gospel throughout the world. Each generation of Christians is called upon to evangelize the world with the message of Christ. As we now move into the 21st century, how do we best go about presenting the message of Christ and Him crucified to our society? How can we present God's message in a way relevant to citizens of the 21st century? These are critical questions, and much hangs in the balance. Let us consider our current context, particularly the different types of persons we see in our society today, and look to God's Word for guidance on how to show them the light of the Gospel.

As we look around the world around us, we are confronted with an often dizzying array of people believing all sorts of things. We can develop some spectra based on certain characteristics that may be of value in our analysis.

Spectrum of belief/conviction. There are still some in our world who believe strongly in a religion, be it Christianity or something else, and who have devoted themselves to understanding their belief system and can well defend it. There are many more, however, who have a more nominal belief system-- they have a bit of understanding of what they believe, perhaps, but not much. Many more may attend a church and not even know what it teaches; they go because they always have gone or think they need to go to a church and that one is it. A large segment of the population profess belief but have little knowledge of the basic ideas of that belief, let alone go to church or an such thing. Many have no belief more out of a lack of concern or care for spiritual things. Finally, of course, there are those who claim no religious belief and act militantly against any such expression of belief.

Spectrum of participation. Likewise, there are some who are very active in their religious systems and devote their lives to that particular cause. Many are willing to participate whenever they have spare time to do so but do not actually devote their lives to the belief system. Many more are willing to present the external elements so as to appear as if they participate but do little else. Many others participate very little in terms of religious belief, and plenty out there have no participation whatsoever.

Spectrum of attitude. There are many who believe that all belief systems lead to the same source and therefore there can be no condemnation. There are many who have a view of the love of God that prohibits any idea of negative judgment. There are many who will find value in certain beliefs but believe that some belief systems will lead to condemnation. There are many who believe in a given religious system (like Christianity) and believe that most groups within that system are fine but not other religions. There are some with a more particular view of what it means to be part of a given religious system that exclude others. Finally, there are many who have no use or value for anyone outside their own system.

These are just some of many different spectra that we could consider in this context. While it would be nice and convenient for us to have simply one spectrum upon which to plot all persons, such is not feasible in our current world: we can find people who are on very different parts of the various spectra. How, though, can we apply this information and inform the way we promote the Gospel of Christ?

These spectra hopefully demonstrate that we are working with individuals who are rather different. We cannot expect to have any "one size fits all" approach that will be effective. Different people with differing belief systems, level of participation within those belief systems, and attitudes regarding beliefs will require different approaches. While 150 years ago we could assume common ground in belief in the Scriptures and in Jesus Christ, that assumption is no longer automatically valid. Yes, there are some members of denominations who know much about their faith and have an exclusive attitude with whom we can speak as we would in 1850, but such persons are now few and far between. These days, however, most people do not really know the Scriptures (even within the Lord's church, to our shame!). Many people are relatively unconcerned about the Scriptures, viewing them as a quaint novelty of a previous day. Most people who may have beliefs regarding Jesus may have an ecumenical outlook. We cannot forget, of course, that there are many people who profess atheism, agnosticism, or other religions like Islam or Hinduism. The vast bulk of the people, however, have very little knowledge nor concern about religion. If they went to church, it was when they were younger, and they most likely do not have too strong of any attachment to any system. Their belief has been shaped more by modern media than by religious instruction proper, and such persons end up being extremely confused about Christianity. How, then, can we work with so many different types of people?

We should not believe, however, that we are left without guidance within our twenty-first century context. As our society become more pluralistic and "tolerant," the more our society mirrors the first century society in which the Gospel was first promoted with great success. We can consider the example of Paul and how he approached different people in different contexts.

We begin in Acts 13:14-41. Paul is in Antioch of Pisidia in a synagogue of the Jews and proclaims the Gospel message (vv. 14-15). We see that his message is replete with citations and examples from the Old Testament. He appealed to the history of the people from Abraham through David (vv. 16-21), and appeals to the fact that Jesus is the descendant of David according to the promise (vv. 22-23). Paul appeals to John the Baptist, clearly known to these Jews, and his preparatory role (vv. 24-25). Paul then turns to the story of Jesus proper, how He was tried, executed, buried, and raised (vv. 26-31). Paul then says how God fulfilled the promises made through the psalms and prophets in the Christ, Jesus (vv. 32-37). He concludes by appealing for them to believe and warns against unbelief from the prophet Habakkuk (vv. 38-41; cf. Habakkuk 1:5).

We may also consider Acts 17:22-31. Paul is in Athens, a Gentile city; he is provoked by all the idols he sees, and begins presenting the Gospel (vv. 15-21). He begins by finding the common ground of religiosity, mentioning the altar "to the unknown god" (vv. 22-23). He establishes that this is the God whom he preaches to them-- this is the God who made the world, does not live in temples made with hands, and made all mankind from one nation to seek Him (vv. 24-27). He then quotes two Greek poets, Epimenides of Crete and Aratus, to demonstrate the truth of the matter (v. 28). He then concludes that this God is not to be seen in terms of an idol, something made by the hands of man, and implores his audience to repent, since God has overlooked their past ignorance and has established that there will be a judgment day, with the resurrection of Jesus as its assurance (vv. 29-31).

We see here two examples of preaching by the same man promoting the same message, and yet consider how differently the message is presented! Paul has not changed or compromised the message: he is simply attempting to communicate the message in a meaningful way to his particular audience. He established the common ground he could find with those to whom he preached: to the Jews, the Old Testament and its promise; to the Gentiles, a common concern for spiritual matters. To the Jews who believed in and highly respected the Scriptures Paul quoted and referred to them; to the Gentiles who could care less Paul used the same ideas present within the Scriptures but explained it using Gentile poets and in a way that Gentiles would understand.

We can easily apply Paul's example to our own day. If those to whom we preach the Gospel believe in the Scriptures, let us use the Scriptures in full to demonstrate God's truths. If the people have no concern about the Scriptures, let us use God's message, promote it in a way that they can understand, and thus lead them to the Scriptures. Work from the common ground so as to create more common ground-- that seems to be how Paul desired to promote the Gospel.

This article is not designed to provide specific answers as much as to stimulate thinking regarding these matters. How can we take Paul's example and apply it to our own circumstances? How can we promote God's message in our context? Let us strive to, as Paul, be "all things to all men" (cf. 1 Corinthians 9:19-23), so that we may lead some to salvation!

Ethan R. Longhenry
June 2007

White Fields

We all talk about doing evangelism, but how many of us really think anything we could possibly do will make a difference? Look at the people we work with. They are so worldly. If they are not, they are already caught up in a religion of their choice. How could anything we do ever make an impact?

Let me tell you a story. Just a few weeks ago one of the brothers from the church in Franklin, Tennessee, with which I work, accidentally bumped into someone. He said, "I'm sorry," and walked on. Later he realized the opportunity he missed, hunted that same man down and said, "Excuse me. I'm the fellow who ran into you a little while ago. I'm really sorry about that. But I just wanted to let you know that my name is Brent. I like to study the Bible and I just wanted to let you know that if you ever have any questions about the Bible, please e-mail me and I would love to talk with you about it." Brent handed the man a business card we use at the Franklin church for inviting people to visit our classes and assemblies. Brent wrote his name and e-mail address on it and gave it to the man. They talked for a few minutes and then parted.

The very next day, the man was a guest in our assemblies. Two days later, one of the brothers and I dropped by for what we call a "five-minute visit." The goal of these visits is just to let our guests know we appreciated their presence and invite them back. We never enter their house; we do not try to set up a study. We just stop by for less than five minutes. The man was not home, but his wife was. We talked with her and gave her a flyer for the singing we were going to have that Friday and then went on our way.

On Sunday, one of the sisters in the congregation pulled Brent aside and said, "I have to tell you about something. I was at work the other day just talking with one of my co-workers and she told me about her husband bumping into a man who invited him to attend one of his church's assemblies. Then she said that a couple of men from the church stopped by to visit them. She said she had visited other churches before and no one had ever shown so much interest in them. She said she might even visit with them some time. I asked, 'What church was it?' She said it was the Franklin Church of Christ."

This story is not over. I have no idea where it will go. What I do know is the seed has been planted. We are doing our job and we will leave the increase up to God. What I hope you notice, however, is here was a Christian working with someone who was actually open to something new in her religion, despite being very open that she was a Catholic. How long have these two people worked together and nothing been said? How long have we worked with people, lived next door to people, gone to school with people who are open but we just didn’t see it, so we never said anything.

This makes me think of John 4 and the Samaritan woman at the well. Have you ever noticed how the apostles went into the Samaritan city, spent some time, bought some food, and yet nobody decided to follow Jesus? A few minutes later the woman who had met Jesus at the well went into the very same city, and in the end, the majority of the city believed in Jesus. What was the difference? The apostles were so busy buying food that they did not see the prospects all around them. Besides, they were just Samaritans. The woman, just wanting to tell everyone about the man she had met, saw prospects everywhere.

Let us make sure we are not so busy working our jobs, buying our food, maintaining our houses, going to school that we miss the number of prospects all around us. Let us not assume that everyone else is predisposed not to listen to God’s message. What is the worst they will do? Tell us to leave them alone about it? What is the best? Become a child of God. Let us get out there, plant and water the seed. God will give the increase. As Jesus said-- the fields are white for harvest!

Edwin Crozier
2007

Trials of Foreign Evangelism

“You can’t do that!” My mother spoke those words to me when I informed her that I intended to spend my summer preaching in Kazakhstan. I do not mention this to demean my mother in any way (she has been amply supportive since that time), but merely to illustrate the typical response many of us have when confronted with the possibility of becoming personally involved in foreign evangelism (possibly domestic evangelism as well, but that is not my area of expertise). Indeed, a few hours prior to her exclamation, I had made exactly the same statement about myself. The only difference is that after making the statement, I stopped and asked myself the question, “Well, why can’t I?” I’m very glad that I did.

After spending that summer and the following one working with the brethren in Kazakhstan and Russia, I finished my university degree and moved to the provincial, steel making, port city of Mariupol in southern Ukraine in May of 2004. Though I have since struggled through mosquito infested summers without hot water and numbing winters in a drafty concrete apartment, I recently married and brought my new wife here. This manner of living often raises the question among people I meet: “Why in the world do you want to do that?”

I freely admit that I have had my sanity questioned on numerous occasions both by the locals here (they can’t imagine anyone living here by choice), and by many of my friends in the US. Why indeed would a person freely choose to give up a decidedly easy life in one of the world’s most prosperous nations in exchange it for such obvious hardship?

For many of us, the factors against becoming involved in a work such as this weigh so heavily as to preclude serious consideration of doing so. This realization dawned upon me as the “I can’t” escaped my lips when a friend of mine suggested I spend my summer in Kazakhstan. I could not think of a single, concrete reason why not, but I was absolutely sure that I couldn’t do it. I was wrong.

Over the past four years, I have spoken with many brethren in many places about the need for more workers in the field of foreign evangelism. As a result, I have heard nearly every excuse and objection that can be mounted in opposition to doing the work. Generally, these fall into three categories.

First, and most troubling but thankfully the most rare among the brethren I have had association with, is sheer indifference. This is usually expressed in the following ways: “Yes, what you’re doing is great, but that’s what the collection is for.” By bringing this up, I am by no means suggesting that every Christian has a responsibility to personally make a long journey to a foreign country and directly teach some lost person the gospel. However, I doubt that the Lord is going to be well pleased with a person who believes that the sum total of his responsibility toward the lost is satisfied by placing a check in a basket each Sunday!

Another common statement in this vein is “Why should we go to all the trouble of sending someone overseas? There are plenty of lost people around here to teach.” It is true enough that there are lost people everywhere. Certainly, we must make a judgment call as to where to spend our time and resources. However, let’s at least make a fair comparison. In many parts of America, certainly in the Southeast, people have had so many opportunities to hear the gospel that they already know what you are going to say before you knock on their door. Furthermore, Americans in general have been so influenced by the doctrine of relativism that they find the idea of a religious person making exclusive truth claims positively abhorrent. Also, the general wealth of our society tends to have a negative effect on our spiritual consciousness. When many of us have heaven on earth, why should we search for another one? Finally, even in parts of the country where churches are fewer and farther between, there are at least some brethren within a reasonable driving distance who could study with spiritual seekers if the opportunity arose.

Such is not the case in many parts of the world today. In Ukraine, for example, there are 64 million people who have never had the opportunity to hear the gospel preached in its simplicity; whose minds have not yet been polluted by the evils of relativism; and live so far below the poverty line by American standards that they would be more than happy to move on to a better place if only they knew of one.

To my knowledge, I am the only foreign evangelist attempting to bring this knowledge to the inhabitants of this country on a long term basis. Certainly, many false prophets have gone out into the world and Ukraine has not escaped their notice. The more success they have, the more difficult my job becomes. How I wish that it were not mine alone. A harvest like this needs all the workers it can get.

To Be Continued…

Matt Duggin
September 2006