Methods of Evangelism

The topic of methods of evangelism can often be a ‘hot button’ topic, especially in certain religions circles. But if we are to understand the course of action that we are to take in the evangelization of the world, we must pattern our after the methods of the early church.

 

The church as we know it started with a group of predominantly Jewish people (Acts 3), Paul even explains to us that it was the Jewish people that first had the gospel (Romans 1:16). 

If we look to this, we understand that, “Salvation indeed comes from the Jews; its source lies in a man born under the Law. But it is designed for the whole world”. (Green p.161)

 

We can be assured that the design of the gospel was also for the non-Jew, but as Michael Green explains, the gospel had to be ”translated”, and “Without such a task of translation the message would have been heard, perhaps, but not assimilated”. (Green p.166)

This is the point that we must take in any form of evangelism in our modern day. 

I’m not saying that we should assimilate to our culture, but that we must translate the gospel for use in our day to day lives. 

We must act as Paul who was able to do the work of,  “bringing home to Gentiles the fact that they were once out of relationship with God, with no claim on him, but now, through the divine initiative expressed in Christ the proper Son, they have become members of the family… pointing out the gulf between himself and his converts, and yet to "gain" them for the Christian gospel.' (Green p.169)

In this “gaining” we see the gentiles of the early church being converted to, “The Way… and called Christians in Antioch”. (Green p.166)

Furthermore, Green explains that the, “sense of an exclusive change of faith, ethic and of cult” (Green p. 206) was how this conversion was seen by the early church. 

Though the terms in which one was converted, and the circumstances that were part of their new lives may have been different, their conversion was not so different from ours.

Like them when we are converted through the power of the Holy Spirit, our faith and trust change from ourselves to be put in the person and work of Jesus Christ. And with this change our life and ethics begin to change as well.

Though time may separate us, we truly do share, “One Lord, one faith, one baptism, One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.” (Ephesians 4:5-6)