Ruffling a Few Feathers?

So I'm in a weekly women's discipleship group, and this past Tuesday our study was on an article called "Relationship Evangelism" - so you can guess what it was about. Lots of unsaved people out there... we need to befriend them and win them over to salvation... who else will do it if we don't....

My (and Jeff's) perspective on the topic of evangelism is so fundamentally different from that of this article, so during the discussion at my group I basically kept my mouth shut. I felt that if I voiced my opinion, it would open a can of worms. Well, I decided the next day to send out an email to the ladies telling them why I was silent the day before - that I disagreed with the premise of the article, and I didn't want to rock the boat. A few of them wrote back and said they were sad that I felt I had to keep silent, and that I got their curiosity up, and that I should feel free to explain my perspective.

So last night I spent a few hours drafting an email and after Jeff's review and approval :) I sent it out to the ladies. I thought maybe I'd post it here, just in case any of you wanted to read it and comment with your thoughts. No pressure, though. :) Here it is:

Okay Ladies... :)

I've put a lot of time and thought into this. I want to ask you ahead of time - please forgive me if I offend you in any way. I don't mean to!! And I tried to be as brief as I could, but it ended up being a little longer than I intended. Sorry. :) I made it kind of thorough because I'm reacting not only to the article we read, but also to the attitude toward evangelism that I see permeating the church these days - something I've disagreed with for years. So as you read my thoughts, please don't think any of this is aimed directly at any of you. It's more a reaction to a popular idea in the church that I disagree with, and this article just brought it out again.

My view on evangelism is based on Scripture's description of the body of Christ and the believers' various roles within it. (I don't believe the correct way to look at any doctrine is to come up with an idea, and then find scripture to try to support it. The best way, as I think we all would agree, is to go straight to Scripture and see what it says. I think looking at what the body of Christ is is the best way to illuminate the topic of evangelism.)

Many times, Scripture compares the Church to a physical body; Romans 12:3-5 is one example:

"For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you. Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others."

The passage in 1 Corinthians 12 is particularly relevant too, but it's long so I won't include it here. I'll just quote verse 18: "But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be."

So we've got different parts in the body ~ arms, hands, eyes, ears, legs, feet, etc. Each part has its unique function within the body. Arms aren't made to see; they're made to hug! :) Legs aren't made to smell things; they're meant to walk places. Ears aren't meant to paint pictures; they're meant to listen... and so on. I believe so it is with the body of Christ - we all have our roles to play based on what our strengths and gifts are. (And what a beautiful picture of how much we all need each other!!)

I've heard many people say that Scripture commands each one of us to evangelize the lost, based on the "great commission" at the end of Matthew. But as it's always important to look at the context of any scripture, so it is with this passage. It documents the time when Jesus was speaking to the 12 disciples right before His ascension. They became, as we all know, the 12 apostles and went all over the world establishing the first century church. Of course their job was to fulfill the great commission; that was the point of their being apostles. But I just don't think that to transfer that command to all New Testament believers is legitimate. It was spoken in a unique place at a unique time for a unique purpose. And I think that taking that scripture and applying it to all believers puts undue pressure on us - pressure that God never intended.

I was noticing that the lesson we studied was based on an article and not on Scripture. It was someone's logical strategies for how to win as many lost people as we can. Yes, it quoted a few verses here and there, but I don't believe they supported the basis of the argument the article was trying to make. Human strategies and plans are alright I guess, in some circumstance; but to base a doctrine on them is, I believe, unwise. Sure, the ideas that the article puts forth make a lot of logical sense... It makes us feel like "Oh man, I really should be out there evangelizing... How else will my neighbors (or whoever) come to know Christ?!" And it gives us a logical, manmade strategy to make it all happen.

The article's argument puts pressure on people to get out there and make a few recruits - to befriend unsaved people with the hidden motive of eventually bringing up 'the conversation' challenging them to consider their spirituality. I'm not saying having this kind of strategy is always wrong... I guess it can be very effective. But while this lifestyle may come quite easily to some people gifted in evangelism (and I say, more power to them!), I believe this approach for all believers is fundamentally incorrect because:

1. Saving unbelievers simply isn't up to us. That's God's job. (And I believe Scripture would strongly support the idea of letting Him determine how to reach people, not take the responsibility on ourselves to help Him out. He's the head of the body, after all. Let Him direct the parts of the body as He wills.) Of course evangelists are vital to the growth of the church, and those who are gifted should be encouraged and equipped to go out there and use their gift and tell people about Jesus. "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!" They should be honored among us. But my argument remains: not everyone is gifted in that area, and God's the one in charge not only of who is gifted for what in the body, but also of saving people.

2. It puts undue pressure and false guilt on those of us who aren't gifted evangelistically to try to be someone we're not.

I was made to glorify God and to walk humbly before Him and to use the gifts He's given me. With all due respect to anyone who disagrees, I would humbly resist any responsibility other than what God has given me. And if, in the course of my life as I live to glorify God, someone sees, maybe even asks questions, is won over to faith in Christ - wonderful!! Praise God for orchestrating that!! It's just not my job to try to orchestrate it. And it's not my job to try to force myself into the evangelist's role, because evangelism simply isn't my gift.

Any time I read Scripture that tells us what God's will for every believer's life is, it's to live justly, love mercy, walk humbly with our God, rejoice, be thankful, show hospitality to each other -- that kind of general command. I say let's just humbly leave it at that (in terms of what we are ALL called to do), and trust our sovereign God to orchestrate everything else (including who's gifted for which specific jobs).

*whew* Did you last all the way to the end??? Thanks for reading my dissertation on evangelism!! I'll be applying for my doctorate shortly......... ;)