Well, Joe’s comment confirmed my next post. If you haven’t read it, read his comment on the last post.
The subject is witnessing. Are we commanded to do it? First, let’s read the following verses (read them in full context if you have time).
Eph 5:15-16
Be very careful, then, how you live-not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.
Col 4:2-5
Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should. Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity.
1 Peter 3:15
But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.
Acts 8:26-40 (Story of Philip and the Ethiopian)
This was kind of laid out to me in my youth ministry class a few weeks ago and then after reading Joe’s post I wanted to work to understanding this better, so bear with me. If you notice that in all of these verses, where it is talking about speaking to unbelievers, it speaks of an opportunity of some sort. Notice also, that nowhere does it ever say to go out and make opportunities. It only says to either pray for them or to take them when they are there.
Could it be possible that we were never meant to go out searching for opportunities to witness? It seems like when we really do we are head hunting as opposed to seeking out true relationships. To be honest, the only disciples I have ever seen come to the faith by God using me was through relationships and that number are very few. It’s been said that “what you win people with, you win people to.” If we win people with our schemes and our get-souls-quick-surveys then we are winning them to nothing more than a self-centered number-based religion.
I think we may take a little to much pressure on ourselves to get people into heaven, when really it says in John 6:44 that “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him.” This false sense of duty, to save people, causes us to focus on numbers instead of love. If we just did out duty and loved our neighbor, and served each other then I think the salvations would come. Instead we make ourselves almost a hurdle for people to get past to really meet Christ. Instead they meet a thirty second prayer.
Maybe the only ‘case for Christ’ we are to make is our lives and love and not our words. Not that our words and our logic and our rationalism can’t be used in the process, but I do think that actions speak louder than words and that words are becoming less and less meaningful. So what do we do?
Pray for opportunities. Devote ourselves to prayer. Take the opportunities. Always have an answer ready for the hope you have.
nate, that verse in matthew has actually been interpreted wrong for the past hundreds of years. The verse actually only contains one command, to make disciples. The place that supposedly commands us to go actually says “as you are going” make disciples. So the use of that text as a command to go out and witness is probobly a horrible wayt to use it. peace out yo.
Hi Nathan,
I have been writing a series on my blog on evangelism. Robman left a comment for me and then I found you. I like how thoughtful you are. Evangelism is our heads and the Lords Spirit, [I think]. You are using your head; I bet you will see the work of the Spirit.
Matt 28:19-20
“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age”
I think that is where the ‘go out’ idea comes from. However, he was talking to the discples and the 12 that were to start the entire movement of Christianity.
So I don’t know, i don’t want to say this verse doesn’t apply to us, because i think it does. I think Christ wants missionaries and for us to tell others about Christ. We are probably so turned off by it because we don’t want people knocking on our doors and we don’t want to be a number for some JW to check off. I think though that evagelism is good, and it needs to be done. We need to go out and evangelize.
I guess once again it comes down to your motive. Are you evangelizing for yourself, or are you witnessing to them? Are you evangelizing because of your motivation of love, or your motivation to save as many people as possible so you store up for yourself treasures in heaven and you can put it on your resume.
I agree 100%.
So many times in my life I’ve heard people talk about how they want to go out and witness, when I have never liked the idea of ‘going out’ and witnessing. An in your face ‘You need Jesus’ seems very counter-productive.
I think we take the word ‘witness’ incorrectly by thinking it means something like ‘going out and sharing the gospel’. I believe to truely witness is to simply live your life for God. Be who you are, if you are a real believer, if you are truly a Christian, then live like one, and those around you, the people in your life, those who you have a relationship with, will see your life, and that is your witness, it’s how you live. Not how intelligently you can word the ‘gospel’ in 60 seconds to someone on the street. But to invest time in a real friendship with someone, and simply love them, not out of some duty, but out of a true love.
That’s what witnessing means to me.
that’s interesting…
never knew that.
but that would defintily change the meaning of it
looks like i’ll have to look it up in the Greek.
You’ve got me thinking with this one, Nathan. I wrote about your post on my blog. Peace.
Hey nathan! jonathan here. i saw your site on youthpoint.ca and thought i’d check it out. i realize this is an older post so you may not even read this! but heres my understanding.
i don’t think we should look at witnessing as “going/not going out”. witnessing is not something that we MUST do. in other words, its not just something added to the list of what we need to accomplish this week. however, when you truly fall in love with Christ (i know its cliche, but its true!) you desire to see other people come to a knowledge of the Truth that has been revealed to you. now i am not saying that you must go out and fill your weekly quota. however, when you love Jesus, spreading his Gospel becomes something you desire to do out of a LOVE for Christ. i realize that if i never “witnessed” to one more person my entire life Jesus would not love me any less. but i love him, so i desire to tell others about the freedom and life that only HE can bring.
as far as witnessing/discipling goes, we really cant do anything by ourselves. the Holy Spirit must draw them to himself. this often does not happen “over night” so to speak, but rather, can happen over a period of time. therefore, sharing the love of Christ with someone (on the bus for example), may not be the final “conversion” experience for them, but the Lord may be drawing them to himself and we may be privilaged enough to be used at some point along the line. however, i think the important thing is that we realize its not a rule we are to fulfill. I dont think thats what Christ meant. I think he would prefer us to love him and let the overflow of that take whatever form it may. later man
turtle