Ordinary People Used by an Extraordinary God

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.  (Ac 1:8)

To complete his teaching on the book of Acts, our pastor mentioned something he heard from J. D. Greear: the gospel was spread primarily through ordinary people.  In a blog post Greear writes:

Luke goes out his way to show that the biggest advances of the gospel happen through ordinary people.

I know enough about the New Testament to affirm that conclusion.  Consider how unnamed or seldom named men and women from different regions took home the Gospel with them:

• •  Various regions in the Roman empire  (Ac 2:9-11)
• •  Samaria  (Ac 8:4-8)
• •  Ethiopia  (Ac 8:35-39)
• •  Ephesus  (Ac 18:18-21, 19:1)
• •  Central Italy and Rome  (Ac 28:14-15)

Most people look to the work of men like Paul, Silas, Barnabas, etc. as the catalyst for the spread of redemption in Christ; however, as can be seen by the short list, the message went out, not because of the untiring work of the apostles, but rather through common believers engaged in the mundanity of life.  This is remarkable for at least two reasons.

First, fine rhetoric and oratory are unnecessary.  One may or may not be gifted or trained in the finer points of effective communication, but that skill is not required.  The effective witness simply tells of Christ and Him crucified for sin (1 Co 2:1-2, 15:3-4).  Second, the power of the words do not lie within the individual, but within the Word of God (Ro 1:16; He 4:12).  By staying with what Scripture tells of our Lord’s redeeming work in the way it is revealed, the message does its own work, because it is divinely empowered.  It cannot be improved on through "lofty speech wisdom" (1 Co 2:1) in order to win an argument, so much as clearly give a reason for the hope within you (1 Pe 3:14-16).

The spread of the Gospel was effected by ordinary people going about their ordinary lives.  We each do not need to be a trained clergyman or teaching professional to share Christ; nor do we share expecting something wonderful to happen for God in sharing.  We should neither think of the work as out of reach to do, nor dependent on me alone: both attitudes are incorrect.  The work of the Gospel belongs to God alone.  We have the privilege, as His children, to be part of the work and tell forth the saving message of Jesus.  He sends us into our workaday world (i.e., our stations of life or vocations) to make Jesus known from God’s Word in the strength He supplies (1 Pe 4:11-12).

Know Your Stuff

Our pastor is going through the book of Acts right now.  While teaching on the opening paragraphs (Acts 17:1-15), a major point he made was “Know Your Stuff” with the idea that Christians are to “be prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks for the hope that is in you” (1Pe 3:15).  I agree, but while considering his point, the question came to mind: how much do we need to know?

It’s an important question, because people react to the point in a variety of ways.  Some will recognize that the example being used is the apostle Paul, who had been trained and groomed in Old Testament.  Following that was a face-to-face with Jesus Himself.  How many of us can hope to attain to that level of education?  I have a better-than-fair knowledge of the history and theology of the Mosaic Covenant, but my attempt to replicate Paul’s results would fall short.  On the other end of the spectrum are those who have a great zeal to share the gospel but can and will use detrimental means, focusing on results—winning a soul for Christ—rather than proclaiming the truth of God’s word.

Returning to the question at hand, how much knowledge is enough?  Possibly the best answer is one given by John D. Rockefeller when asked how much money is enough.  He replied, “Just a little bit more.”  That should be our attitude toward to Scripture.  Our appetite is never sated; we constantly take of the bread and fount of life.  Whatever our level of understanding, viz. God’s word and the plan of redemption, the need remains for constant input for spiritual refreshment and renewal, so that we can continue to perform the God-given tasks (Eph 2:10) in working out salvation with fear and trembling (Php 2:12).

Would I advocate that new Christians withhold from sharing the gospel?  Not at all.  He or she should be making Christ known as willingly as any seasoned apologist.  If the new believer is being properly discipled,* there will be growth in Christ with a concomitant growth in wisdom.  Also, understand that much of interaction with unbelievers is listening.  Much can be learned from just asking questions and letting a person talk.  You find commonality, even if that is just that you are both sinners but manifesting it in different ways.  Communicate what you know to be true: Jesus died, was buried, and rose again for your sin.  Conversely, do not communicate what you do not know.  If there are gaps in your knowledge, admit it and seek the answer later, or bring in another person.  If someone more knowledgeable can help, get that person to help.

Lastly, whether the person with you in conversation is defensive or aggressive, remember that you are being asked for the source of your hope.  The source is not you.  You will make mistakes.  There have been many times when I’ve walked away from a conversation thinking, “Oh, I should have said…”  In some ways it signifies thinking that the encounter was mine to win, rather than God’s to work through His Word.  Consider it a lesson learned and move on.  God’s Word is living and active, yours and mine are not: give it clearly, and let it work.  Remember that you are the servant with a message, not the Master.


*  Yes, there are some faithful believers undertaking this essential work to raise up the next generation.

Be Passionate, but not Angry

To follow up on my last post on boasting of the Lord, I share the following on the proper attitude in proclaiming Christ.

Such is the boldness of speech of a man bearing the Cross.  Let us then also imitate this: though it be not a time of war, yet it is always the time for boldness of speech.  For, "I will also speak," says one, "of your testimonies before kings and shall not be put to shame."*  If we chance to be among heathens, let us thus stop their mouths without wrath, without harshness.  For if we do it with wrath, it no longer seems to be the boldness (of one who is confident of his cause,) but passion: but if with gentleness, this is boldness indeed. For in one and the same thing success and failure cannot possibly go together.  The boldness is a success: the anger is a failure.  Therefore, if we are to have boldness, we must be clean from wrath that none may impute our words to that.  No matter how just your words may be, when you speak with anger, you ruin all: no matter how boldly you speak, how fairly reprove, or what not.  See Stephen, how free from passion as he discourses to them!  For he did not abuse them: he did but remind them of the words of the Prophets.  For, to show you that it was not anger, at the very moment he was suffering evil at their hands, he prayed, saying, "Do not hold this sin against them."†  So far was he from speaking these words in anger; no, he spake in grief and sorrow for their sakes.

John Chrysostom, Homily on Acts 7

* Psalm 119:46
† Acts 7:60

Can I Get a Witness?

Larry Peters has written an interesting post on a difference he sees between evangelism and witness.  He opens with: "Witness has come to mean evangelism.  It is not evangelism." Beginning there, he makes a case that "Evangelism means sharing your faith.  Witness means showing forth WHO you are."  This is an interesting distinction.  Although I do not agree with some of his statements,*  there are gems:

You may or may not be an evangelist.  That is a choice you make. You make no such choice about witness.  You are all witnesses.  It does not matter whether you want to be or you don't, whether you are faithful or not, or what you witness or what you do not.  You are already witnesses.  That is what God has called you and set you apart to be and it is what the world thinks you are.

and

Witness does not point to you.  It always points to Jesus.  You are in the way.  Witness means getting out of the way.  With words and deeds we point to Jesus.  With words and deeds we talk about Jesus and frame the Gospel by our practice.  Witness does not require nor does it depend upon our lives being holy or righteous or perfect.  We witness not to what we have done but who we are as children of God in Christ.  He is the focus and the goal.  So we can talk about sin because we are forgiven.  We can talk about weakness because His strength is made perfect in our weakness.  We can talk about failure because Christ is our victory.  We can talk about evil because Christ is our righteousness.

Take some time to read through it.  It should spur some thoughts about who you are in Christ and how that is demonstrated daily.


* As a case in point, Peters writes, "In fact, when Scripture does speak of doing the work of the evangelist, it speaks to the Pastors who preach the good news and not to folks in the pew who may think their job is to convert the masses."  This apparent reference to Timothy as the model seems to be making the definition of evangelist/evangelism solely the responsibility of office and work, but possibly I am misreading him.

Replacing the Gospel with Life Skills

Pastor Larry Peters has posted on obesity and how preachers have wrongly replaced the message of Christ's redemptive work with life-skill tips.  Here is a portion:

My concern with the health craze is that when the Church takes up a cause, it becomes a spiritual cause, a cause of the Gospel. Living healthy is a good thing.  Losing excess weight is a good thing. But that is not why Jesus came into the world.  Your BMI is not what will get you in or keep you out of the kingdom of God.  I worry when causes, even noble and good causes, become associated with the Gospel in such way that the very word Gospel becomes diluted and its focus made more fuzzy.  It is diluted and fuzzy enough.  We don't need to help it along in that direction.  We have got some preachers preaching about sex lives and calling it Gospel, and now we have preachers preaching about weight loss and healthy living and calling it Gospel.  Everyone who takes up a cause, no matter how noble or good, and calls it Gospel, ends up diluting, confusing, and distorting the real Gospel.

His thesis is that the church needs to remain focused on its mission of making disciples and not get off track into these other areas.  From whom else will you hear the gospel but from a representative of Christ's church?

Wearing the Right Fragrance

But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere.  For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life.

In every way, nonetheless, we sing the praises of God, who in his wise conduct of our affairs leads us hither and yon, making us obvious to everyone, and through us offering the knowledge of godliness.  By fragrance of knowledge he referred to the knowledge in this life, teaching two things at the same time: this is an insignificant part of perfect knowledge; and while the latter now eludes us it will at the appropriate be made manifest, after the manner of incense, which in many cases when mixed with fire in a bedroom spreads its fragrance even outside.  Those who catch it, while not seeing it, enjoy its sweet smell.

We offer everyone the sweet fragrance of Christ, but not all given a share in it enjoy salvation.  To those with bad eyes the light is treacherous and unkind, but it is not the sun that causes the harm.  It is also said that vultures shun the fragrance of perfume, yet perfume is still sweet-smelling, even if vultures give it a wide berth.  Likewise, too, the saving message brings about salvation for those who believe, but inflicts ruin on the unbelieving.

Theodoret of Cyrus, "The Second Letter to the Corinthians" on 2 Corinthians 2:14-16

Be Wary Lest One Testifies to Folk Religion Rather than Christ

Arnobius shares how the pagans could possibly have wooed opinion for their pantheon if they had not contrived ridiculous natures for them.  Believers need to take the same amount of care when testifying of the triune God and the saving work of Christ.  Give attention to accuracy as best you can.

1 Peter 3:15
But in your hearts regard Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you

And yet let no one think that we are perversely determined not to submit to the other deities, whoever they are!  For we lift up pious minds, and stretch forth our hands in prayer, and do not refuse to draw near whithersoever you may have summoned us; if only we learn who those divine beings are whom you press upon us, and with whom it may be right to share the reverence which we show to the king and prince who is over all.…You might, perhaps, have been able to attract us to the worship of these deities you mention, had you not been yourselves the first, with foul and unseemly fancies, to devise such tales about them as not merely to stain their honor, but, by the natures assigned to them, to prove that they did not exist at all.

Arnobius of Sicca, The Case against the Pagans, Book III, cap. 6