What Is The Proper Vehicle For Evangelism?: A response to Pastor Randy Clark - Part 1

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Not to long ago I was at my old church participating in a big pro-life event that it hosted. My job was to stay by the literature-table representing the general apologetic organization I was volunteering for, Faith Beyond Belief (FFB[i]). I gave away literature, sold books and (to the best of my ability) answered any questions people had. Most questions centred around the literature I was showcasing and FFB as an apologetic ministry. However one lady asked me a question that was unlike all the others. She asked me what role apologetics has with evangelism. My answer was simple:

We are called to go forth and make disciples (cf. Matthew 28:19) not go forth and make intellectuals. However we represent God - his words, nature and morals and values. Our job description is to represent God, not just his message. A part of that job requires that we know God, know what he says, know his morals and values and answer questions about them if we are asked. The Gospel message requires a belief in God's existence, (cf. Hebrews 11:6). It is centred around the presupposition that sin is fact and not metaphor and thus so is its devastating effects, (Romans 6:23a). The Gospel requires an expectance in Jesus' deity, his death on a roman cross and his resurrection, (cf. John 1:14, 8:58, 1 Corinthians 15:12-14). We are to not just tell people of those things, but be ready to answer questions that people have about those premises.      

In a recent article entitled Leave Apologetics Out of Evangelism Pastor Randy Clark argues that the use of reason has no place in the act of evangelism.

Proper evangelism according to Pastor Randy Clark:

What is effective evangelism according to Pastor Randy Clark?

• Biblical evangelism is a revelation encounter with the power and presence of God, resulting in faith (“hearing” and obeying God).[ii]
• [New Christians] come to Christ primarily through the demonstration of the power of God in signs, wonders, healings and miracles.[iii]
• For example, a representative of most of the traditionalist evangelical missionaries on the Sinai peninsula told me that they had met and discovered that none of them had ever led someone to Christ through apologetics but only after the indigenous people had seen signs, miracles, healings, visions, dreams about Jesus did they become Christians (my emphasis).[iv]
• ...there are other factors contributing to the salvation of people in non-Christian cultures. These factors would include the compassionate acts of the Christians toward the non-Christians, often referred to as mercy ministries.[v]
• I believe that to the healings, miracles and acts of compassion must be added the proclamation of the gospel, the good news that through Jesus’ example of charismatic ministry, the cross, resurrection and ascension, that the powers of the god of this world with his demons, disease, death and damnation have been [defeated] (my emphasis).[vi]

So Pastor Randy believes that true evangelism is spreading the word of God via: the power and the presence of God; signs, wonders, hearings and miracles of Christ and compassion. The first point no Christian should be at odds with as true obedience is due to the interactive work of God in their life, (cf. Philippians 1:6); and in the same way no Christian should deny the importance of signs, miracles and acts of compassion as all being a few of the biggest vehicles to salvation; signs and miracles is what got Nicodemus' attention - he knew that Jesus wasn't just your average Jewish man. Nicodemus told Jesus:

Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.” - John 3:2

A common theme in the book of Acts is signs, wonders and miracles and the teachings of them in the Old Testament, (cf. Acts 2:43, 4:30-31, 5:12, 6:8, 7:36, 8:6, 14:3, 15:12, 19:11). Miracles have been a major instrument not only to show the power of God but help to his people, a case in point is in the book of Joshua (cf. Joshua 10:1-15). In the same way the Gospels are filled with testimonies of healing via Jesus from a variety of illnesses, including death. So one would have to be in a very secluded place of willing ignorance to deny the impact God has had on his people by using - only - signs, wonders and miracles; and regarding the Gospel message Peter makes it very clear that God offered wonders, signs and miracles as a trail of breadcrumbs leading to Christ, (cf. Acts 2:22).

Are signs, wonders and miracles the only way that has been used?

However are signs, wonders and miracles the only vehicle that God used for his people, both in the Old and New Testaments and even for today? No. Sometimes God doesn't use anything spectacular to bring a person to repentance - sometimes all He uses is the simple message of love. Ex-Satanist Jeff Harshbarger is recorded in explaining:

...I encountered Christians who knew I was practicing Satanism yet never told me I was going to hell, condemned me, or came across with an attitude that said, “I’m right; you’re wrong.” They simply told me that Jesus loved me, and it was exactly that kindness from God that led me to repentance.[vii] 

Other times God allows someone to hit rockbottom in an ill-advised lifestyle as a means of repentance; such as it was in the case of former lead guitarist of Korn, Brian Head Welch[viii]. Sometimes its is simply by the act of telling the gospel (cf. 1 Corinthians 15:3-4) facts, (cf. 1 Corinthians 2:4-5). But in other cases, it is through answered questions a.k.a apologetics. What is the common theme in all of these evangelical methods? The work of God! None of these vehicles nor their drivers (people) have brought someone to saving faith; it is only through the intervention of the Holy Spirit that allowed them to have any affect, (John 6:44).

Narrowing the focus to apologetics an antagonistic or positive view of apologetics depends on how one understands apologetics. Clark begins his article citing Benjamin Warfield, in saying:

Christianity makes its appeal to right reason, and stands out among all religions, therefore, as distinctively ‘the Apologetical religion.’ It is solely by reasoning that it has come thus far on its way to its kingship. And it is solely by reasoning that it will put all its enemies under its feet.[ix]

I don't have Warfield's writings so the original context of his words is unknown to me. I am therefore going to assume that Clark treated Warfield's words with respect and thus assume that Warfield believes that reason is the sole driver of Christianity. Warfield's perspective of the relationship between apologetics and Christianity is indeed unbiblical. But does apologetics have a role in evangelism nevertheless? And if so what is it? In short, the answer is: yes; apologetics is merely a tool that is used to represent God. I will expound on this in detail in the next article. I'll conclude today's discussion with this: Every person that has been brought to true repentance has been brought by God, not by any evangelical tool or method. Like the aforementioned methods of evangelism apologetics is merely one of those methods; not everyone found the foot of the cross via the tool of apologetics, but many have.

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[0] http://ministrytodaymag.com/index.php/ministry-news/columns/67-pastors-heart/19752-leave-apologetics-out-of-evangelism - accessed March 12, 2014
[i] http://www.faithbeyondbelief.ca - accessed March 12, 2014
[ii] http://ministrytodaymag.com/index.php/ministry-news/columns/67-pastors-heart/19752-leave-apologetics-out-of-evangelism - accessed March 12, 2014
[iii] Ibid., - accessed March 12, 2014
[iv] Ibid., - accessed March 12, 2014
[v] Ibid., - accessed March 12, 2014
[vi] Ibid., - accessed March 12, 2014
[vii] http://yourspiritualquest.wordpress.com/2012/12/29/lauras-chapter-in-new-book-by-jeff-harshbarger-2/ - accessed March 12, 2014
[viii] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1WOnoOskWDY - accessed March 12, 2014
[ix] http://ministrytodaymag.com/index.php/ministry-news/columns/67-pastors-heart/19752-leave-apologetics-out-of-evangelism - accessed March 12, 2014