Study 12 ("Reaching people where they are")

We continue our studies of the Biblical perspectives on evangelism.

Paul writes in 2 Cor 5:11-21 that evangelism is “the ministry of reconciliation”. This carries the presupposition that we are at enmity with God and that evangelism aims at restoration of a broken relationship.

His motivations for evangelism (v. 11-15) are

·         the fear of the Lord (v. 11, c.f. 7:1) who will judge and reward us (v.10) for our deeds, including the deeds of sharing the gospel. This judgement is not to determine salvation or condemnation, but to establish how faithful as stewards we have been and how our rewards will be like (c.f. 1 Cor 3:12-15)

·         to establish the credibility of the true gospel in contrast to false teaching (v.12)

·         the controlling love of Christ (v.14) who died and was raised for our sakes. We now are free to no longer live for ourselves, but to live for His sake.

The content of his message involves:

The new nature of the convert to Christ (v. 16-17). Conversion is not a 'renovation' of behaviour. It is a completely new phenomenon where new spiritual life is brought into the world. Just as Christ’s identity has been revealed to and understood by us, and we no longer judge Him by worldly standards and values (e.g. from a purely material viewpoint), we no longer look on people from the point of view of the world. We see with new spiritual eyes. So we must approach those we are sharing the gospel with the assurance that God is able to make new creations out of the most unlikely of them. Conversion entails both new life in the individual as well as a sign of the new world to come.

The gracious act of God who through Christ reconciled us to Himself (Rom 5:8-10). He did not ‘count’ our sins, exempting us from judgement and condemnation because of Christ’s atoning work on the cross. His grace is possible because His justice is satisfied. The theme of substitutionary atonement (v.21, c.f. Gal 3:14) underpins all of Paul’s ministry. We have forgiveness in the Cross.

Paul also presents himself as an agent of reconciliation, and ambassador from Christ the King to His enemies (v. 18-20). On Christ’s behalf he humbly and compassionately ‘implores”, (beseeches, begs) his hearers to accept the means of God’s reconciliation.

In Jn 16:8-10 is not a straightforward text to understand. The Spirit ‘convicts’ (convinces, settles in the mind and will) the world. Conversion is all of His work (c.f. Jn 6: 37, 44, 63-65).. The Spirit convicts the world of 1) sin, of which the greatest sin is failure to put trust in Christ, the One who is the means wherein God has offered reconciliation to the world. 2) righteousness, because the teaching of Christ about what is acceptable to God continues through the Spirit’s illumination and inspiration of Scripture even after Christ leaves the world physically (c.f. v.13)and 3)judgement, because Satan who rules and exemplifies the ways of the world is already judged, pointing to the ultimate end of all who will not believe.