Evangelism | A People for His Name

Scholarly Comments on the One Who Forgives

April 17, 2011

This post compiles some scholarly comments about Jesus as the One who forgives our sins:

The Pharisees’ attitude is probably like that expressed in [Luke] 5:21: ‘Who can forgive sins but God?’ In Luke-Acts, the right of Jesus to judge and thus forgive sins is one of Luke’s major claims, which shows one must deal with Jesus in order to be accepted by God (Luke 24:47; Acts 10:42; 17:31; on the Son of Man’s authority, see Luke 22:69; Acts 7:55-56). Here is raw eschatological authority, and the Pharisees know it. It is not the claim of a mere prophet. —Comments on Luke 7:49 by Darrell L. Bock, Luke 1:1-9:50 in BECNT, 707; bold added.

The term [Son of Man] is eschatological in Daniel; Jesus uses it in the same way in Matt. 24:30 and 26:64, and this is done also in the Revelation passages. But this Judge at the great consummation cannot be the judge only then, his work must reach back through the entire process of redemption, the consummation of which is the final judgment. [In Luke 5:24,] Jesus very properly thus expands the title and applies it to his person in the days of his humiliation. . . . Authority . . . to remit sins ‘on the earth’ during the era of grace comports with ‘the Son of man.’ To bring to us and to make our own this remission Jesus had to come on his great mission as ‘the Son of man.’ —Comments on Luke 5:24 by R. C. H. Lenski, The Interpretation of St. Luke’s Gospel, 303; bold added.

The resurrected Jesus is announced to be the Judge-designate. . . . Without this point, we might be tempted to think of the resurrection as something tremendous that happened to him but which has no relation to us at all. Without this statement that the resurrected Lord is the Judge-designate, we might believe the story of Easter and comment, ‘Terrific! But after all, that was Jesus. What has that got to do with us?’ Verse 42 [of Acts 10] answers this question by linking our destiny to that of Jesus, for it tells us that Jesus is every man’s Judge. This statement says that the man whom God designated to judge us is the man executed on Golgotha and raised on Easter. If, then, our destiny depends on the verdict of this Judge, we must recognize that the story of Jesus is the story of the one who will be the arbiter of our status before God. Suddenly for each individual, the story of Jesus is transformed from a piece of interesting ancient history to the disclosure of ‘where my destiny hangs.’ This change makes the story of Jesus real news. But it still does not show why this is good news; it could just as well be bad news. . . . These words [v. 43] transform the information about Jesus into the good news for all mankind. According to this early sketch of the gospel, the good news consists of the headline that the Judge forgives those who believe on his name. That is, he forgives those who believe he is really the Judge. Here is the heart of the good news in this sermon: The Judge forgives. —Leander E. Keck, Mandate to Witness: Studies in the Book of Acts, 68-69; bold added.

Here [Acts 10:43] Peter underscores that it is faith in the Jesus he has just described that brings the forgiveness. So the way of salvation is through the judge of the living and the dead, by appealing to him to forgive sin, which leads into the way of peace through the gospel (v. 35). —Comments on Acts 10:42-43 by Darrell L. Bock, Acts, 400; bold added.

In agreement with Keck and Bock, Schnabel regards Acts 10:43 as an ”exhortation to turn in faith to this judge in order to receive [the] forgiveness of sins.” Eckhard J. Schnabel, Jesus and the Twelve, vol. 1 of Early Christian Mission, 713; bold added.

What do you think about these scholarly comments? Do you agree with their saying that Jesus is the Judge who forgives sin?

In Gospel, Interpretation, Quotes

Remember Jesus as the Risen Davidic Messiah!

April 7, 2011

Nearing the end of his life, Paul wrote his last epistle, Second Timothy. In his final words to his beloved son in the faith, Paul commanded Timothy concerning who and what he was to remember: “Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, descendant of David, according to my gospel” (2 Tim. 2:8). This verse reveals to us many key truths about how we are to be Pauline in our understanding of and ministry of the gospel.

Paul commanded Timothy to be engaged in the mental activity of remembering on an ongoing basis. His commanding Timothy to be engaging in this activity suggests that Timothy needed forceful challenge to be actively mindful of the truth that he had been given. Paul’s command also suggests that Timothy had a propensity to forget the truth that had been given to him, especially in his context of suffering for the faith.

The truth that Paul specified Timothy to be remembering concerned a Person. He said that Timothy was to be remembering Jesus, the Christ. . . .

(Read the full article.)

In Discipleship, Evangelism, Gospel, Interpretation

Acts through "First-Century Eyes"

April 6, 2011

Following the death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit began inspiring select believers to write the books of the NT. Believers likely first received the book of James, followed probably by these books in this order: Matthew; 1 & 2 Thessalonians; 1 & 2 Corinthians; Galatians; Romans; Luke; Ephesians; Colossians; Philemon; and Philippians. (Galatians may have been written after James and before Matthew; the earlier date would not change the discussion in this study in any way). After these 13 books, they received the book of Acts, followed by 13 more books.

Acts thus was written after ten of Paul’s Epistles had been written. The first recipients of the book therefore in the first place would have received the book as a welcome addition to their understanding of the apostles’ doctrine and practice that they already had from the then extant books of the NT.

Second, the first recipients of Acts would have known that Luke, the author of the book, was one of Paul’s closest ministry companions. They would have had every reason to believe that Luke knew Pauline theology about as well as anyone else in their day. They would also have known that Luke had heard Paul preach the gospel probably many scores of times and would thus be the leading expert in his day about Pauline preaching of the gospel. Given these realities, the believers would have had every reason to think that Luke’s representation in Acts of Pauline practice and theology concerning evangelism and discipleship would accord fully with Paul’s own teaching in his Epistles.

Third, they would have noted that Luke wrote Acts as a sequel to his Gospel because he addressed the book explicitly to the same person, Theophilus, and referred to his former treatise that he had written to him (Acts 1:1). They therefore would have known to interpret Acts in close connection with his Gospel. Because Luke had made known to them that his Gospel provided information that they needed for them to have certainty about the things that they had been instructed (Lk. 1:1-4), they would have inferred that Luke’s writing a sequel to it would mean that Acts was providing additional key information for them. They thus would have received the two books as vital information for their doctrine and practice.

Moreover, reading the two books as a unit, they would have noted the great length of Luke-Acts. In fact, if they had made a comparison of Luke-Acts to the Pauline Epistles, they would have discovered that Luke-Acts was far longer than all the existing Pauline Epistles of their time combined. (Even after Paul wrote his remaining books, the Pastorals, such a comparison would have shown that Luke-Acts still comprised a larger section of the NT than all the Pauline Epistles combined.) Noting the explicit purpose of Luke, the fact that Acts was a sequel to it, and the great length of Luke-Acts would have led the believers to stress the importance of both books in their doctrine and practice.

Fourth, they would have noted the distinctive teaching of Acts concerning apostolic evangelism and discipleship. Having access to both Luke and Paul, had they felt the necessity to do so, they would have been able to check on the validity of what Luke wrote in Acts. These believers, therefore, would have fully embraced all of its content without hesitation as additional divine instruction of exceeding value for their doctrine and practice concerning evangelism and discipleship.

I believe that we need to receive the book of Acts as the first believers received it. Acts is inspired of God, and at least concerning its teaching about evangelism and discipleship, is profitable for doctrine for us. Our evangelism and discipleship will only be all that God intends it to be if we heed what Acts teaches us about apostolic evangelism and discipleship.

By looking at Acts through “first-century eyes,” as explained above, we will be “perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works” (2 Tim. 3:17) so that we will glorify God through our fully following the apostles in our evangelism and discipleship.

In Discipleship, Evangelism, Interpretation

Chafer on the Return of Christ

April 3, 2011

Lewis Sperry Chafer highlights the doctrinal importance of the Return of Christ by writing,

The general theme concerning the return of Christ has the unique distinction of being the first prophecy uttered by man (Jude 1:14, 15) and the last message from the ascended Christ as well as being the last word of the Bible (Rev. 22:20, 21).

Likewise, the theme of the Second Coming of Christ is unique because of the fact that it occupies a larger part of the text of the Scriptures than any other doctrine, and it is the outstanding theme of prophecy in both the Old and the New Testaments. In fact all other prophecy largely contributes to the one great end of the complete setting forth of this crowning event—the Second Coming of Christ (Major Bible Themes, 62-63).

In view of these facts, it seems plain that we will not evangelize or disciple people properly apart from a Spirit-filled focus on the Return of Christ.

In Discipleship, Evangelism, Quotes

Hiebert on Apostolic Proclamation of the Return of Christ

April 2, 2011

Paul writes that the Thessalonians “turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God; and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus which delivered us from the wrath to come” (1 Thess. 1:9-10). Commenting on 1:10, D. Edmond Hiebert stresses the importance of apostolic evangelistic proclamation of the return of Christ:

This anticipation of Christ’s return characterized the Christian church from its very beginning. Acts makes it clear that it was an essential part of the preaching of the gospel. That Paul laid considerable emphasis upon this hope in his preaching at Thessalonica seems clear from the perverted charge against the Christians in Acts 17:7 when read in light of the Thessalonian epistles. This eschatological hope is the keynote of these epistles. It had taken a firm hold on the Thessalonian believers. If their serving a living and true God distinguished them from the Gentiles, this expectant hope for Christ’s return distinguished them from the Jews.
Much of modern Christendom has lost this expectant waiting for the return of Christ, much to its own impoverishment. This expectancy is an essential part of a mature Christian life. . . . That the return of the risen Christ was being awaited by the Thessalonians implies the teaching concerning His ascension and present enthronement at the right hand of the Father . . . An eschatological reference precedes and follows [the] mention of Christ’s resurrection. Paul thus firmly ties the hope of the second advent to the crowning event of the first advent. . . . Jesus Christ’s resurrection . . . was an event that stands alone in history and confirms the validity of the gospel of salvation through Him. . . . The resurrection of Christ is therefore the ground and guarantee of His return. . . . This concise reference to the ‘wrath’ implies that the readers would understand its significance and indicates that the preaching of divine wrath coming upon sin and idolatry was an essential part of the apostolic preaching (1 & 2 Thessalonians, 73-75).

Our preaching of the gospel should also emphasize the return of Christ in connection with the resurrection and the wrath of God. Acts 17:30-31 is the best Pauline passage to teach us how to do so. Whenever possible, I use these statements when I evangelize people, and I believe that doing so is a vital part of biblical evangelism.

In Discipleship, Evangelism, Gospel, Quotes

God's Answer for Troubled Thoughts – Daniel 5

March 29, 2011

From Daniel 5, we learn that we must heed God’s answer for our troubled thoughts:

The Cause of Troubled Thoughts
The Answer for Troubled Thoughts
The Penalty for Not Dealing Properly with Troubled Thoughts

To learn more, listen to my message, “God’s Answer for Troubled Thoughts.”

In Discipleship, Evangelism

A Parable Concerning Comissioned Messengers

March 27, 2011

During a war, a large group of soldiers under a lieutenant goes AWOL. All those soldiers who went AWOL are captured by the enemy and put in a concentration camp with no contact of any kind with the outside world. Many months go by. The king of the country whose soldiers were captured promotes that lieutenant to second in authority over his whole country and devises a plan for rescuing the captured soldiers. He gives the former lieutenant all authority to deal with any of the soldiers that he ends up rescuing.

The former lieutenant gathers some leaders of several rescue squads to go carry out the king’s plan. He gives the leaders specific instructions orally about what to do and what to say in carrying out their mission. The instructions include statements w and x, which include the terms of pardon, and statement y, which is essential information about how to access that pardon and how to make it safely out of the enemy country. He also instructs them to declare statement z to the captive soldiers, which consists of telling them that the king has promoted him to be the head over the whole country.

The leaders of the rescue squads give each of their squad members a written copy of the instructions. The rescue squads go on their mission and discover that the enemy has dispersed the captive soldiers to numerous locations. The leaders are only able to accompany a few of their squad members in carrying out the mission. Most of the rescuers in most of the squads discover that the mission will be much harder than they were expecting. In carrying out the rescue operation, the leaders and the squad members who are with them declare all the statements that they were commissioned to proclaim. All the leaders and the squad members who are with the leaders are killed while carrying out the mission.

Of the squad members who were separated from their squad leaders, some rescuers tell some of the soldiers in a few of the locations w, x, y, and z. Most of them do not tell any of the captives about z. Some do not do so because they were separated from their leaders and wonder exactly what the leaders may have ended up doing. Some do not do so because they simply forget to do so in the heat of the moment. Many do not do so because they never read the written instructions thoroughly. Others, while reading that they were supposed to say z, do not do so because they reason that it is not essential for the rescue of the captives.

Amazingly, some of the captives refuse the terms of rescue completely. Some refuse when they hear statement z, not believing that the former lieutenant is sincere in promising that he will not hold them accountable now that he is the head over all the country. Many of the captives are rescued, including many who did not hear statement z from rescuers who had been separated from their squad leaders.

When they are taken before the king and the lieutenant, what will be the evaluation of those in the rescue squads who did not proclaim statement z? Yes, many of the recipients of the truncated message were still rescued, even though they did not hear z. Was their head, however, given the honor in the mission that he was supposed to have received? If he was not honored as fully as he intended, will he hold them accountable for his not having received the full honor that he wanted to receive through the proclamation of all the statements, including statement z?

“And He commanded us to preach unto the people, and to testify that it is He which was ordained of God to be the Judge of the quick and the dead. To Him give all the prophets witness, that through His name whosoever believeth in Him shall receive remission of sins” (Acts 10:42-43).

In Discipleship, Evangelism, Parables

A Parable about Evangelism

March 25, 2011

A man hears about a photography contest that has a huge grand prize. He plans to go to a famous resort area in a third world country to try to photograph something distinctive that would win the prize.

He goes for two weeks and has a great time for the first week. At the end of the first week, he hears some native staff members tell him not to stray too far from the resort area because of reports of an albino lion that many of the natives claim to have seen in the area.

One evening, thinking of the grand prize, he wanders off into the wilderness to see if he can get a picture of the lion. While he is wandering around, suddenly he hears a roar from behind him and is knocked to the ground with such force that he is stunned and becomes semi-conscious.

Meanwhile, some members of the hotel staff who are searching for him come upon the scene with one of them carrying a high-powered flamethrower that could easily drive the lion away. Incredibly, while the lion begins to choke him, the staff members stand a safe distance away and berate him. They yell at him and say that they warned him not to wander off. Instead of using the flamethrower to rescue him, they chide him while the lion continues in its vicious attack.

If this scene were really to have happened, what would we think of the staff members? Yes, the vacationer was foolish and greedily did what he was not supposed to do. Still, how could the staff members do what they did, focusing on his foolishness instead of rescuing him from the lion?

Every lost person is like the foolish vacationer who greedily wandered off and was being devoured by the lion:

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour (1 Pet. 5:8; spoken to believers and shows the vicious nature of the devil; if he is this way towards believers, it surely implies that he is the same towards unbelievers).

But if our gospel be hid, it is hid from them that are lost: in whom the god of this world has blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ should shine unto them (2 Cor. 4:3-4).

To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in Me (Acts 26:18).

In our dealings with lost people, we must not have a mindset or approach that in any way parallels the staff members above. People who are lost are lost in part because they are helplessly in the grip of an evil supernatural being for whom they are no match, as is pictured in the case of the “woman which had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bowed together, and could in no wise lift up herself . . . whom Satan hath bound . . . eighteen years” (Lk. 13:11, 16).

If we think that we are any better than lost people are and are saved because of something in ourselves, we are wrong. God’s mercy is the only reason that we have been delivered from the lion who wants to devour as many souls as possible:

And you hath He quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins: wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. But God, who is rich in mercy . . . hath quickened us (Eph. 2:1-5).

Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of His dear Son (Col. 1:13).

As the children are partakers of flesh and blood, He also Himself likewise took part of the same; that through death He might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; and deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage (Heb. 2:14-15).

We know that whosever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one touched him not. And we know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness. And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding that we may know Him that is true, and we are in Him that is true, even in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life (1 John 5:18-19).

In our dealings with lost people, we should have a right mindset and approach towards them and their horrific plight. We must not strive with them:

And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, in meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; and that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will (2 Tim. 2:24-26).

In Discipleship, Evangelism, Parables

Apostolic Evangelistic Emphases

March 22, 2011

The biblical record of apostolic evangelism reveals key emphases in their evangelistic doctrine and practice. The following table reflects my current understanding about apostolic evangelism by presenting pairs of key truths concerning the content of their evangelistic message.

Apostolic Evangelism
Name of Jesus Christ	Kingdom of God the Father
deity of Jesus as the Christ	agency of Jesus as the Christ
Jesus as the God-sent Savior	Jesus as the God-appointed Judge
crucifixion	resurrection
faith	repentance
profession	baptism
forgiveness of sins	the gift of the Holy Spirit
salvation	judgment

At least in much of what I have observed in evangelism, heard preached in evangelism, and read about evangelism, the elements on the left have tended to be overemphasized. In some of these pairs, the disparity has been quite marked. The elements on the right, however, are vital as well and should not be neglected.

Whenever possible, our evangelism should emphasize fully what the apostles emphasized.

In Evangelism Evangelism

The Good News for All!

March 18, 2011

God has put a conscience in every man that condemns him when he sins. He knows our secrets and one day will judge them. Our hearts condemn us. We all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. He has weighed us in His balances and found us wanting. We all know that we are worthy of death, the wages of our sin.

Death is not some impersonal, automatic consequence of our sinfulness that mechanistically takes place in a godless universe. Death is the work of God as Judge. Physical death is the separation of the spirit from the body. The second death, eternal death in the lake of fire, awaits all who die in their sins because they refuse to repent and turn toward God, doing works fitting for repentance.

All our lifetimes, we fear death. Because it is appointed to man once to die, and then the judgment, we all are in desperate need of good news.

The good news is that God the Father anointed the man Jesus of Nazareth, who was also the Son of God, with the Holy Spirit and with power. As the Anointed One, the Christ, He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil; for God was with Him. He is the Christ who died for our sins, was buried, rose again on the third day, and was seen by many trustworthy witnesses.

Christ died and rose again so that He might be the Lord, the Judge who has authority over all who are dead and alive. Having been raised by the Father, He now sits in heaven at the right hand of the Father, who has set Him as the King.

He is the Son appointed by God as the Judge of the living and the dead. He has authority in heaven and earth to forgive the sins of everyone who believes in His name. One day, the Son will judge the secrets of men and condemn unrepentant sinners to eternal punishment.

The Father judges no man, but has committed all judgment to the Son in order that all men should honor the Son, even as they honor the Father. He that honors not the Son honors not the Father who has sent Him. Truly, truly, Jesus says to all, “He who hears my word and believes on Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and will not come into condemnation, but is passed from death to life.”

These things Jesus says that you might be saved. With the Son of God on your side, no one else will ever be able to condemn you.

To be blessed, you must serve the Father with fear and rejoice with trembling. You must also submit to and trust His Son. He has the keys of death and hell. He who believes and is baptized will be saved, but he who believes not will be damned.

God made His Son, who never sinned, sin for you that you might be made the righteousness of God in Him. Jesus will save you from your sins if you will repent toward God and believe that God has raised Him from the dead.

Confess that Jesus is the Lord and He will give you the gift of eternal life. Call on the name of the Lord and be reconciled to God today!

In Evangelism, Gospel Evangelism

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