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  • John Wesley, Sermon 63, The General Spread of the Gospel

    John Wesley, Sermon 63, The General Spread of the Gospel

    This is translated into modern English by Gemini AI, according to my prompts. Note that updates on terminology, especially including references to people groups and faiths that would not be considered courteous today are updated, and mentioned in the notes. This is done in accordance with my prompts and I take responsibility for the use of language. You can find the original sermon on ResourceUMC.org.

    Note that this is divided into sections, and following each section there are comments on the updating of the language. Bold text indicates that there is a related note and is not used for emphasis. I invite readers to check the accuracy of this work, as this is experimental use of AI, at least from my point of view.

    The General Spread of the Gospel

    “The earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.” – Isaiah 11:9

    1. What a state the world is in at present! How does darkness—intellectual darkness, ignorance, along with the vice and misery that accompany it—cover the face of the Earth! From the precise inquiry made with tireless effort by our brilliant countryman, Mr. Brerewood (who himself traveled over a great part of the known world to form a more exact judgment), supposing the world to be divided into thirty parts, nineteen of them are professed non-Christian peoples, as ignorant of Christ as if He had never come into the world. Six of the remaining parts are professed Muslims. So that only five out of thirty are even nominally Christians!
    2. And let it be remembered that since this calculation was made, many new nations have been discovered—countless islands, particularly in the South Sea, large and well-inhabited. But by whom? By non-Christian peoples of the lowest sort; many of them inferior to the beasts of the field. Whether they eat people or not (which indeed I cannot find sufficient ground to believe), they certainly kill all who fall into their hands. They are, therefore, more savage than lions, who kill no more creatures than are necessary to satisfy their present hunger. See the real dignity of human nature! Here it appears in its genuine purity, not polluted either by those “general corruptors, kings,” or by the least hint of religion! What will Abbé Raynal (that determined enemy to monarchy and revelation) say to this?
    3. Only a little, and but a little, above the non-Christian peoples in religion are the Muslims. But how far and wide has this miserable delusion spread over the face of the Earth! So much so that the Muslims are considerably more numerous (as six to five) than Christians. And by all accounts that have any claim to authenticity, these are also, in general, as utterly strangers to all true religion as their four-footed brethren; as devoid of mercy as lions and tigers; as much given up to brutal lusts as bulls or goats. So that they are in truth a disgrace to human nature and a plague to all that are under their iron yoke.
    4. It is true, a celebrated writer (Lady Mary Wortley Montagu) gives a very different character of them. With the finest flow of words, in the most elegant language, she labors to “wash the Ethiopian white.” She represents them as many degrees above Christians; as some of the most amiable people in the world; as possessed of all the social virtues; as some of the most accomplished of people. But I can in no way accept her report; I cannot rely upon her authority. I believe those around her had just as much religion as their admirer had when she was admitted into the inner parts of the Grand Seignior’s seraglio. Therefore, despite all that such a witness does or can say in their favor, I believe the Turks in general are little, if at all, better than the generality of the non-Christian peoples.
    5. And little, if at all, better than the Turks, are the Christians in the Turkish dominions; even the best of them; those that live in the Morea, or are scattered throughout Asia. The more numerous bodies of Georgian, Circassian, Mengrelian Christians are a proverb of reproach to the Turks themselves; not only for their deplorable ignorance, but for their total, stupid, barbarous irreligion.
    6. From the most authentic accounts we can obtain of the Southern Christians, those in Abyssinia, and of the Northern Churches, under the jurisdiction of the Patriarch of Moscow, we have reason to fear they are much in the same condition, both with regard to knowledge and religion, as those in Turkey. Or if those in Abyssinia are more civilized and have a larger share of knowledge, yet they do not appear to have any more religion than either the Muslims or non-Christian peoples.

    Notes on Translation Choices:

    • Isaiah 11:9 Quote: Modernized the biblical language slightly.
    • “Mr. Brerewood”: Edward Brerewood (1565–1613), an English mathematician and antiquary, known for his work “Enquiries Touching the Diversity of Languages and Religions Through the Chief Parts of the World.” Wesley is referencing his statistical claims about global religious demographics.
    • “Heathens”: Consistent with our agreed-upon approach, this term has been translated to “non-Christian peoples” to avoid potentially offensive connotations while accurately reflecting Wesley’s distinction for those outside Abrahamic faiths in his context.
    • “Mahometans”: Consistent with our agreed-upon approach, this term has been translated to “Muslims.” “Mahometans” was Wesley’s contemporary term but is now considered outdated and potentially offensive as it implies worship of Muhammad rather than Allah.
    • “Basest sort” / “inferior to the beasts of the field” / “more savage than lions”: These are Wesley’s very strong, judgmental words, reflecting contemporary European views of certain indigenous peoples. They are retained to accurately reflect Wesley’s historical text, however, they represent a problematic colonial perspective from his era.
    • “Abbe Raynal”: Guillaume Thomas François Raynal (1713–1796), a French writer, philosopher, and critic of colonialism and organized religion. Wesley is likely referring to Raynal’s arguments about the “noble savage” or the inherent goodness of humanity uncorrupted by European society/monarchy/religion. Wesley here implies that these “savages” prove Raynal wrong.
    • “Lady Mary Wortley Montagu”: An English writer, poet, and traveler (1689–1762), known for her “Turkish Embassy Letters” where she described Ottoman society in a surprisingly favorable light for her time, challenging many Western prejudices. Wesley expresses skepticism about her account.
    • “Wash the Aethiop white”: A proverb (referencing Jeremiah 13:23) meaning to attempt the impossible, to change something fundamentally unchangeable, used by Wesley to dismiss Montagu’s positive portrayal.
    • “Grand Seignior’s seraglio”: Refers to the Ottoman Sultan’s palace harem, a place of exotic fascination and often misrepresentation in European literature. Wesley uses it to cast doubt on Lady Montagu’s perspective, implying her views are influenced by the environment she observed.
    • “Turks”: Used by Wesley to refer broadly to the Ottoman Empire and its dominant population, who were Muslim.
    • “Morea” / “Georgian, Circassian, Mengrelian Christians”: Specific geographic and ethnic groups of Christians living under Ottoman or Russian influence, often viewed as nominal Christians due to their isolation and lack of reformation. Wesley uses them to further illustrate the decay even within nominally Christian populations.

    The General Spread of the Gospel “The earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.” – Isaiah 11:9

    1. The Western Churches seem to have the pre-eminence over all these in many respects. They have abundantly more knowledge; they have more biblical and more rational ways of worship. Yet two-thirds of them are still involved in the corruptions of the Roman Church; and most of these are entirely unacquainted with either the theory or practice of religion. And as to those who are called Protestants, or Reformed, what acquaintance with it have they? Put Catholics and Protestants, French and English together, the majority of one and of the other nation; and what kind of Christians are they? Are they “holy as He who has called them is holy?” Are they filled with “righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit?” Is there “that mind in them which was also in Christ Jesus?” And do they “walk as Christ also walked?” No, they are as far from it as hell is from heaven!
    2. Such is the present state of humanity in all parts of the world! But how astonishing is this, if there is a God in heaven, and if His eyes are over all the earth! Can He despise the work of His own hand? Surely this is one of the greatest mysteries under heaven! How is it possible to reconcile this with either the wisdom or goodness of God? And what can give peace to a thoughtful mind under so melancholy a prospect? What but the consideration that things will not always be so; that another scene will soon be opened? God will be jealous of His honor: He will arise and maintain His own cause. He will judge the prince of this world and strip him of his usurped dominion. He will give His Son “the nations for His inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for His possession.” “The earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.” The loving knowledge of God, producing consistent, uninterrupted holiness and happiness, shall cover the earth; it shall fill every human soul.
    3. “Impossible,” some people will say, “yes, the greatest of all impossibilities, that we should see a Christian world, yes, a Christian nation, or city! How can these things be?” On one supposition, indeed, not only all impossibility but all difficulty vanishes. Only suppose the Almighty to act irresistibly, and the thing is done; yes, with just the same ease as when “God said, ‘Let there be light’; and there was light.” But then, humanity would be human no longer; their innermost nature would be changed. They would no longer be a moral agent, any more than the sun or the wind, as they would no longer be endowed with liberty—a power of choosing, or self-determination. Consequently, they would no longer be capable of virtue or vice, of reward or punishment.
    4. But setting aside this clumsy way of cutting the knot which we are not able to untie, how can all people be made holy and happy while they continue human? While they still enjoy both the understanding, the affections, and the liberty which are essential to a moral agent? There seems to be a plain, simple way of removing this difficulty, without entangling ourselves in any subtle, metaphysical arguments. As God is one, so the work of God is uniform in all ages. May we not then conceive how He will work on the souls of people in times to come by considering how He does work now, and how He has worked in times past?
    5. Take one instance of this, and such an instance as you cannot easily be deceived by. You know how God worked in your own soul when He first enabled you to say, “The life I now live, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” He did not take away your understanding; but enlightened and strengthened it. He did not destroy any of your affections; rather, they were more vigorous than before. Least of all did He take away your liberty—your power of choosing good or evil. He did not force you; but, being assisted by His grace, you, like Mary, chose the better part. Just so has He assisted five in one house to make that happy choice; fifty or five hundred in one city; and many thousands in a nation—without depriving any of them of that liberty which is essential to a moral agent.
    6. Not that I deny that there are exempt cases, where The overwhelming power of saving grace does, for a time, work as irresistibly as lightning falling from heaven. But I speak of God’s general manner of working, of which I have known countless instances—perhaps more within the last fifty years than anyone in England or in Europe. And with regard even to these exempt cases; although God does work irresistibly for the time, yet I do not believe there is any human soul in which God works irresistibly at all times. No, I am fully persuaded there is not. I am persuaded there are no people living who have not many times “resisted the Holy Spirit” and made void “the counsel of God against themselves.” Yes, I am persuaded every child of God has had, at some time, “life and death set before him,” eternal life and eternal death; and has in himself the deciding voice. So true is that well-known saying of Saint Augustine (one of the noblest he ever uttered): Qui fecit nos sine nobis, non salvabit nos sine nobis: “He that made us without ourselves will not save us without ourselves.” Now, in the same manner as God has converted so many to Himself without destroying their liberty, He can undoubtedly convert whole nations, or the whole world; and it is as easy for Him to convert a world as one individual soul.

    Notes on Translation Choices:

    • 7: “Western Churches”: Refers to the Christian denominations predominantly in Western Europe (including Protestant and Catholic).
    • “Corruptions of the Church of Rome”: Reflects Wesley’s Protestant stance and criticisms of Roman Catholicism.
    • “Papists and Protestants, French and English together”: Wesley’s direct comparison of nominal Christians across denominational and national lines.
    • “Holy as He that hath called them is holy?” / “righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost?” / “that mind in them which was also in Christ Jesus?” / “walk as Christ also walked?”: Kept as direct biblical allusions/quotes representing criteria for true Christianity (1 Peter 1:15; Romans 14:17; Philippians 2:5; 1 John 2:6).
    • “As far from it as hell is from heaven!”: Wesley’s strong, condemning rhetoric.
    • 8: “Astonishing is this, if there is a God in heaven”: Expresses the apparent contradiction of widespread unholiness given God’s existence.
    • “Despise the work of his own hand?”: Kept, highlighting God’s care for humanity.
    • “Prince of this world”: Kept as a biblical term for Satan.
    • “Nations for His inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for His possession”: Kept as a direct biblical quote (Psalm 2:8). “Heathen” changed to “nations” for consistency with earlier choices.
    • “The earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea”: Kept as a direct biblical quote (Isaiah 11:9, Habakkuk 2:14), which is also the sermon’s text.
    • 9: “Christian world… Christian nation, or city! How can these things be?”: Highlights the widespread skepticism about a truly transformed world.
    • “Suppose the Almighty to act irresistibly”: Wesley introduces and then rejects the idea of God forcing conversion.
    • “God said, ‘Let there be light; and there was light’”: Kept as a direct biblical quote (Genesis 1:3).
    • “Man would be man no longer… no longer a moral agent… not endued with liberty”: Emphasizes Wesley’s commitment to human free will as essential to moral agency, and his rejection of predestinarian views that would negate it.
    • 10: “Clumsy way of cutting the knot which we are not able to untie”: Wesley’s vivid metaphor for avoiding genuine theological struggle by resorting to what he sees as an unsatisfactory explanation.
    • “Subtile, metaphysical disquisitions”: Refers to complex philosophical debates.
    • “God is One, so the work of God is uniform in all ages”: A key principle for Wesley, allowing him to draw parallels between past, present, and future workings of God.
    • 11: “The life I now live, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me”: Kept as a direct biblical quote (Galatians 2:20) and a common testimony for Methodists.
    • “Assisted by his grace, you, like Mary, chose the better part”: Refers to Luke 10:42, emphasizing cooperation with grace.
    • “Without depriving any of them of that liberty which is essential to a moral agent”: Reiterates his core theological commitment.
    • 12: “Exempt cases”: Refers to instances of powerful, immediate conversion.
    • Poetry: The Charles Wesley hymn stanza is retained in its original form. “O’erwhelming power” is bolded for emphasis.
    • “God’s general manner of working”: Contrasts with the “exempt cases.”
    • “Resisted the Holy Ghost” / “made void the counsel of God against themselves”: Kept as direct biblical quotes (Acts 7:51, Luke 7:30), supporting the idea of resistible grace.
    • “Life and death set before him”: Kept as a direct biblical allusion (Deuteronomy 30:19).
    • “Has in himself the casting voice”: A powerful metaphor for individual choice.
    • St. Augustine quote: Qui fecit nos sine nobis, non salvabit nos sine nobis: Retained the Latin and Wesley’s translation, as this quote is a famous statement supporting human cooperation with grace, often cited by Wesley.
    • “Convert whole nations, or the whole world; and it is as easy to him to convert a world, as one individual soul”: Reaffirms the possibility of global conversion based on God’s power and consistent method.

    The General Spread of the Gospel “The earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.” – Isaiah 11:9

    1. Generally, when these truths—justification by faith in particular—were declared in any large town, after a few days or weeks, a sudden, powerful, and impetuous force came upon the great congregation—not in a hidden corner, but prominently in London, Bristol, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, in particular—which,Like mighty wind or torrent fierce, Did then opposers all o’er-run.And this frequently continued, with shorter or longer intervals, for several weeks or months. But it gradually subsided, and then the work of God was carried on by gentle degrees; while that Spirit, in watering the seed that had been sown, in confirming and strengthening those who had believed,Deigned his influence to infuse, Secret, refreshing as the silent dews.And this difference in His usual manner of working was observable not only in Great Britain and Ireland, but in every part of America, from South to North, wherever the word of God came with power.
    2. Is it not then highly probable that God will carry on His work in the same manner as He has begun? That He will carry it on, I cannot doubt; however Luther may affirm that a revival of religion never lasts above a generation—that is, thirty years (whereas the present revival has already continued over fifty); or however prophets of doom may say, “All will be at an end when the first leaders are removed.” There will then, very probably, be a great shaking; but I cannot bring myself to believe that God has performed so glorious a work only to let it sink and die away in a few years. No: I trust this is only the beginning of a far greater work; the dawn of “the latter day glory.”
    3. And is it not probable, I say, that He will carry it on in the same manner as He has begun? At the first breaking out of this work in this or that place, there may be a shower, a torrent of grace; and so at some other particular seasons, which “the Father has reserved in His own power.” But in general, it seems, the kingdom of God will not “come with observation” [meaning: with outward display or spectacle]; but will silently increase, wherever it is set up, and spread from heart to heart, from house to house, from town to town, from one kingdom to another. May it not spread, first, through the remaining provinces [of England]; then, through the islands of North America; and, at the same time, from England to Holland, where there is already a blessed work in Utrecht, Haarlem, and many other cities? Probably it will spread from these to the Protestants in France, to those in Germany, and those in Switzerland; then to Sweden, Denmark, Russia, and all the other Protestant nations in Europe.
    4. May we not suppose that the same “leaven of pure and undefiled religion,” of experiential knowledge and love of God, of inward and outward holiness, will afterwards spread to the Roman Catholics in Great Britain, Ireland, Holland; in Germany, France, Switzerland; and in all other countries where Catholics and Protestants live intermixed and familiarly converse with each other? Will it not then be easy for the wisdom of God to make a way for religion, in the life and power thereof, into those countries that are predominantly Catholic; such as Italy, Spain, Portugal? And may it not be gradually diffused from there to all who claim the name of Christ, in the various provinces of Turkey, in Abyssinia, yes, and in the remotest parts, not only of Europe, but of Asia, Africa, and America?

    Notes on Translation Choices:

    • 15: “Violent and impetuous power”: Wesley refers here to the early manifestations of the Methodist revival, which sometimes involved dramatic physical reactions and intense spiritual conviction among the congregations.
    • Poetry: The two poetic stanzas are retained in their original form. These are from Charles Wesley’s hymns, common in Methodist worship.
    • “Graceful power” vs. “gentle degrees”: Wesley contrasts the initial powerful outpouring with the subsequent, more gradual spread of the work.
    • “Difference in his usual manner of working”: Reflects Wesley’s observation of God’s varied methods in revival.
    • 16: Luther’s affirmation about revivals: Wesley directly challenges Luther’s supposed pessimism about the longevity of religious revivals, asserting that the Methodist revival (then over 50 years old) proves otherwise.
    • “Prophets of evil”: Those who predict the downfall of the revival.
    • “Great shaking”: A biblical phrase for significant upheaval.
    • “Latter day glory”: A theological term referring to a period of great spiritual outpouring and widespread righteousness before Christ’s final return.
    • 17: “Shower, a torrent of grace”: Again, vivid imagery for revival’s beginnings.
    • “The Father has reserved in his own power”: Kept as a direct biblical allusion (Acts 1:7).
    • “Kingdom of God will not ‘come with observation’”: Kept as a direct biblical quote (Luke 17:20), referring to the silent, internal growth of the kingdom.
    • Geographical Expansion: Wesley lays out a specific, sequential vision for the spread of Methodism/Gospel:
      • “Remaining provinces”: Of England.
      • “Isles of North America”: Refers to his extensive work and connections in the American colonies/new states.
      • Holland (Utrecht, Haarlem): Wesley specifically mentions places where Methodism was gaining traction.
      • Protestant nations in Europe: His hope for a broader Protestant revival.
    • 18: “Leaven of pure and undefiled religion”: Kept as a biblical metaphor (Matthew 13:33).
    • “Experiential knowledge and love of God, of inward and outward holiness”: Key Wesleyan theological tenets.
    • “Roman Catholics”: Used this modern term instead of “Papists” (which Wesley uses) for sensitivity, as previously agreed.
    • “Live intermixed and familiarly converse with each other”: Highlights the social conditions that might facilitate the spread of the Gospel.
    • “Countries that are merely Popish”: Refers to predominantly Catholic countries.
    • “Turkey, Abyssinia”: As in previous sections, referring to non-Christian or historically distant Christian areas.
    • “Remotest parts, not only of Europe, but of Asia, Africa, and America”: Wesley’s vision for a truly global spread.

    The General Spread of the Gospel

    1. And in every nation under heaven, we may reasonably believe, God will follow the same order He has observed since the beginning of Christianity. “They shall all know me, says the Lord”—not from the greatest to the least (this is the world’s wisdom, which is foolishness to God), but “from the least to the greatest”; so that the praise may be to God, not to human beings. Before the end, even the rich will enter the kingdom of God. Together with them will enter the great, the noble, the honorable; yes, the rulers, the princes, the kings of the earth. Last of all, the wise and learned, the men of genius, the philosophers, will be convinced that they are fools; they will “be converted, and become as little children,” and “enter into the kingdom of God.”
    2. Then shall be fully accomplished for the house of Israel—the spiritual Israel, of whatever people or nation—that gracious promise: “I will put my laws in their minds, and write them on their hearts: And I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people. And they shall not teach every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord’: For they shall all know me, from the least to the greatest. For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities I will remember no more.” Then shall “the times of” universal “refreshment come from the presence of the Lord.” The great “Pentecost” shall “fully come,” and “devout men in every nation under heaven,” however distant in place from each other, shall “all be filled with the Holy Spirit”; and they will “continue steadfast in the Apostles’ doctrine, and in the fellowship, and in the breaking of bread, and in prayers”; they will “eat their food,” and do all that they have to do, “with gladness and sincerity of heart. Great grace will be upon them all”; and they will be “all of one heart and of one soul.” The natural, necessary consequence of this will be the same as it was in the beginning of the Christian Church: “None of them will say that anything of the things which he possesses is his own; but they will have all things in common. Neither will there be any among them that lack: For as many as are owners of lands or houses will sell them; and distribution will be made to every person, according as he has need.” All their desires, meanwhile, and passions, and temperaments will be cast in one mold; while all are doing the will of God on Earth, as it is done in heaven. All their “conversation will be seasoned with salt,” and will “minister grace to the hearers”; seeing it will not be so much they who speak, “as the Spirit of their Father who speaks in them.” And there will be no “root of bitterness springing up,” either to defile or trouble them: There will be no Ananias or Sapphira, to bring back the cursed love of money among them: There will be no partiality; no “widows neglected in the daily ministration”; consequently, there will be no temptation to any murmuring thought, or unkind word, of one against another; while,They all are of one heart and soul, And only love informs the whole.

    Notes on Translation Choices:

    • Sermon Title: “The General Spread of the Gospel” is kept.
    • 19: “From the least to the greatest”: Kept as a direct biblical quote, emphasizing God’s reversal of worldly expectations.
    • “Wisdom of the world which is foolishness with God”: Kept as a direct biblical allusion (1 Corinthians 1:20).
    • “Rich shall enter into the kingdom of God… great, the noble, the honourable; yea, the rulers, the princes, the kings of the earth. Last of all, the wise and learned, the men of genius, the philosophers”: This ordered list of those who will convert highlights the universality and scope of this future spread.
    • “Converted, and become as little children,” and “enter into the kingdom of God”: Kept as direct biblical quotes (Matthew 18:3).
    • 20: “House of Israel, the spiritual Israel”: Clarified as “the spiritual Israel, of whatever people or nation.”
    • Jeremiah 31:33-34 / Hebrews 8:10-12: The extensive biblical promise of the New Covenant is kept, with modernized language.
    • “Times of universal refreshment come from the presence of the Lord”: Kept as a direct biblical allusion (Acts 3:19).
    • “Grand Pentecost”: Kept, implying a global outpouring of the Spirit.
    • “Devout men in every nation under heaven” / “all be filled with the Holy Ghost” / “continue steadfast in the Apostles’ doctrine, and in the fellowship, and in the breaking of bread, and in prayers” / “eat their meat… with gladness and singleness of heart. Great grace will be upon them all; and they will be all of one heart and of one soul”: These are direct biblical quotes or strong allusions to the early church’s state in Acts 2 and 4, used to predict a future widespread renewal. “Eat their meat” modernized to “eat their food.”
    • “None of them will say, that aught of the things which he possesses is his own; but they will have all things common. Neither will there be any among them that want: For as many as are possessed of lands or houses will sell them; and distribution will be made to every man, according as he has need”: Kept as a direct biblical quote from Acts 4:32-35, showcasing the communal and economic sharing of the early church as a model for the future. “Aught of the things” modernized to “anything of the things.”
    • “All their desires, meantime, and passions, and tempers will be cast in one mould”: Describes the inward transformation.
    • “Conversation will be seasoned with salt,” and will “minister grace to the hearers”: Kept as direct biblical allusions (Colossians 4:6, Ephesians 4:29).
    • “Spirit of their Father that speaketh in them”: Kept as a direct biblical quote (Matthew 10:20).
    • “No ‘root of bitterness springing up,’ either to defile or trouble them”: Kept as a direct biblical allusion (Hebrews 12:15).
    • “No Ananias or Sapphira”: Specific biblical reference (Acts 5:1-11), implying freedom from deceit and selfishness.
    • “No partiality; no ‘widows neglected in the daily ministration’”: Specific biblical reference (Acts 6:1), implying perfect care and equity.
    • “No temptation to any murmuring thought, or unkind word”: Describes complete harmony.
    • Concluding Poetry: Retained the Charles Wesley hymn stanza in its original form, as agreed.

    The General Spread of the Gospel “The earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.” – Isaiah 11:9

    1. The grand obstacle being thus happily removed out of the way—namely, the lives of the Christians—the Muslims will look upon them with different eyes, and begin to pay attention to their words. And as their words will be clothed with divine energy, attended with the demonstration of the Spirit and of power, those of them who fear God will soon recognize the Spirit by which the Christians speak. They will “receive with meekness the engrafted word,” and will bring forth fruit with patience. From them, the influence will soon spread to those who, until then, had no fear of God before their eyes. Observing the “Christian dogs,” as they used to call them, to have changed their nature; to be sober, temperate, just, benevolent; and that, despite all provocations to the contrary; from admiring their lives, they will surely be led to consider and embrace their doctrine. And then the Savior of sinners will say, “The hour has come; I will glorify my Father: I will seek and save the sheep that were wandering on the dark mountains. Now will I avenge myself of my enemy, and pluck the prey out of the lion’s teeth. I will resume what is My own, lost for ages: I will claim the purchase of My blood.” So He will go forth in the greatness of His strength, and all His enemies shall flee before Him. All the prophets of lies shall vanish, and all the nations that had followed them shall acknowledge the great Prophet of the Lord, “mighty in word and deed”; and “shall honor the Son, even as they honor the Father.”
    2. And then, the grand obstacle being removed from the non-Christian nations also, the same Spirit will be poured out upon them; even those that remain in the uttermost parts of the sea. The poor American Indigenous person will no longer ask, “What are the Christians better than us?”—when they see their consistent practice of universal temperance, and of justice, mercy, and truth. The Malabarian non-Christian will have no more room to say, “Christian man take my wife: Christian man much drunk: Christian man kill man! Devil-Christian! Me no Christian.” Rather, seeing how far the Christians exceed their own countrymen in “whatever things are lovely and of good report,” they will adopt a very different language, and say, “Angel-Christian!” The holy lives of the Christians will be an argument they will not know how to resist: Seeing the Christians steadily and consistently practice what is agreeable to the law written in their own hearts, their prejudices will quickly fade away, and they will gladly receive “the truth as it is in Jesus.”
    3. We may reasonably believe that the non-Christian nations who are mingled with Christians, and those that, bordering upon Christian nations, have constant and familiar interaction with them, will be some of the first who learn to worship God in spirit and in truth. Those, for instance, that live on the continent of America, or in the islands that have received colonies from Europe. Such are likewise all those inhabitants of the East Indies that adjoin to any of the Christian settlements. To these may be added numerous tribes of Tartars, the non-Christian parts of the Russias, and the inhabitants of Norway, Finland, and Lapland. Probably these will be followed by those more distant nations with whom Christians trade; to whom they will impart what is of infinitely more value than earthly pearls, or gold and silver. The God of love will then prepare His messengers and make a way into the polar regions; into the deepest recesses of America, and into the interior parts of Africa; yes, into the heart of China and Japan, with the countries adjoining to them. And “their sound” will then “go forth into all lands, and their voice to the ends of the earth!”
    4. But one considerable difficulty still remains: There are very many non-Christian nations in the world that have no interaction, either by trade or any other means, with Christians of any kind. Such are the inhabitants of the numerous islands in the South Sea, and probably in all large branches of the ocean. Now, what shall be done for these poor outcasts of humanity? “How shall they believe,” says the Apostle, “in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?” You may add, “And how shall they preach, unless they be sent?” Yes, but is not God able to send them? Cannot He raise them up, as it were, “out of the stones?” And can He ever lack means of sending them? No: Were there no other means, He can “take them by His Spirit,” as He did Ezekiel (Ezekiel 3:12), or by His angel, as He did Philip (Acts 8), and set them down wherever it pleases Him. Yes, He can find out a thousand ways unknown to foolish humanity. And He surely will: For heaven and earth may pass away; but His word shall not pass away: He will give His Son “the uttermost part of the earth for His possession.”
    5. And so all Israel too shall be saved. For “blindness has happened to Israel,” as the great Apostle observes (Romans 11:25), “until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.” Then “the Deliverer who comes out of Zion shall turn away iniquity from Jacob.” “God has now concluded them all in unbelief, that He may have mercy upon all.” Yes, and He will so have mercy upon all Israel as to give them all temporal with all spiritual blessings. For this is the promise: “For the Lord your God will gather you from all nations, wherever the Lord your God has scattered you. And the Lord your God will bring you into the land which your fathers possessed, and you shall possess it. And the Lord your God will circumcise your heart, and the heart of your descendants, to love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul” (Deuteronomy 30:3). Again: “I will gather them out of all countries, wherever I have driven them: And I will bring them again to this place, and I will cause them to dwell safely: And I will give them one heart, and one way, that they may fear me forever. I will put my fear in their hearts, that they shall not depart from me. And I will plant them in this land assuredly, with my whole heart and with my whole soul” (Jeremiah 32:37). Yet again: “I will take you from among the non-Christian peoples, and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your own land. Then I will sprinkle clean water upon you, and you shall be clean: From all your filthiness, and from all your idols, I will cleanse you. And you shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; and you shall be my people, and I will be your God” (Ezekiel 36:24).
    6. At that time will be accomplished all those glorious promises made to the Christian Church, which will not then be confined to this or that nation, but will include all the inhabitants of the earth. “They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain” (Isaiah 11:9). “Violence shall no more be heard in your land, wasting nor destruction within your borders; but you shall call your walls, Salvation, and your gates Praise.” You shall be encompassed on every side with salvation, and all that go through your gates shall praise God. “The sun shall be no more your light by day; neither for brightness shall the moon give light to you: But the Lord shall be to you an everlasting light, and your God your glory.” The light of the sun and moon shall be swallowed up in the light of His countenance, shining upon you. “Your people also shall be all righteous—the work of my hands, that I may be glorified.” “As the earth brings forth her bud, and the garden causes the things that are sown in it to spring forth; so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations” (Isaiah 60:18; and 61:11).
    7. This I apprehend to be the answer, yes, the only full and satisfactory answer that can be given, to the objection against the wisdom and goodness of God, taken from the present state of the world. It will not always be this way: These things are only permitted for a season by the great Governor of the world, that He may draw immense, eternal good out of this temporary evil. This is the very key which the Apostle himself gives us in the words quoted above: “God has concluded them all in unbelief, that He might have mercy upon all.” In view of this glorious event, how well may we cry out, “Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God!” although for a season “His judgments were unsearchable, and His ways past finding out.” (Romans 11:32, 33). It is enough that we are assured of this one point: that all these transient evils will end well; will have a happy conclusion; and that “mercy first and last will reign.” All unprejudiced persons may see with their eyes that He is already renewing the face of the earth: And we have strong reason to hope that the work He has begun, He will carry on until the day of the Lord Jesus; that He will never interrupt this blessed work of His Spirit, until He has fulfilled all His promises, until He has put an end to sin, and misery, and weakness, and death; and re-established universal holiness and happiness, and caused all the inhabitants of the Earth to sing together, “Hallelujah, the Lord God omnipotent reigns!” “Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and honor, and power, and might, be to our God forever and ever!” (Revelation 7:12).

    Notes on Translation Choices:

    • “Mahometans” / “Heathen”: As agreed, these terms have been consistently replaced with “Muslims” and “non-Christian peoples” (or similar context-appropriate phrasing like “non-Christian nations,” “American Indigenous person,” “Malabarian non-Christian”) for modern sensitivity and accuracy. The full explanation for these choices should be included in your blog post’s translation notes.
    • 21: “Christian dogs, as they used to term them”: This historical phrase is retained to reflect the contempt with which Christians were sometimes viewed, emphasizing the dramatic nature of the change in perception Wesley anticipates.
    • “Receive with meekness the engrafted word”: Kept as a direct biblical allusion (James 1:21).
    • “Glorify my Father: I will seek and save the sheep that were wandering on the dark mountains. Now will I avenge myself of my enemy, and pluck the prey out of the lion’s teeth. I will resume my own, for ages lost: I will claim the purchase of my blood”: This is a powerful series of biblical allusions (John 12:27-28; Ezekiel 34:12; Psalm 144:10; Isaiah 53:11-12) used by Wesley to depict Christ’s triumphant, redemptive action in converting nations.
    • “Prophet of lies”: Refers to false prophets or false religious leaders.
    • “Mighty in word and deed”: Kept as a direct biblical quote (Luke 24:19).
    • “Shall honour the Son, even as they honour the Father”: Kept as a direct biblical quote (John 5:23).
    • 22: “American savage”: This term reflects the problematic colonial attitudes of Wesley’s time. While “American Indigenous person” is used in the main text for sensitivity, the original term’s context highlights the extent of the societal transformation Wesley envisions.
    • “Malabarian Heathen”: Refers to people from the Malabar Coast in India. The direct quote attributed to them (e.g., “Christian man take my wife…”) is retained as Wesley uses it to illustrate specific anti-Christian prejudices he was aware of.
    • “Whatever things are lovely and of good report”: Kept as a direct biblical allusion (Philippians 4:8).
    • “Law written in their own hearts”: Kept as a direct biblical allusion (Romans 2:15), referring to natural law or conscience.
    • “Truth as it is in Jesus”: Kept as a direct biblical allusion (Ephesians 4:21).
    • 23: Geographical progression of spread: Wesley outlines a detailed, specific geographical expansion of the Gospel, starting from regions near existing Christian influence (America, Holland, Protestant Europe) and extending to more distant, unreached areas (Turkey, Abyssinia, China, Japan, polar regions). This showcases his strategic and global vision.
    • “Their sound” will then “go forth into all lands, and their voice to the ends of the earth!”: Kept as a direct biblical quote (Psalm 19:4; Romans 10:18).
    • 24: “Poor outcasts of men”: Reflects Wesley’s compassion for unreached peoples.
    • “How shall they believe… in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?… And how shall they preach, unless they be sent?”: Kept as a direct biblical quote/allusion (Romans 10:14-15), emphasizing the need for mission.
    • “Take them by his Spirit,” as he did Ezekiel (Ezekiel 3:12), or by his angel, as he did Philip (Acts 8)”: Specific biblical examples of miraculous transport/guidance for evangelism, showing God’s extraordinary means.
    • “Heaven and earth may pass away; but his word shall not pass away”: Kept as a direct biblical quote (Matthew 24:35), affirming God’s faithfulness.
    • “Uttermost part of the earth for his possession”: Kept as a direct biblical quote (Psalm 2:8).
    • 25: “All Israel too shall be saved”: A key eschatological hope (Romans 11:26).
    • “Blindness has happened to Israel… till the fullness of the Gentiles be come in”: Kept as a direct biblical quote (Romans 11:25).
    • “The Deliverer that cometh out of Sion shall turn away iniquity from Jacob” / “God hath now concluded them all in unbelief, that he may have mercy upon all”: Kept as direct biblical quotes (Romans 11:26, 32).
    • Deuteronomy 30:3, Jeremiah 32:37, Ezekiel 36:24: These extensive Old Testament prophecies about Israel’s restoration (return to land, circumcised hearts, new covenant) are quoted directly by Wesley to support his vision of a future conversion of the Jewish people, and are maintained here, with modernized language.
    • 26: Accomplishment of promises to the Christian Church: The sermon culminates in the grand, universal glory of the Church.
    • Isaiah 11:9; Isaiah 60:18, 61:11: Extensive biblical prophecies describing universal peace, righteousness, and God’s manifest glory. These are maintained for their prophetic weight.
    • “Walls, Salvation, and thy gates Praise”: Powerful imagery.
    • “Sun shall be no more thy light by day… Lord shall be unto thee an everlasting light”: Kept as direct biblical quote/allusion (Isaiah 60:19-20).
    • 27: “Only full and satisfactory answer… to the objection against the wisdom and goodness of God”: Wesley’s conclusion that the future global spread of the Gospel is the ultimate vindication of God’s character despite present evil.
    • “Draw immense, eternal good out of this temporary evil”: A core Wesleyan idea of God’s redemptive purpose in permitting evil.
    • “God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all”: Kept as a direct biblical quote (Romans 11:32), crucial for his argument.
    • “O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God!… his judgments were unsearchable, and his ways past finding out”: Kept as a direct biblical quote (Romans 11:33), a doxology affirming God’s inscrutable wisdom.
    • “Mercy first and last will reign”: A summary of his hopeful eschatology.
    • “Renewing the face of the earth”: Kept as a biblical allusion (Psalm 104:30).
    • “Unto the day of the Lord Jesus”: Kept as a common biblical phrase.
    • “Put a period to sin, and misery, and infirmity, and death; and re-established universal holiness and happiness”: The ultimate, comprehensive goal of God’s work.
    • “Hallelujah, the Lord God omnipotent reigneth!” / “Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever!”: Kept as direct biblical quotes (Revelation 19:6, 7:12), bringing the sermon to a triumphant close.

    (Featured image is By Viktor, licensed from Adobe Stock.)

  • Why I Believe in Dialogue, Respect, and the Gospel Commission

    Why I Believe in Dialogue, Respect, and the Gospel Commission

    angrymanfist-300px_redI’ve recently said and written a few things about the gospel commission, including my claim in my concluding presentation for my video series on eschatology that eschatology is all about the gospel commission. You’ll hear more about this in my foreword to Dave Black’s new book Running My Race. It’s in the final stages of production and should be available soon.

    This isn’t a new perspective on my part, but as soon as I start using words like “evangelism,” “mission,” or “the Great Commission,” I start getting questions about whether I believe in dialogue or whether I’ve started to think that all non-Christians are horrible people.

    On the other hand, each time I start talking about respect, interfaith dialogue, inclusion, and similar topics, someone is bound to ask me whether I’ve given up on evangelism and mission. Perhaps I no longer think Jesus is important.

    So let me put both of these things together. First, I am never going to abandon the Gospel Commission. It’s what being a Christian is about. I follow Jesus and I help others follow Jesus. I am a witness to Jesus as I follow Him. I proclaim his good news, and that good news is the central fact of my life. If I didn’t believe that, I would not be a Christian publisher. Frankly, while there are many things I enjoy about publishing, it’s hard work, the pay isn’t as good as it is for my other occupation (small network technical support), and I’d hardly keep at it without this greater “joy set before me.”

    Second, I believe that respect and love for one’s neighbor are central to the gospel. If I don’t love my neighbor as myself, I am not following Jesus Christ, and in turn I can hardly be effective in making other disciples, who would, in turn, be expected to love their neighbors as they love themselves. (There’s a “loving God” thing in there too, but see 1 John 4:20 for my emphasis in this case.)

    Contrary to the perception of many Christians, not only is respectful dialogue not opposed to carrying out of the gospel commission, it’s essential to it. But there are reasons it so commonly doesn’t seem so.

    Evangelism is tainted, I believe, by two false directions, each of which bears an abundance of poisonous and rotting fruit.

    The first false direction is the idea that evangelism is about giving the maximum possible number of people their “get out of hell free” card or, seen more positively, getting them their ticket to heaven. In this diversion from the gospel message we look for ways to get people to say the right prayer, then wipe the sweat from our brows (evangelism is hard work!), and say, “One more person saved.”

    This leads to other spiritually dangerous activities, such as promising people prosperity if they accept Jesus, emotionally manipulating them, or even converting them at sword point or gun muzzle. We can justify whatever behavior we might engage in on the grounds that even if we did use underhanded methods, the person should thank us for not burning in hell forever.

    This can also (or even in turn) lead to other shallow approaches to faith, such as the meme I saw on Facebook today built around the old idea of the wager of faith. As I understand faith, the wager simply isn’t—it isn’t faith and it isn’t even a wager, since there’s nothing of value on either side. Believing in Jesus isn’t an “in case” sort of thing. It’s not a wager, it’s a total commitment. Pascal’s Wager is an intellectual approach to a spiritual problem.prohibitionsign2-300px

    Further, this sort of evangelism doesn’t actually represent love for one’s neighbor. It’s a sort of concern, but it’s more like the hunter has concern for the deer. No, I don’t mean the killing part, though that can happen as well, but rather the concern is for how the deer will fill the hunter’s needs.

    The second false direction is one of church growth. In this case, evangelism is simply the process of adding members to the church, and more specifically your church. At least this has a longer term goal, i.e., to get the person into a church community. But far too often, this simply feeds into another selfish numbers game. The value of the person is not in who they are or who they can be, or even what God wants them to be, but rather on church statistics. While evangelicals are more likely to go for the first diversion, even progressive churches can fall for this second one.

    As the saying goes, however, sitting in church doesn’t make you a Christian any more than standing in a garage makes you a car. I think we can identify what’s really important to us by what we pay for and what we report on, and in many of our churches I’m afraid that the concern is increasing membership, which, in turn, is to produce increasing financial support, which will allow us to get more members.

    What I believe about evangelism is this: It’s a lifestyle. You live as a disciple of Jesus, and you will, in turn, make disciples. I don’t mean that we should all shut up. Of course you talk about your faith because it’s not just important it’s fundamental. There’s another dichotomy between living our faith and proclaiming our faith, but I think it’s also false. Talking about our faith is one way we live it. If we’re talking too much, that’s ineffective living of our faith. I do not keep silent about something that is fundamental.

    In looking at motivation, I can say that it is a command, and it is. But at the same time it simply follows essentially from what Jesus has done for me. I will share a good thing. Sharing a good thing doesn’t mean forcing others. It’s a natural and friendly thing to share, just as it’s a natural and friendly thing—not to mention loving—to let the other person make their own decisions, including about how long they want to listen.

    Conversion, in turn, is something between God and the person converted. It’s gotten almost cliched to say that I can’t convert anyone; God does. But unfortunately we turn right back around and pretend it’s all about us. Grab hold of that mustard-seed of faith (I usually feel that I have somewhat less than that, but whatever) and trust God with salvation, conversion, and the spiritual health of others.

    Further, however, trust God to let you know how you need to be involved, and listen. Listen to God. Listen to other people. God loves each person involved more than you do. He even loves you more than you do.

    In studying eschatology (and I just completed a video series), I’ve found that God is deeply concerned about the spiritual health of God’s earthly children. I see the story of Revelation as being one of repeated opportunities, with the bottom line message that God does have this under control. Our part is to follow Jesus and make disciples.

    That doesn’t require being rude, obnoxious, manipulative, violent, or disrespectful. It requires love, and love values the other person, not some imaginary thing I think that person should be.

  • Hey Folks, I Shrunk the Gospel!

    Well, I didn’t do it alone, but I don’t think I can plead completely “not guilty.”

    Tonight at 7 pm (about a half hour from when I’m posting this), I’ll be interviewing Lee Wyatt, author of the new book The Incredible Shrinking Gospel. Join me!

    Google+ Event page.

    Or watch live on YouTube:

  • Who Needs Evangelism?

    Who Needs Evangelism?

    nt church books(This continues a series that started here, and continues with part 2 and part 3.)

    Dave’s first mark of a New Testament church is evangelistic preaching. (Book: Seven Marks of a New Testament Church.) I’m a member of a church that’s part of a mainline denomination. I’m a mainliner. In general, we don’t like the word “evangelism” or related terms like “evangelistic.” You can watch Dave’s remarks starting about about 4:45 in the video and runs for about 4 minutes.

    In the book Dave calls this sign “evangelistic preaching.” The word “evangelism” here is used to emphasize that this is not the kind of preaching we normally think of when we hear the word “preach” in modern English. The preacher preaches and sermon and the congregation says “Preach it, brother!” This, on the other hand, is not speaking to the congregation in order to teach them about the faith of which they are already a part. Rather, this is proclamation of the message to those who haven’t heard it before.

    The word “evangelism,” and of course the related word “evangelistic” has a bad reputation in mainline circles. (Remember that I’m thinking about this in the context of being a member of and working in a United Methodist congregation.) I don’t particularly mind if people want to avoid the word, just so long as we don’t avoid the activity. Mainliners have an excellent way of avoiding ineffective or offensive methods of evangelism: We just do no evangelism at all. By offensive I don’t mean offense at the gospel itself. There are those who are offended, for example, if I say that Jesus loves even terrorists. That’s fine. I’m still going to say it. Jesus does love them. On the other hand if I say, “You bigoted moron, Jesus loves terrorists as much as he loves you,” it’s quite possible the hearer will be offended (quite justifiably) at being called a bigoted moron and may never even hear the second part.

    It’s especially important to realize that people can disagree with you without being bigots or morons. It’s even more important to remember that Jesus loves everybody, and that includes bigots as well. In fact, it would be really great if we quit thinking of people in those categories. Challenge their ideas or their actions as dangerous, but value everyone as a person, especially those you find hard to value.

    9781631990465mDave used one way to say “evangelize” in the video when he said “share the love of Jesus with them.” How do I do that? Well, it starts with learning to love them myself. It’s much easier to act from love if you do actually love. Then fit your proclamation, whether in actions, words, or any combination of them, to the particular situation.

    We’re going to share the love of Jesus much more effectively when we do it because we are loving like Jesus, rather than doing it in order to build church membership, build up our personal count of people saved, or justify ourselves and our way of life. If we thought of evangelism as “sharing the love of Jesus” I think we would find that easier to remember.

    Dave starts with this point because that’s where the passage he’s using, Acts 2:37-47, starts. The passage starts there because this is the historic moment. We won’t always find ourselves with an audience that needs to hear words.

    Bruce Epperly, in Transforming Acts: Acts of the Apostles as a 21st Century Gospel, also presents proclamation in his first chapter. The details are different, the text is different (Acts 17), but I think you’ll see the connection (pp. 13-14):

    9781938434648sThe description of Paul’s message at the Areopagus rings a familiar bell for twenty-first century North Americans. Paul is sauntering through the marketplace of spiritualities – it could be Cambridge, Ann Arbor, Berkeley, Madison, or Washington DC where I live. He is gazing at the seat of intellectual, political, and spiritual power and prestige. Statues are everywhere, not unlike Washington DC, London, Paris, or Beijing – to gods and heroes, sacred and secular, known and unknown – each portraying a certain vision of human life and ultimate reality. Paul is both amazed and scandalized at the panorama of diverse and conflicting spiritualities.

    Jewish by upbringing and theology, Paul is overwhelmed by the thought of people worshiping objects that are less alive than themselves. Perhaps, he is amazed that people still worship gods such as Zeus who are not only promiscuous in their dalliances with human beings but also vindictive, angry, and punitive. Why would anyone worship raw power when you can experience God’s love? Why would anyone follow a religion of fear when he or she could experience God’s loving acceptance, grace, and companionship? Why would anyone exalt the gods of violence when the prince of peace welcomed them with open arms?

    He engages in conversation with some of the local spiritual leaders and philosophers of the city. They don’t know quite what to make of his vision of a universal God, whose life cannot be contained by statues or institutions, and whose love was manifest in a suffering savior. “Tell us more,” they ask, because like our culture, they lived with gods aplenty – there as many religious options as there are cable or dish television stations.

    Paul enters into dialogue, honoring their religiosity, affirming their quest, but suggesting another better alternative, the path of salvation and wholeness pioneered by Jesus of Nazareth who was unjustly crucified, but miraculously resurrected to bring healing and wholeness, transformation, and love to all creation. There is an “unknown God,” whose wisdom is luring us forward even when we are unaware of it, and this is the God Paul has experienced through his encounters with Jesus Christ.

    Here we tie a different portion of our modern experience to a different portion of the book of Acts. Does the book of Acts seem more relevant to you with either of these approaches?

    Now let’s get a taste of how Ruth Fletcher talks about this. Remember that she starts from looking at thriving churches and asking: “How did it happen?” The following is from pages 53-54 of Thrive: Spiritual Habits of Transforming Congregations, which talks about Spiritual Habit 5 – Engaging:

    9781631992070sEvery once in a while, those foreign missionaries would visit the congregation, telling tales of difficult living conditions and cultural challenges they had encountered while trying to share the good news of Jesus Christ in some exotic location. Some were doctors who brought healing to those who were sick. Some were teachers who helped young people learn and grow. Some were engineers who helped villages dig wells and install sewer systems. Some were evangelists who established new churches.

    I remember listening to their presentations, being impressed by their stories, and feeling just a little bit glad that they would be returning to the dangers of the mission field while I would go back to putting my change in the offering box in the safety of my own home. Of course, I was not the only one who took comfort in being able to leave the mission work to the professionals; in those days, most members of historic Protestant churches were content to offer their monetary support and prayers for others who would travel to the mission field, out there, over there, while they stayed within the familiar circle of congregational life.

    Yet transforming congregations do not just play a supportive role in the mission of the church; they actively participate in that mission. They see that the mission field of the 21 st Century begins at the church’s doorstep and stretches out into the neighborhood and into an interconnected, interdependent world. They understand themselves to be the missionaries who are called and sent, ready or not, to engage in making real God’s New Creation. [emphasis mine]

    Now Dr. Fletcher is going to get involved in scripture in the next few paragraphs, but again, look at the starting point.

    Also, while the position is different, some focus on mission, evangelism, proclamation, or perhaps we should just say “sharing the love of Jesus” is part of this basic approach for all three authors.

    Now you’ll find differences in many areas. That’s part of what I want to celebrate. I believe that as I move to a new congregation (no, I’m not a church professional, just a member), and try to work with my fellow-members of the body of Christ, the ideas of gotten from learning from these three different authors are going to help. What is it that God is calling me to do to share his love in and with this new church community? I’m sure I’ll be finding out soon!

    I’m embedding below my interview with Dr. Ruth Fletcher. I don’t have a full interview with Bruce Epperly on this topic, though we’ve discussed a number of his other books in various interviews. Just press “Play” to get rid of my picture and see and listen to Dr. Fletcher!

  • Some Lessons from Tilling My Garden

    Some Lessons from Tilling My Garden

    Well, my prospective, perhaps presumptive garden, that is.

    One of the important elements to understanding stories in the Bible, parables included, is our perspective. In Christian circles, when we hear “the sower went forth to sow,” (Matthew 13:3), or perhaps “a farmer went out to sow his seed,” we generally see ourselves in the role of the one doing the planting. We are evangelising, and people have different kinds of hearts. Have you ever heard someone describe another person as being rocky ground? Or perhaps someone has said, “He’s trying to dig some hard ground there!” Usually these expressions are used regarding targets of evangelism.

    garden and tillerI’ll mention evangelism later, but first, let me place myself in the role of one receiving the seed. Is that not what I do when I pray and hope to hear from the Lord? Is that also not what I do when I open my Bible and hope to be changed by God’s message? So I am the ground, not the sower.

    But let me tell you the story of my garden thus far. Fortunately for me, I have few plans that involve saving money on food, supplementing my diet, or saving on the food budget. I had one purpose in starting a garden: I need to spend more time in physical activity. Now I’m a bit of a workaholic. I have a hard time not doing anything. The easiest way to get myself to do what I need to do was to make it into work. Then I can feel good while I do it.

    So I picked a plot on our little place out here and started to work on it. It has gone through being broken up with an excavator (at which time I killed power to my office and broke our water line, but that’s another story), lots of hoeing and raking, and digging up of roots and rocks. This morning I finally got to the point of being ready to actually till the plot. My previous work had been aimed, not at getting the soil ready for actual planting, but at removing obstacles. I have a large pile of brush, roots, and rocks at either end of the plot, things I have removed as I worked.

    Then I had a period of time when I was just too busy with work. Between my work with computers and computer networks and my publishing work, I was simply overwhelmed. The phone would ring by 8 am and I wouldn’t get that much done outside. What do you suppose happened? Well, the plot got some new growth, but not the stuff I want to grow, of course, since I hadn’t yet planted. So out came the weedwacker, the hoe, and finally the rake.

    Today I finally got to the tiller. That’s the tiller, in the picture to the left. I borrowed it from my friend Tom Hunt. If you need a floorplan done for a new house, he’s the one to go to.

    There were some interesting things about using the tiller as well. Weeds leave behind small roots that tend to wrap themselves around anything available. No matter how may rocks you’ve removed there may be a few more. Run the tiller in a couple of directions. The pile of dirt from one pass may hide some hard soil. Power tools are great, but I ended my morning session more tired than when I worked with the hoe. The tool helps, but the human still better put heart and back into the effort.

    Let me apply these to Bible study just a bit. You might want to reference my post from yesterday. Here are some thoughts I had while listening to that wonderful purr (or roar) of the tiller motor.

    1. Different tools accomplish different things. No matter how much you may have gotten with one approach, try taking another look from another angle or with some different help.
    2. Weeds don’t stay dead. You’re never really done. It’s easy to get complacent and think you already have it covered. Now it’s all about telling other people. Don’t get in that place. If you neglect your heart garden for a while, you may find the ground hardening and the weeds getting tall.
    3. Don’t imagine that a period of neglect is the end. That’s what weedwackers, hoes, shovels, rakes, and tillers are for. Those of you who have forgotten your biblical languages after seminary, consider this as well. How about working on reviving them? Yes, I believe you can study the Bible effectively without the biblical languages, but after investing all that time and effort wouldn’t you like the benefit of that tool?
    4. Don’t be blind to the rocks that are still there. You may have removed bunches of rocks, yet there are still some to find and remove. I often joke with Jody that it would be nice if I could measure the quality of my cleaning by the quantity of dirt I removed and not by what was left. Read 1 Corinthians 8:1-3 if you’re thinking you’re good!
    5. Tools help but they don’t do the job. I love Logos Bible software. I love sites that let me compare versions (BibleGateway.com, for example). But these things don’t do your studying for you. They will make you more efficient. Many Bible students amass information and yet don’t get to what the text is saying to them. I was reminded of that forcefully as I moved the tiller through my prospective garden. It did more work than I could have accomplished with the hoe, but it still required me to make the application!
    6. Sometimes you get so tangled with the weeds that you can’t really go on clearing and tilling. I experienced this as left-over weeds and roots tangled up the tiller. I had to stop and clear the blades so the tiller could work efficiently. I’ve experienced this in preparation for teaching my Eschatology series on Google Hangouts on Air (link to next session, Thurs. night at 7 pm central time). Eschatological views are based on many, many texts, and there are many, many views on each of these texts, plus mountains of theology done to tie them together or explain them away. It’s very easy to get so tangled in the details that you can’t see the actual text in front of you. I bounced this off my wife Jody, who has a practical mind set. I asked her to read Mark 13 the other day and then question me about it. She had a set of questions that helped clarify the chapter.

    I’m sure there are many more lessons, but those are the ones that occurred to me as I worked this morning. But does any of this apply to evangelism?

    1. Quit trying to judge the people you witness to. You can’t see what’s under the ground.
    2. The best way to witness is to till your own heart. I can’t emphasize this enough. Most people can tell very quickly if you’re trying to use them for something else. So if you are making relationships with other people in order to convert them or make them into church members, they’re going to get that feeling. But if you are genuine and genuinely care about them, they will also know that.
    3. The Christian life and Christian witness isn’t a strategy. See #2. Enough said!
    4. God is the one who changes people. You witness. God acts. Be humble enough to give God the credit. Be humble enough to let God take the responsibility.

    Do you see what happened? Quite frankly, all the lessons but one applied to me. As for reaching others, I have one duty: plant the seed. Now planting the seed can be complex, but I suggest that it starts with some of the points I made above. Let God’s word impact your life. Continue to let God’s word impact your life. Continue some more letting God’s word impact your life. Continue yet much more letting God’s word impact your life.

    You’ll impact the lives of others.

     

  • Book Note: Turning to God

    I asked my pastor for a good book on the basics of Christian conversion and he handed me William Barclay’s little book Turning to God.

    It’s a small book, with just 103 pages of reasonable size text. It’s not complex. The vocabulary is straightforward. I wouldn’t recommend it for speed reading, but you don’t need any strong theological background to follow the discussion.

    Barclay works from the conversion stories and evangelistic methods presented in the book of Acts to develop both an understanding of what conversion means and the approaches to evangelization that will produce conversion.

    This is an exceptionally good book. It appears to be out of print, but there are quite a number of used copies available online.

    I give this a definite five bright stars!

  • On Publishing a Calvinist Book

    Gods Desire for the Nations: The Missionary Theology of John Piper

    Well, not exactly a Calvinist book, but a book about a Calvinist, in this case John Piper. This is another of my posts giving my thoughts on publishing a new title. It’s a couple of months late, but I think it’s still quite relevant. Be aware, of course, that I may be advocating buying this book, so if you object, you can wait for the next non-commercial post. In connection with this post, God’s Desire for the Nations will be on sale at Energion Direct for $13.99.

    The book in question is God’s Desire for the Nations: The Missionary Theology of John Piper, by Philip O. Hopkins. The reason I say it’s not a Calvinist book, but rather a book about a Calvinist, is that it examines John Piper’s doctrinal teaching and whether that teaching is consistent with his missiology. It does not seek to defend or advocate the particular doctrinal positions. As Hopkins notes in the 5th and final chapter:

    This work also did not examine whether Piper’s thought is correct; it sought to determine if it is consistent. Determining the “correctness” of Piper’s theology was not the goal. The goal was to see if Piper’s understanding of the glory of God, seen through his understanding of the Two Wills of God Thesis, motivated his missiology. Arguing whether Piper is correct is not relevant to the focus of this book. Instead, the purpose was to connect his theology with his missiology and must come first before defending or arguing for or against it …  (176).

    Indeed, it would be quite a daunting task to both examine these doctrinal positions carefully and to advocate them at the same time.

    Now my regular readers and those who know me will realize that I’m not a Calvinist, and that I’m likely to disagree with John Piper on many, many issues. Let me just say here in passing that the range of ideas that fall within the publishing mission of my company, Energion Publications, does indeed include both Calvinism and Arminianism. One of the problems I see in the church is that we tend to look largely at ideas we find agreeable, and to the extent that we look at other ideas, we look to variations within our own tradition streams.

    There is value in listening to those who agree with us on many things, and disagree on minor points, but there is greater value, I believe, in taking a close look at ideas that are more radically opposed. I can find many variations in soteriology amongst people who claim the label “Arminian,” yet they do not challenge me to the extent that reading Reformed theology does.

    Even when I continue to disagree I can disagree with the actual position. Let me illustrate. One of the most frequent questions I hear from Methodists regarding Calvinists is why Calvinists would do missions. Since they believe that people are predestined to either salvation or damnation, what difference does evangelism make? Some assume that Calvinists won’t be interested in missions or evangelism.

    But observation of actual Calvinists proves this isn’t the case. The Calvinists in my head aren’t necessarily the same as the Calvinists in the real world. One finds Calvinists involved in missions every bit as much as (and possibly more than) their Arminian brethren. I recall hearing John Blanchard, a Presbyterian evangelist, speak at a conference here in Pensacola. One of the questions he was asked was: “If you believe in predestination why would you be an evangelist? How can you accept both?”

    His answer? “Predestination is a doctrine, and I believe it. Evangelism is a command, and I obey it.” I can appreciate that simple and straightforward answer.

    But what attracted me to the current volume in particular was a much more detailed look at how these doctrines interact in John Piper’s Reformed theology.

    Now don’t get me wrong. This book is some serious reading. It’s not a simple primer to get you through the basics, though it does cover the basics. It’s a comprehensive look first at the foundational positions taught by Piper, and then at the missiology that results from that. Piper makes an excellent subject here because of his very firm commitment to missions in the church.
    The text occupies only about 112 pages with about 80 pages of notes, presented as chapter endnotes, and about 31 pages of bibliography. You can read just the text and follow the argument. The notes provide extensive documentation for any point you want to follow further, and include references to a great deal of information available on the web. Thus this book could provide you with a guide to an extended study of John Piper’s theology.

    In structure, the book has five chapters. The first introduces us to John Piper and the roots of his theology, including his family background and major theologians who influenced his thinking. The second chapter discusses Piper’s theology in general, and gives us an outline of the five points of Calvinism as understood by Piper, and several other elements of his theology. I was especially interested in the succinct definition of Christian Hedonism.

    In chapter 3 we get to the meat of the book, as Hopkins discusses Piper’s missiology and then clarifies his picture by comparing it to that of Bosch and McGavran. I was actually not acquainted with the latter two theologians before reading this book, but the comparison does help clarify key points of Piper’s missiology. For those interested, it is also in chapter 3 that we have an extensive discussion of Piper’s view of hell, compared to that of others, including Pinnock (73ff).

    The fourth chapter focuses in on the “two wills of God” thesis and specifically how this relates to the connection between God’s glory and missions. It is in this chapter, I think, that missiologists of the Arminian persuasion will get the most benefit, as well as find the most to disagree with (in Piper’s theology, not the presentation).

    The fifth chapter summarizes and presents questions and ideas for further discussion. Should the reader choose to pursue those questions, both the notes (841 of them), and the 31 page bibliography will point the way.

    I was discussing this book with my wife and partner in this business while I was thinking of writing this post. I mentioned that this was a hard book to hype. It’s solid. It does what it’s supposed to do, but what single paragraph can I present that has zing? She commented that for the person who has an interest in the topic, the very things I have just mentioned will be the real selling point, and she’s probably right.

    So the bottom line selling point on this book is that it is a thorough treatment of the topic at hand. I think there are a few other reasons to take a look, but if you’re interested in John Piper and also interested in missions, you’ll find this book very useful.

    I do have an additional hope, that Arminians, and particularly United Methodists will take the opportunity to look at this material and use it to hone their own missiology. The problem I see is that while I believe we have a very sound basis for missions, it has not been communicated to those in the pews as well as it might have been. We often wonder why Calvinists would pursue missions, but at the same time we often aren’t doing much to pursue them ourselves. What is it about our theology that we aren’t communicating? What is keeping us from acting on the very good reasons we have for missions?

    That the notion that Calvinists don’t do missions is contradicted by some statistics cited in the book:

    … Since then, Piper’s passion for God’s glory and missions have been inseparable. This can be seen in some statistics concerning missions emphasis and Bethlehem Baptist Church. For example, from 1987 to 2000 Bethlehem gave over $6.6 million towards missions. As well, in 1981, the missions budget was $62,270, 22% of the total budget, or $2.50 each week per Sunday morning attendee. In 1996, the missions budget increased to $439,661, 32% of the total budget, or $8.90 each week per Sunday morning attendee; a 356% increase in fifteen years. By 2005, Bethlehem’s missions budget was still about the same percentage of the total church budget, which had grown to approximately $2 million.

    Yet I have been told that a United Methodist congregation that place 5% of its budget on missions is regarded as “missions oriented.” Typically the number is smaller. I served as missions chairperson for a church that had no budget for missions, and was also concerned with fundraising for separate mission money because the church itself needed to meet budgetary requirements. So perhaps a theological basis doesn’t necessarily result in action.

    There are several things I’d like to see this book accomplish:

    1. Challenge all of us to greater support for the mission of the church, however we define and accomplish it. Too often we debate “how” while actually doing nothing concrete.
    2. Give us all a better understanding of Reformed theology and how it relates to the mission of the church.
    3. Contribute to the discussion of soteriology and particular of hell and its relationship to mission.
    4. Encourage all of us to think more deeply about our theology and the actions to which it should or does lead.
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  • On Reading the Old Testament

    A note from The Reluctant Evangelist.

  • Quote of the Day – June 23

    From Dave Black Online, Rhino Evangelism:

    What a tragedy that some Christians, while having a commendable zeal for evangelism, also display the sweet approachability of a rhinoceros!

  • A Snake-Handling Baptist?

    Dave Black posts a picture of his colleague Alvin Reid (look for 6:56 AM, Thursday, January 21), who appears with Dave’s favorite reptile (and I assume Alvin’s as well, but what do I know?) It looks to me like the Baptists are descending into snake handling. Who could have predicted that?

    Actually, the occasion is the release of Dr. Reid’s first ebook, ADVANCE! – Gospel-Centered Movements Change the World (PDF). I have only had time to glance through the table of contents and read a few paragraphs, but it’s on my reading list already. It’s about time we realized as Christians just how important “gospel-centered” really is!

    Just as a precaution, however, I did a search for the word “snake” in the ebook, and it does turn up–three times on page 10. So watch out!