Proclamation
Proclamation is usually thought of as proclaiming the gospel message-the
"good news" of salvation and transformation through Jesus Christ (see
Matt. 24:14; Mark 13:10; Luke 24:47; Eph. 1:13). However, for our
purposes here, I'm enlarging that definition to include not only proclaiming
the gospel but also proclaiming law and apologetics. In other words,
proclamation, as we will use it, is any verbal declaration of, or defense of,
the Christian worldview.
When it comes to evangelism, many Christians have tunnel vision. They
assume that nearly everyone who rejects Christianity does so for moral
reasons. People reject Christianity because they don't want to make the
lifestyle changes they believe becoming a Christian demands.
To a certain extent, this is true. As Kreeft and Tacelli point out in their
Handbook of Christian Apologetics, "The most powerful psychological
motive for unbelief . is almost always moral rather than intellectual."?1?
However, it is equally true that many unbelievers reject Christianity for
other perceived reasons. There are intellectual reasons ("Becoming a
Christian is committing intellectual suicide"); emotional reasons ("God
would never accept me after what I did!"); and spiritual reasons ("You
can't be saved unless you ."). Whatever the reason, as Kreeft and
Tacelli add, "It's important to know what is really going on in the soul of
the person to whom apologetic arguments are addressed, and to know the
irrational forces behind unbelief."?2?
Because most Christians believe that people reject Christianity for moral
reasons, they see evangelism as more or less a formula. First, give your
personal testimony. Second, share the plan of salvation (e.g., the "Four
Spiritual Laws" or the "Roman Road to Salvation"). Third, if the
unbeliever doesn't respond (because, after all, his real reason is moral),
threaten him with damnation. Once this formula has been completed, most
Christians feel they have done their duty in evangelism.
To these Christians, apologetics is unnecessary-or, more likely, they
don't know what it is or how to apply it. They don't realize that in today's
pluralistic, relativistic, and largely godless society, many people reject
Christianity for intellectual reasons, not moral reasons (although intellectual
arguments are often an excuse to justify immoral behavior). Many
unbelievers have been taught that Christianity and all religions are myths,
vestiges from our pre-scientific past, the product of (in)fertile human
imagination, or self-delusion.
The problem with the formula approach to evangelism is that it will reach
only a portion of unbelievers. It will only persuade those whom God has
prepared to respond specifically to the gospel message at that point in
time. But this includes only a segment of the people to whom we have
opportunities to witness.
Many people are not at a point in their spiritual journey where they are
willing to listen to, let alone respond to, the plan of salvation. They have
other concerns that need to be dealt with first. In particular, there may be
genuine intellectual obstacles. But whatever the issues, if we are not
prepared to respond to a person's misconceptions, false beliefs,
criticisms, insecurities, doubts, or skepticism, we will reach only a small
portion of unbelievers.
The remainder of this chapter is designed to help Christian apologists
formulate a witnessing strategy according to an unbeliever's particular (1)
view of God, and (2) view of salvation, to find out (3) whether he or she
needs to hear law, gospel, or apologetics, and to discern (4) the
unbeliever's personality type.
[1]
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1 Peter Kreeft and Ronald K. Tacelli, Handbook of Christian Apologetics
(Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity, 1994), 202.
2 Ibid., 203
[1]Story, D. (1999). Engaging the closed minded : Presenting your faith to
the confirmed unbeliever (14). Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications.
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