Featured New Gospel Tract- The Atheist Test

Evan, to which passage in John 3 are you referring?

Oh, and I also did not see anything wrong with using the "atheist test" tract (although I do not like "money" tracts for the reasons mentioned here)..

 

I did read the OP. Reread my reply. I like the atheist tract.

I was asking about your reference as it does not advocate evangelism based on giving the Law to the proud and grace to the humble. I am not sure what you think is going on in the dialogue with Nicodemus in John 3. In that passage Jesus explains to Nicodemus (the teacher of Israel....a teacher of the Law) how to enter the Kingdom. The next time we see Nicodemus he is defending Christ against judgment without a trial (John 7) and then we see him involved in preparing Jesus' body for burial( John 19).

Ray Comfort gives a better explanation in that he expounds on his claims and at least takes a stand on his convictions: “Scripture tells us that ‘God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble’ (James 4:6). Those who have a humble heart, who recognize their sin and see their desperate need for God’s mercy, will understand the gospel of grace. But the proud and self-righteous – those who proclaim their own goodness – can’t see their need for the Savior. They need the Law to show them the righteous standard that God requires. Biblical evangelism therefore follows the principle of “Law to the proud, and grace to the humble.” (Ray Comfort, What Did Jesus Do, 18)

Unfortunately his explanation is based on taking one statement severely out of context with the passage in James 4 in order to "support" his claims.


James 4:1-12”What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this,that your passions are at war within you? You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, “He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us”? But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you. Do not speak evil against one another, brothers. The one who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks evil against the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge. There is only one lawgiver and judge, he who is able to save and to destroy. But who are you to judge your neighbor?”

I admire your zeal. I admire Comforts zeal. But I am still bothered when scripture is taken so lightly to prove methods that you shouldn't even have to prove.

 

Don,
Perhaps these quotes will explain.

“Think of God’s Law as an extension cord that is plugged into the power of Heaven. The gospel is a light bulb. Without the Law, the gospel is powerless;.”(Ray Comfort, What did Jesus Do?”, pg. 20)

“Once the gospel is connected to the Law, it becomes the power of God to salvation. The Law gives the gospel its light…” (Ray Comfort, What did Jesus Do?”, pg. 20)

 

Can you show me the verse where Jesus used tracts? I know He wrote in the sand but that's about all I've read about Jesus showing words....

 

I don't know about Mormons but Jehovah's Witnesses are not allowed to take any Bible materials from anyone. We had the Four Spiritual Laws and told the JWs that came to the door after we spoke to them that we'd be happy to take their Watchtower if they would take our tract. They wouldn't even touch it.

 

But where in the Bible (Old or New Testament) did people just hand out some papers and walk away?

 

See, I'm a "Calvinist" and I agree with you. One on one evangelism and if a tract would be helpful for a person to look through and then we meet again to discuss it, that's fine. I would never leave a tract without speaking to a person and leaving the opportunity to meet again and discuss it. Our job is to make disciples - not just people who read a tract.

 

I have no problems with people using tracts. But sometimes I do have a problem with the way tracts are used. Just handing them out may result in a lot of trash – but if God uses that tract to reach just one person then it was worth the investment. I don’t think simply handing out tracts is evangelism or witnessing, but it can be a part of it (I never read tracts handed to me).

But there are some people who are ‘tract people.’ They rely far too much on tracts to supplement dialogue and relational evangelism (for an example of what I mean by relational evangelism, see the example of the woman at the well). There is a CoG down the road. They will follow those stupid tracts line by line as if I can’t read. And when they are done, they will say “see” and I will say “no, explain” and they will leave disappointed.

Like any of these methods, tracts can be used as a tool or they can get in the way. I personally shy away from tracts because they are less personal and they hint that the evangelist may not know what he is trying to explain to his target.