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Contact evangelism vs. Friendship evangelism
- Thread starter evangelist6589
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No, it isn't. It's been shown to you time and time again. Paul, the best evangelist in history went into the synagogues and taught, sometimes for weeks at a time. There were a few occasions he open air preached, yes. Other times he was imprisoned for years and obviously had to use friendship evangelism in those situations. By God's grace he was even able to win members of Caesar's household to the Lord. (Phil. 4:22)
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Your attempts at convincing me wither when your arguments are examined with what the Bible says. How much open air preaching did Paul do from inside a prison cell? Is teaching and preaching inside a synagogue for weeks "contact evangelism"? Is it open air preaching?
Did Paul write letters to the Phillipians, Colossians, Corinthians, Thessalonians, Ephesians, etc. because they were friends he made because he won them to the Lord, discipled them, and established churches with them? Or because he yelled at them on the street and handed them a pamphlet?
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I thought you were no longer going to respond to my threads?
We try to be imitators of God, as His children, and walk in love just as Jesus loved us and gave Himself for us. Street preaching does not accomplish this, and neither does relationship building alone. Your mistake here is that you seem to think that “friendship evangelism” is building friendships and then witnessing to them the gospel of Jesus Christ. “Friendship” or “relationship” evangelism is imitating God and walking in love just as Jesus loved us. It is not doing one thing in order to do the other but witnessing in, through, and while loving other people. In other words, we present the whole gospel to the whole person - not just an appeal to the intellect but an appeal to the heart by being the love of Christ to others.
This type of biblical evangelism is what Will Metzger calls "Discipleship Evangelism" and insists that "we do not hide the demands of discipleship behind the benefits of salvation."
"A Christian who desires to be a loner is inconceivable in terms of the New Testament. We have been placed in a body and must identify ourselves with the new humanity. We become part of a community of believers and can work out our new adherence to truth and love in our relationships with others. Being part of a local church is not optional." (Metzger, Tell the Truth, 202),
Except that Jesus practiced that, as did His apostles! they all viewed evangelism as involving the person working with others on a personal level!
There are some things that need correction and so I jump in.
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Not once did I say that he did not! I simply said that contact evangelism dominates.
Think that both are in use, as one the majority of persons saved since time of Jesus has been friendship mode!
What a wild assumption.
Your posts do need correction.
You think more people have been saved by crusades than by word of mouth?
You keep misapplying that passage. I noticed you still void Pauls words in I cor 9
That is a wild assumption, brother. What dominates is "discipleship evangelism", something Metzger explains in "Tell the Truth". That is, communicating the "whole gospel to the whole person by whole people". The goal is not mere obedience for obedience sake but an invested desire to see people saved and, as Paul phrases it, to "win souls".
Contact evangelism at its finest......
John 3:1-6 NASB
Just the two of them in a quiet place considering the great things of God.
John 3:1-6 NASB
1 Now there was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews;
2 this man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, "Rabbi, we know that You have come from God as a teacher; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him."
3 Jesus answered and said to him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God."
4 Nicodemus *said to Him, "How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born, can he?"
5 Jesus answered, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
6 "That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
2 this man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, "Rabbi, we know that You have come from God as a teacher; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him."
3 Jesus answered and said to him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God."
4 Nicodemus *said to Him, "How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born, can he?"
5 Jesus answered, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
6 "That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
Just the two of them in a quiet place considering the great things of God.
Edited to add:
We have different definitions of "friendship evangelism." I do not wait for "the right to be heard."
You keep using words like "support for" and "dominate." They are your phrasing; and those things that come out of the mouth come forth from the heart (Matt 15:18). Your wording indicates a conflict between the two; and that you consider one better than the other.
Why?
Answer his question.
God's word says:
Proverbs 11:30 The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that wins souls is wise.
evangelist6589 is wrong.
RevMitchell is right.
God's word is right.
Once again evangelist6589 shows he knows absolutely nothing about the topic he is blathering on about!
And then there was Andrew who, when he realized Jesus was the Messiah, went out on a street corner and screamed at the top of his lungs . . . oh, wait. No he didn't he practiced personal evangelism:
John 1:40 One of the two who heard John, and followed him, was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother.
41 He first found his own brother, Simon, and said to him, “We have found the Messiah!” (which is, being interpreted, Christ).
42 He brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him, and said, “You are Simon the son of Jonah. You shall be called Cephas” (which is by interpretation, Peter).
Just Andrew and his brother Peter. No street preaching. No million dollar tracts. Just Andrew telling Peter what he had heard and seen.
Evangelism the bible way. Personal evangelism. One on one. Won by one.
Mark Corbett
Active Member
I believe that the methods and roles a person will play in evangelism and discipleship are partially determined by their personality and gifting. That doesn't mean that all methods are equal. I thank God for anyone who is sharing the gospel in any way which is consistent with God's grace and truth. This can happen in either contact evangelism or friendship evangelism.
I also believe that there is a place for "pre-evangelism", never as a substitute to clearly telling the gospel, but as a way to open hearts and minds to be more willing to hear it. I wrote about one strategy for doing this in another thread here on the BaptistBoard. This strategy can actually be used in either friendship or contact evangelism settings, and can also be used in discipleship and encouragement of fellow believers: Listen and Pray.
I also believe that there is a place for "pre-evangelism", never as a substitute to clearly telling the gospel, but as a way to open hearts and minds to be more willing to hear it. I wrote about one strategy for doing this in another thread here on the BaptistBoard. This strategy can actually be used in either friendship or contact evangelism settings, and can also be used in discipleship and encouragement of fellow believers: Listen and Pray.
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