Define "Winneth souls"

When I think of wisdom in the context of that verse I think of one who is a blessing to others by their actions. They are a source of blessing by their fruit. The fruit includes what they say and do.

 

I don't think this Proverb has anything to do with salvation.

I think it means that by our wise actions we will influence others to our way of thinking.

 

You mean it might not be talking about Old Testament occurrences of door-to-door witnessing, tent revivals, romans road, etc.?

 

Different contexts. Gen 12:5 specifically says the souls Abram had gotten; Gen 46:26 specifically cites them as Jacob's sons.

In the context of the rabid, Hyles-type, knock at the door, and keep using car salesman approaches until they can't say "no" any more? I'd have to agree with you.

 

Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit Vol. 22 Pages 325, 326
The following is part of a sermon on Prov 11:30


NO. 1292 A SERMON DELIVERED ON THURSDAY EVENING,
JANUARY 20TH, 1876,
BY C. H. SPURGEON,

The main lesson of the passage is that this outburst of life from the Christian, this consequence of life within him, this fruit of his soul, becomes a blessing to others. Like a tree, it yields shade and sustenance to all around. It is a tree of life, an expression which I cannot fully work out to-night as I would wish, for there is a world of instruction compressed into the illustration. That which to the believer himself is fruit becomes to others a tree: it is a singular metaphor, but by no means a lame one. From the child of God there falls the fruit of holy living, even as an acorn drops from the oak; this holy living becomes influential and produces the best results in others, even as the acorn becomes itself an oak, and lends its shade to the birds of the air. The Christian’s holiness becomes a tree of life. I suppose it means a living tree, a tree calculated to give life and sustain it in others. A fruit becomes a tree! A tree of life! Wonderful result this! Christ in the Christian produces a character which becomes a tree of life.

The outward character is the fruit of the inner life; this outer life itself grows from a fruit into a tree, and as a tree it bears fruit in others to the praise and glory of God. Dear brothers and sisters, I know some of God’s saints who live very near to him, and they are evidently a tree of life, for their very shadow is comforting, cooling, and refreshing to many weary souls. I have known the young, the tried, the downcast, go to them, sit beneath their shade, and pour out the tale of their troubles, and they have felt it a rich blessing to receive their sympathy, to be told of the faithfulness of the Lord, and to be guided in the way of wisdom. There are a few good men in this world whom to know is to be rich. Such men are libraries of gospel truth, but they are better than books, for the truth in them is written on living pages. Their character is a true and living tree; it is not a mere post of the dead wood of doctrine, bearing an inscription, and rotting while does so, but it is a vital, organized, fruit-producing thing, a plant of the Lord’s right hand planting.

 

this fruit of his soul, becomes a blessing to others

 

Folks, you need to go back again and consider the passage where the term originates. Proverbs 11:30 says, “The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise.” Someone may object that this is in the Old Testament, and therefore cannot be talking about evangelism. However, this is Hebrew poetry, and one form of Hebrew poetry is when the same thing is said more than once in a parallel way. Therefore, the first half of the verse, “The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life,” and the second half, “and he that winneth souls is wise,” are parallel in meaning. In this passage, winning souls is speaking of the influence for spiritual life of a righteous man, and thus it is perfectly proper to interpret it as referring to winning souls to faith in Christ, even though it is in the Old Testament.

This verse is clearly talking about spiritual influence, since it uses terms such as "righteous" and "tree of life." Cross reference it to John 15:8--"Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples." Fruit bears fruit that is the same. Therefore, a Christian bears fruit in the form of a new Christian.

This is what was meant by evangelicals who originally used the term in the late 19th century: being used of God in the salvation of a soul. I'm not sure who originally coined the term, but I put it in the 2nd half of the 19th century. I have an undated book by R. A. Torrey, probably from around 1900, The Wondrous Joy of Soul Winning.

No one objected to the term then; it was a term generally used by evangelicals of all kinds, and I'm sure even by reformed groups such as the Presbyterians. There were some great soul-winning Presbyterian missionaries in those days such as Jonathan Goforth to China. Also, I have previously quoted on the BB Calvinists who used the term, such as J. I. Packer in Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God. It is a perfectly good Biblical term.

Oh, yes, and how could we forget Spurgeon's classic, The Soul-Winner, from a series of lectures to his students at the Pastor's College: "Soul-winning is the chief business of the Christian minster; indeed, it should be the main pursuit of every true believer. We should each say with Simon Peter, 'I go a fishing,' and with Paul our aim should be, 'That I might by all means saved some." (p. 15, the first page).

 

I highly recommend that you read his book, The Soul-Winner, and find out for yourself! It may change your life. :type:

Speaking of your OP Proverbs passage he writes, "He who actually, really, and truly turns men from the error of their ways to God, and so is made the means of saving them from going down to hell, is a wise man; and that is true of him whatever his style of soul-winning may be" (p. 227).

 

That book changed my life. I can remember the impact it had on me as if it were just yesterday.

 

Amen! My copy is all marked up in both pen and highlighter.

Would that all God's children on the BB would read this book. :type:

 

When you cross-reference this passage with Matthew 5:16, you find that the Christian being the proper witness in the eyes of the world causes them to desire to become a Christian which brings glory to God as well. It is very accurate to say that Christians ought to bear the fruit of other Christians.

The Bible talks about the "fruit of our mouth," the "fruit of our hands," the "fruit of our doings," and the "fruit of righteousness."

 

Mt. 4:19, "And He said to them, "Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men."

Mt. 28:19, 20, "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."

 

John 15:4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.

Fruit does not bear itself. There has to be a life source, or there will be no fruit. Christ is that Life Source.

 

Think again. Why would the fruit of a Christian be the same as the fruit of the Spirit? The fruit of the Spirit is what He produces in our life. Our fruit is another Christian. The two passages are talking about two different things.

Like produces like. So a Christian produces another Christian, and the Holy Spirit produces a Christian like Himself.

Good for you! :thumbs: