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Must the church sanction every act of evangelism?

Greektim

Well-Known Member
I would caveat this: if your evangelizing is associated with your church, then your church should have the right to know how they're being represented.
So lone-ranger Christianity is a good thing???

How postmodern of you.
 

evangelist6589

Well-Known Member
Site Supporter
So lone-ranger Christianity is a good thing???

How postmodern of you.


My partner whom is also a Calvinist has the same issue as me. The local church does not do street preaching and probably won't agree with it. However they do not see a need to overseer his efforts as they expect him to be out witnessing.

He does not use their name in his evangelism unless asked. His conduct is Godly, it's just his church does not prefer street preaching.

However if we broadcasted their name then we would need their sanction or overseer but we do not. We have a duty to obey the great commission and we see that as more important than obeying preferences of a pastor.
 

evangelist6589

Well-Known Member
Site Supporter
Lone Ranger you would call me GreekTim? No I don't think so as I am a member of a church. Street preachers that are not members of churches and have no accountability I would call them.
 

Greektim

Well-Known Member
Lone Ranger you would call me GreekTim? No I don't think so as I am a member of a church. Street preachers that are not members of churches and have no accountability I would call them.
I don't know, Evan. You are by yourself in your church on matters of soteriology. You are even alone in the same matters in your marriage. While I do commend you for being faithful to your church regardless of the differences, what you are doing is ministry apart from the local church. I really would be interested in seeing if your pastor would be alright with you displaying your church while you evangelize. That would tell you if he really approves of what you are doing.

Please understand, I also commend you for your heart for evangelism. I just wonder if your fervor has blinded you from an important theological truth: would God's commands (make disciples) be in contradiction w/ God's methods for his commands (church)? It seems like you are making a juxtaposition when there should be unity.
 

JonC

Moderator
Moderator
Please understand, I also commend you for your heart for evangelism.

I have always commended him for a heart for evangelism, but recently I am thinking that this may be misplaced. As you note, he stands alone on those things....and much more. What exactly is this "evangelism" he speaks of if it originates in his own isolated ideologies. I understand providing encouragement but I am starting to wonder if we have been wrong to encourage him. Too often we push people out into the streets to gather what they themselves have failed to obtain. We are called to disciple others (that is the verb...not to "go" but to disciple). We cannot disciple if we refused to be discipled.
 
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Don

Well-Known Member
Site Supporter
So lone-ranger Christianity is a good thing???

How postmodern of you.
What I'm hinting at is, there's no such thing as lone ranger Christianity.

People either associate you with Christ, which colors their perception of Christianity; or they associate others with you, which colors their perception of those people. And the likelihood of someone seeing you walk out of a church, or associating with others they know attend a certain church, and thereby associating you with a particular church, is greater than we realize.

So, anyone who believes they affect only themselves, is extremely self-centered.
 

JonC

Moderator
Moderator
What I'm hinting at is, there's no such thing as lone ranger Christianity.

People either associate you with Christ, which colors their perception of Christianity; or they associate others with you, which colors their perception of those people. And the likelihood of someone seeing you walk out of a church, or associating with others they know attend a certain church, and thereby associating you with a particular church, is greater than we realize.

So, anyone who believes they affect only themselves, is extremely self-centered.

We are also to be members of the Body of Christ, not unaffiliated and independent agents.
 

Don

Well-Known Member
Site Supporter
Acts 17:22-31. One could make a case that Paul discussed the first two commandments (no other gods, no graven images); but was that the point of the passage? Weren't they asking, and Paul was telling, about Jesus?
 

InTheLight

Well-Known Member
Site Supporter
Acts 17:22-31. One could make a case that Paul discussed the first two commandments (no other gods, no graven images); but was that the point of the passage? Weren't they asking, and Paul was telling, about Jesus?

Acts 17:18b They said this because Paul was preaching the good news about Jesus and the resurrection.

In Thessalonica
Acts 17:2 As was his custom, Paul went into the synagogue, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, 3 explaining and proving that the Messiah had to suffer and rise from the dead.
 

JonC

Moderator
Moderator
Acts 17:22-31. One could make a case that Paul discussed the first two commandments (no other gods, no graven images); but was that the point of the passage? Weren't they asking, and Paul was telling, about Jesus?

Yep...wrong thread. But Paul doesn't condemn the audience for their pagan worship. Acts 17 is a stark contrast to WOTM, which is not to say that WOTM is wrong. But it is to say that those who condemn other interactions as being less biblical are doing so to Paul. Paul would never make it as a WOTM evangelist.
 
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