Theology of Evangelism Paper_CHPL 655

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A Theology of Evangelism for Chaplains` Cason Dickson CHPL 655: Chaplain Evangelism and Discipleship April 2, 2023

A Christian is a follower of Christ Jesus. This statement seems simple enough, yet many Christians admittedly struggle with one key teaching of Jesus: the Great Commission of Matthew 28, verses 16 through 20. Any theology of evangelism will be born out of how one interprets this passage. How are Christians, especially chaplains, to understand the original meaning of this passage, as well as the reaction God desires from Christians reading it today? So that chaplains may be certain of what God is calling them to do, this essay will explore the three components of this passage relating to evangelism: what it means to “go and make disciples,” the purpose of baptism, and Jesus being with Christians always (Matt 28:19, New International Version). “Go and Make Disciples…” The first part of Jesus’ command to his disciples was for them to “go and make disciples of all nations” (Matt 28:19, NIV). Making disciples necessarily begins with evangelism. 1 Therefore, evangelizing is an implied task within the discipling ministry. That is why it is heartbreaking that “only three percent of people who claim to be born-again believers share their faith… ever.” 2 This sad reality is partly exacerbated by the idea that evangelism is for missionaries or professional Christians. Part of the issue centers around how to interpret Jesus’ words in this passage. While there is some debate whether the best translation of πορευθέντες is 1 Dave Earley and Rod Dempsey, Disciple Making Is…: How to Live the Great Commission with Passion and Confidence (Nashville, TN: B&H Academic, 2013), 29. 2 Steve Keith, “Watch: Theology of Evangelism” (video lecture in CHPL 655 at Liberty University, Lynchburg, VA, 2017). 1

an imperatival “go!” or a temporal “as you go,” there are regular opportunities either way for all Christians to share the good news of Jesus. 3 The Holy Spirit will lead all attentive Christians to share the good news in due course, whether as a part of their vocation or in the context of their regular lives (Acts 8:29). Chaplains, especially military chaplains, are aware that they will be told to “Go!” by their employer. They will also hopefully remember Jesus’ instruction to make disciples while they are meeting the needs of their institution. How can an individual Christian know if Jesus’ Great Commission to the 11 in Matthew 28 applies just to the 11, to all Christians, or somewhere in between? Jesus wanted people to follow Him (Matt 16:24). His followers are called to share His mind and heart (1 Cor 2:16, Phil 2:5). Jesus’ mind is “to seek and save the lost” (Luke 19:10, NIV). Coming full circle, Jesus calls His disciples to help Him with this mission through evangelism leading to discipleship. Only by sharing the good news, both in deed and in word , can Christians accomplish this mission (Rom 10:14-15). Therefore, anybody who bears the name Christian must take ownership of Jesus’ desire to give everyone a chance to repent. Just as Jesus implored the 11 to evangelize and disciple, so did Paul exhort Timothy to do the same (2 Tim 2:2). They consequently created a dynamic where each generation of Christians learns who Jesus is, grows in that, and turns around and evangelizes the next generation. All are called to participate, including chaplains. Christians must attune themselves to the Holy Spirit, who guides all willing participants in the evangelism process (1 John 2:27). Additionally, Jesus is interested in disciples, not just “believers.” Believing is an important first step, but if Christians stop there, they are in danger of being led astray (2 Pet 3:17). Just as important, only disciples who know Jesus’ teachings and take seriously their obedience to Him can hope to properly evangelize the next generation of believers. This is why 3 Benjamin L. Merkle, “Why the Great Commission Should Be Translated ‘Go!’ and Not ‘As You Go,’” Southeastern Theological Review 9, no. 2 (Fall 2018): 21-30. Merkle’s case for the former interpretation is compelling. 2

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Jesus articulates the importance of teaching and obedience as part of the Great Commission (Matt 28:20). Again, there is some debate as to the best translation of Jesus’ command here. Does μαθητεύσατε mean “to teach” or “to make disciples?” 4 Either way, “Scripture interprets Scripture.” 5 There are plenty of passages to corroborate the idea that Jesus’ desire is for Christians to be like Him, which only takes place through proper discipleship (Luke 14:27, John 8:31-32; 13:34-35; 15:8, 1 Cor 11:1). For all these reasons, evangelism is an important component of the believer’s life that no Christian can ignore. Thus, an exploration of what exactly evangelism entails is in order. “Baptizing Them in the Name…” As part of his “evangelize-to-disciple” program, Jesus includes an exhortation to baptize new believers. This is an important step in both the salvation and discipleship processes. As Millard Erickson explains, “it is both a sign of the believer’s union with Christ and, as a confession of that union, an additional act of faith that serves to cement the more firmly that relationship.” 6 In other words, just as obedience is a natural byproduct of saving faith, so baptism is a natural and necessary response to salvation. The underlying principle is that evangelism is more than just sharing the good news. Christians intent on evangelizing must know the end-goal. They share the gospel to give the hearer the opportunity to respond. A repentant response leading to salvation requires knowledge of sin, an emotional conviction of guilt, and the mindful/emotional/physical act of repentance, 4 Wolfgang Reinbold, “Go into All the World and Make Disciples of All Nations?: On the Translation and Interpretation of Matthew 28:19-20,” Logia 30, no. 1 (January 2021): 31-41. 5 Walter C. Kaiser Jr., “Putting It All Together: The Theological Use of the Bible,” in Introduction to Biblical Hermeneutics: The Search for Meaning , ed. Walter C. Kaiser Jr. and Moisés Silva (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2007), 240. 6 Millard J. Erickson, Christian Theology , 3rd ed. (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2013), 1032. 3

embracing the salvation that only Jesus can bring. 7 Baptism, which allows the new believer access to the Eucharist, is the final “act” of the initial repentance process. While a person may be technically “saved” on the sinner’s prayer alone, a Christian’s full conversion into Christ is not complete without baptism. It demonstrates the believer’s desire to become a disciple who will eventually turn around and evangelize others. Baptism completely closes the door on the salvation process, and opens the door for the new believer to begin the discipleship process. Disciples, including chaplains, who faithfully pursue evangelism by the leading of the Holy Spirit should not think that their role in the evangelism process is over before baptism has occurred. As discussed earlier, Jesus included it as part of the Great Commission. The Bible repeatedly shows baptism to be an integral part of the evangelistic process (Acts 2:38, Rom 6:4, 1 Cor 12:13, 1 Pet 3:21). Its significance to evangelism has continued to be seen from the early church to the present day. 8 Because Christians evangelize to create disciples, evangelists should disciple new believers through the entire process of repentance, including baptism. Hopefully, they will disciple new believers beyond this, into all the teachings of Christ that He expects disciples to be obedient to (Matt 20:20). At the very least, evangelists should seek to finish the evangelism process by guiding it towards baptism. Intentionally evangelizing to disciple in this manner can sometimes seem like a daunting task. To combat this feeling, evangelizers draw strength and motivation from the final aspect of the Great Commission: Jesus’ presence. “Surely I am With You Always…” Jesus bookends the Great Commission by explaining a powerful reality in two different ways: Jesus has the power, and He shares it with disciples (Matt 28:18, 20). Disciples intent on 7 Dave Earley and David Wheeler, Evangelism Is…: How to Share Jesus with Passion and Confidence (Nashville, TN: B&H Academic, 2010), 73. 8 Thomas R. Schreiner and Shawn D. Wright, Believer’s Baptism: Sign of the New Covenant in Christ (Nashville, TN: B&H Publishing Group, 2006), 163. 4

obeying Christ by evangelizing others through the entire salvation process and into discipleship can draw confidence that they are not evangelizing alone. First, evangelizers have Jesus’ Words to look back on through the Bible (Heb 1:2). Second, Jesus gives evangelizing Christians aid through the Holy Spirit (2 Pet 1:21). It is a comfort for Christians to know that they are merely the conduit through which God works. They need not know everything the other person needs to hear in order to convince them of their need for Jesus. They need only to obey the leading of the Spirit to evangelize, and trust that the Spirit will provide. 9 A chaplain who only obeys the Spirit’s leading to evangelize three times out of 10 and sees all three people converted is not as faithful as the chaplain who obeys the Spirit all 10 times but only saw one person converted. At the end of the day the results are up to God. 10 Third, as disciples mature in Christ, they learn God is faithful in carrying out His promise to transform believers into Christlikeness (Rom 12:2, 2 Cor 5:17). To “put on Christ” is to transform from someone afraid to speak up to someone who will boldly proclaim the good news (Gal 3:27, English Standard Version). Becoming Christlike will make it easier to proclaim the good news. Having the mind of Christ will bring compassion for the lost and zeal for the only message that can help them be found. Christ promises these to His faithful, and He always delivers. Conclusion Jesus gave Christians clear guidance for developing a theology of evangelism. He gave a clear command to make disciples. Chaplains can be certain that, due to the nature of their job, they will find themselves literally going to many nations around the world, ministering to service 9 Will Metzger, Tell the Truth: The Whole Gospel Wholly by Grace Communicated Truthfully Lovingly , 4th ed. (Downers Grove, IL: IVP Books, 2012), 22. 10 Ibid., 56. 5

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members who hail from many parts of America and the world. Discipling clearly begins with an evangelistic zeal to share the good news and giving people a chance to respond, culminating in the ultimate confession of baptism. Finally, chaplains can trust that Jesus is involved in their mission from beginning to end. 6

Bibliography Earley, Dave and David Wheeler, Evangelism Is…: How to Share Jesus with Passion and Confidence. Nashville, TN: B&H Academic, 2010. Earley, Dave and Rod Dempsey. Disciple Making Is…: How to Live the Great Commission with Passion and Confidence . Nashville, TN: B&H Academic, 2013. Erickson, Millard J. Christian Theology , 3rd ed. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2013. Kaiser Jr., Walter C. “Putting It All Together: The Theological Use of the Bible.” In Introduction to Biblical Hermeneutics: The Search for Meaning , edited by Walter C. Kaiser Jr. and Moisés Silva, 240-254. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2007. Keith, Steve. “Watch: Theology of Evangelism.” Lecture in CHPL 655 at Liberty University, Lynchburg, VA, 2017. Merkle, Benjamin L. “Why the Great Commission Should Be Translated ‘Go!’ and Not ‘As You Go.’” Southeastern Theological Review 9, no. 2 (Fall 2018): 21-32. Metzger, Will. Tell the Truth: The Whole Gospel Wholly by Grace Communicated Truthfully Lovingly , 4th ed. Downers Grove, IL: IVP Books, 2012. Reinbold, Wolfgang. “Go into All the World and Make Disciples of All Nations?: On the Translation and Interpretation of Matthew 28:19-20,” Logia 30, no. 1 (January 2021): 31- 42. Schreiner, Thomas R. and Shawn D. Wright. Believer’s Baptism: Sign of the New Covenant in Christ. Nashville, TN: B&H Publishing Group, 2006.

Theology of Evangelism Paper_CHPL 655

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