Confrontational Evangelism

Pavel Mosko · Jan 22, 2020

A Facebook Friend posted a pithy little meme like statement that I think summarized most of my inner attitude on Evangelism etc. Sometimes getting at things we occasionally even see on this board.

Of course, being pithy it is probably a little over simplistic for the nit pickers etc. that love to find exceptions to the rule and so on. I would have phrased it less as an absolute, and more that it should be rare and maybe would cite Jonah to Nineveh as an example.

"I don’t know that confrontational evangelism is ever right (or biblical). Outside of circumstances where you are invited to speak, you should always wait for someone to ask you about the hope you have. But you should live and talk in a way that makes them ask. This is harder and, most often, takes time."

(Later he later did clarify his position.)

Dear friends who are out of their minds that I am against confrontational evangelism: look up the phrase first. It does not mean I am against the confrontation of error or, God forbid, against evangelism. I am just against sloppy, lazy tactics.

So what do think? (He has another clarification statement further down in the thread).

Pavel Mosko · Jan 22, 2020

Ah he did clarify his position.

Dear friends who are out of their minds that I am against confrontational evangelism: look up the phrase first. It does not mean I am against the confrontation of error or, God forbid, against evangelism. I am just against sloppy, lazy tactics.

Curtis.Hilliker · Jan 22, 2020

Confrontation and prayer is what got me into the Kingdom, I may even have ended up dead if it wasn’t for my Uncle hammering me. Some people really need it.

Rebecca4Christ · Jan 22, 2020

Tell Jesus and Paul they were a bit to confrontational......

Aussie Pete · Jan 22, 2020

Pavel Mosko said:
A Facebook Friend posted a pithy little meme like statement that I think summarized most of my inner attitude on Evangelism etc. Sometimes getting at things we occasionally even see on this board.

Of course, being pithy it is probably a little over simplistic for the nit pickers etc. that love to find exceptions to the rule and so on. I would have phrased it less as an absolute, and more that it should be rare and maybe would cite Jonah to Nineveh as an example.

"I don’t know that confrontational evangelism is ever right (or biblical). Outside of circumstances where you are invited to speak, you should always wait for someone to ask you about the hope you have. But you should live and talk in a way that makes them ask. This is harder and, most often, takes time."

So what do think?

I think it is a cop out. Romans 10 "How then can they call on the One in whom they have not believed? And how can they believe in the One of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone to preach? And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”

If my boss at the time had not taken the time to witness to me, I could easily have never been saved. I was suicidally depressed and nearly died of alcohol poisoning twice in 2 weeks. It never occurred to me to ask for help from anyone. I despised what I thought was Church so you would not get me into one in a fit.

It is possible to witness, uninvited, in a way that is not intimidating or overbearing. Check out a preacher named Bayless Conley. He has a testimony about being witnessed to by a kid, from memory 11 years old. Well worth hearing.

SkyWriting · Jan 22, 2020

Pavel Mosko said:
A Facebook Friend posted a pithy little meme like statement that I think summarized most of my inner attitude on Evangelism etc. Sometimes getting at things we occasionally even see on this board.

Of course, being pithy it is probably a little over simplistic for the nit pickers etc. that love to find exceptions to the rule and so on. I would have phrased it less as an absolute, and more that it should be rare and maybe would cite Jonah to Nineveh as an example.

"I don’t know that confrontational evangelism is ever right (or biblical). Outside of circumstances where you are invited to speak, you should always wait for someone to ask you about the hope you have. But you should live and talk in a way that makes them ask. This is harder and, most often, takes time."

So what do think?

Correct.

SkyWriting · Jan 22, 2020

Aussie Pete said:
I think it is a cop out. Romans 10 "How then can they call on the One in whom they have not believed? And how can they believe in the One of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone to preach? And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”

If my boss at the time had not taken the time to witness to me, I could easily have never been saved. I was suicidally depressed and nearly died of alcohol poisoning twice in 2 weeks. It never occurred to me to ask for help from anyone. I despised what I thought was Church so you would not get me into one in a fit.

It is possible to witness, uninvited, in a way that is not intimidating or overbearing. Check out a preacher named Bayless Conley. He has a testimony about being witnessed to by a kid, from memory 11 years old. Well worth hearing.

I don't recall any witnessing in scripture, of that type.
God's plans are not bend-ed.

Pavel Mosko · Jan 22, 2020

Michael Patton
January 20 at 4:15 PM

The Four Kinds of Evangelism:

1. Proclaimational: preaching the Gospel to crowds who invite it and are there willfully (Jesus, John the Baptist, Peter).

2. Confrontational: giving the Gospel to those with whom you have no previous relationship and who did not invite you to share.

3. Relational or Incarnational: sharing the Gospel with someone with whom you attempt to build some degree of relationship to diagnose the best approach to witnessing. The door may open on the first encounter or never open, but you don’t force the door open unless under prophetic mandate to do so.

4. Friendship: waiting to witness until you have established a friendship with the person through building into their lives, providing for and serving them, thereby gaining their trust.

Of course the first is okay.

The second is okay only if the Lord has given you a prophetic mandate.

The third is preferred and may need to forth.

The fourth, in exclusion to the third, is not preferred as the timetable to friendship and trust is precarious.

If you are on Facebook you should consider friending, Michael Patton. He is a full time independent theologian of the Calvinist persuasion. I knew him from a Blog / discussion board that he ran for a number of years, before joining Facebook.

Michael Patton

Aussie Pete · Jan 22, 2020

SkyWriting said:
I don't recall any witnessing in scripture, of that type.
God's plans are not bend-ed.

On the day of Pentecost, the apostles preached in public. They did not wait until they developed a relationship with the hearers. Paul preached in Athens. They were not Jews. They did not know Paul. Stephen was sure confrontational. They killed him. I don't know what you mean by bend-ed.

Rescued One · Jan 22, 2020

The seed needs to be planted and watered. Afterwards, God makes it grow.

1 Corinthians 3
6 I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. 7 So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase.

Rescued One · Jan 22, 2020

Christians are told to be kind.

Colossians 3:12
Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;

Ephesians 4:32
And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.

We need to be kind in order to please God. But God makes the seed grow regardless if that's His will.

Sketcher · Jan 22, 2020

Pavel Mosko said:
A Facebook Friend posted a pithy little meme like statement that I think summarized most of my inner attitude on Evangelism etc. Sometimes getting at things we occasionally even see on this board.

Of course, being pithy it is probably a little over simplistic for the nit pickers etc. that love to find exceptions to the rule and so on. I would have phrased it less as an absolute, and more that it should be rare and maybe would cite Jonah to Nineveh as an example.

"I don’t know that confrontational evangelism is ever right (or biblical). Outside of circumstances where you are invited to speak, you should always wait for someone to ask you about the hope you have. But you should live and talk in a way that makes them ask. This is harder and, most often, takes time."

So what do think?

I think the world is tired of hearing it. But they're not tired of practicing it themselves, when it's a liberal cause that they are evangelizing.

Lady Donna Marie · Jan 22, 2020

Rebecca4Christ · Jan 22, 2020

I've never understood the whole taking time to build a friendship so you can share the gospel,thing.
What if that person gets hit by a bus before you get around to planting the seed?
Who's fault is it that they didn't hear the Gospel sooner?

Lady Donna Marie · Jan 22, 2020

Monksailor · Jan 22, 2020

We all have been given a mandate from the Lord's accompanying angels as He ascended into heaven in Acts 1:8 and from the Lord himself in Matt28:16-20. I was saved through the confrontational evangelistic approach of a Campus Crusade for Christ convert in spite of me seriously threatening him if he approached me again. he did; I was saved as a result of his Christ-like love, power, and courage.

topher694 · Jan 22, 2020

SkyWriting said:
I don't recall any witnessing in scripture, of that type.
God's plans are not bend-ed.

Are you for real right now? The guy was depressed & suicidal, and now because of his boss's witnessing he is saved and healed... and you have a problem with that? Plus that kind of witnessing is in scripture, from Jesus himself even.

Curtis.Hilliker · Jan 22, 2020

Monksailor said:
We all have been given a mandate from the Lord's accompanying angels as He ascended into heaven in Acts 1:8 and from the Lord himself in Matt28:16-20. I was saved through the confrontational evangelistic approach of a Campus Crusade for Christ convert in spite of me seriously threatening him if he approached me again. he did; I was saved as a result of his Christ-like love, power, and courage.

wonderful

com7fy8 · Jan 22, 2020

People have asked me after I have confronted them.

Also . . . if people are turning away from the Bible, this can be because they feel the Bible is confronting them.

So, it is possible that some number of people have already been confronted before you come along.

Your example can confront. God uses good example. Read and feed on how this can work with Christian wives > 1 Peter 3:1-4 < about how Christian ladies can help any disobedient husband.

HTacianas · Jan 22, 2020

Pavel Mosko said:
A Facebook Friend posted a pithy little meme like statement that I think summarized most of my inner attitude on Evangelism etc. Sometimes getting at things we occasionally even see on this board.

Of course, being pithy it is probably a little over simplistic for the nit pickers etc. that love to find exceptions to the rule and so on. I would have phrased it less as an absolute, and more that it should be rare and maybe would cite Jonah to Nineveh as an example.

"I don’t know that confrontational evangelism is ever right (or biblical). Outside of circumstances where you are invited to speak, you should always wait for someone to ask you about the hope you have. But you should live and talk in a way that makes them ask. This is harder and, most often, takes time."

So what do think?

Being prepared to give an answer is really the only biblical requirement of a layman as far as evangelism goes. It is by tradition that we are called on to participate in the great commission. But for a layman it's only in inviting a person to Church really.

I leave evangelism to the evangelists.

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