WALDROP: Evangelism. In this economy?

It’s called “witnessing,” and it’s a good thing. And, yes, there is a “but” coming – actually a “when.” When witnessing is done in the Biblical context, it is an effective form of evangelism: sharing the good news about Jesus. The Greek word for “witness” is informative: a “martyr” was a sworn witness in court or someone speaking truthfully in ordinary conversations.

Many early Christians bore witness to Jesus in the ultimate way. They died as faithful witnesses/martyrs. One of the first carried the name to his grave: Justin Martyr, who was executed by Marcus Aurelius in 165 A.D. for not closing his school of evangelists. (His reply to Marcus’ threats was said to be: “You can kill us, but you can’t hurt us.”)

Witnessing for Jesus today is fairly safe compared to those days, right? Yes, but there is a kind of safe witnessing that can fall very short of being the kind of martyr Jesus called us to be (Acts 1:8). Most of us have seen it and heard it, and we may have practiced it ourselves, believing that we were being effective witnesses.

Some of those evangelistic tools come to mind. The “Roman Road” consists of seven verses of Scripture (from the New Testament book of Romans) that attempt to move a person from sinfulness to salvation after these verses are read (Rom. 3:10 and 3:23; Rom. 5 12; Rom. 6:23; Rom. 5:8; Rom 10:9-10 and 13). The one who is witnessing will have pre-marked them in the Bible, and then reads them in that order, to the person being “witnessed to.”

Another method is the “Four Spiritual Laws,” written by Bill Bright, founder of Campus Crusade for Christ. This is a booklet of Scriptures, charts and pictures used by the evangelist to lead someone to Jesus. Like the “Roman Road,” it is laid out as an easily understood road map that leads into the Kingdom of God.

Both of these evangelistic tools, and many others, have their place. When they work, they work well. Likewise, when they fail, they fail miserably. Why? Because their strengths are also their weaknesses. They become simple and quick; indeed, even shorthand versions of the Biblical message. Yet, they can reduce that message to catchy phrases printed on pretty pages of theological doctrine.

Can New Testament evangelism be reduced to a series of “flash cards?” Take, for example, the Apostle James’ letter in which he criticizes the church’s short, dismissive evangelistic outreach to its own members: “If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food and one of you tells them, ‘Go in peace. Stay warm and well-fed’; but does not give them what their body needs, what good is that?” (James 2:15-16). Moreover, if that is how they treated each other, what evangelistic program did they have toward strangers who were not believers, but fellow citizens?

That is the problem with reductionist witnessing that addresses as little of the total person as possible. Yet Jesus said: “You shall love the Lord your God with all of your heart, mind, soul and strength; and love your neighbor as yourself” (Mark 12:30-31); and to teach that to everyone (Matt. 28:20).

Does our evangelism, like that in the Bible, address the economic, social, medical, marital, family, educational and other crises that millions of people face daily in our society — both in the church and outside? Or does some evangelism demonstrate the difference between a menu and a meal? After hearing and reading the gospel printed in tracts and brochures, how many people are left wondering, “Where is the meal?”

The Rev. Russell G. Waldrop, D. Min., LPC, is a pastoral counselor and is chaplain of Western State Hospital. Contact him at 540-332-8004 or .