From Justin Taylor:
"CT senior managing editor Mark Galli--author of a biographical guide to Francis of Assisi--has a good article online today on the quote 'Preach the gospel; use words if necessary.'
'The problem,' Galli writes, "is that he did not say it. Nor did he live it. And those two contra-facts tell us something about the spirit of our age."Mark closes by proposing a more biblical injunction: 'Preach the gospel—use actions when necessary; use words always.'"
From me: I'm very happy to see this unbiblical (and as it turns out, unhistorical) maxim be debunked!
The Gospel is first and foremost "news" -- a "message." So necessarily it must be spoken. It is sad when things this obvious need to be argued for, but that's about where things stand in professing evangelicalism today.
You can read the article here.
2 comments:
It is sad when you hear Francis Assisi quoted more on the topic of evangelism than you do Jesus, Paul or Peter. I know that my words and my actions are flawed and tainted at times because of sin. But I know that it is easier to quote the Word of God than to live the Word of God perfectly. Because no man can live out the Word perfectly save Jesus Christ. 2 Cor. 5:16-21 comes to mind. " We implore you on behalf of Christ be reconciled to God." SO if you have been reconciled to God than you are an ambassador of God both in word and deed.
Amen, Erik. Well put.
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