“RADICAL EVANGEL(ISM?)”
Dr. Gerhard Forde, former Professor of Theology at Luther Seminary, St. Paul, MN (deceased), once
called for a “Radical Lutheranism” to answer the concern for a church which is losing members,
confused about its mission, drifting from its doctrinal moorings.
This essay is an attempt to address the church regarding the above concerns. The Gospel is being
contaminated with a variety of human add-ons. The once robust delivery of the Lutheran “Solas” (Word
Alone, Grace Alone, Faith Alone) is today more timidly discussed rather than proclaimed. There is
unsettled debate on how the church should spend its time, resources, and energies. Sifting sand has
replaced solid rock and people are jumping off their Lutheran precipice because they hear mixed signals.
Dr. Forde has, with accurate insight, reported on this sad situation. He has also issued a call for a return
to the clear “roots” (“radix/radical”, “radix” means “roots” in Latin) of the Reformation, a call to be
faithful to the Gospel in its “truth and purity”. One would hope that such a return would result in
another return: of those who have drifted away from the Church, now to return to an “evangel” with a
‘radical’ Lutheran theology built on “the Rock”.
Much of “evangelism” today stresses “decision theology”. It is claimed that evangelism is not finished
until one makes a “decision for Christ”, and decides to “personally and sincerely commit their life to
Christ.” In other words, one is acceptable to God, IF they place their faith in Jesus and agree to follow
Him. It appears that God must wait for the candidate to mull it over and decide if the offer is worth it.
Then God can get to work and show him how to live. There are a lot of things here that are conditional.
There seem to be some strings attached. If I decide… If I believe… If I commit… If I agree… The
emphasis is strongly on the human side of the “equation.” A radical Lutheran approach to this would
turn this upside down and reverse things. That is what this essay attempts to accomplish.
Just a few more thoughts as we begin: the word “evangel-ism” implies a systematized approach to this
effort. Anything that is given the suffix “ism” is something which has been formalized or
institutionalized or established as a method, even a fixed method. But the word in Greek, “evangel”
simply refers to a message which carries good news. “It’s a girl!” What formalization is needed for that
message? “We won!” Does that need organization? What if we removed the “ism” from the word?
What if we simply delivered the “good news”, what would people do with that? If they didn’t respond
the way we hoped they would, what could we do about that? If they did, what should we do about
that?
Every New Testament reference about adding converts to the church indicates an association with a
local group of Christians, e.g. “the congregation that meets at Philemon’s home (Phil 1)”. St. Peter said
we are to be like “bricks” built into the “wall” of the structure (I Peter 2:4-5), supporting others and
being supported by others in the enterprise of the people of the New Covenant. The “evangel” then is
meant to bring us together like this. The absence of this mentality raises the question of which will
power dominates our life. “Blessed be the tie that binds our hearts in Christian love.” Becoming family
means sharing the family “dinner table”.
Another point which needs attention is this: The Lutheran Church is a “sacramental” church. Dr. Forde
has authored a book titled, Where God Meets Man: Luther’s Down-to-Earth Approach to the Gospel.
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Everything about the Gospel is sacramental. Everything about God’s Covenants is sacramental. God’s
choices about our restoration and our freedom is sacramental. God comes to us. God finds us where
we are. He chooses us to be his own. He enfolds us in his arms of love and compassion. All religions do
the opposite. They are “sacrificial.” They demand their dues. On the other hand, the Christian
responds to God’s unilateral initiative. “For Thine is the Kingdom, and (Thine) the Power, and (Thine)
the Glory, forever and ever.”
So, is it “evangel-ism”? Or is the “evangel”, on its own, supplied with its own power, sufficient to
accomplish what it is meant to do?
Here are some thought starters:
Isaiah 55:8-11: -- The Lord operates on his terms.
Romans 1:16-17: -- The gospel…IS the power of God….
John 1:1-14; 3:5; 6:32-39, 44-47, 63-65: -- Where, how, and why God meets man.
A. GETTING YOUR HAND ON THE RIGHT HANDLE
A lot of luggage looks alike. It’s easy at the airport luggage carousel to grab the handle of the wrong
suitcase, only to discover the contents weren’t meant for you. Everyone on the journey of life will carry
their “suitcase”. It even has a brand name on it. It is called “religion”. We think that what’s in it
(religion) is meant for us, or at least some people think we ought to have one of our own – religion, that
is. And the not-always-recognized truth be told, we already have one. If fact, we must have one. We
have to believe something or someone. We can’t avoid it. It’s in our “DNA”. But the unexpected truth
about religion is that its contents weren’t meant for us. That suitcase looks familiar. That handle seems
like it should be mine. But when I get to where I can open it up and see what’s in it, what’s in there just
doesn’t fit. It’s just so much baggage. It just gets heavy, lugging it around. It gets to be a burden.
What this previous paragraph is meant to convey is this: Adopting a certain religion is not what we’re
after in this essay. Such an attempt will simply send us off course.
The effort to recruit people to join a religion is often referred to as “evangelism.” There are a few
groups which have been very aggressive in this effort, namely the Mormons, the Seventh Day
Adventists, the Jehovah’s Witnesses, not to mention groups seen and heard in airports or on street
corners. These efforts are typically variations on the theme of getting people to adopt their religion.
We are pressed to do the same thing. That is, we are told we need to practice “evangelism.” Perhaps it
is time to once again pose the question: “What is Evangelism?” In reply we get many different answers,
e.g., conducting a church membership drive, calling on people who sign the church “guest book”, getting
people to “make a decision for Christ”, preaching on TV/radio, handing out tracts/pamphlets about
Jesus, door-to-door visits with invitations to come to church, again, often understood as an invitation to
religion.
The question: What is Evangelism? needs an answer.
Knowing the origin of that word will help. Evangelism comes from the Greek word, “eu-angel-eon.”
“Eu”- means good. --“angel--“means message. –“eon” makes it messenger. The “evangel” means good
message, good words, good news. An “evangelist” is one who brings a message of good news.
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Adding “ism” to “evangel” to make it “evangelism” is to organize the telling, to systematically do the
telling, to develop a method to guide the telling, to formalize the telling. The danger here is that the
way people do the telling can become more important than the message itself. And because we want
the way we do it to be “successful” we are tempted, and often succumb to adding something to the
message to make it “effective”. We look for evidence that the message accomplished what we
expected. And what was that? Many/most of us would say we expect (hope?) to see someone become
a church member, a Christian.
Having said this, we need to review what that message is. That may seem to be an odd statement. If we
have been church members for years (Lutherans even), haven’t we heard the message enough times to
know what it is? Of course we have. And Jesus’ future apostles (“the twelve” disciples) traveled with
their Lord day and night. But Jesus, on more than one occasion, became exasperated with them over
their thinking. Take, for example, this event recorded in Mark 7:1-8, 18. The faith of Israel, in Jesus’
day, had been reduced to a religion of rules and regulations, legalistic practices and traditions. God had
chosen them and “blessed them” so that they could and would be “a blessing” throughout their history.
They showed they didn’t “get it”. A new covenant was coming into focus with the coming of Jesus, the
Christ. But, again, they just didn’t “get it”. And the problem goes much deeper than mere rituals; it
goes to the heart of the matter of life and living, trusting God’s word, his instructions, his wisdom, his
promises, his power, his purposes, his will. They became very religious, and that’s what they thought
they should be. Jesus amplified the problems of “religion” run amok in Matthew 23, describing in angry
as well as in anguished words what they brought upon themselves.
All of this is to say that trying to get people to be religious misses the entire point.
Religion is not, and cannot be, good news (evangel). Religion is ritual and regulations and traditions and
can only add pressure to the “poor soul” trying to be “good”, or be “holy”, or be “at peace”, because
religion puts the onus on us. “Be good, or else”. Pressure is not good news. Freedom is.
If trying to get people to be religious isn’t “good news”, what is? The answer to this question forces us
to confront the offensiveness (I Corinthians 1:18-25) of Christianity. Christianity is not just another
religion in competition with other religions. Evangelism is not the attempt to prove that Christianity is a
superior, or even the best religion. Christianity is NOT a religion at all. It is A PROMISE, BACKED UP BY
AN EVENT: THE RESURRECTION OF JESUS FROM THE DEAD. It is that news and that event! Good news.
Really good news. It is this because:
“God the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth” has made the following decisions:
1. Read Ephesians 1:3-10
2. “ II Corinthians 5:17-19
3. “ I Corinthians 1:18-31
4. “ Romans 5:1-8; 6:23; 8:28-39
5. “ Acts 2:36-39
6. “ John 11:25-26
7. “ John 1:1-14
St. Peter sums it all up so eloquently and completely: Read II Peter 1:3-4
St. John does it this way: Read Revelation 21:1-7
Boil this all down, and we are left with a promise, backed by an event. All the above passages are really
different ways of expressing the same promise: God has decided that, in spite of our sins (yes, sins, all
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of them) God will nevertheless set us free in Christ. That means forgiven. That means we are restored,
redeemed, reclaimed by God to be his forever forgiven children. He decided that before this world
existed. He did what it took to make it happen by what he sent Jesus to do –die and rise again – for us.
That’s the good news. That’s the “evangel”, the gospel. God decided to do this FOR US. We can count
on it. We can trust him for it. It’s his promise. Thus we live forgiven, in great joy, in great peace. It’s all
a gift, a sheer gift. It’s done!
“Come, all who are weary and heavy-burdened, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28-30) The
baggage of religion is set aside, removed. We can “rest” in the Lord. It is our “Great Sabbath”.
The evangel, then, is this news, and we are invited, called, to do what we can to get it announced.
Bringing people to a religion (the wrong “handle”) is not our job. Getting this news to people is.
B. WHAT THE “RIGHT HANDLE” LOOKS LIKE
The Bible (New Testament) gives us many pictures of what the “right handle” looks like. This gift of God
is shown to us from different angles. The following illustrations are pictures of God’s act of
RESTORATION for his “fallen humanity”:
--- “Unto you is born this day a Savior who is Christ the Lord.” ( Luke 2:14) Savior refers to
one who rescues another who is helpless.
--- “…you were redeemed from the empty way of life….” (I Peter 1:18-21) Redeemer refers
to one who retrieves another in order for them to live for the right reason.
---“…the Son of Man (Jesus) … (came) … to give his life as a Ransom for many.”
(Mark 10:42-45) Ransom refers to paying the cost of rescue and retrieval.
---“… God…Reconciled us to himself through Christ…” (II Cor. 5:17-19) Reconciliation is the
language of reviving an alienated, broken marriage.
---“The Spirit of the Lord is on me……He has sent me to proclaim freedom…to Release the
oppressed….” (Luke 4:17-19) Release means freedom from a “prison.”
All of these passages are pictures of the same action of God in Christ. They are expressions of
Restoration, Repentance, Return. In Genesis 3, the angel of the Lord prevented Adam and Eve from
re-entering the Garden of Eden. (Genesis 3:22-24) In other words, the “garden life” shall not be
restored and lived on humanity’s terms. That would not be permitted. That cannot and will not
happen. But with the action of God in Christ, that access would be restored by the mercy, grace, and
faithfulness of God.
Jesus spoke of himself with picture-language as well. Restoration was his purpose also. They come to us
as the great “I AM” declarations:
---“…I am the bread of life.” (John 6:35)
---“…I am the light of the world….” (John 8:12)
---“…I am the gate for the sheep.” (John 10:7)
---“I am the good shepherd….” (John 10:14)
---“...I am the resurrection and the life.” (John 11:25)
---“I am the way, the truth, and the life.” (John 14:6)
---“I am the vine; you are the branches.” (John 15:1-5)
---“…streams of living water….” (John 7:37-38) Though this is not an “I AM” statement, the
idea is certainly found here.
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Most parables and all miracles of Jesus are pictures (events) to convey the meaning of God’s good will
for us. The parables often begin, “The Kingdom of God/heaven is like…” --then come similes,
comparisons, allegories, analogies. The miracles were called “signs” (John 2:11), i.e. pointers. His goodwill-power aimed at us for restoration of life. His good-will-power to restore all creation.
To repeat: the evangel, then, is this news, and we are invited to do what we can to get it announced.
Bringing people to a religion (the wrong “handle”) is not our job. Getting this news to people is. This
brings us to that famous passage, the final words of Jesus just prior to his return to reign over us and all:
“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, ‘discipling’ all
nations, baptizing them…and teaching them…I am with you always….” (Matthew 28:18-20)
Jesus did not say, “Go and make people religious.” He did not even tell them to “Go and make people
Christians.” He commissioned them to “Go ‘discipling’ them.” In other words, “On your way, as you go
about your life, on your errands, in your conversations ,speaking that ‘good news’ here and there may
produce other ‘followers’, ‘learners’, ‘students’.” Making them Christians was not the job given to us; it
is not our responsibility. God reserves that responsibility for himself. (John 6:32-40, 65)
This is why we confess with Martin Luther: (Note: Who owns which verbs in this explanation?)
“I believe that I cannot by my own understanding or effort, believe in Jesus Christ my Lord, or
come to him. But the Holy Spirit has called me through the Gospel, enlightened me with his
gifts, and sanctified and kept me in true faith….” (Explanation to 3rd article of the Apostle’s
Creed) God makes Christians by His Spirit through his Word!
All of this drives us to this bedrock conclusion: We are called to be a Sacramental Church. God
unilaterally seeks and finds us. His Holy Spirit “calls and enlightens” us. God’s grace “dawns on us.” (II
Peter 1:3-4, 19) His invitation to be baptized into Christ is for the purpose of applying his promises and
gifts to our lives personally. It is the action of God wherein it becomes the ending of one life, drifting
without faith, and a beginning of a new life, anchored by faith, by trusting God’s Word and declarations
of forgiveness and newness of life. Disciples of Jesus follow him to learn what this means.
That discipleship continues as we gather in worship to hear God’s word proclaimed, his wisdom and
precepts and promises fed into our hearts and minds. And to make it personal again, He comes to us
with bread and wine in the Lord’s Supper. That is, he makes his presence available to us to confirm to us
that he is for us (“my body, my blood, given and shed for you.”).
These Sacraments are the means by which God personally delivers his decisions about us to us.
These “altar calls” are where we hear again, not our decision but God’s loving, merciful, forgiving will
(decision) for us: “You are mine. I love you. Trust me, because my gifts to you are irrevocable.”
(Romans 11:29) The evangel is this good news.
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C. HOW AND WHERE CAN WE ANNOUNCE THIS GOOD NEWS?
Here are some examples. Some will apply to everyone. Some are assigned to certain ones, e.g.
“… do the work of an evangelist….” (II Timothy 4:5)
1. PREACHING -- Proclamation – Rom. 10:14-15, II Tim. 4:2-4.
2. TEACHING -- Matt. 28:18-20, Acts 2:42, Matt. 7:24-28. (Examples: parables, Sermon on the Mount
– Matt. 5-7, John 13-17)
3. “DECLARING the wonderful deeds of Him who called us…..” What Jesus did to restore, heal, save,
relieve, comfort, reveal, lift up, give people hope. – I Pet. 2:9-10.
4. “Be prepared to GIVE AN ACCOUNT of the hope that is in you”. -- I Pet. 3:15. What reasons do
you have for the hope you enjoy? What did Jesus say/do to give you hope, rather than an
emptiness or despair?
5. “They overcame by…..their TESTIMONY …” Rev. 12:10-11. What results can you tell of Jesus
Word/Promise. What’s different for you now because of Jesus?
6. “COME AND SEE” -- The invitation to see and hear what we do together in worship -John 1:46. Prayer, Praise and Thanksgiving. The journey of faith, the “rest stop” for worship,
gathered for rest, renewal, re-equipping, strength for getting back “on the road”.
7. “PLANT THE SEED, WATER IT”. I Cor. 3:6-9. -- Ask a question. Drop a hint. Make someone think.
Be nice. Be encouraging. Promote curiosity.
8. GIVE SOMEONE A BIBLE OR A NEW TESTAMENT. Offer to read it with them.
II Tim. 3:14-17, Acts 8:30-39.
D. WHAT DOES ALL THIS MEAN FOR “EVANGEL-ISM?”
Perhaps we should surrender and retire the word “evangelism” completely. Not many can think of the
“evangel” without attaching many and various ideas about the “ism.” Whenever the “ism” is added, the
gift becomes conditional. If we do it this way… If you do it our way…. The “ism” is intended to lead to
the conclusions we want to see, all with good intentions of course.
The “evangel” without the “ism” is the key to it all. Jesus told his disciples they were to be his
“witnesses” (Acts. 1:8). A witness simply tells what he has seen and heard; in this case, God’s promise,
backed up by an event. It happens to be the event of all time, the gift of life procured by the death and
resurrection of Jesus. As a “witness”, we are simply to make the promise and the event known. Old
Testament example: Isaiah 40 (the whole chapter). New Testament example: Acts 8:26-39.
Now, having said all this, there is an “ism” we need to confront. It is, for Lutherans, “Lutheranism.” It
will be the same issue for any other denomination, e.g. Methodism, Anglicanism, etc.
The “Aha” moment has arrived for someone. The mind and heart is captured by that great news: Jesus
is their savior. They find themselves trusting his word for them: his promise, and the event behind it.
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Now what? What happens next? We are told that the 1st time this happened, Jesus’ disciples gave the
people specific instructions. On the Day of Pentecost, Peter spoke (proclaimed) to a large gathering the
promise and the event. The “Aha” moment arrived for some 3,000 people. They went home – changed
(Acts 2:22-42, ff). God’s promise of their forgiveness was directed to each of them in their Baptism. And
they wanted more.
Again, hear Luther’s words of explanation: “…the Holy Spirit has called me through the Gospel……In the
same way he (1)calls, (2)gathers, (3)enlightens, and (4)sanctifies the whole Christian church on earth….”
He calls, then gathers. The gathering and the gathered becomes “the church”. And because, by
necessity, this happens among us, it calls us to “life together”. That means people will meet and pray
and study and commune (Acts 2:42), and find ways to serve each other and share this announcement.
That means there is another “ism”. We refer to this sort of thing as “church membership”. The church
must take shape. There is an unavoidable horizontal element to it. Can this “ism”, this Lutheranism
exist without damage/distortion to the “evangel?”
E. THE “EVANGEL” AND THE UNAVOIDABLE “ISM”
Someone will say, “Aha! I knew this whole exercise, this ‘essay’ was, sooner or later, going to get
around to the “real” reason for all these pages: you’re looking for more church members, aren’t you?!”
The honest answer, of course, is, “You’re right”! The deeper question is, “Why?” Answer: because the
Creator of the universe, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; one God, has us in his sights. His promise, backed
up by his Event, is perfectly aimed at us. He means to “put to death” our broken sinful human nature
(Romans 6:2-10) and “raise us” to newness of life. Baptism does that. That’s the “evangel”. Your “new
life” in Christ puts you into a new family, with a new world-view, a new heart, a new mind-set, a new
joy, a new hope, a new Word to trust, a new Lord to love, a new future and goal in life. The
foundational contours of your life are formed and fulfilled right here.
We are called to be members, “members of the body of Christ” (I Corinthians 12:12-27). That is more
than being members of a church. But, it also means being a member of a church. Every Christian in the
New Testament ended up in a congregation somewhere. And congregations are people, imperfect
people; forgiven imperfect people. And they have things to do. They have an imbedded calling in “their
coming and their going” in daily living. They can be like “salt” and “light” when the opportune time
arrives, in the course of their natural conversations and their daily routines. And, you and your brothers
and sisters in the faith will share the duties and the privileges of the faith (John 20:21). You will join
together, as Jesus said, to “Follow me…”
God has given to his church people with talents, skills, interests, drive, patience, etc., “gifts given to each
one, just as he determines.” (I Corinthians 12:11; Ephesians 4:7, 11-16; Romans 12:1-8).
The church, then, must have an organized structure to address its assigned purposes. When that
happens, a legitimate “ism” is created. The challenge will be to prevent that “ism” from being an end in
itself, and instead to deal with it as a means to an end, the means by which the church members fulfill
their callings as the members of Christ’s “body”.
Judaism was swamped by, and reduced to, rules and regulations, traditions and ceremonies. Socialism
and communism absolutizes the power of central government, often leading to corruption and tyranny.
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Humanism/secularism trumps all forms of faith and turns whatever it touches into idolatry. Lutheranism
is always in danger of treating the faith like “religion” (human effort). This is one important reason why
Lutherans begin their worship services with the Confession of Sin and the Absolution.
As it was stated at the beginning of this essay, Dr. Forde has, with accurate insight, reported on this sad
situation. He has also issued a call for a return to the clear “roots” (“radix/radical”) of the Reformation,
a call to be faithful to the Gospel in its “truth and purity”. One would hope that such a return would
result in another return: of those who have drifted away from the Church, now to return to an
“evangel” with a ‘radical’ Lutheran theology built on “the Rock”.
F. HERE IS “WHERE THE RUBBER HITS THE ROAD”.
We now turn to practical matters. Questions for discussion:
1.
St. Paul told Timothy to “…do the work of an evangelist….” (II Tim. 4:5) Timothy was a young
pastor, mentored by Paul. What did Paul mean by “…the work of an evangelist?”
2.
St. Paul told the congregation of the Ephesians, “It was he (God) who gave some to be apostles,
some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers…”
(Ephesians 4:11-13). What is the difference between an evangelist, and a pastor (from the word
meaning shepherd), and a teacher? Do they overlap? Must these people be “professionals”?
3. Of the eight (8) possibilities listed above for sharing the faith, choose the ones you consider to
be most useable for you. Give reasons for your choices.
4. Jesus found Phillip. Phillip found Andrew, something of a skeptic. Andrew balked at the
invitation to meet Jesus. Andrew said, “Come and see.” (John 1:46.) When we invite a friend or
neighbor, or an unannounced guest comes to church, what will they “see?” What should they
see (and hear)? Do we all need to pay more attention to this? In your opinion, what does need
attention?
5. When new Christians responded to St. Peter on Pentecost and were baptized, “they devoted
themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to
prayer” (Acts 2”42). Is this not a model for us? What do you think we need to do to improve
ourselves in this regard?
We are a “Sacramental Church”. With that in mind, how should/do we address the above issues raised
and still remain faithful to the “evangel”, the radicalness of the Gospel? Who might you wish to talk to
about this? What are your thoughts?
THE LORD BLESS YOU AND KEEP YOU!
Gordon Huesby
April 2016
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