Resurrection of Christ in Evangelism

[Christianbookworm]

The Resurrection is what makes the Crucifixion more than just a random guy getting killed for annoying the religious leaders. If it weren't for what happened on Easter Sunday, none of us would have even heard of Jesus of Nazareth, agreed?

[heartablaze]

I was in a class on the theology and practice of Evangelism, and so naturally one of the first topics of discussion was, "What is the Good News?" Every student worked with one or two others to come up with something to share, and the teacher wrote them all down and then we took that and put it together and then compared it with a much better definition, but I recall that almost everyone mentioned the Cross, and almost no one the Resurrection, there were a few mentions of the perfect life, and none of the virgin birth.

Ok, that's interesting. So it's not just my experience, but other people have experienced that. I definitely forget to mention the virgin birth a lot. Why do you think they/we forget?

[Christianbookworm]

Ok, that's interesting. So it's not just my experience, but other people have experienced that. I definitely forget to mention the virgin birth a lot. Why do you think they/we forget?

Maybe we just think there's no need to mention something that everyone should already be aware of. Namely, Easter and Christmas.

[heartablaze]

Yeah, maybe we do just take it for granted that people know all of those details. In American culture, there is definitely that background, although I feel like it's getting less and less. Talking with internationals about the gospel has given me a different take on it, because I never know if they have that background, so I try to tell the complete story, even going back to the fact that there is one God.

[Cow Poke]

And we don't have to tell them everything we know in the process of winning them to Christ -- that's "evangelism". Then there's "discipleship".

[heartablaze]

And we don't have to tell them everything we know in the process of winning them to Christ -- that's "evangelism". Then there's "discipleship".

Definitely! And every time we share the gospel we won't be able to tell the whole gospel.

At the same time, when someone makes that first step to follow Christ, I think they need to know what they're buying into, at least a foundational knowledge. Do you agree? If so, what would that foundational knowledge be?

[Cow Poke]

Definitely! And every time we share the gospel we won't be able to tell the whole gospel.

At the same time, when someone makes that first step to follow Christ, I think they need to know what they're buying into, at least a foundational knowledge. Do you agree? If so, what would that foundational knowledge be?

That's hard to answer, because "evangelism" is taking the person from where he/she is (lostness) to where they need to be (new babe in Christ). There needs to be a little assessment of where they are, to determine what it takes to get them where they need to be. I don't mean to be dismissive -- but you kinda need to know where they're coming from.

[heartablaze]

Ok so in talking with some friends, I think the lack of teaching the Resurrection of Christ is the teaching of penal substitionary atonement that goes back to the Reformation:

Penal substitutionary atonement refers to the doctrine that Christ died on the cross as a substitute for sinners. God imputed the guilt of our sins to Christ, and he, in our place, bore the punishment that we deserve. This was a full payment for sins, which satisfied both the wrath and the righteousness of God, so that He could forgive sinners without compromising His own holy standard.

Penal substitutionary is great in itself; I appreciate it. But I feel like maybe because of its prevalence some people feel stop at Jesus being the sacrifice and don't feel the need to go farther into the resurrection of Jesus. What do yall think?

[Adam]

Yes, I remember some preacher said Good Friday really is the good day, making salvation possible. Jesus's life and Resurrection seemed irrelevant to him.

[Christianbookworm]

Don't you have to have Easter to make Good Friday be GOOD?