The following is an excerpt from the book, Plain Bible Teaching: The First Ten Years.
If you read through the entire book of Acts, you will not find the apostles or other disciples engaging in various activities (feeding the poor, building hospitals, organizing recreational activities, staging music performances, etc.) as a way to draw the attention of unbelievers and generate interest in hearing the gospel. Instead, they simply preached the gospel.
Some might object and say that this method is not effective. Yet it was very effective in the first century. So much so that Paul told the Colossians “of the gospel…which was proclaimed in all creation under heaven” (Colossians 1:23). It can be effective today as we sow the seed and it falls on good and honest hearts (Luke 8:15).
As we strive to make the gospel known to others, we do not need to resort to gimmicks. We do not need to copy the unscriptural practices of the denominations. Yes, technology and cultures change; but the methods of teaching – the spoken word and the written word (2 Thessalonians 2:15) – are timeless. As we seek to evangelize the lost, let us look to the apostles as our examples, rather than the denominations around us.
You can read more in Plain Bible Teaching: The First Ten Years. Follow the link to learn more about the book and purchase your copy today!
