In reaction to the recent resurgence in Reformed theology among young evangelicals, some Southern Baptists have registered concern that personal evangelism may suffer a setback. Calvinists and non-Calvinists alike sometimes wonder if a strong view of God’s sovereignty can lead to active evangelistic efforts.
Will Metzger’s book, Tell the Truth: The Whole Gospel to the Whole Person by Whole People
Summary
Metzger begins by focusing on the importance of the gospel itself. Whereas some evangelistic strategies assume that the Christian already understands the gospel, Tell the Truth rightly perceives that the very message of the gospel is often neglected or even lost completely in certain methods of evangelism.
Metzger hopes readers will “recover the theological content of the gospel because only as your view of God’s active grace in salvation is changed can you find the confidence, joy, and gratitude to undergird a new evangelistic lifestyle” (15).
Integral to Metzger’s thesis is the idea that methodology flows from theology. Our theology is not only important in getting the message right, but also in how we present that message. He writes:
“A scriptural doctrine of evangelism should be the controlling element in any practice of evangelism” (19).
Because theology is so important for effective evangelism, Metzger spends a good deal of the book defining the gospel.
First, he shows that many forms of evangelism minimize the biblical content of the gospel. Too many strategies proclaim God’s love to the exclusion of his holiness and justice (39-41). He points out that gospel presentations rarely speak of the danger and reality of hell (46-7).
Next, he offers a road to recovery of the “whole” gospel.
Metzger’s gospel presentation can be categorized in five major points:
- Evangelists must teach about God, specifically his role as Owner, Father, and Judge of humanity (51-8).
- We must speak of “God-centered living,” which brings the Law into the picture (Love God and your neighbor) (58-62).
- Evangelists must show how “self-centered living” separates us from God and enslaves us to sin (62-7).
- We must proclaim Jesus Christ, whose death and resurrection provide our “way back to life” (67-75).
- Evangelists must call for the necessary response of repentance and faith (75-82).
After defining the main components of the gospel message, Metzger devotes the next section of the book to recovering a robust understanding of true conversion. Metzger believes that evangelists should not be satisfied with a partial response to the gospel. He makes a distinction between “professing” and truly “possessing” salvation.
If Christians are to rightly understand true conversion, then we must recover the biblical teaching of regeneration. We are not seeking quick conversions, but the Holy Spirit’s work in regenerating lost hearts (89).
Metzger believes that a right understanding of conversion will lead to gospel presentations that appeal to the mind, emotions, and will. Too many evangelistic methods focus on only one of these three parts of the human personality. Metzger urges us to hold them in proper balance.
The third section of the book provides a theological foundation for evangelism. Metzger puts forth a Calvinistic understanding of salvation (though he does not use the label). A proper understanding of God’s sovereignty in salvation will lead to a proper understanding of grace which, in turn, should embolden our witness for Christ.
He points out three myths that obscure the nature of free and unmerited grace: inalienable rights, human goodness, and free will (121-8). Metzger believes that worship should be the main motivation for personal evangelism. Worship as a response to grace should provide the necessary energy for sustaining our witnessing efforts (157-8).
The final section of Tell the Truth launches into the mechanics of personal witnessing. Metzger eliminates obstacles that stand in the way of evangelism (religious pluralism, lack of apologetic preparation, fear), and he challenges “ordinary Christians” to be faithful to the Great Commission through personal evangelism (159-79).
The last chapter (before the lengthy appendices) focuses on the different ways that gospel presentations can be tailored for different kinds of people (182-6).
Tomorrow, I will review the strengths and weaknesses of Tell the Truth.
