miletwo::network

In keeping with my primary mission of studying and describing my findings on “Jesus marketing” as it applies to our activities today, I’ve been studying patterns of how Jesus followers have spread the Good News of Jesus (aka Gospel) throughout history. One awesome resource I’ve managed to get my hands on has been Eerdman’s Handbook to the History of Christianity in which is outlined a complete history of how the church and the bible have been developed and promoted throughout history.

In the second section titled “spreading the good news,” the various methods of sharing our faith and their relative popularity are described. Interestingly enough, the same methods are in practice today.

The first to be mentioned, public teaching, describes the practice of standing in the square, synangogue or marketplace and speaking to attract an audience. Often, proclamations of the presence of a great teacher would be made in the square and those interested, fascinated, or otherwise drawn to hear what he had to say would meet in the promoted location to hear the message. Or, at other times a speaker would just begin speaking in the square to draw attention and then share the message in a more impromptu fashion. Hmm… sound familiar? Even today we have Harvest Crusades led by Greg Laurie and a myriad other “come to meeting” calls to see the traveling preacher.

Another well known and still practiced method of sharing is to pen your thoughts on faith and salvation and share those writings with others. This is definitely another effective method of sharing the good news as it reaches a particular audience who is interested in scholarship and will read the thoughts on parchment with interest and thoughtfulness.

Last on the list is the personal witness which at its core is just plain old talking to the people you know, as you come and as you go, about the Man who changed your life and the book his Dad wrote. The fascinating thing described in historical writing is that this is believed to have been the most effective method of leading people to Christ throughout history. Early Christian apologist and saint Justin Martyr was brought into faith through the humble words of an old man he met while in Ephesus. The distinguished saint Cyprian, Bishop of Carthage, is believed to have been led to faith in Jesus through his relationship to a church elder. How wonderful that the method used to lead many of Christianity’s most distinguished figures to salvation through faith was primarily the care and consideration of a friend.

Take a look again at Matthew 28:19-20 where it says:

“…as you go, disciple people in all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey everything that I’ve commanded you.” (ISV)

I’m glad to see us returning to the understanding of these important words, push away from the proselytizing and bible thumping of days past, engage ourselves in the cultures around us and relate to the lost in a way that is real and meaningful to them. This is reformission, this is Vintage Christianity.

Go therefore…