Popping up all over Twitter has been the following:
“‘Preach the Gospel; when necessary use words’ is like saying ‘Tell me your phone number; if necessary, use digits.’”
I thought it helped show the fallacious nature of the title of this post (often attributed to Francis of Assisi) but I didn’t bother posting it here as it had made the rounds and it appeared everyone was “re-tweeting” it. I also thought it was a clear “open and shut” case. It appears for many Christians it isn’t.
Brian Thornton got himself in some hot water over on Facebook for posting it:
“My tweets automatically post to my FB page (thereby killing two birds with one post), and that comment has sparked a controversy over the nature of the gospel.”
In one comment on Thornton’s blog Scott Autry offered another analogy that may be closer to home for all those that want social-justice but aren’t keen on verbally speaking the gospel:
“Feed starving children, when necessary use food.”
My thoughts – preach the gospel and by God’s grace don’t live a life that’s contrary to the gospel you proclaim. When you do miss the mark, don’t justify your actions, but use it as another opportunity to proclaim the amazing grace of God. He saved even a wretch like you.
Oh, I’d ask you to comment but I’d rather you just look at my life and “know” that I’d like you to. 
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Tagged as // Evangelicalism, Evangelism, False Teaching
Filed in // General
Comments [20]
Nathan, this is a matter of balance. I’ve always lived with the understanding that unless my life reflects the reality of Christ in me, it is pointless to testify. In fact, when I first became a Christian, I thought, “I’ll just keep my mouth shut and wait for people to ask my what made me the way I was.”But the reality was, few ever did, so I was off the hook as far as witnessing is concerned. Somewhere along the way, I was convicted by 1 Peter 3:15,16. But as I’ve matured in my faith, I realise it’s a matter of balance – its not either/or but both.You make a good point that even when our lives don’t always depict the sanctification God is working within us, we can say He saved even a wretch like me.
Good metaphors, showing the absurdity of that apocryphal quote. Several years ago, while serving on a pastor search team for a church which practiced “pastor poaching”, a couple of the other men ran on and on about how we ought to first demonstrate Christ before we could proclaim the Gospel. I found this article which I think is a wonderful rebuke to the notion of “lifestyle evangelism” – http://jewsforjesus.org/publications/newsletter/2000_11/moishesmusings
Oh how that phrase., “Preach the gospel; if necessary, use words” just shudders through me. I hate it. It truly is from the pit.
JD Greer’s comment was to say that the standard quote was stupid and that people are saved by the foolishness of preaching and not homoginzed morality on display. People are saved by our God and not our goodness. JD is sick of the satanic lies of this form of cheap grace.
That is why the gospel is a Deed and Word ministry. No better example than our Lord Jesus who did both.
Well, it depends on how you define lifestyle evangelism. I cannot agree with the statement made (maybe) by Francis of Assissi. I do, however, believe that it’s important to build relationships that give a grounding to your witness. While door to door evangelism might be beneficial sometimes, I think the NT clearly talks about us evangelizing within the sphere of life in which God has placed us. That being said, how do you preach about Jesus without using His name? How do you preach at all without words? How do you make a point about the Bible with ONLY actions? I very much believe in using relationships for evangelism, but I also very much believe in faithfully articulating the Word of God and not making the people around me guess as to why I do what I do. That could lead people to such poor conclusions! It could (possibly) lead to an implicit approval (in their assumptions) by me of sin! So, yes, our actions matter, but unless conditioned and seen through our words, the water is very muddy.
This is a common statement that is essentially a cop out for many “Christians”. They use it as an excuse for not proclaiming the Gospel to other in verbal or written form because they are afraid of looking foolish (although they won’t admit it). They would rather say, “I show people that I am a Christian by the way I live.”There are two problems (at least) with this:1) Being good and caring to others is not just a Christian attribute. Many non-Christians do nice things for other people, etc. Therefore, you are indistinguishable from every other “do-gooder”.2) The demonstration of your good deeds and kindness do absolutely nothing for other people if they don’t know WHY you do it. I do good works because I LOVE JESUS CHRIST needs to be stated.3) Most importantly, nobody will be saved by your demonstration of good works. They need to HEAR the Gospel in order to be saved. If you don’t share the Gospel in words with other people, you are doing nothing to help them.We need to remember that our story doesn’t mean anything. It is Jesus Christ’s story that matters.Shalom,Ryan
Ryan,Amen and amen. Your last sentence sums it up. I tried to explain to a “pastor” at my former church that personal testimony was important but secondary to proclaiming the gospel. He insisted on personal testimony because “no one can argue with that”. A post child for post-modern thinking.
That is why we need to take Paul and James together.“How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!”” (Romans 10:14–15 ESV)“But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.” (James 2:18 ESV)The preaching of the gospel is not either Word or Deed. It must be both. Without the Word, people will not understand why you are different, at peace. Without the Deed, people will reason that the gospel will have no effect on their lives because it is apparent to them that it has not had an effect on ours.
“Feed starving children, when necessary use food.” This slimily is totally incorrect. The correct slimily would be: feed starving children when necessary cook too. What Francis of Assisi was saying was live the Gospel first then preach it if necessary. You can’t preach what you don’t live. The best modern day statement to what Francis of Assisi was say is practice what you preach. He just said preach what you practice. Preaching without living the gospel is dead faith. It is the ancient saying of leadership through respect and example.
Actually the correct quote is “Evangelize always, when necessary use words”
Francis, Please read the article at the following link for a solid examination of the cowardly practice of what Francis of Assisi was advocating.http://jewsforjesus.org/publications/newsletter/2000_11/moishesmusings
OK- any quote, if made your only mantra for life, can be taken out of context. If you don’t get the gist of what he is saying (especially to the catholic bishops at the time who were not living it) then you don’t get Christ’s preaching. He may have given the great commission, but compare that to how much he taught on other subjects. In effect, live your life in a way that will invite someone to care about why you are different- or as many have said, “They don’t care what you know until they know that you care”. But you must be ready- don’t have so much ‘tact’ that you don’t make ‘contact’
Sorry- cutoffI also balance this with a quote from Oswald Chambers-”If our devotion is to the cause of humanity, we will be quickly defeated and brokenhearted, since we will often be confronted with a great deal of ingratitude. If we are motivated by our love for the Lord, no amount of ingratitude will be able to hinder us from serving one another.”
Lloyd,Your repeating of this comment: “They don’t care what you know until they know that you care”. displays a man-centered view of the Gospel, something Charles Finney and any Roman cultist would quickly embrace. Salvation is of the Lord! The only biblical command we have for saving people is to proclaim the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ as the Savior of all who believe. We trust God the Father to call to Himself those whom He has predestinated to salvation and none of those will ever perish. And none other can come to saving faith.Let me finish by saying – yes, Christians are to live in accordance with the commands of Christ, our good deeds ought to reflect the Spirit of God within. But no such outward appearances replace one iota of the Gospel. God does not depend our our righteousness to save anyone.
Hi there
For years I didn’t like the St Francis quote, I love sharing the Gospel with all kinds of people, love to grab any opturnity I can to tell about Jesus, salvation, sin, the cross, heaven and hell – the full Gospel message.
I was reading a book on evangelism, apparently St Francis never made that quote, the “Always preach the Gospel, use words if necessary” was a misquote. There was a link to a catholic encylopedia which gave the actual quote which Francis made which differed to what he is quoted as saying.
So to any pastors out there who use this quote – better think again.
Funny how 9 times out of 10 when I see that quote it reads, “Preach the Gospel at all times” or “Preach the gospel always.”
Interesting to me that you’ve excluded “at all times” or “always” from your rendition of the alleged quote. Obviously, you’ve done this for a reason.
Are you a person that just likes to nitpick over words? Seems, this may be the case and worth your consideration.
I for one think “Preaching the gospel ALWAYS” might be worth considering. And the possibility that I might need to shut up to do it sometimes is also worth considering.
It’s not about the words, friend.
Manfred,
Sorry- didn’t follow this for awhile.
I would agree- God does not DEPEND on us to save others- it is only through HIS sacrifice. However, he does choose to use us and therefore how effective we are may be his perfect will (or permissive will)- unless you believe EVERY action is controlled by God from bumping my shin to whether someone catches a disease.
I am not very calvinist- I would prefer to do everything he commands (including what the book of James says- read it sometimes) just like he commands and then when I am standing there on judgment day have Him say ‘well done’ instead of ‘do you remember when you didn’t…..’
Of course I will be in heaven as my faith in Christ had saved me, but I certainly want fewer tears that he has to wipe from my eyes.
This is much like the salvation question to an unbeliever- I can’t prove it to you to your satisfaction, but if I’m wrong what have you lost? and if you’re wrong? you’ve lost much more.
Those of you who disagree with the quote “preach/evangelize always, if necessary use words”. It’s not saying that you absolutely can’t talk to spread the Lord’s word. It means, say your asked to drink alcohol, or get high smoking, or have pre- marital sex, then just don’t do it, walk away, or just simply say “no”. Then, if they ask why not, it is then NECESSARY to say “I will not be involved in that because I love our savior king Christ Jesus. Don’t just jump to the conclusion that you have to take the quote completely literal, it is partially implied, you have to interpret it yourself and think about, not just simply think that it’s saying you can’t talk to preach. Also, if someone asks your beliefs, or why you are/aren’t doing something, it then makes it NECESSARY use words to evangelize.
You are saying that evangelizing is impossible without speaking to people (feeding starving children without food.) So our silent prayers for conversions are useless? Catholics are persecuted in many countries and yet they invited us to open schools so long as we don’t “evangelize”–and yet we win souls in these places.
How effective would you be if you were living with your “significant other,” never helping out at church, often having something mean to say about people, prayed only when it suited your needs, and so forth? Less so than someone who rarely spoke and yet lived an exemplary Christian life.
Let’s see, what would be a good analogy for your way of thinking? “Tell others how great it would be to feed the starving children even though you haven’t done it yourself.”
Let me give you a modern translations of Saint Francis: “Actions speak louder than words.”
It’s the striving that matters to God, not the achievement, and that is how we evangelize without words ALONG WITH telling others about the Good News.
(BTW, I am a sinner but I am not a wretch for I was made in the image and likeness of God.)