Recently while reading a book entitled "Homiletics and Pastoral Theology" by the Presbyterian theologian W.G.T. Shedd, I was struck by a particular paragraph that seemed to to be relevant to the whole subject of evangelism in a post-modern context. I am always impressed by the insights I find in authors from the 19th century who were writing in the climate of modernity. So much of what they were facing was in many ways identical to what we are facing today, which appears to validate the notion that post-modernity is merely the logical outcome of modernity's humanistic presuppositions. Anyways, I would like to share this paragraph in light of the cultural pressure we face to abandon our 'narrow minded dogmas,' and the many fears that we face as we are called to preach and teach a message that claims absolute authority over its listeners to a resistant world.
'By what authority does thou these things? and who gave thee this authority to do these things?' was a question which the chief priests and the scribes and the elders put to Jesus Christ. If it was a natural question for them to ask of the Son of God, it is certainly a natural question for the secular, and especially the unbelieving, world to ask of the Christian herald. By what right does a mortal man rise upon the rostrum, and make positive statements concerning the origin of the human race, the dark mysterious beginnings of human history, the purposes and plans of the infinte Mind, and conclude with announcing the alternatives of eternal salvation and eternal damnation? With respect to these dark and difficult problems, all men stand upon a common level, if divine revelation is thrown out of the account. Apart from the light poured upon them by a communication from the Divine Mind, Confucius and Socrates have as much right to speculate and dogmatize as you or I. By what right, then, does that portion of the world which calls itself Christendom undertake to inform that portion of the world which is called heathendom, concerning God and the future life - concerning the soul, its needs, its sorrows, and its doom? What authority has the Christian man above that of the pagan man in regard to the whole subject of religion, and who gave him this authority? Why does not Christendom, as it peers into darkness beyond the tomb, look reverently to Mohammedanism for light? Why does Christianity insist that Mohammed shall come to the mountain; and why does the mountain refuse to go to Mohammed? As matter of fact, the entire human race is now receiving its lessons in theology and religion from only a portion of the race. In the outset, this portion which set itself up as the teacher of mankind was only a mere fragment of the sum-total - a mere handful of men in a corner of Palestine. The proportion has indeed greatly altered during the eighteen centuries that have elapsed since the death of Christ, but the vast majority of mankind are still pagan, the pupils still immensely outnumber the teachers. By what title does a mere fraction of the equally rational and equally immortal masses that crowd this planet, arrogate to itself the position of the tutor, and demand that the remaining majority take the attitude of the pupil? And, to narrow the circle, by what title does a small class of men rise up in Christian pulpits, and profess to impart instruction to the large congregations of their fellows and their equals, upon the most momentous and the most mysterious of themes? (Shedd 19,20)
As Shedd answers, it is the authority of the Lord Jesus Christ based upon His many infallible proofs and His testimony given in the Holy Scriptures. How much do we fail at being passionate about our evangelism because we are not saturated in Scripture? The quality of our evangelism will be affected by how much time we spend in prayer and in the Word with the source of the evangel Himself. As we go forth to spread the Gospel of Christ, lets not neglect to be transformed by the renewing of our mind that we may "preach Christ, through Christ, to the glory of Christ."
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