In traditional church evangelism, we often see a one-sided output. Regardless of whether the other person is willing, we insist on preaching the gospel to them. This approach shows an air of dominance but also reveals a lack of confidence. Jesus has already overcome the world, so Christians should proclaim the gospel with a victorious stance.
This domineering attitude is similar to an overbearing clause: only I can speak, and you can only listen. You are not allowed to question or ask, implying a lack of confidence. When evangelizing, Christians often fear facing the questions posed by others, afraid that these questions might stump them or shake their "firm" faith.
For some believers, this method of evangelism is simple and effective. They do not have to think about it, they just need rote repetition. Thus, the most common form of evangelism is handing out gospel tracts, which require no interaction and are favored by grassroots members of traditional churches. Another method is preaching to new members within the church.
Although there might be some interaction in urban churches, when faced with questions from non-believers, they often resort to circular reasoning, revealing their inability to address issues related to society and the natural sciences.
I have attended several evangelism meetings. Faced with certain questions, the common response is, "You don't understand because you haven't believed in Jesus; you'll understand once you believe." They talk about themselves without mutual understanding. Christians share their stories of converting to Christianity, while non-believers share their experiences and reasons for disbelieving.
To preach well, we must not only strive to make others believe in Jesus and understand the gospel but also ask why they don't believe in Jesus. Interaction should be built on mutual understanding. We also need to look back at Jesus and see how he preached the gospel. So many people followed Him because Jesus knew their needs and spoke in their own shoes.
To emulate Jesus, we must know and understand others when evangelizing, speaking from their perspective, so they can see the goodness of the gospel. To preach the gospel, we should not be exalted and arrogant but be humble.
- Translated by Abigail Wu
在传统教会的传福音模式中，我们看到都是单方面的输出。不管对方是不是愿意，我们都要向他传福音。显示出了霸气的一面，但是也显示了不自信的另一面。耶稣已经胜过世界，因此基督徒宣传的福音就要以胜过世界的姿态向世人宣讲。
霸气就类似于霸王条款，只能我说，你只能听。不能质疑不能提问，不自信则不言而喻。传福音的时候，基督徒不敢直面对方提出的问题。既害怕对方的问题把自己难住，也害怕对方的问题会动摇了自己的“坚定”信仰。
这种传福音的方式对一些信徒来说，简单有效。因为他不需要思考，只要照本宣科就可以了。因此我们看到的传福音方式，更常见是发单张，这根本不需要与人互动的方式，受到传统教会基层信徒的青睐。另一种方式就是在教会里，向新来的成员传福音，这就是宣讲的模式。而在一些城市教会可能会有一些互动，但是在面对不信人员的提问时，也只能循环论证，表现出他们对社会和自然科学方面问题的无力。
笔者曾经参加过几场慕道传福音的见面会。面对一些问题，他们一般都是用“你还没有信耶稣，等你信耶稣就明白了”这样的回答来应对。总体感觉下来，这一场互动，就是大家各说各。基督徒传福音的时候，讲的都是自己信耶稣的体验，而不信者讲的都是不信的体验。
这就要求我们传福音的时候，既要努力让对方相信耶稣，了解福音，也要问问对方为什么不信耶稣。让互动建立在彼此了解对方的状态中。有那么多人跟随耶稣，是因为他知道每个人的需要，站在每个人的角度说话。传福音不是我们高高在上，不可一世，而是应该屈身谦卑。
角声| 如何应对时代带来的福传方式变革？既要努力传，也要认真问
In traditional church evangelism, we often see a one-sided output. Regardless of whether the other person is willing, we insist on preaching the gospel to them. This approach shows an air of dominance but also reveals a lack of confidence. Jesus has already overcome the world, so Christians should proclaim the gospel with a victorious stance.
This domineering attitude is similar to an overbearing clause: only I can speak, and you can only listen. You are not allowed to question or ask, implying a lack of confidence. When evangelizing, Christians often fear facing the questions posed by others, afraid that these questions might stump them or shake their "firm" faith.
For some believers, this method of evangelism is simple and effective. They do not have to think about it, they just need rote repetition. Thus, the most common form of evangelism is handing out gospel tracts, which require no interaction and are favored by grassroots members of traditional churches. Another method is preaching to new members within the church.
Although there might be some interaction in urban churches, when faced with questions from non-believers, they often resort to circular reasoning, revealing their inability to address issues related to society and the natural sciences.
I have attended several evangelism meetings. Faced with certain questions, the common response is, "You don't understand because you haven't believed in Jesus; you'll understand once you believe." They talk about themselves without mutual understanding. Christians share their stories of converting to Christianity, while non-believers share their experiences and reasons for disbelieving.
To preach well, we must not only strive to make others believe in Jesus and understand the gospel but also ask why they don't believe in Jesus. Interaction should be built on mutual understanding. We also need to look back at Jesus and see how he preached the gospel. So many people followed Him because Jesus knew their needs and spoke in their own shoes.
To emulate Jesus, we must know and understand others when evangelizing, speaking from their perspective, so they can see the goodness of the gospel. To preach the gospel, we should not be exalted and arrogant but be humble.
- Translated by Abigail Wu
Rethinking Evangelism: From One-Sided Preaching to Mutual Understanding
