MS508 EVANGELISM: THEOLOGY AND PRACTICE by Elias dos Santos Medeiros COURSE DESIGN Master of Divinity Reformed Theological Seminary Jackson, Mississippi Spring 2006 A.D.
TENTATIVE SCHEDULE--SPRING 2006 TOPICS TO BE ADDRESSED Introduction to the Course What is this course all about? God s glory, the Church, and the Unconverted Followers of Christ: Fishers of Men The requirements The Chief End of Ministry and Evangelism The Problem of Every Person You Meet Evangelism, Evangelist, Evangelize, Preach, Gospel The Teachings and Ministry of Jesus The Teachings and Ministry of Peter The Teachings and Ministry of Paul The Practice of Evangelism Evangelizing in Prisons Evangelizing Roman Catholics Evangelizing Muslims in USA Evangelistic methods Small Groups Discussion Reformed and Puritan Evangelism The Sovereignty of God and Evangelism Calvin and the TULIP Discussion on Baxter and Beeke Outreach Project Reports
MS508 EVANGELISM: THEOLOGY AND PRACTICE Course Description Evangelism and its relationship with the pastoral ministry are reviewed in light of the teaching of Jesus, the apostles, and the dynamics of the preaching of the gospel as portrayed in the context of the New Testament church and the Reformed faith. Evangelism as an effort to reach out to different groups is also studied, encouraged, and considered in the light of the Scriptures. The Lord willing we will have the participation of some experts on the topics of Evangelizing Muslims, Evangelizing Roman Catholics, Evangelizing Inmates, etc. Please pray for our class and all the participants. You will be engaging in a tremendous and unbelievable spiritual warfare zone. Course Requirements 1. Classroom attendance and active participation in the small group discussions. Classroom attendance [and active participation in the small group discussions] [are] for the glory of God and preparation for the gospel ministry. SIX (6) ABSENCES: GRADE F FOUR (4) ABSENCES: GRADE C+ THREE (3) ABSENCES: GRADE B- 2. The careful reading of the assigned materials and four reading reports (two pages per book over 100 pages), single space, highlighting the main propositions, statements, theses, principles, etc, gathered from the reading. 3. Serious involvement in and commitment to an outreach project during the semester. 50 % of your grade. 4. A journal of your outreach project with the dates and main experiences, lessons, and/or impressions that you have each time you went out to visit someone. 5. Fifteen minutes personal testimonies. Each student will have an opportunity to share his own testimony in the context of a small group. For a format of how to prepare your personal testimony, see Metzger 2002, 209-210. 1
Required Readings Books The whole book of Acts. Inspired by the Holy Spirit. Commanded by God. Beeke, Joel R. 1999. Puritan evangelism: A biblical approach. Grand Rapids: Reformation Heritage Books. See his bibliographical footnotes for more sources on Puritan evangelism. 52 pages. Miller, C. John. 1997 [1980]. Powerful evangelism for the powerless. Phillipsburg: P & R Publishing. Recommended by Steve Brown, James Kennedy, Jerry Bridges and others. 151 pages. Metzger, Will. 2002 [1984, 1981]. Tell the truth: The whole gospel to the whole person by whole people: A training manual on the message and methods of God-centered witnessing. Revised and Expanded. Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press. 259 pages. Recommended by John Piper, Edmund P. Clowney, John MacArthur Jr, J. I. Packer, and others. Van Valen, Leen J. 2002. Constrained by His love: A new biography on Robert Murray McCheyne. Translated from Dutch by Laurence R. Nicolson. Fearn, Tain, Ross-shire: Christian Focus. 484 pages including pictures. Every church leader should read it. Recommended by Joel R. Beeke, J. I. Packer, and David Robertson. DISCIPLINE YOURSELF TO READ 10 PAGES PER DAY. YOU WILL FINISH THIS ASSIGNMENT BY APRIL 30 TH. START ONE BOOK AT A TIME AND IN THE FOLLOWING ORDER: BEEK, MILLER, METZGER AND VAN VALEN. Articles To be handed out during the semester by different lecturers. Other Sources Use your Internet search engine (Google, Copernic, etc.) and search for books on evangelism, evangelism bibliography, bibliography on evangelism, evangelism institute, evangelism books, evangelism resources, theology of evangelism, history of evangelism, evangelism and culture, evangelism methods, Reformed Evangelism, Puritan Evangelism. Eerdmans.com--http://www.eerdmans.com/shop/subjectarea_list.asp?pg=1 Bakerpublishinggroup.com-- 1 http://www.bakerpublishinggroup.com/me2/dirmod.asp?type=advancedsearch&nm=advanc ed&mod=site+search&level=2 Preliminary Bibliography Books 1 Includes the following publishing companies: BakerAcademic, BakerBooks, BethanyHouse, Revell, Chosen, BrazosPress, and Cambridge University Press. 2
Allen, Roland. 1964. Missionary principles. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans.. 1962. The spontaneous expansion of the church. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans.. 1962. Missionary methods: St. Paul's or ours? Grand Rapids: Eerdmans. 173 pages.. 1960. The ministry of the Spirit. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans. Armstrong, John H. 1997. Five great evangelists. Geanies House, Fearn, Ross-shire: Christian Focus Publications. Recommended by Michael Horton, John Blanchard, and others. 250 pages. Barrett, David B. 1987. Evangelize! A historical survey of the concept. Global Evangelization Movement: The AD 2000 Series. Birmingham: New Hope. Bonar, Horatius. 1995. Words to winners of souls. Phillipsburg: Presbyterian and Reformed Publilshing Company. Boston, Thomas. 1998. The art of manfishing: A Puritan s view of Evangelism. Introduced by J. I. Packer. Ross-shire, Scotland: Christian Focus Publication. Bruce, A. B. 1976 [1894]. The training of the twelve. Sixth printing. Grand Rapids: Kregel Publications. Brueggemann, Walter. 1993. Biblical perspectives on evangelism: Living in a threestoried universe. Nashville: Abingdon Press. Carson, D. A. 1996. The gagging of God: Christianity confronts pluralism. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan. Carson, D. A. ed. 2000. Telling the truth: Evangelizing postmoderns. Grand Rapids: Zondervan. Chantry, Walter J. 1980. God's righteous kingdom: The law's connection with the gospel. Carlisle: The Banner of Truth Trust.. 1980. Today's gospel: Authentic or Synthetic. Carlisle: The Banner of Truth Trust. Coleman, Robert E. 1995. The master plan of evangelism. Foreword by Billy Graham. Grand Rapids: Fleming H. Revell Company. (66th printing). Dever, Mark E. 2003. Evangelistic expository preaching. In Give praise to God: A vision for reforming worship: Celebrating the legacy of James Montgomery Boice, pages 122-139. Eds. Philip Graham Ryken, Derek W. H. Thomas, and J. Ligon Duncan, III. Phillipsburg: P&R Publishing. Drummond, Lewis A. 1992. The word of the cross: A contemporary theology of evangelism. Foreword by J.I. Packer. Nashville: Broadman Press. Edwards, Jonathan. 2002. The salvation of souls: Nine previously unpublished sermons on the call of ministry and the gospel. Wheaton: Crossway Books. These sermons
were edited by Richard A. Bailey and Gregory A. Wills. Book well recommended by John Piper (Senior Pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church), Douglas A. Sweeney (Chair, Department of Church History and the History of Christian Thought, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School), Harry S. Stout (Jonathan Edwards Professor of American Christianity, Yale University) and others. 179 pages Grand Rapids Board of Evangelism of the Christian Reformed Churches. 1962. Reformed evangelism: A manual on principles and methods of evangelization. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House. Green, Michael. 1995 [1970]. Evangelism in the early church. Updated Edition with a New Forward. Guildford, Surrey: Eagle. 339 pages.. 1995. One to one: How to share your faith with a friend. Nashville: Moorings. Hoekema, Anthony A. 1989. Saved by grace. Grand Rapids: W. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company; and Exeter: The Pternoster Press Ltd. Horton, Michael Scott, ed. 1992. Power religion: The selling out of the evangelical church. Chicago: Moody Press. Hulse, Errol. 1986. The great invitation: Examining the use of the invitation system in evangelism. Welwyin, England: Evangelical Press. Kuiper, R.B. 1994 [1966]. God-centered evangelism: A presentation of the scriptural theology of evangelism. London: The Banner of Truth Trust. Ladd, George Eldon. 1952. Crucial questions about the kingdom of God. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans.. 1959. The gospel of the kingdom. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans.. 1974. The presence of the future. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans.. 1994. A theology of the New Testament. Rev. ed. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans. Lloyd-Jones, D. Martyn. 1949. The presentation of the gospel. London: InterVarsity Fellowship. Mayhue, Richard, and Robert L. Thomas, eds. 1992. Rediscovering expository preaching by John MacArthur, Jr. and the master's seminary faculty. Word, Inc. McGavran, Donald A. 1988. Effective evangelism: A theological mandate. Foreword by Roger S. Greenway. Phillipsburg: Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing Company. Muck, Terry C. 1992. Those other religions in your neighborhood: Loving your neighbor when you don't know how. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House. Murray, Iain. 1984. The invitation system. Carlisle: The Banner of Truth Trust.
Newbigin, Lesslie. 1991. The gospel in a pluralist society. Geneva: WCC Publications, 1989; reprint, Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company (page references are to reprint edition). O'Brien, P. T. 1993. Consumed by passion: Paul and the dynamic of the gospel. Homebush West, NSW: Lancer Books. Packer, J.I. 1991. Evangelism & the sovereignty of God. Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press. Piper, John. 2002 [1993]. Let the nations be glad: The supremacy of God in missions. 2 nd ed. Revised and Expanded. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House. Rainer, Thom. 1996. Effective evangelistic churches: Successful churches reveal what works and what doesn t. Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.. Reisinger, Ernest C. 1982. Today s evangelism: Its message and methods. Phillipsburg: Craig Press. Ridderbos, Herman. 1958. Matthew's witness to Jesus Christ: The king and the kingdom. London: United Society for Christian Literature-Lutterworth Press.. 1962. The coming of the kingdom. Translated by H. de Jongste. Philadelphia: The Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing Company.. 1979. Church, world, kingdom. Potchefstroom, S.A.: Instituut vir die Bevordering van Calvinisme.. 1988. Redemptive history and the New Testament scriptures [Formerly The authority of the New Testament scriptures]. Translated by H. De Jongste. Rev. ed. Philadelphia: The Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing Company. Ruffcorn, Kevin E. 1994. Rural evangelism: Catching the vision. Minneapolis: Augsburg. Runia, Klaas. 1978. What is preaching according to the New Testament. Tyndale Bulletin 29:3-48. Sanders, John, ed. 1995. What about those who have never heard? Three views on the destiny of the unevangelized: Gabriel Fackre, Ronald H. Nash, and John Sanders. Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press. Scharpff, Paulus. 1966. History of evangelism: Three hundred years of evangelism in Germany, Great Britain, and the United States of America. Translated by Helga Bender Henry. Grand Rapids: W. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company. Sire, James W. 1990. Discipleship of the mind: Learning to love God in the ways we think. Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press. Spencer, Ichabod. 2001. Vols 1 and 2. A pastor s sketches: Conversations with anxious souls concerning the way of salvation. Vestavia Hills: Solid Ground Christian Books. Spurgeon, Charles H. 1993. The soul winner. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans.
Stewart, James A. N.d. Evangelism. Asheville: Revival Literature. Warfield, Benjamin B. 1989 [1915]. The plan of salvation. Boonton: Simpson Publishing Company. Wilson, Jeffrey E. 1990. The authentic gospel. Carlisle: The Banner of Truth Trust.