False Dichotomies, Part One

Christopher Wright, author of several books, including The Mission of God, has some thought- provoking comments about how evangelicals tend to create false dichotomies, or to separate things that ought to be kept together (because the Bible holds them together) and then to give one priority over the other.

The first in his list of dichotomies is our tendency to separate evangelism and discipleship, and prioritize the first. In fact we speak of the Great Commission as an evagelistic mandate,(and of course it implies and includes the necessity of evangelism – for if people are to be baptized, they need to have responded to the proclamation of the good news)when in fact the primary explicit command is "Disciple all the nations". It has been said, the New Testament is written by disciples, for disciples, to make disciples. Yet our emphasis has often been on getting decisions and converts, making Christians. Actually the word Christian occurs 3 times in the New Testament, whereas the word ‘disciple’ occurs 269 times.

Evangelism is an utterly essential part of mission. But there is mission beyond evangelism. Paul clearly believed this. Had he stopped being a ‘missionary’ when he spent 3 years teaching the church in Ephesus the whole counsel of God? He affirmed the mission of Apollos, which was a teaching mission (Acts 18:24-27), and refused to allow that either was more important than the other – the one who planted or the one who watered (1 Cor. 3:5-9). Evangelism and teaching/discipling are integral and essential parts of our mission. Great Commission Line Three: "Teaching them to obey all that I have commanded you." Paul told Timothy to "do the work of an evangelist", and also to teach sound doctrine, and to mentor others to teach others also. And he did not imply that one was more important than the other: they were all essential parts of the mission entrusted to Timothy.

The bad result of separating them and prioritizing the first is shallowness and immaturity and vulnerability to false teaching, church growth without depth, and rapid withering away (as Jesus warned in the parable of the sower). Our responsibility is to "bear witness to Jesus Christ and all his teaching."