Evangelism and Spiritual Warfare, Mentor's Guide, MG08

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E V A N G E L I S M A N D S P I R I T U A L W A R F A R E

up the body of Christ, [13] until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, [14] so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. [15] Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, [16] from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love. The goal is to see evangelism as part of a larger context of the upbuilding of the body, with maturity in Jesus Christ as the explicit goal of all evangelism. If this view is taken, evangelism can never be done as an isolated activity severed from every other form of ministry that the Church practices and embraces. Paul’s language is critical for the aspiring evangelist. All of these gifts are given in order that every convert may “attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ” (v. 13). Emphasize this in your discussion with the students, and try to link the biblical relationship of evangelism to follow-up and incorporation into the local assembly.

These case studies seek to explore the relationship of the “salvation decision” with one’s place and participation in a body of believers. Maturity in the New Testament is an explicitly communal understanding, that is, we mature in the context of a group of disciples who are using their gifts for the well-being and strengthening of one another (1 Cor. 12.1-27; Eph. 4.11-16; 1 Pet. 4.10-11; Rom. 12.3-8). We ought to be aware of the modern tendencies to make our spiritual journey a privatized and egocentric faith that really only sees connection to Christian community as either a nice-thing-to-do-on-Sundays-for-the-kids or a pure afterthought. To measure one’s faith by what one does individually at the coffee table with their own personal translation of the Scriptures is out of sync with biblical community and the vision of God rescuing and producing a people who will show forth his excellencies in the world today. A cursory look at the critical texts in the New Testament reveal a pluralistic identity of spiritual maturity and growth. 9 Page 126 Case Studies