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"Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian."
Acts 26:28.
Paul, the prisoner, impressed King Agrippa, at his trial
by what he said in his own defence, and as a man obviously
honest, sincere, deeply committed, to the Jesus of whom he
spoke. He was so convincing that Agrippa had difficulty questioning
the truth of anything he said.
Indeed Agrippa and Festus, the procurator of Judaea, who
had sat in on the trial, found Paul innocent of the charges
the Jews brought against him. They would have freed him but
as he had appealed to Ceasar, to Rome he must go. This incident,
one of the very many in the life of the "adventurous"
apostle is a lesson in Christian discipleship. Paul spoke
determinedly of his faith in Christ and what it meant to him.
He described, explained, the consequences of the life, death
and resurrection of Jesus to all who heard him.
What he said and how he said it was effective because he
was telling the king how Christ had changed his life and why
he had to tell everybody about what happened to him and what
turning to Christ would mean for them.
The way to witness for Him by those who believe in Him, in
circumstances certain to be very different from that of Paul,
is well illustrated here.
There were the words and the man who uttered them and the
words were meaningful because the speaker was certain of the
truth of what he said. The application of the lesson to the
situation in which Christians find themselves means that we
need to "tell about Jesus" and to do so in words
and actions, character and conduct, that encourage someone
to listen to us and so to be brought to faith in Christ through
us.
This is described as personal, one-to-one, evangelism. It
must be integral to the maintenance and growth of Christian
faith and witness in the world. Christian witness, of course,
is also concentrated on people in praying and preaching places.
There is the public worship of God, the necessity to all believers
with its call to express their adoration of Him and their
faith and dependence on Him to help them live their lives
after the pattern of Jesus Himself. And they pray that those
for whom they pray will be blessed of God in their lives and
in the ways and means God chooses for them. Christians, by
teachers and preachers, seek to strengthen the faith and witness
of believers and to bring people to faith in Christ. The teaching
of the faith has been by methods of proven value over many
years, and in these days by the use of several communication
devices available to those who teach the subject.
Preaching remains of worth in the ministry of the Christian
fellowship. Because it is the presentation of the preacher,
it varies in form and style as much as preachers differ as
persons. The one constant should be the determination, Paul
like, to declare the whole counsel of God. Aims may differ
as preachers do, but the preachment should be clear, intelligible
and with and articulation which ensures that what is heard
is understood.
When the aim is to bring people to faith in Christ, the form
of the preachments will be a concentration on that objective.
There are the examples of Peter, Paul, the apostolic preachers
and the great number of those who brought people to faith
in Christ in every generation and everywhere.
It is by preaching that the faith is often made to grow.
But it has to be preaching like that submission of Paul to
Agrippa, precise and pungent, requiring a response from those
to whom it is addressed.
Rev. Canon Dr. S.E. Long
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