Biblically, are Christians supposed to evangelize?

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But you shall surely find out

Salvation is by faith alone.

There probably are people who have a vocation for evangelism/preaching. Certain faiths will indoctrinate followers that they must evangelise (regardless of whether they have any gift for it) or else they're not saved. I didn't become a christian because of a human being convincing me. I read the bible.

God can make anyone s/he wants a christian. I think people forget this.

I guess the thing is, 'should they evangelize', and I think that forcing beliefs upon someone, and disregarding the original beliefs whether they are some other form of faith, atheism, paganism etc is using bullying tactics; which Jesus would say is counter to what his original teachings were meant to be in the first place. People like Billy Graham, Benny Hinn etc make a bad name for the rest of the believers because they continually harass others and harangue them into accepting Jesus and God their way. If you are going to spread the word, do it; but if someone says no, move on and leave them alone. Oh, if someone doesn't want to believe, sly innuendo and guilt trips are only going to make your cause worse.

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/evangelizing

i think if anything jesus was against any kindof organised religion. what religion was he? religion is bs and jesus knew it. its all about a relationship with god. and screw man for trying to get it right

skafather84: very good, are there any more?

True, to a point; indeed at least some of the other differences are related to the differences in publicly accepted and rejected behaviours and opinions that you refer to, while differences between individuals and cultures within any given time have parallels in a number of widely dispersed times.

And I said yes, Ragtime. The biblical warrant for proclaiming the Gospel and witnessing to the ends of the earth (spatially and temporally; α̉ιών can mean age, eternity or world depending on the context) seems clear enough, unlike my thinking.

what if I accept Jesus as my saviour-but being a bisexual
will I go to heaven

I don't give two craps about Jesus.


Oh well. Hell... here I come! And Satan, beer's on me.

True, though the question was not, "Will all non-evangelising Christians go to hell?" (or at least not to Heaven, or at any rate not be saved). You are right that not all have been given a specific gift, though this need not preclude witnessing (which need not be confined to the or even primarily consist of the verbal).

"God has given some to be preachers, prophets etc." You are also right that in the end it is not the persuasive eloquence or impressive moral example of any earthly evangelist that is decisive (thank goodness, one is tempted to exclaim) in conversion.

Indeed, Ragtime, in describing C. S. Lewis' (re)conversion as philosophical (in another post) you were somewhat simplifying the picture, sometimes helpful though not, I believe, (though I may well be wrong) in this instance necessary. He was converted IN A SENSE by the same means as other Christians; by the Holy Spirit. Feel free to attack Flagg, and I do not say this malevolently.

By the way Ragtime, I liked your wordplay in another post on God as Lord of Time and Doctor Who as a Time Lord [sic].

Accepting Him as Saviour means making Him lord of your life. If you "accept" him mentally, but refuse to do what He said to do, then you have not accepted Him. "Why do you call me, 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I say?" (Luke 6:46). "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven" (Matt 7:21). In the Aramaic, the word for "belief" in Jesus means following Him. It's two meanings in one: 1) mental belief, 2) life action based on that belief. Both meanings are contained in the Aramaic word "belief". It's the same as when we say we "believe" a car is going to hit us if we stand in the middle of a highway. Our deliberate avoidance of standing in the middle of the highway is implicit in our "belief" that doing so would get us hurt or killed. Only those who are suicidal stand in the middle of a highway while cars are speeding by on it, and only those who are suicidal tip their hat to Jesus without following him.

Indeed, the Gospel message is so simple that a four-year-old child can explain it. No gift is needed. The Holy Spirit leads all Christians. Spiritual gifts are therefore in addition to that basic leading.

Nicely said, IMO.

If you really believe the Bible's message, then I would think you could not help but evangelize! It seems only logical to spread the (good) Word and try to save souls if the Bible's message is true. I would think one would be compelled to do so.

Thus I have a tiny bit of tolerance for people who try to preach God's word to me, if I believe that they really believe what they are preaching.

It's the premise that the Bible is the Word of a real God that is the trouble. but if someone truly believes it, I understand their need to spread the news.

EatingPoetry, congrats! you are the proud winner of the PARAKEET award! Thank you!

Does this answer the bisexual question?