Offer Them Life
A Life-Based Evangelistic Vision
Dan W. Dunn
Offer Them Life
A Life-Based Evangelistic Vision
Copyright © 2013 Dan W. Dunn. All rights reserved. Except for brief quotations in critical publications or reviews, no part of this book may be reproduced in any manner without prior written permission from the publisher. Write: Permissions, Wipf and Stock Publishers, 199 W. 8th Ave., Suite 3, Eugene, OR 97401.
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ISBN 13: 978-1-62564-010-9
EISBN 13: 978-1-4982-7063-2
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All Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
This book is dedicated to the glory of God and the furtherance of God’s life-giving intentions in the world through Jesus Christ. It is also dedicated to my wife and best friend Nancy, who both supported and cheered on this work. We mutually dedicate these pages to those persons who will be reached through the evangelistic ministry of Jesus-followers who live out the implications of a life-based evangelistic vision.
Preface
Offer Them Life explores the implications of having a life-based evangelistic vision. It describes my research into the relationship between a strong emphasis on the biblical theme of life and the theory and practice of Christian evangelism in U.S. America.
In chapter 1, I describe the primary premise of the project, which is that the biblical theme of life may be viewed as one of the primary themes of the Bible, and as such provide a helpful foundation for the theory and practice of evangelism in the U.S. American context. In chapter 2, I more fully develop the theological foundation of my argument, focusing especially on the relationship between the biblical theme of life and the kingdom of God.
In chapters 3 and 4, I share insights gained from selected Old Testament and Johannine scholars who highlight the life theme and other related themes. The focus turns in chapters 5 and 6 to the work of six theologians who either focus on the biblical theme of life or demonstrate a life-oriented anthropological perspective in their theological work. I discuss the eight vital themes that emerged from my study.
I then shift in chapter 7 to the field research component of the project, sharing my discoveries concerning how some Christians conceptualize or experience the role (or lack thereof) of life in evangelistic theory and practice. In chapter 8, I assess the field research data in conjunction with the discoveries I made in the theological and biblical studies materials. Based on this assessment, I share important implications for evangelistic theory and practice that arise from a strong emphasis on the biblical theme of life.
1
Premise and Purpose of This Exploration of a Life-Based Evangelistic Vision
Premise
Life may be viewed as one of the primary themes of the Bible, and as such provides a helpful foundation for the theory and practice of evangelism in the U.S. American context.1
Joseph Dongell proposes that full life be viewed as the macro rubric of Scripture. God is fundamentally the living God (as distinct from other descriptions, such as holy, powerful, or loving). God is vitally alive, and in Christ, God wishes to share this vital experience of life with all of God’s creation, including human beings.2 Hans Klein shares a similar perspective. He contends that the biblical material should be ordered and understood in relation to life (Old Testament) and new life (New Testament).3
The nature of the life that Christ offers his followers has vital implications for evangelism. What is the good news that Christians share with non-Christians, and what kind of new life do they invite non-Christians to embrace?4 George Hunter tells of a young man who once admitted that he believed in Jesus but had never invited him to be the leader of his life. Hunter asked why this was so, and the young man answered that he had learned in his hometown that opening up to Jesus would result in his becoming some kind of fanatic. Hunter replied, “Look, it just isn’t so, and somebody back home once sold you a tragic bill of goods. If you could look into the future and see the man that Christ has in mind for you to be ten years from now, you would stand up and cheer and you would deeply want to be that man. The gospel is not bad news; it is good news. The gospel is congruent with our deepest aspirations for ourselves.”5
I propose that God created the earth, its animal and plant life, and human beings to experience full, vibrant, vital life in relationship with God and one another, and that this experience of life is what God both makes possible and invites us to embrace in following Jesus Christ. This full life that God offers in Christ is the cornerstone of the good news, and offers a valuable foundation for the theory and practice of evangelism.6
Two perspectives underlie the current practice of evangelism in the U.S. American context. The first is one’s understanding of eternal life. The second is basing evangelism on the concept of kingdom.
First Perspective: Understanding of Eternal Life
An important issue in this discussion is our understanding of eternal life. In common Christian usage, eternal refers to chronological time (forever), so that those who believe in Jesus will live with him throughout eternity after physical death. However, the biblical understanding of eternal life is more than chronological eternity; it also includes a fullness and vitality of life here on this earth. Commenting on John’s use of the Greek word for life (zōe), one author says that “in most cases it states expressly that the follower of Jesus possesses life even in this world.”7 Rudolf Bultmann agrees. Commenting on a Greek verb cognate of life (zaō) in relation to its use in John’s Gospel, he writes that “he who believes has already passed from death to life.”8 C. H. Dodd shares this perspective, claiming that John offered an addition to the usual Jewish eschatological understanding, so that our post-resurrection life begins not after our resurrection, but rather as a result of our believing in Jesus. Commenting on the Lazarus story, he writes that “the ‘resurrection’ of which Jesus has spoken is something which may take place before bodily death, and has for its result the possession of eternal life here and now.”9 We see,
