Most Important Message to Lead Unbelievers to Christ
The most important message for leading unbelievers to Christ centers on the proclamation of Jesus Christ as the savior from sin, emphasizing his death and resurrection. This core message, often referred to as the Gospel, is presented as the power and wisdom of God, even if it appears foolish to the world [3].
The Apostle Paul explicitly states that the Gospel he preached, which the Corinthians had received and stood in, concerned the resurrection of the dead [7]. This message is foundational, as it declares that "Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners" [2]. Charles Hodge, in his Systematic Theology, articulates this further, stating that the "Eternal Son of God assumed our nature, obeyed and suffered in our stead, and having died for our sins, rose again for our justification" [8]. For adults, the "intelligent and voluntary acceptance of Christ as our God and Saviour is the one indispensable condition of salvation," and there is "no other name under heaven whereby men can be saved" [8]. This understanding necessitates a Church and Ministry whose primary duty is to make this salvation known [8].
The message of Christ's saving work is presented as a revelation that was once a mystery but is now made known "for obedience of faith to all the nations" [1]. This revelation is rooted in the Scriptures of the prophets and is according to God's commandment [1]. The power of this message lies in its ability to solve "the world’s greatest problem, the problem of sin," and to overcome "all the powers of evil that oppose human beings" [3].
A critical component of this message is the call to faith. The New Testament consistently links belief with salvation. For instance, the author of Hebrews notes that the Israelites in the wilderness "could not enter in" due to their unbelief, which led to disobedience [9]. Adam Clarke comments on this passage, stating that their inability to enter was not due to a lack of divine provision or strength, but because "they chose to sin, and would not believe" [9]. This highlights the voluntary nature of faith. Augustine, in his anti-Pelagian writings, emphasizes that coming to Christ is a divine gift: "no man can come to me except it were given him of my Father" [6]. He also notes that belief is not something that can be compelled. Thomas Aquinas, discussing whether unbelievers should be compelled to faith, argues that those who have never received the faith, such as heathens and Jews, "are by no means to be compelled to the faith, in order that they may believe, because to believe depends on the will" [4]. However, he adds that they might be compelled to not hinder the faith through blasphemies or evil persuasions [4].
The effectiveness of this message is demonstrated by the transformation it brings. Paul refers to the Corinthian believers as his "epistle of recommendation," noting that their conversion through his instrumentality and their faith were "known of all men" [10]. Their lives reflected his doctrine, serving as a testament to the power of the Gospel [10]. Augustine also observed the widespread impact of the Christian message, noting that "multitudes from all nations who have become zealous believers in these books" attest to the truth of the prophecy and the claims of Christ [5]. The message, therefore, is not merely intellectual assent but a transformative encounter that leads to a life of faith and obedience [1, 10].
Sources
- Romans “But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because it isn’t of faith; and whatever is not of faith is sin. Now to him who is able to establish you according to my Good News and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery which has been kept secret through long ages, but now is revealed, and by the Scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the eternal God, is made known for obedience of faith to all the nations; to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever! Amen. -- Romans 14:23”
- I Timothy “I Timothy 1:15 (LITV) — Faithful is the Word and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief.”
- 1 Corinthians (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on 1 Corinthians 1:25: 1:25 What the unbelieving world considers foolish and weak—Christ and the message of the cross—is in reality wiser and stronger than anything the world has to offer. It solves the world’s greatest problem, the problem of sin, and overcomes all the powers of evil that oppose human beings.”
- theology (Catholic (Scholastic)) “Aquinas, Summa Theologica, Second Part of the Second Part (Secunda Secundae), Of Unbelief in General, Art. 8: Article: Whether unbelievers ought to be compelled to the faith? I answer that, Among unbelievers there are some who have never received the faith, such as the heathens and the Jews: and these are by no means to be compelled to the faith, in order that they may believe, because to believe depends on the will: nevertheless they should be compelled by the faithful, if it be possible to do so, so that they do not hinder the faith, by their blasphemies, or by their evil persuasions, or eve”
- Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “NPNF1 Vol 4: Augustine — Anti-Manichaean, Anti-Donatist — BOOK XVI. (part 19): and to be followed with implicit reliance. Thus the facts of Christian history would prove the truth of the prophecy, and the prophecy would prove the claims of Christ. Call this fancy, if it is not actually the case that men all over the world have been led, and are now led, to believe in Christ by reading these books. 21. In view of the multitudes from all nations who have become zealous believers in these books, it is laughably absurd to tell us that it is impossible to persuade a Gentile to learn the Christian f”
- Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “NPNF1 Vol 5: Augustine — Anti-Pelagian — CHAP. 15.--IT IS BELIEVERS THAT ARE TAUGHT (part 2): offend you?"[2] And a little after He said, "The words that I have spoken unto you are spirit and life; but there are some among you which believe not."[3] And immediately the evangelist says, "For Jesus knew from the beginning who were the believers, and who should betray Him; and He said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me except it were given him of my Father." Therefore, to be drawn to Christ by the Father, and to hear and learn of the Father in order to come to Christ, is not”
- 1 Corinthians (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on 1 Corinthians 15:1: Moreover brethren, I declare unto you the Gospel,.... The apostle here passes on, and proceeds to a new subject, the doctrine of the resurrection of the dead, which some in this church denied; and which he undertakes to prove, establish, and defend; and in order to lead on to it, observes, that what he was about to declare, make known, or put them in mind of, was no other than the Gospel he had formerly preached to them, they had received, professed to stand in, and were saved by, unless their faith was in vain. The doctrine of the resurrection of the dead he c”
- CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 2, section 137: the Eternal Son of God assumed our nature, obeyed and suffered in our stead, and having died for our sins, rose again for our justification; that, so far as adults are concerned, the intelligent and voluntary acceptance of Christ as our God and Saviour is the one indispensable condition of salvation; that there is no other name under heaven whereby men can be saved. It provides, therefore, for a Church and a Ministry whose great duty it is to make known to men this great salvation. All this takes for granted that without this knowledge, ”
- Hebrews (Methodist/Wesleyan) “Adam Clarke on Hebrews 3:19: So we see that they could not enter in - It was no decree of God that prevented them, it was no want of necessary strength to enable them, it was through no deficiency of Divine counsel to instruct them; all these they had in abundance: but they chose to sin, and would not believe. Unbelief produced disobedience, and disobedience produced hardness of heart and blindness of mind; and all these drew down the judgments of God, and wrath came upon them to the uttermost. 1. This whole chapter, as the epistle in general, reads a most awful lesson against backsliders, tri”
- 2 Corinthians (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on 2 Corinthians 3:2: our epistle--of recommendation. in our hearts--not letters borne merely in the hands. Your conversion through my instrumentality, and your faith which is "known of all men" by widespread report (Co1 1:4-7), and which is written by memory and affection on my inmost heart and is borne about wherever I go, is my letter of recommendation (Co1 9:2). known and read--words akin in root, sound, and sense (so Co2 1:13). "Ye are known to be my converts by general knowledge: then ye are known more particularly by your reflecting my doctrine in your Chri”