Evangelism Theology

What follows is an exerpt (a rather long one at that) of a biographical paper I wrote on Bill Bright this semester. I only post it now, for I believe that the same pragmatism or "effectiveness" that Bill Bright is known for dominates evangelical circles as the measure of "successful evangelism. So, here is my response to such a view.

"In my examination of Bill Bright’s contributions to evangelism around the world, I cannot but feel sorrow for what might have been a truly great evangelism explosion. It is undeniably true that Bill Bright possessed a great love for people and a tremendous desire for them to hear about Jesus and make decisions. In many ways Bill Bright did encourage hundreds of thousands of college students and other people through Campus Crusade for Christ to share their faith boldly to all people. In this, he was a great leader. However, his love for people was not great enough. While Mr. Bright encouraged countless thousands, and even millions, of people to share their faith, he lost sight of one of the most important things to remember in evangelism. That one thing is the sufficiency of Scripture. It is true that he believed the Bible to be the infallible and inerrant Word of God, however, by the methods and means he chose to use, he demonstrated a lack of trust in the sufficiency of Scripture to accomplish its purpose. 2 Timothy 3:14 – 4:2 says,

But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correcting, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work. I charge you in the sight of God and Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.

As stated previously, the problem arises, not from Bill Bright’s lack of zeal, but rather from his misuse of various media to tell people about Jesus. First, let us examine the ‘Jesus’ film. In Bill Bright’s own words, the ‘Jesus’ film has been the basis on which churches have been founded. The following quotation is from an interview conducted on the Christian Broadcasting Network.

Little: "Would you say that the 'Jesus' film has won more people to Christ?"
Bright: "There have been over 4.2 billion in 645 languages in 235 countries believe the film. We have reason to believe there are hundreds of millions who have made some kind of decision."
Little: "Sometimes I've read as many as 1/3 of the people who view it actually pray to receive?"
Bright: "I've seen occasions where most of the people present did that."
Little: "Yes".
Bright: "I remember a pastor of a large church in Nairobi, Kenya wanted to start a new church. So we took the film to a part of the city where there was a lot of foot-traffic and started the film. No one there but us. Soon there were about 1,500 people stopped to see it. And when the invitation was given over one half of them indicated they wanted to receive the Lord. So we started the church immediately."

Understanding that the film does rely heavily upon the Gospel of Luke for its direct script, we must understand that the ‘Jesus’ film is not the Bible. God did not choose to reveal his Word to his people by means of film; rather, he used the written word, given by inspiration of the Holy Spirit to the human authors. As much Scripture as the film uses, it does not encompass the whole of the teaching of the Bible, and, in other areas, it adds to what Scripture has revealed. 1 Timothy 3:14-15 says this about the foundation of the church, “I hope to come to you soon, but I am writing these things to you so that, if I delay, you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, a pillar and buttress of truth.” To find satisfaction in churches that are built on anything less than the Word of God is extremely dangerous, and in fairness to Bill Bright, I do not think that he would have claimed that he was trying to build a church on anything less. But the fact still remains that this is what has happened.
Aside from Campus Crusade for Christ and the ‘Jesus’ film, Bill Bright’s most influential contribution was that of the “Four Spiritual Laws.” As many statistics indicate, this tract has been used more widely than any other tract around the world to present the gospel. However, the tract fails to do one essential thing when it tells the gospel. It fails to call people to true repentance for their sins and to turn away from their former foolish way of life. Notice the wording of the sinner’s prayer:

Lord Jesus, I need you. Thank You for dying on the cross for my sins. I open the door of my life and receive You as my Savior and Lord. Thank You for forgiving my sins and giving me eternal life. Take control of the throne of my life. Make me the kind of person You want me to be.

In this prayer there is no cry for forgiveness, but merely a presumption of forgiveness without the person ever confessing that they are utterly incapable of saving themselves and that it is only the cross of Christ that is sufficient for such a change of direction, that it is only the death and resurrection that is able to bring dead people to life.
The last issue which needs to be addressed is that of Bill Bright’s denominational inclusivism. Because he refused to be put under any sort of theological label and called anyone who professes Jesus as Lord, regardless of whatever other beliefs they may hold, Mr. Bright unfortunately compromised the integrity of the gospel. His pragmatic methodology betrayed his underlying theology, and in 1994, he signed the document “Evangelicals and Catholics Together,” a document that undermines the work of the Protestant Reformation and denies the existence of insurmountable disagreements of theology. Theology must supercede methodology, and that theology must be bound in iron by Scripture.
The sad conclusion to Bill Bright’s zeal for evangelism is that millions of people have heard about Jesus, but they have not heard that he is the righteous judge of the universe; millions of people have seen the ‘Jesus’ film, but they have not heard the whole counsel of the Word of God; millions of people have read the four spiritual laws, but they have not been called to repentance; and millions of people have been told not to rely upon their feelings, but they have not been told to work out their salvation with fear and trembling. In effect, they have been exposed to a nicely neutered version of Jesus who is no longer really the Jesus—Prophet, Priest and King—of the Bible."