Does God Command Christians To Go From Door To Door Preaching The Gospel?

by Bangalore 144 Replies latest jw friends

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  Bangalore

  Does God Command Christians To Go From Door To Door Preaching The Gospel?

  Source:http://www.thercg.org/questions/p070.a.html

  Based on a quick reading and misinterpretation of Acts 20:20, many believe that the apostle Paul preached the gospel of the kingdom from house to house, to those who were unconverted. But when the entire paragraph is read, starting in verse 17, the proper meaning can be understood.

  Paul "sent to Ephesus, and called the elders of the Church," saying to them, "I...have taught you publicly, and from house to house." He taught the Church leaders in their own homes. Paul did not go from house to house, teaching whomever answered his knock at the door.

  At his own hired house in Rome, Paul "received all that came in unto him, preaching the kingdom of God," which Christ had commanded him to preach (Acts 28:30-31). Christ had personally taught the gospel to Paul (I Cor. 15:8; Gal. 1:11-2:2). One of Christ's teachings was that we are not to force our beliefs on anyone (Matt. 7:6). This makes clear that Paul did not try to convert people by preaching from house to house. His public teachings were carried out mainly in the Jewish synagogues.

  Acts 2:46 is another widely misunderstood verse: "And they [the twelve apostles and other disciples], continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness." It is important to note that these individuals were unified. They continued daily with "one accord." They all believed the same things. This scripture is describing people who ate together, just as someone might invite friends and close acquaintances to his home for a meal and fellowship. These verses make no mention of Church members going out of their way to preach the gospel to strangers.

  In this particular circumstance, many from different nations had gathered at Jerusalem to keep Pentecost, one of God's annual feasts. Since they had traveled a great distance and had no home in Jerusalem, the Jerusalem brethren invited them to their homes to eat. (The King James Version of the Bible uses the term "breaking bread" to signify eating a meal.) Converted Christians were eating in the homes of other converted Christians-they were not preaching in the homes of unconverted individuals or families.

  In Luke 10:5-7, we find direct instruction from Christ not to preach from house to house: "And into whatsoever house you enter, first say, Peace be to this house. And if the son of peace be there, your peace shall rest upon it: if not, it shall turn to you again. And in the same house remain, eating and drinking such things as they give: for the laborer is worthy of his hire. Go not from house to house." Christians should never be out trying to force anyone to accept the truth of the Bible. Christ showed that God's Word is too valuable and precious for us to flaunt carelessly (Matt. 7:6). We are instructed to "let your light so shine before men" (Matt. 5:16). A light does not make noise. Therefore, Christians are to teach by their examples.

  Conversely, we might ask, "Should we invite into our homes ministers or others who are going from house to house teaching doctrines contrary to the Bible?" God's instruction on this matter is found in II John, verses 10-11: "If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed: For he that bids him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds."

  Christ's example, and that of the apostles, is that Christians neither preach from house to house nor invite into their homes anyone approaching them soliciting a false gospel or any other man-made religion.

  Bangalore
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  designs

  The real problem in our Country is that we are infested with millions of Evangelicals who believe in and trumpet Dominionism and it poisons our schools military and the private lives of citizens. When we were active as JWs we knew we brought an insignificant social impact to our communities, really we were just flies at a picnic and people shooed us away.
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  Vanderhoven7

  In the July 1, 1995 issue of the Watchtower, in an article on baptism, under the subheading of "Requirements", it says:

  "It is expected of the dedicated one …will fully bear his responsibilities as a minister, a preacher in the field service from house to house, and otherwise participate fully in the activities of the New World Society, to advance the proclamation of the Kingdom and uphold the true worship of Jehovah. The dedicated one must be a house-to-house witness as was Christ Jesus and the apostles to the extent of his ability..."

  This is a must; this is a requirement or criteria for WTS baptism.

  Total Garbage!
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  WTWizard

  I know for sure that if Jehovah expects people to go from door to door preaching endlessly, he is being extremely unreasonable. If I was in his position and really cared for people, and wanted the message to get out universally, I would do it myself in about 2 minutes. The work would be done all at once, there would be no one doubting because it could be a scam or because of a bad experience with other door to door religions, and no question about what happens if children reach the "age of accountability" while the first batch is studying. And no, absolute dedication would not be a must--if I cared enough about people, I would leave the way out that, if I didn't meet your reasonable expectations as written in my book, the dedication could be cancelled at will without penalty. Jehovah didn't.

  Also, I know for sure that Satan doesn't expect people to go from door to door preaching.
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  King Solomon

  How do you dismiss the biggie: "go thereforth and make disciples, baptizing them...."?

  The broader point is that it's not so much going d2d, but going out in PUBLIC (street work, public areas, sidewalks, etc) to spread the message. You cannot enter private areas (homes) without owner's permission or face trespassing charges.
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  BluesBrother

  If it were required. preaching the gospel is one thing....Declaring abroad the unique teachings and false expectations of the WTBTs is quite another!

  The actual commission Jesus gave was (Matt 28: 19 -20) NIV

  "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in* the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

  No mention there "The Kingdom" as per J W's and Armageddon
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  Recovery

  The problem with Bangalore's/whatever website he cut and pasted from interpretation's of Acts, is that it completely ignores the verb tense and combines all the events that take place into one, to make it seem as if Paul is preaching from house to house to the older men of the congregation. An examination of what really happened will prove that this was not the case. In Acts 20:20 Paul is talking about the Ephesians. Ephesus was inside the district of Asia. So here is our sequence of events:

  1. Paul arrives in the district of Asia (and of course goes to Ephesus).

  2. He preaches in the temple about the Kingdom for three months.

  3. After the Jews refuse to listen, he begins giving talks in the school auditorium (for two years) "so that ALL THOSE INHABITING the [district of] Asia HEARD THE WORD OF THE LORD, both Jews and Greeks." (Acts 19:10)

  4. At the end of his three year stay in the district of Asia, Paul calls for the older men of the Ephesian congregation. It is in this context that it is said:

  "When they got to him he said to them: “YOU well know how from the first day that I stepped into the [district of] Asia I was with you the whole time.." But there were no elders when Paul first arrived in the district of Asia, only newly converted disciples who he had just baptized in holy spirit. On his first day in Ephesus he is CONVERTING new disciples. That is why at the end of the two years "all those inhabiting the district of Asia" heard the word of the Lord, not JUST the Ephesian elders. Now, continuing "slaving for the Lord with the greatest lowliness of mind and tears and trials that befell me by the plots of the Jews; 20 while I did not hold back from telling YOU any of the things that were profitable nor from teaching YOU publicly and from house to house. 21 But I thoroughly bore witness both to Jews and to Greeks about repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus.." Despite all the opposition and plots of the Jews it does not stop Paul from preaching to both Jews and Greeks about repentance toward God. Now does it seem reasonable for this persecution to be an obstacle to preaching the good news (causing him to "hold back") when Paul is simply preaching in the homes of the elders?

  Paul does not need to bear witness to Christian elders about repentance toward God and faith in Jesus Christ. When Paul arrives in Ephesus, there is no congregation, no elders, and he had to CONVERT 12 new disciples. A person must be really desperate to discredit JW's and the Bible to make such an absurd interpretation.
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  Vanderhoven7

  No specific method of evangelism is commanded by the Lord, or by the apostles.

  Christians are free to confess Jesus Christ in numerous ways and in various venues.... in schools, market places, churches, roof-tops, homes, highways and byways, via printed word, internet, books, tracts.....etc. Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.
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  Ding

  This is an example of the WTS grabbing a couple of verses out of context and turning it into a legalistic requirement.

  Meanwhile, they ignore verses that are clear regarding taking care of the needy...
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  Recovery

  This website commits a similar logical fallacy with Acts 28:30-31 to make it seem as if Paul wouldn't go house to house because he would be 'forcing his beliefs' on others. Notice Acts 28:16 "we entered into Rome, Paul was permitted to stay by himself with the soldier guarding him.." Paul is not just on vacation, sitting around on his romp, waiting for people to approach him. He is under Roman confinement and cannot leave the house. It is impossible for Paul to preach from house to house or in the synagogue or anywhere else since he is bound and confined. This example is no way proves that Paul did not preach from house to house, and the use of this scripture as an example is deceptive and misleading. Even in Acts 28 Paul is the one who called the principal men of the Jews to come to his house and he proceeds to preach to them. Look at Paul, 'forcing his beliefs' on others again huh?

  We are supposed to believe the early disciples disobeyed Christ in Acts 5:42 by preaching from house to house according to this interpretation of Luke 10. But this is not what Jesus is saying at all. Notice verse 7 "So STAY IN THAT HOUSE, eating and drinking the things they provide, for the worker is worthy of his wages. DO NOT BE TRANSFERRING FROM HOUSE TO HOUSE." It is clear that Jesus is telling his disciples to be content with the provisions for lodging and food. Not to be bouncing from house to house, living with different people every day. Besides this would make no sense when we look at his earlier instructions

  Matthew 10:11 "Into whatever city or village YOU enter, search out who in it is deserving, and stay there until YOU leave. 12 When YOU are entering into the house, greet the household; 13 and if the house is deserving, let the peace YOU wish it come upon it; but if it is not deserving, let the peace from YOU return upon YOU. 14 Wherever anyone does not take YOU in OR LISTEN TO YOUR WORDS, on going out of THAT HOUSE or that city shake the dust off YOUR feet.."

  How are they going to search out who is deserving in the city or village? How are they going to talk to anybody about Christ and find somewhere to lodge? Looks like the disciples are out of luck. Jesus told them not to go house to house, to not try to force their beliefs on others. And how dare the disciples disobey Jesus in Acts 5:42 preaching from house to house.