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This thread is connected to what is being discussed in another thread called "You are the salt of the Earth".
Jesus spoke of himself as the light of the world - a light that gives light to all men.
Christ is the Light of nations. Because this is so, the Holy Spirit stirs up Christians to eagerly desire, by proclaiming the Gospel to every creature (see Mark 16:15), to bring the light of Christ to all people, a light that ought to be brightly visible in the way Christians live and what Christians say. Since the Christians as the body of Christ are in Christ - like a sacrament or as a sign and instrument both of a very closely knit union with God and of the unity of the whole human race - Christians ought to seek to think through and proclaim more fully to the whole world this inner nature of Christian faith and ensure that their mission in the world is more fully revealed. The present-day conditions of the world add greater urgency to this task.
Evangelism is a necessary part of the calling and witness of Christians in the world for as long as the world continues to exist as a mixture of those who follow Jesus Christ and those who - for whatever reasons - do not. Evangelism may not be the only necessary component in the calling of Christians as Jesus' followers but it is one component.
John 8:12 When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.’
Jesus spoke of himself as the light of the world - a light that gives light to all men.
Christ is the Light of nations. Because this is so, the Holy Spirit stirs up Christians to eagerly desire, by proclaiming the Gospel to every creature (see Mark 16:15), to bring the light of Christ to all people, a light that ought to be brightly visible in the way Christians live and what Christians say. Since the Christians as the body of Christ are in Christ - like a sacrament or as a sign and instrument both of a very closely knit union with God and of the unity of the whole human race - Christians ought to seek to think through and proclaim more fully to the whole world this inner nature of Christian faith and ensure that their mission in the world is more fully revealed. The present-day conditions of the world add greater urgency to this task.
Evangelism is a necessary part of the calling and witness of Christians in the world for as long as the world continues to exist as a mixture of those who follow Jesus Christ and those who - for whatever reasons - do not. Evangelism may not be the only necessary component in the calling of Christians as Jesus' followers but it is one component.
John 8:12 When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.’
- 13 The Pharisees challenged him, ‘Here you are, appearing as your own witness; your testimony is not valid.’
- 14 Jesus answered, ‘Even if I testify on my own behalf, my testimony is valid, for I know where I came from and where I am going. But you have no idea where I come from or where I am going. 15 You judge by human standards; I pass judgment on no one. 16 But if I do judge, my decisions are true, because I am not alone. I stand with the Father, who sent me. 17 In your own Law it is written that the testimony of two witnesses is true. 18 I am one who testifies for myself; my other witness is the Father, who sent me.’
- 19 Then they asked him, ‘Where is your father?’
- ‘You do not know me or my Father,’ Jesus replied. ‘If you knew me, you would know my Father also.’ 20 He spoke these words while teaching in the temple courts near the place where the offerings were put. Yet no one seized him, because his hour had not yet come.
