Tell the Truth: The Whole Gospel to the Whole Person by Whole People

Theology matters in evangelism. A man-centered theology will result in man-centered evangelism. But a God-centered theology will bring forth the fruit of a God-centered evangelism to the glory of Christ. Will Metzger in Tell the Truth seeks to set forth a gospel theology which will compel a faithful proclamation of the name of the Lord. He argues for a holistic presentation of the gospel to the entire person by complete people. In other words our witness must present the whole gospel to the whole person by whole people. The truth of the gospel has become only a watered down version presented in man-centered theology. Yet, Metzger rejects this reduced gospel and argues that it is imperative to recover the full glory of the gospel to present a faithful witness to the world. Humanity must see the depth of their depravity. They must feel the burden of sin heavy upon their backs. Then they must look up to the cross of Christ, falling down on their knees, where their burden will be lifted. He writes, "You will find that as people begin to grasp the significance of God as creator and man as the sinful creature, they begin to sense that Christ has done exactly what is needed for their dilemma" (71). This is the heart of the gospel which must be recovered. The gospel of God is for the whole person. Biblical conversion radically changes the mind, emotions and will. The regenerative work of the Spirit takes our hard stony hearts and recreates them into soft and malleable vessels for his use. Conversion is not mere intellectual assent, but a grasping of the gospel with heart, mind and soul. Metzger writes, "We must forsake any kind of evangelism that either overtly exalts the mind or unduly neglects it" (98). Yet, in exalting truth we must not forsake our emotions. Our emotions are to be stirred. We must proclaim the truth of the gospel to the mind with passion all the while calling for a response. The will cannot be forsaken for if no response is called for; if no change of life is required than the gospel has not been preached. The gospel is calling sinners to embrace Christ. "True evangelists do pop the question. In fact, we are to plead, command, invite and beg" (106)! The gospel is for the whole person. In a day where methods are placed over the message Metzger succeeds wonderfully in explaining the glorious gospel message of Jesus Christ. In particular, his insistence on the proper use of the law and gospel in evangelism serves as a much needed corrective to an often lopsided gospel presentation (53-82). Many evangelism methods today focus on the "simple gospel message" but fail in declaring the whole gospel by leaving out the law. They tout that Jesus is the answer, but they have forgotten the question. Without the law there can be no gospel. Without sin there is no grace. The law of God convicts of sin but it is powerless to save. Metzger binds the law and the gospel together thus upholding the biblical messag

Most evangelism books that I have read focus on methods and numbering results without giving true honour to the King of kings and the Lord of lords (1 Timothy 6:15) but this is not the case with Will Metzger's book. He truly seeks to establish a God-centered approach to evangelism that is refreshing and encouraging to read. Metzger's book is not a "how to" manuel for evangelism although he does give you a great overview of the true gospel message and helps the believer to understand that witnessing is made less difficult when we realise that our purpose is to simply tell the whole gospel to the whole person. Metzger challenges modern evangelism by asserting that the message of the gospel is not just the person of Christ but the doctrines of grace. Overall if you are looking for a book on evangelism than purchase this book today. You will enjoy the study questions at the end of the book that make this book quite easy for small group Bible studies or personal studies. It's time to allow the sovereignty of God to be involved in evangelism and yet it's also time to proclaim the entire gospel to the nations (Matthew 28:19-20) and exalt our awesome God!

In his introduction, Will Metzger gives the reader his rationale for writing the book. He wrote this book under the conviction that while the Church has a mandate to evangelize, many within the Church were not doing evangelizing at all, and those who were evangelizing were not doing it well. In response to this trend, Metzger intends this book to help Christians "tell the gospel in a way honoring to God, helpful to others and liberating for you." Metzger's book is comprised of three parts, each focusing on the three elements listed in the subtitle of the book. The first section deals with the content of the `whole gospel.' Here, he begins by emphasizing that bearing witness is more than just giving one's testimony. There is a specific message to which one is bearing witness. This point leads Metzger to go on to explain what he perceives to be the essentials of the biblical gospel. Metzger says that any biblical gospel presentation must be God-centered, and include an explanation of: (1) "God - the Holy and Loving Creator," (2) "Man - the Sinful Creature," (3) "Christ - the Merciful Redeemer," and (4) "Our Necessary Response." He also believes that knowing accurately the content is more important than simply sharing with as many people as possible. In section two, Metzger focuses on the idea of converting the whole person. The first chapter in this section explains his view of biblical conversion. Here, Metzger wants to convey the distinction between God's work, regeneration, and the individual's response, conversion. He goes to share his desire to see a better, biblical balance between the use of the emotions and the mind in evangelism. Metzger encourages those who present the gospel not to rely on an appeal to the emotions. The truth of the gospel should inform the mind and so move the emotions. He ends this section by reminding his readers that the will also plays a key role - the gospel is not only an offer of the forgiveness of sins, but a radical call to live a life that is obedient to the Lord. The third and final section deals with the whole person (character and actions) who delivers the message of the gospel. Metzger begins by explaining that a good methodology is needed, but Christians must not be satisfied with simply having a biblical methodology - they must practice it! He then goes on to explain some ways to do that effectively. He makes the point that the presentation should be a personal one. That is to say that while the message does not change, how we present it to a person may change. One must show an interest in the person's life and move the conversation from the everyday to the eternal. One of the strengths of Metzger's book is his desire to be thoroughly biblical in his basis for the methodology that he espouses. This is important today when much of what the church does is based, not on the Bible, but on apparent pragmatism. Metzger evaluates many approaches throughout the book and finds them want

Too many books on evangelism are either gimicky, or shallow, or both! Metzger's book is soundly Reformed, intensely practical, and outstadningly written. One hopes that InterVarsity will reprint it!

I am a pastor in southern california with extensive experience in campus evangelism (cold turkey and open air preaching) and evangelism through the local church. I must have read over 20 books on evangelism and this book is by far the best book on evangelism that is both effective and God honoring. The author employs several charts to highlight the differences between God centered and man centered approaches to evangelism which are very helpful. A must read for all Christians!