A Word from Acts 14

Have you ever wished you could be a "soul winner"? Back in the church where I made a profession of faith, there was a healthy emphasis on "soul winning." We were encouraged to learn the gospel and to study different ways of sharing it; so that when the opportunity came, we'd be ready to help others put their faith in Christ.

And make no mistake, this desire to share Jesus -- and to help others give hearts to him -- is an essential part of being a Christian. And yet, I confess that I've been turned off by language of "soul winning." To me, it sound like we're in a contest where we hope to achieve victory, either over the efforts of other "soul winners," or over the individuals whose souls we've won. And neither of those sound to me like a very Christlike attitude.

And so, when today's word from Acts 14 describes how Paul and Barnabas went to the city of Derbe, where "they preached the gospel and won a large number of disciples" (14:21, NIV), I confess to feeling some mixed emotions. 

In fact, my emotions were so mixed that I decided to look more closely at that verse. And it turns out that the word "won" isn't actually in the text. A more literal reading would be, "they preached the gospel and discipled many" or "made many disciples" (NLT, CSB, ESV and others). 

And rightly or wrongly, that feels it different to me. Whereas "winning" people to Christ implies winners and losers and a victory that's achieved at one point in time when the game is over, "discipling" people for Christ implies partnership and a process of growth we embark on together.

So what's the point? Well, maybe that my prayer is for us to care about all the souls we meet today--not so that we can "achieve victory over them," but so that we can "share the joy of growing in Christ with them." And who knows? With that attitude, maybe more sharing of the gospel will take place. Amen.