It is nearly 40 years since John Wimber wrote “Power Evangelism”.
In it he maintained that the preaching of the gospel must be accompanied by demonstrations of the power of God; by which he meant the signs and wonders Jesus spoke of in Mark 16:17-18:
“And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”
Someone in a Bible study where I was recently brought this up, and strenuously maintained that we should all be seeking to “cast out demons, speak with new tongues, and lay hands on the sick to heal them.” (He omitted to mention that we should all be “taking up serpents”, or “drinking poison”??)
We know that these signs did accompany “the eleven” to whom Jesus spoke these words (Mark 16:14); as well as Paul (eg. Acts 28:3-6) as another of the apostles “born out of due time” (1 Cor 15:8).
The Bible states clearly that it was to “confirm” the testimony of “these who heard the Lord” that “God was bearing witness both with signs and wonders, with various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit.” (Heb 4:3-4)
But there is no suggestion that these miraculous signs would then accompany the testimony of all believers, down through time.
I believe in Power Evangelism
I believe in “power evangelism” among ordinary believers today, but only in the sense the Bible speaks of in 1 Thes 1:5, where Paul describes “power evangelism” among ordinary believers in his day:
“Our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Spirit and in much assurance.” (1 Thes 1:5)
By way of background, Paul had arrived in Thessalonica on the second leg of his journey, after he was divinely called in a dream to cross over to Macedonia (Acts 16:9-10). Crossing over he and his companions “suffered and were spitefully treated at Philippi” (1 Thes 2:2) before going on to Thessalonica where “some of the Jews, a great multitude of the devout Greeks, and not a few of the leading women” (Acts 17:4) turned to the Lord and believed the gospel.
But after only a few weeks (Acts 17:2), the unbelieving Jews stirred up violence against the gospel preachers and so, unwillingly and greatly distressed (1 Thes 2:17-3:5), Paul and his companions had to leave. Eventually they were able to send Timothy back, and on the basis of the report he gave (1 Thes 3:6-10) they were convinced that the work of evangelism there had indeed been “in power, and in the Holy Spirit.”
What evidence convinced them of the power of evangelism?
Power in the Word
First and foremost there was power in the word: “Our gospel did not come to you in word only…” means, at very least, that it began with the word. In the following verse Paul testifies that those there “had received the word in much affliction.”
One problem with the Wimber approach is that it downplays the word; the focus instead is on “signs and wonders”.
“For Wimber, and also according to his own spiritual experience, ‘the best explanation of the message of Christ was to be found in the demonstration or validation of God’s power over the kingdom of Satan.’ Often the validation of the proclamation occurred in Wimber’s ministry with power demonstrations through healing the sick and the casting out of demons.”[1]
However the Bible does not say: “faith comes by healing”; but rather, “faith comes by hearing” (Rom 10:17). There can be no faith without hearing the Word; the Word is primary.
Some justify Wimber-type “power evangelism” from Paul’s words when he said:
“My speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.” (1 Cor 2:4-5)
But Paul was not downplaying his “preaching” with “words” there, only that he did not rely upon the type of Greek oratory that those in Corinth were used to. It was still by the message he preached that he looked for the transforming power of the Spirit to be at work. He makes it clear he is not relying upon Wimber-type “signs and wonders” evangelism when he says:
“The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God… It pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.” (1 Cor 1:18, 21-24)
For Paul, it was “the gospel of Christ” (i.e. the message itself) that is “the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes” (Rom 1:16). There is no power of God without words, without a message to preach. The message by itself is powerless without the power of the Holy Spirit; but without the message there is nothing for the Holy Spirit to empower.
In the end, Wimber’s “power evangelism” was just another variation on the “lifestyle evangelism” movement that sought to evangelize without words.[2]
Assurance of the Word
The first and great evidence of the power of the gospel is the “much assurance” (1 Thes 1:5) with which the message of salvation is received by the believer. Paul testifies:
“When you received the word of God which you heard from us, you welcomed it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which also effectively works in you who believe.” (2:13)
- Think about it, you who are at times tempted with doubts about the truth of the gospel.
- Think about it, you who, like the Jews that want “signs” and find a message like this, without thunder and lightning, a stumbling block.
- Think about it, you who, like the sophisticated Greeks, find such a simple message foolishness.
- Think about it, religious extremists, who would “convert” the world through the power of the gun, and despise the weakness found in a message of forgiveness.
Paul compares the miracle of the new birth and faith to be as wonderful, if not even more wonderful, than the original creation of the world:
“For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” (2 Cor 4:6)
In the original creation God began with nothing. In the new creation, God begins with less than nothing, with what is positively evil. (cf Eph 2:1-7)
The power of the gospel is not to be looked for in the prior razzamatazz of “signs and wonders” to convert people, but in the subsequent effect the gospel has in the lives of those who are converted. And the first, and great, effect of the gospel is that the sinner believes with “much assurance”.
Standing against the Culture
The power of the gospel is also seen in the believer’s willingness to stand against the culture. This was something that was evident in Thessalonica to all those around:
“For they themselves declare how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God.” (1:9)
For the Christian here in Australia this will mean having to refuse to participate in any idolatrous aspects of the culture around us that we are expected to join in – whether originating in First Nations culture or Western culture; as well as celebrations of LGBT culture, or any other practice contrary to God’s Word.
While we are to love those who promote these practices, we cannot join in them. And, yes, you will suffer for it. At very least:
“They think it strange that you do not run with them in the same flood of dissipation, speaking evil of you.” (1 Pet 4:4)
Worse, you may be ostracized, or suffer financially, or even physically – as those in Thessalonica were (see Acts 17:5ff).
Like those there, we too may be called upon to “receive the word in much affliction” (1:6) and to “suffer the same things from your own countrymen” (2:14).
That is the power of the gospel.
Spreading the Word
Perhaps nowhere do we need the power of the gospel more to stand against the culture than in maintaining a passion to share the gospel with others:
“For from you the word of the Lord has sounded forth, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place.” (1:8)
This cost those in Thessalonica; they suffered for not keeping their mouths shut. Like Paul, they too “suffered from their own countrymen” who “persecuted us… forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they may be saved” (2:14-16). This is where the real risk is.
Power Evangelism according to Wimber redefines the risk:
“In [Wimber’s] strategy, risk is the possibility of failing to heal someone or getting a word of knowledge wrong. When Christians are encouraged to step out of their comfort zones and take risks, this means they need to be bold enough to try a “power encounter” and not worry if their prophecy isn’t right or the lame beggar they pray for doesn’t immediately and fully recover (both of which were always the case in Scripture).”[3]
But:
“In biblical evangelism, “risk” is the possibility of rejection, hatred, persecution, and even martyrdom for the name of Christ (Mark 13:13; 2 Cor 2:16). Risk is calling guilty sinners to repentance and faith, and “picking a fight with the world.” Peter and John, standing before the very same council that put Jesus to death, risked their lives by telling the council they were guilty of putting the Son of God to death and needed to repent and believe in Jesus (Acts 4).”[4]
That is the real power of the gospel.
Faith, Hope, Love
Finally, the power of the gospel is seen in the changed lives of believers, lived out in genuine faith, hope and love. This is the “lifestyle power” that follows conversion.
This is what Paul saw in the transformed lives of the newly converted in Thessalonica.
“We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers, remembering without ceasing your work of faith, labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the sight of our God and Father.” (1 Thes 1:2-3)
This is how all those round about could see that the “gospel had come, not in word only, but in power, and in the Holy Spirit.”
- Concerning their “work of faith” (what a lovely way to describe faith!) Paul testifies: “Your faith toward God has gone out, so that we do not need to say anything.” (1:8)
- Concerning their “labour of love” (I love the way he describes their love!) Paul says of them: “Concerning brotherly love you have no need that I should write to you, for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another; and indeed you do so toward all the brethren who are in all Macedonia.” (4:9-10)
- And regarding their “patience of hope” Paul observes that “they, in every place” have witnessed “how you turned to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.” (1:8-10)
Forget looking for “signs and wonders”. Beware lest you become that “evil and adulterous generation [that] seeks after a sign” (Matt 12:39). We already have the sign of “the Son of Man three days and three nights in the heart of the earth” (Matt 12:40) and then rising again. What more do we need?
Power evangelism is not in “signs and wonders”. It is found in the Spirit’s power through the Word of God to convict, convert and transform us poor sinners.
“We all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.” (2 Cor 3:18)
[1] Donald Kammer “The Perplexing Power Of John Wimber’s Power Encounters” https://www.churchsociety.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Cman_106_1_Kammer.pdf
[2] I am not discounting the importance or the impact that a gospel-shaped lifestyle has for genuine evangelism. Writing to those in Thessalonica, Paul makes a point of “how devoutly and justly and blamelessly we behaved ourselves among you” (2:10, as borne out in the previous verses). Your lifestyle can make, or break, the genuineness of what you say. But you still must “speak”: lifestyle by itself does not “speak the gospel” (v 2), give “exhortation” (v 3), “speak the gospel” (v 4), use “words” (v 5), “impart the gospel” (v 8), “preach the gospel” (v 9) or “exhort, comfort and charge” (v 11).
[3] Mitch Bedzyk “Power Evangelism: Setting the Bar Low” https://eccelmira.org/articles/power-evangelism-setting-the-bar-low/
[4] Ibid.