Evangelizing Protestants???

[emeraldisle]

There’s a tread in this forum which relates to Roman Catholics evangelizing Protestants. Does the Bible teach that evangelism is sharing the good news with unsaved/lost people? Do saved Protestants need to be evangelized?

I know that “saved” Protestants evangelize Roman Catholics but that’s because they believe that Roman Catholics aren’t saved. So why do Roman Catholics need to evangelize “saved” Protestants?

**
For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost. Luke 19:10**

 

[ChadS]

I think the reason we need to evangelize Protestants is due to the fact that they do not possess the fullness of the Catholic faith. Without the fullness of the revealed faith their theology is lacking and deficient in certain regards. In any other aspect of our lives we expect people to correct us when we are in error and we know that it is done for our own good. So why in the world of faith would we let others go about on their way?

ChadS

 

[1ke]

So why do Roman Catholics need to evangelize “saved” Protestants?

Because Protestants aren’t “saved.” Once saved always saved is a false teaching.

The Church seeks ecumenical dialog to advance towards Christian unity-- that they all may be one as Christ prayed.

 

[Genesis315]

There’s a tread in this forum which relates to Roman Catholics evangelizing Protestants. Does the Bible teach that evangelism is sharing the good news with unsaved/lost people? Do saved Protestants need to be evangelized?

I know that “saved” Protestants evangelize Roman Catholics but that’s because they believe that Roman Catholics aren’t saved. So why do Roman Catholics need to evangelize “saved” Protestants?

**
For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost. Luke 19:10**

Catholics don’t believe salvation or conversion is a one time deal, but we should constantly be converting ourselves to the truth and following Jesus more and more closely every day. When we are first born again in Baptism, we are saved from darkness and we begin the life of grace–but it is just the beginning, not the end. Likewise, we make no judgments about the salvation (or lack thereof) of any man, Catholic or non-Catholic–only God can judge hearts.

Thus, a Catholic should evangelize everyone–this includes in our own “house” with our fellow Catholics, also Christians who are separated from the full unity and truth Jesus Christ calls His disciples to adhere to, likewise those who acknowledge God, but not His Son, and also idolaters and atheists. Furthermore, a Catholic should also pay attention to his own conversion and remove the beam from his own eye.

I hope that helps to see our perspective!

 

[ChadS]

Because Protestants aren’t “saved.” Once saved always saved is a false teaching.

Once saved always saved may indeed be a false teaching, but it would wrong to suggest that all protestants adhere to that doctrine. Growing up in the UMC we were never taught that and several denominations do not believe in once saved always saved.

ChadS

 

[Ignatius]

There’s a tread in this forum which relates to Roman Catholics evangelizing Protestants. Does the Bible teach that evangelism is sharing the good news with unsaved/lost people? Do saved Protestants need to be evangelized?

I know that “saved” Protestants evangelize Roman Catholics but that’s because they believe that Roman Catholics aren’t saved. So why do Roman Catholics need to evangelize “saved” Protestants?

For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost. Luke 19:10

Because they are following false, man made doctrines which can lead them astray.

 

[Big_Dave]

I wish more Catholics were into evangelizing protestants. That way I may have converted to being a Catholic a lot sooner. I never heard any Catholic telling of the truths that they held and the reasons why.It took me til I was in my 70’s until I found the fullness of the truth by reading the early church fathers on my computer.

Catholic since Easter 2007 !!!

 

[Catholic_Dude]

Does the Bible teach that evangelism is sharing the good news with unsaved/lost people?

Yes, but the Bible also talks about taking special care if a Christian brother goes astray:
Gal 6: 1Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted.

James 5: 19My brothers, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring him back, 20remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save him from death and cover over a multitude of sins.

Jude 1: 20But you, dear friends, build yourselves up in your most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit. 21Keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life. 22Be merciful to those who doubt; 23snatch others from the fire and save them; to others show mercy, mixed with fear—hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh.

Do saved Protestants need to be evangelized?

I dont say this to be mean, but Protestants are heretics by definition. There are two levels of heresy, Formal and Material. Formal heresy occurs when a validly Baptized person (a Christian) knowingly rejects Catholic teaching, at that point they are in a state of grave sin and their soul is in jeopardy.
Material heresy is when a validly Baptized person unknowingly is adhering to a heresy, and because of this ignorance they are not necessarily in grave sin and their culpability is reduced, but they are in dangerous situation none the less with the potential for Formal heresy. Most Protestants are material heretics.

They are severed from key Sacraments like the Eucharist and Confession, of course they need to be evangelized as to what they are missing.

So why do Roman Catholics need to evangelize “saved” Protestants?

As others have said, they lack the FULLNESS of Truth, which only the Catholic Church possess. Thank God they accept the Trinity, in my opinion that is 75% of the battle, but there is still a lot they are missing out on as well as in a dangerous situation of easily sliding into formal heresy as well as receiving false testimonies about what the Catholic Church really teaches.

 

[Claire_from_DE]

There’s a tread in this forum which relates to Roman Catholics evangelizing Protestants. Does the Bible teach that evangelism is sharing the good news with unsaved/lost people? Do saved Protestants need to be evangelized?

I know that “saved” Protestants evangelize Roman Catholics but that’s because they believe that Roman Catholics aren’t saved. So why do Roman Catholics need to evangelize “saved” Protestants?

**
For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost. Luke 19:10**

1. Because we think they misunderstand some basic Christian teachings.
2. Because we want to share the Sacraments with them.
3. Because we want all to be in one church as Jesus prayed, one visible city on a mountaintop giving light to the world.
4. Because we love them.
5. Because brothers and sisters like to argue?

 

[rtconstant]

I’m not sure evangelizing Protestants is the right term. I think that Catholics are thinking to teach. I think for the most part we don’t assume Protestants are “lost”. After all many of them are validly baptized and trying to follow the Faith as it has been handed to them as best they can. Many Protestants lead good Christian lives. We simply want to pull them into the fullness of the Faith and to strive after Christ’s desire that we “all be as one”.

 

[Claire_from_DE]

I’m not sure evangelizing Protestants is the right term. I think that Catholics are thinking to teach. I think for the most part we don’t assume Protestants are “lost”. After all many of them are validly baptized and trying to follow the Faith as it has been handed to them as best they can. Many Protestants lead good Christian lives. We simply want to pull them into the fullness of the Faith and to strive after Christ’s desire that we “all be as one”.

Teach is a better word. They have heard the good news about Jesus already, they just haven’t gotten to know his church.

 

[angelusm]

There’s a tread in this forum which relates to Roman Catholics evangelizing Protestants. Does the Bible teach that evangelism is sharing the good news with unsaved/lost people? Do saved Protestants need to be evangelized?

I know that “saved” Protestants evangelize Roman Catholics but that’s because they believe that Roman Catholics aren’t saved. So why do Roman Catholics need to evangelize “saved” Protestants?

**
For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost. Luke 19:10**

Protestants are not saved. They think they are but they obviously aren’t. Saved are only those who are in heaven. We are saved in hope (in spe) which means that Jesus redeemed us but the battle is not over yet. We have to evangelize protestants and pray for their conversion, so that they could have real Body and Blood instead of bread and wine.

 

[Fidelis]

There’s a thread in this forum which relates to Roman Catholics evangelizing Protestants. Does the Bible teach that evangelism is sharing the good news with unsaved/lost people?
**
For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost. Luke 19:10**

Since the New Testament relates events that occured in the very early Church, examples of evangelization are necessarily restricted to those who had never heard the Gospel (Gentiles) and those who knew the true God (the Jews), but did not possess the fulness of the Faith as revealed by Jesus Christ.

Since the Church has expanded both in size and scope with 2000 years of history come and gone, the mission field has changed. The definition of evangelization has also necessarily expanded and evolved.

One striking example of this is the call by Pope John Paul II for a “New Evangelization.”

John Paul first used the expression “the New Evangelization” in a trip to Latin America in 1983. Ever since he has “unstintingly recalled the pressing need for a new evangelization” (Faith and Reason, n. 103). This urgency stems not only from the fact that entire nations still haven’t received the Gospel, but also because “entire groups of the baptized have lost a living sense of the faith, or even no longer consider themselves members of the Church, and live a life far removed from Christ and His Gospel” (Mission of the Redeemer, n. 86).

Therefore, one thing “new” about this evangelization is that it’s directed in large part towards “baptized non-believers.” Men and women in large numbers are “culturally Christian,” but haven’t experienced a conversion of heart to Christ and His teachings. The call to interior conversion, in fact, was one of the main themes of Vatican II. As the Council understood well, this can only happen through an authentic, compelling, evangelical witness to salvation through Jesus Christ.

As John Paul clarified in his Apostolic Letter At the Beginning of the New Millennium, the new evangelization isn’t “a matter of inventing a ‘new program.’ The program already exists: it is the plan found in the Gospel and in the living Tradition, it is the same as ever” (n. 29). What’s essential in order to bring the Gospel to the modern world is a proclamation that’s “new in ardor, methods, and expression” (March 9, 1983).

Speaking to the American Bishops in 1998, the Pope observed that “the new evangelization [involves] a vital effort to come to a deeper understanding of the mysteries of faith and to find meaningful language with which to convince our contemporaries that they are called to newness of life through God’s love.” It’s the task of sharing with your neighbors, friends and coworkers, “the ‘unsearchable riches of Christ’ and of making known ‘the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things’ (Eph 3:8-9).”

In other words, Catholics are called to evangelize everyone** --even our fellow Catholics --** so that no one may miss out on the fulness of the Faith that Our Lord has provided and wishes everyone to enjoy.

 

[Pier]

I wish more Catholics were into evangelizing protestants. That way I may have converted to being a Catholic a lot sooner. I never heard any Catholic telling of the truths that they held and the reasons why.It took me til I was in my 70’s until I found the fullness of the truth by reading the early church fathers on my computer.

Catholic since Easter 2007 !!!

Thanks for these encouraging words, Big Dave…

Many of my Protestant friends who have been brought up thinking that Catholics aren’t Christians are often surprised to find out that we do really know Christ and the Bible. Although I am in no way confrontational about it, maybe praying for more tact (& grace!) on all our parts is in order.

 

[EHRAM]

I don’t think evangelizing is the right word. Evangelizing means to tell the gospel or convert someone to Christianity. Protestants are already Christian and most have already heard the gospel.

Leading Protestants to embrace the fullness of the Christian faith would be a better term.

Catholics need to gently instruct Protestants because Protestants have a lot of misunderstandings about the Catholic church. Catholics need to be contenders for the true Faith (Jude) against error.

 

[Fidelis]

Leading Protestants to embrace the fullness of the Christian faith would be a better term.

Doesn’t quite roll of the tongue like evangelization, though.

 

[emeraldisle]

Thanks to everyone for your comments. The following is a dictionary description of the word evangelizing;

transitive verb
1 : to preach the gospel to
2 : to convert to Christianity

The biblical meaning of evangelism is to point/lead “lost” people to Christ. Also when a “lost” person is found by Christ, then they are “saved”. So this means that Roman Catholics can’t biblically evangelize “saved” people.

For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost. Luke 19:10

 

[Fidelis]

Thanks to everyone for your comments. The following is a dictionary description of the word evangelizing;

transitive verb
1 : to preach the gospel to
2 : to convert to Christianity

The biblical meaning of evangelism is to point/lead “lost” people to Christ. Also when a “lost” person is found by Christ, then they are “saved”. So this means that Roman Catholics can’t biblically evangelize “saved” people.

For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost. Luke 19:10

Dictionary definitions of religious terms can be a little slippery since they may differ from dictionary to dictionary. For example, one online version has:

**1 : the winning or revival of personal commitments to Christ
2 : militant or crusading zeal **
merriam-webster.com/dictionary/evangelism

Meaning #2 can be applied to almost anything, secular pursuits included.

The English word “evangelism” itself dates to the 17th century and is not in the Bible. It is taken from the Koine Greek word euangelion which means “good news.” Thus evangelism, in the broad sense means spreading the good news and is not necessarily limited to any one target group.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church defines it as follows:

EVANGELIZATION: The proclamation of Christ and his Gospel (Greek: evangelion) by word and the testimony of life, in fulfillment of Christ’s command (905; cf. 861).

Hope this helps.

 

[emeraldisle]

Dictionary definitions of religious terms can be a little slippery since they may differ from dictionary to dictionary. For example, one online version has:

**1 : the winning or revival of personal commitments to Christ
2 : militant or crusading zeal **
merriam-webster.com/dictionary/evangelism

Meaning #2 can be applied to almost anything, secular pursuits included.

The English word “evangelism” itself dates to the 17th century and is not in the Bible. It is taken from the Koine Greek word euangelion which means “good news.” Thus evangelism, in the broad sense means spreading the good news and is not necessarily limited to any one target group.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church defines it as follows:

Hope this helps.

I used the merriam-webster on-line dictionary too, except i used the word “evangelize” & you used the word “evangelism”. But it makes no difference because as you stated evangelism for Christians is about sharing the “gospel” the “good news” to people who are “lost” in their sin.

So my original point in this thread is correct and that is that biblical evangelism is about pointing/leading “lost” people to Christ. Now this clearly means that you don’t need to evangelize “saved” Protestants.

**For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost. Luke 19:10 **

 

[Fidelis]

I used the merriam-webster on-line dictionary too, except i used the word “evangelize” & you used the word “evangelism”. But it makes no difference because as you stated evangelism for Christians is about sharing the “gospel” the “good news” to people who are “lost” in their sin.

Where did I say that?

So my original point in this thread is correct and that is that biblical evangelism is about pointing/leading “lost” people to Christ. ** Now this clearly means that you don’t need to evangelize “saved” Protestants.**

That would be true only if “once saved, always saved” is true. Which it isn’t. You should never presume anyone is “saved”, even ones self.