Two Reasons Our Faith Must Be Bold

In regard to the church in the Book of Acts, Author Jonathan Parnell in his article, "Why Boldness Matters Now" writes, "The bewildering reality at work in Peter’s and John’s testimony in Acts 4 is what they say about Jesus. These two fishermen had become messengers of God’s salvation, heralds for a new age in human history. They were now spokesmen of the risen and reigning Lord over all. So yes, they spoke with passion. But the point Luke drives home is not their style, but their substance. Not their homiletics, but their hermeneutics. It was all centered on Christ — how he is the One to whom the whole Old Testament points, how his work has changed the world forever. The heart of Peter’s and John’s boldness was how they spoke clearly about the identity and significance of Jesus. The picture Luke gives us of the early Christian mission is that the church was not without words when it came to the question of their King."

Bold faith has been one of Christian Union's core values since its inception in 2002. As a Christian leadership development ministry that seeks to transform culture for God's glory, Christian Union undertands that faith in Jesus Christ is not meant to be hidden, for “no one after lighting a lamp puts it in a cellar or under a basket, but on a stand, so that those who enter may see the light" ( Luke 11:33).



Parnell further notes that perhaps when we look at the church in the Book of Acts, "it sounds like the bar is set too high for us. Maybe this sounds like some kind of unrealistic expectation about lay-level theological education. Maybe. But my unshakable impression from reading our brother Luke is that he envisions the people of Jesus as a people who know Jesus. That the people of Jesus can see him in their Book. That the people of Jesus know what to say if someone were to ask, “About whom, I ask you, is the prophet talking about in the 53rd chapter of Isaiah?” (Acts 8:34–35). Luke has written a theological narrative for the church to drink up, and when we do, he’s convinced me that it means we imbibe this kind of boldness for our day — that we know whom we have believed amid a culture of confusion."

It does seem abundantly clear from Scripture that the natural by-product of encountering and knowing Christ is to testify about Him wherever we go. 

Parnell continues, "This vision of Christian boldness — of speaking clearly about the identity and significance of Jesus — is increasingly relevant in the day in which we live. This is worth highlighting, and there are two reasons why. First, the pluralism around us means inevitable indoctrination. Second, the more we’re marginalized, the greater the risk is that what’s important will muffle what’s the most important. A pluralistic world is like a raging river of clashing currents. The currents are the vast array of competing metanarratives, which as Richard Bauckham explains, is “an attempt to grasp the meaning and destiny of human history as a whole by telling a single story about it” (Bible and Mission, 4). The point is that, in our world, everybody’s got a story. Everybody lives by some story that tries to make sense of it all, whether cultural, religious, or ideological.

Furthermore, Parnell writes, "There are several rushing currents in this river of our world, and they’re always leading somewhere. Toss in this river the glut of communication channels around us, and it means that we can’t really do anything without stepping through those tumultuous waters. And if our steps are not intentional — if we don’t know where we want to go — we’ll just drift along with the strongest pull. The idea of not being pulled somewhere is impossible. “One’s life is moving in one direction or another, taking one kind of shape or another,” writes Kevin Vanhoozer in The Drama of Doctrine.

So, as Parnell rightly contends, "It is essential that we get clear on who Jesus is and what his work means for the world, as the Bible shows us. Bauckham points out that only the Bible 'tells a story that in some sense encompasses all other human stories [and] draws them into the meaning that God’s story with the world gives them' (5). The truth of Jesus in God’s story must be our navigating force. If it’s not, we’ll simply be tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every other current’s pull. Vanhoozer says, 'To the extent that we are always following some direction or other, our very lives are indoctrinated. The only question is whether the doctrine that informs one’s life is governed by the Christian gospel or by some other story, some other script' (Drama, 105). We’re either bold about Jesus, or we’re adrift with no anchor." 

Bold about Jesus or adrift with no anchor. This is not an example of bifurcation. This is truth in a culture of deception that dilutes the power of the gospel.

Parnell concludes, "There is nothing more counter-cultural than telling the world that the crucified Messiah is raised and reigning, and that therefore now 'God commands all people everywhere to repent'" (Acts 17:30). 

May we speak and go boldly to prepare the way for God, making a straight path for Him to enter into the hearts and lives of those we have been entrusted to love and lead.

Read Parnell's full article, "Why Boldness Matters Now." 

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