Diamond Ring Evangelism
“Bondservants are to be submissive to their own masters in everything; they are to be well-pleasing, not argumentative, not pilfering, but showing all good faith, so that in everything they may adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour.” (Titus 2:9-10)
The key word I want to focus on in this essay is there in v.10. It is the word “adorn”. Paul says that Bondservants (or Slaves) should behave well etc. “so that” (i.e. with the goal that) the doctrine of God our Saviour is adorned. The Greek word translated “adorn” here is “kosmeo” from which we get words like “cosmetics”, because kosmeo has to do with beautifying or decorating something. The point is that the good behaviour of these slaves will highlight and draw attention to the beauty of the gospel.
Conversely, Paul wants the Cretans to be zealous for good works so that “the word of God may not be reviled” (v.5), and “an opponent may be put to shame, having nothing evil to say about us” (v.8). That is to say, just as our behaviour can reinforce and beautify our message, it can also undermine or take away from it.
Elsewhere Peter will talk similarly about how women are to win over their unbelieving husbands.
“Likewise, wives, be subject to your own husbands, so that even if some do not obey the word, they may be won without a word by the conduct of their wives, when they see your respectful and pure conduct. Do not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear— but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God’s sight is very precious. For this is how the holy women who hoped in God used to adorn themselves, by submitting to their own husbands, as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord. And you are her children, if you do good and do not fear anything that is frightening.” (1 Peter 3:1-6)
In this passage, Peter makes three related points. First, women should not focus on external adornment. Second, they are to adorn themselves instead by cultivating a gentle and quiet spirit. This will flow forth in respectful and pure conduct. And third, this may indeed win over their husbands “without a word”.[1]
I call this The Diamond Ring Method of Evangelism, because it seems to me that these passages relate the gospel to good works a bit like the way a diamond may be displayed in a gold ring. The whole point of the gold band, and the beautiful setting, is to highlight and hold out the diamond more clearly. That’s the way our loving good deeds and respectful conduct are supposed to adorn the gospel. Whenever we feed the poor, show hospitality, do a good job at work, help a friend through illness or whatever, we are letting our light shine (Matt. 5:16) and accentuating the glorious transformative power of the gospel in our lives.
Unfortunately, there is another method of evangelism which can look similar to the Diamond Ring Method, but actually operates on a completely opposing principle. It is often referred to as The Bait and Switch Method.
When you want to catch a fish, what you need to get is a big fat juicy worm on a hook. The worm is supposed to distract from the hook, conceal the hook, and tempt the fish to bite. You can do the same thing when you’re fishing for men. You invite your friend along to a free BBQ. They bite. Little do they know, that when they arrive, you’re going to tell them the gospel. Thankfully, you’ve got a flyer you can give them. In big bold letters it reads, “FREE BBQ, COME ALONG, LOTS OF FUN, GREAT COMMUNITY, MAKE FRIENDS”. Then in teeny tiny fine print down the bottom, it says, “There will be a short talk.”
The same basic dynamic is at work whenever we emphasise coffees and dinners and relationships (and lots of other good things) and hold back the gospel. No wonder it doesn’t make sense to people, when after weeks and months of ‘relationship building’, we tell them we’ve got urgent news and it’s the best news they could ever hear! “Well then,” they may ask “how long have you known about it?”
Imagine how strange it would be if we communicated other good news this way. Is that how you would announce the end of a war!? Or the arrival of a new baby!? Or that they’ve discovered the cure for cancer!? Because of course, that is the kind of news we have. In fact, our news is better than that, isn’t it!? The gospel announces the end of our war with God, and new birth through the resurrection! We really have discovered the cure for death! How strange then to couch this wonderful message in apologies like, “But don’t worry, you really won’t have to hear about it for long… and there will be sausages too!” How strange to hold this back in our conversations, or until the end of a long ‘pre-evangelistic funnel’.
Do you see how this method of evangelism actually paints the gospel in a very negative light? It suggests that the gospel is something we are embarrassed about. Rather than enhancing or adorning the gospel, it treats the gospel more like a blemish that needs to be covered up. It assumes that the gospel is something people are not going to like. In short, it treats the gospel as if it is not good news.
Of course, we behave like this, I assume, not because we don’t believe that the gospel is good news, but because we know that not everybody will see it that way. To those who are perishing it will be the stench of death (2 Cor. 2:16). Nonetheless, it is a mistake to try to mask the gospel with more palatable/neutral odours for these people. Sure, this may help us to avoid persecution, or grow the number of goats in attendance at our churches, but it will not help us bring salvation to God’s elect.
Those whom God has chosen to save will respond to the gospel. One day, although maybe not the first time they hear it, they will simply be drawn irresistibly by its delicious smell. That’s why the Diamond Ring Method of evangelism just tries to get the gospel out there. To spread the fragrance of the knowledge of Christ everywhere (2 Cor. 2:14)! To waft it far and wide! And of course, as we proclaim the gospel faithfully and frequently, we will also show off the transforming power of the gospel by living lives full of good deeds and generosity. We will adorn the gospel with our Free BBQs and our sincere love.
1 Presumably, Peter means “without a word” from the wives themselves – rather than without ever hearing the gospel at all. Indeed, from v.1, we may assume that these men have already heard the word, given that Peter says they have disobeyed it.