Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Home
Catholic
History and Religion
Pope, Peter, & Paul: Evangelize; Don’t Proselytize

Pope, Peter, & Paul: Evangelize; Don’t Proselytize

Last updated on: April 28, 2020 at 6:50 pm by Dave Armstrong

Pope, Peter, & Paul: Evangelize; Don’t Proselytize 2020-04-28T18:50:24-04:00 Dave Armstrong

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Now, of course, we’ll observe yet again, the nitpicking nabobs of negativism, nattering and bloviating about more alleged “proof” that Pope Francis opposes Catholic evangelism. And so I bring Scripture and analogy to bear (as I often do).

St. Peter was certainly an evangelist and preacher: the first major Christian missionary, in fact, and the one who delivered the first sermon after the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2). Yet he also wrote:

1 Peter 3:1 (RSV) Likewise you wives, be submissive to your husbands, so that some, though they do not obey the word, may be won without a word by the behavior of their wives,

Does it follow that St. Peter is somehow “against” [verbal] evangelism because of this? No. It’s both / and, rather than either / or. It’s a proverbial-type statement that applies in some situations but not all. The classic couplet of seemingly contradictory proverbs is the following:

Proverbs 26:4-5 Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest you be like him yourself. [5] Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own eyes.

They don’t “contradict” because proverbs, by nature, are broad, general statements that presuppose the existence of exceptions. Thus, one piece of advice applies in one specific situation; the other does to a different situation. We must exercise discernment as to which one applies when.

St. Peter wrote fourteen verses later:

1 Peter 3:15 but in your hearts reverence Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to make a defense to any one who calls you to account for the hope that is in you, yet do it with gentleness and reverence;

The two sentiments are completely harmonious. So, for example, the husband in 1 Peter 3:1 might directly ask his wife why she has hope and faith: on what basis? Then she has a golden opportunity to apply apologetics and the advice of 1 Peter 3:15. But one must apply wisdom and prudence as to how to evangelize, and when.

St. Paul held precisely the same view. We know that he was an evangelist (arguably the greatest of all time). That need not be proven, for anyone with the slightest acquaintance with the New Testament. He highlights the necessity of love above all things:

1 Corinthians 13:1-3 If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. [2] And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. [3] If I give away all I have, and if I deliver my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.

This love is not opposed to evangelism, which is also an act of love:

2 Timothy 4:2-5 preach the word, be urgent in season and out of season, convince, rebuke, and exhort, be unfailing in patience and in teaching. [3] For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own likings, [4] and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander into myths. [5] As for you, always be steady, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfil your ministry.

St. Paul also explains the principle of prudence, or acting in accordance with the situation, and the particular mental / emotional / intellectual place that specific people are in, which can and does vary:

1 Corinthians 9:16, 19-22 For if I preach the gospel, that gives me no ground for boasting. For necessity is laid upon me. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel! . . . [19] For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a slave to all, that I might win the more. [20] To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews; to those under the law I became as one under the law — though not being myself under the law — that I might win those under the law. [21] To those outside the law I became as one outside the law — not being without law toward God but under the law of Christ — that I might win those outside the law. [22] To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.

In the same way, Pope Francis is not against evangelism or apologetics or preaching or promulgation of the Christian faith by various means of verbal and intellectual teaching. He tweeted on 3 January 2020: “Salvation is in the name of Jesus. We must testify to this: He is the only Saviour.” He simply (frequently) emphasizes and highlights this other aspect: the primacy of love and of nonverbal personal witness, that ought to always lie behind all such preaching: just as St. Peter and St. Paul did. Paul wrote about not only what he taught, but also about what others could “see” in his behavior (i.e., his witness and godly example):

Philippians 4:9 What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, do; and the God of peace will be with you.

Likewise, our Lord Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount:

Matthew 5:14-16 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hid. [15] Nor do men light a lamp and put it under a bushel, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. [16] Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”

Likewise, St. Peter:

1 Peter 2:12 Maintain good conduct among the Gentiles, so that in case they speak against you as wrongdoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.

Just as we look through all of Peter’s and Paul’s writings and observe their behavior, to see that they are evangelists, likewise, we must do that with Pope Francis, rather than make rash judgments based on statements isolated and taken out of context. I and others have shown again and again that he is not against evangelism and missions:

Dialogue: Pope Francis Doesn’t Evangelize? [4-29-16]

Pope Francis Condemns Evangelism? Absolutely Not! [10-17-16]

Is Pope Francis Against Apologetics & Defending the Faith? [11-26-19]

Debate: Pope Francis on Doctrine, Truth, & Evangelizing (vs. Dr. Eduardo Echeverria) [12-16-19]

Dialogue: Pope Francis vs. Gospel Preaching & Converts? No! (vs. Eric Giunta) [1-3-20]

***

Did Pope Francis just say that evangelization is “nonsense”? 8 things to know and share (Jimmy Akin, National Catholic Register, 10-1-13)

Pope Francis on “Proselytism” (Jimmy Akin, Catholic Answers blog, 10-21-13)

Did Pope Francis just diss apologists? 9 things to know and share (Jimmy Akin, National Catholic Register, 3-9-14)

When Pope Francis rips ‘proselytism,’ who’s he talking about? He really may not be talking about, or to, Catholics at all (John L. Allen, Jr., Crux, 1-27-15)

Francis: Evangelize by Example, not Pushing Your Faith on Others (Fr. Matthew P. Schneider, Through Catholic Lenses, 12-23-19)

***

Despite this overwhelming evidence, the increasingly fanatical and extremist Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò, in an interview on 29 March 2020 with the rabidly reactionary Remnant (unfortunately, just missing April Fools’ Day), stated:

[T]he current Papacy has completely eliminated any form of apostolate, and says the Church must not perform any missionary activity, which it calls proselytism. . . .

The religious relativism which was brought in with Vatican II led many people to believe that the Catholic Faith was no longer the only means to salvation, or that the Blessed Trinity was the Only True God.

Sheer nonsense! Lies! Note that he not only lies (without excuse) about the Holy Father, but also about an ecumenical council. This poor man my literally be senile or mentally ill: so extreme and unconnected with reality has his rhetoric become.

The pope (and I enthusiastically agree with him, as an apologist and evangelist myself) is against the extremist position that apologetics and evangelism should be the goal and substance of every encounter between a believer and non-believer, and virtually the sum total of the Catholic faith. I’ve written similarly:

Apologetics: Be-All & End-All of the Catholic Faith? NO!!! [7-1-19]

Bottom line: it’s wrong to always verbally evangelize and also equally wrong to never do so. There is a “golden mean”: as so often in life and spirituality. We must evangelize and bear witness with love, in accordance with the demands of the particular situation. That is Pope Francis’ true position, and that of St. Peter and St. Paul, and I seek with all my effort to make it my own as well.

The irony is that it is absurdly made out that Pope Francis is supposedly an anti-traditionalist and flaming theological liberal and dissident, when in fact, again and again (as presently) it is seen that he is very deeply, profoundly steeped in the biblical and traditional Catholic worldview. It is his critics, who (ironically) seem not to be: since they miss so many things that are obvious in Scripture, if only one studies it deeply enough and (all-importantly) is open to accepting and applying its teachings.

***

Catholic Apologetics

Salvation & Justification

Christian apologetics

defense of Catholicism

defense of the Catholic faith

lay Catholic apologetics

missionaries

Pope Francis & apologetics

Previous Post

April 25, 2020

2 Thessalonians 2:15, Sacred Tradition, & Sola Scriptura

Next Post

April 29, 2020 Dialogue: Groupies & Parameters of Sexual Consent

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category & Last Things About Me Anti-Catholicism Atheism & Agnosticism Baptism and Sacramentalism Bible and Tradition Blessed Virgin Mary Books by Dave Armstrong C. S. Lewis Calvinism & General Protestantism Catholic Apologetics Catholic Apologists Catholic conversion Catholic converts Christmas Church (Ecclesiology) Church History Conversion and Converts Development of Doctrine Eastern Orthodoxy Ecumenism & Christian Unity Eucharist & Liturgy Fathers of the Church French Translations G. K. Chesterton Hell Hell & Satan Hell & Satan & Last Things Heresies & Comparative Religion Holistic Health Inquisition & Crusades & Scandals James White Jews & Judaism & Old Testament John Calvin John Henry Newman Liberal / Modernist Theology Life Issues Literary Resume Lutheranism Mariology Martin Luther Music Orthodoxy Papacy & Infallibility Personal Page Philosophy & Science Political & Ethical & Moral Issues Protestant Persecution & Intolerance Protestantism Purgatory Purgatory & Penance Romantic & Imaginative Theology Saints & Purgatory & Penance Salvation Salvation & Justification Satan & Last Things Sexuality and Gender Issues Spanish Translations Traditionalism vs. Radical Catholic Reactionaries Traducciones al español / tradução para português Trinitarianism & Christology Uncategorized Videos

Select a Month October 2026 September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 June 2026 May 2026 April 2026 March 2026 February 2026 January 2026 December 2025 November 2025 October 2025 September 2025 August 2025 July 2025 June 2025 May 2025 April 2025 March 2025 February 2025 January 2025 December 2024 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 April 2010 March 2010 December 2009 October 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 March 2009 February 2009 October 2008 September 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007 October 2007 May 2007 March 2007 February 2007 January 2007 November 2006 October 2006 September 2006 August 2006 July 2006 June 2006 May 2006 April 2006 March 2006 February 2006 October 2005 June 2005 April 2005 February 2005 July 2004 May 2004 April 2004

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz