By Mark W. Christy, PhD

The revivals of the eighteenth century caused a major shift in the theological commitments within many churches in America. At the onset of the First Great Awakening in America(1730s), Calvinism was deeply entrenched in theological commitments of both the churches and many of the revival leaders including George Whitefield, Jonathan Edwards, Jonathan Dickinson, Gilbert Tennent, and Samuel Davies. After this movement, most churches held firmly to their historic Calvinistic confessions.

This had all changed by the time of the Second Great Awakening with many of its leaders, including Charles Grandison Finney, Lyman Beecher, and Edward Everett being associated with Arminianism and Unitarianism. As a result, the Calvinist predisposition lost its prominence within American pulpits and gave way to the rise of Arminianism.

Over the last 40 years or so, many pulpits have given way to all manner of worldly philosophies. Some churches advocate for a more postmodern take on the Scripture by deemphasizing its propositional truth claims in favor of simply focusing on its narratives. Perhaps even worse due to its inherent deceitfulness, experientialism has arisen in this consumeristic and materialistic society where self is made king. In response, more and more churches are going to many lengths to develop just the right worship experience and offer just the right services so as to attract their “customers.”

Suffice it to say, all of this has led to an overwhelming amount of theological ignorance. Despite such ignorance being firmly rooted, many evangelicals still feel the need to spur their members on to faithful witnessing in line with the Great Commission. Unfortunately, these biblically illiterate Christians have very little to offer anyone in regard to the words of Scripture. With the blessings of their churches, it has become increasingly common for them to rely simply on their testimonies to facilitate their witness. While personal testimonies of God’s faithfulness, grace, etc. are certainly helpful, relying on these personal experiences exclusively ultimately downplays the authority of the Word of God and the objective truths it proclaims.

In Romans 10, Paul makes it clear that people are to hear and respond to gospel presentation that is directly associated with God’s Word. To accomplish this, the faithful witness, who wishes to give personal testimony, can interlace the truth of the gospel throughout their dialogue in such a way that it is presented accurately and clearly.