1 Thessalonians 2: Are Actions More Important than Words?
Many Christians hold the view that it is what we do, not what we say, that is most important in spreading the gospel, however this viewpoint is entirely unbiblical. The phrase “preach the gospel and use words if necessary” spoken by Francis of Assisi is often quoted to back up the view, but Francis of Assisi never actually spoke these words at all. What he did say was, “[we]…should preach by our deeds.” ( Rule 1221, Chapter 12 ). The meaning of this is completely different to the meaning of the phrase we often hear used in our churches today. Whilst some Christian believers in the ‘actions not words’ approach are sincere and perhaps naïve, the majority who hold strong to this view do so out of cowardice and fear to speak out for Christ. Granted some people are more gifted with public speaking than others, but this should not stop any of those who have chosen to follow the Lord Jesus from speaking up and out for Him: whether it is preaching; encouraging a fellow Christia...