When I finished Vintage Jesus, I chose to follow it up by reading a classic by Robert Coleman, THE MASTER PLAN OF EVANGELISM. I purchased this text from my local seminary where it was a textbook for a class that I did not take.
My first – and most shallow – observation was noticing how distracting it was for every Biblical reference to be in the King James Version. While Scripture is Scripture, and God’s Word in infallible (I said it my baptist brothers), I find that to be incredibly distracting. I have to stop and read it so incredibly slowly because I don’t understand King James english. Couldn’t we update the translation in the updated version of the book?
That said, I understand how this book has become a classic for ministers. It should be required reading for anyone. It follows Jesus’ method of growing his disciples from fishermen and tax collectors into a group of twelve that completely transformed the world and the future by their teachings. (I know Jesus transformed the world and the future, but he did so through their teaching.)
Christians are called to “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” –Matthew 28:19-20 (HCSB)
If we’re called to make disciples, it would certainly be a benefit to see how the perfect, sinless, Son of God, God-in-Flesh made disciples. It just makes sense. Pick it up here.
