One of the new methods in evangelism is the offer of a gift Bible in connection with the use of this Bible by the interested ones in a series of Bible lessons in a class, or in a home, or in a series of evangelistic sermons. The better we understand the advantages of this relatively simple plan for ministers and laymen, the more effective it can prove in gathering souls to keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.
There are many factors that lead people to unite with the remnant church. But the basic item in winning a person to God's present truth is the application of the Word of God to his heart by the Holy Spirit. We need to make use of every visual aid for making the truth stand out distinctly. Charts, diagrams, black light, flannel. graphs, chalk talks, screen pictures—all are helpful in illustrating the truth and in arousing and holding interest. But only the Word of God applied by the Holy Spirit can truly win any soul.
The soul-winning value of evangelistic preaching and Bible studies is determined by the extent to which it places the Word of God in the mind and heart of the hearer. It is the Bible that convinces, convicts, and converts the soul. The saving and transforming power needed in evangelism is in the Word of God, applied by the Spirit of God. Peter declares that we are "born again . . . by the word of God" (1 Peter 1:23). James says, "Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth" (James 1:18).
The main advantage of this gift-Bible evangelism, is its sevenfold application of the Word of God to the student's mind and heart. He hears the Word declared. He sees the truth in his own Bible. He underlines it in his Bible. He reads it aloud. He fills in the truth on the blank lines under "My Bible Says." He reads this declaration of truth aloud with the psychological effect that this is what my Bible says. Then he takes the truth home on the lesson sheet. All of this adds up to a sevenfold way for fastening the truth in his mind.
A good seed contains the germ of life, and when cast into the soil at the proper season, under the influence of sunshine and showers, it germinates and springs up to reproduce its kind. In the same way the words of the Bible, if received into the mind and heart to be believed and obeyed, germinate, and spiritual life is the result, reproducing its kind; and that believing soul is made a partaker of the divine nature.
The power and life of the Almighty lie hidden in the words of the Sacred Record. They are God-breathed; and that power and life will be manifest in the experience of every one who will receive them with meekness to believe them and submit to their requirements. The books men have written cannot do this. But it has been demonstrated a million times that when the Bible is truly received into a prepared heart, that word becomes truly a seed, spiritual and incorruptible in nature, which, when quickened by the Spirit of God, becomes the life germ of a new creature, a son of God.
When by faith we receive the word of God from our Bibles, we receive the very life and character of God. When received into the soul by faith, this seed of the word will bring forth in us a life after the similitude of the character and life of God.
One outstanding feature of this gift-Bible plan is that each lesson consists of a series of pertinent questions on the given subject with a direct answer from the Bible. Thus it allows the Bible to speak for itself. We have been instructed from an authoritative source that this is the most effectual way. Notice these statements from Ellen G. White:
"Bring the people to a decision; keep the voice of the Bible ever before them."—Evangelism, p. 296.
"A great work can be done by presenting to the people the Bible just as it reads" Ibid., p. 434.
These Bible lessons, in harmony with this counsel, do keep the voice of the Bible before the people, and place the emphasis on the Bible just as it reads.
In recommending to a certain minister the plan of conducting a Bible class after certain sermons, Ellen G. White said: "You will find great success in coming close to the people in these Bible lessons."—Manuscript 1, 1874.
We are assured of success when we come close to the people in appropriate Bible lessons. "The words of the speaker bringing the fm-m of sound doctrine into actual contact with the hearers will result in the saving of souls."—Letter 4, 1910.
In the work of the third angel's message, it seems that the most effective method for leading souls into the truth has been the holding of Bible readings with individuals. "The plan of holding Bible-readings was a heaven-born idea."—Gospel Workers, p. 192.
These Bible lessons with the gift Bible are a further development of the Bible readings plan with an increased effectiveness, by its sevenfold application of the truth of the Word to the minds and hearts of the people. Its potential results in the Bible class are nearly equal to as many individual Bible studies as there are people in the class. Thus it multiplies manyfold the results of the individual Bible readings with an interested student.
The format, as followed in the class, is calculated to produce the reaction that the teaching is exactly what the Bible says. It brings home the thought, "Since this is what my Bible says, I must accept it."
We see this in the case of the Bereans. "These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so" (Acts 17:11).
When they searched the Scriptures, they found that Paul was presenting what the Word of God said. What was the result? The next verse tells. "Therefore many of them believed." What else could they as honest people do but take their stand for what Paul presented? This "therefore" underlines the value of these Bible lessons -with their sevenfold application of the Word to the people's minds and hearts. See how quickly the Ethiopian treasurer was led to be baptized when Philip pointed out the truth in the open roll of Scriptures which the man had in his hands.
We know that these Bible lessons do lead a person to convince himself of the truth. This is a necessary part of preparing him to make a decision. In fact, if he is truly honest, he will decide to obey the truth of which he is convinced.
The offer of this gift Bible to those who attend twelve times is one of the best devices for maintaining a regular attendance. It induces the people to make an extra effort to attend the requisite number of times to secure the Bible. When they handle this lovely Bible with their name in it from meeting to meeting, and mark it; it increases their desire, and strengthens their purpose to keep on attending, until they can take it home. Thus it sparks their interest in the class.
This plan is a fine aid in holding a person's attention to the lesson subject. When you preach without this plan, a man's mind can wander to something entirely removed from what you are presenting. But with a Bible in his hand, turning to the respective texts, and reading them aloud with the speaker, and marking certain parts of the texts, and completing and reading the "My Bible Says" proposition, his mind must be focused where you want it—on what the Bible says. This fixed and marked attention begets increasing interest in the subject.
Some evangelists use this open-Bible-inthe-hand method beginning with their first sermon in the campaign. It does have certain advantages. But I believe the advantages of letting the pastor use it as a follow-through after the evangelist's short campaign outweigh these advantages.
We have never had anything that strengthens the short campaign so much as the use of the gift-Bible-class follow-through by the pastor. Let the evangelist preach his powerful Biblical sermons and use them to arouse the hearer's interest in learning more about the Bible. Let the evangelist guide this interest into enrollments for a gift-Bible class, which he and the pastor jointly will inaugurate during the second or third week of the short campaign. Then when the campaign closes, the pastor can continue the class at his own church twice a week until sixteen lessons, which cover all the essentials to make a real Seventh-day Adventist, have been presented. The advantage of a follow-through secures more decisions from the interested, and will help to establish in the faith those who made decisions in the short campaign by the evangelist.
This plan makes for a better transition from evangelist to pastor. A successful evangelist is usually a dynamic speaker. He handles great themes that stir men's souls. In contrast the pastor's preaching may seem tame. But the pastor with a gift-Bible class in operation after the evangelist leaves has a decided advantage in holding and reaping more from the interest. Why should not the evangelist make it as easy as he can for the pastor to take over when he leaves? Why unwittingly pull the rug out from under him by using the Bible gift plan in the short campaign from the first night, thus making it more difficult for the local pastor to follow through? Would it not be better for the evangelist to build his attendance by the offer of worth-while free books each week and leave the gift Bible for the follow-up Bible class?
