Is The Way of the Master approach to evangelism consistent with the Bible?

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?

The Way of the Master (TWOTM) is a biblically consistent method of evangelism that mirrors how Jesus, the prophets, and the apostles revealed sin to draw people toward repentance and salvation. By using God’s law to expose humanity’s guilt and highlight the need for Christ, it effectively communicates the heart of the Gospel.

The Bible is filled with instances of God and the apostles drawing humankind’s attention to their sin. God addressed Adam and Eve’s sin after they disobeyed Him (Genesis 3:11). Much of the Old Testament concerns prophets whom God sent to His people to confront them with their sin (1 Samuel: 13-14; Isaiah 29:13; Jeremiah 2:17, 17:9). The people repeatedly sinned despite God giving them His law, which included the distilled moral commands, known popularly as the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:3-17). The TWOTM method highlights the Ten Commandments because most people are familiar with it, and it covers broad moral categories that all have broken in one way or another. In the Gospel, in Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, He made it clear that our very thoughts condemn us (Exodus 20:14, 20:17; Matthew 5:27-28), implying that our own attempts to be righteous are fruitless. Later, in the New Testament, the apostle Paul notes that the Mosaic Law was meant as a tutor to show us that we can’t not sin, so we all need Christ (Romans 3:20, 7:7; Galatians 3:24).

The effectiveness of the TWOTM method may be a challenge considering today’s relativistic, secular culture. Evangelism must ultimately be guided by both biblical truth and the Holy Spirit’s wisdom.

FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT

• The TWOTM method is meant to reveal the fact that all humanity has sinned. God exposed the sin of Adam and Eve shortly after it happened (Genesis 3:11) and after Cain killed Abel (Genesis 4:10-11).
• Moses called Pharaoh out on his sin multiple times during the plagues on Egypt (Exodus 9:17), but he wasn’t humble enough to submit to God.
• In Exodus 20, God gave His people a distilled moral code known popularly as the Ten Commandments. The TWOTM uses content from that familiar passage to help people acknowledge that they have broken at least one of those commandments, probably more.
• Samuel exposed Saul’s sins on multiple occasions (1 Samuel 13:13-14, 15:22-23, 28:15-19).
• God called out Israel’s sin many times through the prophets (Isaiah 1:18, 29:13; Jeremiah 2:17, 17:9)--- “many times” because they kept falling into sin. This shows that on their own, they could never permanently atone for their sins.

FROM THE NEW TESTAMENT

• The TWOTM approach usually starts with the first question and then follows with some specific sins: lying, stealing, adultery. Jesus made it clear that the wickedness of our hearts is in view, not just outward conformity to the law. For example, Jesus said that if a man looks at a woman lustfully, he is committing adultery (Matthew 5:27–28) to show that however "good" we think we may be, we are all guilty of breaking the law. Without Christ, we would be condemned. Since we cannot pay for our own sins, Jesus did.
• The apostle Paul wrote in Romans 3:20, “For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.” The TWOTM method is meant to reveal that while many people would call themselves “good,” no one is good in that we’ve all broken the law. That means, we all need Christ.
• Likewise, Galatians 3:23–28 describes the law as our “guardian” before Christ in that it pointed us to our sin; after Christ, we are no longer under the law but are covered in the righteousness of Christ when we place our faith in Him. TWOTM evangelism focuses on a portion of the law, albeit a very important portion, to reveal a person's sin to him or her and then lead that person to Christ. This is in keeping with Scripture.
• No one method of evangelism will be effective for everyone we encounter. For instance, the TWOTM method may be more challenging in a secular society that doesn’t acknowledge the Bible as God’s Words. We must ask God for wisdom (James 1:5) in tailoring our methods to our audience. Paul modeled how to approach different audiences in different ways (Acts 17:22-34; 1 Corinthians 9:20). Ultimately, conversion is in the hands of God, not us.

IMPLICATIONS FOR TODAY

The Way of the Master (TWOTM) approach to evangelism uses the acronym WDJD (What Did Jesus Do) as a framework for its approach. The acronym is used to remind the evangelist of four questions:

Would you consider yourself a good person?

Do you think you have kept the Ten Commandments?

If you were judged by the Ten Commandments, would you be guilty or innocent?

Destiny: do you think you will go to heaven or hell based on that judgment?

TWOTM is biblical, but some people have expressed skepticism about it. Chief among the issues noted is the inherent lack of relationship between the evangelist and the unbeliever. People are decidedly less likely to listen to the Gospel if they don’t trust the person bringing it, especially in a society where the Gospel has been misused and abused.

Nevertheless, TWOTM is biblically sound. But it is not the only valid path to evangelism, and it may not be appropriate in all circumstances. No single Biblical approach to evangelism will work for everyone. Paul said (1 Corinthians 9:19–23) that he presented himself differently to different people in order that "by all means I might save some" (verse 22). Jesus commissioned His followers to "make disciples of all nations" (Matthew 28:19) but did not specify that there is one right way to do so. TWOTM evangelism is one valid way to start the process of making disciples.

UNDERSTAND

• The Way of the Master’s approach mirrors how Jesus and the prophets revealed sin to point people toward repentance.
• TWOTM effectively uses God’s law to awaken awareness of sin and lead people to salvation in Christ.
• While biblically sound, TWOTM may fall short in cultures that resist religious authority without relational trust.

REFLECT

• How do you respond when someone confronts you with your own sin?
• How do you seek to balance truth and compassion when sharing your faith?
• How can you rely on the Holy Spirit to guide your approach when talking about Jesus?

ENGAGE

• How can we adapt the Way of the Master’s method to reach a culture that distrusts religion?
• What role should personal relationship play in evangelism?
• How might we encourage each other to share the gospel with both boldness and grace?