There are two ways the Grace Commentary can grow and bear fruit. The first way is that I write new commentary until every verse in the New Testament is covered. (I spoke about how far we have come in my last update.)
The second way is that we reach more people with the gospel of grace. That is, we get more readers.
Both are important. We need the message, and we need people to hear it. After all, isn’t that the whole point of proclaiming the good news? So that people might hear and believe?
My natural inclination is to go hard at the first target. My ideal week is write, write, write. But earlier this year, I sensed the Lord nudging me to “do a better job with what you’ve got.”
In other words, think about the people you’re trying to reach.
So Camilla and I had a bit of a reset, and the biggest change you may have noticed is that the Grace Commentary Facebook page is no longer boring. We threw out the tired graphics, rejigged the page to make it more attractive to the algorithm, and now it is a forum of lively discussion.
It used to be that hardly anyone commented on the posts. Now the Grace Commentary page is like an inner-city bus station full of people going on all sorts of journeys.
Scan the comments under some of the more controversial posts and you will find religious types, New Age folks, the occasional mockers, some wannabe preachers, and plenty of honest, open-minded seekers.
Which is awesome.
The gospel of grace is not meant to be discussed in hushed tones behind seminary walls. The good news is meant to be shouted from the rooftops and in the marketplaces. And if that brings a reaction, so be it. I would rather people were arguing about grace than not talking about it at all.
Here’s are some stats from a recent Facebook post:
Out of the 5,000+ people who saw this post, more than four-fifths were non-followers (i.e., people who are probably unfamiliar with the gospel of grace).
This is exactly the sort of ratio we’re looking for. We’re not preaching to the choir; we’re engaging with people from all walks of life so that, by all possible means, we might save some.
Now, here’s where you come in.
If you have a heart for the lost and know how to respond to comments with grace and tact, I encourage you to jump into some of these discussion threads on FB and engage with people. I do it when I can, but the demand is far greater than I can manage.
Don’t feel you must respond to everything, and please don’t reply to comments that upset you. Be open to the Holy Spirit’s prodding. Trust him to give you a word in season that may turn the heart of a critic or answer the questions of a seeker.
It’s easy to look at these discussion threads and see only noise. But in these threads are readers who have been brought to the page by the Holy Spirit and are primed and ready to learn more about grace from someone who knows.
So why not be that person?
Paul
Be part of the Grace Revolution—become a Grace Commentary supporter and change the way the world reads the Bible.
