Today I am starting a commentary on each of his propositions. I find them insightful and helpful even today. As I read through them, I am struck by the thought that Schwan would not have written these propositions if unevangelical practice had not been an issue among pastors of his day.
Here we are almost 150 years later and most of his examples of unevangelical practice are still very common in our churches. In fact I often hear pastors boast of their faithfulness as they recount their activities that Schwan identifies as unevangelical practice. What a different church we would be if we allowed the Gospel to have sway in our practice as well as our preaching.
Schwan's first proposition is:
Evangelical practice consists not in this, that we teach and treat nothing except the evangelical message (the Gospel), but in this, that we treat everything in evangelical fashion.
I would like to have a nickel for every meeting that I have attended where Gospel practice has been abandoned in favor of a law solution to problems in the congregation.
When things don't seem to be going well, everyone points the finger at those uncommitted people. We must force them to attend church, give more, etc.
It takes patience and trust to allow the Gospel to work in the hearts of people so that they will respond in a Christian fashion to the challenges of day to day life in the church and the world. The law offers a quick fix to our perceived problems but it damages the hearts of our people.
Faithful evangelical (Gospel preachers) will be faithful in evangelical (Gospel) practice.
More to come as we walk through the propositions.
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