More than 500 years ago, the Reformers rediscovered biblical principles that continue to shape evangelism and missions today.

Over the centuries, countless methods and trends have influenced the way Christians approach evangelism and missions. Every few years, a new strategy or approach seems to capture the attention of the church. While some methods can be useful, we must always evaluate them in light of Scripture and learn from the history of the church.

Many of the principles that guide Protestant evangelism today were brought back into focus during the Reformation. As Martin Luther, John Calvin, and other Reformers returned to God's Word, they challenged the prevailing practices of their time and helped restore a biblical understanding of what it means to share the gospel.

How Missions Were Practiced Before the Reformation

During the 15th and 16th centuries, the Catholic Church was heavily involved in missionary activity. Spain, Portugal, and France sent thousands of missionaries to territories they were conquering around the world.

Christopher Columbus, for example, was sent by the Spanish monarchs not only to establish trade routes and claim new territories but also to convert the inhabitants to Christianity. In his diary, he described the people he encountered in the Bahamas:

"They ought to make good and skilled servants, for they repeat very quickly whatever we say to them. I think they can very easily be made Christians, for they seem to have no religion."

This reflected the close relationship between political expansion and missionary activity at the time. The expansion of Catholic kingdoms was often understood as the expansion of the kingdom of God.

These missionary efforts were characterized by four practices:

• Military and political conquest: Missionary activity was closely connected to the expansion of European kingdoms. Priests often accompanied military expeditions to establish Christianity in conquered territories.
• Forced mass conversions: Newly conquered populations were frequently baptized without a clear understanding of Christ or the gospel. In the first 15 years after the Spanish conquest of Mexico, Franciscan missionaries reportedly baptized approximately five million Indigenous people.
• Religious syncretism: Without sufficient biblical teaching, many existing pagan beliefs and practices remained intertwined with Christian traditions.
• An emphasis on buildings and sacraments: Church buildings, priests, and religious rituals became central elements of missionary activity.

While these efforts brought enormous numbers of people into the church institutionally, they did not necessarily produce a genuine understanding of the gospel.

Five Ways the Reformers Changed Evangelism

The Reformers challenged these approaches by returning to Scripture as the ultimate authority for faith and practice. Their renewed emphasis on the gospel transformed the way Christians understood evangelism and missions.

1. They Brought God's Word Back to the Center

Rather than relying on mass baptisms or religious rituals, the Reformers emphasized preaching and teaching the Word of God. They believed people needed to hear and understand the gospel before responding to it. This also meant making Scripture accessible in the common language of the people rather than relying exclusively on Latin.

Both Martin Luther and John Calvin devoted much of their lives to preaching. Calvin is estimated to have preached around 4,000 times, while Luther preached approximately 7,000 times. Their commitment reflected a fundamental conviction: the gospel must be clearly communicated so people can understand the truth and place their faith in Jesus Christ.

2. They Called People to Repentance Rather Than Penance

One of the major disagreements of the Reformation concerned the difference between repentance and penance.

- Penance involved performing religious acts to make satisfaction for one's sins.

- Repentance, however, is a change of heart and mind that turns a person away from unbelief and toward faith in God.

The Reformers emphasized that people cannot pay for their own sins. Only Jesus Christ can provide forgiveness through His finished work on the cross.

Martin Luther addressed this directly in his 95 Theses:

"When our Lord and Master Jesus Christ said, 'Repent' (Matthew 4:17), he willed the entire life of believers to be one of repentance."

For the Reformers, the call of the gospel was not to perform religious works to earn forgiveness, but to turn to Christ in repentance and faith.

3. They Believed in God's Effectual Calling

The Reformers believed that God is able to bring people to salvation through His calling. Because salvation is ultimately God's work, they saw no need to rely on scare tactics, emotional manipulation, or pressure to produce a response.Instead, they emphasized preaching the gospel with biblical simplicity and passion.

Our responsibility is to communicate the gospel clearly and faithfully. We cannot force someone into a relationship with Christ or manufacture genuine faith through emotional appeals. That is the work of God.

4. They Taught the Sufficiency of Christ's Work

Another central teaching of the Reformation was that Jesus Christ's sacrifice is completely sufficient for the forgiveness of sin.

During this period, indulgences were promoted as a means of obtaining spiritual benefits in exchange for money. Luther strongly opposed the idea that salvation could be secured through indulgence letters.

The Reformers insisted that salvation comes through faith in Jesus Christ, not through financial payments, religious transactions, or human efforts. Christ's work on the cross is complete. Nothing needs to be added to it.

5. They Were Motivated by the Glory of God

Finally, the Reformers understood that the ultimate purpose of evangelism was to see God glorified. Their motivation was not personal recognition, financial gain, or simply increasing the number of people who identified as Christians.

Luther emphasized this in his 62nd Thesis:

"The true treasure of the church is the most holy gospel of the glory and grace of God."

This conviction gave many Reformers the courage to remain faithful even when it cost them their lives. Some were imprisoned, persecuted, or executed for their commitment to biblical truth.

Their example reminds us that sharing the gospel is not always easy or comfortable. Whether we serve in a familiar community or travel to a dangerous place to reach those who have never heard, our motivation should remain the same: the glory of God.

What Can We Learn From the Reformation Today?

More than 500 years later, these principles remain essential for the church.

Evangelistic methods and strategies will continue to change. New technologies, outreach events, and ministry approaches can all have their place. However, we must be careful not to allow our methods to replace the message itself.

Even today, churches can fall into the trap of measuring success by the number of raised hands, repeated prayers, or people attending an event without ensuring that they truly understand the gospel.

The Reformers remind us that our responsibility is not to manufacture decisions but to faithfully proclaim the truth of God's Word.

Ultimately, God's Word must remain central, our message must focus on the sufficient work of Jesus Christ, and our call must be one of repentance and faith.