Do the Ends Justify the Means?

You have likely heard the phrase, “the ends justify the means.” Most people believe this concept, at least in certain applications. The idea is that if the end result is good, then it does not matter if the means to that end are wrong – all that really matters is the end result.

Common examples of this mindset are to say that it is fine to lie as long as it is done for a good purpose (to spare someone’s feelings, prevent embarrassment, advance yourself, etc.), or that it is acceptable to steal in order to feed one’s family. However, the word of God – our standard for morality – clearly defines lying and stealing as being wrong (Ephesians 4:25, 28). A noble purpose does not justify sinful behavior.

There are many applications we can make regarding the false concept of the ends justifying the means. But in this brief article, I want to focus on the area of evangelism.

Evangelism is an important work in which individual Christians and churches should be engaged. The apostles were told, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation” (Mark 16:15). Today, individual Christians might teach others (1 Peter 3:15), strike up religious discussions with them (Acts 17:16-18), and show by example what God calls us to be (Matthew 5:16). The local church is described as “the pillar and support of the truth” (1 Timothy 3:15) and each congregation should be striving to sound forth the word of the Lord (1 Thessalonians 1:8).

Evangelism is important is because “the gospel…is the power of God for salvation” (Romans 1:16). Those who do not obey the gospel will be lost (2 Thessalonians 1:8). Therefore, it is expected for Christians to have a strong desire for others to hear, believe, and obey the gospel.

However, in our zeal to evangelize the lost, we need to be careful not to forsake the pattern revealed in the New Testament. Paul told Timothy, “Retain the standard of sound words which you have heard from me” (2 Timothy 1:13). Having a desire to save the lost does not give us permission to disregard the Lord’s pattern for reaching the lost. Yet many brethren justify unauthorized practices because they (allegedly) are successful in bringing the lost to Christ. Let us notice a few examples:

• Missionary societies – One of the major controversies that divided brethren in the early days of the Restoration Movement was over missionary societies. These were organizations created by Christians for the purpose of preaching the gospel. However, God has already given us an organization through which the gospel is to be preached – the local church (1 Timothy 3:15; Acts 13:1-3). There is no authority for other organizations to do this work – regardless of whether they are supported by churches or individuals – since God specified the church as His chosen organization (cf. Hebrews 7:14).
• Sponsoring church arrangement – Brethren have also invented the practice of churches sending money to a “sponsoring church” to conduct some sort of evangelistic effort (sometimes a radio or television broadcast). This concept is foreign to the Scriptures. In the New Testament, any money sent by a congregation for the purpose of evangelism was not sent to another congregation, but directly to a gospel preacher who would be doing the work (2 Corinthians 11:8; Philippians 4:15-16).
• Providing recreation and other activities – It has become popular among the churches of men, and even among some of our brethren, to provide recreation and other activities as a means of drawing people in from the community so that they might have a chance later to teach them. Jesus said, “And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to Myself” (John 12:32). How can we help draw people to Jesus? Not through basketball games, camps, concerts, etc., but through the preaching of the gospel (Mark 16:15; 2 Thessalonians 2:14)
• Providing services – Many churches have added services such as schools and day cares hoping that by providing such things, those who take advantage of these services will be more inclined to “join” the church. However, the work of the church consists of evangelism (1 Timothy 3:15) and edification (Ephesians 4:11-16), not childcare and secular education.
• Performances – Not content with the preaching of the gospel, many churches have added theatrical performances such as Easter and Christmas plays (religious observances which are not even spoken of in the Scriptures), as a way to attract people. Some brethren have begun using vocal performances (singing as a choir) as an evangelistic tool. Yet when preachers in the first century went out to spread the gospel, they did not perform religious songs or plays; they simply preached the gospel (Acts 2:40-41; 4:1-4; 8:4-5, 12, 34-35; 10:33-34; 11:19-21; 16:30-33; 17:2-4, 16-18).
• Changing the message – This may be the most common way of making converts. Instead of preaching the pure, unadulterated message of the gospel, many will preach what people want to hear. Paul warned Timothy about those who would do this (2 Timothy 4:3-4). But Timothy was to simply “preach the word” (2 Timothy 4:2). When the gospel is changed, it is no longer God’s power to save (Romans 1:16; Galatians 1:6-9). If we hope to convert people to Christ, we must preach the gospel without additions, subtractions, or changes (Acts 20:27; 2 John 9; Matthew 15:14).

The list above is certainly not exhaustive, but contains many things that brethren have tried to do in the name of evangelism that are unauthorized in the New Testament. In some cases there will be converts – not because of the unauthorized action, but in spite of it. Converts are produced from the simple preaching of the gospel (Mark 16:15-16; Acts 2:37-41; Romans 1:16).

Furthermore, in trying to defend unauthorized practices, brethren often make a faulty assumption in thinking that the ones who may be converted through such unauthorized actions would never be reached with the gospel otherwise. Paul said, “For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel” (1 Corinthians 1:17). What if Paul thought he could reach more people and, therefore, baptize more (make more converts) if he worked through a missionary society, organized youth camps, or performed religious songs in the cities he visited? Would he be authorized to do those things? No, he was to preach the gospel and trust in God to bring the increase (1 Corinthians 3:6).

God “desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:4). Christians should have the same desire, but we should not arrogantly think that we have a better plan than God. Remember the words revealed to the prophet: “‘For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,’ declares the Lord. ‘For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts’” (Isaiah 55:8-9). Just after that, He said, “My word…which goes forth from My mouth; it will not return to Me empty, without accomplishing what I desire, and without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it” (Isaiah 55:11). Rather than trying to improve upon God’s plan, we should simply follow His plan. We should plant and water and trust in the Lord to bring the increase (1 Corinthians 3:6), instead of trying to produce results on our own by following our own plan.