Calvinist Flyswatter

Using Numbers To Evaluate Churches: A Biblical And Historical Response To Jared Moore

Pastor, blogger, and Southern Baptist Theological Seminary student Jared Moore recently posted an article entitled "Ten Contemporary Sacred Cows that Need to be Tipped." One of the "cows," according to Brother Jared, was church emphasis on "numbers, numbers, numbers." Jared wrote, "Is there anywhere in Scripture where God evaluated His church or their ministry based on numbers? No. So, why is there a huge emphasis on numbers today?"

This article is humbly offered in response to Jared.

Jared Moore: "Is there anywhere in Scripture where God evaluated His church or their ministry based on numbers? No."
Acts 1:15: In the upper room "the company of persons was in all about 120..."

Jared Moore: "Is there anywhere in Scripture where God evaluated His church or their ministry based on numbers? No."
Acts 2:41: On the day of Pentecost "there were added that day about three thousand souls."

Jared Moore: "Is there anywhere in Scripture where God evaluated His church or their ministry based on numbers? No."
Acts 2:47: "And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved."

Jared Moore: "Is there anywhere in Scripture where God evaluated His church or their ministry based on numbers? No."
Acts 4:4: Shortly after Pentecost "many of those who had heard the word believed, and the number of the men came to about five thousand."

Jared Moore: "Is there anywhere in Scripture where God evaluated His church or their ministry based on numbers? No."
Acts 5:14: "And more than ever believers were added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women."

Jared Moore: "Is there anywhere in Scripture where God evaluated His church or their ministry based on numbers? No."
Acts 6:1: "Now in these days when the disciples were increasing in number..."

Jared Moore: "Is there anywhere in Scripture where God evaluated His church or their ministry based on numbers? No."
Acts 6:7: "And the word of God continued to increase, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith."

Jared Moore: "Is there anywhere in Scripture where God evaluated His church or their ministry based on numbers? No."
Acts 8:6-7: "And the crowds with one accord paid attention to what was being said by Philip when they heard him and saw the signs that he did. For unclean spirits came out of many who were possessed, crying with a loud voice,and many who were paralyzed or lame were healed."

Jared Moore: "Is there anywhere in Scripture where God evaluated His church or their ministry based on numbers? No."
Acts 9:31: "So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria had peace and was being built up. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it multiplied."

Jared Moore: "Is there anywhere in Scripture where God evaluated His church or their ministry based on numbers? No."
Acts 9:35: "And all the residents of Lydda and Sharon saw him, and they turned to the Lord."

Jared Moore: "Is there anywhere in Scripture where God evaluated His church or their ministry based on numbers? No."
Acts 9:42: "And it became known throughout all Joppa, and many believed in the Lord."

Jared Moore: "Is there anywhere in Scripture where God evaluated His church or their ministry based on numbers? No."
Acts 11:21: "And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number who believed turned to the Lord."

Jared Moore: "Is there anywhere in Scripture where God evaluated His church or their ministry based on numbers? No."
Acts 11:24: Barnabas "was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a great many people were added to the Lord."

Jared Moore: "Is there anywhere in Scripture where God evaluated His church or their ministry based on numbers? No."
Acts 12:24: "But the word of God increased and multiplied."

Jared Moore: "Is there anywhere in Scripture where God evaluated His church or their ministry based on numbers? No."
Acts 13:43-44: In Antioch of Pisidia "after the meeting of the synagogue broke up, many Jews and devout converts to Judaism followed Paul and Barnabas, who, as they spoke with them, urged them to continue in the grace of God. The next Sabbath almost the whole city gathered to hear the word of the Lord."

Jared Moore: "Is there anywhere in Scripture where God evaluated His church or their ministry based on numbers? No."
Acts 13:49: "And the word of the Lord was spreading throughout the whole region."

Jared Moore: "Is there anywhere in Scripture where God evaluated His church or their ministry based on numbers? No."
Acts 14:1: "Now at Iconium they entered together into the Jewish synagogue and spoke in such a way that a great number of both Jews and Greeks believed."

Jared Moore: "Is there anywhere in Scripture where God evaluated His church or their ministry based on numbers? No."
Acts 14:21: In Derbe when "they had preached the gospel to that city and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch."

Jared Moore: "Is there anywhere in Scripture where God evaluated His church or their ministry based on numbers? No."
Acts 16:5: "So the churches were strengthened in the faith, and they increased in numbers daily."

Jared Moore: "Is there anywhere in Scripture where God evaluated His church or their ministry based on numbers? No."
Acts 17:4: In Thessalonica "some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a great many of the devout Greeks and not a few of the leading women."

Jared Moore: "Is there anywhere in Scripture where God evaluated His church or their ministry based on numbers? No."
Acts 17:12: In Berea, "many of them therefore believed, with not a few Greek women of high standing as well as men."

Jared Moore: "Is there anywhere in Scripture where God evaluated His church or their ministry based on numbers? No."
Acts 17:34: In Athens, "some men joined him and believed, among whom also were Dionysius the Areopagite and a woman named Damaris and others with them."

Jared Moore: "Is there anywhere in Scripture where God evaluated His church or their ministry based on numbers? No."
Acts 18:8: In Corinth, "Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue, believed in the Lord, together with his entire household. And many of the Corinthians hearing Paul believed and were baptized."

Jared Moore: "Is there anywhere in Scripture where God evaluated His church or their ministry based on numbers? No."
Charles H. Spurgeon:

"I am not among those who decry statistics, nor do I consider that they are productive of all manner of evil; for they do much good if they are accurate, and if men use them lawfully. "It is a good thing for people to see the nakedness of the land through statistics of decrease, that they may be driven on their knees before the Lord to seek prosperity; and, on the other hand, it is by no means an evil thing for workers to be encouraged by having some account of results set before them. I should be very sorry if the practice of adding up, and deducting, and giving in the net result were to be abandoned, for it must be right to know our numerical condition. It has been noticed that those who object to the process are often brethren whose unsatisfactory reports should somewhat humiliate them: this is not always so, but it is suspiciously frequent."

What else needs to be said?

Charles

HT: A Tennessee reader.

posted by Charles @ 12:26 PM