Book Review: Empowered Witness by Alan Strange

What is the mission of the church? Does the church supposed to have any political position whatsoever?  Is the church supposed to be neutral when it comes to the issues of our day? Alan Strange in his book, Empowered Witness, takes a look at the church in regard to its mission and its impact on culture as well as politics. 

Strange hold nothing back in regard to the mission of the church. The first sentence of the introduction says that the mission of the church "is to proclaim the gospel to the ends of the earth, not to be another merely (or even chiefly) political, social, or economic institution." Strange goes on to say that Jesus made it clear that the church is "to go to every people (often translated 'nations') and to evangelize and disciple them (Matt. 28:18-20), enfolding them into his kingdom, which is 'not of this world' ((John 18:36), a kingdom that does not have the transitory but the eternal at its heart (2 Cor. 4:18).

By now, this should be the end of the book. The mission of the church is to make disciples. The church is not to be engaged with the culture, right? This book dives deeply into the mission of the church to be preaching the gospel to everyone while not being some form of political power. As Strange has said, everyone has a political opinion, but they are not gospel truth that should be proclaimed from the pulpit as gospel truth. 

This book also takes a look at Charles Hodge who opposed the spiritual mission of the church. He sought to get the Presbyterian church away from the mission of the church to just proclaim the gospel to become more of a political power during the time when slavery was legal in the United States. Strange goes on to show what will happen if the church neglects it mission of proclaiming the gospel to the ends of the earth and becoming something Jesus never commissioned his church to do.

Strange concludes to remind his readers that the gospel is not a political message, but a spiritual one. Many in our day who have embrace the social justice narrative want the church to be more active in the political sphere or even being more involved in social issues. 

There are even some that have rejected the Bible because it did not abolish slavery. Strange wrote, "While it is true that Christ and the apostle did not abolish slavery, it is also the case that the consequences of the gospel would tend to ameliorate if not eliminate it (as seen in Paul's letter to Philemon)."

I strongly encourage all believers to read this book especially if you hold to the Christian Nationalist view. 

I received this book from Crossway in exchange for a review.