“Deeds of Mercy”: D. A. Carson’s Perspective

October 15, 2008 – 10:16 am

Rick Warren (see previous MM post: “Deeds of Mercy”: Rick Warren’s Perspective) and D. A. Carson offer differing perspectives on appropriate “deeds of mercy” in connection to sharing the gospel and planting churches.

In a recent Themelios Journal article, D. A. Carson presented the challenge in determining the role that “deeds of mercy” have with the Christian witness:

In many parts of the evangelical world, one hears a new debate-or, more precisely, new chapters in an old debate-regarding the precise place that “deeds of mercy” ought to have in Christian witness. I am talking [...] about the debate between those Christians who say that we should primarily be about the business of heralding the gospel and planting churches, and those who say that our responsibility as Christians extends to the relief of oppression, suffering, and poverty in all their forms.

Further in the article, Carson raised a question, and gave two answers:

Granted that we ought to be engaged in acts of mercy, what safeguards can be set in place so as to minimize the risk that the deeds of mercy will finally swamp the proclamation of the gospel and the passionate desire to see men and women reconciled to God by faith in Christ Jesus and his atoning death and resurrection?

Read the full editorial to find the answers to the question.