Must the Gospel be Preached at Every Time & Place?

The Latest Bum Rap Against Pope Francis

The latest “pope controversy” is the accusation that he supposedly thinks all religions are exactly the same (indifferentism). I have deliberately stayed out of it (see a great defense of him by Pedro Gabriel and many related resources below at the end). But I want to say a few words about a related presuppositional issue, per my title. I’m being like one of my heroes, Socrates: he always went right to the premise. Peter Kwasniewski, a radical Catholic reactionary who despises Pope Francis, wrote on his public Facebook page on 9-19-24 (I reproduce it in its entirety; his words in blue):

The same Paul said, “I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some” (1 Cor 9:22, RSV). Part of that is to talk to them in their own language and within their present understanding. Then we can preach the gospel. My point is that it doesn’t necessarily all have to be at once. We have to be wise in approaching folks according to what they can understand and handle.

Jesus seemed to teach the same principle or technique that I am suggesting:

Matthew 13:10-13 Then the disciples came and said to him, “Why do you speak to them in parables?” [11] And he answered them, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. [12] For to him who has will more be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who has not, even what he has will be taken away. [13] This is why I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand.

So Jesus didn’t preach the gospel directly here, even to “great crowds”. In the parallel account in Mark, it’s even more explicit and “exclusionary”:

Mark 4:10-12 And when he was alone, those who were about him with the twelve asked him concerning the parables. [11] And he said to them, “To you has been given the secret of the kingdom of God, but for those outside everything is in parables; [12] so that they may indeed see but not perceive, and may indeed hear but not understand; lest they should turn again, and be forgiven.”

Mark 4:33-34 With many such parables he spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear it; [34] he did not speak to them without a parable, but privately to his own disciples he explained everything.

As far as I am concerned, this blows away any necessary requirement that we must immediately preach the gospel to everyone at all times. Jesus didn’t. And that’s quite enough for me. Why isn’t it for Peter Kwasniewski? Even among Christians, Paul recognized the same general principle: that there were vastly different levels of understanding, and so different treatment was accordingly required:

1 Corinthians 3:1-2 But I, brethren, could not address you as spiritual men, but as men of the flesh, as babes in Christ. [2] I fed you with milk, not solid food; for you were not ready for it; and even yet you are not ready,

The author of Hebrews does the same:

Hebrews 5:12-14 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need some one to teach you again the first principles of God’s word. You need milk, not solid food; [13] for every one who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a child. [14] But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their faculties trained by practice to distinguish good from evil.

I’m not even maintaining that the pope was consciously dong this. But I am disagreeing with Peter’s premise above and saying that this practice is perfectly biblical and wise. I do also know — contrary to the mountain of contrary lies — that Pope Francis thinks evangelism and apologetics are fine and dandy. I’ve documented this myself, ten times:

Pope Francis & the Diversity of Religions (The Sedevacantist Outfit Novus Ordo Watch Lies Yet Again About Pope Francis) [11-29-20]

Dialogue: Pope Francis Doesn’t Evangelize? [4-29-16]

Pope Francis Condemns Evangelism? Absolutely Not! [10-17-16]

Is Pope Francis Against Apologetics & Defending the Faith? [11-26-19]

Debate: Pope Francis on Doctrine, Truth, & Evangelizing (vs. Dr. Eduardo Echeverria) [12-16-19]

Dialogue: Pope Francis vs. Gospel Preaching & Converts? No! (vs. Eric Giunta) [1-3-20]

Abp. Viganò Whopper #289: Pope Forbids All Evangelism (?) [4-8-20]

Pope, Peter, & Paul: Evangelize; Don’t Proselytize [4-28-20]

Pope Francis vs. the Gospel? Outrageous & Absurd Lies! (Anti-Catholic Protestant James White and Catholic Reactionary Steve Skojec Echo Each Other’s Gigantic Whoppers) [5-26-20]