Was Saint Francis a Sissy?

One hundred and fifty thousand children had been on the brink of starving to death, but thanks to the kind gift of a very generous billionaire, every child now had enough food to keep him alive. That gift had arrived in the form of one big check. The horror was now over. It was finished. It was just a matter of distributing the food using the few relief workers we had. Without them to get the food to the children, there would have been many more deaths.

Some days later, a frantic worker burst into the camp and cried, "Some of the relief workers have stopped distributing food. Masses of children are dying!"

Why would the workers stop when there was plenty of food? It didn't make sense. The distraught man said, "It's because one of them held up a sign that said, 'Feed the starving children. Where necessary, use food.' That has caused some of the workers to simply befriend the starving children without giving them food. It's insane!"

I'm sure you have heard of Saint Francis of Assisi. The first time I ever heard him was back in 1965. It was during the surf movie "The Endless Summer." Four surfers who were chasing the sun discovered the perfect wave, at a place in South Africa called "Cape Saint Francis." The sight of the perfect wave excited me beyond words.

The next time I heard of him was when I heard that he said "Preach the Gospel at all times. Where necessary, use words." That statement upset me beyond words, because it was a philosophy that I knew sounded deeply spiritual . . . to those who were spiritually shallow. It made as much sense as "Feed starving children. Where necessary, use food."

On 16 July 1228 Francis of Assisi was pronounced a saint by Pope Gregory IX. That's a long time ago, so it's a little late for questions, but if I could I would like to find out why anyone would say such a strange thing? Was it because he was fearful to use actual words to preach the truth of the Gospel? Or was it because he thought that people would see that he had good works and hear the message of salvation without a preacher, something contrary to Scripture's "How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?" (Romans 10:14).

Whatever the case, 800 years since Francis we have many who profess faith in Jesus, and are no doubt using this popular philosophy to justify being speechless. To them salvation truly is an "unspeakable" gift.

Recently someone told me about a conference where 100,000 Christians gathered to worship God. When I asked if they were exhorted to go out and preach the Gospel to every creature, it was no surprise to me that they weren't. Instead, they were exhorted to live a life of worship. Again, that sounds spiritual, but you can't worship God without obedience to His Word, and His Word commands us to preach the Gospel to every creature.

I regularly meet those who think they can obey the Great Commission without using words. When they hear the Gospel preached that are usually offended and say things like, "I appreciate what you are saying, but I don't like the way you are saying it." With a little probing, they are the relationship folks, who think preaching the Gospel means building relationships with the lost, and never mentioning words like "sin," "Hell," and "Judgment Day." They think that real love is to withhold the Bread of life from those that are starving to death. Remember that Jesus said, "Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels" (Mark 8:38).

According to the dictionary, a "sissy" is "a timid or cowardly person." From what I understand of Saint Francis, he was no sissy. He was a loving man who was not afraid to use words when he preached. He wasn't frightened to preach repentance to a sinful world. However, there have been times when I could have been called that name. I have felt the grip of fear and have wanted to drop words such as sin, Hell, repentance and Judgment Day when I have preached to sinners. I don't want to come across as being unloving or judgmental, but I fear God more than I fear man. So when God's Word tells me to use words, I use words, despite the consequences.

Listen to the Apostle Paul's sobering warning to his hearers: "Wherefore I take you to record this day, that I am pure from the blood of all men. For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God" (Acts 20: 26-27). Perhaps he spoke about being free from their blood because he was familiar with God Himself warning Ezekiel of his responsibility to warn his generation: "When I say to the wicked, 'You shall surely die,' and you give him no warning, nor speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life, that same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at your hand." (Ezekiel 3:18).

When someone thinks that they can feed starving children and not use food, that's their business. But when their philosophy spreads throughout the camp, it becomes an unspeakable tragedy. If we become passive about the Great Commission because we are more concerned about ourselves than the eternal well-being of others, we may be able to hide our motives from man, but not from God. He warns, "Deliver those who are drawn toward death, and hold back those stumbling to the slaughter. If you say, 'Surely we did not know this,' does not He who weighs the hearts consider it? He who keeps your soul, does He not know it? And will He not render to each man according to his deeds?" (Proverbs 24:11-12).

There's an interesting irony to this story. After a little research I came across a quote about the famous saying. It is from someone who had been a Franciscan monk for 28 years--and had earned an M.A. in Franciscan studies. He contacted some of the most eminent

Franciscan scholars in the world to try and verify the saying. He said, "It is clearly not in any of Francis' writings. After a couple weeks of searching, no scholar could find this quote in a story written within 200 years of Francis' death." (1.)

So if it wasn't Saint Francis who said not to use words, who was it? Who is it that would like to see the truth of the Gospel hindered from being preached to every creature? That doesn't need to be answered.

The time is short. The labourers are few. Please, cast off your fears and equip yourself to preach the Gospel with words. They are necessary.

References
(1.) www.americancatholic.org/Messenger/Oct2001/Wiseman.asp
Pic. St. Francis, José Benlliure y Gil (1855–1937)

https://www.facebook.com/official.Ray.Comfort 24 August 2014
www.livingwaters.com

"Preach the Gospel at all times. Where necessary, use words."

'Feed the starving children. Where necessary, use food.'

johnw74:


I agree that it's unlikely St Francis said that, however if we can preach the Gospel by example(others seeing the way we live), then the quote could make sense

johnw74:


Whoever said that, if he was a good person, could have been referring to feeding the starving children the bread from Heaven, which is Jesus Christ, but if they be physically starving then give them food

(Joh 6:48)  I am that bread of life.
(Joh 6:49)  Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead.
(Joh 6:50)  This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die.
(Joh 6:51)  I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.

i'm not rc, it's just how i see it.

johnw74:


It's St Francis of Assisi, not St Francis is a sissy,
he was from the city of Assisi in Italy - you probably know that

OLAADEGBU:


Hi, my brother from another mother. Whoever said that did not know the disservice they did to the great commission because I don't see how one can preach the gospel without the use of words.



Jesus fed the multitude with both spiritual and physical food. He wouldn't have left the starving multitudes to go home on an empty stomach even though He had fed them with the bread of life. Jesus would equally not preach to the multitudes without the use of words.




Since it cannot be confirmed whether Saint Francis of Assisi said it I can let him off from being a sissy.

Remain blessed.

"Preach the Gospel at all times. Where necessary, use words."

'Feed the starving children. Where necessary, use food.'

johnw74:


of course this is all hypothetical, it's not known who said the quotes or if they are quoted accurately

johnw74:


not many christians are able or gifted to preach the gospel verbally
but some do show their faith in the way they live, a strong witnessing tool i believe

johnw74:


i doubt anyone said this:

johnw74:


the speaker here may have been speaking about feeding the spiritually starving children, but if they are starving physically, use food:

johnw74:


^^^ but perhaps another misquote

johnw74:


OK

OLAADEGBU:


I have actually heard it quoted before.



I wonder whether it is possible for any soul to come to the knowledge of Christ through such preaching the gospel without words.

not many christians are able or gifted to preach the gospel verbally
but some do show their faith in the way they live, a strong witnessing tool i believe

OLAADEGBU:

As I said, I heard it before.



Just as it is not tenable physically it is also not spiritually plausible.

the speaker here may have been speaking about feeding the spiritually starving children, but if they are starving physically, use food:

OLAADEGBU:

It actually doesn't make sense in the physical.



Alright.

PaChukwudi44:
Rubbish write up.St Anthony of Padua one of the greatest ever fransiscans was a great preacher. The fransiscans has contributed more to the great commission than all the Pentecostal churches put together

Ubenedictus:


don't even talk about St Anthony of Padua.

st Francis was himself a great preacher, solid in teaching true in spirituality. one of the best preachers of his time who lived the gospel to a most heroic degree and left people who continued his work, the work of the gospel.



how many of your pastors can leave all the riches they are entitled to and go and preach with 2 clothes, 1shoe and a staff, going from place to place preaching, no purse no money, no property?

after preaching in Europe he went to the Islamic Ottoman empire and preached there, how many modern pastors will you see in Saudi Arabia?

it is really funny when kids are asking if achievers, elders who were before them are sissy.

OLAADEGBU:


The question is, how many souls did he win for Christ? and I do not mean for Roman Catholicism.

Ubenedictus:


I must leave you with your stu.pidity I can't waste precious time on you.

Ubenedictus:


1200AD, Christianity and Catholicism is synonymous

OLAADEGBU:
Was Saint Francis a Sissy?

OLAADEGBU:


"For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God" (1 Corinthians 1:18).

The message of the Cross is foolishness to you, I can understand why you don't seem to fathom it.



There is a difference between traditional religion and Christianity. Don't let your tradition get in your way of understanding the message of the Cross. Tradition and religion will not lead you to heaven only Jesus can do that.

Ubenedictus:


eccle 10

Fools base their thoughts on foolish
assumptions, so their conclusions will be
wicked madness;


prov 10

Sin is not ended by multiplying words, but
the prudent hold their tongues.

donnie:


Of course not. Great article there.

OLAADEGBU:


It was Andrew Murrey that said: "To convince the world of the truth of Christianity, it must first be convinced of sin, it is only sin that renders Christ intelligible."

Do you know the true nature of sin and how Christ alone can set you free?

Ubenedictus:


this is what your op says...






From what I understand of st Francis he was no sissy.




That ends the story

OLAADEGBU:


So you didn't read the OP before you jumped to conclusion? Maybe you are the sissy we are searching for.

Ubenedictus:


or maybe you didn't bother to read your own op,because the question was answered there.

Shalomdee:
One thing I don't have patience for is arguing with people that don't want to understand the truth, op is trying with his threads but sometimes I just wish he does not bother about those who claim they know the truth but don't in reality.

OLAADEGBU:


Who then do you think is the sissy who promoted that phrase of "Preach the Gospel at all times. Where necessary, use words."?

donnie:


Satan

Shalomdee:


One thing I don't have patience for is arguing with people that don't want to understand the truth, op is trying with his threads but sometimes I just wish he does not bother about those who claim they know the truth but don't in reality.

OLAADEGBU:


Was Saint Francis a Sissy?