What Is an Evangelist?

[John of Japan]

If anyone is tempted from my title to think that this is aimed at anyone, they are wrong. What I hope for here is a good discussion about the Biblical position of evangelist. I sincerely hope it does not turn personal, either by someone objecting in a personal way, or someone else aiming their comments at an individual. We are all adults here. We can have a Bible-based discussion.

The term "evangelist" (Greek euaggelisths, εὐαγγελιστής), and it occurs just three times in the NT: Acts 21:8, Eph. 4:11, 2 Tim. 4:5). However, Philip is specifically called an evangelist (the only one so named in the NT), so we can glean information from his ministry.

First of all, here is a definition from my favorite lexicon (Friberg, Friberg and Mille, accessed through BibleWorks): "one who brings or announces good news; in the NT evangelist, preacher, or teacher of the gospel." Hmm. That doesn't give us a lot of information, and my other lexicons are not much better. We must look at the Biblical usage to get more.

In Eph. 4 it is made plain that the evangelist, along with the other positions listed in v. 11, is given to the church "For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ" (v. 12). Thus there is a very strong local church connection. The evangelist exists to strengthen the local church.

How does he do this? Philip's life gives us information. Philip was greatly used of God in both mass evangelism (Acts 8:5-8) and personal evangelism (Acts 8:26-40). Many souls were saved through his ministry. Therefore, how does he strengthen the local church? By mass evangelism (promoting revival, of course, without which mass evangelism cannot truly occur), and by personal evangelism (both winning souls and promoting Spirit-filled personal evangelism).

Note also that Philip's family were soul winners (Acts 21:8-9). The evangelist whose family does not follow Christ and witness for Him has failed.

Concerning the other mention of the evangelism, Paul tells Timothy to "do the work of an evangelist" (2 Tim. 4:5). This indicates a difference between the missionary/pastor's work and the evangelist's work. In other words, Timothy was not gifted to the church as an evangelist, but he could do the same work in the absence of an evangelist: mass evangelism and personal evangelism.

 

[TCassidy]

I tend to think of an evangelist as what we now call a missionary. And what we call an evangelist as a revivalist (but I won't quibble about nomenclature).

A Revivalist not only preaches the gospel (mass evangelism, as John pointed out) but also preaches the revival necessary (again, as John pointed out) for personal evangelism. And he thus is a great encouragement and blessing to the local church. One evangelist friend of mine, after telling him the above, told me, "Yes, I am a missionary sent to encourage and strengthen the churches." I thought that was a great answer!

The work of the Missionary/Evangelist is much more difficult than the work of the Evangelist/Revivalist as the Missionary/Evangelist (usually) lacks a local church to encourage and support him in his initial efforts. It is his job to start and nurture that local church and encourage the members to read, pray, and grow in grace so they can then take over the job of personal evangelism.

But that's just me.

 

[John of Japan]

I tend to think of an evangelist as what we now call a missionary. And what we call an evangelist as a revivalist (but I won't quibble about nomenclature).

Interpreting the Biblical evangelist as what we now call a missionary is a common position. The Robinson/House Analytical Lexicon actually has "missionary" for the gloss. However, most missiologists say that the modern missionary is the Biblical "apostle," and I agree. (Note that their were two tiers of apostles, with the 12 having some special privileges. Missiologists equate the modern missionary mostly to that second tier.)

Note that Philip did not plant churches per se, though his mass evangelism resulted in a church planted; he called for help from Jerusalem to solidify his work, IMO.

A Revivalist not only preaches the gospel (mass evangelism, as John pointed out) but also preaches the revival necessary (again, as John pointed out) for personal evangelism. And he thus is a great encouragement and blessing to the local church. One evangelist friend of mine, after telling him the above, told me, "Yes, I am a missionary sent to encourage and strengthen the churches." I thought that was a great answer!

Excellent view here--and I agree if we only use the Biblical term "evangelist" in place of "revivalist," which of course is in itself a good, descriptive term.

The work of the Missionary/Evangelist is much more difficult than the work of the Evangelist/Revivalist as the Missionary/Evangelist (usually) lacks a local church to encourage and support him in his initial efforts. It is his job to start and nurture that local church and encourage the members to read, pray, and grow in grace so they can then take over the job of personal evangelism.

This is a good description of the foreign missionary, or home field church planter. It's a tough job, and anyone who tries it without direct guidance from God is in for a heap of sorrow.

But that's just me.

I think we only disagree on the terminology, not the functions and definitions.

 

[Baptist Believer]

I understand an evangelist as someone who is a herald of the present reality of the Kingdom of God. As the heralds (evangelists) proclaimed political victory to the peoples of the ancient Mediterranean world when there was a new political power in place, the New Testament evangelists (heralds) proclaimed that the Kingdom of God is present and everyone needs to repent and get in step with what God is doing in the world.

 

[John of Japan]

I understand an evangelist as someone who is a herald of the present reality of the Kingdom of God. As the heralds (evangelists) proclaimed political victory to the peoples of the ancient Mediterranean world when there was a new political power in place, the New Testament evangelists (heralds) proclaimed that the Kingdom of God is present and everyone needs to repent and get in step with what God is doing in the world.

That's all well and good, but do you have any Scriptural or lexical evidence for this?

The usage of the word in the ancient world included a related word referring to the priestess of Hera (from the entry in BAGD), but I don't know of any evidence that the evangelist was a political reporter. In the Septuagint, the Greek word translated "herald" in Dan. 3:4 is kerux (κῆρυξ), not the word for "evangelist."

 

[evangelist6589]

If anyone is tempted from my title to think that this is aimed at anyone, they are wrong. What I hope for here is a good discussion about the Biblical position of evangelist. I sincerely hope it does not turn personal, either by someone objecting in a personal way, or someone else aiming their comments at an individual. We are all adults here. We can have a Bible-based discussion.

The term "evangelist" (Greek euaggelisths, εὐαγγελιστής), and it occurs just three times in the NT: Acts 21:8, Eph. 4:11, 2 Tim. 4:5). However, Philip is specifically called an evangelist (the only one so named in the NT), so we can glean information from his ministry.

First of all, here is a definition from my favorite lexicon (Friberg, Friberg and Mille, accessed through BibleWorks): "one who brings or announces good news; in the NT evangelist, preacher, or teacher of the gospel." Hmm. That doesn't give us a lot of information, and my other lexicons are not much better. We must look at the Biblical usage to get more.

In Eph. 4 it is made plain that the evangelist, along with the other positions listed in v. 11, is given to the church "For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ" (v. 12). Thus there is a very strong local church connection. The evangelist exists to strengthen the local church.

How does he do this? Philip's life gives us information. Philip was greatly used of God in both mass evangelism (Acts 8:5-8) and personal evangelism (Acts 8:26-40). Many souls were saved through his ministry. Therefore, how does he strengthen the local church? By mass evangelism (promoting revival, of course, without which mass evangelism cannot truly occur), and by personal evangelism (both winning souls and promoting Spirit-filled personal evangelism).

Note also that Philip's family were soul winners (Acts 21:8-9). The evangelist whose family does not follow Christ and witness for Him has failed.

Concerning the other mention of the evangelism, Paul tells Timothy to "do the work of an evangelist" (2 Tim. 4:5). This indicates a difference between the missionary/pastor's work and the evangelist's work. In other words, Timothy was not gifted to the church as an evangelist, but he could do the same work in the absence of an evangelist: mass evangelism and personal evangelism.

I have said many times that I am not a professional evangelist but a lay evangelist!

But according to scripture there are professional evangelists. I was exposed to many of them in the IFB movement yet I trusted so few of them. You wanna know why? Because they were against Lordship salvation and lacked a reformed soteriology so I paid them no attention. I even wrote one of them up on his site and suggested he get some insight from a real evangelist like Paul Washer. I also mailed one of Washers books to my old pastor but he ignored it.

 

[John of Japan]

I have said many times that I am not a professional evangelist but a lay evangelist!

But according to scripture there are professional evangelists. I was exposed to many of them in the IFB movement yet I trusted so few of them. You wanna know why? Because they were against Lordship salvation and lacked a reformed soteriology so I paid them no attention. I even wrote one of them up on his site and suggested he get some insight from a real evangelist like Paul Washer. I also mailed one of Washers books to my old pastor but he ignored it.

In spite of my OP, you are making this personal. Please stick to Scripture.

And Happy Thanksgiving.

 

[John of Japan]

The standard for whether or not an evangelist is Biblical should be his pneumatology. In other words, what does he teach about the Holy Spirit. Remember what was said about Evangelist Philip and the other deacons: "men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom" (Acts 6:3).

 

[John of Japan]

I have said many times that I am not a professional evangelist but a lay evangelist!

But according to scripture there are professional evangelists.

Please elaborate. How does the Scripture delineate between professional and lay evangelists?

 

[evangelist6589]

Please elaborate. How does the Scripture delineate between professional and lay evangelists?

I do not get paid for my work for one.

 

[kyredneck]

(Acts 6:3)

1 Now in these days, when the number of the disciples was multiplying, there arose a murmuring of the Grecian Jews against the Hebrews, because their widows were neglected in the daily ministration.
2 And the twelve called the multitude of the disciples unto them, and said, It is not fit that we should forsake the word of God, and serve tables.
3 Look ye out therefore, brethren, from among you seven men of good report, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business.
4 But we will continue stedfastly in prayer, and in the ministry of the word.
5 And the saying pleased the whole multitude: and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolaus a proselyte of Antioch;
6 whom they set before the apostles: and when they had prayed, they laid their hands upon them. Acts 6

1 And the people were as murmurers, speaking evil in the ears of Jehovah: and when Jehovah heard it, his anger was kindled; and the fire of Jehovah burnt among them, and devoured in the uttermost part of the camp.
10 And Moses heard the people weeping throughout their families, every man at the door of his tent: and the anger of Jehovah was kindled greatly; and Moses was displeased.
14 I am not able to bear all this people alone, because it is too heavy for me.
15 And if thou deal thus with me, kill me, I pray thee, out of hand, if I have found favor in thy sight; and let me not see my wretchedness.
16 And Jehovah said unto Moses, Gather unto me seventy men of the elders of Israel, whom thou knowest to be the elders of the people, and officers over them; and bring them unto the tent of meeting, that they may stand there with thee.
17 And I will come down and talk with thee there: and I will take of the Spirit which is upon thee, and will put it upon them; and they shall bear the burden of the people with thee, that thou bear it not thyself alone. Nu 11

 

[John of Japan]

I do not get paid for my work for one.

Please go back and look at my previous post. I specified Scripture. Now, where in Scripture are the amateur and pro evangelist mentioned?

 

[Salty]

Please go back and look at my previous post. I specified Scripture. Now, where in Scripture are the amateur and pro evangelist mentioned?

Using that as a basis - I suppose Paul was a lay evangelist - as he was a tent maker for his income!

 

[John of Japan]

Using that as a basis - I suppose Paul was a lay evangelist - as he was a tent maker for his income!

Good point. But he also had support from churches (Phil. 4:16, 2 Cor. 11:8).

Happy Thanksgiving!

 

[Salty]

Good point. But he also had support from churches (Phil. 4:16, 2 Cor. 11:8).

Happy Thanksgiving!

So would he be a laypro evangelist?

 

[evangelist6589]

Please go back and look at my previous post. I specified Scripture. Now, where in Scripture are the amateur and pro evangelist mentioned?

Mark 16:15 says to preach the gospel to every creature. I do the work of evangelism. You are probably (like most here) ignore Mark 16:15 and focus on Matt 28, but you need to one day realize that Mark 16:15 is also in the Bible. Matt 28 is not the entire great commission as Mark 16:15 focuses on it as well.

 

[Salty]

Mark 16:15 says to preach the gospel to every creature. ll.

That has nothing to do whether a person is a "pro" or a "layman"

FTR, - I detest the term layman.

 

[evangelist6589]

That has nothing to do whether a person is a "pro" or a "layman"

FTR, - I detest the term layman.

I am a layman simple and a period.

 

[Salty]

Evan
right now you have bigger problems with your divorce - and getting your life put back together.
this business of being a full-time or part evangelsit is chicken feed.

One word comes to mind - immaturity.

one other thing - my Regis comment applies here as well.

 

[Yeshua1]

Interpreting the Biblical evangelist as what we now call a missionary is a common position. The Robinson/House Analytical Lexicon actually has "missionary" for the gloss. However, most missiologists say that the modern missionary is the Biblical "apostle," and I agree. (Note that their were two tiers of apostles, with the 12 having some special privileges. Missiologists equate the modern missionary mostly to that second tier.)

Note that Philip did not plant churches per se, though his mass evangelism resulted in a church planted; he called for help from Jerusalem to solidify his work, IMO.

Excellent view here--and I agree if we only use the Biblical term "evangelist" in place of "revivalist," which of course is in itself a good, descriptive term.

This is a good description of the foreign missionary, or home field church planter. It's a tough job, and anyone who tries it without direct guidance from God is in for a heap of sorrow.


I think we only disagree on the terminology, not the functions and definitions.

Think that modern day "Apostles" would fit those whoare missionaries whom the Lord has given authority over a region/people group t witness and teachunto them..