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Is Evangelism a Spiritual Gift?

R

reformed_baptist

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John of Japan said:
I was a missionary to Japan for 33 years. I did not have special gifts to do that. It was all involved in how God made me. He made me to love the Japanese people and their culture and language.
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This is where you and I differ I think - I believe that you must have had gifts to do that - maybe you don't recognize them and maybe that is because we tend to have an elevated opinion of what is a gift, for example we might speak of a gifted preacher, meanings he is one of the best - but I would suggest that every genuine preacher is exercising a gift of God in preaching.

So, whilst I don't know what you did in Japan I do imagine it took some gifts to do it

Take the language--please! It's a very difficult one. However, it was duck soup for me. God had made me with an aptitude for languages. Call that a gift if you wish, but it was in my DNA, so I don't consider that it was a gift, somehow given to me, but simply part of who I am.
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And didn't God make you into who you are?

Because there are no such gifts listed in Eph. 4. The context says "gifts," but then the roles/offices are "given," making them the gifts. That's kind of what I've been saying--that the men in Eph. 4:11 are the gift. There is no indication in the passage, though, that there are specific gifts that make being a pastor easier. I think you'd have to go to the Corinthian or Roman passages for specific gifts, but none of those gifts are a gift of evangelism. Yet if there were a special gift of evangelism, wouldn't you expect to find it in those passages?
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As I said, I believe the large issue here is our difference in what is 'a gift' - you see yourself as operating in a certain role without specific gifts - but I see you as having to have exercised gifts whether you realized it or not - I suggest therefore that we are talking across each other to some degree :)
 
D

Don

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The reference to "evangelists" in Ephesians 4; doesn't it cross-reference to Acts 21, where Philip is identified as an evangelist? Which in turn takes us back to Acts 6, where Philip and six others are ordained as evangelists?

If we have the gift of evangelism, should we also be ordained as evangelists?

Henry, Gill, Poole, and others all agree that "evangelism" is the proclaiming of the Gospel. Some are obviously more gifted at proclaiming the Gospel than others; yet, we are all commanded to proclaim the Gospel.

In the other letters referring to spiritual gifts, and especially the letter to the Corinthians, aren't we taught by Paul that no particular gift is possessed by all? If this is true, then why would we all be commanded to go out and proclaim the Gospel? In effect, to exercise the gift of evangelism?

Ephesians 4 starts by talking about walking worthy of the vocation wherewith we are called; then identifies several vocations. What is the purpose of the vocations identified? The perfecting of the saints; the work of the ministry; the edifying of the Body. And remember, Paul is addressing the letter to the whole church, not just the leader(s) of the church. Why would he point out these offices to the church? To indicate to the church that not everyone is an apostle, or a pastor -- or an evangelist.

Thus, in context, is Ephesians 4 speaking of spiritual gifts, or of offices that are gifts to the church?
 
John of Japan

John of Japan

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reformed_baptist said:
This is where you and I differ I think - I believe that you must have had gifts to do that - maybe you don't recognize them and maybe that is because we tend to have an elevated opinion of what is a gift, for example we might speak of a gifted preacher, meanings he is one of the best - but I would suggest that every genuine preacher is exercising a gift of God in preaching.

So, whilst I don't know what you did in Japan I do imagine it took some gifts to do it
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God has certainly gifted me in various ways, but the OP is about whether or not there is a gift of evangelism. I am maintaining that there is a gift of the evangelist himself, but not a gift of evangelism per se. When I said I didn't have special gifts to be a missionary, I didn't mean I had no spiritual gifts at all.
And didn't God make you into who you are?
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That was kind of my point. But the subject is, is there a gift of evangelism.

As I said, I believe the large issue here is our difference in what is 'a gift' - you see yourself as operating in a certain role without specific gifts - but I see you as having to have exercised gifts whether you realized it or not - I suggest therefore that we are talking across each other to some degree :)
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Apparently I've not expressed myself well. I certainly do believe that God has gifted me in various ways, just not that there is a gift of evangelism.

The only possibility I find in the Bible for a gift of evangelism is the gift of "prophecy" in 1 Cor. 12:10. Some might argue that prophecy, which is the conveying of God's truth, is evangelism in the sense of forth-telling, not foretelling. The evidence for this might be in Acts 2, where "my sons and my daughters will prophesy" is fulfilled by their personal evangelism.
 
JonC

JonC

Moderator
Moderator
I believe evangelism is a command, not a spiritual gift. The preaching of the gospel, however, is a spiritual gift that suits the call to be an evangelist. We all evangelize in terms of witnessing to others, but we are not all gifted as an evangelist.
 
JonC

JonC

Moderator
Moderator
John of Japan said:
Not to mention authors such as Spurgeon, who wrote a book, The Soul Winner, and advocated going after souls to win them to Christ.
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Also:

What then is my reward? That, when I preach the gospel, I may offer the gospel without charge, so as not to make full use of my right in the gospel. For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a slave to all, so that I may win more. To the Jews I became as a Jew, so that I might win Jews; to those who are under the Law, as under the Law though not being myself under the Law, so that I might win those who are under the Law; to those who are without law, as without law, though not being without the law of God but under the law of Christ, so that I might win those who are without law. To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak; I have become all things to all men, so that I may by all means save some. 1 Corinthians 9:18-22 (NASB)

I believe it is understood salvation is God's work, and God's work through men as a means. But the language is being pressed by Evan to exclude the efforts of men (perhaps even the responsibility we have in the Kingdom work we do).
 
blessedwife318

blessedwife318

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evangelist6589 said:
Duh???
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How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard?c And how are they to hear without someone preaching?15And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” Romans 10:14-15

As any good Refromed person knows, both the ends and the means are ordained by God. God has ordained to draw some to Himself. The means He has Ordained is the preaching of the Gospel. I hope that clears up your question. It was a little unclear.

Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk
 
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