In the Bible, Christians had meetings in which they were to edify one another. We see this in I Corinthians 14, particularly verse 26. Hebrews 10:24-25 also shows us that in these meetings, the saints were to 'exhort one another.'
Instead of having one man preach a sermon every week, as we see in a lot of Protestant churches these days, the various members of the body would take turns speaking to one another. It was this kind of meeting that Paul wrote about in I Corinthians 14. Paul told the Corinthians how to have their meetings in an orderly manner. He commanded them to let all things be done unto edification.
If the main focus of our church meeting is evangelism, rather than edification of the body of Christ, then we are doing something other than what Paul commanded for church meetings in this chapter. In I Corinthians 14, Christians were to be sensitive to unbelievers who might attend, but the main focus in this chapter is the edification of the body of Christ.
The saints in Troas gathered 'to break bread.' If we want our churches to be spiritually healthy, we need to have meetings which promote mutual edification and in which we participate in the Lord's table.
Here are two common errors in churches today:
1. One-man shows instead of mutual edification. (E.g. Only one man preaching a sermon, with the rest of the body not being allowed to use their gifts in the meetings as scripture teaches us to do.)
2. Repeatedly having meetings geered toward evangelism, and neglecting edification of the body.
The first one is all too common. Before you throw stones, read I Corinthians 14, Hebrews 10:24-25, and Acts 15, and then ask yourself what the Biblical basis is for the type of church meetings you have.
The second type of meeting is common in a lot of small country churches in the Southeast. John Wesley was considered contraversial for preaching outside. During the Great Awakenings, the evangelistic crusade became popular. It was an adaptation of a church service, but with an evangelistic method. In the late 1800's, the practice of having an altar call evolved, and this was added on to the end of the service.
It is extremely unlikely that Peter had the 3000 at Pentecost sing a hymn before hearing the Gospel, or that Paul had the Athenians sing some songs about the Lord before he preached to them. Evangelistic crusades seem more suitable for attracting nominal Christians than people who aren't used to the traditional Christian church service. The modern evangelistic crusade evolved out of an adaptation of church services.
Ironically, some churches that had many congregations birthed out of evangelistic crusades started having evangelistic crusades as their church meeting. Week after week in these churches, the preacher preaches on salvation. Week after week, there is an altar call. Some of these churches have little teaching other than a salvation message from the pulpit.
Clearly it is unhealthy if the only teaching believers recieve is how to get saved.
In the Bible, we must see that it is important that churches meet and participate in mutual edification, with members using the gifts God has given to build one another up in the faith.
Churches can be involved in outreach activities. Apollos debated with Jews, proving that Jesus is the Christ from the scriptures. Some Christians probably attended these debates. Evangelism does not have to be done through a traditional organized evangelistic crusade. This format evolved in recent history, and isn't always suitable for reaching Mslims or Buddhists. In some countries, usually few besides who already call themselves Christians would attend crusades.
In the Bible, evangelists evangelized where the unsaved were. They went outside of church meetings to evangelize. It makes sense, if you really think about it, that there should be more unsaved people outside of church meetings than in them. Philip the evangelist went to Samaria, where there wasn't a church, and told the Samaritans about Jesus. Then he did 'personal evangelism' with an Ethiopian. Timothy, who was told ot do the work of an evangelist, traveled with Paul, preaching the Gospel to unbelieving people, and through their ministry, churches were started. If Paul told Timothy to do the work of an evangelist, doesn't it stand to reason that Paul wanted Timothy to evangelize unbelievers, instead of just preach salvation to the saved? We need to recognize the gift of evangelism as it works outside of church meetings, in those who evangelize the unsaved.
Originally posted by Siegfried:
Although you are correct that the issue is largely frequency and timing, there is another matter that we have not addressed directly, although I alluded to it in my last post. That is the role of the pastor-teacher. Scripture does not primarily describe his role as the chief-fisherman, but as the shepherd of the flock. Although he is to perform the role of the evangelist, in a NT context the role of the evangelist was much different from how we think of it today and the ideal evangelist should not be construed to be a . . . well, I'll leave that discussion for another time.
I think you make a great point about a shepherd not necessarily being a cheif fisherman, but I would also like to add that I don't see anyone referred to in scripture as 'THE shepherd' of the sheep except for Christ. Ephesians 4:11 mentions people who are 'pastors and teachers.' Notice the plural 's' on those two words. The apostles appointed elders, plural, in every church, not one pastor in every church. There was a plurality of bishops in the church in Philipi, and scripture refers to elders and bishops interchangeably. "Elders" in scripture are charged with _pastoring_ the flock of God, and not merely with handling financial affairs. The practice of having 'elders' in a separate category from 'pastors' came about after the Reformation. If we want to use the common Biblical terminology for those who rule in the household of faith, we should use terms like 'bishops' (overseers) or 'elders' to refer to these men. We see them in groups in scripture, rather than one serving as 'the pastor' over a church.
You wrote,
"Although he is to perform the role of the evangelist"
I don't see where the Bible says that a pastor is to perform the role of the evangelist. Timothy was told to perform the role of an evangelist, but scripture does not even refer to him as a pastor. It doesn't call him a bishop or elder either. The letters to Timothy and Titus came to be refered to as 'the pastorals' in the late 1800's, and repeatedly I have heard people repeat the idea that Timothy and Titus were 'pastors' or even 'bishops.' But it is clear from scripture that these men were to _appoint_ the local bishops.
Scripture does not refer to Timothy as a 'pastor' and he certainly wasn't in the modern sense of the word- as a settled salaried minister over one congregation. (He may have had a gift for caring for others, which may be what the word means _in scripture_ anyway, rather than as a church office of authority.)
The Bible does indicate that Timothy was among the 'apostles of Christ' as we see in I Thessalonians 1:1 and 2:6. He likely shared in a 'measure of rule' in the cities where he helped Paul bring the Gospel. Because of this, and/or Paul's instructions, he had authority to appoint the local elders/bishops who would pastor the church in Ephesus. Apparently some were already there when I Timothy was written.
So part of Timothy's ministry was 'pastoral' in that he tended to people in the church and taught them. So was Paul's. But this was a necessary part of the itinerant, evangelistic, apostolic, church planting ministry that he did. Timothy would travel with Paul, and evangelize. While Timothy was taking care of church affairs, Paul still wanted him to 'do the work of an evangelist.' He probably wanted to remine Timothy not to stop evangelizing unbelievers, even though he was doing a lot of work to edify (build up) those who were already believers as well.
So if Timothy, a man in itinerant apostolic ministry, was told to do the work of evangelist, then it doesn't make much sense to use his example to say that non-itinerant local pastors will have a special charge to do the work of an evangelist. As mature men of God, they should be mature in doing the kind of evangelism any believer should do.
