The Modern Evangelist. Is It An Office and A Calling?

[JD731]

If the answer is yes, what does God say they are called to do? If the answer is no, is it just a chosen occupation?

 

[Van]

If the answer is yes, what does God say they are called to do? If the answer is no, is it just a chosen occupation?

Every born anew believer is called to be an evangelist in their everyday lives. I believe some individuals are specifically called to be Pastors or Teachers or Evangelists.

The rub of course is someone could believe they were "called" by God via a supernatural communication, but the "call" was simply a delusion of that person.

This is why some Christian organizations have a process to "ordain" (establish in the position) Pastors. The process includes several senior existing Pastors of churches interviewing and questioning the person, such that the person knows and espouses orthodox doctrines.

Another test is when a Pastor thinks they may have been "called" to a particular church, they come and speak as a guest one or a few times, and then as part of the selection process, the members vote to offer the job to that Pastor. The idea is that if nearly everyone (born anew and indwelt members) thinks the Pastor is right for the job, that confirms the "calling."

 

[Dave G]

If the answer is yes, what does God say they are called to do?

It is both an office and a calling from God:

" And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
12 for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
13 till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:
14 that we [henceforth] be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, [and] cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;
15 but speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:
16 from whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love." ( Ephesians 4:11-16 ).

According to the above, He gives evangelists for the same general purpose as He gives the rest...to perfect His saints, to minister to them, and to edify ( build up ) them.

But as a spiritual gift given to certain within the body, I see from the Scriptures that the office of evangelist is tasked with preaching the word to those who have never heard it...that is what they do.
As an example, please see Acts of the Apostles 8, which tells us some of what the Lord had Phillip do for Him.

Paul, Barnabas, Silas and others were also evangelists.

 

[Dave G]

If the answer is no, is it just a chosen occupation?

I would say that in the context of a false religious system where someone thinks that they are saved ( but really aren't ), then it becomes a chosen occupation.
Please allow me to clarify.

Say, for example, a man "makes a decision for Christ", but there's no evidence ( over his entire lifetime ) of the actual presence and working of the Holy Spirit.
Over decades, he never really evidences the things that God's word says should be there if someone is truly saved.

As described in Matthew 7:15-20, his spiritual fruits are bad...
In Matthew 13:18-23, John 8:43-47 and other places, we find that one can profess Christ, but not "hear" God's words, does not understand them, and is ever-learning but never able to come to the knowledge of the truth ( 2 Timothy 3:1-9 ).
The Spirit is not there to teach him ( as 1 John 2:20-27 describes ), so he's left with "doing the best that he can" .

Specifically, he relies on man-made institutions and "systematic theologies" that are bereft of the Spirit of God, to learn all that he can about the Bible... but never actually comes to the place where he can read and understand it fully for himself, no matter how much study and effort he puts into it.
He then ends up preaching a false gospel, and sports himself with his own deceivings ( 2 Peter 2 )...
All the while ( and again ) thinking that he's saved; but in reality, has never been born again as a result of God's miraculous work.

In other words,
He is spiritually dead inside towards God and hasn't the discernment to tell actual truth from error;
Essentially, he's trapped in the "box" of whatever combination of truths and errors his denomination teaches him.


So, in the religious sense, that man ( or even a woman nowadays ) has chosen an occupation, and at the end of the day does it for the money;
While the Lord's pastors, preachers and teachers do it because it's a calling from God.

 

[JD731]

It seems to me that evangelism is what the apostles and prophets did. That seems to be more the context of Ephesians 4. There is no instruction written for evangelist as an office. The pastor has his calling to be a teacher but also to do the work of an evangelist. The pastor has detailed qualifications. Being able to teach is one of them.

No, I think this modern evangelist may be self called to a phantom office. I would not want to be wrong about this and I wish someone with light on the subject would share what they know.

 

[Marooncat79]

More Biblical than the so called Minister of Music

 

[JD731]

More Biblical than the so called Minister of Music

Amen, but at least the minister of music is a local church appointment and is not a calling. It is just a title for someone who has a natural gift to be able to sing and knows music and wants to serve the church.

An evangelist does little evangelism it seems to me. The ministry of the evangelists I am acquainted with do not start churches but they go to already established churches and do the work of a pastor. It seems to me there is a disconnect there. The pastors are instructed to do the work of an evangelist. Where is the instructions for an evangelist? It seems to me that at the first the apostles and the prophets were the evangelists but when they passed off the scene the pastors led there churches into evangelism locally and personally.

The missionaries, on the other hand........a much different ministry and fits the model much better, if you ask me.