What Is Evangelism and Should We All Be Evangelists?

Evangelism means preaching, announcing, or otherwise communicating the gospel, our salvation. It's delivering the message that Jesus Christ is not only the ...   Sharethis WhatIsEvangelismandShouldWeAllBeEvangelists? Evangelism,whichisspreadingthegospel,isimportanttoJesus.AstheBibletellsus,Jesuscamesothatwemaylive.Jesuswantseveryonetoknowthistruthsothey,too,canbepartofGod’sholykingdom. JessicaBrodie ContributingWriter 2020 8Jul Imagineyouhavethesecretoflifeinyourgrasp,theanswerstoalllife’squestions—andthebestnewsyet?Youcanspillthatsecretoverandover,anditonlygetsbiggerandbetter,notjustforyoubutforeveryoneelse,too.Goodnews:AsChristians,wedohavethat“secret,”onlyit’snotasecretatall,butatruthmeanttobeshared.Thesharingofthattruth—thegoodnewsofJesus—iscalledevangelism.WhatIstheMeaningofTheWordEvangelism?Evangelismmeanspreaching,announcing,orotherwisecommunicatingthegospel,oursalvation.It’sdeliveringthemessagethatJesusChristisnotonlytheSonofGodbutalsogaveHislifeasasacrificeforoursins.Indoingso,Heensuredeternallifeforanyonewhobelieves.AswearetoldinJohn3:16,“ForGodsolovedtheworldthatHegaveHisoneandonlySon,thatwhoeverbelievesinHimshallnotperishbuthaveeternallife.” Andagain,asJesustellsusinJohn14:6,“Iamthewayandthetruthandthelife.NoonecomestotheFatherexceptthroughme.”Acceptingthatgoodnewsandthentellingothersaboutit,sotheyknowtoo,isthedefinitionofevangelism.WhereDoestheWordEvangelismComeFrom?EvangelismcomesfromtheGreekwordseuaggelion —agoodmessage,orgospel—andeuaggelizo —toannounce,declare,bring,orpreachthisgoodnews. Noticetheword“angel”tuckedinsidetheword—anangelisamessenger.Thosewhopracticeevangelismareindeeddeliveringamessage:Oneofextraordinarilygoodnews,life-givingandtransformative,witheternalramifications.Whiletheword“evangelism”isn’tmentionedalotthroughouttheBible,itsthemeiswoventhroughouttheNewTestament.Allfourgospels—Matthew,Mark,Luke,andJohn—arerootedinevangelism,andscholarsoftenrefertothewritersas“theevangelists.”ForJesushadamessage,oneHecametoearthtodeliver,teach,die,andriseagainforeverysingleoneofus.AndwearetaskedtodeliverthatmessagebothbyJesusandeveryotherapostleinnouncertainterms.WhatIsEvangelismandWhatIsitsPurpose?Evangelism,whichisspreadingthegospel,isimportanttoJesus.AstheBibletellsus,Jesuscamesothatwemaylive.Jesuswantseveryonetoknowthistruthsothey,too,canbepartofGod’sholykingdom.HisdirectivestoevangelizearepepperedthroughoutScripture.InMatthew28:19-20,Jesustellsus, “Thereforegoandmakedisciplesofallnations,baptizingtheminthenameoftheFatherandoftheSonandoftheHolySpirit,andteachingthemtoobeyeverythingIhavecommandedyou.AndsurelyIamwithyoualways,totheveryendoftheage.”Wearetospreadthisgoodnewseverywhere—totheendsoftheearth—securethatHeiswithusalways.Jesussaysmuchthesamethinginotherverses:Matthew9:37-38,Matthew10:7-14,Matthew12:30,Luke19:10,andLuke12:8,tonameafew.InMark16:15,Jesustellsustopreachthegospel“toallcreation.” Thepurposeissootherswillknow,too,andbelieve—andinthatbelievingalsoreceiveeternallife.AsJesustellsHisdisciplesinJohn5:24,“VerytrulyItellyou,whoeverhearsMywordandbelievesHimwhosentMehaseternallifeandwillnotbejudgedbuthascrossedoverfromdeathtolife.” Itisagiftavailabletoall.WhatisEvangelismandWhyisitsoImportant?ReadatranscriptofthisvideobyBruceFinnaboutEvangelismbelow:Well,evangelism,simplyput,istellingthegoodnews,that'swhatthewordevangelismmeans,tosimplysharewithanotherpersongoodnews.Anditcouldmeananygoodnews,butinthebiblicalsense,thewordevangelismreferstothegoodnewsaboutJesus.Soevangelism,whenIthinkaboutevangelism,Idon'tnecessarilythinkofamethod,oraprogram,orsomeareaofthechurch'sministry,IthinksimplyofanindividualfollowerofJesustellingtheirstoryinsuchawaythatthey'retellingJesusstorytoo,thegoodnewsofJesus.Soeverybelieveriscalledtobeanevangelist,inasense,inapersonalone-on-onecontextwithneighborsandfriendsandcoworkers,andthatthey'redoingevangelismwhentheysimplybecomeavailableinthecourseofconversationsastheHolySpiritpromptsandgivesopportunitytotalkaboutthegoodnewsofJesus,thatJesusChrististhesonofGod,whowassentbythefathertoliveaperfectlifeinourplace,todieonacrossforoursins,andbyhisresurrection,giveuseternallife,theforgivenessofsins,andthepowertochange.Sothat'sevangelismtome.WhatDoestheBibleSayaboutEvangelism?InadditiontoJesus’ownwordsabouttheimportanceofevangelism,Hisapostlessaid—anddid—muchthesame.WeknowfromtheBookofActsthatafterChrist’sresurrection,theapostleswerefilledwiththeHolySpiritandscatteredacrosstheland,preachingtheword(Acts8:4-25).InRomans,theapostlePaulspendstimeinstructingtheearlychurchaboutthedesperateneedforevangelismsoallcanbesaved.AsPaulasks,“How,then,cantheycallontheOnetheyhavenotbelievedin?AndhowcantheybelieveintheOneofwhomtheyhavenotheard?Andhowcantheyhearwithoutsomeonepreachingtothem?”(Romans10:14).Themessagemustbesentanddeliveredforittobereceived,Paulwrites—nomatterthecostorrisk.TheapostlePeterurgedusto“alwaysbepreparedtogiveananswertoeveryonewhoasksyoutogivethereasonforthehopethatyouhave”(1Peter3:15).WealsoseeexamplesofevangelismthroughouttheNewTestament,particularlyintheBookofActs.Forexample,Acts2tellsushowPeter,filledwiththeHolySpirit,preachedboldlytothecrowd,andabout3,000peoplebelievedandwerebaptized(Acts2:41).InActs8,theHolySpiritpromptedPhiliptoapproachanimportantEthiopianofficialwhowasridinginhischariotsouthonadesertroadtowardGaza.Philipobeyed,andwhenheheardtheofficialreadingthebookofIsaiah,heusedthattostrikeupaconversationthatultimatelyledtosharingthegoodnewswiththeman—whobelievedandwasbaptized(Acts8:26-40).Also,inActsisthestoryofhowPaulandSilassharedthegospelwiththeirjailerafteraviolentearthquake.Thejailerbelieved,“heandhiswholehousehold”(Acts16:34),andPaulandSilasbaptizedthemall.ShouldAllChristiansEvangelize?JesuswasclearinHisdirectives:WearetoloveGod,loveothers,repentofoursins,andbelieveinHim,andspreadthisGoodNewsthroughouttheland.God’ssalvationwasnevermeanttobeasecret.JesuspreachedtothousandsinthenameoftheFather,warning,teaching,andhealingthem.ThenHewillinglydiedaverypublic,tortuous,humiliatingdeathonacross,flankedbycriminals,asasacrifice.AsHesaidinoneofHisfinalwordsonthecross,“Itisfinished”(John19:30),acommontermatthattimeinreferringtothepaymentofadebt.Withthosewords,Jesuswasessentiallysaying,Hisdeathcanceledout,or“finished,”oursin-debt.Wehadbeenredeemed.Then,afterHisresurrectionbutbeforeHisascensiontoheaven,JesustoldtheapostlesHewassendingan“advocate”tobetheirhelper.Thatadvocate,theHolySpirit,wouldhelpthemcarryouttheirassignment.AsJesussaidjustbeforeascendingtoheaven,“YouwillreceivepowerwhentheHolySpiritcomesonyou;andyouwillbemywitnessesinJerusalem,andinallJudeaandSamaria,andtotheendsoftheearth”(Acts1:8).Thatwasn’tasuggestionbutacommand:Youwillbemywitnesses.Youwillspreadmymessage.Youwilltellotherssothey,too,canlive.HowtoEvangelizeWellinDifferentSituationsThereareanumberofapproachesormethodsofevangelism,asvariedasanyotherformofcommunication.ButtheBibletellsuswe’rethevessel:ThroughthepoweroftheHolySpirit,weareabletocommunicatethemessageofJesusChristwithoutfail.KeepinmindthatwordsarenottheonlywaytosharetheGoodNews.Atsomepoint,youwillneedtotellsomeonethegospelinawaytheycanunderstandandacceptitastruth.Butoften,youractionscanbeanopeningwhenitcomestopeoplewhoadamantlyopposeyourfaith—suchasanatheist,someonewhodoesnotbelieveinGod—orsomeonelivingalifestyleindirectoppositiontoGod’sways.Inthesecases,servantevangelism—likefoodministries,healing,ordisasterresponseministries—canbeanintroduction.ScriptureurgesustorememberthatwhenwebelieveandarecountedamongChrist’sfollowers,itisimportantthatwerepresentourfaithwell.Jesusremindsusto“letyourlightshine”beforeotherssotheycanseeourgoodworksandGodcanbeglorifiedthroughus(Matthew5:16).Paul,in2Corinthians5:20,tellsusweare“Christ’sambassadors,asthoughGodweremakingHisappealthroughus.”Inaddition,wemustbenicetopeopleinordertowinthemtobeliefandwiseaboutseizinggoodopportunitiestosharethegospel.Paulsaysweshould“bewiseinthewayyouacttowardoutsiders;makethemostofeveryopportunity.Letyourconversationbealwaysfullofgrace,seasonedwithsalt,sothatyoumayknowhowtoanswereveryone”(Colossians4:5-6).InPaul’slettertohisyoungmenteeTimothy, heurges,“AndtheLord’sservantmustnotbequarrelsomebutmustbekindtoeveryone,abletoteach,notresentful.Opponentsmustbegentlyinstructed,inthehopethatGodwillgrantthemrepentanceleadingthemtoaknowledgeofthetruth,andthattheywillcometotheirsensesandescapefromthetrapofthedevil,whohastakenthemcaptivetodohiswill”(2Timothy2:24-26).Further,wemuststayrootedintheWordofGodandinourfaithandthegodlyinstructionwehavereceived(2Timothy3:14-16).Notonlydoesthishelpusintimesoftemptation,butitalsohelpsusstayremindedofandfilledwiththeSpiritsowecanbeusedbyHimatanymoment.Finally,wemustbeboldandconfidentaboutourfaith.Ourconfidenceiscontagious,justliketheHolySpirit.InActs4:13,theleaderswerestruckbytheboldnessofPeterandJohn’soutreachandwitnessandknewwithoutquestiontheapostleshad“beenwithJesus.”Thatboldnesshelpedthechurchexplodeasmoreandmorebelievers,attractedtothatfervor,alsobelievedandwerethemselvesfilledpowerfullywiththeHolySpirit.Believersbegantoprayforboldness(Acts4:29-30);theyknewitworked.OtherBibleVersesabouttheImportanceofEvangelismInadditiontotheabove,hereareafewmoreversesaboutwhyevangelismisimportant:Consequently,faithcomesfromhearingthemessage,andthemessageisheardthroughthewordaboutChrist(Romans10:17).ForwhenIpreachthegospel,Icannotboast,sinceIamcompelledtopreach.WoetomeifIdonotpreachthegospel!(1Corinthians9:16).Yettoallwhodidreceivehim,tothosewhobelievedinhisname,hegavetherighttobecomechildrenofGod(John1:12).“ThisistomyFather’sglory,thatyoubearmuchfruit,showingyourselvestobemydisciples” (John15:8).PhotoCredit: ©Sparrowstock JessicaBrodieisanaward-winningChristiannovelist,journalist,editor,blogger,andwritingcoachandtherecipientofthe2018AmericanChristianFictionWritersGenesisAwardforhernovel,TheMemoryGarden.SheisalsotheeditoroftheSouthCarolinaUnitedMethodistAdvocate,theoldestnewspaperinMethodism.Learnmoreaboutherfictionandreadherfaithblogatjessicabrodie.com.ShehasaweeklyYouTubedevotional,too.YoucanalsoconnectwithheronFacebook,Twitter,andmore.She’salsoproducedafreeeBook,AGod-CenteredLife:10Faith-BasedPracticesWhenYou’reFeelingAnxious,Grumpy,orStressed.ThisarticleispartofourChristianTermscatalogexploringwordsandphrasesofChristiantheologyandhistory.HerearesomeofourmostpopulararticlescoveringChristiantermstohelpyourjourneyofknowledgeandfaith:TheFullArmorofGodTheMeaningof"Selah"Whatisa"Concubine"?ChristianMeaningofHumilityWhoareGentiles?BiblicalMeaningWhatisFornication?MeaningofShekinahGloryThedifferencebetweenGraceandMercy Christianity/ Wiki / ChristianTerms / WhatIsEvangelismandShouldWeAllBeEvangelists? 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