Evangelism (Lecture # 1)

Preliminaries
Introduction
Church Evangelism Assessment
Does your local church buzz with evangelistic zeal? Evangelistic fervour will be expressed in the
prayer meetings. A love for and desire for souls will be evident as specific individuals are the subject of
intercession. Allied to concern for people in the locality is interest in missionary work abroad... A
vision for the world helps keep the fire burning in our hearts for the work of evangelism at home.1
Note these three measuring guides to assess your church's evangelistic zeal.
1. Intercession in prayer meetings is this a major part of the prayer of the church?
2. Concern for individual people desire for conversions must have concrete individuals in mind.
3. Interest in missionary work reports and updates with intercession must be regular.
Personal/Pastoral Evangelism Assessment
The work of conversion is the first and great thing we must drive at; after this we must labor with all
our might. Alas! the misery of the unconverted is so great, that it calleth loudest to us for compassion. It
is so sad a case to see men in a state of damnation, wherein, if they should die, they are lost for ever,
that we should not be able to let them alone, either in public or private, whatever other work we may
have to do... I think, if by faith we did indeed look upon them as within a step of hell, it would more
effectually untie our tongues... O therefore, brethren, whomsoever you neglect, neglect not the most
miserable! Whatever you pass over, forget not poor souls that are under the condemnation and curse of
the law!2
Note what a good pastor should be doing.
1. He should have regular, sensitive and passionate appeals in his preaching for the conversion of
the unconverted.
2. He should labor to personally seek the conversion of individuals.
3. He should labor to equip his people with knowledge and motives for evangelistic work.
Personal evangelism cannot be understimated. Great men throughout the history of the church have
been zealous evangelist.
Reflection: 1 Corinthians 9:16, Woe is me if I do not preach the gospel.
Context: Comparison with the Levites who had no part in the land-division to focus on their temple
work.
The Corinthian church's immaturity failed to recognize Paul's right to material support.
Paul felt a compulsion within, (anangke); also translated as 'distress' (1 Th. 3:7).
Inner compulsion weighs heavier on the cause of service than on insistence of rights.
F.F. Bruce writes, Since the risen Lord had called him to be his apostle to the Gentiles, he had no
option in the matter. He had been conscripted in this service. Never, to be sure, was there a more
1
2

Errol Hulse, Does Your Church Buzz with Evangelism? Reformation Today # 143: 3
Richard Baxter, The Reformed Pastor: 94-96

willing conscript, but he knew himself to be under authority. In other respects he might be allowed
freedom of choice: not in this.3
Word Study
Old Testament
Hebrew verb:
( basar) bear news; bear tidings; publish; preach... LXX uses
(euangelidzo);

It usually occurs in news-announcement of the outcome of military engagement, usually a

victory... 1 Sam. 31:9; 2 Sam. 18:31; 1 Kings 1:42 proclaiming news of victory to the nation
was understand as a duty... cf. 2 Kings 7:9.
This is the secular background behind its theological usage in the Psalms and Isaiah... Since
Israel's national destiny is in God's sovereign hands, and he fights the nation's battle for her, any
announcement of military victory necessarily has theological meaning. The victory over the
Canaanite kings in the conquest of the land is so complete and certain that it is captured in
juxtaposition of its prelude - The Lord announced the word - and aftermath - and great was
the company of those who proclaimed it. (Psa. 68:11; cf. Exo. 15:20,21)4
The worship assembly is often the context of this proclamation in the Psalms... cf. Psa. 40:9,10
The content of proclamation centers on the character and work of God... Psa. 96:2-4, 1 Chron.
16:23-25
Isaiah is the most important OT source for NT terminology of evangelism
Isa. 61:1 = The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good
tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives,
and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;
Isaiah makes the most extensive and significant contribution to understanding the proclamation of the
victory of God's final salvation in its OT promise form (40:9-11; 52:7; 60:6; 61:1). This prophet's
teaching is not only foundational for seminal NT passages, but it is also the source for the NT use of the
term gospel. EDBT
41:27 = a messenger arrives from Babylon bringing good news of happiness.
52:7 = 'beautiful feet' figure to indicate the welcome nature of the message.
63:1-3 = proclamation is brought to the closest association with the accomplishmen of what is
announced.
Within the context of predicting comfort for Israel the return to the land of those exile in Babylon
Isaiah unfolds a scene of redemption that will only be realized at the end of time. The propher relates
the proclamation of the good news of the victory of God's salvation in progressive stages until the
Gentiles are publishing it. EDBT
New Testament
Greek verb: (euangelidzo); Greek noun: (euangelion)
Occurences: The verb occurs 54 times in the NT. Almost half is found in Luke-Acts; a little less than
half is in Pauline writings... The noun occurs 76 times and are mostly in Pauline corpus...
Non-theological usage (only one in the NT): I Thes. 3:6 the non-religious sense present in the OT has
largely given way to a theological sense in the NT.
Theological connections with Jesus Christ
Angelic announcement of his forerunner, John the Baptist... Luke 1:19,28
3
4

FF Bruce, Paul, Apostle of the Heart Set Free: 459-460

Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology: 217

 Angelic announcement of Jesus' birth to lowly shepherds... Luke 2:10

Paul identifies the gospel in te Christ-events...
1 Corinthians 15:1-4
Now, brothers and sisters, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received
and on which you have taken your stand.By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I
preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. For what I received I passed on to you as of
first importance: that Christ died for our sinsaccording to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he
was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures.

Handed on to you... what I had received is the language of what scholars call traditioning: Jewish
teachers would pass on their teachings to their students, who would in turn pass them on to their own
students. The students could take notes, but they delighted especially in oral memorization and became
quite skilled at it; memorization was a central feature of ancient education. In the first generation, the
tradition would be very accurate.

Most significant: the gospel of Christpreaching the gospel = preaching Jesus Christ (Acts
5:42; 8:35; 17:18; Rom. 1:16; Gal. 1:7

Theological connection with salvation:

Eph. 1:13 = In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your
salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise.
Rom. 1:16 = For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to
salvation for everyone who believes.
Gospel + salvation fruits Mt. 4:23 (kingdom); Acts 20:24 (grace of God); Rom. 10:15
(saving faith)

Conclusions

1. The gospel is about Jesus Christ and the events connected to His person the gospel as
information.
2. The gospel is the good news of salvation accomplished and offered in Jesus Christ the gospel
as invitation.

3. To evangelize is to tell forth the gospel the gospel as proclamation.

Paul at the NT fulfillment stage, as Isaiah at the OT promise stage, contributes the fullest exposition of
'evangelize, evangelism'. ... Taking the singular messenger of Isa. 52:7 as a collective, Paul declares
that all who evangelize are fulfilling Isaiah's prophetic pattern (Rom. 10:14-15). The divine enablement
in proclaiming the good news is a grace given; a spiritual gifting from the risen Lord, so much the work
of Christ that Paul can say that the Risen One himself comes and preaches peace to those who are afar
off and to those who are near (Eph. 2:17; 3:2, 8; 4:11; 6:19).