The Evangel is the “good news” of what Jesus did and does to save us. Evangelism is the speaking (and bringing) of what Jesus did and does to save us. Pastors and laypersons both do this, each according to their vocations.
Understanding the nature of salvation (was saved, being saved, and will be saved), one never outgrows the need of the Evangel.
Jesus Points to the Post-Apostolic Era
Read John 20:24-29
Roman 10:17: [The Apostle Paul writing to those who did not see Jesus,] “Faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the Word of Christ.”
“Word”: Greek, rama: That which is spoken or said. This speaking is to deliver Jesus, the Word (Logos), to another.
Apostolic Evangelism = Witnessing
The word “witness” is all over the New Testament. These are some examples of how we find the New Testament use the word “witness.”
Jesus, speaking to His Apostles, said: “You are witnesses of these things [what Jesus did]. I am sending to you what my Father promised [the Holy Spirit], stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high” (Luke 24:48-49).
Jesus, speaking to His Apostles, said: “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you [on Pentecost], and you will be my witnesses… [Acts 1:8].
When it came time to replace Judas, Peter told the Church the requirements for the man who would replace Judas.
Therefore, one of the men who have accompanied us during the whole time the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, beginning from his baptism by John until the day he was taken up from us, one of these must become a witness with us of his resurrection. [Acts 1:21-22]
Peter preached on Pentecost: “God has raised this Jesus to life, and we [the Apostles] are all witnesses of it” (Acts 2:32).
What Peter told the Gentile, Cornelius, shows the connection between witnessing what one saw and then “witnessing” what he saw to another.
We [the Apostles] are witnesses of everything Jesus did in the land of the Jews, including Jerusalem. They killed him by hanging him on a tree, but God raised him up on the third day and caused him to be seen, not by all the people, but by us, witnesses appointed beforehand by God, who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. [Acts 10:39-41]
“witness” (noun): Greek, martus. What someone saw with his eyes. Your pastor could not find an example of “witness” as a verb in the New Testament, although speaking what one witnessed did take place.
Post-Apostolic Evangelism = Confessing
“confess”: Greek, homologeo. To same (homo) speak (logeo) that which already exists somewhere else. So when one confesses his sins, he is speaking what already exists elsewhere (his sin). The confessing of the faith is a speaking and passing on (“traditioning” in the New Testament Greek) what exists elsewhere: The content of the faith, which Jesus passed on to His Apostles.
When the New-Testament text moves away from the first generation of believers, the language switches from being a “witness” to being a “confessor.” Notice to whom, and when, these New Testament verses applied.
1 Timothy 6:12: [The Apostle Paul to Pastor Timothy:] “Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses.”
- What did Timothy do when he spoke of the eternal life he had (has, and will have).
- For Timothy to confess instead of witness reveals what about how the saving Word of Christ came to him?
Hebrews 10:23: Let us [both pastor and laity] hold on to the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.
- To hold on to “our hope” and confess it reveals what about how the hope a Christian has in Christ came to them?
2 Corinthians 9:13:
Because of the service by which you [the Corinthians Christians] have proved yourselves, others will glorify God because of your obedience to your confession of the Gospel of Christ, since you are generous in sharing with them and with everyone else.
Note Paul’s connection between how others will “glorify God” [trust in Him] based on confession [1 Peter 3:14-15] and doing [Matthew 5:13-16].
- For the Corinthians to “confess,” reveals what about how they received what they confess?
- What were they to confess?
- Why weren’t they “called to witness”?
Confessing is not about you. Confessing is speaking the content of what you have received (Christ) to another.
Putting It Together
Based on what takes place in the New Testament, Christian evangelism leads to baptism, not the “sinner’s prayer.” Baptism is part of being “discipled,” which Jesus commanded of His first pastors (Matthew 28:19-20).
Why Evangelize?
When we look at our life of faith, our sinful nature will always misunderstand and abuse the Gospel, what Jesus did and does to save us. When we do understand some part of the Faith (the objective content of the Faith), our sinful nature will lead us to sinful conclusions. Because we will come to sinful conclusions, however, does not change the truth of what our sinful natures will get wrong.
Examples:
Truth: Good works don’t save us.
- Sinful Conclusion: If good works don’t save me, then why bother doing them.
- Because our sinful nature will abuse the truth that our works don’t save us does not change the truth that our works don’t save us.
- The danger in the Church is the take away, in some way, that our works don’t save us to motivate Christians to do good works.
Truth: Tithing (a mandated 10%) does not apply to those in the New Covenant.
- Sinful Conclusion: If I don’t have to tithe, then why bother giving sacrificially.
- Because our sinful nature will abuse the truth that we don’t have to tithe doesn’t change the truth that we don’t have to tithe.
- The danger in the Church is the take away, in some way, that we don’t have to tithe so Christians will be motivated to give more. (It’s in the institution’s best interest to change the theology.)
Truth: “God chose us in Christ, before the foundation of the world, to be holy and blameless in His sight” (Ephesians 1:4).
- Sinful Conclusion: If God chooses someone for salvation, then why bother evangelizing.
- Because our sinful nature will abuse the truth that God chooses someone for salvation doesn’t change the truth that God chooses someone for salvation.
- The danger in the Church is the take away, in some way, that God chooses someone for salvation. Otherwise, Christians won’t be motivated to evangelize.
Don’t let the sinful nature’s “why bother” come back around to try to change the truth of God—or our motivation for doing or not doing something. We do what we do based on who we are in Christ, our identity.
We don’t have to speak the Gospel to try to win over a “potential convert.” We have another reason to confess Christ—to discover those whom God has chosen, His “elect.” Evangelism is the role each Christian has to help gather the family together!
Next week: Having now covered the theology of evangelism, we will look at the practical application of that theology.
Click here to go to the next Lesson.
