True & False Evangelist- &

Ephesians 4:11-16

Ephesians 4:11-16, And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, 13 till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; 14 that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, 15 but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— 16 from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.

The Lord Jesus Christ gives to the church apostles and prophets. The purpose: Foundation.

Ephesians 2:20, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, Apostles and the Prophets are the foundation of the church.

This is the revelation to the church and revelation to the church as well.

Ephesians 3:5, which in other ages was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to His

holy apostles and prophets

They were also the confirmation that they have been sent by God. To have the ability to do miracles to prove that they were in fact speaking for God. Purpose: Establish the church with solid doctrine! Now they passed from the scene and their ministry was taken over by another group.

It was passed on to Evangelists, pastors, and teachers.

Definition of an evangelist: “An evangelist is somebody who goes around preaching the gospel.” Some say the derivation of the word comes from soap sellers. There were guys who used to market soap when they first made it. The way they would do it was going to downtown, find a dirty guy, and haul him out on the street corner, and wash him. They would say, “This is what the product can do.”

So, people called people who preached the gospel soap seller because they were cleaning up the insides, standing on the corners, proclaiming the gospel. That basically is what an evangelist is, one who proclaims good news, a preacher of the gospel.

The 5-fold ministry is for the building of the Church.

• Equipping Saints for the work of ministry,
• Edifying the body of Christ,
• Everyone to come to unity of faith,
• Everyone to come to the knowledge of Son of God,
• Everyone to be perfect man to fullness of Christ,
• Everyone to be mature, not as kids,
• Everyone to understand the scheme of Satan, and
• Everyone to grow to the body in full growth.

The term only occurs only 3 times in the New Testament.

Ephesians 4:11. There were a group of them given to the church.

Acts 21:8 and ² Timothy 4:5.

They are the more itinerate ministers. It doesn’t mean that they were always on the move. Paul could stay in one place for three years, namely at Ephesus. Timothy as an evangelist stayed in many places for lengths of time. But their ministry is a moving ministry. Their ministry is an itinerate ministry.

They are on the move, moving around, preaching the gospel.

Philip

Acts 21:8, On the next day we who were Paul’s companions departed and came to Caesarea, and entered the house of Philip the evangelist, who was one of the seven, and stayed with him. He was one of the seven chosen to care for the widows of Grecian Jews (Acts 6:1-6).

What did Philip do as an evangelist?

Acts 8:4-13, and 8:26-40 and note the following: Upon being scattered with other Christians he went to Samaria and proclaimed unto them the Christ.

Acts 8:4-5, Therefore those who were scattered went everywhere preaching the word. 5 Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria and preached Christ to them. Philip went to a city, preached Christ. There is an example of an evangelist at work. He is a preacher of Christ. He is endeavouring to win people. He confirmed his word by signs.

Acts 8:6-7, And the multitudes with one accord heeded the things spoken by Philip, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did. 7 For unclean spirits, crying with a loud voice, came out of many who were possessed; and many who were paralyzed and lame were healed. Philip had the ability also to do miracles because there was no written scripture in those days, and in order to confirm to the people that what he was saying was true, God gave those evangelists miraculous ability. He baptized believers, including Simon the sorcerer.

Acts 8:9-13, But there was a certain man called Simon, who previously practiced sorcery in the city and astonished the people of Samaria, claiming that he was someone

great, 10 to whom they all gave heed, from the least to the greatest, saying, “This man is the great power of God.” 11 And they heeded him because he had astonished them with his sorceries for a long time. 12 But when they believed Philip as he preached the things concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, both men and women were baptized. 13 Then Simon himself also believed; and when he was baptized he continued with Philip, and was amazed, seeing the miracles and signs which were done.

Following the instructions of an angel and the Holy Spirit, he met, taught, and baptized the treasurer of the queen of Ethiopia.

Acts 8:26-39,

Acts 8:35, Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning at this Scripture, preached Jesus to him. Here you have a totally different situation for Philip. In the first part of Acts ⁸ he is preaching Jesus to a crowd. In the middle of Acts ⁸ he is preaching Jesus to one man.

It needs to be stressed that an evangelist can be affective with groups, equally affective with individuals. Somebody who is given to the church for the purpose and energized to the accomplishment of winning people to Jesus Christ.

He preached in all the villages of the Philistine Plain until he came to Caesarea, where he remained for 10 years or more.

Acts 8:40, But Philip was found at Azotus. And passing through, he preached in all the cities till he came to Caesarea.

Timothy

2 Timothy 4:5, But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfil your ministry. Timothy was a young man who was converted through the ministry of Paul during his first missionary journey, about AD

45. We would suppose Timothy was in his late teens at the

time. When Paul came to Lystra and Iconium on the second missionary journey, he found that Timothy had a good reputation among the churches. Paul wanted Timothy to join the travelling group of missionaries. The time is about AD 51, and Timothy is in his early twenties. Evidently at this time the elders from the churches of Lystra and Iconium laid their hands upon Timothy and ordained him to the office of evangelist.

Paul probably gave him spiritual gifts at the same time.

Acts 16:1-3, Then he came to Derbe and Lystra. And behold, a certain disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a certain Jewish woman who believed, but his father was Greek. 2 He was well spoken of by the brethren who were at Lystra and Iconium. 3 Paul wanted to have him go on with him. And he took him and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in that region, for they all knew that his father was Greek.

2 Timothy 1:6, Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands.

1 Timothy 4:14, Do not neglect the gift that is in you, which was given to you by prophecy with the laying on of the hands of the eldership. Timothy accompanied Paul on the rest of the second missionary journey, when it took him to Philippi, Thessalonica, Berea, Athens, and Corinth. Paul sent Timothy to work with the newly planted church at Thessalonica.

1 Thessalonians 3:2, and sent Timothy, our brother and minister of God, and our fellow labourer in the gospel of Christ, to establish you and encourage you concerning your faith

Timothy accompanied Paul on the third missionary journey, AD 54-58. When Paul was in Ephesus in the midst of this tour, he sent Timothy and Erastus on missionary business to Macedonia and Corinth.

Acts 19:22, So he sent into Macedonia two of those who ministered to him, Timothy and Erastus, but he himself stayed in Asia for a time.

1 Corinthians 4:17, For this reason I have sent Timothy to you, who is my beloved and faithful son in the Lord, who will remind you of my ways in Christ, as I teach everywhere in every church.

1 Corinthians 16:10, And if Timothy comes, see that he may be with you without fear; for he does the work of the Lord, as I also do. Timothy was with Paul a short time later and joined with him in sending greetings to Corinth in the ² Corinthian letter.

2 Corinthians 1:1, Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, To the church of God which is at Corinth, with all the saints who are in all Achaia:

Romans 16:21, Timothy, my fellow worker, and Lucius, Jason, and Sosipater, my countrymen, greet you.

Timothy sends greetings to the church at Rome from Corinth. From Corinth Timothy accompanied Paul to Jerusalem with the offering for the saints.

Acts 20:4, And Sopater of Berea accompanied him to Asia—also Aristarchus and Secundus of the Thessalonians, and Gaius of Derbe, and Timothy, and Tychicus and Trophimus of Asia. Timothy was with Paul when Paul was a prisoner during the first Roman imprisonment.

Philippians 2:19, But I trust in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you shortly, that I also may be encouraged when I know your state.

Colossians 1:1, Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, Timothy was left behind at Ephesus after he and Paul visited the church subsequent to Paul's was release from that first Roman imprisonment.

1 Timothy 1:3, As I urged you when I went into Macedonia—remain in Ephesus that you may charge some that they teach no other doctrine,

He will stay at Ephesus for 3 or 4 years, until the instructions given to him in 2 Timothy reach him. Then he will depart for Rome to visit Paul there during Paul's second Roman imprisonment. A collective group of evangelists, Ephesians 4:11.

Philip, an example of an evangelist, Timothy, another example of an evangelist. Surely there were many more, and there have been many more in the history of the church, and we have evangelists today. The New Testament evangelist is the one who proclaims the good news.

One of the most scholarly works that’s ever been written, translated from German, is called Kittle. Kittle define the word evangelist, “There can have been little difference between an apostle and an evangelist, all the apostles being evangelists. On the other hand, not all evangelists were apostles. For direct calling from the risen Lord was an essential aspect of the apostolate. In all three New Testament passages, the evangelists are subordinate to the apostle.”

All the evangelists were not apostles, but all apostles were evangelists. What’s important then is that the work of preaching the gospel, which the apostles did, is now the work of the evangelists. We don’t need apostles anymore because they laid the doctrine down. Evangelists continue their work. They are not equal to apostles. They do the same work as apostles but clearly are distinct.

For example, Philip, the evangelist, was definitely not an apostle. In Acts 8 it says he preached in Samaria, the people believed, and he baptized them, but none of them received the Holy Spirit. They had to wait till Peter and John came, because in the beginning days of the church, the Holy Spirit was imparted to new groups only through the ministering of the Apostles. Philip couldn’t do that. He is seen as a subordinate to the apostle, yet he was one who preached the gospel. So today we say people are not apostles who preach the gospel, proclaiming it. They are evangelists.

Further, Timothy, who is an evangelist, who proclaimed the gospel, was a pupil of an apostle, not an apostle. In the list in Ephesians 4, apostles come first, second, and then third comes evangelists. So, evangelist is always seen in a

subordinate context. Yet, it is clear that they continue the proclaiming ministry of the apostles. Eusebia says, “The evangelists are the successors to the apostles who have died.” The first century church knew there was no apostolic succession and they saw the evangelists as the continuum in proclamation.

What is an evangelist to do? Primary task, preach the gospel. Philip is an example of preaching the gospel in areas that are new territory where Christ is not named and starting a church. Timothy, the second illustration of an evangelist, is an illustration of a man who went to already established assemblies and mobilized those people to evangelize their city.

You can have an evangelist who’s traveling as a missionary, founding churches, planting churches, or you can have an evangelist who comes to a local assembly when it is small, has the ability to mobilize those people to reach out, to proclaim Christ, to capture that community, to win them to Jesus. That also is the work of an evangelist.

Now some of you have had the experience of being in a church where a man came and did that, but if he stayed too long, and never got past the stage of evangelizing, then you ran into trouble. Maybe in God’s plan it would have been wiser for him to go to a new territory, so that a pastor/teacher could come in and take up the work of continuing to mature the saints on a long-range basis, because that’s the distinction.

So, this is the work of winning people to Christ and building them up. It isn’t just floating in for a week and floating out. Paul says, “Timothy, do the work of an evangelist.”

What does an evangelist do? A church planter. He wins people to Christ, plants the church. It may well be that Titus was also an evangelist. Paul said to Titus, “Establish elders or ordain elders in each city.” He would have to go in, build the saints to the place of maturity, and even appoint the elders, which means he would have to have stayed until they were mature enough to rule themselves.

1 Timothy 4:13-16, Till I come, give attention to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine. 14 Do not neglect the gift that is in you, which was given to you by prophecy with the laying on of the

hands of the eldership. 15 Meditate on these things; give yourself entirely to them, that your progress may be evident to all. 16 Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine. Continue in them, for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you.

1 Timothy 4:6, If you instruct the brethren in these things, you will be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished in the words of faith and of the good doctrine which you have carefully followed.

2 Timothy 2:2, And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. He teaches, he preaches, and he teaches, he preaches. An evangelist is not somebody who can just preach sermons and get people to do something.

What did Timothy do as an evangelist? Timothy's duties as specified in 1 and 2 Timothy:

• a. Timothy was to have the charge of inexperienced and subordinate teachers, and to see that they taught the same doctrine which the apostles taught.

1 Timothy 1:3, As I urged you when I went into Macedonia—remain in Ephesus that you may charge some that they teach no other doctrine,

• b. Timothy was to direct those prayers be made for all men, for the reasons assigned, and for the object proposed to teach where the men should pray and teach, and the relative position of women. 1 Timothy Chapter 2

Timothy was instructed whom to appoint as superintendents (episkopoi) or overseers, and (diakonoi) ministers.

• c. Timothy was to hear accusations against elders under proper circumstances, and rebuke them publicly when they sinned.

1 Timothy 5:19-21, Do not receive an accusation against an elder except from two or three witnesses. 20 Those who are sinning rebuke in the presence of all, that the rest also may fear. 21 I charge you before God and the Lord Jesus Christ and the elect angels that you observe these things without prejudice, doing nothing with partiality.

• d. Timothy was to charge the rich not to put their trust in their money rather use their wealth for the kingdom.

• e. Timothy was to make other evangelists and not entangle himself with the affairs of life.
• f. Timothy was to make it as his life, “rightly to divide the word of truth” and show himself a workman who need not be ashamed but approved of God.

2 Timothy 2:15, Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

• g. Timothy was to continue in the things which he had learned, and been assured of, knowing who his great teacher had been.

2 Timothy 3:14, But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them, An evangelist is to mature the saints just as much as anybody else. A biblical evangelist was somebody who went to a place where Christ wasn’t named, won people to Christ, stayed there till he had built a church, ordained elders in that city who could take over their leadership of that church, then he moved to a new area.

God never put a premium on biblical ignorance. He never puts a premium on doctrinal ignorance. It never says in the Bible that an evangelist is a guy who knows twelve great sermons on how to get saved and that’s the end of it.

Evangelism is the ability to go in establish and build a church. Or in where a church already exists, an evangelist is one who wins people to Jesus Christ, integrates them into the church, and is a part of the maturing process.

Look at modern day example.

Billy Graham

Whichever town he goes in he will gather all the local churches and form a meeting. Decision cards were taken by the team. The people address and their phone numbers shared to the nearest church and followed it up from them.

Many miracles reported during their crusades, but they did not allow anyone to come and testify.

They would simply say if you were healed then go home and thank God for what the Lord has done. One of the most successful and reliable ministries we have seen in our 20th Century. There are many who are serving as pastors in Anglican, Methodist and Baptist pastors are all saved in the ministry of Billy Graham evangelistic crusade.

Look at some of the Tamil Evangelist what are they doing? One person building prayer tower. Another buying a mountain.

Acts 20:28-30, Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood. 29 For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. 30 Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves. Do not draw people towards you rather send them towards the Lord!