The Office of the Evangelist
Ephesians 4:11-16 - And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, 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; 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, but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— 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 ministry of the evangelist is one of the five perfecting ministries God gave to men so that Christians may come to spiritual maturity. Apostles, prophets, teachers, evangelists, and pastors are the governing body of the church. The office or ministry of the evangelist falls into this category.
Evangelists are given to help train and equip God’s people and to bring them to maturity. They are to prepare the saints for works of ministry and to teach them how to build up the body of Christ. The purpose is to bring the church into unity of the faith so that the body of Christ can grow into the full measure of Christ Himself. This is also true for the other four ministry offices that have been given to the church.
a. Definition
The word “evangelist” comes from the Greek word “euagelion” which means "a messenger of good news or gospel". It is applied to someone who is able to communicate the message of the Gospel in such a way that many people will listen and be moved to accept Jesus Christ as their personal Savior.
An evangelist is someone who has been given a special empowerment by the Holy Spirit to evangelize and is called to be a witness for Jesus Christ. It is the special ability God gives to some to proclaim the Gospel of salvation effectively so that people respond to the gospel message.
b. Their function
The office of the evangelist is only given to certain individuals who God anoints with supernatural enablement to minister.
A person cannot simply study to be an evangelist and no one can teach someone to be an evangelist. You cannot choose to be an evangelist. The evangelists of God are not trained in the religious schools of man, nor are they raised up from among the leadership of the organized church.
Evangelism is one of the easiest gifts to spot because people with this gift are focused on people being saved. Signs and wonders are evident when they preach the gospel.
When an evangelist preaches, they nearly always end with an invitation to receive Christ.
The best source of information for detailing the work of an evangelist is contained in the New Testament letters addressed to evangelists such as Timothy.
The book of Acts records the ministry of Philip who was also referred to as “Phillip the Evangelist.” He successfully evangelized many including the Ethiopian eunuch.
Acts 8:5-13 - Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria and preached Christ to them. And the multitudes with one accord heeded the things spoken by Philip, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did. For unclean spirits, crying with a loud voice, came out of many who were possessed; and many who were paralyzed and lame were healed. And there was great joy in that city. 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, to whom they all gave heed, from the least to the greatest, saying, "This man is the great power of God." And they heeded him because he had astonished them with his sorceries for a long time. 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. 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.
Paul preached the gospel wherever he went. That was his primary purpose and passion. He taught that it is not sufficient to hear the message because he believed there had to be personal repentance and faith that leads to salvation.
He was convinced that people everywhere needed to hear the gospel and boldly declared the life-changing message. His evangelistic preaching included the following and emphasized that true believers experiences the life of Christ in their hearts.
Paul did not use one formula but adapted himself to the audience without compromising the message. He was very bold in preaching to others and was not intimidated by anyone and preached Jesus to all people.
Romans 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, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.
c. Characteristics of an evangelist
Evangelists preach the Word of God especially the gospel of Jesus Christ and are not tasked to lead the church.
They encourage and guide others through teaching the Word and communicate the message of Christ with clarity and conviction. They study and meditate upon God's Word.
Evangelists move with great boldness and there is power and authority in their words. They are fearless when proclaiming the good news of salvation. This does not necessarily mean that they have a naturally bold personality, but when they are stirred by the Holy Spirit to speak God's truth to the lost, they become bold.
Very often signs and wonders accompany the ministry of the evangelist. As they proclaim the gospel with full authority and power, signs and wonders accompany the evangelical message.
Evangelists seek out opportunities to talk to unbelievers about spiritual matters. They challenge unbelievers to become fully devoted followers of Christ.
True evangelists adapt their presentation of the gospel to connect with the individual's needs and seek opportunities to build relationships with unbelievers.
Evangelists can communicate the plan of salvation with clarity and conviction. They always have creative ways to present their message based on the age or life style of their audience.
They challenge people to have faith in Jesus Christ everywhere they go.
Foundational ministries
Ephesians 2:20-22 - Having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.
The apostles and prophets are the two foundational ministries in the body of Christ.
Jesus revealed Himself to be the cornerstone of the church and continues to build it through His apostles and prophets.
1 Corinthians 12:28 - And God has appointed these in the church: first apostles, second prophets…
Apostles are the first and prophets are second among the ministries in building the church of God because they lay a foundation of understanding concerning the mystery of Christ.
Unfortunately, these are the two ministries that are least recognized in the church today. God is bringing order back to His church and is fully restoring the ministry of the apostles and prophets.
Without the ministry of apostles and prophets the revelation of the blueprint necessary for the building is incomplete.
The prophet works closely with the apostle as they lay a foundation and bring strength and order to the body of Christ. God has given His grace to apostles and prophets to receive a revelation of His mysteries and to reveal them to the body.
When we look at the current state of the church, it is clear that it needs to make significant foundational shifts and changes. It is evident that the ministry gifts of the pastors, evangelists, prophets, and teachers are active in the church today. When we make a comparison of where the church should be headed in terms of its maturity and unity, the office of the apostle has not been fully restored to the church. The bride of Christ can only prepare for the Bridegroom once all five of these anointing are fully active.
