Evangelists in the New Testament Church

Who Did Evangelism in the Early Church?¹
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Dr. Paul Manuel—2012

The book of Acts chronicles the development of the early church, recounting the role various individuals played in the emerging organization. Before Jesus' ascension, he gave explicit instructions to a particular group, "the apostles he had chosen" (Acts 1:2), and it was primarily (almost exclusively) members of that group who engaged in evangelism.²

Acts 1:8 "...you will receive power when the Holy Spit-it comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."

The apostles' testimony during Pentecost led to the first significant increase in the number of believers.

Acts 2:14 ...Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: "Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say.... 32 God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of the fact.... 38a ...Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins.... 41 Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.

A later healing gave further opportunity for testimony by the apostles Peter and John.

Acts 3:16b It is Jesus' name and the faith that comes through him that has given this complete healing to him, as you can all see.... 19a Repent, then, and Will to God, so that your sins may be wiped out....

This drew the ire of religious authorities, yet they could not squelch the new movement.

Acts 4:3 They seized Peter and John [and] put them in jail. ...4 But many who heard the message believed, and the number of men grew to about five thousand.... 29 "Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness."

After their release, the apostles aggressively promoted the gospel.

Acts 4:18 ...they called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. 19a But Peter and John replied..., 20 "...we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard." ...31b And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly...³ 33 With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and much grace was upon them all.

Acts 5:42 Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, [the apostles] never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Christ.

Even later, as the number of believers in Jerusalem increased, the apostles recognized their chief responsibility to be different from that of other disciples.

Acts 6:2 So the Twelve gathered all the disciples together and said, "It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables." 3 Brothers, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them 4 and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word." 5 This proposal pleased the whole group. They chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit; also Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas from Antioch, a convert to Judaism. 6 They presented these men to the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them. 7 So the word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith.

Two of those chosen as deacons had capabilities that extended their ministry beyond the believing community in Jerusalem.

• Stephen was an apologist, who "did great wonders and miraculous signs" (Acts 6:8).⁴

Acts 6:9 Opposition arose, however, from members of the Synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called)—Jews of Cyrene and Alexandria as well as the provinces of Cilicia and Asia. These men began to argue with Stephen, 10 but they could not stand up against his wisdom or the Spirit by whom he spoke.... 12 So they stirred up the people and the elders and the teachers of the law. They seized Stephen and brought him before the Sanhedrin.... 58 [Then they] dragged him out of the city and began to stone him.

• Phillip was an evangelist (21:8), who also did "great signs and miracles" (8:13).

Acts 8:12 [When] Philip... preached the good news of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.... 40 Philip... appeared at Azotus and traveled about, preaching the gospel in all the towns until he reached Caesarea.

The persecution that followed Stephen's death caused many believers to flee from Jerusalem, spreading the gospel where they went.⁵

Acts 8:1b On that day a great persecution broke out against the church at Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria.... 4 Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went.

The apostles, primarily Peter and John, affirmed and advanced those missions, going to Samaria and other areas.

Acts 8:14 When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them.... 25 When they had testified and proclaimed the word of the Lord, Peter and John returned to Jerusalem, preaching the gospel in many Samaritan villages.

Acts 9:32 As Peter traveled about the country, he went to visit the saints in Lydda.

Acts 10:42 [Peter said to those in Joppa:] He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one whom God appointed as judge of the living and the dead.

Most of the apostles, though, remained in Jerusalem.⁶

The conversion of Paul marked significant progress in communicating the gospel outside the land.

Acts 9:15 ...the Lord said to Ananias, "Go! This man is my chosen instrument to carry my name before the Gentiles and their kings and before the people of Israel." ...20 At once he began to preach in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God.... 22 Yet Saul grew more and more powerful and baffled the Jews living in Damascus by proving that Jesus is the Christ.

This attracted the attention of the Jerusalem congregation,⁷ which sent Barnabas to investigate, a man with a proven record of effective evangelistic ministry.

Acts 11:22 News of this reached the ears of the church at Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch.... 24h [Through him already] a great number of people were brought to the Lord.

These two men, Barnabas and Paul, formed a partnership in ministry, serving the church at Antioch.⁸ Later, they both paid a brief visit to the Jerusalem church.⁹

Acts 11:26b So for a whole year Barnabas and Saul met with the church and taught great numbers of people.

Acts 12:25 When Barnabas and Saul had finished their mission, they returned from Jerusalem...

The church at Antioch officially recognized their calling and commissioned them both as "apostles" (Acts 14:4, 14).¹⁰

Acts 13:2 While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, "Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them."

The first missionary tour (Acts 13-14), by Paul and fellow apostle Barnabas, began in the synagogue with Jews and gentile converts, then broadened to include those outside that community.

Acts 13:4 The two of them, sent on their way by the Holy Spirit, went down to Seleucia and sailed from there to Cyprus. 5a When they arrived at Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in the Jewish synagogues.... 7b The proconsul, an intelligent man, sent for Barnabas and Saul because he wanted to hear the word of God.... 14 ...they went on to Pisidian Antioch. On the Sabbath they entered the synagogue and sat down.... 32 "We tell you the good news: What God promised our fathers.... 43 When the congregation was dismissed, many of the Jews and devout converts to Judaism followed Paul and Barnabas, who talked with them and urged them to continue in the grace of God.... 47 ...this is what the Lord has commanded us: "I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth."

Acts 14:3 [At Iconium:] Paul and Barnabas spent considerable time there, speaking boldly for the Lord, who confirmed the message of his grace by enabling them to do miraculous signs and wonders... .15c [In Lystra:] "We are bringing you good news, telling you to turn from these worthless things to the living God...." ...21 [In Derbe:] They preached the good news in that city and won a large number of disciples. Then they returned to Lystra, Iconium and Antioch, 22a strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith.... 23 Paul and Barnabas appointed elders for them in each church and, with prayer and fasting, committed them to the Lord, in whom they had put their trust.... 25 and when they had preached the word in Perga, they went down to Attalia.

The positive response from gentiles to the gospel raised a question that may, until then, have been moot among believers, most of whom were either Jews or converts: Does a person have to be(come) a Jew to be saved?¹¹

Acts 15:2b So Paul and Barnabas were appointed, along with some other believers, to go up to Jerusalem to see the apostles and elders about this question.... 12 The whole assembly became silent as they listened to Barnabas and Paul telling about the miraculous signs and wonders God had done among the Gentiles through them.... 22 Then the apostles and elders, with the whole church, decided to choose some of their own men and send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. They chose Judas (called Barsabbas) and Silas, two men who were leaders among the brothers. 23 With them they sent the following letter: The apostles and elders, your brothers, To the Gentile believers in Antioch, Syria and Cilicia: Greetings.... 35 ....Paul and Barnabas remained in Antioch, where they and many others taught and preached the word of the Lord.

The second missionary tour (Acts 15:36-18:21), by Paul and his helper Silas, began with contact to established groups of believers but also included visits to synagogues with Jews and gentile converts.

Acts 15:41 [Some time later, Paul] went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.

Acts 16:1 He came to Derbe and then to Lystra, where a disciple named Timothy lived, whose mother was a Jewess and a believer, but whose father was a Greek.... 14 [In Philppi:] One of those listening was a woman named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth from the city of Thyatira, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul's message.

Acts 17:2 [In Thessalonica:] As his custom was, Paul went into the synagogue, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, 3 explaining and proving that the Christ had to suffer and rise from the dead. "This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Christ," he said. 4 Some of the Jews were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a large number of God-fearing Greeks and not a few prominent women.... 10b [In Berea:] On arriving there, they went to the Jewish synagogue.... 12 Many of the Jews believed, as did also a number of prominent Greek women and many Greek men.... 17 [In Athens:] he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the God-fearing Greeks, as well as in the marketplace day by day with those who happened to be there.... 22 Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: "Men of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious." ...34 A few men became followers of Paul and believed. Among them was Dionysius, a member of the Areopagus, also a woman named Damaris, and a number of others.

Acts 18:4 [In Corinth:] Every Sabbath he reasoned in the synagogue, trying to persuade Jews and Greeks. 5 When Silas and Timothy came from Macedonia, Paul devoted himself exclusively to preaching, testifying to the Jews that Jesus was the Christ....

The third missionary tour (Acts 18:23-21:14), by Paul and assorted helpers (see n. 8), included appearances in the synagogue as well as meetings with believers.

Acts 19:8 [In Corinth:] Paul entered the synagogue and spoke boldly there for three months, arguing persuasively about the kingdom of God.... 9c He took the disciples with him and had discussions daily in the lecture hall of Tyrannus. 10 This went on for two years, so that all the Jews and Greeks who lived in the province of Asia heard the word of the Lord. 11 God did extraordinary miracles through Paul.... 20 In this way the word of the Lord spread widely and grew in power.

Acts 20:1 [In Ephesus:] Paul sent for the disciples and, after encouraging them, said good-by and set out for Macedonia. 2 He traveled through that area, speaking many words of encouragement to the people, and finally arrived in Greece, 3a where he stayed three months.... 7 [In Troas:] On the first day of the week we came together to break bread. Paul spoke to the people and, because he intended to leave the next day, kept on talking until midnight.... 17 From Miletus, Paul sent to Ephesus for the elders of the church.... 20 You know that I have not hesitated to preach anything that would be helpful to you but have taught you publicly and from house to house. 211 have declared to both Jews and Greeks that they must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus.... 27 For I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God.

When Paul returned to Jerusalem, he learned how the church there had grown. His own missionary activity, however, stalled when a near riot led to his arrest and imprisonment.¹²

Acts 21:18 [In Jerusalem:] Paul and the rest of us went to see James, and all the elders were present. 19 Paul greeted them and reported in detail what God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry. 20 When they heard this, they praised God. Then they said to Paul: "You see, brother, how many thousands of Jews have believed, and all of them are zealous for the law.

Acts 21:30 The whole city was aroused.... Seizing Paul, they dragged him from the temple... 31 While they were trying to kill him, news reached the commander of the Roman troops.... 33a The commander...arrested him and ordered him to be bound with two chains.

Subsequently, many of his speaking opportunities were before hostile audiences.

Acts 22:22 [In Jerusalem:] The crowd listened to Paul until he said this. Then they raised their voices and shouted, "Rid the earth of him! He's not fit to live!"

Acts 23:1 [In Jerusalem:] Paul looked straight at the Sanhedrin and said, "My brothers, I have fulfilled my duty to God in all good conscience to this day." 2 At this the high priest Ananias ordered those standing near Paul to strike him on the mouth.

Acts 24:14a [In Caesarea (before Felix):] "I admit that I worship the God of our fathers as a follower of the Way, which they call a sect." ...24 Several days later Felix came with his wife Drusilla, who was a Jewess. He sent for Paul and listened to him as he spoke about faith in Christ Jesus.

Acts 25:8 [In Caesarea (before Festus):} Paul made his defense: "I have done nothing wrong against the law of the Jews or against the temple or against Caesar."

Acts 26:20 [In Caesarea (before Agrippa):] "First to those in Damascus, then to those in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and to the Gentiles also, I preached that they should repent and turn to God and prove their repentance by their deeds."

Acts 28:23b [In Rome] From morning till evening he explained and declared to them the kingdom of God and tried to convince them about Jesus from the Law of Moses and from the Prophets. 24 Some were convinced by what he said, but others would not believe.... 30 For two whole years Paul stayed there in his own rented house and welcomed all who came to see him. 31 Boldly and without hindrance he preached the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ.

Even in prison, the apostle attempted to fulfill his calling to communicate the gospel.¹³

Luke makes frequent reference to the rank-and-file believer ("disciple" 30x), but nowhere does the author mention involvement in overt evangelism (excepting n. 5). Only Phillip, a deacon in the Jerusalem church, whom Luke identifies as an evangelist (21:8), was so engaged.

Acts 8:5 Philip went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed the Christ there.... 12 But when they believed Philip as he preached the good news of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.... 40 Philip, however, appeared at Azotus and traveled about, preaching the gospel in all the towns until he reached Caesarea.

Other disciples, if involved in evangelism at all, were so indirectly.¹⁴

What to remember: Who, then, did evangelism in the early church? As Luke's account indicates, it was neither the responsibility nor the activity of the average disciple but of those God specifically appointed and equipped for the task, the apostles (and evangelists).¹⁵

For the Bibliography and Endnotes, see the pdf here.