Volume One: Introduction and Definition ~ Evangelism Unlimited

The Work of the Gospel

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Executive Brief:

The purposes for Chapter One are two-fold. First, it was my goal to give a quick introduction to the rudimentary aspects of evangelism through the discussion of the tools for the evangelist: tracts, questionnaire forms, etc. Second, it was my goal to provide an overview of the massive bibliography available in the area of evangelism. This second point shows the scope of a discussion of evangelism in several ways: amount of material, variation in viewpoints and emphases, and changes in emphases over time.

Right from my very first class, students are required to begin sharing the Gospel. So, for this reason I have included an early discussion of Gospel tracts and Gospel presentations. My father once asked me, "Tommy, how do you know that your students are saved?" This question rang in my heart for quite a few years. It was because of that comment that I added the material on the first page of my notes.

Outline:

The Roman Road (p. 1)
Submitting to God’s Manner or Method of Salvation (p. 2)
Undermining God’s Manner or Method of Salvation (p. 5)
Tools of the Trade (p. 8)
Gospel Tracts (p. 8)

Appendixes:

Chronological Bibliography (p. 26)
Other Evangelism Resources (p. 45)
Guillaume Husson’s Tract Ministry in 1544 (p. 47)
On the Necessity of Regular Verbal Confession of Christ (p. 48)
How Evangelism May Be a Spiritual Benefit (p. 51)
How a Lack of Initiative Evangelism Is Detrimental (p. 54)
Pillars of Evangelizology (p. 55)
Toward a New Testament Theology of Personal Evangelism (p. 56)
Considering Theological and Methodological Drift (p. 57)
Considering Tests for Theologies (p. 58)

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The Role of the Evangelist

Executive Brief:

Chapter Three is a chapter on the evangelist. The existence and development of this chapter was in two phases. During the first phase, I felt that there was a gift of evangelism, as well as a gift of the evangelist. So this chapter explains the spiritual gifts, and the role of the evangelist in the local church. In the second phase I began noticing the exclusion of the mention of the evangelist in almost all of my seminary textbooks. This disconcerting thought began to captivate my thoughts, especially in light of the historical notes that I have compiled in Chapter Seven and some of the notes on the translation of Matthew 28 that I have compiled in Chapter 26. These three strands coming together led me to consider the unfortunate historiography of Church History in which I had been operating.

Meanwhile I had the privilege of purchasing a 1964 reprint of the 1570 French Martyrology of Jean Crespin, a Geneva publisher who had published 53 of John Calvin's books, as well as an edition of the English Geneva Bible. This Martyrology, which listed Protestant martyrs from 1410-1570, opened my eyes to evangelists in Church History prior to the First Great Awakening in England and the United States.

Please consider from this chapter the importance of the evangelist for the NT church. Whereas the word "Pastor" (for shepherd) is used once in the NT, the word "evangelist" is used three times. This chapter may provide for a complete rethinking and reconfiguration of our classes in pastoral ministry and macro-ecclesiology.

Outline:

Introduction (p. 111)
Noticing the Obvious—On the Omission of Evangelists (p. 117)
Is There a Gift of Evangelism, or Is It Rather the Gift of the Evangelist? (p. 127)
The Function of the Evangelist (p. 131)
The Evangelist in the Bible (p. 136)
Definition of an Evangelist (p. 139)
Diversity in the Gift of the Evangelist (p. 140)
Some Examples of Evangelists in the History of the Churches (p. 141)
The Evangelist and Revival Ministry (p. 147)
Some Common Reproaches Against Evangelists (p. 155)

Appendixes:

Comparing the Preaching of a Pastor, Revivalist, and Evangelist (p. 159)
Comparing Special Events and Revivals (p. 160)

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Defining Evangelizing

Executive Brief:

The largest and most comprehensive chapter in Evangelizology is Chapter Seven on "Defining Evangelizing." I began these notes by taking the notes that my father used at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School for his "Theology of Missions and Evangelism" class in the 1980s. He highlighted historic definitions of evangelism to help students understand some of the issues in defining evangelism. While this approach was informative and helpful, I felt after sitting in that class and teaching through the notes several times, that they lacked the biblical power and guidance. It appeared to me to be men in history quarreling over a definition of evangelizing. It was not until some years later that I began to compile actual verbs which described evangelizing and found many-many verbs on this subject.

Three pages into Chapter Seven, I provide a "Chapter Breakdown" which explains the content of the chapter. The reader will note that the chapter begins with some historic definitions of evangelism (as I mentioned in the paragraph above) and goes from there. The two most important aspects of this chapter include (1) the work that I have done uncovering the translation of the verb "evangelize" and (2) my notes "Five Categories of New Testament Terms for Evangelism." Please see the chart right before this last section, in which I graphically portray the five categories (page 401). The most massive category involves the development of the 179 verbs and the 22 nouns used in the Greek text of the NT for the act of evangelizing (page 418).

The student will be pleased to hear that I have begun twin studies of verbs for follow-up and discipleship in Chapter 26.

Outline:

Some Historic Definitions (p. 298)
Some Historic Terms (p. 302)
Towards Translating Proclamational Words in the Old Testament (p. 350)
A Survey of the Translation of εὐαγγελίζω in the English New Testament (p. 361)
“Evangelize” in Several Translation Histories (p. 370)
On the Translation of Proclamational Terms in English Bibles (p. 382)
Turning the Tide—Unleashing the Word Evangelize! (p. 391)
Arguments Against Translating εὐαγγελίζω as “Evangelize” (p. 395)
Reasons For Translating εὐαγγελίζω as “Evangelize” (p. 399)
Five Categories of New Testament Terms for Evangelizing: (p. 407)
Toward a Working Definition (p. 567)

Appendixes:

Considering the Meaning of “Taking Oaths in the Name of the Lord” in Deut 6 and 10 (p. 573)
Considering the Meaning of “Lifting Up the Name of the Lord in Vain” in Exod 20 and Deut 5 (p. 576)
Words Lightly Used in English Bible Translations? (p. 577)

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Resourcing Great Commission Christians

Volume One: Introduction and Definition

The Work of the Gospel

Executive Brief:

Outline:

Appendixes:

The Christian’s Calling to Evangelism, and Metaphors Related to Evangelism

Executive Brief:

Outline:

Appendixes:

The Role of the Evangelist

Executive Brief:

Outline:

Appendixes:

The Spiritual Passions and the Spiritual Battle

Executive Brief:

Outline:

Appendixes:

Steadfast Truths in Evangelism

Executive Brief:

Outline:

Appendix:

Motivations and Urgency of Evangelism

Executive Brief:

Outline:

Appendixes:

Defining Evangelizing

Executive Brief:

Outline:

Appendixes:

Volume One: Introduction and Definition

1. The Work of the Gospel

2. The Christian’s Calling to Evangelism

3. The Role of the Evangelist

4. The Spiritual Passions and the Spiritual Battle

5. Steadfast Truths in Evangelism

6. Motivations and Urgency of Evangelism

7. Defining Evangelizing