Do the work of an Evangelist.

So just what is the "work of an evangelist"? Is it their job to travel from church to church across the Nation, to "edify" them ( which is usually nothing more than an hour or more of 'ripping their heads off', yeah that's what Paul had in mind right?). And just who is "called" to be an Evangelist is it certain people only who are qualified and specially chosen by God. Is it an office. No it couldn't be that since we Baptists only believe in two offices i.e. Elder (Pastor) and Deacon. And yes I used that bad word ELDER, and even dare I say it, ELDERS, (how dare he use that bad word).

Maybe a better question to ask first would be, what is an Evangelist? Here's Strongs definition-

From G2097; a preacher of the gospel: - evangelist. Pretty simple definition. Now how many times is the word used in the N.T.? all of three times yep that's all just three times. So here we have the answer to one of our questions which was, "what is the work of an evangelist"? the answer a preacher of the gospel, now for the answer to who qualifies to be an evangelist? Well our Lord told the first Church to go and "preach the gospel". Who was He talking to? the eleven disciples before He ascended i.e. the first church. Hence it is the churches job to preach the gospel and we all know the church is the assembly of immersed believers commanded to go out and preach or herald the gospel or good news, which is every believers duty women included.

Looking now at the three times the word is used. First -

Act 21:8  "And the next day we that were of Paul's company departed, and came unto Caesarea: and we entered into the house of Philip the evangelist, which was one of the seven; and abode with him". So the first time the word is used it speaks of a deacon of the Jerusalem church, so are then only deacons to be evangelists? No, since none that were commanded by the Lord were evangelists(at least not by name), again they were apostles (who were the first members of the church), so were then the apostles the ones called to be evangelists and only them? no, their all dead so if they were the only ones qualified then the preaching of the gospel died with them and we know that's ridiculous.

The next usage of the word is-
Eph 4:11  And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;

Now the Apostles were given but their gone. The prophets were given but we now have all the Word so they've passed from the scene. Next is the evangelists who were they? well we only have one man named and that's Phillip back in Acts so again should all deacons be evangelists and only them. Well Timothy was told to do the work of an evangelist(II Tim 4:5 the third time it's used), which is to preach the gospel, and he was not a deacon he was the pastor.

So by today's standards(not the Bible's) the deacons and pastors should all by a bus, pack up the family, hit the road to "edify" all the churches. Of course it would be hard to edify their own church in the process.

So which is it, is it the churches job to preach the gospel(which is the meaning of the word evangelist) as commanded by the Lord, or does it belong only to the two offices of pastor and deacon, well if that's the case we can end soul winning night and handing out tracts by us common church folk.

It seems quite clear then that since Christ commanded the church to go and preach, and there were none that held the "office" of an evangelist (never mind the fact the word wasn't used until Acts 21:8, and that there's no such office mentioned in Scripture) and the church is made up of immersed believers, that it is each local assemblies job to preach. As well as the deacons job and the pastors duty as well.

So an evangelist is nothing more than someone who goes out and preaches the good news of salvation to a dying lost world. I would say that in reference to Eph.4:11 that there is a difference between the generic sense of the word evangelist which pertains to all, and the sense used here which would be a church planter sent from a local church i.e. a missionary church planter. But what we call an "evangelist" today certainly doesn't measure up to either of these definitions mentioned.

Then what should we do with all the "evangelists" that travel from church to church, collect "love offerings" that could be used to further the gospel at the hands of those churches (not to mention increase the salary of those that "labor in the word"i.e. the pastors)? Well first they should drop the name evangelist since what they are doing is not Biblical evangelism ( and most, when they show up, never darken the door of a lost man's home, but demand that the church does), they can call it what they'd like maybe "The hollerin' ministry" or  "We've never started a church but we are able and qualified to tell you how to do it". Now I'm not against having in guest preachers I love it (as long as you've got something to say and I'm not deaf you don't need to get in my face and tell me how sorry I am, that's my Pastors job), I'm just saying those that call themselves evangelists shouldn't (for the most part, there are some evangelists who are missionary church planters) since they aren't following the Biblical pattern of one, especially the "music evangelist".