EVANGELIST—By Glenn L. Wallace
EVANGELIST---By Glenn L. Wallace EVANGELIST
Glenn L. Wallace The problems and questions that face churches in the field of evangelization of the world are many and they arise periodically to demand our attention. We have been plagued with those who teach the theory of “evangelistic authority,” which gives an evangelist the complete authority over a congregation when it is planted and until such a time as it has elders. The evils of this system can be seen in the arm of evangelistic control reaching into the heart of congregations to unseat elders and often to hold the congregations in subjection for years without appointing officers. We are faced with those who talk about the evils of “the one man ministry.” They erect a straw man with imaginary problems, and spend their time in fighting such. “No stipulated pay” for an evangelist; “the stay should not be specified”; “should an evangelist preach to the church or should he teach”; “can an evangelist preach where there are elders;” “must he preach where Christ has been named;” and on we go with men being found in every generation who are ready to grasp some of these theories and feel themselves the appointed prophets of the day.
Paul charged Timothy to do the work of an evangelist. “I charge thee in the sight of God, and of Christ Jesus, who shall judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word; be urgent in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. For the time will come when they will not endure the sound doctrine; but, having itching ears, will heap to themselves teachers after their own lusts; and will turn away their ears from the truth, and turn aside unto fables. But be thou sober in all things, suffer hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfil thy ministry. For I am already being offered, and the time of my departure is come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith; henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteous-ness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give to me at that day; and not to me only, but also to all them that have loved his appearing” (2 Timothy 4:1-8). Who Is An Evangelist?
The average man thinks of a traveling preacher, one without a settled place of work, a kind of “circuit rider,” when defining an evangelist. To such people, he is one who holds a gospel meeting (a mission) and after a short stay, moves on into other fields. We often hear men say: “I am an evangelist” and another, “I do local work.” Then, there are those who object to a “located preacher.” It has not yet been decided how a man can preach without being located. The evangelist is: “a proclaimer of good news” and the stay or pay neither makes him qualified or unqualified for the work he does. Whether he preaches, talks, teaches, exhorts the brethren, “aids the elders,” convicts the gainsayers, converts sinners or teaches the brethren, does not change him from an evangelist to be a located preacher or an “elders’ aid.”
“And on the morrow we departed, and came unto Caesarea: and entering into the house of Philip the evangelist, who was one of the seven, we abode with him” (Acts 21:8). Here we find a New Testament evangelist.
“And he gave some to be apostles; and some, proph-ets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers” (Ephesians 4:11). Paul lists “apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers” in this text. The listing in the above text does not identify any one as a permanent officer in the church. When we read other passages in the New Testament, we are able to determine which of the above was an officer in the Lord’s church.
Modern day advocates of what is mistakenly called “mutual ministry” have their own interpretation of this passage from Ephesians. One of them has made the text to read: “And he gave some to be apostles; and some to be prophets; and some evangelists: and some pastors; and teachers; with a view to training, instructing or fitting the saints for the work of ministry, and for the work of edifying of the body of Christ.” According to this private translation of the verse, “apostles, prophets, evangelists” are all one class and their purpose was to perfect the saints. The “saints,” another class, after they have reached perfection under these teachers, can now minister to and edify themselves. These theorists reason that when a preacher has converted the sinner and stabilized the saints, then he should and must move on. The actual practice of those who preach this theory is that they prolong their stay with a congregation by either never selecting elders (under the pretext that there are none qualified) or they de-elder the elders and stay as long as they like. None but the most prejudiced would deny that such has been practiced and even the “oversight of several churches” has been the rule of these self-styled “anti-one man minister” evangelists. In practice, they are the men with the “pastor system” and the ruling “evangelist.” The record is so evident and bitter that none will dare to deny the fruits. Heart-breaking experiences are common in this country with these self-ordained evangelists, traveling about as hirelings, wolves who destroy the flock, fleece the brethren and practice the most extreme doctrines of popery. Who is to do the work of edifying the church? Ac-cording to some, an evangelist cannot do so, because he is bound to leave that work to the elders. It is argued that the word “for” is used three times in Ephesians 4:11. The first word “for” is “pros” which means “with a view to”, and the next use of the word “for” is “eis” which means “unto.” J. W. Roberts, a Greek teacher in Abilene Christian College, has well treated this passage in the GOSPEL ADVOCATE of Nov. 12, 1953. He says: “There are two different words for “for” in this passage: pros and eis. But they have practically the same, if not identical, meaning. Paul, like many other writers, is fond of varying his expression and construction to avoid repetition. This style is called by the grammarians “inconcinnity.” Paul often uses two different prepositions, or a mixture of both to express the same idea in a context. Let us notice a few examples of his use of pros and eis in the same context: (Romans 15:2) “Let each one of us please his neighbor for (eis) that which is good, unto for (pros) edifying.” This meaning is “let each please his neighbor in what is good and edifying.” (Romans 3:25) “Whom (i. e., Christ) God set forth to be a propitiation, through faith, in his blood, to show (eis endeiksin, i. e., for showing) bis righteousness because of the passing over of the sins done aforetime, in the forbearance of God; for the showing (pros endeiksin, i.e., for showing) I say, of his righteousness at tins present season.”
“In all these passages notice Paul varies his use of eis and pros without any change in the meaning. It is simply variety. Dozens of such examples of these and other prepositions could be given from the letters of Paul and other New Testament writers. There is simply no basis for the contention that the last two prepositions depend on the first and distinguish the work of saints from the gifts of the apostles, etc. Paul certainly means chat the apostles, pr ophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers are to perfect the saints, do the work of ministry, and edify the body.”
These “evangelists” of Ephesians 4, were ministers to the saints and so were the apostles. The work of ministry to the saints was certainly not limited to that which che saints could do for themselves.
Timothy was a “minister.” “If thou put the brethren in mind of these things, thou shalt be a good minister of Christ Jesus, nourished in the words of the faith, and of the good doctrme which thou hast followed until now:” (1 Timothy 4:6). The apostles in Jerusalem were ministers of the word in the church. “But we will continue steadfastly in prayer, and in the ministry of the word” (Acts 6:4). The saints in the apostolic church were edified and evangelists like Timothy did this work. Saints in the church today must be edified and evangelists today have the God given right to participate in this work. The evangelist in the congregation, under the direction of elders, is not an officer and he has no voice in the oversight in the congregation. Dr. John Paul Gipson say: “The preacher has no divine call above any other. If he has talents for speaking and teaching, the church may ask him to devote all his time in that way under the elders. It is up to them to hire him, give him specific duties and to dismiss him, when his dismissal is best for the church.” (THE CHURCH AT WORK).
Leonard Channing, now of Alysbury, England, a great British preacher, in whose home I was privileged to stay while in a preaching mission with the church in London, England, has this to say, after a visit to American churches. “However, it must be recognized that it is ability for a task and not sincerity which is the deciding factor. It is not just a case of ‘filling the bill!’, but is the manner and matter of the preaching or teaching profitable and edifying? If not, then it may be ‘mutual’ but it is certainly not ‘ministry.’
“Now I believe that such a system is doing incalculable harm to the cause in this country. Not only is it a poor witness for the Lord’s church, but it is limiting men of real preaching ability who very often have to sit back while men of no real ability who would be more usefully employed in another branch of the Lord’s service, occupy the platform which they have been taught is theirs by right. I’ll even go further, and declare that such a system is not ‘mutual ministry’ at all, but ‘mutual mouth’, the spirit of error against which Paul teaches so positively in 1 Corinthians 12. THE AUTHORITY OF A PREACHER.
On the other hand, some suggest by the terms ‘one man ministry’ or ‘pastor system’ that the preacher is in sole control of the congregation as is found among the denominations. But this assertion I would vigorously deny. There may be some who abuse their position. There may be a tendency on the part of some members of the various churches to look too much to the preacher, and too little to the elders; there may be elders who endeavour to shift their responsibilities on to the preacher, but these are errors which are not common to the so-called ‘College’ brethren, nor even to America, but are also found to some degree over here. Of these tendencies the American brethren are aware, and do not hesitate to condemn. Be that as it may, it is still a fact that the exception does not prove the rule, nor the abuse of a system prove that the system itself is wrong. Far from the preacher being in sole control of the congregation, whether morally or actually, from my observations I found that in the vast majority of churches quite the reverse is the case. The preacher is very much responsible to his elders, and in most cases does not even attend the elders’ meeting unless specifically invited.
LOCATED PREACHERS.
Often objection is raised against the idea of a preacher being ‘located' with one congregation for several months, or longer periods. The length of time a man is with one congregation does not alter the principle of the thing itself. If one man can be with a congregation three months or six months, then another can be there for three years or six years. Further, the need for ‘locating’ is clearly seen in the New Testament. Paul was at Antioch in Syria for two long periods, one of them a year. He was at Ephesus three years, and at Corinth eighteen months. Timothy was sent to Ephesus, a church that was then fully constituted, having elders and deacons. Far from criticising such a system then, I think that it has much to commend it, for the British fear of the ‘located’ preacher has resulted in our full-time men being kept constantly on the move, thus lessening the amount of good that can done” (SCRIPTURE STANDARD).
W. L. Hayden, from CHURCH POLICY, pages 3738 says: “The evangelical work is a perpetual work. While time endures it will be the duty of the church, through her own chosen and appointed representatives, to convert and baptize the people: to gather the converts together into separate and distinct organizations for their edification, improvement and efficiency, and to have a watch-care over many weak and sickly congregations.”
Is An Evangelist An Officer?
“And he gave some to be apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;” (Ephesians 4:11). Here there is mention made of evangelists. The text in verse 8 speaks of “gifts" that were given unto men. These were special “gifts" and these men who were mentioned in Ephesians 4:11 were all men who were endowed with a work for which they had been qualified by the Holy Spirit. There are no men in the church today who are qualified as these men mentioned in this text by Paul. We must turn to other texts to decide which of these men are officers today. We can read about “pastors" as officers but where is the text that tells us that the evangelist is an officer in the church? He has a work to do but he has no office to occupy.
What then is the authority of the evangelist when he preaches? He is to preach Christ. “And Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and proclaimed unto them the Chnst" (Acts 8:5). “Preach the word; be urgent in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching (2 Timothy 4:2). “These things speak and exhort and reprove with all authority. Let no man despise thee" (Titus 2:15).
The authority of the evangelist is to be found only in his knowledge of the word, with his ability to ‘preach,’ ‘reprove,’ ‘rebuke,’ ‘exhort’ and ‘teach and exhort with all authority.’ This is the limit of his authority and he who exercises any more is a modern “hireling," a little pope, and a religious dictator of the vilest sort.
W. L. Hayden, in his book CHURCH POLICY, says: “What are the duties of this office? Let it be clearly noted, the evangelist is not a law-maker nor an original law proclaimer. He is primarily a reproclaimer of the law of the Lord as he has learned it through inspired apostles. What was thus learned by the primitive evangelists from apostles in person can be learned by modern evangelists only from their writings/'
Paul found Timothy, a young man of good report and of faith. He trained him in his own private school and soon he was qualified by knowledge and experience to go out and edify the saints. Today, one man, or one hundred men may and do, accomplish the same thing that Paul accomplished, in the training of modern Timothys, in the class rooms of schools that are supported by individual Christians in this land. Where Can An Evangelist Preach?
A theory is currently being advocated by a few brethren who say that an evangelist cannot preach to the church. “Preaching/' they say, is for nonmembers and “teaching" is for the church. It is a bit hard to locate all these men. One time they insist that the elders must personally do all the teaching in a congregation. Again, they insist that the members must take their turn, without regard to the ability of the brothers, and all must edify the saints when their turn approaches. This is called “mutual ministry." Dozens of men once lived and suffered under this kind of ministry. Brother Kepple of Kansas City, Mo., best described it when he one time said: “It is not mutual ministry—it is mutual misery."
Paul preached to the church at Rome. “So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you also that are in Rome" (Romans 1:15). Paul taught the brethren in Rome. “And he abode two whole years in his own hired dwelling, and received all that went in unto him, preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching the things concerning the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness, none forbidding him” (Acts 28:30-31). For two years he preached and taught in Rome. Here Paul is doing what it is claimed he could not do. He was “preaching” to and “teaching” the church in Rome. Timothy taught the church at Ephesus and this church had elders. “As I exhorted thee to tarry at Ephesus, when I was going into Macedonia, that thou mightest charge certain men not to teach a different doctrine” (1 Timothy 1:3).
Paid told Timothy to teach the brethren to behave in the church of God. “But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how men ought to behave themselves in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth” (1 Timothy 3:15).
Paul charged Timothy to be a good minister. “If thou put the brethren in mind of these things, thou shalt be a good minister of Christ Jesus, nourished in the words of faith, and of the good doctrine which thou hast followed until now:” (1 Timothy 4:8).
Timothy, an evangelist, was told to teach godliness, to the brethren. “If any man teacheth a different doctrine, and consenteth not to sound words, even the words of our Lo^d Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness;” (1 Timothy 6:3).
Paul preached or discoursed to the brethren when they assembled for the Lord’s table. “And uoon the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread, Paul discoursed with them, intending to depart on the morrow; and prolonged his speech until midnight” (Acts 20:7) The word “diale- gomai,” oi “preached” is always translated preach, except in Mark 9:34. We have the same word in Acts 24:25, where Paul is preaching to some unsaved people. The above texts will reveal that:
a. Paul was ready to preach in Rome;
b. Paul taught the brethren in Rome;
c. Timothy taught in the church at Ephesus;
d. Timothy taught the brethren;
e. Timothy was told to be a good minister;
f. Paul preached at Lord’s table. Can there be any sin in doing what Paul and Timothy did?
How Long Can A Preacher Stay?
Paul stayed at Ephesus for three years. “Wherefore watch ye, remembering that by the space of three years I ceased not to admonish every one night and day with tears” (Acts 20:31).
Paul stayed at Coiinth for eighteen months. “And he dwelt there a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them” (Acts 18:11). We may conclude that as long as one does the work of an evangelist, does not seek the authority of the pastors, then his stay is limited only by his ability and the need for his service as determined by the wisdom of the pastors of the church. In agreement with these conclusions, one of the leaders in the present day “anti-located preacher” field, writes from Dallas and says: “I plead for financial support not only for evangelists, but for elders, widows, and any needy saint. Surely preachers are to be supported. The act of “locating” does not constitute the pastor system, nor does the length of time a man stays. That he might “preach” (teach would be better) to a church would not constitute him a wrongdoer. He may work with the church, with or without elders, for a lifetime at full support and still not be guilty of the pastor system” (BIBLE TALK, page 61, Jan. issue). Shall We Pay the Evangelist?
“Even so did the Lord ordain that they that proclaim the gospel should live of the gospel” (1 Corinthians 9:14).
“For the scripture saith, Thou shalt not muzzle the ox when he treadeth out the corn. And, The laborer is worthy of his hire” ( 1 Timothy 5:18).
“But let him that is taught in the word communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things” (Galatians 6:6).
Even those who oppose what they term “the one man minister” system would agree that the evangelist should be paid and paid well. Perhaps we cannot determine how to pay those who may be in the employ of the “brother-hood,” whatever that is, but elders should and usually do decide this question in a satisfactory manner in their congregations.
What is it All About?
There are only two classes of officers in the New Testament Church. These are the elders and deacons. The evangelist is simply a preacher of the gospel, a minister of the word of God and a teacher of good things. Call him what he is. He is an “evangelist,” “a preacher,” yea, even a “minister,” but certainly not the only minister in the congregation and he may not be the only “evangelist.” Call him “the elders’ aid” and that would satisfy some. Call him anything you like, just so you call him and use him to preach the gospel of Christ. If he is located or dis-located, he is still a pro-claimer of the good news.
Indeed, as our good Bro. Channing of England has said, the abuse of the rule does not argue against the rule. There are some who occasionally use the language of “Ashdod.” They say: “I am looking for a Church”; or “I will take charge of the Church”; or “I have entered the ministry” and other such expressions that may not correctly express the Bible idea. Some ill-informed members are heard to say: “our pastor,” when speaking of the man who preaches for the congregation but this does not argue that the churches have gone blindly and madly into the “pastor system.”
It is not the pay of the preacher and it is not the stay that disturbs us. It is not even ignorance of the nature of the work that the evangelist must do. We are all acquainted with hi#s work and duties. What then is the problem? The elders need to over see the Church, the deacons need to serve in their place, and the evangelist needs to “preach the word,” whether located or otherwise. Let him “fulfill this ministry” and all will be well with him in the last great day.