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Giving Proper Due to the People in the Pew: A Biblical Defense of Lay-Ministry and Lay-Evangelism, Part 3

Posted by deangonzales on May 8, 2009

witnessing-pastor

According to the Yale church historian Kenneth Scott Latourette,

The chief agents in the expansion of Christianity appear not to have been those who made it a profession or a major part of their occupation, but men and women who earned their livelihood in some purely secular manner and spoke of their faith to those whom they met in this natural fashion.1

But such “lay-evangelism” has little Scriptural warrant in the minds of some Christian leaders today. I recently posted a question on the Puritan Board discussion website entitled “Do the Reformed Confessions Affirm the Duty of Evangelistic and Missionary Outreach?” A few of the respondents seemed irritated that I should even post such a question. (After all, didn’t the 17th century confessions get it all right!) Most were courteous but expressed satisfaction with the simple references to “the ministry of the word,” which mainly had to do with the clergy’s preaching and teaching responsibility. One Reformed pastor summed up the prevailing opinion well when he wrote

I believe most of us are all settled on the role of the preacher in declaring the gospel. I doubt many on the PB will argue against missionaries proclaiming the gospel. But how about the individual pew sitter? Is there a biblical mandate for them to witness or share the gospel? Is one needed? If I am honest to scripture, I have to admit that I cannot find one inference that commands individuals to preach the gospel.2

Similarly, R. Scott Clark, Professor of Church History and Historical Theology at Westminster Seminary in California, asserts, “There’s not a lot of evidence in the NT that unordained Christians did much ‘evangelism.’ This is the Achilles’ Heel of modern, populist, democratic, egalitarian evangelicalism.”3 Such thinking has even found support among some NT scholars. W. Paul Bowers, whose doctoral dissertation submitted to Cambridge University dealt with Paul’s view of his apostolic mission, offers the following assessment of the NT data vis-à-vis lay-evangelism:

The most the evidence indicates is that these churches were to facilitate accessions to their community by an attractive behaviour and by a responsiveness to inquiries. But an energetic, aggressive, mobile missionary outreach of the sort prosecuted by Paul himself is not described, expected, or enjoined for his churches.4

John P. Dickson agrees and avers, “The proclamation of the gospel never appears as even a minor duty of Paul’s converts.”5 If what these men allege is true, it would appear that countless laypeople through the centuries either have gone “beyond the call of duty” or have assumed a prerogative that does not belong to them. If the latter, then we may at least rejoice that God overruled their “evil” for good.

Defining Terms

We beg to differ from this idea that the NT says nothing about lay-evangelism. Before attempting a biblical defense of lay-evangelism, though, we’ll need to define our terms. A definition of such terminology as “layman,” “laypeople,” and “laity” was provided in Part 2 of our study. There we noted that the terminology “is commonly used to distinguish the non-clergy, i.e., the ‘ordinary’ church member, from the clergy, i.e., the bishop, pastor, or elder.” We also cautioned against viewing the laity and the clergy as two juxtaposed entities within the church. All believers are called to be followers of Jesus Christ and active members in his church. From this larger group of disciples, those endowed with extraordinary gifts of utterance and administrative capacity and who exhibit mature Christian character are qualified to serve the more specialized task of the public teaching and managing of the flock, as well as evangelizing the lost. But, as we’ll argue below, the activity of “evangelism” in its general sense is not the exclusive province of the clergy.

The Greek verb euangelizomai (“to evangelize”) simply means, “to communicate good news concerning something.” The noun euangelion (“gospel”) similarly denotes “good news,” that is, the content of the communication.6 In the Hellenistic and OT usage, the terminology could refer to the good news of some personal blessing experienced (Ps. 40:9; Jer. 20:15) but was more frequently employed to depict the announcement of some political or military victory (1 Sam. 31:9; 2 Sam. 4:10; 18:19-20, 26, 31; 1 Kings 1:42; 2 Chron. 10:9;). The OT writers also employed the verb to describe those who celebrate the good news of Yahweh’s past deliverances or announce His future victories (Ps. 68:11; Isa. 40:9; 60:6; 61:1; Nah. 2:1). Most notable, perhaps, is the usage of euangelizomai in the Septuagint translation of Isaiah 52:7 to portend God’s coming salvation:

How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him
Who brings good news (euangelizomenou),
Who publishes peace,
Who brings good news (euangelizomenos) of happiness,
Who publishes salvation,
Who says to Zion, “Your God reigns.”

Not surprisingly, the NT writers employ this terminology for the preaching of the good news of God’s climactic work of redemption through the person and work of Jesus Christ. Early in the synoptic Gospels, we read of Jesus “proclaiming the gospel” (Matt. 4:23; Mark 1:14; Luke 4:43; 8:1; 9:6). Sometimes the concept of “preaching the gospel” is conveyed by the verb alone (Matt. 11:5; Luke 1:19; 2:10; 3:18; 4:18; 7:22; 9:6; 16:16; 20:1). In other cases, the noun “gospel” is preceded by a verb of communication (Matt. 4:23; 9:35; 24:14; 26:13; Mark 1:14; 13:10; 14:9). In other cases, the noun is used to focus the reader’s attention on the message itself (Mark 1:1, 15; 8:35; 10:29). The gospel message and its announcement feature prominently in the Book of Acts (5:42; 8:4, 12, 25, 35, 40; 10:36; 11:20; 13:32; 14:7, 15, 21; 15:7, 35; 16:10; 17:18; 20:24) and most frequently in the Pauline writings.7 In his first epistle, Peter uses the noun once (4:17) and the verb thrice (1:12, 25; 4:6). The author of Hebrews employs the verb twice (4:2, 6). Neither noun nor verb appears in the epistles of James or Jude. Though the verb appears twice and the noun once in the Revelation (10:7; 14:6), the apostle John never uses the terminology in either his Gospel or his three epistles. This “evangelism” lacuna in John’s Gospel is intriguing. “It would be a mistake, however,” Ulrich Becker appropriately cautions, “to assume that because certain NT writings do not use the vb. or the noun, the thought expressed by them is therefore completely lacking.”8 Indeed, John’s preferred terminology for communicating the good news about the person and work of Christ appears to be the Greek verb martureo, meaning “to bear witness.”9 And a careful reading of the NT corpora uncovers a variety of communication-verbs used to depict the work of evangelism,10 a point sometimes overlooked when assessing the question of whether laypeople may evangelize.

What then is meant by “lay-evangelism”? Lay-evangelism is the communication of the good news about the person and work of Jesus Christ by non-ordained Christians. Although the primary focus of such communication is the objective redemptive work Jesus accomplished in his incarnation, atoning-death, and resurrection and will consummate at his Second Coming, the communicator’s own subjective experience of this redemptive work is an aspect of the overall message. For example, Paul’s epistle to the Romans is, in large part, a communication of the gospel (1:15-16). Though Paul devotes much space to the objective basis on which the believer’s hope rests, he also highlights the subjective experience of the good news that both he and many of his readers had come to enjoy: “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Rom. 5:1). Moreover, the NT also includes the believer’s deeds or lifestyle as an important part of his message (Matt. 5:13-16; 1 Cor. 9:19-22; Phil. 2:14-15; 1 Tim. 2:9-10; Tit. 2:9-10; 1 Pet. 3:1-2). Nevertheless, we will focus our attention in this study on the act of communicating the gospel.

Some NT Passages Supporting Lay-evangelism

The NT evidence for lay-evangelism is not as sparse as some scholars have suggested. Due to space constraints, however, we’ll have to limit our survey to just a few texts. For those looking for a more detailed and exhaustive analysis of the NT data related to this issue, other helpful studies are available.11

Acts 6:7; 8:1-4; 11:19-21

Without question, the Book of Acts places the spotlight on the apostolic preaching of the gospel. Nevertheless, there are some scattered references to the participation of non-clergy in spreading the good news of the kingdom. In Acts 6:7, for example, we read, “And the word of God continued to increase, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith.” While the preceding reference to the apostles devoting themselves “to the ministry of the word and prayer” (6:4) might incline the reader to accord all credit for the gospel’s spread to the apostles’ preaching, the subsequent context urges otherwise. There we encounter Stephen, one of the seven men who’d been ordained to wait on tables, preaching the gospel (6:8-10; 7:2-53). In his sermon on the spread of the word and Stephen’s evangelism as highlighted in Acts 6:7-9, John Calvin remarks,

Therefore, in keeping with the teaching Luke gives here, let us learn that we constitute a true church of God when we try our best to increase the number of believers. And then each one of us, where we are, will apply all our effort to instructing our neighbours and leading them to the knowledge of God, as much by our words as by our showing them good examples and good behaviour. That is also why holy Scripture exhorts us so often to win to God those who remain alienated from his church, for we see unbelievers as poor lost sheep.  Our Lord has not given us insight into his truth for our advantage alone, but for sharing it with others. Because we see them as madmen casting themselves into hell, we must, to the extent we can, prevent them from doing so and procure their salvation. That, I tell you, is the zeal all Christians must have if they are not to limit themselves just to the public worship of God (emphasis added).12

Stephen’s bold witness for Christ provoked the Jews’ animosity, and he became a martyr (”witness”) in the fullest sense of that word (8:54-60). The ensuing persecution that followed resulted in the dis­persion of the disciples in Jerusalem, both men and women, excepting the apostles (8:1-3). The outcome of the dispersion is underscored in 8:4: “Therefore those who were scattered went everywhere preaching the word.” The term translated “preaching” is the participle of euangelizomai. A parallel text is found in Acts 11:19-21.13

Perhaps in an effort to restrict this evangelistic activity to “ordained men,” John Gill identifies those scattered and preaching as “the seventy disciples and other ministers of the word.”14 We are inclined, however, to agree with J. A. Alexander’s interpretation:

The inspired writer, having paused to tell us what became of Stephen and Saul, now resumes his narrative of the dispersion, not by repeating what he said in v. 1, but by advancing a step further. As he there said that all (except the twelve) were scattered, he now says that all who were thus scattered preached the word. Some would infer from this, that none but preachers were expelled; but it is far more natural to understand the verse as referring, not to preaching in the technical or formal sense, but to that joyful and spontaneous diffusion of the truth, which is permitted and required of all believers, whether lay or clerical, ordained or unor­dained (emphasis added).15

The subsequent context supports Alexander’s reading. For once again, Luke provides us with a sample of the kind of evangelism he has in view in the example of Philip. Like Stephen, Philip was ordained to serve tables (Acts 6:1-3, 5-6) in contrast with an official appointment to “the ministry of the word” (6:4). Nevertheless, Acts 8:5 tells us that Philip went to Samaria and “proclaimed to them the Christ [ekerussen autois ton Christon],” resulting in many conversions (8:6-8). He was later prompted by the Spirit to go to Gaza where he was used by God to lead an Ethiopian eunuch to embrace the gospel with saving faith (8:26-40). In these contexts, Philip’s activity is depicted three times with the Greek verb “to evangelize” (8:12, 35, 40). It was probably in light of Philip’s gifts and success in communicating the gospel that he was later promoted to the more official function of an “evangelist [euangelistes]” (Acts 21:8).

So while Acts places the spotlight on the apostolic preaching of the gospel, it does not support the argument that the task of evangelism is confined to the clergy. To be sure, even when alluding to non-clerical examples of evangelism greater attention is given to those (Stephen and Philip) whose deeds were most notable. But these exceptionally gifted men were only samples of a more widespread activity on the part of ordinary disciples to proclaim the good news about Jesus Christ. Dennis Johnson captures well the significance of the evangelistic dispersion when he remarks,

As the Lord in Isaiah summoned the people to be his witnesses, so now all believers, empow­ered by the Spirit, can speak the word of God boldly (Acts 4:31). In fact, the first step in the gospel’s spread to the earth’s ends are taken not by apostles, but by other Christians, who are scattered by persecution as the apostles remain in Jerusalem (8:1)” (emphasis added).16

To the interpretation of Alexander and Johnson, we could add the voices of other commentators.17 Bottom line: “scattered disciples,” of which Stephen and Philip were a part, proclaimed the gospel (euangelizomai) though they were neither apostles nor ordained to the office of pastor or teacher.

I Corinthians 4:16; 11:1

In Paul’s first letter to the church in Corinth, we find two of the apostle’s famous “imitation” texts. “I urge you, then,” he says in 4:16, “be imitators of me.” Again, in 11:1, he writes, “Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.” Read in isolation these injunctions are somewhat ambiguous. Imitate Paul in what? The context, of course, must decide the answer to that question.

The first passage is nestled in a context where Paul contrasts his humility and faithfulness, under the constant pressure of the world’s rejection and persecution, with the “Christian” triumphalism (akin to the “health, wealth and prosperity gospel” of our day) to which some in the Corinthian church were falling prey (4:8-13). “I do not write these things to make you ashamed,” says Paul, “but to admonish you as my beloved children” (4:16). Then Paul highlights his unique position among the others who served as “guides” for the Corinthian church—it was Paul who planted the church in Corinth and who is, therefore, their “father in Christ Jesus through the gospel” (4:17). So as their “guide” par excellence, Paul entreats them, “be imitators of me” (4:18) and explains this as the purpose for Timothy’s visit: “That is why I sent you Timothy … to remind you of my ways in Christ, as I teach them everywhere in every church” (4:19).

What precisely, then, are Paul’s “ways,” which he expects the Corinthians to “imitate”? A cursory reading of the passage might lead to the conclusion that Paul is simply enjoining a humble, self-sacrificing lifestyle that perseveres in the face of difficulty and persecution. But one must probe a little deeper and inquire what it was about Paul’s life that occasioned the hardship and persecution? It was not merely a moral lifestyle. They had become “fools for Christ’s sake,” and “the scum of the world,” on account of their public attachment to and communication of the gospel. Robert Plummer grasps the implication for the Corinthians:

If the Corinthians are to imitate Paul by enduring suffering, mocking and persecution, it is not “suffering for suffering’s sake.” For the Corinthians, as for the apostles, their open adherence to and proclamation of the “foolishness of the cross” will result in the world’s disapproval and opposition.18

The import of 11:1 is much the same. Since the verse occurs at the beginning of a chapter in our English Bibles we might be tempted to look in the subsequent context to uncover its intended import. However, the paragraph breaks in most modern versions of the Bible rightly place 11:1 at the end of an extended section in which Paul addresses the question of things indifferent and the need for those with a strong (or informed) conscience to accommodate their behavior in order not to offend those with a weak conscience (chs. 8-10). Throughout, Paul sets himself forth as the paradigm of such accommodation (8:13; 9:1-27; 10:33). Once again, a cursory reading might lead to the conclusion that Paul is simply enjoining such attitudes as unselfishness, deference, and love for one’s neighbor. But as in the text above, so here, the Pauline lifestyle that the Corinthians are to imitate is not an end in itself but a means to a end. At two points in particular, Paul brings this end into sharp focus:

For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them. To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the law (though not being myself under the law) that I might win those under the law. To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (not being outside the law of God but under the law of Christ) that I might win those outside the law. To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some (1 Cor. 9:19-22).

According to this text, Paul accommodates his lifestyle (not his message) to his audience in order to “win” (kerdaino; vv. 19, 20 [2x], 21, 22) or to “save” (sodzo; v. 22) some. It’s important to note that Paul does not speak explicitly of “proclaiming the gospel.” But since men are won to Christ through the communication of gospel truth, we are right to view that activity as assumed in the context. In other words, Paul wasn’t just winning or saving people by accommodating to their conscience. He was accommodating to their conscience so that his communication of the gospel might bear more fruit. Paul concludes the section on a similar note:

So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. Give no offense to Jews or to Greeks or to the church of God, just as I try to please everyone in everything I do, not seeking my own advantage, but that of many, that they may be saved (1 Cor. 10:31-33).

The point is not merely that the Corinthians are to live in a way that doesn’t cause others to stumble and perish. The point is, rather, that the Corinthians are to imitate Paul who employed an unselfish, deferring lifestyle as a means to a greater end—namely, that they, whether “Jews … Greeks … or the church of God,” i.e., those outside the church and those inside the church, “may be saved.” And, as in the case above, their salvation would not result from the mere observance of Paul’s lifestyle. Rather, their salvation would result from Paul’s proclamation of the gospel that was also accompanied by a “serving others” disposition, which is what the gospel is all about!

It is with this end in view that Paul concludes the section, “Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ” (11:1). Indeed, “the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Matt. 20:28; 10:45). Similarly, Paul’s mission was redemptive—not that Paul himself provided atonement for sinners, but he pointed men to that atoning sacrifice. He preached “the cross,” as the Corinthians well knew (1 Cor. 1:17; cf. 2:1, 4, 13; 4:15; 15:1-2; 2 Cor. 10:14; 11:4, 7). Hence, the Corinthians were to adopt the essential mission of Christ and of Paul. Obviously, there were dimensions of both Christ’s mission as the Redeemer and also Paul’s mission as an apostle that the Corinthian believers could not imitate. But a zeal for the salvation of the lost and a gospel conversation both by life and by lip was within their province as Christ’s disciples. Accordingly, they were to refrain from any personal liberty and accommodate themselves to the cultural milieu of their audience so that the gospel, which they were expected to communicate according to each one’s ability and opportunities, would run unfettered and bring many to Christ.

Ephesians 6:15, 17

On the heels of Peter’s confession of Jesus as “the Christ, the Son of the living God,” Jesus responds with his famous programmatic statement: “And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” The reader should not miss Jesus’ mixed metaphor—the church is both like a building project and also like a military operation. One should also note that neither metaphor conveys the idea of a passive or defensive posture. On the contrary, both metaphors denote the ideas of growth, progress, forward movement, completion, and victory.

It seems likely that Paul had Jesus’ dual metaphor in mind when he wrote his letter to the Ephesians. The letter focuses largely on Christ’s church in this present evil age, and it employs both the building as well as the military metaphor throughout. In chapter 1 Paul informs his readers that God

raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.

This Christus Victor theme Paul repeats in chapter 4:8-10. After explaining that “grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift” (4:7), Paul then informs the church that these gifts are the spoils of Christ’s military victory over the kingdom of darkness, which he accomplished through his incarnation, death, resurrection, and ascension (4:8-10). Paul then describes how these grace-gifts are distributed among the members of the church: “And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ” (4:11-12).

So the special “clerical” gifts are bestowed on the church for the purpose of fitting or equipping “the saints,” a reference to all true disciples (clerical and non-clerical) so that all disciples might engage in ministry to the end that Christ’s body, the church, might be completely built.19 Note the shift to building metaphor. This building metaphor is continued in verses 15-16:

Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.

So every member of the church has received grace (4:7) to engage in works of ministry that have as their end the edification of Christ’s body, the church.

After detailed practical instruction intended to enable the saints to fulfill their calling, Paul returns to the military metaphor in 6:10-17. Here, the apostle begins with a general exhortation, urging the saints to “be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might” and to “put on the whole armor of God, that [they] may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil” and all his demonic forces (4:10-13). This is followed by a list of “spiritual armory” with which each believer is to be equipped in order to fight the good fight of faith (4:14-17).

In interpreting this text, one should recall Ephesians 4:7-16 as well as Matthew 16:18. Hence, the “equipage of the saints for the service of ministry” in Ephesians 4:12 is here described in terms of fitting each believer with “spiritual armor.” Moreover, in keeping with the ideas of growth and advance in both Ephesians 4:7-16 and Matthew 16:18, Paul’s exhortation to “be strong” and “to stand,” should not be interpreted as the believer or church merely holding its ground. Commentators who tend to highlight the nature of the armor described in verses 14-17 sometimes miss this. They tend to describe the battle Paul envisions as defensive rather than offensive. But such an approach betrays poor exegesis and misses the bigger picture. The picture is that of soldiers prepared to do battle against the forces of evil with victory as their goal, not mere survival. The exhortation to “be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might” (4:10) is intended to stir up the kind of courage necessary for a forward advance. Indeed, the terminology “stand against [stenai pros]” (4:11), “wrestle against [he pale pros]” (4:12), and “withstand [antistenai]” (4:13) are offensive, not merely defensive expressions. Remembering the words of Jesus in Matthew 16:18, we are to see the church being called to storm “the gates of hell.”

With these preliminary observations in view, we’re ready to focus our attention of verses 15 and 17, in which many commentators see an allusion to the communication of the gospel. Verse 15 literally reads, “And having your feet fitted in readiness of the gospel of peace” (author’s translation). The relationship between the noun translated “readiness” (hetoimasia) and the genitive “of the gospel” is our crux interpretum. Some interpret “of the gospel” as a genitive of source, i.e., the readiness that comes from the gospel (see NIV, NET, ESV). Others, however, interpret “of the gospel” as an objective genitive. So the NRSV reads, “As shoes for your feet put on whatever will make you ready to proclaim the gospel of peace” (see also NAB, TEV, NJB). This reading fits well with two OT texts Paul may have had in mind, Isaiah 52:7 and Nahum 1:15:

How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who publishes peace, who brings good news of happiness, who publishes salvation, who says to Zion, “Your God reigns” (Isa. 52:7).

Behold, upon the mountains, the feet of him who brings good news, who publishes peace! Keep your feasts, O Judah; fulfill your vows, for never again shall the worthless pass through you; he is utterly cut off (Nah. 1:15).

If Paul had these passages in view, both of which speak of “feet” (pous, LXX), “proclaiming the gospel” (euangelizomai, LXX) and “peace” (eirene, LXX), when composing Ephesians 6:15, then he’s portraying the layperson as a fellow-worker with him in spreading those glad tidings that set the prisoner free.20 The Christian’s ministry would resemble that of his Master who, according to Paul in 2:17, “Came and preached peace to [the Ephesians] who were far off and peace to [the Jewish people] who were near.”  Accordingly, the “gospel,” says John Stott commenting on Ephesians 6:15, “is God’s power to rescue people from [the devil’s] tyranny.”21 “There is not only the firmness of a defensive stance,” says Harry Uprichard, “but the alertness and mobility of an offensive action. This is the Christian soldier’s ‘mission statement.’”22 And what a mission! “It is a striking paradox,” notes G. B. Caird, “that the soldier should be equipped for battle with a declaration of peace.”23

The evangelistic interpretation of verse 15 gains further support when one notes the last piece of the Christian soldier’s panoply in verse 17b. There, Paul enjoins believers to “take … the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” The likelihood that Paul drew nearly all his armory language from Isaiah’s prophecy makes it probable that the reader should interpret this piece of armory, as that in verse 15, evangelistically. In other words, “the sword [machaira] of the Spirit, which is the word of God” should be read against the backdrop of Isaiah 49:1-6. There, Yahweh commissions his Servant whose “mouth [is fashioned] like a sharp sword [machaira]” (49:2) to be a “light for the nations that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth” (49:6). As the members of Christ’s body proclaim the gospel, the Servant wields through them the “sharp word” that vanquishes the enemy and sets the captives free. So we agree with Clinton Arnold when he writes, “The Word of God and the work of the Spirit are the means by which the people of God step out in defiance of Satan and rob his domain.”24 This evangelistic interpretation is further confirmed in the three following verses where Paul enjoins the believers to enter the battle in a posture of prayer, seeking God’s grace for their success and Paul’s (6:18-20). And how does Paul describe his engagement with the enemy?

[Pray] also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak (emphasis added).

We conclude, then, that Paul expected the Ephesians to join him in that grand building project and military enterprise whose Master Builder and Field Marshall was none other than Jesus Christ. They were not all called to be apostles or pastors or teachers, but they were all called to share the good news as lay-evangelists. Accordingly, the ordained man is responsible not only for setting an example of evangelistic engagement (2 Tim. 4:5), but he is also responsible for equipping the saints through the ministry of the word with the spiritual armor requisite for their own missional role in extending Christ’s kingdom (Eph. 4:12; 6:13-17).25

Philippians 1:12-18; 2:15-16

Paul wrote the letter to the Philippians, like Ephesians, while he was incarcerated. The Philippians, like the Ephesians, may have been tempted to “lose heart” in light of Paul’s sufferings (see Eph. 3:13). So Paul seeks to encourage the Philippians with the knowledge that God has used Paul’s imprisonment for the advance of the gospel:

I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel, so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ. And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the word without fear (1:12-14).

Of special note for our purposes is Paul’s reference to “most of the brothers” being emboldened “to speak the word without fear” (1:14). The Greek term adelphoi, translated “brothers,” is a term that refers to Christians in general. The fact Paul had just addressed the congregation in Philippi as adelphoi (1:12) makes it unlikely that he has clergy exclusively in view in verse 14. Indeed, it’s even possible that the second use of adelphoi may be gender inclusive, as is the first. Hence, Paul is probably referring to evangelistic efforts carried on both by laymen and laywomen.26

How does Paul feel about this lay-evangelism? He is concerned that some are operating with the wrong motives, seeking to compete with Paul (1:15-17). No matter, though. Paul is more concerned that the gospel be preached whether out of rivalry or sincerity. “What then?” he writes. “Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice. Yes, and I will rejoice” (1:18). So this passage portrays laypeople as “advancing the gospel” (eis prokopen tou euangeliou, 1:12), “speaking the word” (ton logon lalein, 1:14), “preaching Christ (Christon kerussousin, 1:15), and “proclaiming Christ” (Christon katangellousin, 1:17). Far from objecting to lay-evangelism Paul celebrates it and, by implication, commends the same to the Philippians.

Indeed, Paul not only views the Philippians as partners in the gospel (1:4), which is likely more than a mere reference to their prayers and financial support, but he exhorts them to live in a way “worthy of the gospel” (1:27). Their whole life was to function as an advertisement for the good news about Jesus Christ. The apostle reiterates this theme in chapter 2 when he exhorts them,

Do all things without grumbling or questioning, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain (2:14-16).

The point of interest for us is whether Paul is portraying the Philippians’ gospel witness before a lost world as purely passive. Those who argue for a “passive” witness, i.e., godly lifestyle without a communication of gospel truth, base their case largely on the meaning of the Greek verb epecho, which is translated by many versions (NAS, NKJ, NLT, NET, ESV, CSB) and interpreted by many commentators as “hold fast.”27 The problem is that the only four other occurrences of this verb in the NT are intransitive (Luke 14:7; Acts 3:5; 19:22; 1 Tim. 4:16). In this passage, however, the verb is used transitively with “the word of life” as the object. Consequently, some translations (KJV, DRA, ASV, NIV, NJB) and commentators favor the idea of “holding forth the word of life.” After conducting a thorough survey on the usage of the verb in extra-biblical literature, James Ware concludes, “It can be stated categorically that the verb [epecho] does not bear the sense hold fast in any ancient passage, and the etymology and usage of the word … preclude such a meaning.”28 If Ware and others who support the idea of “holding forth the word” are correct, then Paul is calling on the Philippian believers to imitate him and the other emboldened “brothers” (1:12-18) in functioning as heavenly luminaries (2:15b) not only by means of living the gospel but also by means of proclaiming the gospel (2:16a). John Calvin nicely captures his sense when he writes,

The reason why they ought to be luminaries is that they carry the Word of life, by which they are enlightened, that they might give light also to others…. We are candlesticks, the Gospel is the candle, which, being placed in us gives light on all sides…. But the manner of carrying it, of which Paul speaks, is that He has entrusted His doctrine to us on condition, not that we should keep its light suppressed and inactive, but that we should hold it forth to others. The sum is this: That all that are enlightened with heavenly doctrine carry about with them a light, which detects and discovers their sins if they do not walk in holiness and purity; but that this light has been kindled not only that they may themselves be guided in the right way, but that they may also show it to others (emphasis added).29

We conclude, then, that the Philippians’ partnership with Paul in the gospel was to include more than prayer and financial support. Paul wanted them to imitate him, not in assuming his precise role as an apostle, but in assuming the role of all Christian disciples, that of shining forth the light of the gospel both in their conduct and also in their communication.

Colossians 4:5-6

Like the letters to the Ephesians and the Philippians, the letter to the Colossians was written while Paul was in prison. And as in the case of other believers, Paul expected the Colossians not only to pray for his evangelistic endeavors but also to follow his example. So, after imploring their prayers for his evangelistic efforts (4:3-4), he directs to them the following enjoinder:

Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.

Literally, verse 5 reads, “With wisdom walk before outsiders, buying the time.” Obviously, Paul is concerned about the way believers conduct themselves before unbelievers. The means or method he prescribes, however, seems at first glace obscure. What does it mean to “buy the time”? The translation “redeeming the time,” found in some older translations (KJV, DRA, ASV), can be misleading. That conveys the idea of reclaiming time lost (presumably from the devil?). The Greek verb (exagoradzo), however, need not denote “buy back” in this context but simply “buy” or “acquire.” Accordingly, some commentators and translations interpret the phrase as an idiom meaning something like, “making the best use of the time” (ESV, CSB). Being a good steward of one’s use of time is the means (or manner) by which the believer behaves wisely among unbelievers would be the combined idea.

But this reading is highly unlikely in light of Paul’s subsequent exhortation that refers to the believer’s verbal communication with the non-believer. It seems preferable, then, to interpret the Greek kairos not as “time” but as “opportunity” (see 2 Cor. 6:2). This is the way a number of English translations (NAS, NAB, NIV, NLT, NET) and Bible commentators interpret the term. So believers are enjoined not merely to be good stewards of time but to “buy up the opportunity.”

Opportunities for what? Here is where verse 6 comes into play: “Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.” The “opportunity” Paul has in view is related to the Colossians’ interaction with “outsiders.” Note carefully that it is not merely a “passive” or non-verbal interaction Paul envisions. The Colossians should be alert not merely for opportunities to play the “Good Samaritan.” More than that, they are to interact with unbelievers via “speech [logos],” i.e., verbal communication. There speech should be both gracious and salty, that is, they must communicate in a way that manifests humility and goodwill on the one hand as well as boldness and honesty on the other.30

The reader should not miss the parallel of thought between Paul’s portrayal of his mission (4:3-4) and Paul’s portrayal of the Colossians’ mission (4:5-6). In both cases, their mission entails interaction with unbelievers. In both cases, the believing parties are to pray for “open doors” (4:3) and be on the lookout for “opportunities” (4:5). And in both cases, the interaction involves more than “passive witness.” The Colossians’ duty to “answer each person” with “speech” that is both gracious and truthful (4:6) is essentially equivalent to Paul’s responsibility to “declare the mystery of Christ,” making it “clear, which is how [he] ought to speak” (4:3-4). Here, we have Ephesians 6:15-20 in the reverse. There, Paul exhorts the church to be prepared for evangelistic activity and then asks them to pray for his evangelistic efforts. Here, Paul solicits their prayers for his evangelistic outreach and then encourages the believers to remain alert for gospel opportunities.

1 Thessalonians 1:8

In this first letter to the congregation in Thessalonica, Paul praises the newly planted church because “from [them] the word of the Lord has sounded forth not only in Macedonia and Achaia but in every place.” Indeed, the apostle boasts, “Your faith toward God has gone out, so that we do not need to say anything” (1:8). The Greek verb translated “sounded forth,” execheo, is only used here in the NT. In the LXX, it’s used for the clamorous noise of a crowd of people (Joel 4:14 [Eng. 3:14]). The apocryphal book Sirach employs it to denote the reverberating sound of a thunderclap (40:13). With a touch of metaphor, then, Paul is saying, “The proclamation from Thessalonica was set at high volume and went out with great force over a large area.”31 In addition to proclaiming the objective truths of the gospel, the Thessalonians had also shared their subjective experience, that is, their “faith in God” (cf. 1:9-10). “Having received the gospel,” notes F. F. Bruce, “the Thessalonian Christians had no thought of keeping it to themselves; by word and life they made it known to others. From the beginning they functioned as a missionary church.”32

Despite the apparent evangelistic thrust of this text, some scholars attempt to reduce the “noise” from Thessalonica to a merely passive witness. According to W. P. Bowers, “the word of the Lord ringing out” refers simply to news of the Thessalonians’ conversion and godly lifestyle, which was edifying other believers.33 But the following considerations make this view untenable: first, the phrase “the word of the Lord” consistently refers to the objective truths of the gospel not to one’s personal testimony (Acts 8:25; 13:44, 48, 49; 15:35; 16:32; 19:10, 20). Indeed, Paul uses the phrase in his second letter to the Thessalonians when he asks them to pray for his own evangelistic labors: “Finally, brothers, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may speed ahead and be honored, as happened among you” (2 Thes. 3:1). Second, a godly lifestyle has no meaning apart from a proposi­tional interpretation of that lifestyle. In other words, the mere fact that the Thessalonians stopped worshipping idols and turned to the living God could only have Christian significance if a “gospel explanation” accompanied that change. Third, as a result of the Thessalonians “noising the word abroad,” Paul could only say, “We need not say anything.” While Paul may be employing some hyperbole here, he does seem to imply that it was not merely the message of changed lives that went abroad but that of the gospel itself. Finally, preceding and following this verse, Paul commends the Thessalonians for becoming imitators not only of him and his missionary band (1:6) but also of the churches in Judea (2:14) in their willingness to endure rejection and suffering. But as Jo-Ann Grant rightly observes, “The equation of ‘imitation’ and suffering affliction ignores the fact that the Thessalonians were engaged in some activity that incurred the opposition of others.” What was that activity for which the missionaries and Judean churches suffered? It was not merely the assumption of a Christian lifestyle. Paul clearly alludes to it in 1 Thessalonians 2:14b-16a:

For you suffered the same things from your own countrymen as they [the Judean churches] did from the Jews, who killed both the Lord Jesus and the prophets, and drove us out, and displease God and oppose all mankind by hindering us from speaking to the Gentiles that they might be saved (emphasis added).

In conclusion, we believe Paul commends these believers not only for their godly conduct but also for their evangelistic zeal. In the words of one commentator, “The evangelized become the evangelists.”34

Hebrews 5:12-14

One of the main burdens of the author of Hebrews is to demonstrate how the New Covenant realities of Christ and the gospel fulfill the shadows of the Old Covenant. At one point, as he’s presenting Christ as the Great High Priest to whom all OT priests were but types, he pauses to admonish his audience for failing to grasp these gospel realities as they should have by now:

For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of God’s revelation. You need milk, not solid food, for eve­ryone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil [emphasis added] (Heb. 5:12-14).

The implication of this text seems to be that individual believers ought to strive for doctrinal and practical maturity not only for their own personal sanctification but also that they might communicate accurately the gospel for the benefit of others. There’s no indication in the immediate or larger context that the writer has narrowed his focus to ministerial aspirants or seminary students, as we might call them today. “He does not mean by this that they should all be ordained ministers,” says Richard Phillips, “but that they ought to be able to instruct others in the faith.”35 So he’s clearly referring to laypeople, and he’s referring to their need to grow in competence to instruct others in the gospel.

Someone might object that not all laypeople are not sufficiently gifted or mature to instruct others in the faith. We, of course, grant that some are more gifted than others with the ability to preach and teach the gospel in a public setting on a regular basis. Hence, not all God’s people are called to be pastors who labor in word and doctrine (Eph. 4:11; 1 Tim. 5:17). But the author of Hebrews seems to have higher expectations for his audience than many modern Reformed leaders seem to have for their congregations! Certainly, there are many Aquilas (laymen) and Priscillas (laywomen) who can be sufficiently equipped to expound “the way of God more accurately” even to Apolloses (clergy) who are otherwise “competent in the Scriptures” (Acts 18:24-26).

1 Peter 2:9; 3:15

According to 1 Peter 2:9, God has granted the church privileged status in order that she might carry out a particular function:

But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own spe­cial people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.

The function is to “proclaim” the praises (or excellen­cies) of our Redeemer. The Greek verb translated “you may proclaim” is exangello. The basic meaning is to report, announce, or declare. According to John Brown, “Christians, as the called of God, are intended to show forth the excellencies of God, both passively and actively.”36 John Calvin agrees and writes, “It behooves us to declare these excellencies not only by tongue, but also by our whole life.”37 The fact that Peter, in the larger context, addresses the church both in corporate (e.g., “a spiritual house”) and also in individual language (e.g., “living stones”) would seem to suggest that the privileged responsibility has both a corporate and individual dimension.

Some may confine the verbal proclamation to the setting of corporate worship. Even if Peter’s purview were that narrow, an evangelistic element would not be precluded (compare 1 Cor. 14:23-25). Nevertheless, the church’s calling in this world is certainly not limited to corporate worship on Sunday. It’s also possible that the verb Peter uses here connotes the idea of proclaiming abroad. D. Edmond Hiebert thinks so and sees “a message being proclaimed to those outside what has taken place within. It indicates,” argues Hiebert, “the evan­gelistic function of the church.”38 Noting allusions to various OT passages, Thomas Schreiner agrees and remarks,

Peter again probably alluded to Isa 43:21, for there we are told that God formed Israel for himself so that ‘they would recount my praises…. The declaration of the church includes both worship and evangelism, spreading the good news of God’s saving wonders to all peoples. They proclaim God’s praises for calling them ‘out of darkness into his wonderful light.’ This is a description of their conversion and employs the language of Genesis 1, where God utters the word and light becomes a reality (Gen. 1:3-5), pushing back the darkness.39

If one doubts an “outside the church” application for 1 Peter 2:9, he’s forced to concede such an application in 1 Peter 3:15. There, the apostle Peter exhorts believers not only to live the gospel but also to speak the gospel:

But in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect.

The phrase “make a defense” translates the Greek word apologia. This is the term from which we derive the English word “apologetics.” But Peter’s not thinking primarily of a gen­eral apologetic for some kind of theistic worldview. They are to provide a reasoned defense “for hope that is in you,” which is a more specific ref­erence to their gospel hope. And lest one is tempted to interpret the passage with the sense “don’t speak unless first asked,” allow me to highlight two realities that preclude such a nonsensical reading. First, the fact an unbeliever would ask a believer to provide an apologetic for the latter’s gospel hope assumes that some gospel witness has already been communicated. Folks don’t just walk up out of the blue and say, “Why do you believe your sins are forgiven and you’re going to heaven?” unless they’ve heard through us or others about the gospel we believe. Second, this whole epistle is written to Christians who are being persecuted for their faith. It assumes that they are sharing the gospel and that, as a result, they, like the apostles and other gospel heralds, may find themselves arraigned before unfriendly audiences where they must defend their gospel hope. So, far from encouraging a non-initiative approach to evangelism, this text assumes Spirit-filled boldness and active witness on the part of the believer.

These are some passages in the NT that seem to me to give some warrant for laying a measure of evangelistic responsibility at the feet of the saints. Of course, I think it’s also vital that we make appropriate qualifications. Not everyone is called to serve Christ as an ordained pastor or missionary. Nor does every Christian have the same measure of opportunities. Nor does every child of God pos­sess the same level of doctrinal and practical maturity to effectively and accurately communicate the gospel. So the weight of responsibility upon each individual Christian will differ. Nevertheless, it does not appear wide the mark to conclude that the Scriptures give warrant for us in our confessions to affirm not only the church’s respon­sibility to preach the gospel in the context of corporate worship and to commission church planters and missionaries to take the gospel to the nations but also the individ­ual believer’s responsibility to be salt and light (by life and lip) in the midst of a lost and perishing world. Robert Plummer nicely summarizes this conclusion in his magisterial study on the layperson’s responsibility vis-à-vis evangelism:

If we understand the New Testament documents as presenting us with the normative pattern for the church, then the modern church must be a missionary church. The church must not only take on the mantle of the apostolic mission in a general or abstract way; she must carry out the apostolic mission in concrete tasks…. The apostolic mission devolves upon each church as a whole—not upon any particular member of group. Each individual member within the church, then, will manifest missionary activity according to his or her particular gifting and life situation. All but the unrepeatable aspects of the apostles’ mission (e.g., eyewitness testimony and initial promulgation of authoritative revelation) devolve upon the church as a whole (emphasis his).40

A Final Word About Words

Before bringing this essay to a close, I must add a word about what I perceive to be an irresponsible handling of terminology by those who would begrudge the laity of the privilege and task of evangelism. As noted in the introduction, Reformed theologian R. Scott Clark argues, “There’s not a lot of evidence in the NT that unordained Christians did much ‘evangelism.’” How then does someone like Clark wiggle around the NT evidence just presented? The answer lies, I believe, in Clark’s use of the term “evangelism,” which, you’ll note, he places in quotation marks in the citation above. I suspect that Clark, like some other Reformed folk I’ve heard or read, thinks “evangelism” is a technical term that belongs solely to the province of the clergy. Many think the same about the Greek vocabulary for “preaching.” Such terms as the verb kerusso and the noun kerugma refer exclusively, in the minds of some, to preaching a sermon from a pulpit. Consequently, Reformed theologians like Clark will with one hand deny “evangelism” to the laity but will with the other hand allow lay “witness.” “It’s probably better,” argues Clark, “to speak about lay witness to THE faith once for all delivered to the saints (Jude 3) as summarized in the Apostles’ Creed and explained by the Reformed churches in the confessions. God’s unordained people should also be able to give witness to THEIR (his or her) personal faith” (emphasis his).41 The same line of reasoning and preference for “witness” over “evangelism” was reiterated several times on the Puritan Board thread I referenced earlier.42

This line of reasoning is fallacious for the following reasons: first, as noted in the “Defining Terms” section above, a concept may be present thought the technical vocabulary be absent. Even if the technical terms for “evangelism” were not predicated of laity in the NT, that doesn’t necessarily mean that the laity never did what the terminology conveys or were forbidden from such. What in the world is wrong with a layperson “announcing the good news about Jesus Christ”?! Honestly, there’s not a universe of difference between that and “wielding the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Eph. 6:17), or “speaking boldly the word without fear” (Phil. 1:14), or “sounding forth the word” (1 Thes. 1:8), or “being prepared to make a defense for one’s gospel hope” (1 Pet. 3:15). Gimmie a break! Second, there are passages in which the terms for “evangelism” (euangelizomai, euangelion) are in all likelihood predicated of non-clergy (Acts 8:4; 11:20; Eph. 6:15; Phil. 1:12, 14). Third, the word “witness” hardly avoids the clerical overtones that Clark and other Reformed folks want to keep out of the reach of the laity. As noted above, the apostle John’s preferred verb for communicating the good news about the person and work of Christ was martureo, meaning “to bear witness.” Throughout John’s Gospel this term is employed to denote the official witness that the OT Scripture writers bore of Christ (5:39), that John the Baptist bore of Christ (1:15, 32, 34; 3:26; 5:33), that Jesus bore of himself and the truth (1:8; 3:11; 3:32; 4:44; 5:31, 36; 7:7; 8:13-14, 18; 10:25; 18:37), that the Father bore of Christ (5:32, 37; 8:18), that the Spirit would bear of Christ (15:26), and that Christ’s chosen apostles were to bear of him (1:34; 15:27; 19:35; 21:24). If there were ever a role that might be too lofty for laypeople, it would be “bearing witness”!43 Of course, the apostle John wasn’t so penurious with his vocabulary as some clericalists today. He was willing to describe a crowd of people flocking to Jesus on the basis of a Samaritan woman’s “testimony [marturouses]” (4:39). And John will use the Greek noun martus to designate those “martyrs,” whether clergy or laity, who seal their verbal testimony with their own blood (Rev. 17:6). Similarly, Mark could employ the Greek verb Paul used for “preaching” (kerusso) to describe, on the one hand, Jesus’ official proclamation of the gospel (Mark 1:14) and, on the other hand, the enthusiastic testimonies of a leper now healed, a demoniac now freed, and a deaf-dumb man now hearing and speaking (Mark 1:45; 5:20; 7:32). If the Scripture writers could use gospel vocabulary to predicate both clerical and non-clerical activity, why can’t we? Finally, Clark’s particular version of lay-witness smells a tad like the kind of sacerdotalism that led to great biblical illiteracy among the laity and, as a result, to the “Dark Ages.” The ordinary layperson may “witness to THE faith once for all delivered to the saints (Jude 3) as summarized in the Apostles’ Creed and explained by the Reformed churches in the confessions” (emphasis his). I find it strangely un-Protestant that a non-ordained Christian is allowed to regurgitate the church magisterium’s doctrine but not permitted to open his Bible and proclaim the gospel.44

In closing, I want to restate the purpose of this three-part essay. I am concerned about a tendency in some Reformed circles. This “tendency” is often expressed in an overemphasis on the importance of the ministry of the ordained man and an underemphasis on the importance of the ministry of the layman. Certain Reformed leaders and scholars seem inclined to define the life and ministry of a local church more narrowly in terms of what happens in the pulpit on Sundays rather than more broadly in terms of what happens in the pulpit, pew, and outside the church all seven days of the week. Healthy church life and ministry is construed mainly in terms of “the preached Word and sacraments” rather than holistically, in terms that give proper place to lay-ministry and lay-evangelism (see Part 1). While in no way denying the unique role of the pastoral office or the reality of varied levels of gift, I have attempted to show that the activities of ministry and evangelism are not the sole province of the ordained man. My hope is that Christian pastors and leaders will strive to equip their flock with the knowledge, skill, and motivation to serve the body and to share the gospel. My prayer is that the non-ordained saints will understand that their role extends beyond singing hymns, listening to sermons, and keeping out of trouble. Jesus may not have authorized them to serve the church as pastors. But he has authorized them to be more than “pew-potatoes.” They can serve and share the gospel in keeping with their level of gift and maturity. This is the proper due of the people in the pew.

Bob Gonzales, Dean
Reformed Baptist Seminary

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  1. A History of the Expansion of Christianity (Harper & Brothers, 1937), 1:116. Comments made by some of the early church fathers corroborate Latourette’s assessment. See Irenaeus, Against Heresies I, 10.2; Tertullian, Apology, 1.7; Origen, Against Celsus, 3.55. [↩]
  2. One of the comments made on a discussion thread dealing with the question, “Do the Reformed Confessions Affirm the Duty of Evangelistic and Missionary Outreach?” which can be found on the Puritan Board: http://www.puritanboard.com/f71/do-reformed-confessions-affirm-duty-evangelistic-missionary-outreach-37503/. For more examples, see also the discussion under the thread, “The Pastor Only Should Evangelize”: http://www.puritanboard.com/f19/pastor-only-should-evangelize-29582/. [↩]
  3. “Missional Monday: Should Evangelism Happen Only in the Church?” accessed on April 22, 2009 on the Internet: http://heidelblog.wordpress.com/2008/02/25/missional-monday-should-evangelism-happen-only-in-the-church/. [↩]
  4. “Church and Mission in Paul,” Journal for the Study of the New Testament 44 (1991): 111. [↩]
  5. “Promoting the Gospel: ‘Mission-Commitment’ in the Churches of Paul Against Its Jewish Background” (Ph.D. diss., Marquarie University, 2001), 311. [↩]
  6. Johannes P. Louw and Eugene Nida, Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament Based on Semantic Domains, 2nd edition (United Bible Socities, 1988, 89), § 33.215, 217 [p. 412-13]. [↩]
  7. The references are too numerous to list. I counted 57 uses of the noun and 19 uses of the verb. [↩]
  8. “Gospel, Evangelize, Evangelist,” The New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology, ed. Colin Brown (Zondervan, 1976), 2:110. [↩]
  9. John uses the verb at least 30 times in his Gospel; 9 times in his epistles; and 3 times in Revelation. He uses the noun “witness” 5 times in Revelation. [↩]
  10. Such verbs would include but are not limited to laleo (“to speak”); proslaleo (“to address”); kerusso (“to preach”); didasko (“to teach”); katecheo (“to teach or catechize”) anangello (“to proclaim”); apangello (“to declare”); exangello (“to announce”); parresiazomai (“to speak boldly”); dialegeomi (“to discuss”); prographo (“to portray”); plerophoreo (“to recount fully”); diegeomai (“to report”); diaphemizo (“to publish abroad”); homologeo (“to confess”); execheomai (“to sound forth”). [↩]
  11. Roland Allen, Missionary Methods: St. Paul’s or Ours (Eerdmans, 1962); Andreas J. Koestenberger and Peter T. O’Brien, Salvation to the Ends of the Earth: A Biblical Theology of Mission, New Studies in Biblical Theology, ed. D. A. Carson (IVP, 2001); Peter T. O’Brien, Gospel and Mission in the Writings of Paul: An Exegetical and Theological Analysis (Paternoster, 1995); Robert L. Plummer, Paul’s Understanding of the Church’s Mission: Did the Apostle Paul Expect the Early Christian Communities to Evangelize? (Paternoster, 2006); Eckhard J. Schnabel, Early Christian Mission, 2 vols. (IVP, 2004); James Patrick Ware, “The Mission of the Church in Paul’s Letter to the Philippians in the Context of Ancient Judaism.” Supplements to Novum Testamentum 120 (Brill, 2005). For less technical and more popular treatments of the subject, see Mark Dever, The Gospel & Personal Evangelism (Crossway Books, 2007); R. B. Kuiper, God-Centered Evangelism (The Banner of Truth, 1966); Will Metzger, Tell the Truth: The Whole Gospel to the Whole Person by Whole People, 2nd edition (IVP, 1984); or my friend Matt Troupe’s blog entry “Why Every Believer is a Missionary.” [↩]
  12. See the appropriate excerpt from John Calvin’s sermon on Acts 6:7-9, which my friend Jeremy Walker has posted here: “John Calvin: Church Growth Expert.” [↩]
  13. For an excellent sermon on this text, which highlights the evangelistic endeavors of all ranks of disciples, see Jeremy Walker’s “Human Proclamation, Divine Power,” which may be accessed at Sermonaudio.com. [↩]
  14. The Exposition of the New Testament (William Hill Collingridge, 1852), 1:858. [↩]
  15. A Commentary on the Acts of the Apostles (1857; reprint, The Ban­ner of Truth, 1984), 319. [↩]
  16. The Message of Acts in the History of Redemption (P&R, 1997), 45. [↩]
  17. William Arnot, Studies in Acts (reprint, Kregel, 1978), 149-51; M. Baumgarten, The Acts of the Apostles, trans. A. J. W. Morrison (Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark, 1863), 174; Gordon J. Keddie, You Are My Witnesses (Evangelical Press, 1993), 106-08; Simon Kistemacher, Exposition of the Book of Acts (Baker Book House, 1990), 292; John B. Polhill, Acts, vol. 26 of NAC (Broadman Press), 214; Richard B. Rackham, The Acts of the Apostles: An Exposition, 13th ed. (London: Methuen & Co., 1947), 112; John R. W. Stott, The Message of Acts (IVP, 1990), 144-46; Thomas Walker, Acts of the Apostles (reprint, Kregel, 1965), 215. [↩]
  18. Paul’s Understanding of the Church’s Mission, 85. [↩]
  19. For my exposition of Ephesians 4:12, see Part 2 of this series. [↩]
  20. The likelihood that Paul drew much of the metaphors of armory from Isaiah’s prophecy (compare Eph. 4:14a with Isa. 11:5; Eph. 4:14b with Isa. 59:17; Eph. 6:17a with Isa. 59:17; Eph. 6:17b with Isa. 49:2) makes it all the more likely that he had Isaiah 52:7 in view when composing Ephesians 6:15. [↩]
  21. The Message of Ephesians (IVP, 1979), 280. [↩]
  22. A Study Commentary on Ephesians (Evangelical Press, 2004), 365. [↩]
  23. Paul’s Letters from Prison: Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, Philemon (Oxford University Press, 1976), 93. Other commentators who interpret Ephesians 6:15 evangelistically include Clinton Arnold, Powers of Darkness: Principalities and Powers in Paul’s Letters (IVP, 1992), 111, 120; Robert G. Bratcher and Eugene A. Nida, A Translator’s Handbook on Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians (United Bible Societies, 1982), 161-62; F. F. Bruce, The Epistles to the Colossians, to Philemon, and to the Ephesians, NICNT (Eerdmans, 1984), 408; Leon Morris, Expository Reflections on the Letter to the Ephesians (Baker, 1994), 206; Peter O’Brien, The Letter to the Ephesians (Eerdmans, 1999), 477-79; Plummer, Paul’s Understanding of the Church’s Mission, 77-80; J. Armitage Robinson, St. Paul’s Epistle to the Ephesians: A Revised Text and Translation with Commentary and Notes (Macmillian, 1903; reprint, London: James Clark, n.d.), 215; Rudolf Schnackenburg, Ephesians: A Commentary, trans. Helen Heron (Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark, 1991), 278; B. F. Westcott, St. Paul’s Epistle to the Ephesians (1906; reprint, Klock & Klock, 1978), 96. [↩]
  24. Powers of Darkness, 157. See also idem, Ephesians: Power and Magic, The Concept of Power in Ephesians in Light of Its Historical Setting (Baker Book House, 1992), 121. Others who interpret Ephesians 6:15 evangelistically include Markus Barth, Ephesians: Translation and Commentary on Chapters 4-6, in AB (Doubleday & Co., 1960), 777; Andrew T. Lincoln, Ephesians, vol. 42 of The Word Biblical Commentary (Word Books, 1990); O’Brien, The Letter to the Ephesians, 481-82. Plummer, Paul’s Understanding of the Church’s Mission, 77-80; Some interpret the wielding of the word both in terms of evangelism and in terms of personal sanctification. Klyne Snodgrass, Ephesians in The NIV Application Bible (Zondervan, 1996), 344; Stott, The Message of Ephesians, 282. [↩]
  25. Jay Adams offers a couple of pages of advice for pastors in the realm of leadership and highlights the approach that doesn’t expect or prepare members to evangelize as an example of leadership failure. Shepherding God’s Flock: A Handbook on Pastoral Ministry, Counseling, and Leadership (Zondervan, 1974, 75), 339-44. [↩]
  26. The reader should note that the “brothers [adelphoi],” whom Paul addresses in 1:12, are identified as “all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, with the overseers and deacons.” (1:1). So the term “brothers” like “saints” may include office-bearers but is not limited to them in this context. [↩]
  27. Peter T. O’Brien, Epistle to the Philippians (Eerdmans, 1991), 297; Vern Poythress, “‘Hold Fast’ versus ‘Hold Out’ in Philippians 2:16,” Westminster Theological Journal 63 (2002): 45-53; Moises Silva, Philippians (Baker, 1992), 146. [↩]
  28. “‘Holding Forth the Word of Life’: Paul and the Mission of the Church in the Letter to the Philippians in the Context of Second Temple Judaism” (Ph.D. diss.; Yale University Press, 1996), 299-300. Cited in Plummer, 75. For the evidence Ware marshals, the reader should consult pp. 289-303. [↩]
  29. Calvin’s New Testament Commentaries (1965; reprint, Eerdmans, 1993), 11:258-59. See also William Barclay, The Letters to the Philippians, Colossians, and Thessalonians (The Westminster Press, 1959), 55; F. W. Beare, A Commentary on the Epistle to the Philippians (Harper and Brothers, 1959), 92-93; F. F. Bruce, Philippians, NIBC (Hendrickson, 1989), 85-86; G. B. Caird, Paul’s Letters from Prison: Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, Philemon (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1976), 126; John Eadie, A Commentary on the Greek Text of the Epistle of Paul to the Philippians (T. & T. Clark, 1884), 142; William Hendricksen, Exposition of Philippians (Baker Book House, 1962), 125-26; Homer A. Kent Jr., “Philippians,” in vol. 11 of The Expositor’s Bible Commentary (Zondervan, 1978), 129; J. B. Lightfoot, St. Paul’s Epistle to the Philippians (1913; reprint, Zondervan, 1953), 118; I-Jin Loh and Eugene A. Nida, A Handbook on Paul’s Letter to the Philippians (United Bible Societies, 1977), 71; H. C. C. Moule, Philippian Studies (1927; reprint, Christian Literature Crusade, 1975), 113-14; Jac Müller, The Epistle of Paul to the Philippians, NICNT (Eerdmans, 1988), 94-95; Plummer, Paul’s Understanding of the Church’s Mission, 74-77. [↩]
  30. The phrase “seasoned with salt” refers to the opposite of what is insipid, innocuous, or compromisingly inoffensive. [↩]
  31. Gene L. Green, The Letters to the Thessalonians (Eerdmans, 2002), 101-02. [↩]
  32. F. F. Bruce, 1 & 2 Thessalonians, in The Word Biblical Commentary (Word Books, 1982), 16. See also Green, 101-05; John R. W. Stott, The Message of 1 & 2 Thessalonians (IVP Press, 1991), 37-38. [↩]
  33. This is how Bowers interprets other NT texts where Paul seems to allude to evangelistic ministry among laypeople. “Church and Mission in Paul,” 92-101. See also Charles A. Wanamaker, The Epistles to the Thessalonians: A Commentary on the Greek Text (Eerdmans, 1990), 83-84. [↩]
  34. Beverly Roberts Gaventa, First and Second Thessalonians, Interpretation (John Knox Press, 1998), 18. See also Ronald Ward, Commentary on 1 & 2 Thessalonians (Word Books, 1973), 37-39. [↩]
  35. Hebrews, Reformed Expository Commentary (P&R, 2006), 176. [↩]
  36. Expository Discourses on First Peter (reprint, The Sovereign Grace Book Club, 1958), 1:317. Brown goes on to make application: “By your lips, by your lives … honour Him who has called you” (1:321). [↩]
  37. Calvin’s New Testament Commen­taries, 12:266. [↩]
  38. 1 Peter (Moody Press, 1992), 144. [↩]
  39. Thomas R. Schreiner, 1, 2 Peter, Jude, vol. 37 of NAC (Broadman & Holman, 2003), 115-16. See also Peter H. Davids, The First Epistle of Peter, NICNT (Eerdmans, 1990), 92-93. [↩]
  40. Paul’s Understanding of the Church’s Mission, 144. [↩]
  41. “Missional Monday: Should Evangelism Happen Only in the Church?” [↩]
  42. “Do the Reformed Confessions Affirm the Duty of Evangelistic and Missionary Outreach?” . For more examples, see also the discussion under the thread, “The Pastor Only Should Evangelize.” [↩]
  43. Throughout the rest of the NT, the “witness” terminology is used primarily in the more official sense, particularly of the apostolic witness. [↩]
  44. Of course, I’m all in favor of using creeds, confessions, and catechisms to provide God’s people with a summary of Bible doctrine. (See my “On the Validity and Value of Confessions of Faith.”) But I’ve learned from experience that knowing the Catechism by memory doesn’t always provide one with the answer he needs to answer an unbeliever’s questions. Moreover, the truth of God often bears more weight on the unbeliever’s conscience when it’s cited un-distilled from a good translation of Scripture. [↩]

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15 Responses to “Giving Proper Due to the People in the Pew: A Biblical Defense of Lay-Ministry and Lay-Evangelism, Part 3”

  1. A Biblical Defense of Lay-Ministry and Lay-Evangelism, Part 3 Says:
    May 8th, 2009 at 1:18 am

    [...] installment of the series, I attempt to provide a biblical defense for "lay-evangelism": Giving Proper Due to the People in the Pew: A Biblical Defense of Lay-Ministry and Lay-Evangelism, P… Your servant, __________________ Bob Gonzales Jr., Dean Reformed Baptist Seminary Easley, South [...]

  2. Giving Proper Due to the People in the Pew: A Biblical Defense of Lay-Ministry and Lay-Evangelism, Part 1 | RBS Tabletalk Says:
    May 8th, 2009 at 7:50 am

    [...] I’ll offer biblical arguments in favor of lay-ministry (Part 2) and in favor of lay-evangelism (Part 3). My aim in these posts is not to denigrate the importance of the ordained man and the pulpit [...]

  3. Giving Proper Due to the People in the Pew: A Biblical Defense of Lay-Ministry and Lay-Evangelism, Part 2 | RBS Tabletalk Says:
    May 8th, 2009 at 7:52 am

    [...] lay-ministry will constitute the burden of this segment of our study. In Part 3, we’ll take up the subject of lay-evangelism. Before I launch into a defense of lay-ministry, [...]

  4. George W. Seevers, Jr. Says:
    May 8th, 2009 at 12:19 pm

    Dear Bob,

    I agree with your premise. I would like to add that the tendency to view evangelism as the responsibility of pastors alone has had a negative impact on the nature of the call and office of pastor. No doubt many men have entered seminary and/or the ministry on the basis of their usefulness in evangelism. However, fruitfulness in evangelism does not necesarily mean that a man should be in office. Furthermore, a man who is fruitful in personal evangelism may on occasion be found to have a shallow pulpit ministry if he is placed in that role. These men who are fruitful in evangelism should be allowed to function within the church and community, rather than sending them all off to seminary, thus robbing the local church of witnesses to what should be the normal Christian life. But as for those whom we place in the office of pastor, they must fulfill all the Biblical requirements for office.

  5. deangonzales Says:
    May 8th, 2009 at 1:48 pm

    George,

    Thanks so much for your insightful comments! I’m grateful for the input of men with more experience than I have. May the Lord richly bless your service for his Kingdom!

    Your servant,
    Bob G.

  6. Arthur Sido Says:
    May 10th, 2009 at 8:26 am

    Very interesting series and very convincing. Like you, I find that certain aspects of Reformed heritage “doesn’t resonate well with my general knowledge of the Bible’s teaching”. I also find that questioning certain aspects of that heritage can lead to being branded “Not Truly Reformed” by self-appointed arbiters of what is or is not “Reformed”.

    One thing I found especially interesting was this line from Dr. Clark:

    “There’s not a lot of evidence in the NT that unordained Christians did much “evangelism.”

    If you change a couple of words so that it reads:

    “There’s not a lot of evidence in the NT that infants were “baptized.”

    Now that I will agree with!

  7. deangonzales Says:
    May 10th, 2009 at 9:04 pm

    Arthur,

    I share your concern to give sola Scriptura priority over tradition, even if that tradition is Reformed. Of course, Reformed tradition at its best insists on subordinating dogmatic and ecclesiastical tradition to the teaching and authority of Scripture. Being “truly Reformed” calls for ongoing exegesis, and when the Holy Spirit provides the post-Reformation/Puritan era church new insight, that insight should be used wisely and carefully to bring further refinement to our tradition. We need to keep in balance “Reformed” and “Reforming.” There are, of course, extremes on both sides. Some who overly venerate the tradition of past generations are, in my opinion, “ReformeED.” On the other hand, those who seek novelty and are quick to ignore the collective wisdom of the past are “ReformING,” if you get what I mean.

    And yes, I agree that there’s far more evidence in the NT for laypeople doing something like evangelism than there is for churches doing something like infant baptism.

    Thanks for your input.

    Sincerely,
    Bob G.

  8. Arthur Sido Says:
    May 11th, 2009 at 8:53 am

    Dean Gonzalez,

    I absolutely understand that point and would agree wholeheartedly with your assessment. My view is that there have been a myriad of men God has used greatly throughout the history of His church, men like Spurgeon and Calvin and Machen. We have much to learn from them. On the other hand, no men and no confessions are authoritative in and of themselves and those doctrines that are “Reformed” need to be held up to scrutiny against the Word of God just like any other. Especially when we get past the “core” Reformed doctrines regarding soteriology and start looking at ecclesiastical traditions that have sprung up over the centuries that have become inextricably linked with “Reformed Theology”. We cannot restrict “semper refomanda” to 1517 and go no further.

  9. deangonzales Says:
    May 11th, 2009 at 2:50 pm

    Excellent thoughts, Arthur. Thanks!

  10. David Says:
    May 12th, 2009 at 1:54 pm

    Hey Bob,

    I cant recall the exact place, but if I believe its in the Directory of Public Worship that the office of Evangelist has been abrogated. The basic premise–emphasized in Scottish Reformed theology especially–was that essentially all the other offices are subsumed under the office of teacher-pastor. That then is part of the underlying theology behind the downplaying of lay-evangelism. I could never discern the biblical grounds for claiming that the office of Evangelist has passed away. Perhaps some of your other readers could shed some light on it.

    Thanks,
    David

  11. Abortion Victim Survives and Now Proclaims Christ | RBS Tabletalk Says:
    May 12th, 2009 at 7:38 pm

    [...] survivor but also her hope in the gospel of Christ. In the wake of the recent essay I posted in defense of lay-evangelism, I thought I’d share with you a two-part video of Gianna Jessen relating her story and, more [...]

  12. Mark Chanski Says:
    May 13th, 2009 at 4:50 pm

    Excellent treatment, Bob. Thank you.

  13. The Danger of Reformed Traditionalism, Part II | RBS Tabletalk Says:
    August 11th, 2009 at 11:22 am

    [...] gospel of Christ [emphasis added].” For a biblical defense of lay-evangelism, see my article Giving Proper Due to the People in the Pew: A Biblical Defense of Lay-Ministry and Lay-Evangelism, P… [↩]Evangelical Reunion: Denominations and the Body of Christ (Baker Books, 1991), 139. [...]

  14. Is the Great Commission only to Apostles? Says:
    March 7th, 2010 at 10:24 pm

    [...] [...]

  15. Is the Great Commission only to Apostles? Says:
    March 7th, 2010 at 11:52 pm

    [...] What I do reject is the notion that evangelism is the sole province of the ordained clergy. The numerous passages I adduce demonstrate Christ has gifted many laypeople with the gift of utterance and that they did in fact employ that [...]

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