CHAPTER 7 Defining Evangelizing - Evangelism Unlimited

Thomas P. Johnston 347
Likewise a pastor may say, “I am called to preach”; for he was set aside from among the
lay people, in a particularistic sense, in order to “preach the Gospel.”
Hence, all the passages that use the word “preach” are naturally ignored or overlooked
by lay people as not being applicable to them. No wonder it is so difficult to get lay
people to evangelize, they do not see it in their Bibles, as their hermeneutical grid is
that only certain people are called to “preach the Gospel.” Lay people tune out most
or all “preaching” portions in the Pauline epistles as (1) for called “preachers,” and
(2) dealing with homiletics, and (3) within the four walls of the church.
Preaching being limited to the ordained was the rule when the Roman Catholic began
prohibiting evangelism or lay preaching beginning in the 12 th and 13 th Centuries. In
the New Testament, however, evangelism is for all Christians, not just for the
ordained clergy (cf. John Wesley, “All at it; always at it!”) 481
Women evangelizing (but not preaching)?
In many denominations, preaching is limited to men, as only men can be ordained. The
New Testament, however, does not limit evangelism only to men, women can and ought
to evangelize.
5. SEMANTIC 1: The division of the word “evangelize” into multiple words, such as “bring good
news,” “preach the gospel” or “publish glad tidings,” divides the message (gospel) from the
method (preach); this division actually changes the emphasis and therefore the meaning of
Scripture, as in the case of Galatians 1:8-9:
“But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to
what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed! As we have said before, so I say
again now, if any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to that which you received,
let him be accursed” (NAS)
[Note that the emphasis is almost uniquely on the “what” of the message of the Gospel.]
“But thogh that we, or an Angel from heauen preach vnto you otherwise, then that which
we haue preached vnto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now againe,
If anie man preache vnto you otherwise, then yt ye haue receiued, let him be accursed”
(1560 English Geneva)
[Notice how the emphasis shifts to the “how” of the methodology of evangelism.]
The very preaching of these false teachers was an accursed thing. It is quite likely that they
disagreed with Paul not only in their content of preaching, but even as to their methodology of
preaching. Paul seems to have pick up his very strong language of cursing from Deut 7:26:
“Nor shall you bring an abomination into your house, lest you be doomed to destruction like it.
You shall utterly detest it and utterly abhor it, for it is an accursed thing” (NKJ)
“You shall not bring an abomination into your house, and become accursed [ἀνάθημα] like it,
detesting you shall detest and abhorring you shall abhor, because it [is] accursed [ἀνάθημά]”
(translation mine).
Had Paul wanted to use khru,ssw (“preach”) with a separate word delineating the message, he
could done so, as he did in 2 Corinthians 11:4, which is a parallel passage to Galatians 1:
“For if one comes and preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or you
receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you
have not accepted, you bear this beautifully”
Eiv me.n ga.r o` evrco,menoj a;llon VIhsou/n khru,ssei o]n ouvk evkhru,xamen( h' pneu/ma e[teron
lamba,nete o] ouvk evla,bete( h' euvagge,lion e[teron o] ouvk evde,xasqe( kalw/j hvnei,cesqe
It was clearly in Paul’s semantic range to use the word khru,ssw when he wanted to
emphasize differences in the message preached.
481 For example in the Third Lateran Council (1179): “For this reason, since in Gascony and the regions of Albi
and Toulouse and in other places the loathsome heresy of those whom some call the Cathars, others the Patarenes,
others the Publicani, and others by different names, has grown so strong that they no longer practise their wickedness in
secret, as others do, but proclaim their error publicly and draw the simple and weak to join them” (From:
http://www.dailycatholic.org/history/11ecume1.htm; accessed: 28 June 2003; Internet).