The Gifts of the Holy Spirit: - Vital Christianity

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Qualification: An evangelist is to be ready at all times (Rom. 1:15) to share the good news
anywhere (Acts 8:4) with clarity (Acts 8:26-40) no matter what the opposition is (I Cor. 16:9).
Without embarrassment or fear (Rom 1:16).
Ministry: It is the main responsibility of the evangelist to be an obstetrician--to bring
unbelievers to spiritual birth. It is the main responsibility of the pastor-teacher to be a
pediatrician--to nurture the new believers to spiritual maturity.
Similar in kind to the apostle and prophet though it is more specialized and less
comprehensive (i.e. Philip who was also a prophet as well as evangelist--Acts 8:5-7 and Paul who
was an apostle as well as evangelist—Acts 14:21-28).
Three-fold emphasis:
• Proclaim the person of Christ—It is primarily whom we believe, not what we believe
(Acts 8: 4-5).
• Proclaim to everyone—Ignore racial prejudice (Acts 8:5).
• Proclaim for commitment—Fruit (Acts 8:6-13).
Examples
II Tim 4:1-5 Timothy was an evangelist as well as an apostle (I Thess. 1:1, 2:7).
Acts 8:4-40; 21:8 Philip was an evangelist even though he was one of the seven (deacons--
Acts 6:1-6).
Rom. 1:14-15; I Cor. 9:6; 14-18 Paul and Barnabas were evangelists as well as apostles
(I Cor. 9:1-5).
The reason why this gift is not mentioned more frequently is probably because it was
exercised by the apostles whose church-planting ministry was based upon it. The verb is used 15
times in Acts and 20 times in Paul’s epistles.
Peter Wagner gives the following analysis as to the percentage of believers who have the gift
of evangelist:
“Of course, all the gifts are not evenly distributed. We have two eyes, 10 toes, one
stomach, and 32 teeth. That is why it would be silly to figure that because there
are 27 different gifts an average of 37 percent of the members of the Body would