What shall we do? Part One

By: Martin Connolly | Date: 2025-09-01

There is a tendency to misunderstand what evangelism is. If we are to tell people ‘The Good News’, that is The Gospel, we need to be clear about what we should do. Therefore, let us start with some basics.

What is evangelism?

The word ‘evangelism’ does not appear in Scripture. It is an expansion on the term ‘evangelists’ (Acts 21;8, Ephesians 4:11, 2 Timothy 4:5). Therefore, it would be legitimate to say evangelists do the work of evangelism. We have the Greek term, ε?αγγελιστ?ς - euangeliste?s . In its root meaning we find, “bringer of good news”. In that sense all followers of Jesus can bring ‘good news’. However, the ‘office’ of Evangelist in Greek, is masculine an Eldership role.

What is the good news?

The bringing of good news was the prophetic role initiated by the Messiah:

Isaiah 61:1 “The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound..”

Jesus fulfilled that prophecy as He told John’s disciples:

Matthew 11:5 “..the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them.”

Who are the bound and need to be freed? Jesus tells us:

John 8:34 “Jesus replied, ‘Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin.'”

As we all sin (Romans 3:23), we are all prisoners of sin. The good news is that we can be set free from sin, its power and the death that results. That is the news we are to bring.

Do we make converts?

This is the greatest trap, that might lead to a cheap ‘gospel’. We were never asked to make converts; we are commanded to make disciples (Matthew 28:19-20). Here, it was among the Jewish people, disciples were to be made. This continued through the Apostles and Paul to Gentles;

Acts 14:21 “When they had preached the gospel to that city and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch..”

Clearly, our charge is to make disciples, not go collecting numbers through a cheap gospel.

What is a disciple?

To be a disciple, the person has to meet a high bar. Jesus said:

Luke 14:26 “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.”

No cheap Gospel there then. Jesus brings the message home:

Luke 14:33 “So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.”

For many this is not ‘good news’. Indeed, many left Jesus because of the high cost. Just like the young man who was rich (Matthew 19:20). We also need to hold the truth – God gives grace to help us in meeting the bar.

……….Continued in Part Two