Vol. XLII February 4, 2010 No. 3

Announce the

Good News!

by Tom McLemore

The terms evangelism, evangelist, and evangelize came into English from several Greek words which have the same root. The Greek verb means generally to “bring good news, announce good news,” and particularly to “proclaim the divine message of salvation.” An evangelist is a “proclaimer of the gospel.” The word gospel translates a related Greek noun defined as “God's good news to humans.”

Evangelism is of the essence of Christianity. Jesus desires and commands evangelism (Matthew 28:19-20; Mark 16:15, 16; Luke 24:47), and communicating good news is the natural fruit of having received good news and possessing knowledge of good news. In the course of everyday life, who would not be rebuked for keeping to oneself (whether deliberately or through absence of mind) good news that would bring benefit and joy to others? And some news is so good that those forbidden to tell it are not thereby restrained (cf. Mark 1:44, 45). If this is true of good news in general, how much more true of the gospel of Christ in particular!

What is most essential to evangelism? Consider our confession (see Matthew 16:16; Romans 10:9; Luke 9:20; John 11:27; Acts 8:37 [KJV]; 10:36; Hebrews 3:1; 4:14; 1 John 5:1, et. al.). We continue to confess Christ, having begun to do so as we were being baptized into Christ. Evangelism is essentially presenting what can result in this confession. Evangelism is proclaiming Jesus Christ. When evangelism has occurred, the evangelized may acknowledge Jesus in faith, i.e., confess Christ. Compare this with the preaching described in the New Testament and with Paul's declaration in Romans 10:17 (RSV): “So faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes by preaching of Christ.” See 1 Corinthians 15:1-8; cf. Acts 2:36; 8:5, 12; 35; 9:20, 22; 10:36; 17:3; 26:22, 23; 28:23.

There is something that follows the initial confession on the way to receiving the blessings of salvation (i.e., baptism into Christ unto the remission of sins). The evangelized must be led to be baptized. Yet, if teaching about baptism is substituted for evangelism, people end up trusting in their having submitted to baptism rather than trusting in the one into whom baptism is!

In evangelizing, we proclaim Jesus first and foremost so that when the evangelized are immersed, their immersion can be an expression of faith in Christ and an experience with Christ (Romans 6:3-7). Immediately after declaring that the one who believes and is baptized will be saved, Jesus said that the one who does not believe will be condemned (Mark 16:16). This implies that a person being immersed while not believing in Jesus will be condemned and that immersion is meaningless apart from genuine faith in Jesus.

The concern here is not whether one can receive the blessings of salvation before or without being baptized (one cannot) or whether any saved person is outside the church of Christ (none is). The real concern is whether a person's faith is in baptism or church membership or in Christ. When Paul stressed justification by faith, salvation by grace through faith, and being children of God by faith, he was stressing faith in Christ rather than faith in church membership or in baptism. (Even in Colossians 2:12, the faith instrumental in one's being “buried” and “raised” by baptism is not faith in one's submitting to baptism, but faith in the power of the One mightily at work in baptism, namely, God who raised Jesus from the dead).

Though Peter addressed several matters in his Acts 2 sermon, his message was that the crucified Jesus is both Lord and Christ (Acts 2:36). On the basis of Romans 10:10 and other passages, we may assume that everyone who was baptized on Pentecost and throughout the history reported by Luke made a confession. What did they confess? That baptism is “so that your sins may be forgiven?” That “there is one body, and it is the church of Christ?” That “instrumental music in worship is sinful and the Lord's Supper is to be observed weekly?” If so, they would have been confessing essential truths. Yet, the only confession that could result from Peter's evangelism is a confession of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

In the New Testament, and especially in Acts, Christians are designated believers. (Not one person in the New Testament had become a Christian without having been baptized and without having thereby becoming a member of the church. Yet, “baptized” or “church members” do not serve as designations for Christians in Scripture as “believers” does. Note carefully the initial question Paul asked the twelve Ephesians in Acts 19:2, 3). This stresses implicitly what the apostolic evangelistic message was, and what evangelism is, along with the vital, indispensable relationship that repentance, confession, and baptism have with faith in Christ. Enthusiasm for being baptized ought to characterize the evangelized (cf. Acts 8:37; 22:16). However, faith, repentance, and confession are not mere formalities to be hurriedly checked off in a frantic rush to the water!

Remember the noble and accurate slogan of the pioneers of the restoration: “Our creed is Christ.” Remember Paul's words. “[W]e proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord” (2 Corinthians 4:5). “For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and him crucified” (1 Corinthians 2:2). These statements describe evangelism. Paul knew about the necessity of baptism and the fact that the saved are members of the body of Christ. Yet he did not confuse teaching about these things with evangelism.

The widespread resistance to the biblical truth about baptism and the church and other vital subjects necessitates that emphasis be placed upon them. However, in our zeal to present the New Testament truth on these essential matters, let us make sure that we have not failed to evangelize first! Let us evangelize. Not all of the persons we evangelize will confess Christ and be baptized, but that does not mean we have failed to evangelize. If we have proclaimed Christ, we have succeeded in evangelizing. But some will confess Christ and be baptized, and when they do, we who have evangelized may be confident that their faith is in Jesus and may hope that they will receive the outcome of their faith, the salvation of their souls (1 Peter 1:9).

Designed and maintained by Houston Park Church of Christ Copyright © 2000 by Houston Park Church of Christ   2 Crescent Hill Drive   Selma, Alabama 36701  334-874-7941.  All rights reserved. Revised: 24 Sep 2008.

Back to Welcome Page