Now that we have a clear understanding of the gospel message, the definition of evangelism can be brought into focus.

     It is interesting to note that the Bible does not use the term evangelism, but it does talk a lot about the activity of "proclaiming the good news." In fact, more than fifty times the New Testament speaks of such proclaiming (evangelism) taking place.1 Our term evangelism is derived from the Greek word evangelizo meaning "to bring or announce good news," Acts 5:42; 8:4, 12, 25, 35, 40; 10:36 and 11:20 tell us that the first-century church was busy about the work of evangelizing. Luke 2:10 says the angels evangelized the shepherds with "good news of great joy." In 1 Corinthians 15:2 we see that Paul evangelized (preached the word to) the Corinthians. It is obvious from these references that evangelism is the activity of communicating the good news of the gospel. Evangelism, then – at least in the New Testament – is a verb, not a noun. It is always something that is done, not just studied, encouraged, or discussed.

 Contemporary Definitions of Evangelism

     The Lausanne Covenant offers this definition of evangelism: "To evangelize is to spread the good news that Jesus Christ died for our sins and was raised from the dead according to the Scriptures, and that as reigning Lord, He now offers the forgiveness of sins and the liberating gift of the Spirit to all who repent and believe. Evangelism itself is the proclamation of the historical, biblical, Christ as Savior and Lord, with a view to persuading people to come to Him personally and so be reconciled to God."2

     The Berlin World Congress on Evangelism offered this definition: "Evangelism is the proclamation of the gospel of the crucified and risen Christ, the only redeemer of men, according to the Scriptures, with the purpose of persuading condemned and lost sinners to put their trust in God by receiving and accepting Christ as Savior through the power of the Holy Spirit, and to serve Christ as Lord in every calling of life and in the fellowship of His Church, looking toward the day of His coming in glory." It is "an affirmation concerning all that is central in the work of Christ for men and in men; and all that is fundamental in that transforming experience to which the exercise of personal faith in Christ gives rise."3 Thus, evangelism might be summed up as the communication of all that is fundamental and primary to entering a personal relationship with Christ.

     Evangelism could also be defined as the offering of the "cure" to a terminally ill patient. It brings lost men and women into contact with the love and forgiveness of God. As such, it is the believer's opportunity to be on the cutting edge of God's redemptive plan for the world. As the Christian participates in the work of evangelism, he aligns his efforts with God's work to redeem the lost from the tragic consequences of the fall and restore them to a personal relationship with Himself.

 Focus of Evangelism

     Note that both the Lausanne and Berlin definitions of evangelism emphasize its persuasive nature. God has given the gospel message for the purpose of bringing a very specific result: the conversion of sinners to Jesus Christ. The gospel message is indeed a magnificent message, but it was not given to be admired. It was given to persuade men and women to put their trust in Christ. It demands that lost sinners change their minds and "do business" with Christ.

    So, to be involved in evangelism is to be involved in a persuasive activity. Evangelism assumes that men and women without Christ can be won and, indeed, will be won. God desires nothing less than to see the lost found and transferred from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of Jesus Christ (Colossians 1:12,13; Acts 26:18). "The primary purpose of the evangelist message is not general Christian instruction in an improvement of the moral life; its first concern, rather, is to awaken souls from spiritual death, to bring them rebirth by the power of the Holy Spirit."4 Indeed, the gospel is both good news and a gracious offer. As an offer, it is the most decisive question ever put to a person and calls for nothing less than a response of radical obedience. Heaven and hell hang in the balance, so the evangelist can do nothing less than seek a verdict for Christ.

     One day I approached a young man who was lounging in his college student union, and I took the opportunity to talk about the gospel. His first words to me were, "I'll talk with you as long as you don't try to talk me into accepting Jesus." I had to be honest with this student and said that, while I would not try to force him into making a decision he did not want to make, the gospel message is inherently persuasive. Jesus calls people to decide about Him; there is no getting around this.

 God's RSVP

     We can have great confidence that asking for a decision for Christ is not only appropriate to, but also inherent in, the work of evangelism, for our God is an inviting God. From beginning to end, the Bible is filled with God's invitations to man to repent and return to Him. The Bible ends in an invitation to all to come. Revelation 22:17 says, “And let the one who hears say, 'Come.' And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who wishes take the water of life without cost." The gates of heaven have been thrown wide open, and all may enter on the merit of the finished work of Christ. The invitation of the gospel cuts across all human distinctions and dividing lines. Gradation of morality and religiosity are meaningless in the face of the gracious offer of the gospel.

    It is also very clear from God's Word that His invitations come with an RSVP. A response is demanded. Thus, the children of Israel are told by Moses and Joshua to decide whether they will or will not follow God (Exodus 32:26; Joshua 24:15). The first words of Jesus' public ministry were an invitation for men and women to repent and believe the gospel (Mark 1:15). He did not just announce that the kingdom of God was here and leave it at that. Rather, we find Jesus calling for a radical decision. Men are asked to repent (Mark 1:15; Matthew 11:20,21; 12:41; Luke 5:42), to follow Him (Mark 1:16-20; 2:14,15; 8:34), to deny themselves (Mark 8:34), to take up their cross (Matthew 10:32) and to lose their lives (Mark 8:35; Matthew 10:39). His first words to His disciples were, "Follow Me." They were asked to decide between fishing for fish or fishing for men.

     At one point Jesus told the parable of the wedding feast for the king's son. When those people who were first invited refused to RSVP, the king sent out his servants to the main highways and streets to find anyone to attend (Matthew 22:1-14). Let it be firmly stated that there will be no guests at the last great wedding feast who did not decide to attend. Jesus called, and still calls, men and women to a deliberate decision; He addresses and challenges their wills to action. He calls them to a personal decision; they alone can decide their own destinies. He calls them to an urgent decision; the kingdom of God is here and life is no longer business as usual. And He calls them to an indispensable decision; the battle lines have been drawn, and all must choose whom they will serve.

     It is no surprise, then, that since God places a premium on human decision, He charges His ambassadors with the responsibility of calling for a decision from nonbelievers. We are to persuade (2 Corinthians 5:11; Acts 17:1-4), entreat and beg (2 Corinthians 5:20), to the end that men and women clearly and soberly face the question, “What will you do with Jesus Christ?" This is the most decisive question that can ever be put to a person, for his answer is the hinge on which his eternal destiny swings.

    The point is that we need to see the decision phase of the evangelistic encounter as necessary and distinctly appropriate, in light of our role as ambassadors for the God who invites. We are to communicate in order to influence, to see change wrought in the attitudes of nonbelievers. We are to present the gospel for a verdict.5

     As we look at New Testament evangelism, we see that it was carried on in a variety of styles.

 Proclamation Evangelism

     The New Testament authors used two words to describe the activity of announcing, proclaiming and generally making known the gospel. The Greek word kerysso means "to announce, preach or sound forth." It is derived from the Greek term keryx, meaning a herald, the one "who is commissioned by the ruler or state to call out with a clear voice some item of news and so to make it known.”6

    The Greek word evangelizo carries much the same sense as kerysso, meaning "to bring or announce good news, proclaim, preach.”7

     The very nature of the gospel demands that it be proclaimed, announced and generally made known to all who will listen. The first-century Christians were obviously gripped by the fact that the gospel is both a gracious offer that all should want to hear and a solemn call to a life of submission and obedience to Christ that no one can afford to ignore or misunderstand. As such, it is mandatory that all who are willing to listen have the opportunity to hear and understand the best and most crucial news ever told.

 New Testament Examples

     The New Testament church's practice of proclamation evangelism usually took the form of public group meetings. The distinguishing feature of proclamation evangelism is that the ratio of hearers to speakers is usually quite large, thus minimizing the opportunity for immediate feedback from the audience and personal interaction between the speaker and audience .

    Examples of proclamation evangelism are Peter's sermon in Acts 2:14-36, and Paul's sermon to the Athenians in Acts 17:21-53. In each case the gospel was presented publicly to a large audience comprised of anyone willing to listen.

     Proclamation evangelism was practiced anytime and anywhere a crowd could be gathered. Synagogue preaching (Acts 13:16ff; 14:1ff; 17:3ff) was one of Paul's main strategies for communicating the gospel. The success of this strategy is obvious, as the proclamation of the gospel provided the spark for the founding of many New Testament churches. Paul also spoke in the marketplaces (Acts 17:17) and in the formal lecture halls of his day (Acts 17:19, 19:9). Paul's use of this type of evangelism implies that the New Testament church sought to proclaim the gospel to any group, in any place, and at any time within the bounds of propriety.

 Benefits

     The benefits of proclamation evangelism are many. First, it exposes a large number to the gospel message at one time. Second, it is a screening procedure. By this I mean that the ones who return for more information are likely to have a genuine spiritual interest. Thus, in Acts 2:37, immediately following Peter's sermon, many in the crowd were "pierced to the heart," and asked, "Brethren, what must we do?" Luke records that immediately following Paul's proclamation of the gospel to the Athenians, some in the crowd said, "We shall hear you again concerning these things" (Acts 17:32).

     Third, proclamation can prime the spiritual environment by planting the seeds of the gospel in the minds of the listeners. In my experience, I have found it is not unusual for one who has heard the gospel at a large group meeting to be more open to the gospel the next time he hears it. I happen to be one who heard the good news at a large meeting and could not get the message out of my mind. Six months later I received Christ as my Savior, largely due to the impact the gospel had made on me at the mass gathering.

    Fourth, the proclamation of the gospel in a large group setting is usually a "no risk" venture for the nonbeliever. Those who showed up to hear Paul's public evangelistic sermons knew that they had no obligation to respond to the message. The one who was curious about spiritual things could hear the gospel while hidden in the crowd if he so chose. This is an attractive setting for many who, for whatever reason, are reluctant to talk to someone face to face about the gospel.

     Finally, the proclamation of the gospel can lead easily to an opportunity for face-to-face interaction over the content of the gospel. We must not assume that the sole purpose of proclamation is merely to impart gospel information – a sort of once-for-all-take-it-or-leave-it activity. Proclamation is more than a bare offer of the gospel. From 1 Thessalonians 2:9, we learn that Paul proclaimed the gospel in the context of his own intense personal interest, persuasion, love and self-sacrifice (1 Thessalonians 2:7-12). Paul saw proclamation as the doorway to further interaction with the Thessalonians. Remember that the Lausanne definition of evangelism states that proclamation is done "with a view to persuading people to come to Him personally and so be reconciled to God."

     In my own experience of sharing the gospel with large groups, an opportunity is always provided for feedback from the audience. Those who respond positively are contacted for an opportunity to discuss further how to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Many desire to talk more; thus, proclamation gives way to dialogue-persuasion, a face-to-face conversation concerning the claims of Christ on one's life.

     This is exactly what happened with Paul in Thessalonica. Acts 17:1-4 records that Paul proclaimed Christ to the people there. "This Jesus whom I am proclaiming to you is the Christ" (verse 3). At the same time he was "reasoning, explaining and giving evidence from the Scriptures that Jesus was indeed the Christ" (verses 2,3). So we see that while proclamation and dialogue-persuasion are distinguished from one another, at the same time they are inseparably linked in their function.

Persuasive Dialogue Evangelism

     As we have seen, the proclamation and persuasive elements of evangelism are both necessary ingredients in defining the nature and focus of evangelism. While proclamation centers on the mass announcement of the good news of the gospel, persuasive dialogue focuses on the one-to-one interaction between the Christian communicator of the gospel and the non-Christian. While it is true that proclamation is persuasive in nature, it lacks the element of dialogue and the personal or small-group setting featured in persuasive dialogue evangelism. Thus, we might say that the gospel is such good news that it must be proclaimed and shouted far and wide, yet such crucial news that it must be communicated in the context of a dialogue to ensure that it be clearly understood.

 The Power of Persuasion

     The Greek term for persuade is peitho, meaning to prevail upon or win over, to persuade, bringing about a change of mind by the influence of reason or moral considerations. The word has the basic meaning of trust, and implies that the one persuaded is ready and willing to let himself become convinced and thus puts his trust in the information made available by the communicator. Peitho is also translated as "trust" (Mark 10:24), "obey" (Acts 5:36) and "being confident" (Philippians 1:6).

     Persuasive dialogue evangelism takes seriously the fact that there is a compelling reasonableness to the gospel. The message makes sense. Thus, people need to engage their minds to consider the claims of Christ, asking themselves if He indeed is their only hope for eternal life. Persuasive dialogue evangelism also acknowledges that the reasonableness and personal implications of the gospel are best communicated person to person. The truth of the gospel must often be amplified, clarified and personalized if it is to take root in a human heart prone to doubts and misconceptions about spiritual truth. Often, this can take place only in a personal context where the nonbeliever feels free to raise his doubts and concerns. It is in this individualized situation that the persuasive efforts of the evangelist become a tool in the hands of the Holy Spirit to communicate to the nonbeliever that the gospel not only is true but also is meant for him. The result is that the nonbeliever is given every opportunity to make a fully informed decision for Christ.

 New Testament Examples

     The first-century Christians were eager to take advantage of all opportunities for personal witness. Their evangelistic spirit is typified in Colossians 4:5,6 as Paul writes, "Conduct yourselves with wisdom toward outsiders, making the most of the opportunity. Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned as it were with salt, so that you may know how you should respond to each person." The church manifested an incredible availability to be used as an instrument of God to convince the lost of His saving power.

     In the New Testament we see persuasive dialogue evangelism often taking place from stranger to stranger. For example, Philip had never met the Ethiopian eunuch before he preached the gospel to him (Acts 8:26-40), and Paul had never met Lydia (Acts 16:14) before. We see persuasive dialogue evangelism also taking place from family member to family member. Lydia shared the gospel first with her family (Acts 16:15), and the Philippian jailer with his family (Acts 16:34). Andrew told his brother Peter about Jesus, and Philip told his brother Nathaniel (John 1:40-46). The network of social relationships, whether among family members, close friends, or acquaintances, was the arena for New Testament evangelistic activity.

     One cannot mention person-to-person evangelism without thinking of Jesus' interview with Nicodemus (John 3:1-15) and His encounter with the Samaritan woman at the well (John 4:4-26). The Gospels record over thirty such meetings where Jesus engaged in dialogues with seekers of spiritual truth.

 Paul as Persuader

     Paul's ministry is a vivid demonstration of the power and priority of persuasive dialogue evangelism. Acts 18:4 states, “And he was reasoning in the synagogue every Sabbath and trying to persuade Jews and Greeks." Paul's ministry in Ephesus was no different. Acts 19:8 states, “And he entered the synagogue and continued speaking out boldly for three months, reasoning and persuading them about the kingdom of God." Here, Paul's proclamation was complemented by his persuasive efforts. Finally, Acts 28:23,24 states that Paul continued, most likely to his dying day, to persuade people of the truth of Christ: "And he was explaining to them by solemnly testifying about the kingdom of God, and trying to persuade them concerning Jesus, from both the Law of Moses and from the Prophets, from morning until evening." Indeed, Paul was so intensely committed to bringing his persuasive skills to bear on the minds of the unbelievers that a Roman attorney, Tertullus, called him "a real pest" (Acts 24:5).

     Paul understood that the gospel is more than information. It is information that asks for – even demands – a decision. Paul understood that persuasive dialogue evangelism provides the evangelist with a platform to "combine teaching and decision so that a man's heart and mind combine to leave him no alternative to accepting Jesus Christ as Lord."8 To stop short of calling for a decision would be a disservice not only to his role as an ambassador for Christ (2 Corinthians 5:21), but also to the very nature and intent of the gospel message. The gospel must be not only heard, but also understood and decided upon.

 Clarity Persuasion

     The Christian communicator must leave no question in the listener's mind as to what is at stake in the call for a decision to trust Christ as Lord and Savior. The listener must know exactly what he is doing or his "decision" could do more harm than good. David Hesselgrave describes this danger in picturesque terms: "The mission fields are well populated with men and women who have been ushered into the heavenlies without knowing why they got on the elevator. Once back on earth they have no intention of being taken for another ride."9

    This danger was felt by Paul on his first-century journeys. Paul knew that the call for a decision for Christ could be construed as just one of many other calls for decisions in a world flooded with various religions and ideas. How much more is this true today, in an age of overchoice, where we are asked to decide on various issues hundreds of times a day, thousands of times a year.

     Paul faced such a problem with his audience in Athens, the Greek world's marketplace of new ideas. The audience, so used to new ideas in the religious realm, responded to Paul's presentation of the gospel with only mild curiosity. Some called him an "idle babbler" or a "proclaimer of strange deities." The gospel of Jesus Christ was just another "new teaching" which brought "some strange things to our ears" (Acts 17:16-20).

     There was always the possibility of great misunderstanding when the gospel was presented. On Paul's first missionary journey visit to Lystra (Acts 14:8-28), he and Barnabas were even mistaken for the Greek gods Zeus and Hermes.

     Noting the potential for confusion, it is not surprising that Paul called for a decision for Christ through a cognitive decision-making process. Paul knew that even lost men and women retain God's image, and thus require intellectually sound reasons to make heartfelt choices. Thus, in Thessalonica Paul "reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining and giving evidence that the Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead" (Acts 17:2,3). As a result, some in the audience were "persuaded." The words "reasoned," "explaining," "giving evidence" and "persuaded" all point to the fact that Paul thought it very important that people decide to follow Christ with their minds fully engaged. He wanted new believers to understand who Jesus is, what their need was and how Jesus met that need. Paul was not content to let people come to Christ for motives less than those based on a clear understanding of the issues of the gospel.

 Integrity in Persuasion

     The watching world often sees as ethically suspect any attempt to convince others of the truth of Christ and to ask them to follow Him. Some accuse us of proselytizing. This word is usually used in a derogatory sense, implying that the evangelist, whose enthusiasm may overstep his sense of propriety, is out to convince others that their way is wrong and his way is right, or get them to leave their group and join his. In all honesty, the evangelist must be sensitive to the concerns raised by this accusation. Are we trying to win others to us or to Christ? Are we asking others to change outward, sociological or cultural allegiances without a corresponding inner change? Do we merely want to see our group get larger and more powerful, or do we want to see the kingdom of God grow? Do we want nonbelievers to decide for Christ for our benefit or for theirs?

    Recruiting others to join an organization, often at the expense of another group, for ends other than their personal benefit will also be open to charges of proselytizing, and rightly so. But true scriptural evangelism cannot be charged justly with proselytizing. True evangelism seeks to win others first to Christ, for their own benefit. Of course, as this happens, it is only natural that these new believers may want to identify with their newfound forever family, as they did with Paul in Thessalonica. “And some of them were persuaded and joined Paul" (Acts 17:4). It is also possible that this will make the group they left very angry over their departure, as was the case with the Thessalonica Jews (verses 4-13). But charges of proselytizing in cases like this are usually the rhetoric of sour grapes. As persuaded people persuading others, we will always be susceptible to such charges, but as long as we are winning people to Christ, for the glory of God and for their own eternal gain, we need not feel that our persuasive efforts are ethically suspect.

 Propaganda Versus Persuasion

     Propaganda differs from persuasion on two major points. Both are an attempt to elicit a decision from others. But propaganda does this by distorting the facts and the true nature of the situation by either withholding certain information or by over- or under-emphasizing certain facets of the information. The propagandist is out to convince any way he can. If he can do this by appealing to purely emotional factors, he will. If the facts must be manipulated to gain the desired response, then so be it. The end justifies the means. But we must affirm with Ghandi that evil means, even for a good end, produce evil results. Propaganda is inherently unethical and should be avoided by the evangelist.

 The second area of departure closely follows the first. Propaganda is inherently self-centered. Its goal is to elicit a decision that is favorable for the communicator or his group. The welfare of the listener is secondary at best.

     A good case could be made for the contention that almost all communication is propagandistic in that most messages are sent for the benefit of the communicator. Most messages contain only that information which puts the communicator's cause in a good light so that it will be accepted or supported. The decision that stems from propagandistic communication will therefore be based on less than adequate information, often with the mind being less than fully informed and engaged.

     The evangelist must avoid both proselytizing and propaganda. Affirmation VI of the International Conference for Itinerant Evangelists states: "In our proclamation of the gospel we recognize the urgency of calling all to decision to follow Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, and to do so lovingly and without coercion or manipulation.”10 The Christian communicator must affirm in his attitudes and actions that Jesus came not to trick or coerce, but to win men.

 Sensitivity in Persuasion

     The need for sensitivity on the part of the communicator is of utmost importance as he calls for a decision. The evangelists must ask, "Is this person truly ready for such a decision? Does he know the issue? What barriers, if any, remain between him and inheriting eternal life?" In short, the evangelist must work to create the proper climate for an authentic decision to take place.

    True, our communication is purposeful and persuasive, but we also realize that there is a point where the nonbeliever must decide for himself. Here is where we must respect the moral responsibility of each person created in God's image and the behind-the-scenes work of the Holy Spirit in the conversion process.

     The communicator of the gospel must walk the fine line of using all of his godly wisdom to persuade the nonbeliever while still respecting the nonbeliever's free choice and the work of the Spirit in his life. On one side of this line is the mistake of not challenging the nonbeliever to make a decision for Christ in the very near future. As Paul wrote, "Behold, now is 'the acceptable time' behold, now is 'the day of salvation’ ” (2 Corinthians 6:2). It would be a mistake not to bring all of our persuasive power to bear on the nonbeliever who is truly under the conviction of the Spirit and has ample information to make a biblically informed decision. On the other hand, it would also be a mistake to push a nonbeliever into deciding before he is convinced that the decision is necessary and in his best interest. If the issues of eternity remain unclear, or if valid barriers continue to hinder his response to Jesus Christ, these must first be dealt with.

     There is an old saying, “Don't try to teach a pig to sing; it wastes your time and annoys the pig.” Another old saying is, “A man convinced against his will is of the same decision still.” In St. Augustine's words, we as communicators are “not merely imparting knowledge about things that ought to be done but rather moving them to do that which they already know must be done.”11

     The point is that the communicator must use all of his persuasive powers and marshal all the evidence necessary to convince the nonbeliever that to remain undecided about Jesus is in reality to decide against Him, and this is life's greatest possible tragedy. But to decide to accept the free offer of salvation in Christ is life's greatest responsibility and joy. A definite, clearcut verdict for Christ is our goal, and this is possible only when the nonbeliever's heart is set in motion by the convicting work of the Spirit of God, propelling him into the kingdom.

     Jesus' ministry displayed His great regard for the dignity of man's freedom of choice and the moral responsibility God has entrusted to each man and woman. Richard Lovelace describes this extremely well: “Jesus' whole ministry reveals a controlled dignity which did not force persons beyond the moving of the Holy Spirit detectable in their words and actions, so that in bringing them to commitment, even the Son of God waited upon the Spirit.”12

    The key is to understand our role in the evangelistic encounter and, more specifically, the limits of our role. We are to present the gospel clearly. We are to persuade, even beg, the nonbeliever to respond as he grasps the issue of the gospel. We are to convince the nonbeliever of the truth of the gospel and his awesome responsibility to decide yes or no for Jesus Christ. We are to make it quite clear that Jesus stands at the door of his life waiting for an answer. But here our persuasive efforts reach their limit. We must never entertain the thought or act as though we are able, through the power of our personality or the application of our carefully devised communication technique, to bring about the spiritual change in the listener's heart. Only Christ can do that. The decision is between the nonbeliever and Jesus, and we must grant every person his right to decide for himself. He must have the genuine freedom to disagree, or to postpone his decision. Remember, we are not out to win an argument, but a person.

 The Foundation of New Testament Evangelism

     Whatever the method of New Testament evangelism, the work of sharing the gospel was usually enhanced by the visibility and availability of the loving fellowship and compassionate service of the church.

     We are not to confuse fellowship and the good works that comprise compassionate service with evangelism per se. Technically they are not evangelism, but at the same time they are crucial to its long-range success. The Lausanne Covenant keeps this distinction in mind: "Our Christian presence in the world is indispensable to evangelism, and so is that kind of dialogue whose purpose is to listen sensitively in order to understand. But evangelism itself is the proclamation of the historical, biblical Christ as Savior and Lord, with a view to persuading people to come to Him personally and so be reconciled to God."13 Whatever form our good works and our personal presence takes, they are not the good news. The presence of the church or an individual is, or course, a prerequisite for most evangelism14 and, as the first-century church demonstrates, is integral to the long-term success of the work of taking the gospel to the world.

 First Century Presence

     Acts 2:41-47 gives us a picture of the corporate quality of life of the first-century church. This quality of life, I believe, was foundational to its success in evangelism. Verse 41 records that three thousand new members were added to this new church in Jerusalem following Peter's first evangelistic sermon. Imagine taking three thousand additional people into your church. Think of the incredible burden this would place on the church in terms of meeting the total range of needs of these newborn babes in Christ. Spiritual nurture, of course, would need to be given. But because many of these new believers were travelers from around the world, in Jerusalem to celebrate Pentecost, they also must have had many material needs as their travel provisions ran out.

    What kind of Christians unselfishly reached out to embrace these needy brothers and sisters? Verses 42-47 give us their profile: “And they were continually devoting themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. And everyone kept feeling a sense of awe; and many wonders and signs were taking place through the apostles. And all those who had believed were together, and had all things in common; and they began selling their property and possessions, and were sharing them with all, as anyone might have need. And day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved."

     What an attractive group of people. Here we have the epitome of a loving fellowship, ready to serve as needs became apparent. In a Roman world where the unlovely were shunned and the poor had no alternative but to go hungry because there were no such things as social welfare systems, this new fellowship of believers must have been startling. Their loving fellowship was a powerful testimony to the life-changing power of the gospel and the living presence of the risen Jesus Christ. Their unselfish service, intimate personal relationships and evidence of God's supernatural presence in their midst produced the kind of social environment that was conducive to the spread of the gospel. As we note in verse 47, "the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved. "

     Just as the individual must live a life that bears testimony to the purity, truth and power of the gospel, so must the corporate fellowship of believers. The medium must not be incongruous with the message. But it is more than a matter of just not contradicting the gospel. The medium must also support and enhance the gospel.

     This is our "salt" responsibility. As Jesus states, we are the salt of the earth (Matthew 5:13). In the ancient world, salt was considered a necessity, due to its preserving qualities. The word salt, therefore, acquired connotations of high esteem and honor in ancient and modern languages. Cakes of salt were used as money in Africa, and when an Arab says, "There is salt between us," he speaks of an intimate, enduring friendship.15 A person who is the salt of the earth is a man or woman of high honor and esteem.

     Thus, the Christian's presence (his character, conduct, fellowship and service) is to parallel the highly esteemed function of salt. As salt stabilizes a food product, inhibiting the perishing process, so we as Christians, by our holy living, are to inhibit the spread of sin, to the glory of God and for the good of our nonbelieving friends and enemies alike. As salt flavors and spices up otherwise bland food, so we flavor the gospel, enhancing its already self-authenticating and powerful message, by the living testimony of the grace of God in our lives. As salt causes thirst, so we too, by the visible demonstration of the power of Christ in and among us, make the world thirsty for the One who alone is the living water. We may not be able to make the world – or the stubborn horse – drink water, but we can certainly feed them salt. All three of these salt functions – preserving, flavoring and creating thirst – support the work of evangelism. They augment our proclamation and persuasion efforts, providing a "sermon in shoes," a living object lesson of the power of the gospel unleashed in human lives.

     This is exactly what we find happening in the evangelistic ministry of the early church. The Athenian philosopher Aristides observed, "When they see the stranger, they take him to their dwellings and rejoice over him as over a true brother. And if anyone among them is poor and needy, and they have no spare food, they fast two or three days in order to supply him with the needed food. The precepts of their Messiah they observe with great care. They live justly and soberly as the Lord their God commanded them."16

     Years later, Bishop Dionysius of Alexandria would write that "most of our brethren (during the Alexandrian plague) did not spare themselves and held together in the closest love of their neighbors. They were not afraid to visit the sick, to look after them well, to take care of them for Christ's sake and to die joyfully with them....Many of them lost their own lives after restoring others to health, thus taking their death upon themselves....In this way some of the noblest of our brethren died – some presbyters, deacons and highly esteemed lay people. But the heathen did exactly the opposite. They cast out any people who began to be too ill, and deserted those dearest."17 Imagine the testimony of such living to the truth, power and relevance of the gospel to the watching world. The faithful proclamation of the gospel by the early Christians, by whatever method, was enhanced by their loving fellowship.