Part 1: Paul The Evangelist—A Model To Missionaries
Michael Borodin was sent to China in 1923 by Lenin as a special advisor from the Communist Party in Russia. His job was to help reorganize the Kuomintang into a highly disciplined central party. His most promising students were Sun Yai en, Chiang Kai-shek, and a young man from Viet Nam named Ho Chi-minh.
Borodin was interviewed by an American correspondent concerning his purpose to “take over China for a Communist movement.” The correspondent finally said, “You are too few. You’ll never do it.”
“Oh yes we will,” came the cool reply, “You forget, young man, that I am not here for my health, comfort, or personal success. I am totally dedicated to the cause of the Communist movement.”
After a long silence, Borodin began to murmur, half to himself, “You know,” he mused, “I used to read the New Testament. It is the most wonderful story ever told. That man Paul, he was a real revolutionary. I take my hat off to him.”
Suddenly Borodin whirled around and shook his fist in the face of the correspondent. “But where do you find him today?” he shouted. “Answer me that. Where do you find him today?”
Borodin’s question is an excellent starting point for an enquiry into the missionary work of the apostle Paul. Where do you find him today? Where do you find missionaries who are totally dedicated to practising the simple yet profound principles which Paul used in the early church? A re-examination of the Pauline strategy of mission may do much to sharpen our own focus and to make us more effective ambassadors for the Lord Jesus Christ.
There are more Christian missionaries in more places today than at any time in history. They have become increasingly involved in specialized ministries from “a to z” (agriculture to zoology). Growing specialization holds a danger of which we ought to be aware. The danger is that in our emphasis on special ministries we may lose the primary principles of the great commission. The result is that a decreasing percentage of missionaries are directly involved in the basics of evangelism, teaching, and church planting. Instead the tools of mission, such as social improvement, have become ends in themselves.
Paul used tools, but concentrated on the primary principles. This study is concerned with the New Testament record of Paul’s missionary strategy. It is a restatement of biblical missionary principles which are seen in the life of the apostle.
Paul the Evangelist
Without doubt Paul is the most outstanding Christian in the New Testament. His razor-sharp mind formulated the great doctrines of salvation. His remarkable vision enabled him to evangelize a significant part of the Greek world in the first century. His enormous capacity for caring love has rarely been equaled. Paul stands alone as the great exponent of New Testament Christianity. Not only did he live it himself, he communicated it to others. This communication of Christ to others is evangelism.
The effectiveness of Paul’s evangelistic outreach is unquestioned. Where he went people were saved. He sought out his own people and shared the gospel with them. Some responded. He evangelized Gentiles with equal fervor and larger numbers were converted. As a result local churches were planted along the whole coastline of the Aegean Sea. The zeal of new believers carried the gospel rapidly inland resulting in many more congregations of new believers. The expansion was so effective that Paul and his fellow evangelists were accused of “turning the world upside down.” Paul has left us a model of evangelism which we do well to study. Our own effectiveness can be increased if we understand and apply the Pauline model. Many of us have failed to do this.
Our failure can be attributed to several factors. First, perhaps, is the supposition that in nineteen hundred years the world has changed so much that first century models are no longer applicable. The changes are real and dramatic most certainly. But the models remain unaffected because they are concerned with principle rather than form. Time does not change them.
A second reason for failure to follow Paul’s model of evangelism is our tendency to rely on technology. In comparison Paul seems so limited. He could only travel twenty miles in a day. He could only preach to those within earshot. His literature was limited to one handwritten copy at a time. He had no financial resource from his sending church and no more organization than a small team-on-the-move could supply. Our reliance on technology may easily blind us to the biblical principles which could teach us to use that technology effectively.
A third factor in our failure to follow Paul comes from our own traditions. We tend to base our evangelism on our own narrow cultural heritage rather than on broad biblical principles. The methodology of our heritage may or may not be effective from one generation to another. The principles are more basic and allow a variety of methods to be used in their application.
Methods are many,
principles are few
Methods may change,
principles never do.
In our study of Pauline evangelism we will be focusing on the principles underlying his methods. This will allow us to use Paul’s principles although our methodology may be different. For example, the method of preaching the gospel in synagogues is based on the principle of going to the place where there are the most potential converts. In Paul’s day that place was the synagogue.
Finally, we may fail to follow Paul’s model because we assume that the world conditions in his day made it uniquely “ripe” for evangelism. So much so, that it would be useless for us to follow his model. It is true that in the providence of God there was a combination of factors which did influence the spread of the gospel. However, this does not alter the principle that “now is the day of salvation” (2 Cor. 6:2), and God is at work to accomplish it.
Any consideration of Paul, the Evangelist will examine the man himself in his role as evangelist. It will look at the message he preached and the people (world) he reached. Finally, it will look at the strategy he used as he made choices regarding his evangelistic ministry.
Paul’s Role as an Evangelist
As a “man for all seasons” Paul excelled in many roles: theologian, teacher, strategist, etc. But in none did he succeed more than in his role as an evangelist. His whole post-conversion life was marked by a burning desire to communicate Christ to people. As soon as he was converted to the Lord Jesus Christ and was baptized, “immediately he began to proclaim Jesus in synagogues saying, ‘He is the Son of God’” (Acts 9:20). As long as he lived, his passionate zeal for evangelism continued. In the final chapter of his last letter he was still pleading with Timothy, “Do the work of an evangelist” (2 Tim. 4:5).
The Motivating Influences
Paul’s evangelistic zeal was influenced by several factors.
His conversion.
The first of these was his own conversion. As Saul, the Pharisee he had been a zealot for the anti-Jesus movement. By persecuting the disciples he thought he was doing God a favor. The Damascus journey was part of his anti-Jesus campaign, when suddenly he was confronted with the light, the voice, and the vision of the risen Christ. There was no mistaking the message from heaven. “I am Jesus” (Acts 9:5). At that instant the proud Saul became the penitent sinner at the feet of the Lord Jesus Christ. He never forgot that moment. The many references to his conversion in his own writings and three lengthy accounts of it in Acts testify to the fact that Paul was strongly affected by this incident in his life (Acts 9:22, 26).
Paul’s conversion dramatically changed his life, and he came to expect the same kind of change in others. Conversion to him was not mere intellectual assent to a set of facts. Nor was it merely an emotional experience resulting from certain stimuli. It was an encounter with Christ in which the sinner acknowledged both his own lostness and also the saving work of the risen and glorified Lord Jesus Christ. Having met Jesus Christ himself, Paul considered that his work as an evangelist was to lead others to the same encounter.
His calling.
Paul’s role as an evangelist was also influenced by his calling. The second question he asked while kneeling in the dust of the Damascus road was, “What shall I do, Lord” (Acts 22:10)? The answer was clear, and it was confirmed by godly Ananias that Paul had been chosen by the Lord to be a witness to all men of what he had seen and heard. He was to bear the name of the Lord Jesus before Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel (Acts 9:15; 22:15; 26:16–17). He was called to be an apostle (a sent one) of Jesus Christ (1 Cor. 1:1; Rom. 1:1; 2 Tim. 1:1, etc.). God called him to witness in a special way to Gentiles. Thus, he refers to himself as “an apostle of Gentiles” (Rom. 11:13). His calling to evangelism was unmistakable. Paul never forgot it. It had come from the Lord in glory.
The lostness of those outside Christ
His role as an evangelist was also influenced by the lostness of people outside Christ. He viewed men as being under the wrath of God because of their unrighteousness (Rom. 1:18). He knew they all had sinned and were accountable to a holy God who must judge them. He saw them as “having no hope and without God in the world” (Eph. 2:12). He knew there was a day coming when the Lord would be revealed “in flaming fire dealing out retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. And these will pay the penalty of eternal destruction away from the presence of the Lord” (2 Thess. 1:7–9). The lost condition of the Jews caused Paul intense grief. “I have great sorrow and unceasing grief in my heart” (Rom. 9:2).
The love of Christ
Another influence on Paul as an evangelist was the love of Christ revealed on the cross. Although Paul had not been there at the crucifixion, it influenced his life and witness in a remarkable way. The cross was central to his preaching. “I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified” (1 Cor. 2:2). The cross was his boast (Gal. 6:14). It was a symbol of the love of the Lord Jesus Christ. That love, he said, was the controlling force in his life. It urged him to a ministry of reconciliation as an ambassador of Christ (2 Cor. 5:14–20). Isaac Watts, the hymnwriter, captures it very well.
When I survey the wondrous cross
On which the Prince of glory died,
My richest gain I count but loss
And pour contempt on all my pride.
Were the whole realm of nature mine,
That were an offering far too small
Love so amazing, so divine,
Demands my heart, my life, my all.
His debt to the unsaved.
Finally, Paul’s role as an evangelist was influenced by his perception of debt to the unsaved. He calls himself a debtor “under obligation both to the Greeks and to barbarians” (Rom. 1:14). As an heir of the kingdom, he was spiritually wealthy. In relation to the lost around him, he felt the obligation to share the good news. It was a debt of love to them. He wrote to the Corinthians, “For if I preach the gospel I have nothing to boast of, for I am under compulsion; for woe is me if I do not preach the gospel” (1 Cor. 9:16).
Thus Paul’s role as an evangelist was influenced by his own conversion, by his calling from God, by the lostness of mankind, by the love of Christ displayed on the cross, and by his own obligation to the unsaved.
The Goals of Paul’s Evangelism
These influences motivated Paul to evangelism, but what were his goals? What did he expect to accomplish? Several passages make his evangelistic goals distinct. Upon his return from the first missionary journey with Barnabas, “they began to report all things that God had done with them and how he had opened a door of faith to the Gentiles” (Acts 14:27). To the Romans he spoke “of the grace that was given me from God to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles, ministering as a priest the gospel of God” (Rom. 15:15–16). His goals included also a response from his hearers. The letter to the Romans continues with “what Christ has accomplished through me, resulting in the obedience of the Gentiles by word and deed. .. so that from Jerusalem and round about as far as Illyricum I have fully preached the gospel of Christ. And thus I aspired to preach the gospel, not where Christ was already named” (Rom. 15:18–20).
Thus Paul’s evangelistic goals included the preaching of the gospel to Gentiles, especially in unevangelized areas. He earnestly sought the response of faith in Christ by his hearers. When this happened, he could say, “I have fully preached the gospel.” A selection of quotes from Paul’s later letters confirms this goal:
To me. .. this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unfathomable riches of Christ (Eph. 3:8).
Pray. .. that utterance may be given to me. .. to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel for which I am an ambassador in chains (Eph. 6:19–20).
I was made a minister. .. that I might fully carry out the preaching of the word of God. . ., to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles (Col. 1:25–27).
The Lord stood with me and strengthened me in order that through me the proclamation might be fully accomplished and that all the Gentiles might hear (2 Tim. 4:17).The last quote, written very shortly before Paul’s death, still reflects the distinct purpose of his ministry of evangelism to Gentiles. He had not wavered during the entire length of his life of service.
Paul’s Message as an Evangelist
Central to Paul’s role as an evangelist and his goal of evangelism was his message--the Evangel. It is important for us to examine the content of the message and then its application to differing groups of people. The underlying truths of Paul’s evangel were consistently the same, though their application to peoples in diverse cultural settings varied considerably. Missionaries today should always be careful to make this distinction.
The Content of His Message
Three unalterable and universal truths underlie Paul’s evangelistic preaching: First, man’s sinful condition and God’s consequent judgment. Second, God’s gracious provision of salvation through Christ’s finished work. Third: man’s present opportunity to repent and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation.
At Paul’s own conversion these basic truths were made known to him. He was made aware that he was a sinner working in opposition to God, “kicking against the goads” (Acts 26:14). He then saw Christ raised from the grave and fully understood that this was proof of a completed work of atonement. Finally, he verbally acknowledged Christ, the Lord and turned to become a bondservant of His from that point on. The frequent occasions when Paul made reference to his conversion indicate the importance that it had.
The same three truths mark Paul’s preaching to his own people, the Jews. The sermon in the synagogue of Pisidian Antioch is a model of missionary approach to Jews (Acts 13:14–41). In it Paul uses their history of failure to show that God was leading toward the coming of a Savior. He also showed that the prophecies of the Savior in the Old Testament were fulfilled in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, the Messiah. Finally, he offered them forgiveness of sin through believing Him (Acts 13:38–39). This forgiveness and the freedom it brings were never available through Moses and the law.
In the context of preaching to Gentile audiences, Paul still emphasized the three basic truths. When he spoke to the Greek philosophers in Athens, the truths were there, even if given in an abbreviated form (Acts 17:19–31). He told them God would judge the world, implying that the world needed judging because of sin. He told them of the Lord Jesus as the Man appointed by God and raised from the dead, implying that God was satisfied with a finished work. He also urged them to repent from idolatry, the result of which was that some men and women “believed” (v. 34).
Cultural Sensitivity of His Presentation
The point is that Paul’s basic message was always the same. The same great truths of the gospel were consistently found in his own conversion experience and in his evangelism among both Jews and Gentiles. The importance of this cannot be over-emphasized. We must never compromise the basics. Paul’s method of approach, however, varied considerably. He was sensitive to the culture of his hearers. While his basic message was unchanging, his methods of approach were flexible. His cultural sensitivity is clearly seen in the different presentations of the same truths.
The approach to Jews and God-fearers.
In Pisidian Antioch Paul’s audience was made up of Jews and God-fearers (Gentiles who attended Jewish synagogues and were interested in God and the Scripture). Here Paul preached a significant evangelistic message (Acts 13:15–41). To these people who already believed in the inspiration of Scripture and the coming of Messiah Paul began with a summary of Israel’s history from the time of their deliverance from Egypt until King David (13:16–22). All of this was well known. Then he reminded them that according to the promise of the Scripture a Savior was to come from the line of David (v. 23). This Savior had been announced by John but was rejected by Jewish leaders who did not recognize Him nor the Old Testament prophecies about Him. They themselves fulfilled additional prophecies by condemning Him and having Him put to death. This explanation answered the questions every Jew would ask regarding Jesus in relation to the Scriptures and in relation to the leaders who had rejected Him.
The clinching argument to these Jews was that God raised Jesus from the dead (v. 30) as the Scriptures had foretold in three passages quoted. This was followed by an invitation to believe in Jesus as Savior and to receive forgiveness of sin. He closed with a quote from Habakkuk about God doing some things which were hard to believe (v. 41). There was an immediate response. The people wanted to hear more.
Paul’s sensitivity to their background and culture is obvious. They knew their own history and believed the Scriptures. Paul uses these to show that out of their history and Scriptures the promised Savior would come. He then steps from the known to the unknown by showing that the man Jesus was the promised Savior. They should not be stumbled by His death because God raised Him according to Scripture. Neither should they be stumbled by His rejection, as that too was promised.
Therefore, they could have forgiveness of sin which was not available through the Law of Moses. Salvation was explained to them in terms to which they could easily relate.
The Approach to Greek Idol Worshippers.
The next time Paul preached the good news the circumstances were different. Although he did not have the opportunity to finish his message, what we do know is instructive. Paul and Barnabas arrived in Lystra. Paul healed a lame man, and a crowd soon gathered. The idol-worshipping crowd of local people jumped to the conclusion that Paul and Barnabas were Greek gods. Paul took the opportunity to preach the gospel until he was stopped. In a different cultural context he used another approach from that at Pisidian Antioch. Jewish history and Scriptures were not his starting point (Acts 14:8–18).
Instead he used the immediate context of Greek gods. He identified himself and Barnabas as being ordinary people with the same nature as the people of Lystra. He stated that the mortal gods of the Greeks were vain, but he and Barnabas had come to bring good news so they could turn to the living God who was immortal. The true God is the Creator of all things. He is the God of history who permits the ebb and flow of nations, and He is the God of providence who provides man with food and happiness as a witness to His nature. Paul was unable to continue speaking on this occasion, but enough is recorded to underline his wisdom in using culturally relevant terms.
The Approach to Greek Philosophers.
A third example of Paul’s cultural sensitivity in evangelism is given in his message to the philosophers in Athens (Acts 17:16–32). Again both the occasion and the cultural setting are used to advantage by Paul, the effective communicator. His audience was made up of intellectual Athenians whose chief pursuit was in discussing new angles of philosophy. They had heard Paul preaching in the great market place of Athens and invited him to address them at Mars Hill. Paul took the opportunity gladly to address what might be called the “Athens Philosophical Society.”
He had noticed an altar to an unknown God and used this observation to speak to them of the true God. He spoke of God as the creator of the world and the Lord of heaven and earth. He explained that God transcended material temples and did not need people to supply Him with anything. He Himself is the source of all life and of the commonality of mankind on earth. God appointed the lines and boundaries of nations making it possible for them to seek Him, because God is near to all of us.
Paul then quotes from a Greek poet, Aratus, who wrote that we are God’s offspring. Therefore, we are not to reduce God to an artistic image of stone. God will judge the world through the appointed Man and therefore is now giving people the opportunity to repent and turn to Him who is raised from the dead.
Paul’s message in Athens was adapted to his audience. They did not know the Scriptures, but they did know the Greek poets. Paul begins where they were and then moves forward to present the good news of Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.
The Approach to Roman Governors.
One further example of Paul’s evangelism in a cultural context is his message to the governors Festus and Agrippa (Acts 26:1–32). They were Roman political leaders, well educated, and also familiar with Jewish Scriptures and aspirations. To them Paul made a legal defense, but more importantly, he made an evangelistic appeal. He based his appeal on the personal testimony of his own encounter with God. He linked his testimony to the Scriptures which were known to Agrippa. He argued that his vision and call came from God and that his message of forgiveness was consistent with the Prophets and Moses. They had predicted the suffering and the resurrection of Messiah. Festus interrupted, but Paul turned to Agrippa with an appeal to believe in Christ, the promised One. All this took place in the context of a king’s court, and Paul was able to express himself in relevant terms.
So to four widely differing audiences Paul used differing yet culturally sensitive approaches. To the worshipping Jews and God-fearers in Antioch, salvation comes through the Son of David who is risen from the dead. To the heathen Gentiles in Lystra he said that the Creator God has left man a witness of His care. [2] To the intellectuals in Athens he said that the one true God was to judge the world. To the educated governors Paul gave personal testimony and a Scripture-based appeal. In all these examples we see that Paul used approaches consistent with the “target” audience. His terminology and argument were adapted in each circumstance to the cultural background of his hearers.
Paul’s Strategy as an Evangelist
Another important aspect of Paul’s evangelistic activity is the strategy he used. Strategy is the plan of operations put into effect to accomplish the goals. Paul was a disciplined strategist. He did not run aimlessly (1 Cor. 9:26). He described his evangelism as an orderly activity, “so that from Jerusalem and round about as far as Illyricum I have fully preached the gospel of Christ” (Rom. 15:19). This passage indicates a progressive westward advance around the coastline of the Mediterranean from present day Palestine to Yugoslavia. Even as he wrote this letter to the Romans, he was planning to go farther westward to Spain (Rom. 15:24).
In his strategy Paul was striving for two general objectives. First, he sought the individual salvation of as many as possible. He evangelized his own people, the Jews. Systematically he went from synagogue to synagogue preaching the good news and actively seeking converts. He was consistently put out of these, and then he preached to Gentiles among whom far more converts were obtained. God was taking from them a people for His name (Acts 15:14). A second general objective was the establishment of churches (assemblies of the converts). Paul’s evangelism aimed at church planting. Thus his strategy aimed at fulfilling these two general objectives. Let us note some important elements in Paul’s evangelistic strategy.
Sovereign Operation of the Holy Spirit
First, there is the sovereign operation of the Holy Spirit. Before the human aspects enter in, there must be the realization that the Holy Spirit of God is at work. At the outset of the first missionary journey, it was the Spirit of God who made known to the leaders of the local church in Syrian Antioch that they were to set apart Barnabas and Saul “for the work to which I have called them” (Acts 13:2). They were “sent out by the Holy Spirit,” indicating that it was as much a divine activity as an ecclesiastical one. As they journeyed they were guided by the Spirit (Acts 16:6–7).
Dependance on God through Prayer
A second element in Paul’s strategy is his dependence on God through prayer. The mission of evangelism was born in prayer, and the first two evangelists were sent out with the united prayers of the church of Antioch (Acts 13:2–3). Paul’s gospel thrust was bathed in prayer. From prison he asked the Ephesians to pray that his gospel preaching might be effective. Pray “that utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in proclaiming it I may speak boldly as I ought to speak” (Eph. 6:19–20; cf. Col. 4:2–4). He asked the Thessalonians to pray for his group that the word of the Lord might spread rapidly (2 Thess. 3:1). Prayer was and is the lifeline of evangelism.
Church-based and Church-orientated
Thirdly, Pauline evangelistic strategy is church-based and church-orientated. By this I mean that his evangelistic work started from a local church and resulted in the planting of new local churches. It began from the local church in Syrian Antioch. Barnabas and Saul were sent out with the implied understanding that their job was to carry the work of evangelism to the point where other churches like the one in Antioch would be established. After establishing four such churches: Lystra, Iconium, Antioch, and Derbe, they returned to Syrian Antioch and reported that they had accomplished the work for which they had been commended (Acts 14:16). No other agency was involved; they were commended by the local church alone. But the evangelism was only complete when a new church was formed.
The mission of the church is missions.
The mission of missions is the church.
Plurality of Workers
The fourth element in his strategy was the plurality of workers. Paul was not a “lone wolf.” Like his Lord, he usually moved in his ministry with other workers as intimate friends and co-laborers. The disciples of the Lord Jesus were constantly with Him, serving with Him and learning from Him. Paul, too, surrounded himself with others and gladly acknowledged their part in relation to him. He calls them “fellow laborers,” “fellow workers,” “fellow soldiers,” “fellow helpers,” “fellow bond-servants,” and “fellow prisoners” (Phil. 4:3; Rom. 16:3; Phil. 2:25; 2 Cor. 8:23; Col. 1:7; Rom. 16:7). He viewed them as his partners (2 Cor. 8:23).
No doubt Paul was conscious of his apostolic mission and responsibility as leader, but his letters reveal a wonderful relationship between himself and the co-workers. He speaks of them in the warmest of terms without any word of criticism except the lament that Demas had forsaken him (2 Tim. 4:10). They included both men and women, whose names Paul delights to leave on record: Timothy, Luke, Epaphras, Tychicus, Silvanus, Priscilla and Aquila, Phoebe, Epaphroditus, and Mary. The list could be enlarged.
Paul’s excellence in organizing people was an important factor in his strategy. This is a point sometimes overlooked; yet it is a key to his effectiveness. He also identified himself with others on an equal basis. All but two of the letters written to New Testament churches are co-authored with one or more of his co-workers. [3]
Selection of Geographic Areas
Paul’s strategy was also marked by a fifth element, his choice of areas of outreach.
While there does not appear to be any specific pre-determined plan, there does seem to be a general strategy for geographic movement. He certainly did not rely on mystical experiences for direction, although once he was directed by a vision (Acts 16:9). Paul thought first in terms of provincial areas. He went to Cyprus, Pamphylia, and Pisidia (South Galatia) on his first journey. On his second he again passed through Galatia and then tried to go to Asia and then Bithynia. However, the Holy Spirit did not allow him. Then he was called to Macedonia and later to Achaia. All these were provinces.
Within the provinces Paul selected population centers where Greek civilization as well as Roman administration and commerce flourished, usually with a strong Jewish influence. Cities such as Iconium, Troas, Philippi, Thessalonica, Athens, Corinth, and Ephesus were centers in the four provinces where Paul concentrated his mission. Paul was an urban strategist. Only once is it mentioned that he preached in the countryside surrounding the cities (Acts 14:6–7). Then within the cities Paul looked for gathering places of potential converts. The place where the greatest concentration of these might be found was usually the synagogue. This, then, was where he went. If there was no synagogue, he sought other places where potential converts gathered such as the “agora” (market place).
Selection of Target Peoples
Sixthly, Paul’s strategy included the selection of target peoples, those who appeared to be the most responsive to the gospel. He found these initially from two sources. (1) He used contacts previously made through a web of relationships. His years in Syrian Antioch no doubt helped initially because of traveling commercial people who came from many places. Contacts multiplied as he and his team progressed from place to place. (2) He also used his entree into synagogues where there were some Jews who were ready to believe in Jesus, their Messiah and also many God-fearing Gentiles. These Gentile God-fearers were particularly responsive to the gospel, and a great many of the early converts came from this group. Other interested people were found through the public preaching of the evangel in markets.
Resources, Financial and Personal
The final element in the evangelistic strategy of Paul is concerned with the material resources he obtained and used. There is no hint that his commending church in Antioch supported the outreach with financial help. We do know that Paul worked at tent making in Corinth (Acts 18:3). We also know that the mission churches already planted sent him funds (Phil. 4:16). Paul taught his converts to give through the local church (2 Cor. 8:1–9:15). It would appear, therefore, that the resources Paul and his fellow-workers used came from individuals and churches to whom they had preached and from their own labor. These resources were used principally in the personal and travel expenses of the workers and in assisting the needy believers such as the poor saints in Jerusalem (1 Cor. 16:1–3). Church buildings were not contemplated in New Testament mission strategy.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the implications of Pauline evangelism for us are clear. It may well be that we should rearrange our priorities to give evangelism much more emphasis. Institutional work and the pressure to get involved in social programs have the tendency to seem urgent and to claim priority. The missionary with Paul’s heart, however, will exclaim, “Woe is me if I do not preach the gospel” (1 Cor. 9:16). We should also increase our versatility in being all things to all men. Not only should we be versatile ourselves, but we need to be more sensitive to the cultural context of those to whom we are ministering.
Our message must be kept as clear as was Paul’s when he said, “We preach Christ crucified” (1 Cor. 1:23). Finally, we must keep the spiritual side of our evangelism to the forefront. Unless the Lord builds the house they labor in vain who build it. The ministry of the Spirit of God and the prayers of the people of God are essential to the extension of the kingdom of God.
Notes
- Ken Fleming is a faculty member of Emmaus Bible College. He was a missionary among the Zulu people in South Africa for twenty-five years and has taught missions at Emmaus for the last fifteen years. This article was originally given as a lecture at Westminster Chapel, London, during Echoes Day for Echoes of Service and was published in England. It is the first in a series of three articles on the biblical principles of missions which are seen in the life of the apostle Paul.
- Since Paul was interrupted, it cannot be assumed that this would have been the full extent of his message.
- Note the salutations in 1 and 2 Cor., Gal., Phil., Col., and 1 and 2 Thess.
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