Page 246 - Way of Life Encyclopedia of the Bible Christianity. Based on the King James Bible

EUROCLYDON - EVANGELIST

originate in the Taurus mountains of Armenia. They evangelist (Ep. 4:11). Some of the lessons about the
flow southeast until they join together before flowing office of the evangelist are as follows: (a) It is an office
into the Persian Gulf. In ancient times the Gulf extended in the church (Ep. 4:11). In Ep. 4:11 the evangelist is
inland so far that the two rivers remained separated. listed as one of the ministry-gifted men Christ has given
The Tigris is about 1,100 miles long. “Its length is to the churches. In Ephesians 4 we see that evangelists
eleven hundred and forty-six miles; its depth, volume, are to work together with the pastors and teachers and
and velocity much greater than those of the Euphrates. prophets to accomplish the ministry of Christ in the
It receives numerous tributaries” (Goodspeed, A History churches. Philip is an example of an evangelist (Acts
of the Babylonians and Assyrians). The Euphrates is 21:8; 8:5-8,12, 26-40).
about 1,700 miles long, the longest river of western Every church should pray for the Lord to give
Asia. Unlike most rivers, it narrows and decreases in evangelists. (b) The evangelist’s job in the church is
power, as it has only two tributaries. It gradually described in Ep. 4:12. The evangelist and pastors and
narrows from about 400 yards to 250 yards. As it nears teachers work together to accomplish this task, and it
the Gulf of Aqaba it “spreads out in canals and pools can be summarized as two things: to build up the saints
and swamps until it joins the Tigris.” The Euphrates was and to proclaim the gospel. The evangelist is a person
one of the rivers of the Garden of Eden (Ge. 2:10-14). who is gifted of God and who has the zeal and devotion
God promised that Abraham’s seed will possess the land to give himself to reaching the unsaved with the gospel,
reaching to the Euphrates (Ge. 15:18; Jos. 1:4). Modern and also to train and lead the church members in their
day Lebanon would be included in this. God’s promise outreach with the gospel. This involves many things,
will be fulfilled when Christ returns and establishes His such as showing the church by his example how to do
kingdom in Israel (Ro. 11:25-27; Je. 31-33). [See evangelism, teaching classes on evangelism, encouraging
Covenant, Israel, Kingdom of God, Millennium.] and exhorting the church members to do the work of
EUROCLYDON. A tempestuous wind often evangelism, and working with the pastors to lead and
experienced by navigators in the Levant; it blows from organize the evangelistic ministry of the church. Again,
the NE or ENE. The name really means the united winds we would exhort every church to seek the face of God
Eurus and Aquilo (Ac. 27:14) (Young). that He might raise up effective evangelists. The
EUTYCHUS (fortunate). Ac. 20:9. churches should also strive to make it possible for the
EVANGEL (good news). (1) The Gospel. (2) A evangelists to be free to do the urgent work of
reference to one of the four Gospels—Matthew, Mark, evangelism. It would seem that a wise church would be
Luke, and John. [See Evangelist, Gospel, Great more concerned to support an evangelist than a music
Commission.] director or a youth pastor or many other positions that
EVANGELICAL. Historically this term has been used are of much less eternal importance.
to describe Christians who claim a personal, saving “We believe these truths prove that only certain men
relationship with Jesus Christ, who believe in the are divinely chosen and gifted as evangelists. This does
necessity of such salvation for all men, and who believe not mean that the work of evangelism is limited to
and follow the Bible. The term evangelical has become evangelists. Evangelism is the work of all Christians. The
very broad. It is used for Roman Catholics, for responsibility to evangelize was laid upon ... every
theological modernists, for the emerging church, for believer ... Pastors are to evangelize as a part of their
homosexuals, you name it! The term New Evangelical work; so are teachers, deacons, and all the saints. The
was coined in the late 1940s to describe a new attitude work of world evangelization would never be
and direction of evangelicalism. [See Fundamentalism, accomplished if we had to depend solely on evangelists.
New Evangelicalism.] But evangelists are God-chosen and Spirit-gifted men to
EVANGELISM. The work of spreading the Gospel of lead out in the work of evangelism. They are God’s
firebrands to kindle evangelistic fires in the churches, to
Jesus Christ among men. [See Church, Evangelist, Great inspire pastors, to teach and to lead others in the work
Commission, Gospel.] of evangelism. Evangelists are to bear the burden for
EVANGELIST. The term “evangelist” means “a lost souls, for lost communities, and for lost nations.
messenger of good tidings.” The term is found three Evangelists are Christ’s key men in His mighty
times in the N.T. and the usage shows us the two-fold evangelistic program for the world, and it is a sin to
meaning: (1) The term “evangelist” refers simply to the ignore them. We believe it is also true that one man may
work of preaching the gospel. Timothy, who was a pastor have more than one of the gifts mentioned in Ep. 4.
and missionary apostle, is told by Paul in 2 Ti. 4:5 to “do While it is true that some men are called exclusively to
the work of an evangelist.” In this sense, every Christian evangelism who could never fit into the pastorate, and
is to be an evangelist. (2) There is also the office of an some are called to be pastors who do not have the gift

246 Way of Life Encyclopedia of the Bible & Christianity