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Evangelism

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
For the similarly named branch of Protestantism, seeEvangelicalism.For the post-Vatican II Catholic understanding of "evangelization", seeNew evangelization.For the 16th-century Italian reform movement, seeSpirituali.
TheFour Evangelists

InChristianity,evangelismorwitnessingis the act ofpreachingthe gospelwith the intention of sharing the message andteachingsofJesus Christ.It is sometimes associated withChristian missions.

Christianswho specialize in evangelism are often known asevangelists,whether they are in their home communities or living asmissionariesin the field, although some Christian traditions refer to such people asmissionariesin either case. Some Christian traditions consider evangelists to be in a leadership position; they may be found preaching to large meetings or in governance roles. In addition, Christian groups who encourage evangelism are sometimes known as evangelistic orevangelist.

Etymology

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Main article:The gospel

The wordevangelistcomes from theKoine Greekwordεὐανγέλιον(transliterated aseuangelion) via Latinisedevangeliumas used in the canonical titles of theFour Gospels,authored by (or attributed to)Matthew,Mark,Luke,andJohn(also known as theFour Evangelists). The Greek wordεὐαγγέλιονoriginally meant a reward given to the messenger for good news (εὔ= "good",ἀνγέλλω= "I bring a message"; the word "angel"comes from the same root) and later" good news "itself.

The verb form ofeuangelion,[1](translated as "evangelism" ), occurs rarely in older Greek literature outside theNew Testament,making its meaning more difficult to ascertain. Parallel texts of the Gospels of Luke and Mark reveal a synonymous relationship between the verbeuangelizo(εὑαγγελίζω) and a Greek verbkerusso(κηρύσσω), which means "to proclaim".[2]

Motivation

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The onset of this article speaks of the "intention" (motivation) for evangelism. This impetus derives from abiblicalcommand fromJesusknown as the "Great Commission."[3][4]The following passage is a primary reason for evangelism.

Mark 16:15 -"And he said unto them,Go yeinto all the world, andpreach the gospelto every creature. "[5](KJV)

Academic Documentation of the Great Commission

Thom S. Rainer[6]-Ph.D.andMDivdegrees - Article - Seven Reasons Why Evangelism Should Be a Priority of Your Church[3]

Lausanne Movement-scholarlyleadership Michael Oh[7],Khara Collymore[8],Tom Lin[9],Daewon Moon[10]and others - Article - The Great Commission: A Theological Basis[4]

Got Questions -scholarlystaff and contributors withdoctorate degrees[11]- Article - Why should I evangelize?[12]

Matthew Henry-theologian- commentary on the Great Commission[13]

Easton's Bible Dictionary- article about the Gospel[14]

International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia- article about the Gospel[15]

Vine's Expository DictionaryofNew TestamentWords - article about the Gospel[16]

Bible Hub - series ofscholarlycommentaries on the Gospel and Great Commission[17]

Message

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Expanding on the opening sentence of this article, which states that evangelism is about preaching the gospel message. This message is elucidated in the Bible as follows:

1 Corinthians 15:1-4 (KJV) -"Moreover, brethren, I declare unto youthe gospelwhich I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; (2) By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. (3) For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how thatChrist died for our sinsaccording to the scriptures; (4) And thathe was buried,and thathe rose againthe third day according to the scriptures: "[18][19][20][21]

Methods

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See also:Approaches to evangelism
Billy GrahaminDüsseldorf(1954)

Evangelism can includepreachingor distributingbibles,tracts,newspapersand/or magazines, by the media, street evangelists, etc.[22][23][24]TheBiblerecords thatJesussent out his disciples to evangelize by visiting peoples homes in pairs of two believers (cf.Luke 10:1–12).[25]In the same text, Jesus mentioned that few people were willing to evangelize, despite there being many people who would be receptive to hisGospel message.[26]

Thechild evangelism movementis a Christian evangelism movement that originated in the 20th century. It focuses on the 4/14 Window which centers on evangelizing children between the ages of 4 and 14 years old.[27]Beginning in the1970s,a group of Christian athletes known asThe Power Teamspawned an entire genre of Christian entertainment based on strong-man exploits mixed with a Christian message and usually accompanied by an opportunity to respond with aprayerforsalvation.[28]New opportunities for evangelism have been provided in recent decades by increased travel opportunities and by instant communications over theinternet.[29]

Instant chalk board drawings (while storytelling), using bright poster chalk on large boards, along with ventriloquism and humor, have also been used in schools and churches and at beaches and river banks. In the 90's (and now in the 2000's) Geoffrey Moran of Australia uses these "old school" methods as they are now new again for both children and adults. Ventriloquism is also returning to radio in the Edgar Bergen and Charlie McCarthy style.

World Youth Day,an evangelistic event, inCopacabana, Rio de Janeiro,Brazil, in 2013.

Missionary work

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Further information:Christian mission

Catholicism

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Main article:New evangelization

Protestantism

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In 1831, thePresbyterian Mission Agencywas founded by thePresbyterian Church in the United States of America.[30]

Evangelicalism

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Passion Conferences,a music and evangelism festival atGeorgia DomeinAtlanta, Georgia,United States, in 2013
Further information:Evangelicalism

Various evangelical mission organizations have specialized in evangelism throughout history. In 1792,BMS World Missionwas founded inKettering, EnglandbyWilliam Carey.[31][32]In 1814, theAmerican Baptist International Ministrieswas founded by theAmerican Baptist Churches USAinUnited States.[33]In 1865,OMF Internationalwas founded byHudson TaylorinEngland.[34]In 1893, inLagosinNigeria,SIMwas founded byWalter Gowans,Rowland Bingham,andThomas Kent.[35]Samuel E. Hill, John H. Nicholson, and William J. Knights foundedGideons International,an organization which distributes free Bibles to hotels, motels, hospitals, military bases, prisons, schools, and universities, inJanesvillein Wisconsin, United States, in 1899.[36]

In 1922, Canadian evangelical evangelistAimee Semple McPherson,founder of theFoursquare Church,was the first woman to use radio to reach a wider audience in theUnited States.[37]In 1951, producer Dick Ross andBaptistevangelistBilly Grahamfounded the film production companyWorld Wide Pictures,which would make videos of his preaching and Christian films.[38]

In 1960, more than half of the Protestant American missionaries were evangelical.[39]American and EuropeanPentecostalmissionaries are also numerous, Pentecostalism can develop independently by non-foreign residents in various regions of the world, notably in Africa, South America, and Asia.[40]Youth with a Missionwas founded in 1960 inUnited StatesbyLoren Cunninghamand his wife Darlene.[41][42]

TheChristian Broadcasting Networkwas founded in 1961 inVirginia Beach,United States,by Baptist ministerPat Robertson.[43]

In 1974,Billy Grahamand the Lausanne Committee for World Evangelization organized theFirst International Congress on World EvangelizationinLausanne.[44]In 2004,South Koreabecame the second-largest source of missionaries in the world, after theUnited Statesand ahead ofEngland.[45][46]

In July 1999, TopChrétien, an evangelical Christianweb portalandsocial network,was launched by Éric Célérier, pastor of theAssemblies of Godof France and Estelle Martin.[47]In January 2007,GodTube,a site for sharing videos related toChristianity,especially evangelical, was founded by Christopher Wyatt ofPlano, Texasin theUnited States,then a student at Dallas Theological Seminary.[48]

In 2007, there were over 10,000Baptistmissionariesin overseasmissionsaround the world.[49]

Controversies

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Some consider evangelism to beproselytising,while others argue it is merely free speech.[50][51][52]The fact thatevangelicalsspeak about their faith in public is sometimes criticized by the media and it is often associated with proselytism.[51]According to the evangelicals,freedom of religionandfreedom of expressionallow them to discuss their faith like they would discuss other topics.[52]

Christian films made by American evangelical production companies are also regularly associated with proselytism.[53][54]According to Sarah-Jane Murray, screenwriting teacher at the US Film and Christian Television Commission United, Christian films are works of art, not proselytism.[55]For Hubert de Kerangat, communications manager at SAJE Distribution, a distributor of these American Christian films in France, if Christian films are considered proselytism, all films are a form of proselytism, since films of all genres could each be said to carry a message.[56]

See also

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Look upevangelism,evangelist,εὐαγγέλιον,evangelical,evangelization,orproselytismin Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

References

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  1. ^The 7 Principles of an Evangelistic Life, p. 32, Douglas M. Cecil, Moody Publishers
  2. ^Bible as a Second LanguageArchived2008-12-01 at theWayback Machine,webpage, retrieved November 5, 2008
  3. ^abRainer, Thom S. (2012-10-10)."Seven Reasons Why Evangelism Should Be a Priority of Your Church".Church Answers.Retrieved2024-10-04.
  4. ^ab"The Great Commission: A Theological Basis".Lausanne Movement.Retrieved2024-10-04.
  5. ^"Bible Gateway passage: Mark 16:15 - King James Version".Bible Gateway.Retrieved2024-10-04.
  6. ^"Thom S. Rainer, Author at Church Answers".Church Answers.Retrieved2024-10-04.
  7. ^"Michael Oh".Lausanne Movement.Retrieved2024-10-04.
  8. ^"Khara Collymore".Lausanne Movement.Retrieved2024-10-04.
  9. ^"Tom Lin".Lausanne Movement.Retrieved2024-10-04.
  10. ^"Daewon Moon".Lausanne Movement.Retrieved2024-10-04.
  11. ^"What expertise does GotQuestions.org possess?".GotQuestions.org.Retrieved2024-10-04.
  12. ^"Why should I evangelize?".GotQuestions.org.Retrieved2024-10-04.
  13. ^"Commentary on Mark 16 by Matthew Henry".Blue Letter Bible.Retrieved2024-10-04.
  14. ^"Gospel - Easton's Bible Dictionary".Blue Letter Bible.Retrieved2024-10-04.
  15. ^"Gospel - International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia".Blue Letter Bible.Retrieved2024-10-04.
  16. ^"Gospel (Noun and Verb: to Preach) - Vine's Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words".Blue Letter Bible.Retrieved2024-10-04.
  17. ^"Matthew 28:18 Commentaries: And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying," All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth ".biblehub.Retrieved2024-10-04.
  18. ^"Bible Gateway passage: 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 - New American Standard Bible".Bible Gateway.Retrieved2024-10-04.
  19. ^"Gospel | Encyclopedia".encyclopedia.Retrieved2024-10-04.
  20. ^"What are the essentials of the gospel message?".GotQuestions.org.Retrieved2024-10-04.
  21. ^"What Is the Gospel? The Good News of the New Testament".Christianity.Retrieved2024-10-04.
  22. ^Roswith Gerloff, Afe Adogame, Klaus Hock,Christianity in Africa and the African Diaspora: The Appropriation of a Scattered Heritage,Continuum, UK, 2011, p. 190
  23. ^George Thomas Kurian, James D. Smith III,The Encyclopedia of Christian Literature, Volume 2,Scarecrow Press, US, 2010, p. 95
  24. ^Martin I. Klauber, Scott M. Manetsch, Erwin W. Lutzer,The Great Commission: Evangelicals and the History of World Missions,B&H Publishing Group, US, 2008, p. 123
  25. ^Rainer, Thom S. (1989).Evangelism in the twenty-first century: the critical issues.H. Shaw Publishers. p. 148.ISBN978-0-87788-238-1.
  26. ^Muzorewa, Abel Tendekayi (1 December 2005).Evangelism That Decolonizes the Soul: Partnership with Christ.Wipf and Stock Publishers.p. 9.ISBN978-1-59752-445-2.
  27. ^Luis Bush (June 18, 2013)."4/14 Window - a Golden Age of Opportunity"(PDF).4/14 Movement. Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 2013-10-14.
  28. ^"Coming on strong: Power Team lifts weights and spirits".30 July 2004.
  29. ^Dulles SJ, Avery.Evangelization for the Third Millennium (Kindle Locations 781-782). Paulist Press.
  30. ^Parker, Michael (2012)."History of World Mission".Presbyterian Historical Society.Retrieved7 June2014.
  31. ^Robert E. Johnson,A Global Introduction to Baptist Churches,Cambridge University Press, UK, 2010, p. 99
  32. ^J. Gordon Melton and Martin Baumann,Religions of the World: A Comprehensive Encyclopedia of Beliefs and Practices,ABC-CLIO, US, 2010, p. 292
  33. ^George Thomas Kurian, Mark A. Lamport,Encyclopedia of Christianity in the United States,Volume 5,Rowman & Littlefield, USA, 2016, p. 63
  34. ^Mark A. Lamport,Encyclopedia of Christianity in the Global South, Volume 2,Rowman & Littlefield, USA, 2018, p. 148
  35. ^J. Gordon Melton and Martin Baumann,Religions of the World: A Comprehensive Encyclopedia of Beliefs and Practices,ABC-CLIO, USA, 2010, p. 2738
  36. ^George Thomas Kurian, Mark A. Lamport,Encyclopedia of Christianity in the United States,Volume 5,Rowman & Littlefield, USA, 2016, p. 962
  37. ^Christopher H. Sterling,Biographical Encyclopedia of American Radio,Routledge, USA, 2013, p. 253
  38. ^John Lyden,The Routledge Companion to Religion and Film,Taylor & Francis, Abingdon-on-Thames, 2009, p. 82
  39. ^Samuel S. Hill, Charles H. Lippy, Charles Reagan Wilson,Encyclopedia of Religion in the South,Mercer University Press, USA, 2005, p. 304
  40. ^Allan Anderson,An Introduction to Pentecostalism: Global Charismatic Christianity,Cambridge University Press, Royaume-Uni, 2013, p. 175
  41. ^Brian Stiller,Evangelicals Around the World: A Global Handbook for the 21st Century,Thomas Nelson, USA, 2015, p. 22
  42. ^Erwin Fahlbusch, Geoffrey William Bromiley,The Encyclopedia of Christianity, Volume 3,Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, USA, 2003, p. 584
  43. ^Randall Herbert Balmer,Encyclopedia of Evangelicalism: Revised and expanded edition,Baylor University Press, USA, 2004, p. 157
  44. ^Mark A. Lamport,Encyclopedia of Christianity in the Global South, Volume 2,Rowman & Littlefield, USA, 2018, p. 451
  45. ^NORIMITSU ONISHI,Korean Missionaries Carrying Word to Hard-to-Sway Places,nytimes, USA, 1er novembre 2004
  46. ^Quentin J. Schultze, Robert Herbert Woods Jr.,Understanding Evangelical Media: The Changing Face of Christian Communication,InterVarsity Press, USA, 2009, p. 244
  47. ^Michel Béghin,Ce jour-là, le 15 juillet 1999, naît le Top ChrétienArchived2021-10-04 at theWayback Machine,christianismeaujourdhui.info, Switzerland, February 15, 2015
  48. ^Heidi Campbell,When Religion Meets New Media,Routledge, Abingdon-on-Thames, 2010, p. 191
  49. ^William H. Brackney,Historical Dictionary of the Baptists,Scarecrow Press, USA, 2009, p. 391
  50. ^La Croix, "Le pape François dénonce la confusion entre évangélisation et prosélytisme à l'approche du mois missionnaire extraordinaire",France, August 1, 2019.
  51. ^abJean-Paul Willaime et Flora Genoux, "Pour les évangéliques, l'idée reste qu'être croyant, cela doit se voir",lemonde.fr, France, February 3, 2012.
  52. ^abLoup Besmond de Senneville, "Les Protestants évangéliques revendiquent d'avoir le droit de dire leur foi",la-croix, France, January 25, 2015.
  53. ^Barry Hertz, "Miracles from Heaven: Religious film has an insulting and forced message",The Globe and Mail,Canada, April 18, 2014.
  54. ^Nick Schager, "Film Review: 'Overcomer'",Variety,US, August 22, 2019.
  55. ^Carl Hoover, "Has Hollywood finally found religion? Faith-based films here to stay",Waco Tribune-Herald,US, April 18, 2014.
  56. ^Thomas Imbert, "SAJE Distribution: rencontre avec ce distributeur centré sur la foi",allocine.fr, France, January 9, 2019.
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