Analysis of New Testament Evangelism Examples

There are countless methods of bridging between first contact and the gospel message.  Different methods work not only for the one sharing but also for the hearer. Some approaches that are taught initiate contact pointing out a person’s sin. “Have you ever lied?” Whereas that can be effective for some hearers, it may not be for others. This is an analysis of the order and the amount of time Bible evangelists put into different components of bridging to the point where they shared the Gospel message.

 

Unless led by the Holy Spirit, or a situation dictates to do otherwise, this seems to be the best default guideline to follow.

 

Components of sharing the Good News

 

The color coding matches the coding of Evangelistic narrative portions of Acts below.

 

1. CONNECT WITH COMMON GROUND:

a)    Reasoning without needed foundation in Bible 

b)    Reasoning from mutually accepted part of Bible

2.  REVELATION: Reasoning or sharing from the Bible something new to hearer.

3.  GOOD NEWS:

4.  PROBLEM: Sin, separation from God

5.  SOLUTION: Repentance

6.  CONSEQUENCE:  Separation from God.

 

Analysis 

We can’t mathematically determine how Evangelism was done in the New Testament because in most cases the entire conversation isn’t recorded.  We can however learn what these early evangelists led by the Holy Spirit found important to share and generally in what order they shared different components of their messages.

 

EVANGELISM MESSAGES IN ACTS   Acts 2   Acts 3   Acts 8   Acts 13   Acts 14   Acts 17   Acts 26   Summary
(containing 3 or more of the below components)   O V   0 V   O V   O V   O V   O V   O V   O V
1. CONNECT WITH COMMON GROUND:      19     5     2     8     2     3     6     6.4
a. Reasoning without needed foundation in Bible 1 7   1 4   1 1   1 6   1 2   1 2   4 2   1.4 3.4
b. Reason from mutually accepted part of Bible 2 12   7 1   2 1   2 2         4 1   1 4   3.0 3.0
2. GOOD NEWS:        3 4   5 3   3 1   4 3   2 3   3 3   2 3   3.1 3.0
3. REVELATION:        5 1   3 3         3 4   3 1   2 7         3.2 2.1
4. PROBLEM: Sin       4 3   2 2                     6 1         4.0 0.9
5. SOLUTION: Repentance     6 1   4 2         5 2         5 1   3 1   4.6 1.4
6. CONSEQUENCE: Separation from God         6 1                                 6.0 0.1
O=Order component is first shared in passage                                                
V=Number of Verses                                                    
 

The typical order of sharing is

1.   Connect

2.   Good News

3.   Revelation

4.   Sin

5. Repentance

(Consequence is only mentioned in one message)

 

Note that in six out of seven of the messages, in order to connect with the audience, the Apostles started off reasoning in a manner which the hearers didn't need a biblical foundation and the remaining one started off reasoning using the Bible.

 

The percentage of verses spent on each component.

  1. CONNECT         46%
  2. GOOD NEWS    21%
  3. REVELATION    15%
  4. SOLUTION        10%
  5. SIN                    6%
  6. CONSEQUENCE  1%

 

Summary:  If it is appropriate to follow the examples in Acts, we need to both start out and spend enough time connecting.   I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some. I Cor 9:22b. [1]  We can then reveal truth unknown to the hearer along with the Good News, that Christ has come into the world to save the world followed up with the roadblock of personal sin and need to repent.

Narrative passages highlighted according to Evangelism Components.

Below, the evangelistic messages in the Bible are color coded matching the coding of the components above.

 

 

Introduction to Acts

The Author, the Good Doctor Luke, was a Gentile. It is important to recognize, considering the Book of Acts is written for a wider audience, an audience that reaches around the globe, a world-wide audience. Also, the 5 primary themes radiating throughout the book of Acts: 1. World Missions 2. Providence of God 3. Power of the Spirit 4. Faithful triumph of the Gospel 5. The Church's relationship with the World.

Paul Acts 2

Audience:  Mixed, Mostly Jews

 

14Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: "Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say. 15These men are not drunk, as you suppose. It's only nine in the morning! 16No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:

   17" 'In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. 18Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy. 19I will show wonders in the heaven above and signs on the earth below, blood and fire and billows of smoke. 20The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord.

   21And everyone who calls

       on the name of the Lord will be saved.'F8

22"Men of Israel, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know. 23This man was handed over to you by God's set purpose and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men,F9 put him to death by nailing him to the cross. 24But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him. 25David said about him:

   " 'I saw the Lord always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. 26Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will live in hope, 27because you will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay. 28You have made known to me the paths of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence.'F10

29"Brothers, I can tell you confidently that the patriarch David died and was buried, and his tomb is here to this day. 30But he was a prophet and knew that God had promised him on oath that he would place one of his descendants on his throne. 31Seeing what was ahead, he spoke of the resurrection of the Christ,F11 that he was not abandoned to the grave, nor did his body see decay. 32God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of the fact. 33Exalted to the right hand of God, he has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear. 34For David did not ascend to heaven, and yet he said, " 'The Lord said to my Lord: "Sit at my right hand 35until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet." 'F12 36"Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ."

37When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, "Brothers, what shall we do?"

38Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off--for all whom the Lord our God will call."

40With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, "Save yourselves from this corrupt generation." 41Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.

 

Peter Acts 3

Audience:  Jews

12 When Peter saw this, he said to them: "Men of Israel, why does this surprise you? Why do you stare at us as if by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk?13 The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his servant Jesus. You handed him over to be killed, and you disowned him before Pilate, though he had decided to let him go.14 You disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked that a murderer be released to you.15 You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead. We are witnesses of this.16 By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong. It is Jesus' name and the faith that comes through him that has given this complete healing to him, as you can all see.

17 "Now, brothers, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did your leaders.18 But this is how God fulfilled what he had foretold through all the prophets, saying that his Christ would suffer.19 Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord,20 and that he may send the Christ, who has been appointed for you--even Jesus.21 He must remain in heaven until the time comes for God to restore everything, as he promised long ago through his holy prophets.22 For Moses said, 'The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own people; you must listen to everything he tells you.23 Anyone who does not listen to him will be completely cut off from among his people.'24 "Indeed, all the prophets from Samuel on, as many as have spoken, have foretold these days.25 And you are heirs of the prophets and of the covenant God made with your fathers. He said to Abraham, 'Through your offspring all peoples on earth will be blessed.'26 When God raised up his servant, he sent him first to you to bless you by turning each of you from your wicked ways."

 

Stephen  Acts 7:1-60

Audience:  Jews

 

2To this he replied: "Brothers and fathers, listen to me! The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham while he was still in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran. ….  50Has not my hand made all these things?'F34

51"You stiff-necked people, with uncircumcised hearts and ears! You are just like your fathers: You always resist the Holy Spirit! 52Was there ever a prophet your fathers did not persecute? They even killed those who predicted the coming of the Righteous One. And now you have betrayed and murdered him-- 53you who have received the law that was put into effect through angels but have not obeyed it."

 

Acts 8

Audience: The eunuch 

 

30Then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. "Do you understand what you are reading?" Philip asked.

31"How can I," he said, "unless someone explains it to me?" So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.

32The eunuch was reading this passage of Scripture: ...

34The eunuch asked Philip, "Tell me, please, who is the prophet talking about, himself or someone else?" 35Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus.

 

 

Acts 9

Audience:  Jews

 

20Saul spent several days with the disciples in Damascus. At once he began to preach in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God. 21All those who heard him were astonished and asked, "Isn't he the man who raised havoc in Jerusalem among those who call on this name? And hasn't he come here to take them as prisoners to the chief priests?" 22Yet Saul grew more and more powerful and baffled the Jews living in Damascus by proving that Jesus is the Christ.F41

 

 28So Saul stayed with them and moved about freely in Jerusalem, speaking boldly in the name of the Lord. 29He talked and debated with the Grecian Jews, but they tried to kill him.

 

Acts 13

Audience:  Jews and Gentiles

16 Standing up, Paul motioned with his hand and said: "Men of Israel and you Gentiles who worship God, listen to me!

23 "From this man's descendants God has brought to Israel the Savior Jesus, as he promised.24 Before the coming of Jesus, John preached repentance and baptism to all the people of Israel.25 As John was completing his work, he said: 'Who do you think I am? I am not that one. No, but he is coming after me, whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.'

26 "Brothers, children of Abraham, and you God-fearing Gentiles, it is to us that this message of salvation has been sent.27 The people of Jerusalem and their rulers did not recognize Jesus, yet in condemning him they fulfilled the words of the prophets that are read every Sabbath.28 Though they found no proper ground for a death sentence, they asked Pilate to have him executed.29 When they had carried out all that was written about him, they took him down from the tree and laid him in a tomb.30 But God raised him from the dead,31 and for many days he was seen by those who had traveled with him from Galilee to Jerusalem. They are now his witnesses to our people.

32 "We tell you the good news: What God promised our fathers33 he has fulfilled for us, their children, by raising up Jesus. As it is written in the second Psalm: "'You are my Son;  today I have become your Father'.

34 The fact that God raised him from the dead, never to decay, is stated in these words: "'I will give you the holy and sure blessings promised to David.'

35 So it is stated elsewhere: 'You will not let your Holy One see decay.'

36 "For when David had served God's purpose in his own generation, he fell asleep; he was buried with his fathers and his body decayed.37 But the one whom God raised from the dead did not see decay.

38 "Therefore, my brothers, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you.39 Through him everyone who believes is justified from everything you could not be justified from by the law of Moses.40 Take care that what the prophets have said does not happen to you:41 "'Look, you scoffers, wonder and perish, for I am going to do something in your days that you would never believe,  even if someone told you.'"

 

Acts 14

 

14But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of this, they tore their clothes and rushed out into the crowd, shouting: 15"Men, why are you doing this? We too are only men, human like you. We are bringing you good news, telling you to turn from these worthless things to the living God, who made heaven and earth and sea and everything in them. 16In the past, he let all nations go their own way. 17Yet he has not left himself without testimony: He has shown kindness by giving you rain from heaven and crops in their seasons; he provides you with plenty of food and fills your hearts with joy."

 

Acts 16

Audience:  Gentiles

 

29The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas. 30He then brought them out and asked, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?"

31They replied, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved--you and your household." 32Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house.

 

Acts 17

Audience:  Jews

 

2As his custom was, Paul went into the synagogue, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, 3explaining and proving that the ChristF61 had to suffer and rise from the dead. "This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Christ,F62 " he said.

 

Audience:  Gentiles

 

16While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was greatly distressed to see that the city was full of idols. 17So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the God-fearing Greeks, as well as in the marketplace day by day with those who happened to be there. 18A group of Epicurean and Stoic philosophers began to dispute with him. Some of them asked, "What is this babbler trying to say?" Others remarked, "He seems to be advocating foreign gods." They said this because Paul was preaching the good news about Jesus and the resurrection.

 

 

22Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: "Men of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious. 23For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription:|sc TO AN UNKNOWN GOD. Now what you worship as something unknown I am going to proclaim to you. 24"The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands. 25And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else. 26From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. 27God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us. 28'For in him we live and move and have our being.' As some of your own poets have said, 'We are his offspring.' 29"Therefore since we are God's offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone--an image made by man's design and skill. 30In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. 31For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead."

 

Acts 18

Audience:  Jews

 

5When Silas and Timothy came from Macedonia, Paul devoted himself exclusively to preaching, testifying to the Jews that Jesus was the Christ

 

Acts 24

Audience:  Gentiles

 

14However, I admit that I worship the God of our fathers as a follower of the Way, which they call a sect. I believe everything that agrees with the Law and that is written in the Prophets, 15and I have the same hope in God as these men, that there will be a resurrection of both the righteous and the wicked. 16So I strive always to keep my conscience clear before God and man.

 

 

Acts 26

Audience:  Gentiles

 

6And now it is because of my hope in what God has promised our fathers that I am on trial today. 7This is the promise our twelve tribes are hoping to see fulfilled as they earnestly serve God day and night. O king, it is because of this hope that the Jews are accusing me. 8Why should any of you consider it incredible that God raises the dead?

 17I will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them 18to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.'

19"So then, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the vision from heaven. 20First to those in Damascus, then to those in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and to the Gentiles also, I preached that they should repent and turn to God and prove their repentance by their deeds. 21That is why the Jews seized me in the temple courts and tried to kill me. 22But I have had God's help to this very day, and so I stand here and testify to small and great alike. I am saying nothing beyond what the prophets and Moses said would happen-- 23that the ChristF78 would suffer and, as the first to rise from the dead, would proclaim light to his own people and to the Gentiles."24At this point Festus interrupted Paul's defense. "You are out of your mind, Paul!" he shouted. "Your great learning is driving you insane."

25"I am not insane, most excellent Festus," Paul replied. "What I am saying is true and reasonable. 26The king is familiar with these things, and I can speak freely to him. I am convinced that none of this has escaped his notice, because it was not done in a corner. 27King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know you do."

 

 

SUPPLEMENTAL READING (Scripture and opinions)

 

https://thedaveyoung.com/2016/11/17/11-biblical-examples-of-the-work-of-the-evangelist/

http://www.olemissxa.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/Evangelism-in-the-New-Testament.pdf
 

Commands

 

 

Matthew 10:7 7As you go, preach this message: 'The kingdom of heaven is near.


Amen!