Evangelism (the "E" word)

The "E" Word

(Part 1)

What is the "E" word?  Simply put, the "E" word is evangelism.  And I title this article as I do because for many of us in the Orthodox church, it's a word we don't like (a "bad" word).

But, evangelism shouldn't be a bad word.  In this first article on the "E" word, we will look at the first reason why evangelism is something that we should honor and practice in our lives - which is that evanglism is biblical.

The Bible has many examples of evangelism - too many for a brief article like this one to cover - but for the sake of brevity we can look at two examples of evangelism in the Bible that represent pretty much all the rest.

St. Peter speaks to the masses on Pentecost

In the book of Acts, chapter 2, we read about the day of Pentecost.  50 days after Jesus had risen from the dead, the Holy Spirit was poured out on the disciples and they were empowered to spread the gospel to all nations.

Beginning from Acts 2:14, St. Peter addresses all who had gathered around this very noisy scene of Pentecost (both believers and non-believers) concerning who this Jesus was and God's plan for the salvation of the human race. At the end of this chapter we learn that it was a very fruitful evangelistic day - So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls (2:41).

This example represents one way of approaching evangelism that I will call mass evangelism.  St. Peter doesn't have a one-on-one conversation with any one person in the crowd that day, but rather speaks to a large group.  And, empowered by the Holy Spirit, we see that his seeds fall on fertile ground and bear fruit.

St. Philip the deacon and the Ethiopian eunuch

The second example is from Acts 8.  In this scene we read about St. Philip the deacon and an Ethiopian eunuch.  At the start of this story we read that …an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Rise and go toward the south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza” (8:26).

On this road he comes across an Ethiopian eunuch who is reading a prophecy concerning Jesus from the book of Isaiah, but doesn't understand what the prophet is about.  St. Philip explains the meaning of the passage and goes on to explain the gospel of Jesus Christ and in the end we read:

And as they went along the road they came to some water, and the eunuch said, “See, here is water! What is to prevent my being baptized?”  And he commanded the chariot to stop, and they both went down into the water, Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him (36-38).

Here, rather than a mass presentation, we see a one-on-one interaction, where the soil is fertile and the gospel is presented and received with joy.

The point being that evangelism - both in it's mass-presentation form and in it's one-on-one form - are clearly a part of the church.  These are things that Christians have done, and are still called to do (you and me) today.  And, indeed, both a healthy Christian and a healthy church can't exist without evangelism - which will be the topic of next week's reflection.

- Offered by Fr. Panteleimon Dalianis

Monday

II Thess. 1:1-10; Luke 12:13-15, 22-31

The Lord said to the man who asked Him to divide between him and his brother, Who made Me a judge or a divider over you? (Luke 12:14). Later He added: Take no thought (Luke 12:22) about what to eat or drink, or what to wear. Earlier He taught: Let the dead bury their dead (Luke 9:60). Another time he suggested that is is better not to marry (cf. Matt. 19:10-11). This means that the turning aside of the attention and heart from everything worldly, as well as freedom from vanity and worldly bonds, make up one of the characteristics of a Christian spirit. The fact that the Lord blesses marriage and and supports its indissolubility, which effectually renews the commandment regarding the relationship between parents and children and attaches significance and does not give Christians the right to avoid preserving it and cherishing it in their hearts. Compare both things and you will see that you have a duty to keep your heart unworldly amidst the worldly order of things. How can you do this? Resolve it yourself in your own life; in this is all practical wisdom. The Lord guide you toward resolving this with the following rule: Seek ye first the Kingdom of God (Matt. 6:33). Direct all your concern toward having God reign in you, and everything worldly will lose its binding and burdensome spell over you. Then you will conduct your affairs outwardly, but inwardly your heart will be possessed by something else. But if on account of this, the resolution arises to cut off even this outward relationship to worldly things, it will not be a loss for you. You will come closer to the goal which faith in Christ will give you.

-From St. Theophan the Recluse

Monday

1 Thess. 2:20-3:8; Luke 11:29-33

The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgement with the men of this generation, and condemn them (Luke 11:31). For what? For indifference to the work accomplished by the Lord before their eyes. That queen, upon hearing about Solomon's wisdom, came from afar to hear him, but these men, having before their face the Lord Himself, did not heed Him, although it was obvious that He was higher than Solomon, just as the sky is higher than the earth. And the queen of the south condemns everyone who is indifferent to God's works, because among us as well, the Lord is always as obviously present in the Gospel account as He was (in the days of Solomon). Reading the Gospel, we have before our eyes the Lord with all of His marvelous works, for the Gospel is as undoubtedly true as the testimony of our own eyes. Meanwhile, who heeds the Lord as One Who has imprinted Himself upon our souls? We have closed our eyes or averted them. This is why we do not see, and not seeing, we do not devote ourselves to the Lord's works. However, this is no excuse, but rather the reason behind our heedlessness, which is as criminal as the acts that proceed from it. The work of the Lord is our top priority-that is, the salvation of our souls. Furthermore, since we must heed what comes from the Lord even if it not directly related to us, should we not all the more heed what is directed at us for the accomplishment of our essential work, the significance of which extends throughout all eternity? Judge for yourselves how criminal it is to disregard such a matter!

-From St. Theophan the Recluse

Monday

1 Thess. 1:1-5; Luke 10:22-24

No man knoweth Who the Father is, but the Son, and he to whom the Son will reveal Him (Luke 10:22). The Son was on earth and revealed everything necessary for us Himself and through the Holy Spirit, Who acted in the Apostles. Consequently, what you find in the Gospels and the apostolic writings is all your will and can know about the Father and Divine things. Do not seek more than this, and do not think to find the truth about God and God's plans anywhere else aside from this. What a great treasure we possess! Everything has already been said. Do not rack your brains, just accept with faith what has been revealed. It has been revealed that God is One in Essence and Truine in Persons: the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Accept this with faith and uphold it. It has been revealed that the Tri-hypostatic God created all through the Word and preserves all in His right hand, in His providence is over all things. Accept this with faith and uphold it. It has been revealed that we were in a blessed state and fell, and that for our restoration and redemption the Son of God, the Second Person of the Most Holy Trinity, was incarnate, suffered, died on the Cross, resurrected and ascended into heaven. Accept this with faith and uphold it. It has been revealed that he who desires to be saved must believe in the Lord and, receiving Divine grace in the Holy Mysteries, must live, with its help, according to grace in the Holy Mysteries, must live, with its help, according to the Lord's commandments, struggling against the passions and lusts by means of spiritual endeavors that correspond to them. Accept this faith and do it. It has been revealed that whoever lives according to God's direction will enter after his death into radiant dwelling places, the foretaste of eternal bliss. But whoever does not live this way will, upon death, begin to experience the torments of hell. Accept this with faith and keep it faithfully. There is no need to rack your brains over your own invented things. Do not listen to those who show off their intelligence, for they do not know where they are going.

-From St. Theophan the Recluse

Monday

Col. 2:13-20; Luke 9:18-22

Whom say the people that I am? the Lord asked (Luke 9:18). In answer to this the Apostles related the current opinions among the people concerning Him, formed according to the nature of people's views at that time. Some said that He was John the Baptist, others that He was Elijah, others that He was one of the ancient prophets resurrected. How do people answer today? Also in various ways, each according to his own way of thinking. What sort of answers could be given by materialists, atheists, and the soulless, who are descended from apes, when they believe in neither God nor the soul? Spiritists get away with the same response as the Arians, which was denounced at the First Ecumenical Council. Deists see God as being very far from the world, and since they cannot contain in their system the mystery of Incarnation, they answer like the Ebionites and Socinians. You will encounter similar responses in Russian society, for the aforesaid three types of personalities exist and are multiplying among us. But thanks be to the Lord, we still have an extremely predominant number of sincere believers and those who strictly maintain the apostolic confession that the Lord Jesus Christ is the Incarnate, Only Begotten Son of God, the Savior and Redeemer of the human race, Who even in Paradise was promised to our progenitors. Which party will prevail is known only to God. Let us pray that the darkness of false teachings be driven away. We have a weakness for bad things, and therefore it would not be surprising if a lie took the upper hand. Even now it is walking the streets of town openly, while in the past it cautiously hid from the gaze of Christian believers.

-From St. Theophan the Recluse

Monday

Phil. 4:10-23; Luke 7:36-50

How could it be that although Simon the Pharisee reveres the Lord and invites Him to his home, he is scandalized when he sees that He shows favor toward a sinful woman and permits her to approach Him? Why does he think to himself, If He were a prophet (Luke 7:39), and so forth? Because he has busied himself with entertaining, and has therefore ignored a sensible understanding of how God does things. These two realms, worldly and spiritual, have completely different characteristics and laws. Meanwhile, our mind, when it is preoccupied with something, begins to judge according to that thing. According to worldly customs, one must not have contact with an obviously sinful woman. This is how Simon judges, forgetting that repentance makes everyone pure and puts sinners on par with the righteous. He thinks that the sinful woman should not be there, and that if the Savior does not chase here away, it is probably because He does not know who she is. Another thought immediately follows this one: If He does not know, then what kind of prophet is He? He did not say this in words, but only thought it, although there was no outward change in his appearance or in how he was treating his guests. But the Lord saw his heart and corrected him accordingly. He suggested to him that sinners also have a place beside Him, and that the sinful woman, who had prostrated before Him in her heart, revered Him more than did Simon, who honored Him with nothing but food. Externals lead a person to a feeling of self-righteousness which is disagreeable to the Lord, while inner qualities always keep him in a feeling of his worthlessness before the face of the omniscient Lord.

-From St. Theophan the Recluse

Monday

Phil. 2:12-16; Luke 6:24-30

Woe to those who are rich, who are full, who laugh, and who are praised. But goos shall come to those who endure every wrongful accusation, beating, robbery, or imposed hardship. This is completely opposite to what people usually think and feel! The thoughts of God are as far from human thoughts as heaven is from the earth. How else could it be? We are in exile. and it is not remarkable for those in exile to be offended and insulted. We are under a penance, and the penance consists of deprivations and labors. We are sick, and bitter medicines are most useful for the sick. The Savior Himself did not have a place to lay His head for His whole life, and He finished His life on the Cross. Why should his followers have a better lot? The spirit of Christ is the spirit of preparedness to suffer and good-naturedly bear all that is sorrowful. Comfort, conceit, splendor, and ease are all foreign to its strivings and tastes. Its path lies in the fruitless, cheerless desert. Its model is the forty-year wandering of the Israelites in the desert. Who follows this path? Anyone who sees Canaan beyond the desert, overflowing with milk and honey. During his wandering he too receives manna-however, not from the earth, but from heaven; not bodily, but spiritually. All glory is within. 

-From St. Theophan The Recluse