By Charles P. Mawungwa
Introduction
If you are a Christian, then you need to hear this. One of the major reasons for divisions in churches today, is the lack of understanding between evangelists and teachers. Some evangelists view bible study as a waste of time, and some teachers view evangelism as a waste of time. We have ministries led by evangelists who have no appreciation for teaching, and ministries led by teachers who have no appreciation for evangelists.
This teaching is aimed at highlighting key differences between the two offices, and how they are supposed to work together for the sake of the kingdom of God.
Wired Differently
Just as a hand is wired to function in a different way to a kidney, so are teachers and evangelists designed and wired differently. They have different graces and are made to operate in different ways.
An evangelist is designed to work with unbelievers, a teacher is designed to work with believers. So, when an evangelist sees 1000 unbelievers, his heart and spirit is moved at the amount of work that needs to be done. He will preach the gospel to them and if all 1000 receive the gospel and are baptized, he considers it a job well done and completed.
He moves on.
When a teacher sees these 1000 newborn believers, he thinks, oh my goodness, there’s so much work that needs to be done. He will say to himself, ‘why is this preacher going out there, and abandoning the work that needs to be done. These people know nothing.’ The evangelist meanwhile is thinking, why is that preacher bothering with believers when there are so many unsaved souls out there.
In this day and age where everyone can start their own ministry, we find ministries run by teachers who have no appreciation or maybe access to evangelists. The churches are small but have people who are mature in Christ, strong in doctrine, walk in victory over the enemy, and are filled with the fruit of the spirit. But there are no new converts. New members are usually people coming from other churches.
Then we have ministries run by evangelists who have no appreciation or access to teachers. They have large churches with many branches, and millions of people coming to Christ. But they are babies, with baby pastors and baby prophets. Casting demons and healing the sick, but struggling to find sustaining freedom from oppression, freedom that comes from knowing the word. They are also susceptible to false prophets and many doctrinal errors.
So, clearly teachers need evangelists, and evangelists need teachers.
Their Job Descriptions
The apostle Paul likens the church to a field.
1 Corinthians 3:5-9 (NKJV)
5 Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers through whom you believed, as the Lord gave to each one? 6 I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase.
7 So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase. 8 Now he who plants and he who waters are one, and each one will receive his own reward according to his own labor.
9 For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, you are God’s building.
Paul was an apostle, but, in this particular case, in Corinth, Paul planted meaning he did the work of an evangelist, and Apollos watered which means he did the work of a teacher. And it is God who gave the increase.
Evangelists are planters, they prepare the ground, monitor the seasons, and plant the crop. Teachers are cultivators, they are designed to water and nature the plants until they bear fruit..
Both are necessary.
Evangelist are necessary for HORIZONTAL GROWTH, teachers are necessary for VERTICAL GROWTH.
Without evangelists, churches don’t grow. Without Teachers, believers don’t grow.
Evangelists
If you are an evangelist you find that your heart is not so much interested in reaching out to the people who are already in the church, your heart is mostly interested in reaching out to people who are in the world. And it is difficult for you to understand why some ministers are focusing on people who are already in Christ whilst there are many people out there who don’t know Christ. If this is how you feel, it’s because you have the grace for evangelism. But not everyone is meant to be an evangelist.
Evangelists are designed to deal mainly with unbelievers and so they usually have a lot of grace in casting demons and certain signs and healing miracles. These are important tools for them as they preach the gospel and introduce people to who Christ is.
When you look at the ministry of Jesus, you will find that he was casting out demons and performing healing miracles to people who were outside. He wasn’t repeatedly casting out demons from his own apostles. His disciples were already set free from oppressions and were now being taught the kingdom lifestyle.
A good example of a pure evangelist is Philip one of the seven deacons.
Acts 21:8 (NKJV) 8 On the next day we who were Paul’s companions departed and came to Caesarea, and entered the house of Philip the evangelist, who was one of the seven, and stayed with him
We first hear of this Philip when he goes to Samaria to preach the gospel.
Acts 8:5-8 (NKJV)
5 Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria and preached Christ to them. 6 And the multitudes with one accord heeded the things spoken by Philip, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did.
7 For unclean spirits, crying with a loud voice, came out of many who were possessed; and many who were paralyzed and lame were healed. 8 And there was great joy in that city.
So, Philip moved in much grace in casting demons and healing in order to demonstrate the power of God. As a result, the people believed in Jesus. If you are an evangelist, it is natural to find yourself more drawn and interested in demonstration of power, than in deep study of the word.
So these graces were necessary for Philip’s office. When Peter and John later came, they did not have to keep casting more demons, because that work had already been done. They imparted the spirit and dealt with the doctrinal error of Simon the Sorcerer.
Teachers
Any person can teach whatever they know. However, many people don’t know what to do with believers once they are in the church. Teachers are responsible for bringing believers into maturity so they can bear much fruit.
The bible says, every man must be presented as mature/ or perfect before Christ.
Colossians 1:28 (NKJV)
28 Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus.
Ephesians 4:13-15 (ESV)
13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ,
14 so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. 15 Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ,
Teachers are designed to raise young believers to mature manhood, until they come to the stature of Christ. Paul says, so that they may no longer be tossed to and fro by every wind of doctrine.
A church without teachers, is like a room full of newborn babies, who are born and left to take care of themselves. It’s like a field that is planted but without a laborer to cultivate and water the plants or put fertilizers and pesticides. The plants wither and die, and are eaten by the birds and animals.
You can’t bring people into maturity if you don’t know what maturity is. If you are a teacher, you are mostly moved by the spiritual state of believers. Your heart is moved when you see Christians who are not walking according to the truth, and who are failing to walk in the life of Christ because they have known real knowledge and experience of who Christ is, his nature, his character and his mind.
Teachers teach Christ, but Christ is all and in all. Therefore Teachers are designed to understand how Christ is manifests in how the kingdom works, how God works, how the spirit works, how demons work, how the world works, how heaven works, how the devil works, how forgiveness works, how sin works, how judgment works, how deception works and how salvation works. And it is through this knowledge that they can dominate these areas, and teach others to dominate also.
Part of the growth of a teacher, therefore requires a lot of bible study, a lot of discussions of the word, a lot of arguments, and obsessions over topics that most average people can not see their use. But all that knowledge and exercise of the word, helps them understand how to represent Christ and dominate every area of life.
A good example of someone who was purely a teacher is Apollos.
Acts 18:24-25 (ESV)
24 Now a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was an eloquent man, competent in the Scriptures. 25 He had been instructed in the way of the Lord. And being fervent in spirit, he spoke and taught accurately the things concerning Jesus, though he knew only the baptism of John.
27 And when he wished to cross to Achaia, the brothers encouraged him and wrote to the disciples to welcome him. When he arrived, he greatly helped those who through grace had believed,28 for he powerfully refuted the Jews in public, showing by the Scriptures that the Christ was Jesus.
Conclusion
So in conclusion, the body of Christ needs Horizontal and Vertical growth. We need Evangelists for church growth and teachers for believer’s growth. We need more children in the kingdom, and we need the children to be nurtured to maturity. Teachers should benefit from the gift of evangelism and evangelists should benefit from the gift of teaching.
Teachers should understand that not everyone is a teacher, and there are some people whose main tool is casting demons and preaching the ABC’s of the gospel. Evangelists should appreciate that not everyone is an evangelist, there are some people who are not called to plant churches, but will establish and raise those who have already believed.
Let’s appreciate our different roles and learn from one another.