There is a difference between the gift of an evangelist and the task of spreading the word of the cross to lost people. Not everyone has the gift of an evangelist, but everyone has the task of living in such a way that they are a witness to their Lord. Paul writes to Timothy: “Do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry” (2 Tim. 4:5). For anyone who has the gift of evangelism, this is an incentive not to neglect their ministry. For anyone who does not have this gift, this verse is also an incentive not to slacken in their witness for the Lord. Millions of people around us do not know the Lord Jesus, and each of us has the opportunity to be a light and a witness for the Lord. We live in the midst of a twisted and perverse world, and our task there is to “present” the “word of life”—which is none other than the Lord Jesus Himself (Phil. 2:15-16).
Wherever we live, we can and should be witnesses for our Lord through our behavior and our words. We do not need a special gift or special training to do this. What we need is a heart that beats with love for our Lord. If we were more imbued with what He has done for us, we would want to share more with others.
In dealing with unbelievers, we need the wisdom and guidance of the Holy Spirit. To help us, the Bible also gives us examples of believers we can learn from. We find such an example in the story of Philip and the eunuch, recounted in Acts 8:26-40. Philip was a man whom God could use to tell others about the Lord Jesus. His behavior provides us with practical instruction. Philip is indeed called an “evangelist” in the Bible (cf. Acts 21:8). Nevertheless, we can all learn something from his behavior. From the many lessons in this Bible text, I would like to highlight five points that can help us.
– Philip was obedient (v. 27). Philip had been given a clear assignment. He was to get up and go south. This assignment seemed uninteresting because he had been told the road would be desolate. Nevertheless, Philip followed God’s instruction. He did not argue with God or debate with Him, but did what he was told. He did not act on his own authority, but was dependent on his divine commission. We may find ourselves in a different situation from Philip’s, but God may still have placed a specific task on our hearts that seems unattractive to us. Evangelistic ministry is often something that takes place on “desolate roads” and in secret.
– Philip ran to the chariot (v. 30). He did not wait for the eunuch sitting in the chariot to come to him, but took the initiative himself. After being prompted by the Holy Spirit to join the chariot, he did not hesitate but acted. We can wait for people to come to us, but we often find we have to wait a long time. Very few will come of their own accord. Rather, it is up to us to take the initiative. The Lord Jesus did not tell his disciples to wait for people to come to them, but he urged them to go out and spread the gospel (Mark 16:15). In doing so, we should first think of the people whom the Lord places in our path. Almost every day, we are together with unbelievers, whether at work, at school, in the neighborhood, in our free time, or wherever. We have a task to fulfill with these people. We may approach them and be a witness to them.
– Philip listened to the man (v. 30). Philip knew that he should say something to this man. Nevertheless, he waited first. He did not open his mouth first, but his ears, and listened to him calmly. This is instructive for us. Sometimes we find it difficult to listen, and we start talking right away. This can repel an unbeliever under certain circumstances. It is always advisable to listen attentively and carefully first. Then we can build on what we have heard. When we listen, the other person feels we take them seriously and is much more willing to listen to us in return.
– Philip asked the eunuch (v. 30). Philip still does not begin by proclaiming the message. No, he asks the eunuch a very specific question. With this question, he opened up the innermost feelings of this man, making his problems visible and expressible. When you ask your conversation partner an honest question, you show that you are genuinely interested in them. The Lord Jesus often asked questions when talking to people. Sometimes the answer was obvious, and yet He asked. Incidentally, the Lord never asked because He did not know the answer. No, the reason was that He wanted to encourage His counterpart to think about himself and open his heart. From this perspective, we, too, can use such questions in conversations with unbelievers. They can help us to identify the problems correctly and then give an appropriate answer.
– Philip proclaimed the gospel to the treasurer (v. 35). Only now does Philip reach the actual goal of his efforts. He tells the man about the Lord Jesus. Philip was able to wait. He did not rush into things, but took his time. Now, however, he does not hesitate. We read: “… beginning with this Scripture, he preached the gospel of Jesus to him.” Two things strike us here. First, Philip based his words on the Word of God. Second, the content of his message was none other than the person of the Lord Jesus. This is still important today. The foundation of the message remains the Word of God alone. Genuine evangelistic ministry is only possible when we let the Word of God speak. The content of the message must also remain the same today: it can only be about the Lord Jesus and His work. The gospel is the gospel of God about His Son (Rom. 1:3). God is the source of this glorious message, and the Lord Jesus is its center.
Philip’s example should be a new impetus for us to be faithful witnesses to our Lord.