Characteristics of the Evangelist

+ St. Paul as an Example +

It is easy to present some categories to shape the image of the evangelist, but we are always in danger of considering them as theoretical rather than practical points to shape our life. Eventually I prefer to present St. Paul as the best example for an evangelist. We also will choose the Epistle of St. Paul to Ephesians to study the character of St. Paul as an evangelist.

It is the Epistle of the Church, which deals with the privilege of the Church as it is the Body of Christ. It speaks about the blessings and the call of the Church.

The Church is called not only to be blessed and to seek her own but also to witness about her Savior.

In Chapter 3, St. Paul presents himself as an example of the evangelist:

Verse 1: “Paul the prisoner of Christ”: The most important quality of the evangelist is his willingness to suffer for Christ.

He/She is the person who has received the love of Christ and willing to suffer for Him accordingly out of love also. We can not find any feeling of sadness, resentments or even self-pity in the words of St. Paul.

He likes to suffer for Christ. It is the attitude of love and sacrifice. He never feels the shame or fear of suffering.

He loves the Lord and wants to manifest his own love in sufferings. The chains remind St. Paul about the Cross and motivate him to suffer and rejoice in suffering. Our Coptic Church is full of the great Martyrs who expressed the same ideal, St. George, St. Mina and St. Demiana, etc.

St. Paul could witness even in prison with the same freedom as he was outside it (Phi. 1:12). He was proud being the prisoner of Christ rather than of Rome or Caesar.

Verse 2: The dispensation of the grace of God: The evangelist is the person who always receives and dispenses God’s grace. He is immersed in God’s grace and carries the Good News about this grace to others. Grace is God’s free gift for the entire world.

Verse 3: By revelation He made known to me the “Mystery”. Revelation is through intimate fellowship with the Lord. The evangelist is the person to whom God’s mysteries are revealed through prayers.

St. Paul had received three unique revelations

Beholding the Lord on the way to Damascus.

Revelation of the Gospel from the Lord in the Arabian Desert (Gal 1:11-12).

God’s blessings for the Gentile are given equally with that of the Jews.

Mystery: (Mysterion in Greek) means a supernatural fact is hidden for a time then revealed to people for their blessing.

He had received many mysteries from God: Eph. 3:3-7, Eph. 1:9-10 and Col. 1:27.

The great mystery in Verse 4: God’s blessings had been granted to the Gentiles as they were given to the Jews (God elected people).

Verse 5: “as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to His holy apostles”: (St. Paul is proud being an Apostle of Christ) do you feel proud being a servant of Christ? being Orthodox? an heir of the great inheritance of the Coptic Church? Or do you consider all these a burden?

Apostle: means ambassador carrying the same image, purity and authority of Jesus Christ.

Verse 7: “I became a minister” = diakonos : a servant seen in his activity. The great St. Paul was proud being a servant who is receiving his call from the Lord: 2 Cor 3:5-6 2 Cor 4:1 and 2 Cor 12:9-10.

St. Paul is a successful servant for two reasons:

The gift of God given to him (God’s grace 1 Cor 15:10).

God’s power: power assists him all the way (2 Cor 12:9-10) and (Col 1:29). He was called by God’s grace and served through God’s power.

Verse 8: “To me who am less than the least of all the saints (all the believers).” With all his talents, gifts, God’s signs and power, still St. Paul considered himself as nobody, nothing.

It is a true humility, as he looked to God’s love and grace and his own weakness, he obtained this feeling of humility. St. Paul spoke about his own weakness (1 Cor 15:8-10) and (1 Tim 1:15).

“I should preach ….the unreachable riches of Christ”: the evangelist has the richness of Christ and carries them always to others. He receives to give. He prepares his vessel for God’s richness and distributes them to others.

Verse 9: “and to make all see”: photizo = “to bring to light”. The evangelist is an enlightened person living and acting in light.

Verse 12: “we have boldness and access with confidence”: no place for fear or hesitation; I am called by God’s grace; I am empowered to serve. Then let me approach God and serve Him boldly.

Verse 13: “do not loose heart at my tribulation, which is your glory”: tribulation is glory. No place for shame, self-pity or resentment.

Verse 14: “I bow my knee”: St. Paul was a man of prayer, he never stopped praying. He prayed in Chapter1 for enlightenment to discover God’s mystery and prayed in Chapter 3 to receive the full presence of God inside them.

St. Paul is the true evangelist .Let us meditate on his life and imitate him as he imitated Christ.