Manual of First-Century Evangelism: A Series of Bible Studies
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About this ebook
In this series, Lorenzo Arroyo looks at how Jesus shared the good news with other people, and then at how the disciples shared the gospel. The biblical story is that there are many ways to reach people - from attending to their physical needs, to addressing their intellectual concerns, from one person at a time to thousands.
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Manual of First-Century Evangelism - Lorenzo Arroyo
Manual of First-Century Evangelism
A Series of Bible Studies
By Lorenzo Arroyo
Copyright 2014
Published by Grace Communion International
All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com
The NIV
and New International Version
are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™
Table of Contents
Introduction
A. Jesus’ Good News Encounters With Everyday People
Jesus’ encounter with a despised sinner (Matthew 9:9-17)
Jesus’ encounter with a foreign woman (Matthew 15:21-28)
Jesus’ encounter with a rich man (Mark 10:17-31)
Jesus’ encounter with a sinful woman (Luke 7:36-50)
Jesus’ encounter with a religious leader (John 3:1-18)
Jesus’ encounter with a Samaritan woman (John 4:1-42)
Jesus’ encounter with a disabled man (John 9:1-41)
B. The Disciples’ Encounters With Everyday People
The disciples’ encounter with mass evangelism (Acts 2:1-47)
The disciples’ encounter with street ministries (Acts 3:1-26)
The disciples’ encounter with Spirit-led evangelism (Acts 8:26-40)
The disciples’ encounter with prison ministry (Acts 16:16-40)
The disciples’ encounter with worldview evangelism (Acts 17:16-34)
The disciples’ encounter with messianic ministries (Acts 18:24-19:10)
About the Author
About the Publisher
Grace Communion Seminary
Ambassador College of Christian Ministry
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Introduction
When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.
(Matthew 9:36-38)
Introduction
When Jesus called his first disciples, he said to them, Come follow me…and I will send you out to fish for people
(Matthew 4:19). Jesus was going to show his disciples how to win people for his kingdom. Jesus not only taught his disciples by word but also by example. The four Gospels of the New Testament Scriptures are rich in personal encounters in which Jesus ministers to the practical and eternal needs of ordinary people.
Jesus is the Master par excellence of sharing the good news of his person and work with everyday people. Can anyone better instruct today’s disciples in evangelism than the Master himself? Jesus and the first generation of disciples not only set great examples of early evangelism in the world, but they also convey proven and universal fundamental principles of effective evangelism that transcend their own time and cultures right down to ours today.
This series of articles is entitled Manual of Early Evangelism because that is what it is. A manual is a how-to-book, and this manual instructs us on how Jesus and his disciples reached out with their lifestyle and message of salvation.
This study material can be divided in two parts. The first part selects key passages of Jesus’ ministry in which he encounters everyday people in his community. These lessons are taken from the four Gospels and provide keys to the Master’s work in living and sharing the good news of his messianic mission to save those who were lost. The stories are of real, hurting persons (not unlike those in our own communities) who have a variety of personal needs, but they need most of all to find the love and grace of Jesus.
The second part is a continuation of Jesus’ ministry through the early disciples of the church. The second part selects key passages from the book of Acts. The disciples use a variety of evangelistic paradigms or models taken from Jesus’ own ministry but applied to new circumstances and new communities. You will appreciate the diversity and creativity of the early disciples as they launch into new ministries and strategies, all for the sake of proclaiming the gospel message of Jesus’ death, resurrection, and our salvation.
Manual of Early Evangelism will help you come to know how the early church fulfilled the Great Commission and turned the first-century world upside down for Jesus. How this is to be done today, hopefully, you will discover for yourself as you advance through each lesson. The gospel work of the early church was recorded for a reason. It is for the instruction of every new believing generation so that both the message of the gospel and the agape motivation for sharing it may never be lost. The fish are biting, and you are Jesus’ chosen vessel for the labor of reeling them in. Happy fishing!
Lorenzo Arroyo
Jesus’ Encounter With a Despised Sinner
Matthew 9:9-17
Key text: On hearing this, Jesus said, ‘It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners’
(Matthew 9:12-13).
Main point: Jesus’ purpose and mission is centered on his redemptive work of bringing salvation to sinners. This upsets the status quo and often calls for a radical break from traditional religious norms.
The call of Matthew
illustration by Alexandre Bida
Introduction
The passage before us (Matthew 9:9-13) describes Jesus’ call to Matthew, a despised tax collector. Matthew worked in Capernaum, where Jesus lived (4:13; 9:1). He would have undoubtedly seen Jesus or at least heard of him before their encounter.
Matthew was probably a customs officer working on Capernaum’s trade route. He was hated and despised by his own people for being a collaborator with imperial Rome. Jewish tax collectors were not allowed in the synagogues. They were an unscrupulous class that had bought or bribed to get their appointments to become very wealthy. They burdened their own people with excess tax,