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What is an Evangelist?
        EVAN'GELIST
        (a messenger of good tidings). In the N.T. the word means a preacher of the gospel who was not fixed in any place, but who travelled as a missionary to preach the gospel and establish churches. Acts 21:8; Eph 4:11; 2 Tim 4:5. The evangelists seem to have been an order of ministers standing between the apostles and the pastors and teachers. They could not impart the Holy Ghost. Acts 8:15. They were liable to be sent upon sudden errands. Acts 8:26. They might be officers in a particular church, yet evangelists, as was the case with Philip, who is the best known of the class. Acts 6:5. We find the evangelists commonly in the service of the apostles as their "helpers" and "fellow-laborers." Paul made most use of them, as was to be expected; on his last journey to Jerusalem he was accompanied by no less than seven of them. Acts 20:4-5. They were the "vicegerents" of the apostles. Thus, Timothy was sent by Paul to report the condition of the Philippian church, Phil 2:19-23, completed the organization of the Ephesian church, and repressed the growth of errors during the absence of Paul. 1 Tim 1:3; 1 Tim 3:14-15; 1 Tim 4:13. The discourses of the evangelists were historical in their matter and turned chiefly upon the main facts of Christ's life. This fact gave rise to the later application of the term to the authors of our written Gospels, who are commonly called "the four Evangelists." To Matthew is assigned as symbol the face of a man (because he traces the human descent of Christ, the Son of man); to Mark the lion, (because he sketches Christ as the conquering Lion of the tribe of Judah); to Luke the ox (with reference to Christ as the Victim slain for the sins of the world); and to John the eagle (because of his bold flight and steady gaze at the eternal Son of God).


Bibliography Information
Schaff, Philip, Dr. "Biblical Definition for 'evangelist' in Schaffs Bible Dictionary".
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