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and had used the same expression "every good work" when speaking of the vessel that
was "meet for the master's use".
To Paul, the preaching of the gospel was something more than an office, it was
essentially "work".
Seeing that the word "gospel" euaggelion, and "preach" euaggelizo occur so
frequently in the N.T. it is somewhat surprising to discover that there are but three
references to the evangelist euaggelistes. Philip is called the evangelist in Acts 21: 8,
Timothy is exhorted to do the work of an evangelist in II Tim. 4: 5 and the only other
occurrence is in the fourth chapter of Ephesians where the ascended Christ gave gifts
unto men, and the special order of ministry for the church of the mystery is specified.
"And He gave some apostles;
\
Foundation ministry
and some prophets;
/
(Eph. 2: 20).
and some evangelists;
\
Subsequent ministry
and some pastors and teachers.
/
(II Tim. 2: 2; 4: 5).
The apostles and prophets are associated with the beginning of this new work:
"And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets" (Eph. 2: 20),
whereas, so far as the ministry of the mystery is concerned, the evangelist is not
appointed until the apostle is about to finish, and he, the evangelist, in turn, is to appoint
"teachers" to carry on the work.
"The things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou
to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also" (II Tim. 2: 2).
We are to expect no more apostles and prophets, their work is done. They were
succeeded by a lower order of ministry. The evangelist succeeding the apostle as the
preacher and the organizer, and the teacher succeeding the prophet.
Poimeen "shepherd" is allied with poimne "flock" and in Acts 20: 29, the apostle
refers to the Church of God as a "flock". This is the one occasion throughout his ministry
that we find him doing so. When he said "feed" the Church of God (Acts 20: 28), the
word he used is poimaino, "to feed a flock of sheep", and is the same word that was used
in John 21: 16 to Peter "Feed my sheep" and in I Pet. 5: 2 "Feed the flock".
Those who were exhorted to "feed" the flock in Acts 20: 28, 29 were episkopoi
"overseers", or "bishops" (Phil. 1: 1 and I Tim. 3: 2), and Peter unites the title
"Shepherd and Bishop" in I Pet. 2: 25 as though they were synonymous.
Something of a shepherd's vigilance, longsuffering, care and sympathy is incorporated
in the ministry to which Timothy and his associates were called at the passing of the
great apostle.