Looking for what the Bible says about evangelism? You're in the right place. This page brings together key Scripture and principles on evangelism from across many different books of the Bible, along with practical commentary and everyday applications that can transform your life. Because this commentary is excerpted from Study and Obey's verse-by-verse book studies, every verse here has already been interpreted in its full context. As you study God's Word on evangelism, we encourage you to reflect on how to apply what God is teaching you. Enjoy!

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You Will Be My Witnesses

Acts 1:7-8 — "He said to them, 'It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.'"

The disciples had asked Jesus if this was the time He was going to establish His kingdom. He did not answer their question directly, telling them that this information was classified and above their pay grade. Instead, He gave them a task. They were not going to be sitting back to watch Jesus overthrow Rome. They were going to be on the front lines.

When I was a kid, we received a letter in the mail. In big print on the front of the envelope, it said something like, "MILLION DOLLAR SWEEPSTAKES. YOU ARE A WINNER." My siblings and I were over the moon with excitement. All day we looked forward to my parents coming back so that we could tell them about our amazing luck. We were going to be millionaires! When my parents returned, we broke it to them, and they laughed. They opened the letter and showed us the contents. The big win was a chance to enter this sweepstakes and potentially take home the jackpot. Our dreams of beach vacations were crushed.

Jesus' plans were very different from the disciples' expectations. His plans are far better. If Jesus had judged the world and set up His kingdom then, think how many millions or billions of people would not have had the chance to hear the gospel and be part of that kingdom.

Notice also the progression of where they were to witness. They were to start in Jerusalem, then in Judea, then in Samaria, and then to the end of the earth. Geographically, we see an ever-expanding circle of influence. It would indeed be impossible to reach the ends of the earth without going. "Go" is one of the clear commands of the Great Commission.

But there is also a cultural element. Jerusalem was the capital of Judea. It was the cultural leader of that region. Culturally, people in Jerusalem would have been most like them. Samaria then was one step further away culturally. Samaritans were familiar with the Old Testament. They claimed Jacob as their ancestor. From there, the ends of the earth represent people groups that had little in common with the Jews. They didn't share the same language, culture, religion, or values. These were the most difficult people to go to and the hardest to reach.

Application — How will you contribute to this Great Commission? Whom will you go to? We should start with those closest to us. If we don't share with our families, who will? We also have co-workers, classmates, towns, and neighborhoods who need the gospel.

• Care. The first step starts with caring. Ask God to give you a heart for the nations.
• Pray. Everybody can and should pray.
• Support and send workers. You have a say in where your giving goes.
• Go. Did you ever consider that you may be called to go? Even if you are not called to go full-time, you could take a mission trip. All abilities can be used. What is needed is a heart of love.

— From our Bible study on Acts 1:1-11

A Divine Appointment

Acts 8:26 — "Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Rise and go toward the south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” This is a desert place."

An angel told Philip to go toward the desert. He was an evangelist. His job was to preach the gospel to people. There aren't a lot of people in the desert! But God knew what He was doing. Philip "rose and went." It is an important lesson in trusting God. If Philip made the "logical" decision, he would have gone to a place with a lot of people and missed the opportunity to share with the Ethiopian who was ready to believe.

If there was ever a divine appointment, this was one! Philip encountered a man whose heart was ready to receive the gospel. Of all the Scriptures he could have been reading, he was reading Isaiah 53! That passage more clearly points to Jesus than any other in the Old Testament. Jesus said that the disciples were fishers of men. In this case, the fish was practically jumping into the boat. As ready as this man was, he still needed someone to clearly explain the gospel to him.

Reflect — Have you ever been part of a divine encounter? What did that teach you about God?

In 2002, I was on a short-term mission trip in Asia. I was walking through a local university with the mission team. We were just walking through, praying that God would use us and open doors for the gospel. As we were passing by a group of students practicing English, we heard loud calls, "Hello! Can we be friends with you?" We quickly struck up conversations. That evening, we were able to meet with many of them and share the gospel with around thirty of them. Not only did some of them receive Christ, but some of us moved to that country and still serve there today over twenty years later.

From Philip, we can learn several key principles about sharing the good news with others.

Being responsive to the Spirit. When the Spirit prompted Philip, he obeyed. He obeyed quickly. Philip didn't ask questions: "Why go to the desert?" or "What if this foreign official doesn't want to listen to me?" He just obeyed.

Asking questions. Philip doesn't start off lecturing. His first recorded words to the Ethiopian were a question: "Do you understand what you are reading?" This gave space for the Ethiopian man to share his thoughts or even to politely decline conversation with Philip.

Starting from common ground. He started where the Ethiopian was in his journey of faith, the Old Testament. They had common ground. Philip could start there and then expand.

Be ready. Philip was well-equipped. He was familiar with the Old Testament and able to pick it up at a moment's notice and explain it. What a shame it would have been if after the Ethiopian told him what he was reading, Philip said, "Oh, I haven't read that before!"

Application — How can you prepare yourself to share the gospel, defend the faith, and answer hard questions about the Bible?

— From our Bible study on Acts 8:26-39

Paul's Introduction at the Areopagus

Acts 17:22-23 — "'So Paul, standing in the midst of the Areopagus, said: “Men of Athens, I perceive that in every way you are very religious. For as I passed along and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription: To the unknown god.’ What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you."

Paul went where the people were and adjusted his tactics depending on his audience. Paul contextualized the gospel by starting from a point that was easy for his listeners to understand. While the gospel was not changed, in Athens Paul gives a master class on using a great hook in the introduction to build interest and engage his audience. Paul complimented them on being religious, though he could have started off bashing them for being pantheistic, pagan, idol-worshippers. He had done his research, spending time to understand the culture and mindset of the Athenians. Paul talked about the altar to the "unknown god," using this religious object from their own shrines to connect with his audience. He also offered them value by sharing more about something they didn't know much about.

The introduction to a message is very important. A good hook has several key elements: a hook to engage listeners' interest, the "what" of the message to be shared, and the "why" of why the audience should listen or care.

Application — Let's practice developing an intro to the gospel. Choose one of the following scenarios and write out a short 3-4 sentence introduction that can bridge into sharing the gospel, assuming the listener is interested and willing to listen: you are on a train and in conversation with a woman whose mother has recently passed away; you are a tourist and strike up a conversation with another traveler who admires the nearby temple; you are at a university and have the opportunity to share with a class, most of whom are atheists.

Reflect — What creative methods can you use to share the gospel in your area? How have you had to adjust your outreach strategy depending on the situation and environment?

— From our Bible study on Acts 17:16-34

Sharing in High Places

Acts 26:1 — "So Agrippa said to Paul, “You have permission to speak for yourself.” Then Paul stretched out his hand and made his defense."

Paul himself was an example of someone who was always ready to share the gospel. Even when he was being tried before Roman courts, he shared the good news. One example is in his defense before King Agrippa in Acts 26. Paul focused on sharing the gospel with Agrippa. Paul spoke graciously to Agrippa. While we should not engage in flattery, being polite is encouraged! This was not a legal trial with a sentencing on the line, but more like a private conference. From the beginning, Paul sought to make use of this opportunity to witness to Agrippa. He simply shared his testimony and what God had been doing in his life.

Application — Don't be intimidated by people's position or status. Greater is He who is in you than He who is in the world. Keep your eyes open for God at work. Practice sharing that with others, even small seeds. Doing so will help you develop a lifestyle of sharing your testimony.

Festus said with a loud voice, "Paul, you are out of your mind; your great learning is driving you out of your mind." Roman leaders like Festus would have likely thought, "What is the point of a religion that makes you weak, causes you to lose status, turns you into a victim, and results in suffering?" It is easy to see how Festus thought Paul had gone insane. Following Christ seemed like lunacy to a politician like Festus. God's wisdom ordained that salvation come through humble faith, not power or strength. He flipped the world's order upside down.

Reflect — How has your life been changed since coming to Christ? Will the people around you see as dramatic a change as they did in Paul?

— From our Bible study on Acts 26

Go Home and Tell Them

Mark 5:18-20 — "As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed begged to go with him. Jesus did not let him, but said, 'Go home to your own people and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.' So the man went away and began to tell in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him. And all the people were amazed."

This passage in Mark is about a man who was possessed by a legion of demons. He was the resident lunatic. Everyone was afraid of him. But Jesus cast out his demons and this man became a believer. This man had experienced a miraculous conversion. His very first response is wonderful. He comes to Jesus to ask to follow Him. And Jesus says, "No!" Instead of allowing this man to come with Him, Jesus sends him home to start sharing the good news right now. When we look at how Jesus dealt with this man, we can learn principles that are completely the opposite of what the church in some places traditionally practices.

A person does not have to go to seminary or theological school before he starts sharing the gospel. A person does not need to know all of the answers before he starts telling others about God. How much Scripture had he studied? He had only been saved for at most a few hours. He wasn't asked to share what he did not know. He only was asked to share what he knew. You don't need to be a successful person or have a great reputation before you start to share the gospel. This man had about the worst reputation possible. People listened to him for one reason: his life had been changed and they were witnesses of it.

The simple lesson from this passage is clear: any person whose life has been touched by Christ can share the good news. And every person should.

Application — What are some common reasons you do not share your faith with others? How can the story of this man encourage you? Practice sharing a short one-minute salvation testimony with others about what God has done for you. Who can you share this testimony with this week?

— From our Bible study on Shining the Light of Christ – Mark 5

Breaking Barriers

John 4:9-10 — "The Samaritan woman said to him, 'How is it that you, a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a woman of Samaria?' (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.) Jesus answered her, 'If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, "Give me a drink," you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.'"

In India there is a group of people in the lowest caste called "untouchables." They have all of the lowest positions in society. No one cares for them. Yet of all the Indians, they tend to be very open to the gospel. Christians have found ways to show love and kindness to them and become accepted by them. Every society has its "untouchables," people who are considered lower than others because of color, education, appearance, language, position, etc. As believers, we are called to reach out to them and share the gospel with them.

There came a woman of Samaria. This was a double no-no for Jesus to communicate with. Men didn't stoop to teaching women in that day and place. But this woman was also a Samaritan. These were the hated enemies of the Jews. This certainly would have created controversy for Jesus to minister to her. Jesus was not afraid of controversy as long as it was for the sake of the kingdom. He started off breaking barriers right away by simply talking with her! It was a simple sentence, but she was shocked.

Also, notice who talks to who. Jesus was the one who started the conversation. He took the initiative. He went outside of a normal person's comfort level, humbled himself, and was willing to take the scorn of others in order to reach this woman.

Jesus doesn't beat around the bush. He doesn't deal with frivolous issues. This master of evangelism starts sharing the core point of the gospel with this lady in his second sentence.

Application — Are there any "untouchable" or comparable groups in your country? Perhaps children of mixed marriages, minorities, people of a religious group or social class, beggars, dirty people, etc.? Look for opportunities to reach out. Practice building bridges and breaking down barriers to others, even ones who are hard to reach.

— From our Bible study on John 4:1-19

Always Being Prepared to Give an Answer

1 Peter 3:15-16 — "But in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect."

We are to always be ready. How can we be ready? We can carry around tracts. We should have memorized verses in the Bible related to the gospel. We should have memorized a gospel presentation so that we can feel comfortable to share the gospel in a clear, straightforward way. We should always be in a state of mind where we are eager and ready to share the gospel.

Do not be afraid of rejection. Do not be shy or nervous. We should not only be ready and eager to share the gospel, but we should be ready to explain why we believe it. That could mean telling our testimony, sharing experiences that God used in our lives to bring us to Him, telling of the change in our lives after we believe in Him, or sharing evidences for the Bible and God's creation.

Reflect — Are you ready to tell others why you believe in Christ? Has anyone asked you this before? Were you ready? How can we be better prepared to defend our faith?

It is not only important what we share, but also how we share it. Though the gospel itself may offend those who listen to us, it should never be our mannerisms or attitudes that offend others. We must not compromise the gospel or the principles of the Bible, but we can make sure that we share in a gentle and calm manner so that the person we are sharing with can feel our love, warmth, and genuine care for them.

— From our Bible study on 1 Peter 3:8-22

Preach the Word, in Season and Out of Season

2 Timothy 4:2 — "Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching."

Preaching means proclaiming and explaining and teaching and sharing. We are all called to preach. Some might be called to preach in front of a church and some might be called to preach to our friends or to individuals one by one. But we are all messengers of God. He has entrusted His message to us. Sometimes we wrongly rely on others to do this task because we think they are better at it than we are or we are not qualified.

Imagine that there is an emergency in an apartment complex (4 buildings each with 28 floors and 6 units on each floor.) The 10 of us in this room are the ones who know about it. We have a limited time to warn everybody to get out of their buildings. No matter who is faster and who is slower every person needs to help sound the alarm to save the maximum number of people. In fact the ten of us are not enough. We ourselves must warn others and we must quickly encourage others to do the same.

Preaching the gospel is the same. The world has billions and billions of people who need to hear the word. We cannot sit back and ask God to "send somebody else." We must say "send me." And then we must equip others as well.

Application — Here are some times when we may feel it's difficult to keep preaching or sharing, but when we still need to be ready and persevere: when the response isn't what we hope it would be, when we face persecution, when we face spiritual opposition, when we are tired, when we are sick, when unexpected opportunities come, when we don't have a Bible handy. To be ready we have to prepare ahead of time, like the grandmother who seemingly carries everything in her purse "just in case."

— From our Bible study on 2 Timothy 4:1-5

Pray for an Open Door

Colossians 4:3 — "At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ."

We learn that we should pray for others. It is very important that we steadfastly lift up others. We should not only lift up others in our family and among friends, but we should make a habit of praying for Christian workers all over the world. Pastors, evangelists, elders, missionaries, disciple makers, and every other kind of Christian worker should often be on our lips as we intercede for them to our Heavenly Father.

We also learn a key lesson about the content which we should pray for others. Paul asks that they pray for the advance of the gospel. This is a spiritual need. Many prayers are dominated by physical concerns: health, finances, studies, and career. A cursory glance at the epistles will quickly reveal that prayers for spiritually meaningful matters should be the meat of our prayer life.

Application — Take a moment to consider your own prayer life. When was the last time you prayed for the advance of the gospel? Think of one person who is laboring at building God's kingdom. Pray for them each day this week.

Colossians 4:6 — "Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person."

Paul says that our words should be seasoned with salt. In the ancient world, salt was something that preserved. In a similar way, our speech should bring life. The ultimate way our words can bring life is when we use them to tell people the good news of Jesus and teach His words.

— From our Bible study on Colossians 4

The Harvest Is Plentiful, the Workers Are Few

Matthew 9:36-38 — "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.'"

This is one of Jesus' key character traits which He exhibits again and again. He was surrounded by sinners. He was surrounded by evil. He was surrounded by people who used Him or tried to take advantage of Him. Through all of this He had compassion. He didn't get angry. He didn't send fire and brimstone from heaven to consume them. He didn't lose patience. He dealt with crowds of needy (and often annoying) people day after day without complaint and without rest.

The people were lost. They were like blind and wandering sheep with no shepherd. Jesus saw the heart of the matter. He saw through all of the smiles or frowns. He saw through the questions hostile or sincere. He saw through the facades that people put up, thinking or saying that everything is all right. He saw them for how they truly were, sheep with no shepherd. This is why He came to the earth. He came to give His life. He came to save these people.

Jesus worked in the harvest, trained up workers, and taught them to pray for more workers. Even today, almost two thousand years later, this is still so true. The harvest is even larger. And the workers are still not enough.

Application — What do you see when you walk around your city? The crowds of people, thousands and millions walk past you on all sides. Do we ignore them? Are we apathetic to their plight? Do you believe the harvest is plentiful today? Are there enough workers? How can you be a worker? How can you be a better worker?

— From our Bible study on Matthew 9:27-38

We hope you enjoyed this Bible study on evangelism. May God use His Word to speak into your life and give you strength to follow it. Please take some time to reflect on the questions below and consider leaving a comment with your key takeaway or insight.

Reflection Questions

• How can you prepare yourself to share the gospel, defend the faith, and answer hard questions about the Bible?
• What creative methods can you use to share the gospel in your area?
• Are you ready to tell others why you believe in Christ? How can we be better prepared to defend our faith?
• What are some common reasons you do not share your faith with others?
• What are some ways we can break barriers with those around us in order to have chances to share the gospel with them?
• Do you believe the harvest is plentiful today? Are there enough workers?
• How can you be a worker? How can you be a better worker?
• What are you doing to fulfill the Great Commission?
• How have you had to adjust your outreach strategy depending on the situation and environment?
• Have you ever felt you were part of a "divine appointment"?

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