Their names are some of the most famous in all of Christian history. Their writings comprise the first four books of our New Testament. Who are they?

Evangelists.

1. It is never recorded that any of them served as a pastor. Every minister’s calling is unique and chosen for them by the Holy Spirit. The highest calling is the one that God chooses for your life.
2. They all came from different backgrounds. There were Jews and Gentiles. One was a tax collector, one was a medical doctor, another a fisherman. What a wonderful illustration that God chooses and uses all types of people! The one thing they all had in common was Jesus…
3. Each had their own heart changed by Christ. Two of the evangelists were part of the original twelve disciples. Two were reached by early followers of Christ. Their circumstances are not the great thing about them – the great thing is that each came to personal faith in the Lord Jesus and desired others to know Him too.
4. All four had one message: the person and work of Jesus Christ. To be sure, each had their own style of writing and their own Spirit-inspired emphasis, but there are not “four gospels” as many often say. There is one gospel given in four records. A true evangelist does not have his own message. He has his own presentation of God’s message!

Another evangelist expressed it well in 1 Corinthians 15:1-4,

Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures.

And so we have “the gospel according to” Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. But it is all the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. In the words of my favorite gospel writer they simply gave “the beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God…” (Mark 1:1)

This is the essence of the evangelist’s mission and the essential of his message. While none of us will be writing additional inspired Scripture, we can do the same thing that the first evangelists did: preach Jesus!

Christ Himself was the first Evangelist – He came with good news for lost sinners. Will you join His work? Tell someone about the Lord Jesus Christ and how He changed your heart. Join today the ranks of the evangelists!

For more on this subject read “We Need More Evangelists!”