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S U R P R I S E T H E WO R L DI certainly agree with the latter part of that contention (that we bear responsibility to share our love forJesus with others). But I fear that the first part of thatstatement (that every Christian is an evangelist) isunhelpful.Are we really all evangelists? Certainly the vast majority of Christians I know don’t feel much like evangelists.It’s as if we’re being told t hat— even though we don’tbelieve we’re evangelists, and don’t perform very effectively when we act like e vangelists— we are nonetheless,deep down in our bones, really truly evangelists whojust need to step into our true identities and fulfill ourcalling to share Christ with others. Is this fair, and moreimportantly, is it true?Contrary to the myth that every believer is an evangelist, the apostle Paul assumes a twofold approach tothe ministry of evangelism. 2First, he affirms the gifting of the evangelist— interestingly, not the gift of evangelismbut the evangelist herself is the gift (seeEphesians 4:11).Second, he writes as though all believers areto be evangelistic in their general orientation.

L i v in g “Q uestion a b le ” L i v esPaul clearly places himself in the first category, seeinghis ministry not only as that of an apostle but alsoas that of an evangelist. But it doesn’t appear that hebelieves all Christians bear the responsibility for thekind of bold proclamation to which he is called. Notehis description of this t wofold approach in his letterto the Colossians:Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful andthankful. And pray for us, too, that God mayopen a door for our message, so that we mayproclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I amin chains. Pray that I may proclaim it clearly,as I should. Be wise in the way you act towardoutsiders; make the most of every opportunity.Let your conversation be always full of grace,seasoned with salt, so that you may know howto answer everyone.COLOSSIANS 4:2-6For evangelists, Paul asks for opportunities to shareChrist and for the courage to proclaim the gospel clearly(verses 3-4). But he doesn’t suggest the Colossians prayas much for themselves. Rather, evangelistic believers3

S U R P R I S E T H E WO R L Dare to pray for the evangelists’ ministry, to be wise intheir conduct toward outsiders, and to look for opportunities to answer outsiders’ questions when they arise(verses 2, 5-6). When it comes to the spoken aspect oftheir ministries, evangelists are to proclaim, and believers are to give answers.Type of MinisterPrioritiesType ofSpoken MinistryGiftedEvangelistsClarity in theGospel; Alertnessfor Prayer,Watchfulness,Wise SocializingGraciousAnswersPaul’s twofold approach to evangelism in the churchI think Paul assumed that the number of gifted evangelists wouldn’t be great. It seems clear that he thinksthe gifted evangelists can be local (like Timothy— see2 Timothy 4:5) or translocal (like himself ). He seemsalso to have assumed that some gifted evangelists wouldoccupy a leadership function in local churches (seeEphesians 4:11), building up the church to be increasingly evangelistic.While evangelism is an essential gifting for all churches,4

L i v in g “Q uestion a b le ” L i v esit isn’t a gifting given to every believer. Believers, as noted,were to pray like crazy and to conduct themselves, inword and deed, in such a way as to provoke unbelieversto question their beliefs and enter into an evangelisticdialogue. On this Peter is in agreement with Paul:Always be prepared to give an answer toeveryone who asks you to give the reasonfor the hope that you have. But do thiswith gentleness and respect, keeping a clearconscience, so that those who speak maliciouslyagainst your good behavior in Christ may beashamed of their slander.1 PETER 3:15-16In other words, the biblical model is for leaders to(1) identify, equip, and mobilize gifted evangelists (whothen take a leadership responsibility for the church’sevangelism) and (2) inspire all believers to live questionable lives. If all believers are leading the kinds of livesthat evoke questions from their friends, then opportunities for sharing faith abound, and chances for thegifted evangelists to boldly proclaim are increased. Inbrief, our task is to surprise the world!5

S U R P R I S E T H E WO R L DSome evangelists have taken me to task for teachingthis biblical model. They fear I am letting people offthe hook when it comes to evangelism. I have been toldby more than one gifted evangelist that telling peoplethey’re not required to create opportunities for boldevangelistic proclamation means that people will nevertell others about Jesus. I disagree. I think gifted evangelistic leaders bear the responsibility to equip their congregations to be able to tell others about Jesus, but theopportunities for faith sharing will emerge from questioning unbelievers. Gifted evangelistic leaders shouldbe training their congregations to speak about Jesusconversationally when questioned about how they dealwith suffering, or why they spend their vacation servingthe poor, or why they’ve opened their home to refugees, or why they’re fasting during Lent, or why they’vemade career choices that allow them to contribute tothe greater social good.The fact is, gifted evangelists telling the rest of us thatwe should behave like gifted evangelists has a debilitating effect. We look at confident, articulate, theologically trained evangelists preaching in our churches, andwe hear their stories of sharing the gospel on the backof a napkin in a restaurant or a plane, and then we hear6

L i v in g “Q uestion a b le ” L i v esthem tell us that we, too, can (and indeed, should) dowhat they d o— and we freeze! We know we can’t dowhat they do.But I don’t hear Paul telling his congregations topreach in the Areopagus like he did. He doesn’t beratethem for not creating opportunities for bold, clearproclamation. He does want them to talk about Jesus,but as we’ve seen, he assumes it should be in the context of wise socializing, prompted by the questionsof others.Taking Over the EmpireThis twofold approach literally transformed the RomanEmpire. While evangelists and apologists such as Peterand Paul were proclaiming the gospel and defendingits integrity in an era of polytheism and pagan superstition, hundreds of thousands of ordinary believers wereinfiltrating every part of society and living the kindof questionable lives that evoked curiosity about theChristian message. They surprised the empire with theirunlikely lifestyle.These ordinary believers devoted themselves to sacrificial acts of kindness. They loved their enemies and7

S U R P R I S E T H E WO R L Dforgave their persecutors. They cared for the poor andfed the hungry. In the brutality of life under Roman rule,they were the most stunningly different people anyonehad ever seen. Indeed, their influence was so surprisingthat the f ourth- century emperor Julian (AD 331–363)feared they might take over the empire. Referring toChristians as “Galileans” and Christianity as “atheism”(because of their denial of the existence of pagan gods)and believing their religion to be a sickness, he pennedthis directive to his officials:We must pay special attention to this point,and by this means effect a cure. For when itcame about that the poor were neglected andoverlooked by the [pagan] priests, then I thinkthe impious Galileans observed this fact anddevoted themselves to philanthropy. And theyhave gained ascendancy in the worst of theirdeeds through the credit they win for suchpractices. For just as those who entice childrenwith a cake, and by throwing it to them twoor three times induce them to follow them,and then, when they are far away from theirfriends cast them on board a ship and sell them8

L i v in g “Q uestion a b le ” L i v esas slaves . . . by the same method, I say, theGalileans also begin with their so- called love- feast, or hospitality, or service of tables— forthey have many ways of carrying it out andhence call it by many names— and the resultis that they have led very many into atheism[i.e., Christianity].1Julian was concerned that the Christians’ acts of hospitality and philanthropy were winning too many ofhis subjects. He decided to launch an offensive againstthem by mobilizing his officials and the pagan priesthood to out-love the Christians. He decreed that a system of food distribution be started and that hostels bebuilt for poor travelers:Why do we not observe that it is theirbenevolence to strangers, their care for thegraves of the dead and the pretended holinessof their lives that have done most to increaseatheism? I believe that we ought really andtruly to practice every one of these virtues. . . .For it is disgraceful that when . . . the impiousGalileans support not only their own poor but9

S U R P R I S E T H E WO R L Dours as well, all men see that our people lackaid from us.2Perhaps not surprisingly, Julian’s new social programutterly failed. He couldn’t motivate pagan priests orRoman officials to care that much for the poor. Hefailed to realize that the Christians were filled with theHoly Spirit of love and motivated by his grace. Themessage they shared— that God loved the world— waspatently absurd to the average Roman; the pagan godscared nothing for humankind. And yet in the miserableworld of the Roman Empire, the Christians not onlyproclaimed the mercy of God but also demonstrated it.They not only fed the poor; they welcomed all comers,regardless of their socioeconomic status. The noblemanembraced the slave. Moreover, Christians opened theirfellowship to anyone irrespective of ethnicity, and theypromoted social relations between the sexes and withinfamilies. They were literally the most surprising alternative society, and their conduct raised an insatiablecuriosity among the average Roman.You can see how the proclamation of gifted evangelists would have been far more effective among a societyof people living such questionable lives. I think this is10

L i v in g “Q uestion a b le ” L i v eswhat Paul referred to as “adorning” the g ospel— or inmore contemporary language, making the gospel attractive. He uses this phrase when exhorting Titus to teachsound doctrine:You, however, must teach what is appropriateto sound doctrine. Teach the older men to betemperate, worthy of respect, self- controlled,and sound in faith, in love and in endurance.Likewise, teach the older women tobe reverent in the way they live, not to beslanderers or addicted to much wine, but toteach what is good. Then they can urge theyounger women to love their husbands andchildren, to be self- controlled and pure, to bebusy at home, to be kind, and to be subjectto their husbands, so that no one will malignthe word of God.Similarly, encourage the young men tobe self- controlled. In everything set theman example by doing what is good. Inyour teaching show integrity, seriousnessand soundness of speech that cannot becondemned, so that those who oppose you11

S U R P R I S E T H E WO R L Dmay be ashamed because they have nothingbad to say about us.Teach slaves to be subject to their mastersin everything, to try to please them, not to talkback to them, and not to steal from them, butto show that they can be fully trusted, so thatin every way they will make the teaching aboutGod our Savior attractive.TITUS 2:1-10Note the way Paul concludes this list of rules (verse10). He does not tell Titus to teach his congregationof slaves and free, young and old, to conduct themselves in this manner in order to win God’s mercy— thatmercy is offered freely in God our Savior. Instead, Paulinsists that Christians live this way in order to “makethe teaching of the church attractive.”Nothing would be more questionable in the firstcentury than a slave who loved his master, or a self- controlled young man, or an old woman who didn’tengage in slander. In other words, this was Paul’s recipefor a questionable life in his time. Our challenge is tofind what similarly questionable lives look like in the twenty- first century.12

L i v in g “Q uestion a b le ” L i v esWhat Kind of Life Will Evoke Questions?There’s an old communication theory that goes likethis: When predictability is high, impact is low. In otherwords, when the audience thinks they know what you’regoing to say, and you go ahead and say it, it makes verylittle impact. On the other hand, when an audience issurprised or intrigued, they will think long and hardabout what they’ve heard.The same goes for Christian outreach. Rememberthat one of the primary acts of the evangelistic believeris the arousal of curiosity among unbelievers, leadingto questions and faith sharing. Acts of philanthropy byChristians today are relatively commonplace, so theydon’t surprise the world. If we hear that a Christianbusiness owner has donated money to a cause, or thata church has opened a feeding program or a hospice,we aren’t intrigued. Such things are expected. I’m notsuggesting Christian philanthropy shouldn’t continueas an expression of the grace offered to us in Christ, butit doesn’t evoke questions the way it might have in thefourth century.Neither does living a fine, upstanding, middle- classlifestyle in the suburbs, for what it’s worth. Again, I’m13

S U R P R I S E T H E WO R L Dnot saying we ought not to live our lives this way. Butif we’re trying to live questionable lives, then cuttingthe lawn, saying hi to the neighbors, washing our car,walking the dog, and driving to the office every day ishardly an intriguing lifestyle.To fulfill the evangelistic mandate that Paul andPeter and the gospel present us with, we need to bepropelled outward, into the lives of our neighbors, butalso upward, into deeper intimacy with Jesus. This isn’tmerely an individual challenge; indeed, Paul seems tosuggest that we fulfill our evangelistic mandate collectively, as we also move inward into a self- consciouslyChristian community, acknowledging the evangelistswe’ve been gifted with and the responsibility to livequestionable lives that we’ve been vested with. We needto become a godly, intriguing, socially adventurous, joyous presence in the lives of others.This won’t be a matter of simply doing somewhatsurprising but occasional things. I believe we need todevelop a new set of rhythms, or habits, that foster amissional lifestyle that intrigues others. And I thinkthe five habits I’m about to unpack will help you todo that.14

L i v in g “Q uestion a b le ” L i v esReflect on the rhythms of your life. Which of themare motivated primarily by your faith?Of those, which do you think would qualify as“ questionable”— practices that the non- Christiansin your life would find surprising or intriguing?15

situations, and any resemblance to people living or dead is coincidental. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Frost, Michael, date. Surprise the world : the five habits of highly missional people / Michael Frost. pages cm ISBN 978-1-63146-516-1 1. Missions. 2. Evangelistic wor