Discussion Jumpstarter

Study leader reference - not a definitive answer

Question 1

Elijah says he traced the word “church” through the New Testament and found it is “very seldom, if ever” used in direct evangelism, with evangelism happening through individuals; how does that observation reshape what you think God intends the gathered church to prioritize, and what parts of the New Testament push back on your instincts here?

Another way to ask: If evangelism in the New Testament usually happens through individuals, not the gathered “church,” what should the church focus on when it meets? What New Testament passages challenge your first reaction to that?

Discussion Jumpstarter

Direct Answer
Based on the speaker’s teaching, the gathered church should prioritize discipleship, worship, and fellowship—forming believers—rather than treating “church” as the direct agent of evangelism. The New Testament pushback he mentions is that the language often shows evangelism happening through people, not “the church” as a corporate program.

Support from Transcript:

Elijah says he “took the word ‘church’ and traced it through the New Testament” and was “expecting to find…used in relation to evangelism,” but found it “very seldom, if ever” used that way.
“It doesn’t say that the church went out and did evangelism. It’s always individuals…doing evangelism.”
“The role of the church is discipleship…to gather together and to find fellowship.”
He affirms gathered life as encouragement: believers “come together and worship and fellowship…[which] encourages our hearts.”
He notes the interviewer’s instinct: you don’t see Paul writing, “Your whole church needs to go do this,” which supports the point.

Discussion Follow-ups If the gathered church is mainly for forming disciples, what gatherings or habits in your church most clearly do that? What “instincts” about needing a church-wide outreach machine might need recalibration?

Jumpstarter 1 of 10