Evangelist

Evangelist
Evangelist
In the New Testament this word, in its substantive form, occurs only three times: Acts, xxi, 8; Eph., iv, 11; II Tim., iv, 5. It seems to indicate not so much an order in the early ecclesiastical hierarchy as a function

Catholic Encyclopedia. . 2006.

Evangelist
    Evangelist
     Catholic_Encyclopedia Evangelist
    In the New Testament this word, in its substantive form, occurs only three times: Acts, xxi, 8; Eph., iv, 11; II Tim., iv, 5. It seems to indicate not so much an order in the early ecclesiastical hierarchy as a function. The Apostles, indeed, were evangelists, inasmuch as they preached the Gospel (Acts, viii, 25; xiv, 20; I Cor., i, 17); Philip likewise was both a deacon ( see Deacons ) (Acts, vi, 5) and an evangelist (Acts, viii, 4-5; 40; xxi, 8); in like manner was St. Timothy exhorted by St. Paul to do the work of an evangelist (II Tim., iv, 5).
    From the various statements contained in the New Testament, we may gather with some probability that evangelists were travelling missionaries, occasionally solemnly set apart, as seems to have been the case with Sts. Paul and Barnabas (Acts, xiii, 1-3), to go about and preach the Gospel, yet sometimes with a settled place of abode, as Philip at Cæsarea, and Timothy at Ephesus. They were endowed with a special charisma to preach to those unacquainted with the Christian Faith and pave the way for the more thorough and systematic work of the pastors and teachers. But their office, as such, seems to have extended no further, so, for instance, we understand from Acts, viii, 4 sqq., that Philip, who preached successfully in Samaria and baptized many, was not qualified to impart the Holy Ghost to the converts (verse 14). Accordingly, St. Paul, in his list of the gifts bestowed by Christ for the edification of the Church, Eph., iv, 11 (in I Cor., xii, 28, they are omitted), mentions the evangelists in the third place, only after the Apostles and the Prophets. In the writings of the Apostolic Fathers, no reference is made to evangelists; travelling missionaries are sometimes called "apostles", sometimes also, as in the Didache, they are styled "teachers".
    In the later ecclesiastical literature the word evangelist, perhaps sporadically still used for some time in its old sense (Euseb., Hist. Eccl., V, x), received in most parts of the Church, another meaning. Applied occasionally to the reader in the Liturgy (Apost. Const., III), even to the deacon ( see Deacons ) (Lit. of St. John Chrysost., P.G., LXIII, 910), it became gradually confined to the writers of the Four Gospels (Euseb., Hist. Eccl., III, xxxix, etc.). It is exclusively in this sense that common modern parlance employs it.
    As early as the second century, Christian writers sought in Ezechiel's vision (i, 5 sqq.) and in Apoc. (iv, 6-10) symbolical representations of the Four Evangelists. The system which finally prevailed in the Latin Church, consisted in symbolizing St. Matthew by a man, St. Mark by a lion, St. Luke by an ox, and St. John by an eagle (see SYMBOLISM). It is fully explained by St. Jerome (in Ezech., i, 7) and had been adopted by St. Ambrose (Expos. Ev. S. Luc., Proœ;m.), St. Gregory the Great (in Ezech., Hom. I, iv, 1), and others. St. Irenæus, on the one hand, and Augustine, followed by the Venerable Bede, on the other, had devised different combinations. Christian artists followed in the footsteps of the ecclesiastical writers, and made use, in different manners, of the four traditional figures to represent the Evangelists. Among the most remarkable works of this description it will suffice here to mention only the old mosaics of the churches of S. Pudentiana, S. Sabina, S. Maria Maggiore, and S. Paolo fuori le Mura, at Rome.
    BRUDERS, Die Verfassung der Kirche (Mainz, 1904); HARNACK, Mission und Ausbreitung des Christentums (Leipzig, 1902); ZÖCKLER, Diakonen und Evangelisten (Munich, 1893); PATRICK in HAST., Dict. of Christ and the Gospels (New York, 1906), 549-50; KRAUS, Evangelisten u. Evangelistische Zeichen in Real-encyc. (Freiburg, 1882), I, 458-63.
    CHARLES L. SOUVAY
    Transcribed by WGKofron With thanks to St. Mary's Church, Akron, Ohio

The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume VIII. — New York: Robert Appleton Company. . 1910.


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  • Evangelist — („Verkünder des Evangeliums“) steht für: Evangelist (Neues Testament), einen der vier Verfasser der neutestamentlichen Evangelien: Matthäus, Markus, Lukas und Johannes Evangelist (Prediger), den im Rahmen einer Evangelisation aktiven Prediger… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Evangelist — can refer to:*one of the Four Evangelists, the authors of the canonical Christian Gospels in the New Testament; *a leader (creative person) *a Christian who explains his or her beliefs to a non Christian and thereby participates in Evangelism;… …   Wikipedia

  • evangelist — [n] preacher circuit rider, minister, missionary, pastor, religious teacher, revivalist, televangelist, television evangelist, television preacher, TV evangelist; concept 361 …   New thesaurus

  • evangelist — late 12c., Matthew, Mark, Luke or John, from O.Fr. evangelist and directly from L.L. evangelista, from Gk. euangelistes preacher of the gospel, lit. bringer of good news, from euangelizesthai bring good news, from eu good (see EU (Cf. eu )) +… …   Etymology dictionary

  • evangelist — [ē van′jəlist, i van′jəlist] n. [ME & OFr evangeliste < LL(Ec) evangelista < Gr euangelistēs, bringer of good news (in N.T., evangelist): see EVANGEL] 1. [E ] any of the four writers of the Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John 2. a… …   English World dictionary

  • evangelist — e*van gel*ist ([ e]*v[a^]n j[e^]l*[i^]st), n. [F. [ e]vang[ e]liste, L. evangelista, fr. Gr. e yaggelisth s.] A bringer of the glad tidings of Church and his doctrines. Specifically: (a) A missionary preacher sent forth to prepare the way for a… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Evangelist — (Evangelista), »der Überbringer einer frohen Botschaft«, besonders ein Verkündiger der Ankunft Jesu als des Messias; im Neuen Testament ein mit lehrhaftem Auftrag versehener Apostelgehilfe, wie Philippus und Timotheus (Apostelgesch. 21,8; Eph.… …   Meyers Großes Konversations-Lexikon

  • Evangelíst — Evangelíst, in der ältern Kirche Bezeichnung der umherreisenden Apostelgehilfen; später nur von den Verfassern der 4 Evangelien gebraucht, denen man Embleme (Evangelistenzeichen) beilegte: Matthäus den Engel, Markus den Löwen, Lukas den Stier,… …   Kleines Konversations-Lexikon

  • Evangelist — Evangelist, war in der ersten Zeit der christlichen Kirche der Titel der Verkündiger des Evangeliums, mithin der Lehrer der christlichen Gemeinden, welche von einem Orte zum andern reisten, und so den Unterricht der Apostel fortsetzten. Da sie… …   Damen Conversations Lexikon

  • Evangelist — betegner en forfatter til et evangelium. I Det Nye Testamente findes der fire evangelister Matthæus, Markus, Lukas og Johannes. I kirkekunsten symboliseres disse (efter en tolkning hos kirkefaderen Irenæus af fire væsner hos profeten Ezekiel… …   Danske encyklopædi

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