Books Quote by Timothy Keller
““The Greek word euangelizo means “to gospelize,” to tell people the good news about what Jesus did for us, and in the book of Acts literally everyone in the early church does it. Not only the apostles (5:42) but every Christian (8:4) did evangelism — and they did so endlessly. Passages such as Romans 15:14; Colossians 3:16; 1 Thessalonians 1:6–10; Hebrews 3:13; and 1 John 2:20, 27 indicate that every Christian was expected to evangelize, follow up, nurture, and teach people the Word. This happened relationally — one person bringing the gospel to another within the context of a relationship. In Michael Green’s seminal Evangelism in the Early Church, he conveys the conclusion of historians that early Christianity’s explosive growth “was in reality accomplished by means of informal missionaries.”3 That is, Christian laypeople — not trained preachers and evangelists — carried on the mission of the church not through formal preaching but informal conversation — “in homes and wine shops, on walks, and around market stalls … they did it naturally, enthusiastically.”4””
About This Quote
Source Book: The Purpose Driven Church, Timothy Keller, 2008
Early Christians spread the gospel through everyday conversations, not formal preaching, showing laypeople as informal missionaries.
In simple terms: Everyday talk spreads faith.
Key Takeaway
Engage naturally.
Themes
evangelism
community
mission
relationships
lay ministry
Mood
encouraging
thoughtful
Type
theological
practical
When to use this quote
- church growth
- friendship
- family gatherings
- social media
Key Concepts
informal outreach
relational discipleship
Questions to Reflect On
- How can you share beliefs authentically?
- What risks exist in informal evangelism?
A Different Perspective
Informal methods may lack doctrinal depth.
![“24 A few pages later, Delbanco writes the following: [Alexis de] Tocqueville’s detection of a “strange melancholy in the midst of abundance” has a special salience today — because while we have gotten very good at deconstructing old stories (the religion that was the subject of my first chapter…” quote by Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/85a/timothy-keller-240_sad_24-a-few-pages-later-delbanco-writes-the_25320.jpg)
