Jesus the Evangelist

Jesus the Evangelist: Learning to Share the Gospel from the Book of John examines the theology and practice of evangelism as presented in the opening chapters of the Gospel of John.

Dr. Richard D. Phillips studies three key passages—John 1, 3, and 4—to draw out principles, theology, and practical instruction for sharing the gospel. The book is organized in three parts: the witness of John the Baptist and the calling of the first disciples, Jesus’ conversation with Nicodemus on the new birth, and Jesus’ encounter with the Samaritan woman at the well. Each section addresses a distinct dimension of evangelism—its biblical foundations, its doctrinal content, and its personal practice.

Phillips writes for two audiences: theologically minded Christians who may lack zeal for sharing the gospel, and zealous witnesses who would benefit from deeper biblical reflection on the message and method of evangelism. The book emphasizes that faithful evangelism requires both sound theology and genuine concern for the lost, and that Christian witnesses must know and clearly communicate the content of the gospel. An appendix addresses the relationship between God’s sovereignty and the believer’s responsibility in evangelism.

Key Themes

• The witness of John the Baptist as a model of Christ-centered proclamation
• The necessity of the new birth and the work of the Holy Spirit in salvation
• Jesus’ practice of personal evangelism as an example for believers
• The content and communication of the gospel message
• God’s sovereignty and human responsibility in evangelism

Featured Quotes

“Don’t let what you don’t know keep you from witnessing to what you do know.”

“The point of evangelism is that people do not know the gospel. People have no idea that God has something to give them.”