The apostle Peter was given the gift of public speaking. He used it to great effect (Acts 2, 3, 4, 5, 9). Stephen excelled at debating (Acts 7). Philip, another deacon, taught crowds in Samaria and a single individual from Ethiopia (Acts 8). Priscilla and her husband Aquila took a more private approach when they taught Apollos (Acts 18). Paul preached in public forums and religious buildings (synagogues). He also taught in a school, in homes and in prisons (Acts 19:9; 20:20 cf. Acts 5:42). These Christians had many different gifts, but one message. They were flexible, adapting to different peoples, but all for one purpose—to save as many as possible (1 Corinthians 9:22; 10:33). Discover your special gifts from God. Develop these gifts and “fan [them] into flame” for effective evangelism (2 Timothy 1:6).
Each gift has its special advantages. For example, public speaking reaches many people at one time. But private teaching allows more conversation for more clarity. Interactions, such as the give and take of questions and answers, find and satisfy the specific learning needs of each seeker. In this course, we focus most on teaching one or a few people at a time, which is sometimes called “personal evangelism” or “personal work.”