THE CANVASSING WORK A CALLING.
“Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. . . . And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers.” Eph. 4: 8–11. Notice that it was in giving men “gifts” that He “gave some apostles,” etc. Let us examine whether the work of the canvasser is included in this list of laborers the Lord has placed in His church. If so, then He has given to men certain “gifts” which will qualify them as instruments through which the Holy Spirit will accomplish that work. In 2 Tim. 4: 5 we read, “But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry;” and in the second verse he is exhorted to “be instant in season, out of season,” preaching the Word, and doing his appointed work. This was the way Paul himself worked when he said, “I . . . have taught you publicly, and from house to house, testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.” Acts 20: 20, 21. Therefore, we see that this house-to-house evangelistic work is necessary to make “full proof of thy ministry.” So, then, it is one of the parts of the Lord’s work, hence a “calling,” for which He gives men gifts that will enable them to do the work successfully, and to use them to His glory. But this thorough house-to-house work is being instant in season, out of season, in the very work of the evangelistic canvasser, as he goes on his visits to the homes of the people, talking to them of the love of God, and directing their minds to the truths of God’s Word. It is evident that the canvassing work is one of the parts of the body in which the Lord places members according as “it pleases Him.” Shall we not heed, then, the following instruction given in the twelfth chapter of First Corinthians: “And those members of the body, which we think to be less honorable, upon these we bestow more abundant honor; and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness. For our comely parts have no need: but God hath tempered the body together, having given more abundant honor to that part which lacked: that there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another. And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it.” Following this instruction is a list of the different kinds of laborers which the Lord has placed in His church, indicating clearly that the instruction is given to correct any neglect of any one of the parts of His work. The ministry includes the “healing of the sick.” The canvassing work, the medical missionary work, and the ministry are bound up together. This fact is stated in “Manual for Canvassers,” pages 29 and 30: “Genuine medical missionary work is to be a part of both the medical missionary work and the ministry.”