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HISTORY OF MISSIONS

HISTORY OF MISSIONS. INTRODUCTION What is the meaning of history ? Why do nations rise and fall? Is there any purpose? Or will the earth some day become a dead star, lifeless as the moon? .

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HISTORY OF MISSIONS

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  1. HISTORY OF MISSIONS

  2. INTRODUCTION What is the meaning of history? Why do nations rise and fall? Is there any purpose? Or will the earth some day become a dead star, lifeless as the moon?

  3. The meaning of history is a problem that is today confounding the minds of thinking men. There are many schools of thought with regard to the meaning of history.  

  4. The most common of them all says that history is the study of past events, with the aims of correcting the present developments and guarding against mistake/failure in the future. • .

  5. If there is no God, man is lost in a perplexity of bewildering experience with no thread of meaning to guide him. If God has not acted between history,

  6. the ebb and flow of the tides of the centuries wash back and forth aimlessly between the sands of eternity

  7. . But the basic fact in the word of God is that God has spoken. God has been redemptive at work in history,

  8. and the divine action will yet bring history to a divinely destined goal. God has revealed this purpose in history, in Christ and in His word.

  9. Basically, Mission is the loving work of God to bring humankind to Himself as a church. As a secondary outworking of this, Mission is the overall ministry of the church for world evangelisation.

  10. It is God’s overall plan for the redemption of humankind and for the world itself at every level (Rom. 8: 18 - 25).

  11. While, Missions on the other hand is any activity in which Christians are involved for’ world evangelisation

  12. . It is the various human initiatives to further God’s mission. Without missionaries, there would be no missions. God plan is to communicate with people through people. But what people?

  13. If we say the church is sick, then the pastor must be sound to set the captive free. Although, the word missionary is not found in the scripture,

  14. the idea of selecting and communicating individual for special responsibility is well illustrated in Luke 6: 13. • The quality of the people really matter.

  15. Reasons for Studying the History of Missions * We are able to rejoice and thank God for what He has done. * The mistakes and lessons of the past become available to us.

  16. We see ourselves, i.e. those engaged in the missionary task today as just the latest in a long line of faithful men and women who have borne the cross to those without Christ down through the ages.

  17. * The examples of such men can sharpen our vision and fuel our desires for greater dedication to the extension of Christ’s kingdom.

  18. At the end of the course, each student is supposed to accomplish the following:

  19. MISSIONS IN THE OLD TESTAMENT A. The fall of man Gen. 3:1- 24. God as a missionary God Gen. 3: 8, 9 God’s redemption plan Gen. 3:15

  20. Note: God introduced in outline form His two fold programmes for His kingdom and man’s redemption. He would ultimately reclaim His total kingdom by destroying Satan

  21. and Satan’s kingdom and would redeem believing men in the process by the death and resurrection of Christ.

  22. B. The call of Abraham Gen. 12 It was the channel through which all the nations would be blessed. God’s word to Abraham was international and universal in its offer, scope and intention.

  23. Note: Through the Abraham Covenant we come to understand that God intends to fulfil His mission-purpose through His children. He blessed them in order that they may be His agents of blessing to the world. Ps. 67: 1, 2 Gal 3: 14, 29

  24. C. Mandate to the Israelites Ex. 19:4- 6, Ps. 67; II Chro 36: 14 Heb 8: 7 They were to be “a light to the nations”, God’s missionary to the world, just as Abraham had been told. Did they accomplish this?

  25. What was their response to this obligation and opportunity? Jesus Christ - A Missionary i. Sent by the Father with a purpose. John 3:17; 5:36- 38; 6: 57; 8: 16

  26. ii. His mission was not only to the Jews, but all mankind. • iii. A great example for us as missionaries. Heb. 2: 14-18; 4: 15; Phil. 2: 5-8

  27. iv. He sent (and He is still sending) missionaries out. Matt 28: 18-20; Mark 16: 15, 16; Luke 24: 46 - 49; John 20: 21, 22; Acts 1: 8

  28. Note: God has entrusted to people like us, redeemed sinners; the responsibility of carrying out the divine purpose in history. Why has Goddone it in this way?

  29. Is He not taking a great risk that His purpose will fail of accomplishment? It is now two thousand years and the goal is not yet achieved. God has entrusted to us this mission, and unless we do it, it will not get done.

  30. History and experience bear out that the church that does not propagate the gospel withers and dies.

  31. Likewise, the individual believer who does not learn to focus his attention on the needs of others and to minister to those needs will remain perpetually immature.

  32. Let us consider the various ages in the history of the Church: 1.EarlyPeriod……… A.D. 30- 313 2. Medieval Period (Dark Age, Middle Age) …… A.D. 313-1517

  33. 3. Reformation Period A.D. 1517-1800 4. Modern Period A.D. 1800 – Till Date

  34. MISSIONS IN THE APOSTOLIC PERIOD Acts 1:8; 2: 41-47 The Jews concept of Gentiles’ regeneration: Gentile + Judaism by circumcision = Believer. God broke up this culture by

  35. Instructing Peter in the vision of the sheet and sending him to the Gentiles Acts 10: 28, 34; 11: 1 – 20 • Giving the Holy Spirit to Gentiles Acts 10: 44 - 48; 11: 17 – 18 • Scattering the believers through persecution Acts 11:19-21

  36. PAUL - a Model Missionary His conversion (Acts 9: 1 - 6) His call (Acts 22: 8-15)

  37. His commission (Acts 9: 15; 26: 18, Rom 11: 13, Gal 2: 9) His separation for the ministry (Acts 13:2-4) He established churches in Asia Minor, Macedonia and Achaia

  38. Paul’s Methods • He planted churches very quickly and yet the churches lasted • He reached large cities first (big and central communities) and the convert

  39. (disciples) there carried the gospel out to the surrounding rural areas (Ad 19: 10, 26; Col 1: 8). • In other words, his ministry was deliberately urban an he chose centres from which the gospel would spread.

  40. • He never settled in a “mission station” for more than three years, and in many places he stayed only a few days. He quickly set up local leaders run the church (Acts 14: 23) • He visited the church from time to time (Acts 15:36.41)

  41. • He supported himself by making tents (Acts 18: 3, 2 Thess 3: 7 -10). Often we believe that lack of money hampers all missionary effort. It was not the case with missionary Paul.

  42. He did not seek financial help for himself particularly from those to whom he preached. • Paul taught his converts systematically and carefully. They were to be founding members of the church.

  43. The teaching seems to have been on doctrine and morality with orders of service for the sacraments (1 Cor. 11: 23) but not for the services of worship as a whole

  44. In much, they were left to develop their own patterns which Paul later modified for the sake of edification and good order (1 Cor. 14: 26 - 36) No hardship/comfort was too great for him in spreading the gospel (1 Cor 11: 25-28).

  45. Some conditions favoured the spread of the gospel during this apostolic period and these include: i. Language: Greek was the common language

  46. ii.Good road system by Roman government iii. Passport and visa were not needed for those working in other countries

  47. iv. People getting dissatisfied with their traditional religion E.g. Greek philosophy v. Influence of the Jews vi. Forced Peace (PaxRomana)

  48. EARLY MISSIONS WORK The Conquest of the Roman Empire for Christ After an initial hesitation, the church’s missionaries reached out to the gentiles. Christian traders and travellers took the gospel as they went

  49. The ordinary Christian by the radiance of his life and the words of his lips made a great impact on those with whom he lived. Though Christians were still only a small proportion of the population,

  50. but they were growing fast. Up till AD 313, Christianity was more or less illegal. Periodic outburst of severe persecution made life as a Christian dangerous at times.

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