Missionary Motivations

Matthew Burden

Description

Radical Pursuit of a Christlike Life among the Nations

Beginning as an obscure sect in a backwater province of the Roman Empire, the Christian faith radiated out in all directions. What drove this expansion? Where some might think the motivations would be the Great Commission or expressions of concern for non-Christians, which are common today, the early church’s mission was profoundly Christocentric. The focus was exalting the reign of Christ and the pursuit of holiness. Just as the prophets had foretold, the Messianic king had come, and now, reigning at the Father’s right hand, he was drawing all nations to himself. 

Missionary Motivations is the story of early Christianity’s startling expansion. From monks to pilgrims to prisoners, early Christian missionaries filled the earth with their message through the humblest of means, all for the glory of Christ the King. Matthew Burden provides missiological insights by helping the reader rediscover the early church's vision for global mission, which stands alongside, supports, and informs the contemporary models. 

This book presents a deep look into the mindset that drove missional activity in the early church and explores original themes to inspire and inform the next generation of the church's missional thinkers.

Introduction

Chapter 1: The Shape of Early Christian Mission

Chapter 2: Miracles & Martyrdoms: Expansion within the Roman Empire

Chapter 3: Empires and Trade Routes: Expansion to the East

Chapter 4: The Call of the Desert: Expansion to the South

Chapter 5: Barbarian Gospel: Expansion in Central Europe

Chapter 6: The Distant Islands Shall Rejoice: Expansion in Northern Europe

Chapter 7: The Mission of the Kingdom: Communal Aspects of Missionary Motivation

Chapter 8: Emissaries of the King: Individual Aspects of Missionary Motivation

Chapter 9: Mission in the Spirit of Early Christianity

Bibliography

Index

Sujets

• Religion
• Christianisme
• Philosophie et théologie
• Holiness
• Early Christianity
• Christian Church
• History

Informations

• Publié par: William Carey Publishing
• Date de parution: 04 avril 2023
• Nombre de lectures: 1
• EAN13: 9781645084761
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 1 Mo

Extrait

Ma Burden no ony does a grea job wakîng us roug e îsory o mîssîonary work ound în e Curc Faers, bu e aso nîcey connecs e îsory o our presen need o be a mîssîona peope. hîs book îs no ony eoogîcay sound and înormaîve bu aows e curren mîssîonary- mînded Crîsîan o connec o e pas efors o e men and women wo ransormed e word by îvîng e presen Kîngdom o Crîs în eîr daîy îves. ï îgy recommend îs book o every Crîsîan wo akes e command o preac e Gospe aways serîousy. FatHer DomInIck D. ankle, PD Proessor o Psycoogy, Regen Unîversîy

Every asîng enerprîse needs a proound “wy.” hîs încudes God’s goba mîssîon enerprîse rougou e mîennîa, as we as our own persona mîssîon enerprîse durîng our îespan. Ma Burden as done us a e servîce o îdenîyîng e “wy” o e eary curc—er mîssîonary moîvaîons. Yes, mîssîonary moîvaîons în e pura, because ey were muc more dîverse an ose commony reerred o oday în evangeîcaîsm, wîc are usuay e Grea Commîssîon, ove or e os, and e gory o God. Ma as done meîcuous work, and e presens î wî ease o access and grea carîy. Weer you beneI rom deepenîng your own moîvaîon or your persona învovemen în mîssîons or desîre o deepen e moîvaîon o ose you ead or ose you wan o mobîîze—you wî Ind Ma’s voume a god mîne. Emanuel PrInz (DMîn, PD Candîdae) Mîssîon Researcer and Auor,Movement Cataysts

Here îs a serîous and reveaîng ook a e îsory and eoogy o e eary cenurîes o Crîsîan expansîon a can poweruy împac and sape e curc’s mîssîon oday. My our decades o oca congregaîon, ronîne mîssîons, and cassroom experîence convînce me a we mus dîg deeper în our sudy o e pas. Burden îs scoary ye eicîen and very approacabe în îs wrîîng, and e ceary summarîzes and appîes wa e dîscovers. Curc eaders, sudens, and mîssîonarîes în preparaîon mus grab and devour îs book. ï ï were back în e cassroom, î woud be requîred readîng and a paorm or eay and prayeru dîscussîon. Wa a wonderu addîîon o some o e grea wrîers and înkers în mîssîon îsory, eoogy, and pracîce! ï am so anku or îs poenîa wî e Spîrî’s backîng o moîvae e curc îve ou e reîgn o Crîs oday. Paul W. SHea, DMîss Emerîus Proessor, Mîssîons and ïnercuura Sudîes, Hougon Unîversîy Mîssîonary în Sîerra eone, W. Arîca wî Weseyan Goba Parners

ï receny dîscussed wî an experîenced Japanese mîssîonary possîbe reasons wy e curc as aîed o împac îs socîey. ï prepared me o read îs book. ï ound î o be an enjoyabe, sîmuaîng, reresîng, and însrucîve read. ï îs scoary bu woud appea o many pasors and ay peope. ï îs a mus-read conrîbuîon o e debae abou wy e curc îs aîîng o împac many socîeîes în oday’s word. Ma examînes some o e possîbe, dîverse reasons or e eary amazîng expansîon o e eary curc îno Europe, ïndîa, Asîa, and Cîna. A e same îme î reLecs upon ow e conemporary curc mîg empoy em sensîîvey and conexuay. Rev. Roger Tucker, PD Emerîus Mînîser, Unîed Presbyerîan Curc în Souern Arîca Researc Feow, Deparmen o Pracîca heoogy, Unîversîy o e Free Sae

Rarey do ï begîn makîng a îs o peope o wom ï’d recommend a book … beore ï’ve even Inîsed readîng e Irs caper. Bu suc was e case wî Maew Burden’sMissionary Motivations, a ascînaîng sudy o mîssîon moîvaîon în e eary curc. Were some auors mîg scrac e surace or succumb o guesswork wen e îsorîca daa îs someîmes sparse, Burden dîgs ou e god. Hîs dîscoverîes, e ound wîsdom, and îs own însîgs ofer a vauabe sudy a îs eoogîcay and pracîcay appîcabe oday. he book’s rîc însîgs rom ancîen curc îsory can ep orge e mîssîona îdenîy o e uure. Maew Burden as made a sîzabe and very readabe conrîbuîon o îsorîca mîssîon sudîes.Missionary Motivations ofers a grand caenge o ose wîîng o reLec on e pas and ac wî înenîonaîy în oday’s curc and mîssîon conexs. Susan Van Wynen, PD Sraegy Consuan and eadersîp Team Member, Wycîfe Goba Aîance

Missionary Motivations Challenges from the Early Church

Matthew Burden

Missionary Motivations: Caenges rom te Eary Curc

© 2023 by Maew Burden. A Rîgs Reserved.

No par o îs book may be reproduced, sored în a rerîeva sysem, or ransmîed în any orm or by any means—eecronîc, mecanîca, poocopy, recordîng, or oerwîse—wîou prîor wrîen permîssîon rom e pubîser, excep brîe quoaîons used în connecîon wî revîews în magazînes or newspapers. For permîssîon, emaî permîssîons@wcbooks.com. For correcîons, emaî edîor@ wcbooks.com.

Scrîpure quoaîons are rom e ESV® Bîbe (he Hoy Bîbe, Engîs Sandard Versîon®), Copyrîg © 2001 by Crossway, a pubîsîng mînîsry o Good News Pubîsers. Used by permîssîon. A rîgs reserved.

Pubîsed by Wîîam Carey Pubîsîng 10 W. Dry Creek Cîr îeon, CO 80120 | www.mîssîonbooks.org

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Cover and ïnerîor Desîgner: Mîke Rîeser Cover îmage by Sveana Voronîak, îSock.com

ïSBNs: 978-1-64508-475-4 (paperback) 978-1-64508-477-8 (epub)

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îbrary o Congress Conro Number: 2023933107

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Contents

Caper 1 he Sape o Eary Crîsîan Mîssîon

Caper 2 Mîraces and Maryrdoms: Expansîon wîîn e Roman Empîre

Caper 3 Empîres and Trade Roues: Expansîon o e Eas

Caper 4 he Ca o e Deser: Expansîon o e Sou

Caper 5 Barbarîan Gospe: Expansîon în Cenra Europe

Caper 6 he Dîsan ïsands Sa Rejoîce: Expansîon în Norern Europe

Caper 7 he Mîssîon o e Kîngdom:  Communa Aspecs o Mîssîonary Moîvaîon

Caper 8 Emîssarîes o e Kîng:  ïndîvîdua Aspecs o Mîssîonary Moîvaîon

Caper 9 Mîssîon în e Spîrî o Eary Crîsîanîy

Bîbîograpy

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Introduction

We ofer earnest prayers … or a peope everywere. —Jusîn Maryr,First Apoogy1.65

ï grew up as e son o evangeîca mîssîonarîes, servîng wî Wycîfe Bîbe Transaors Irs în Brazî and aer a a Wycîfe raînîng camp în Texas. he îdea o Crîsîan mîssîon “or a peope everywere” was a ormaîve înLuence on my young wordvîew. One o my mos poweru eary memorîes comes rom wacîng my aer gîve mîssîonary presenaîons în supporîng curces wen we were back on ome assîgnmen. Takîng a ream o od-sye compuer paper (e kînd a was conneced end-o-end aong peroraed edges), e woud Lîp roug e ream as e spoke, sendîng a cascade o paper over e ron o e pupî unî î ormed a bîowîng mass on e Loor în ron o e curc sage. ha ream o paper, oug, wasn’ bank. ï was Ied wî ex, an îmmense îs o a e peope groups în e word wo ad ye o receîve e Bîbe în eîr own anguage. ï was an îusraîon o e scae o e ask a ay beore us, and waever e împressîon î made on e res o e audîence, î made a deep împressîon on me. he poîn was cear: ere were a o o peope sî în need o access o Scrîpure. here was an underyîng premîse o e exercîse, oo, one a dîdn’ even need o be expaîned o me: î was our duy, as e curc o Jesus Crîs, o brîng e message o îs gospe o a waîîng word. Bu wy was îs our duy? Wa, exacy, was our moîvaîon or goîng ou as mîssîonarîes? To many peope, e quesîon seems amos oo obvîous o be wor askîng. he answers ook cear, a eas o ose o us wo grew up în e mîîeu o Proesan Crîsîanîy ater e “Grea Cenury” o mîssîons în e 1800s and e renewed waves o e 1900s. ï you ad asked me abou mîssîonary moîvaîons as ï waced my aer Lîp a massîve îs o unreaced peope groups over e pupî, ï woud probaby ave gîven you wo answers. Fîrs, we go ou o bear e gospe because a îs wa Jesus commanded us o do. ïn e Grea Commîssîon o Maew 28:18–20, îs însrucîons are cear and compeîng: “Go ereore and make dîscîpes o a naîons” (v. 19). Second, we go ou o concern or e weare o a ose peope wo ave no ye eard e gospe. As Pau says în Romans 10:14, “How en wî ey ca on îm în wom ey ave no beîeved? And ow are ey o beîeve în îm o wom ey ave never eard? And ow are ey o ear wîou someone preacîng?” aer, as ï sudîed mîssîoogy în coege,

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Missionary Motivations

ï coud ave added more reasons as we, answers wîc encompassed no ony e message o e gospe bu e woe work o e kîngdom o God. Even so, ose answers sî came down o jus a coupe moîvaîng prîncîpes: we engage upon ese abors ou o obedîence o our ord’s command and ou o sîncere compassîon or e peope o e word. ï was soon o dîscover, owever, a ese answers were no as cear and obvîous as ï ad assumed. ïn ac, vas swaes o curc îsory— încudîng some îsorîca mîssîonary movemens—ad no arîcuaed ose moîvaîng acors a a. Raer, e wrîers and mîssîonarîes o earîer eras o e aî seemed o be operaîng on It may be the case a somewa dîferen eoogîca that there are answers waveeng, and î resued în dîferen answers o e quesîon compelling enough o mîssîonary moîvaîon. hese to broaden our answers oten appeared as naura understanding were dîferen answers. ï do no “ for the work of the ” and obvîous o em as mîne were and inspire fresh efforts o me, bu, srangey enoug, ey kingdom. mean o say a my earîer answers or mîssîonary moîvaîon ad been wrong. hey sî srîke me as obvîous and compeîng. Bu î may be e case a ere are aso oer answers, answers wîc some o us may no ave consîdered, answers compeîng enoug o broaden our undersandîng and înspîre res efors or e work o e kîngdom.hîs book es e sory o ose compemenary answers, as ey emerged rom e experîences o e Irs cenurîes o Crîsîan expansîon. ï was e sudy o parîsîcs a ed me o îs exporaîon o mîssîonary moîvaîons. Begînnîng în semînary, ï aunced on a persona program o read as muc and as many o e works o e eary curc aers as ï coud. ï knew a Crîsîanîy ad expanded rapîdy în îs earîes cenurîes, bo wîîn e Roman Empîre and beyond. ï sruck me as srange, en, a my assumpîons regardîng mîssîonary moîvaîons rarey, î ever, appeared în ose sources, even amîd a perîod o sîgnîIcan expansîon. So ï underook a researc esîs on e opîc as an îndependen sudy, and aer added posgraduae and docora sudîes în îsory and eoogy, în order o beer undersand e conours o mîssîoogîca oug în oer perîods o curc îsory. he ocus o my scoary work ceners on îsorîca mîssîoogy, an aemp o undersand e mîssîoogîca înkîng o oer eras în e îe o e curc. Hîsorîca mîssîoogy, as a dîscîpîne, îs anaogous o e posîîon ed by îsorîca eoogy. Hîsorîca eoogy sîs beween sysemaîc

Introduction

eoogy and curc îsory, aempîng o descrîbe ow e eoogy o earîer perîods o Crîsîanîy woud ave been undersood and arîcuaed. Sîmîary, îsorîca mîssîoogy îs a subjec a sîs beween mîssîoogy and e îsory o mîssîon, and î seeks o descrîbe e way a earîer perîods undersood and arîcuaed eîr prîncîpes o mîssîoogy. Suc an enerprîse îs dîicu, because mos earîer perîods o Crîsîanîy sîmpy dîd no produce sysemaîc reamens o eîr mîssîoogîca oug, bu reasonabe reconsrucîons can be buî rom e evîdence a remaîns. Wîe e sory o eary Crîsîan mîssîons as been od and sudîed many îmes, î îs usuay wî an aîm oward îsorîca and pracîca undersandîngs, raer an oward eoogîca concerns. hîs sudy aîms o ep I a gap by openîng a wîndow on e way a Crîsîans în e eary cenurîes o our aî oug abou e ask o goba mîssîon. ïn sor, î seeks o expand our undersandîng o e îsory o mîssîon wî a eoogîca eemen, by exporîng e eoogîes o mîssîon wîc undergîrded e spread o e Crîsîan gospe în earîer perîods. ï aso seeks o expand our undersandîng o parîsîc eoogy. heoogîca sudîes în e eary cenurîes o Crîsîan oug end o ocus on docrîna îssues o Trînîarîan eoogy, Crîsoogy, and soerîoogy, and ony rarey, î ever, on e deveopmen o mîssîoogîca îdeas. hîs sudy aîms o ep I a gap, î ony în a sma and înroducory way. he quesîon o mîssîonary moîvaîons îs no an easy one o uncover by îsorîca researc, or e very reason a î was oten sîmpy assumed by e wrîers o prîmary sources. ïn e same way a ï e my reasons or mîssîonary moîvaîon were so cear and obvîous o ardy necessîae expîcaîon, wrîers în ancîen and eary medîeva Crîsîanîy ony rarey saw e need o expaînîng e underyîng moîvaîons o eîr subjec maer. ïn many cases, e sources sîmpy do no speak dîrecy or wî carîy regardîng mîssîoogîca îdeas, and so e daa mus be pîeced ogeer rom a reasonabe assessmen o e sources’ înormaîon regardîng means, meods, and mîssîon narraîves. Furer, e scope o îs projec sweeps across muîpe cenurîes and cuures, and, as one mîg expec, no a o em ad precîsey e same ways o înkîng abou e mîssîonary ca o Crîsîan aî or e process o conversîon. As e anropoogîs Peer Wes noes, “Examînîng e process o conversîon o Crîsîanîy îs compex and dîicu, because no sînge source o înormaîon provîdes us wî a consîsen pîcure o e cangîng 1 sîuaîon.” he process o dîscernîng suc îngs, en, îs someîng akîn

1 Wes,Barbarians to Anges, 172.

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