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--Dean of Admissions

Thoughts from a Missionary Conference, Session 5, blog 13

“When thinking about ministry abroad and at home, what can churches be doing to prepare their members?” This question was posed during the time we had with our missionary friend.

He answered as follows.

The key thing that churches must labor to do is to make sure people are students of the Word of God. We only know God reliably as He has been revealed in the Scriptures, and that is also the sole, authoritative source of our knowledge of His commands. When people know the Word of God deeply and broadly, then they are legitimately prepared to minister to others. If people are not students of the Word of God then the whole church is impoverished in its understanding of who God is—and how can such a church even preach the gospel to unbelievers?

There are other important things to do as well. Theological education is crucial because we learn from those who have gone before us. We can learn from both the successes and failures of previous generations, just like we learn from older believers. Biblical, historical, and systematic theology are all vitally important to Christian piety, since they are the records of what people have known of God. Even those who often rail against systematic theology have their own systematic theology, though it may not be written. Everyone who knows God systematizes that knowledge somehow, either formally or informally. Studying these things in the context of the local church is an immense benefit and should be foundational to how we minister. Who we understand God to be will shape the methods and types of ministry we pursue.

Churches can also participate in mission trips to foreign locales. This helps us see our own cultural dispositions in a new light, and helps us appreciate all the people whom God has made. There will be people from every tribe, every nation, and every people on the final day in heaven—what a glorious truth! When we do mission trips, it is a good idea to visit the missionaries whom we have sent out in order to encourage them, to get to know them, and to be better informed for the sake of prayer.

Studying biographies together is another way that Christians can foster deeper desires for missions while also growing in understanding about the nature of missions work. Christian friends can profitably study these together to mutually encourage one another.

It was also asked what women could do to prepare for the mission field.

The most important thing for women to do is also to be students of the Word. Men and women both need to have a solid understanding of who God is in order to profitably teach others. The Word of God is foundational in training missionaries.

Our missionary friend also shed some light on missionary procedure. In order to go to many countries, women must be married because of societal mores and restrictions. This will especially be the case in Muslim countries. However, women in those countries are able to minister in unique ways since unrelated men and women do not mix in some foreign societies. Women can minister to other women with greater openness and opportunity than men in some cases. The work of being a godly wife and mother is also sadly underrated in modern culture. It is a great blessing to serve the family in this way, even though our modern, ‘advanced’ society looks down on being a biblical wife and mother.

The common method for training men and women, then, will be training them in the Bible. Many other things are possible and profitable, but biblical preparation is foundational to all of the work of the church, both at home and abroad.

--Dean of Admissions

Thoughts from a Missionary Conference, Session 5, blog 12

Another set of questions was posed to this missionary: “What are healthy and right expectations to have when a missionary goes to a new place? What are good things to think about in terms of expectations for missions work? What will you do to continue your education overseas?”

Our friend responded that the same questions should be posed to him in a few years because he would be able to answer much more intelligently. Many of the variables of missions are based on individual circumstances in each country, such as access to the internet or to electricity, ability and ease of receiving materials from elsewhere (whether written or otherwise), and the presence or absence of other believers. Questions about expectations can only be answered generally before someone has been in the country for a time.

What you can expect, however, are the following things. Expect it to be hard. Expect to suffer. Expect that new things will come and will change your life like nothing else ever has. At the same time, expect that you will have unique joys and insights into God’s character that would have otherwise been impossible.

One struggle for missionaries is that there is little meaningful fellowship or preaching in the country to which they are going. If there is an indigenous church already established, the preaching will likely be in the native tongue, adding another level of difficulty for the missionaries who desire to be fed by others. This can be offset to some degree by materials from the home church, but real discipleship and targeted preaching is very difficult to find in many places.

Thankfully, the number of resources available to missionaries is increasing. The relative global ease of travel compared to one hundred years ago means that missionaries can take small libraries with them, and can even receive new books by mail if necessary. This form of spiritual materials and support can do great things for missionaries, as they are encouraged by their home church to continue growing deeper in faith. Missionaries can do a lot of reading. This also enables them to pass along their theological library to the indigenous church, assuming that there are some who speak the missionary’s native tongue.

The opportunity that we have, then, is to pray for missionaries and to send good books to them. Usually it is best to find out what the missionary wants or needs, rather than just sending a deluge of random materials. This is one way to encourage our missionary brothers and sisters, as well as to foster their continued growth in Christ. May God grant that the churches of our land have hearts and minds to remember our brothers overseas!

--Dean of Admissions

Thoughts from a Missionary Conference, Session 5, blog 11

The following question was posed to our missionary friend: “What is the minimal training that is necessary for sending a person as a missionary?”

I will summarize our friend’s response.

“Ideally, the person will be able to have seminary training or the equivalent. Formalized training in a classroom setting is not necessary since it is not a biblical requirement, but it does lay a strong foundation for the work of missions. There are many pressing theological and biblical issues that have to be addressed on the mission field—how do we deal with contextualization? how far can we contextualize and be biblical? how do you explain the ‘Lamb of God’ to people who have never seen sheep? There are answers to these questions, but they are found in studying the Word of God deeply. Usually this level of study is accomplished under the tutelage of those who have studied deeply themselves.

“What is necessary is sharpening and preparation for the daily labor of missions whether at seminary or, better, in the local church. A missionary must have a good understanding of salvation and the problem with sinners. If you wish to be a missionary, you must understand that the major problem with man is that he hates God, that he hates God’s Law and His Word, in short, that man is depraved.

“A missionary must also have a thorough understanding of churches and how they are supposed to operate biblically, since an essential goal of missions is the establishment of churches. David Doran, in his book For the Sake of His Name, says that missionaries should be as theologically astute as possible. They must have a good understanding of how to apply the Word to every aspect of life. Sadly, many seminaries primarily teach missionaries about cultural anthropology instead of about biblical theology. Missionaries are just like pastors and teachers—and every Christian—in that they need to have a deep and wide grasp on the teaching of God in His Word. While other training (i.e. cultural anthropology, etc) may be helpful, it is certainly not as important as knowing God through His Word.”

Students, consider these things! If you desire to be a foreign missionary, prepare your mind and heart through the study of God’s Word and live a life that demonstrates consecration to Him. The beginning of a strong missionary movement does not begin in earnest when people are sent to another country—it begins when men and women set themselves apart for God, and live for the sake of His name. May that be your fervent desire!

--Dean of Admissions

Thoughts from a Missionary Conference, Session 4, blog 10

The theme of global evangelism spans the entire Bible, being present in the Old Testament as well as the New. Even from the beginnings of the Bible, it is clear that God has a plan for the entire world—all the nations of the Gentiles being included.

The blessing that God gave to Abraham included this phrase: “in you all the families of the earth will be blessed” (Gen. 12:3). This is restated by Paul in Galatians 3:8, where he refers to this blessing as the gospel being preached to Abraham! From this concept in kernel form in the Old Testament we see that God planned and was working to graciously bless all nations, at least from the time of Abraham. It is certainly important to biblical theology that the initial blessing of Abraham laid the foundation for God blessing the Gentiles.

Another major statement of this plan comes in Numbers 14 after the people rebelled when the spies gave their report. Moses pleaded for the people, asking God to forgive (in line with His character), which He did. God then made this statement: “indeed, as I live, all the earth will be filled with the glory of the Lord” (Num. 14:21). The point was, God would display His great character and mighty name in all the earth abroad, whether through that generation or another. He spared that generation from immediate destruction to preserve the fame of His own name (vv.15-16), yet His plan for the ultimate glorification of His name was not sidetracked or derailed. He would proceed as planned.

This global plan is also clearly seen in the book of Psalms, where a number of clear references demonstrate that the nations are included in the plan of God’s Messiah. Psalm 22, clearly a Christological Psalm, echoes this plan, tying the worship of all the Gentile nations to the greatness of God’s sovereign rule (Ps. 22:27-28). It can be seen elsewhere, like Psalm 117. The whole Psalm consists of two short, pithy verses, commanding the nations to laud God for His magnificent character. This Psalm is picked up Paul in Romans 15 as one of several Old Testament passages that highlight God’s plan for self-glorification among the Gentiles, specifically through the means of Christ as the Servant (cf. Rom. 15:8-9ff).

This Servant is also described variously by Isaiah, who says that God would show His glory in the Servant (Is. 49:3). The Servant is the true Israel, though not to be identified with the people as a whole, as is clear from verse 5 (“And now says the LORD, who formed Me from the womb to be His Servant,/ To bring Jacob back to Him, so that Israel might be gathered to Him…”), since this Servant would bring back the people of Israel. Isaiah also tells us that this Servant was worthy of great honor, greater honor than any mere human king could deserve. The honor due to the Servant was the honor of God Himself, since being merely the restorer of Israel would be too small a thing, so God granted that He would be a “light of the nations/ So that [God’s] salvation may reach to the end of the earth” (Is. 49:6). God’s Servant deserves God’s honor in bringing God’s salvation to all the people groups on the planet.

It is because of passages like these that Jesus told the disciples that the Old Testament spoke about His suffering, resurrection, and the subsequent preaching of the gospel to the whole world, beginning from Jerusalem (Luke 24:44-47). For Jesus, these passages formed the foundation of describing God’s plan for the world—and they do for us today as well.

--Dean of Admissions

Thoughts from a Missionary Conference, Session 4, blog 9

Our missionary friend reported that Jonathan Edwards wrote that evangelistic efforts must never lose sight of their place in God’s plan, or they will degenerate to mere social, moral, and political ends. The missionary endeavor takes place for the sake of God’s name.

What does it mean for missions to be for the sake of Gods’ name, or for His glory? The biblical idea of ‘glory’ has two major components. First, the Hebrew conception of glory is that of weight or influence. Something or someone who is ‘weighty’ is influential. This is reflected in our language when we refer to someone using the phrase ‘the seven-hundred pound gorilla in the room was….” What we mean is that such a person is far more powerful, influential, or ‘weighty’ than anyone else. God’s glory, then, is measured by the influence that He exerts in the world. As His influence is made manifest we can say that He is glorified. Second, the Greek idea of glory is that of fame. It also has the notions of both praise and splendid excellence. God’s glory is made manifest when He is praised, when He is highly regarded and sought after (i.e. famous), and when His infinite perfections are displayed.

Missions, then, exist to increase God’s influence in the world and to increase His fame among the nations. This is purpose described in the book of Acts, when James says that “God first concerned Himself about taking from among the Gentiles a people for His name” (Acts 15:14). Bringing Gentiles to worship Him was fundamental to God’s plan in the world. It was understood by these same men that Paul and Barnabas had risked their lives as missionaries explicitly for the sake of the name of Lord Jesus (Acts 15:26). Paul himself regarded this as one of the reasons for his work among the Gentiles (Rom. 1:5).

Since this is the case, modern missionaries should guard their hearts and minds against false or secondary pursuits! Every Christian, missionaries included, should do all that they do for the glory of God (1 Cor. 10:31), but missionaries must be especially careful in the modern era to avoid the excesses of our day. It is popular to see missionaries as evangelists of Western culture, dress, and politics, as much as of the gospel of Jesus. This is wrong.

I am not saying that there will be no social, moral, or political benefits and changes that arise from a missionary’s presence in a foreign society—that is almost unavoidable whenever different cultures meet. What I am saying is that the driving emphasis that missionaries should place on their own efforts is that of converting lost sinners to Christ through the preaching of God’s Word. Salvation through the gospel magnifies the grace of God, displaying His great mercy for rebellious sinners (Rom. 15:9) and, thus, glorifying Him. It also brings lost sinners under the explicit, obedient, willing influence of God (Phil. 1:9-11) and, thus, glorifying Him.

If you desire to be a missionary, then, examine your heart. Is Jesus the Lord of your life, the Lord of your desires, the Lord of your intentions? Do you value the things that He says are valuable, or do you follow the world’s valuations? Is your express purpose to glorify God, and to take the gospel around the whole world to bring sinners to willing obedience for the sake of His name? If it is not, you should repent. This is the goal that God is pursuing: a display of His saving love for the sake of His great name. May God make that your goal—our goal—as well.

--Dean of Admissions

Thoughts from a Missionary Conference, Session 4, blog 8

One of the most critical issues facing missions today—and the church in general—is our understanding of the supremacy of God. If God is supreme above all creation, then the magnification of His glory is the greatest end, the greatest goal that can possibly be sought or achieved.

It seems almost contradictory, but an increasing number of missionaries are sent out who believe that every individual will be saved at the final judgment. If that were true, then the missionary endeavor has no spiritual purpose, and missionaries merely go out to better the lives of others socially. Other missionaries believe that hell will eventually lead to the annihilation of sinners—these sinners would simply cease to exist.

Are these issues to die on a hill over, or should they be swept under the rug in the name of Christian liberty?

Shortly, these are issues to die on a hill over. These are mountainous issues, and nothing less. Why are these such big issues?

First, these two theological positions (i.e. Universalism and Annihilationism) are unbiblical, that is, they flatly contradict the plain statements of Scripture. To adopt these positions as one’s own requires standing firmly against the clear statements of Scripture. In Acts 4:12 we read that, other than Christ, “there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.” See also John 14:6, 1 Cor. 6:9-11, Eph. 5:5-6. Jesus clearly contrasts eternal life with eternal punishment in Matthew 25:46, telling those who are punished in this way to, “Depart…, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels” (Matt. 25:41). The same idea is present in 2 Thes. 1:9 and Rev. 14:9-11. Teaching these errors, then, requires one to stand against the Word of God.

Second, God’s glory is intimately tied to the justice of eternal punishment in such a way that to deny that punishment is eternal and conscious is to defame God. God punishes sin because He is good and sin is bad; sin is so bad that sinners deserve to be eternally censured and condemned…and tormented. Every human understands this—everyone expects and desires that evil doers will be punished, except when it comes to our own case. No one would say that a guilty serial killer should be set free (except maybe the serial killer himself). When someone sins against us, we want to see them adequately punished. This is called judicial sentiment. Normally, it is only when we see that we ourselves are the guilty ones that we believe mercy is in order. When others sin, we want them punished—when we sin, we expect mercy. The point is, everyone recognizes that sin should be punished and wants that to happen. This is a reflection of the character of God, but God punishes sin with perfect wrath and impeccable justice. He recognizes the true severity of sin, that even sin committed in time is guilty of infinite punishment because it is committed against the infinite God. If God were less than infinite and perfect, sin might require less than infinite punishment. But God is perfect and infinite—and good—so to sin against Him is to be guilty of eternal treason. Therefore, God, in His goodness, does what is right and punishes sin, thereby magnifying Himself and displaying His goodness (Is. 5:15-16, Rev. 19:1-3).

Third, and finally, this is an issue to die on a hill over because Jesus died on a hill over it. To say that salvation is possible apart from Christ is to say that He suffered for nothing. “If righteousness comes through the Law,” or, for that matter, through any other means but Christ, “then Christ died needlessly” (Gal. 2:21). The same is true if hell is not eternal: the sufferings of Christ were less than infinite, and not that important. The point is—salvation is by grace. If sinners can save themselves or others, the grace of Christ is unnecessary, and His office as Priest and Sacrifice is unnecessary. If hell is not infinite, then Christ’s gracious work as the Substitute for believers was not infinite, and even if it was great, it would not have been necessary for God to take human flesh in order to die. Salvation is by Christ alone because Christ alone could bear the full wrath of God and exhaust it in His own infinite person and live again, thereby providing gracious salvation for those who believe in Him. Jesus had to die for sinners to be delivered from the wrath of God, and for them to be brought to God as His children—there was no other way. To say that there is another way greatly demeans God and attempts to throw water on the flame of His glory.

It is only when we understand the full, biblical glory of God that we will appreciate His supremacy and the greatness of His grace. When we do see His glory clearly, we will know that Christ alone is the appointed means for bringing cleansing from sin, and that, otherwise, sin must be punished forever in hell with unspeakable torment. God’s glory demands no less, and no more.

--Dean of Admissions