FORGET NONE OF HIS BENEFITS

volume 11, number 21, May 24, 2012

. . . preaching peace through Jesus Christ (He is Lord of all), Acts 10:36.

Missional or Mission

One of the new buzz words in the evangelical world today is missional. We need not necessarily be suspect of this word because some use it to mean what the old word mission meant, namely to make disciples, to proclaim the gospel of Christ crucified, calling people to faith in Christ, and helping them grow in their faith, to become responsible members of Christ’s body. If this is the way church leaders use the word missional, then fine. No problem. However it is clear from the reading I have done that many use missional to mean anything we may do in the church to help people. It goes like this, “We need to be a presence in our community, to redeem our culture, to bring to bear the kingdom of God in our city.” We now hear lots of talk about bringing Shalom to our cities, to work for social justice. No doubt this is a popular concept today. Besides, who can be against helping the poor with job training, of working to help immigrants learn English, of teaching inner city children to read, of “meals on wheels” programs for the elderly! Many young people have a social conscience, not unlike the Baby Boomers of the 1960’s. The evangelical church of the 1960’s was indeed largely silent on social issues, like the Civil Rights movement; and many evangelicals today have recaptured a social conscience.

What shall we say about such things? First, the Bible is replete with exhortations for mercy ministry. We are to care for the needy (Matthew 25:34ff, Acts 6:1ff, Acts 11:29-30, Galatians 2:10). I suggest, however, that missional is supplanting mission, that the word goes too far, that it can cloud the true mission of the church. How so? The word missional seems to be overriding straight up intentional and direct evangelism and discipleship. Those purporting this new emphasis on mercy ministry, of course, say that they support evangelism but this does not seem to be their focus. Just ask many involved in missional activity if they actively, intentionally, and consistently call those with whom they are working to repentance and faith in Jesus Christ. The missional emphasis also seems to cloud the true mission of the church. If mission means everything we do then nothing is mission. No question—we are to love our neighbor (Matthew 7:12, Matthew 22:39) but love must address the eternal souls of people. Do I really love someone if I feed him, teach him to speak English, and provide job training for him but never speak to him about his soul? At the end of the day, as Jesus said, “What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world but forfeits his soul,” (Mark 8:36). And then missional clouds our thinking on the Great Commission of Jesus. We are tending to exchange gospel proclamation for social action, just like the Protestant liberals of the 1960’s. And what do missional proponents mean by social justice? Generally they mean advocating for the poor, working to prevent sex trafficking, etc., but again, who could possibly be against these things? However aren’t these activities just another way of saying, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” Of course Christians should be involved in these things, but we bring something to the table which no other advocacy group can—the gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord (Romans 6:23). Peter was preaching peace to the Gentiles and this must always lead the way in our work.

It is true, however, that the word gospel is used in both a broad and narrow sense in the New Testament. In the narrow use of the word, the Apostles are calling people to faith and repentance (Acts 2:37ff, Acts 10:36-43, 1 Corinthians 15:1-5). In these instances they are calling people to enter by the narrow gate (Matthew 7:13-14). But they also use it in a broader fashion. Matthew, for example, tells us that Jesus was going throughout all Galilee, teaching in the synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness among the people (Matthew 4:23). You will notice, however, that preaching and teaching led the way, coming before healing people of disease and sickness. And when Jesus stood in the synagogue, reading from Isaiah and saying—“The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor. He sent Me to proclaim release to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free those who are oppressed, to proclaim the favorable year of the Lord,” (Luke 4:19-20)—He was not healing everyone in His day. These healings, resurrections, and exorcisms were signs to prove His deity and compassion. He was making known the fact that He would bring release of the financially poor but also the spiritually poor, (Matthew 5:3) through His death and resurrection.

Then it is also clear that the Apostles “went narrow and broad” at the same time. In Colossians 1:15-23 Paul says that God reconciled all things to Himself through Christ’s death, having made peace through the blood of His cross (broad view); and though we were formerly alienated . . . He has now reconciled us to Himself through Christ’s fleshly body in death, to make us holy, blameless, and beyond reproach, if we continue steadfastly and not moved away from the hope of the gospel (narrow view).