We see clearly in the Bible that there is a command for some to (in the context of missions) "Go...and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you." (Matthew 28:16-20). We recognize this as a clear and direct command from Jesus. We also know that not all are called to go. But what does that leave for the rest of us to do? Dr John Piper often says "There are only three kinds of people:goers, senders, and the disobedient". When those who are not missionaries are faced with this statement they are left with a choice of sending or disobeying. When we think about this, we are faced with 3 questions:
- Is this concept Biblical, or is John being too harsh?
- If it is Biblical does sending really play a role in world missions?
- If it is Biblical, how do we (the non-goers) send our missionaries well?
Is "Go, Send, or Disobey" Biblical?
I think that it is safe for us to say the pretty much all Christians can agree that there is a command to go to the nations and teach of what Christ has done, so we not spend time establishing that. There is however a little less clarity on the Biblical command to send. Not once do we hear Jesus explicitly say "Go and give missionaries your money" or "Go and pray for your missionaries", however I still believe that supporting missionaries is a command that is given to us by God. I have chosen a few examples that I feel show us that God calls those of us who He does not send to a far away place, to support those who he does send to far away places.
Matthew 10:5-15
These twelve Jesus sent out, instructing them, "Go nowhere among the Gentiles and enter no town of the Samaritans, but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And proclaim as you go, saying the kingdom of heaven is at hand. Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons. You received without paying; give without pay. Acquire no gold nor silver nor copper for your belts, no bag for your journey, nor two tunics, nor sandals nor a staff, for the laborer deserves his food. And whatever town or village you enter, find out who is worthy in it and stay there until you depart. And if the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it, but if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you. And if anyone will not receive you or listen to your words, shake off the dust from your feet when you leave that house or town. Truly I say to you, it will be more bearable on the day of judgement for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah than for that town"
So right about now you may be asking, Brandon..."How does that tell us that we need to support missionaries? He commands His disciple to go not to give!" You would be right in your statement, He does not say that. He does however, show us that He wants these missionaries (people that He sent out to spread His name) to be supported by somebody else...not by any wealth that they may have brought with them. He wanted them to live of the food that they earned for their labors.
3 John 1:7-8
For they have gone out for the sake of the name, accepting nothing from the Gentiles. Therefore we ought to support people like these, that we may be fellow workers for the truth.
This command is a little more explicit, John tells the recipient of this letter that they ought to support the those who have gone out for the sake of the name (missionaries). He says that we should support them because they have gone out for the sake of Christ's name! We should not need any other reason!
1 Corinthians 9:3-14
This is my defense to those who would examine me. Do we not have the right to eat and drink? Do we not have the right to take along a believing wife, as do the other apostles and the brothers of the Lord and Cephas? Or is it only Barnabas and I who have no right to refrain from working for a living? Who serves as a soldier at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard without eating any of its fruit? Or who tends a flock without getting some of the milk?
Do I say these things on human authority? Does not the Law say the same? For it is written in the Law of Moses, "You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain." Is it for the oxen that God is concerned? Does he not speak entirely for our sake? It was written for our sake, because the plowman should plow in hope and the thresher thresh in hope of sharing in the crop. If we have sown spiritual things among you, is it too much if we reap material things from you? If others share this rightful claim on you, do not we even more?
Nevertheless, we have not made use of this right but we endure everything rather than put an obstacle in the way of the gospel of Christ. Do you not know that that those who are employed in the temple service get their food from the temple, and those who serve at the alter share in the sacrificial offerings? In the same way, the LORD commanded that those who proclaim the gospel should get their living by the gospel
Now, I want to close a door to possible confusion right away. The reason that Paul does not make use the right that he has to claim money from them, is to set himself apart from the false teachers that are among the Corinthians. They were in it for the money, and Paul wanted to show that he was in it only for the sake of the gospel. Therefore he is not saying that the church should not support him (their missionary), he is saying just the opposite.
Paul is quite clear here that because of his work in the gospel he has a right to take payment from the church. In fact he says that God commands that those who work for the gospel get paid for their work in the gospel. Paul had a right to be paid for his work, but the people of Corinth were not treating him as if he had this right.
So, is Pastor Piper's statement of "There are only three kinds of people:goers, senders, and the disobedient" backed up by the Bible? I believe that it is. We all know the command for some to go and we have seen that we are commanded to support those who have gone out for the name, therefore to do neither of these, would be disobedience.
I think that it is safe for us to say the pretty much all Christians can agree that there is a command to go to the nations and teach of what Christ has done, so we not spend time establishing that. There is however a little less clarity on the Biblical command to send. Not once do we hear Jesus explicitly say "Go and give missionaries your money" or "Go and pray for your missionaries", however I still believe that supporting missionaries is a command that is given to us by God. I have chosen a few examples that I feel show us that God calls those of us who He does not send to a far away place, to support those who he does send to far away places.
Matthew 10:5-15
These twelve Jesus sent out, instructing them, "Go nowhere among the Gentiles and enter no town of the Samaritans, but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And proclaim as you go, saying the kingdom of heaven is at hand. Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons. You received without paying; give without pay. Acquire no gold nor silver nor copper for your belts, no bag for your journey, nor two tunics, nor sandals nor a staff, for the laborer deserves his food. And whatever town or village you enter, find out who is worthy in it and stay there until you depart. And if the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it, but if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you. And if anyone will not receive you or listen to your words, shake off the dust from your feet when you leave that house or town. Truly I say to you, it will be more bearable on the day of judgement for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah than for that town"
So right about now you may be asking, Brandon..."How does that tell us that we need to support missionaries? He commands His disciple to go not to give!" You would be right in your statement, He does not say that. He does however, show us that He wants these missionaries (people that He sent out to spread His name) to be supported by somebody else...not by any wealth that they may have brought with them. He wanted them to live of the food that they earned for their labors.
3 John 1:7-8
For they have gone out for the sake of the name, accepting nothing from the Gentiles. Therefore we ought to support people like these, that we may be fellow workers for the truth.
This command is a little more explicit, John tells the recipient of this letter that they ought to support the those who have gone out for the sake of the name (missionaries). He says that we should support them because they have gone out for the sake of Christ's name! We should not need any other reason!
1 Corinthians 9:3-14
This is my defense to those who would examine me. Do we not have the right to eat and drink? Do we not have the right to take along a believing wife, as do the other apostles and the brothers of the Lord and Cephas? Or is it only Barnabas and I who have no right to refrain from working for a living? Who serves as a soldier at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard without eating any of its fruit? Or who tends a flock without getting some of the milk?
Do I say these things on human authority? Does not the Law say the same? For it is written in the Law of Moses, "You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain." Is it for the oxen that God is concerned? Does he not speak entirely for our sake? It was written for our sake, because the plowman should plow in hope and the thresher thresh in hope of sharing in the crop. If we have sown spiritual things among you, is it too much if we reap material things from you? If others share this rightful claim on you, do not we even more?
Nevertheless, we have not made use of this right but we endure everything rather than put an obstacle in the way of the gospel of Christ. Do you not know that that those who are employed in the temple service get their food from the temple, and those who serve at the alter share in the sacrificial offerings? In the same way, the LORD commanded that those who proclaim the gospel should get their living by the gospel
Now, I want to close a door to possible confusion right away. The reason that Paul does not make use the right that he has to claim money from them, is to set himself apart from the false teachers that are among the Corinthians. They were in it for the money, and Paul wanted to show that he was in it only for the sake of the gospel. Therefore he is not saying that the church should not support him (their missionary), he is saying just the opposite.
Paul is quite clear here that because of his work in the gospel he has a right to take payment from the church. In fact he says that God commands that those who work for the gospel get paid for their work in the gospel. Paul had a right to be paid for his work, but the people of Corinth were not treating him as if he had this right.
So, is Pastor Piper's statement of "There are only three kinds of people:goers, senders, and the disobedient" backed up by the Bible? I believe that it is. We all know the command for some to go and we have seen that we are commanded to support those who have gone out for the name, therefore to do neither of these, would be disobedience.
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