Allen: no need for exhortation to missions

Monday, June 8, 2015
    Feast of Thomas Ken, Bishop of Bath & Wells, Hymnographer, 1711
    Commemoration of Roland Allen, Mission Strategist, 1947
Meditation:
    The Lord’s message rang out from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia—your faith in God has become known everywhere. Therefore we do not need to say anything about it...
    —1 Thessalonians 1:8 (NIV)
Quotation:
    It seems strange to us that there should be no exhortations to missionary zeal in the Epistles of St. Paul. There is one sentence of approval, “From you sounded out the word of the Lord,” but there is no insistence on the command of Christ to preach the Gospel... The Christians of the Four Provinces were certainly zealous in propagating the faith, and apparently needed no exhortation on the subject... Christians receive the Spirit of Jesus, and the Spirit of Jesus is a missionary spirit, the Spirit of Him Who came into the world to bring back lost souls to the Father. Naturally, when they receive that Spirit they begin to seek to bring back others, even as He did. [Continued tomorrow]
    ... Roland Allen (1869-1947), Missionary Methods: St. Paul’s or ours?, London: World Dominion Press, 1927, reprinted, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 1962, p. 125-126 (see the book)
    See also 1 Thess. 1:8; Isa. 52:7; 66:19; Acts 1:8; Rom. 10:14-18; 2 Thess. 3:1
Quiet time reflection:
    Lord, grant Your Spirit to energize Your people. CQOD    Blog    email    RSS
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