The word “mission” gets caught up in this question about the relationships of words and deeds. Some people say that we should define “mission” narrowly—to admit only Word ministry (the Great Commission—making disciples and teaching) in its definition. Some people say that we should define the word broadly—to admit everything which is commanded of the Christian life in the New Testament.
“Mission” is not a biblical word, so in one sense we can define it however we please. But the reality is that whatever you include in the definition gains a certain privilege over what’s not included in the definition. So if you ask the question, “What’s the mission of the church?” and I answer, “Word ministry,” I’m privileging Word ministry over everything else. But if I say, “To do everything Jesus commanded in Word and Deed” or “Love God and neighbor” then I privilege nothing, and words and deeds become indistinguishably important for ministry and mission. Read it all HERE
No comments:
Post a Comment