Mission work is a biblical educating within the Bible. Jesus instructions all folks to share the gospel and make disciples of all nations. Matthew 28:18-20 reads,
Then Jesus got here to them and stated, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Subsequently go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them within the identify of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and educating them to obey every part I’ve commanded you. And absolutely I’m with you all the time, to the very finish of the age.”
Christians can justify biblical missions on the premise of the Phrase of God. Nevertheless, colonialism can’t be justified by Christians. A definition of colonialism will be the next, “Colonialism is a follow of domination, which includes the subjugation of 1 folks to a different” (“Colonialism,” Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy).
It’s “the imposition of non secular, cultural, financial, and linguistic practices over Native peoples” (Jo Luehmann, “Missionary Work and Colonialism,”). Colonialism was extraordinarily widespread all through historical past and was usually misused by Christian missionaries. It’s value mentioning that colonialism is just not the identical as true biblical mission work.
What Was Colonialism?
Colonialism was improperly utilized by many Christian missionaries all through historical past. This was not the case for all Christian missionaries; nevertheless, there have been many who linked sharing the gospel with colonialism efforts.
Colonialism pushed the missionaries’ tradition onto the native’s tradition. Most fashionable missionaries don’t do that right this moment as a result of all missionaries are extensively educated in cross-cultural communication and contextualization. God created all nations and totally different cultures because the art work of His Hand.
Missionaries shouldn’t try to “repair” totally different cultures as their tradition is just not damaged. True biblical missionaries right this moment are targeted on serving to the misplaced come to know Jesus in addition to offering any sources the folks may have, similar to medication, meals, or housing.
There have been many alternative missionary teams all through historical past, which all had an influence on colonialism. Missionaries bought a foul popularity because of the previous work of missionaries amongst totally different cultures.
The missionaries in former centuries had been extra targeted on pushing their faith and tradition onto the native folks moderately than sharing Christ with them. As famous earlier, this was not the case for all missionaries.
Nevertheless, there have been missionaries from England who imposed their Western tradition and Christianity upon native inhabitants of different areas similar to Africa, India, and North America (Craig Greenfield, “Is Missionary Work Colonialism?”).
What Had been the Risks of Colonialism?
The colonization accomplished amongst Native People is a problematic level for missionaries right this moment. When Christopher Columbus left in 1492, the objective bestowed upon him by the king and queen was to be taught concerning the folks group of India and convert them to Christianity (Jo Luehmann, “Missionary Work and Colonialism,”).
Columbus thought he was headed to India; nevertheless, he by chance stumbled on what we name right this moment the USA of America. Upon touchdown in America, Columbus and his males compelled their very own Western tradition and beliefs upon the Native People. Along with forcing their very own tradition and beliefs onto the Native People, Columbus and his males used Christianity as a technique to enslave and homicide them (Luehmann).
As one can see, what Columbus and his males did was certainly not true mission work. Columbus and his males in addition to different folks all through time have misused Christianity for their very own intent. Colonization is just not the identical as mission work; nevertheless, these two issues have been tied collectively all through time.
What Is True Mission Work?
True mission work is radically totally different from colonization. Biblical mission work goes out to the misplaced all through the world. The misplaced are the individuals who have no idea Jesus and haven’t positioned religion in His dying, burial, and resurrection.
Mission work is commanded by Jesus for all Christians to partake in; nevertheless, many Christians are known as to grow to be full-time missionaries. If a Christian believes they’re known as to be a missionary, God will reveal this via His Phrase, different believers, and an inside craving to exit to the nations to inform the gospel.
On the coronary heart of missions is the gospel. All mission work must be rooted in telling others about Jesus, His sacrifice on the cross, His dying, and His resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:1-4). Missionaries usually present well being care, meals, and shelter for the folks as properly; nevertheless, true missions all the time embody the gospel message. With out the gospel message, it is just social work.
Christians who take part in mission work ought to by no means attempt to pressure Christianity upon one other particular person nor ought to they pressure their very own tradition upon one other particular person. God desires all folks to freely settle for Him, not beneath compulsion.
1 Timothy 2:4 tells us God desires “all folks to be saved and to come back to a information of the reality.” God desires folks to simply accept Him and place religion in Him, however He doesn’t need it compelled upon them. Pressured Christianity is just not true Christianity.
If an individual is compelled to imagine in Jesus outwardly, they haven’t actually believed in Him internally. Quite than forcing beliefs upon native folks teams, missionaries ought to all the time share the gospel kindly, respectfully, and lovingly. Christians are to share the gospel message, however it isn’t their job to make the particular person imagine or manipulate their response.
Missionaries right this moment are educated extensively about totally different cultures earlier than they arrive at their location. Contextualization and cross-cultural communication are vitally essential for mission work. Contextualization helps believers share the gospel message in a manner that’s comprehensible and significant to the natives with out compromising the gospel.
Cross-cultural communication helps practice missionaries to be educated about totally different communication patterns, nonverbal communication, and verbal communication. Between contextualization and cross-cultural communication coaching, missionaries won’t pressure their very own tradition onto the natives, nor will they pressure their tradition upon the natives.
Western missionaries prior to now have been discovered responsible of imposing their very own Western tradition upon the natives. Missionaries usually are not despatched to “civilize” natives, however moderately, to share the gospel message. Imposing Western tradition onto natives is just not the objective of mission work and shouldn’t happen.
Sadly, there may be nonetheless colonialism happening right this moment; nevertheless, if extra Christians grow to be educated about colonialism, it’s going to assist stop this cycle from reoccurring. Missionaries have an incredible function to play in God’s plan, however this function doesn’t embody forcing folks to grow to be Christians nor does it embody forcing different cultures to evolve to Western tradition and society.
When Jesus calls Christians to go and inform the gospel to all folks in Matthew 28:18-20, He by no means tells Christians that they have to pressure the misplaced to evolve to the tradition of the missionary.
The Problem of Future Mission Work
It’s changing into extra widespread for folks to affiliate mission work with colonialism. Subsequently, Christians want to concentrate on this problem and method it rigorously. Missionaries have to concentrate on sharing the gospel and being caring in the direction of others.
Additionally it is vitally essential that missionaries don’t impose their Western tradition onto others nor ought to missionaries pressure unbelievers to grow to be believers. In contrast to colonizer missionaries prior to now, true biblical missionaries ought to by no means enslave or harm others for “the reason for Christ.”
Christian missionaries are commissioned by Christ to take the gospel to all nations. Missionaries usually are not known as to enculturate unbelievers, convert unbelievers by pressure, or harm unbelievers for not accepting Christ.
True believers would by no means attempt to hurt one other particular person. Thus, Christians can justify biblical mission work; nevertheless, Christians can’t justify colonialism or unbiblical mission work.
For additional studying:
What Is the Biblical View of Mission Work?
Why Did Kings Consider That They Had been Ordained by God?
What Did Jesus Imply to ‘Go and Make Disciples’?
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