A tree growing well is firmly rooted in the ground. It is also relentlessly stretching forth to the sky, reaching for the sun which beckons. The tree of missions is firmly rooted in the eternal purpose of God. It is also routed (no pun intended) to the eternal gathering of God’s people in the new heaven, on the new earth (Rev. 21:1 cf. 2 Pet. 3:13). This is true because the Covenant of Redemption is one, stretching from eternity past into eternity future, the substance of which is the eternal purpose of God in the salvation of the elect. That portion of the Covenant of Redemption that emerges in history is the Covenant of Grace.
The Covenant of Grace consists of two parts, the revelatory part known as the Old Covenant in the Old Testament period, and the fulfilment part known as the New Covenant in the New Testament period, which is the age of the gospel. The gospel age began with the coming of Christ to fulfil the promises made in the Old Covenant, and will end with the return of Christ to judge the world and to make all things new. The New Covenant involves the execution of the Great Commission, which is what constitutes the work of missions.
The end, or goal, of God’s plan of salvation is the manifestation of His glory in the salvation of the elect. The redeemed and the angels in heaven worship and serve God in response to the glory manifested in the salvation of the chosen people. This is the end of missions. The redeemed on earth should similarly worship and serve God on earth. In other words, the end of missions should condition the process of achieving the objective of missions. The objective of missions is the planting and establishment of local churches — in preparation for life in heaven, which begins now and stretches to eternity. How should life in heaven, and the eternal state — i.e. the end of missions — affect the work of missions? The book of Revelation supplies us the answers. We consider three certainties in the work of missions as revealed by the Apocalypse.
I. The certainty of progress.
William Hendriksen (Hendriksen, 1980) convincingly argues for the conception of Progressive Parallelism in the book of Revelation. The seven sections of the Apocalypse are:
Chs. 1-3, Christ in the midst of the seven golden lamp stands.
Chs. 4-7 The Lamb opening the seven seals of God’s book one by one.
Chs. 8-11, The seven trumpets of warning to the world.
Chs. 12-14, The woman and the male Child persecuted by the dragon and his helpers.
Chs. 15-16, The bowls of wrath upon the impenitent.
Chs. 17-19, The fall of the Great Harlot and of the two Beasts.
Chs. 20-22, The devil’s doom followed by the new heaven and the new earth.
Each section describes the events, and the underlying spiritual principles, occurring between the first coming of Christ and His second coming. The first three sections reveal the church, indwelt by Christ, persecuted by the world. The church is avenged, protected, and victorious. The last four sections reveal the deeper spiritual background of this struggle. It is a conflict between the Christ and the dragon, in which the Christ (and His church) is victorious.
The book of Revelation is a book of prophecy. It contains visions and symbolism which must be carefully understood without falling into the extremes of literalism on the one hand, or allegorisation on the other. Each symbol should be interpreted as a whole, and its details should be understood in harmony with the whole. At the same time, the symbolism and details are rooted in historical reality that are rich in contemporary applications. For example, the symbolism of the seven golden lampstands, with Christ in their midst (Rev. 1:12-20), teaches us that local churches are meant to be independent and autonomous throughout the gospel age. The fact that they were churches in Asia, united spiritually by the presence of Christ in their midst, shows the propriety — some would say, the imperative — of like-minded regional groupings of churches working together in close fellowship. This has been explicated in some detail in an earlier work (Poh, 2000).
In the present book, we arrived at the imperative of reforming the local church so that the universal church is progressively sanctified (Eph. 5:26-27). Christ is sanctifying His church while each local church sanctifies itself. Christ works in the local church that takes on the responsibility of sanctifying itself (cf. Phil. 2:12-13; Col. 1:29). We have advocated that the church must be sanctifying itself according to the three offices of Christ, the threefold ministry of Christ, and the Three-Self Principle. This is consistent with the vision of Revelation 1 in which the lampstands are golden — speaking of the inherent purity of Christ’s churches. It is also necessitated by the admonition given to each of the seven churches in Revelation 2 and 3 — which speaks of definite efforts put into reformation.
The role of the pastor, or minister, of the local church in the work of reformation needs to be noted. The seven stars in the right hand of the Lord are the angels of the seven churches in Asia. These are not real angels, i.e. spirit beings who serve God, neither are they the messengers of the churches sent to visit John. Furthermore, they are not a personification of the prevailing spirit of each church. Rather, they are the pastors of the churches. 1 Timothy 5:17 shows that there are two sorts of elders in the church — the ‘ruling elders’ and the ‘teaching elders’. The teaching elders are identified as ‘pastors and teachers’ in Ephesians 4:11. The context of the Ephesian passage shows that the pastors are the full-time teachers of the church who have been called to the ministry of the word — just as the apostles, prophets, and evangelists were called to the ministry of the word. In the large church in Antioch, there were prophets and teachers (Acts 13:1). In the large church in Jerusalem, the apostles functioned as its first teachers, until elders were appointed — with James appearing to be the pastor (Acts 15:13; Gal. 1:19; 2:9).
We have argued out the case that a minimum of one pastor and one ruling elder constitutes the eldership of a church. From the first vision of the Apocalypse (Rev. 1-3), it would seem that each of the churches in Asia had only one pastor — the angel (Rev. 2:1, 8, 12, 18; 3:1, 7, 14). There would have been one or more elders helping in governing the church — some of whom helping in the teaching also, together with other men, as and when needed (Acts 14:23; 1 Tim. 4:14). In the vision, a letter was addressed to each pastor because he was the representative of the church. The pastors were the stars held in the Lord’s right hand because they were Christ’s representatives to the churches. (In today’s jargon, we would speak of the ‘right-hand man’ of a person of authority.) Although each letter was addressed to the church, it would be expected that the pastor had to take the lead in heeding the admonition of the letter. The point we are making is that the pastor plays a key role in the reformation of the church — ye, not only in the reformation of the church but also in the whole work of missions. After all, the reformation of the church is part of the work of missions.
In the history of the church, God has always used pastors to initiate the work of missions and reformation. The Reformation of the 16th century stands as a watershed in church history. As the Reformers engaged in reforming the churches by teaching the word of God and implementing biblical practice, the Spirit of God worked mightily — resulting in a revival second only to Pentecost (Acts 2) in magnitude and long-term effects. The revivals of subsequent centuries pale in significance when compared with the Reformation. One obvious difference between them lie in the fact that the subsequent revivals focused on the winning of souls to Christ instead of the establishment of churches that were constantly being reformed. The momentum and gains of the revivals were short-lived as a consequence. The effects of the 16th century Reformation, however, continues to be seen and felt today (Mangalwady, 2012).
The book of Revelation assures us that God is at work throughout the gospel age. The ‘thousand years’ of missions will run its course and fulfil God’s purpose of calling to Himself the elect (Rev. 20:3). The Lord will sent forth the labourers as the church prays for labourers (Matt. 9:37-38). He will raise up ‘angels’ for His churches as the church engages in training preachers (2 Tim. 2:2). Under-shepherds will lead while the Lord’s people willingly serve, so as to constitute an orderly grassroots movement (Psalm 110:1-3). As we plant churches that are constantly being sanctified, revivals will be sent by the Lord in His time (Mal. 3:10, 16-18).
II. The certainty of hindrances.
As certain as there will be progress in missions, so certain will there be hindrances to missions. The book of Revelation shows us that Satan has failed to destroy the male Child, resulting in him turning his wrath upon the children of the woman, i.e. the members of the church — those who “keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ” (Rev. 12:17). Satan’s attempt to destroy the church will fail. The woman who gave birth to the male child, i.e. the church, is borne on eagle’s wings “into the wilderness to her place, where she is nourished for a time and times and half a time, from he presence of the serpent” (Rev. 12:14). The period called “a time and times and half a time” corresponds to the 1,260 days of verse 6 — i.e. three years and a half. Symbolically, this represents the gospel age that extends from Christ’s ascension almost until the judgement day. It is the period during which the two witnesses are given power by their preaching to overcome their enemies (Rev. 11:3-6). In the words of William Hendriksen (Hendriksen, 1980:155):
These witnesses symbolize the church militant bearing testimony through its ministers and missionaries throughout the present dispensation. The fact that there are two witnesses emphasizes the missionary task of the church. Cf. Lk. 10:1: the Lord sends his missionaries two by two: what the one lacks the other supplies. (Emphasis original.)
However, when the two witnesses finish their testimony, “the beast that ascends out of the bottomless pit will make war against them, overcome them, and kill them (Rev. 11:7).” “And those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them, make merry, and send gifts to one another, because these two prophets tormented those who dwell on the earth (Rev. 11:10).” Throughout the gospel age, the church will be persecuted and Christians will die as martyrs.
The hindrances to missions come not only in the form of persecution by civil authorities — represented by the beast that arises from the sea (Rev. 13:10) — but also in the form of false teaching and philosophies — represented by the beast that arises from the earth (Rev. 13:11-18). The church will be troubled by subtle false teaching as much as by outright persecution (Acts 20:29-30; 2 John 7-8; Jude 3-4). One can think of the heresies that plagued the early church, the so-called Theory of Evolution of recent years, and the many cults and religions in the world which draw people away and prevent others from hearing the gospel. While persecution and false teaching are painfully experienced by God’s people when they strike, a more pervasive hindrance to missions is worldly allurement that draws away many souls to destruction. This is represented by the great harlot, called Babylon the Great, who sits on the scarlet beast, on many waters. We are told, “The waters which you saw, where the harlot sits, are peoples, multitudes, nations, and tongues (Rev. 17:15).” Worldly allurement, abetted by persecuting civil authorities, have hindered the progress of the gospel in various parts of the world at different times, and caused suffering and death to God’s children. “I saw the woman, drunk with the blood of the saints and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus (Rev. 17:6).”
In plain language, the apostle Paul warns us (2 Tim. 3:1-5):
But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!
Missions must take into account the hindrances that arise from the instigation and empowerment of the devil — appearing in the forms of persecuting civil authorities, false teaching, and the allurement of the world.
III. The certainty of success.
Progress in missions will be accompanied by hindrances to missions. The one will not be neutralised by the other. Instead, there will be success in the work of missions. God’s elect will be called into His kingdom by the gospel despite the hindrances of the devil. While the devil is a powerful foe, his power is limited by God in the gospel age — symbolised by “a time, and times, and half a time”, “one thousand two hundred and sixty days”, and “a thousand years”. The limitation to Satan’s power is described in Revelation 20:1-3,
Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; and he cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal on him, so that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years were finished. But after these things he must be released for a little while.
During the gospel age, those who die for the faith, and those who die in the faith, reign with Christ in heaven. Those who die for the faith are described as “the souls of those who have been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God (Rev. 20:4)”, while those who die in the faith are described as “he who has part in the first resurrection (Rev. 20:6)”. We are told, “Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years (Rev. 20:6).” The “second death” is a reference to eternal punishment in hell for the unbeliever, after the soul is reunited with the body on the day of judgement.
Near to the return of Christ to judge the world, Satan will be allowed to do his worse — causing much suffering to the church while deceiving the nations all over the world. This will be the culmination of the progress of missions as well as of the hindrances to missions. The last of the elect will be called into God’s kingdom by the gospel while Satan harnesses his agents to attack the church. The short period just before Christ’s return will be marked by persecution, apostasy, and unbelief (Matt. 24:9-13, 24; Luke 18:8; 2 Thess. 2:3-12). The Lord will suddenly return and swiftly execute judgement on His enemies. The devil and all his agents will be cast into “the lake of fire and brimstone” to be “tormented day and night forever and ever” (Rev. 20:10). So will “anyone not found written in the Book of Life” (Rev. 20:15).
What become of the saints on the day of judgement and after? We are told in 1 Thessalonians 4:14 that the Lord will bring with Him those who died in faith. These words follow (1 Thess. 4:16-17):
For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.
The apostle Peter adds the following details ( 2 Pet. 3:10-13):
But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.
While the apostles Paul and Peter write in plain language, the apostle John continues in the prophetic language of Revelation 21:1-4,
Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.”
This is the description of the blessedness of life in heaven. The New Jerusalem is the church of Jesus Christ, the bride of the Lamb, which consists of the full number of God’s elect (Rev. 21:9-21). None of God’s people will be missing. Everyone of them is clothed in the righteousness of Christ (Rev. 19:8). The glory of the New Jerusalem is described in Revelation 21:22-27:
But I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. The city had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God illuminated it. The Lamb is its light. And the nations of those who are saved shall walk in its light, and the kings of the earth bring their glory and honor into it. Its gates shall not be shut at all by day (there shall be no night there). And they shall bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it. But there shall by no means enter it anything that defiles, or causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.
The description of life in heaven follows (Rev. 22:1-5):
And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb. In the middle of its street, and on either side of the river, was the tree of life, which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. And there shall be no more curse, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His servants shall serve Him. They shall see His face, and His name shall be on their foreheads. There shall be no night there: They need no lamp nor light of the sun, for the Lord God gives them light. And they shall reign forever and ever.
In symbolic language, the fulness of life is conveyed by the river of water, clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and the Lamb. The collective noun is used of the tree, of the river, and of the street. The city is a beautiful garden lined with rivers, streets, and trees. The trees bear fruit regularly, every month — showing that there is abundance to feed “a great multitude of people which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues” (Rev. 7:9). This number, however, is known to God (2 Tim. 2:19). While on earth, the full number of God’s elect is referred to by the symbolism of the 144,000 from the twelve tribes of Israel who are sealed — i.e. who are owned and protected by God (Rev. 7:4-8; 14:3). Here, in Revelation 22, the full number of the redeemed are now in heaven. The leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations, showing that the people live in harmony, with full acceptance of one another. No misunderstanding, suspicion, nor fear is there to spoil their fellowship. Together, they willingly serve their God. Yes, there will be work to do in heaven, just as in the garden of Eden. Service speaks of work other than worship. They shall reign, which also speaks of work (cf. Matt. 25:21, 28). Work, however, will not constitute toil, but pleasure. There will be no marriage in heaven, and no procreation, for the redeemed people will be like angels (Matt. 22:30). Marriage on earth has its joy, and its sorrow. In heaven, the fellowship of God’s people will be raised to a level higher than experienced by Adam and Eve before the fall. The passage parallel to the last is Revelation 7:15-17,
Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve Him day and night in His temple. And He who sits on the throne will dwell among them. They shall neither hunger anymore nor thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any heat; for the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to living fountains of waters. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.
Comparing with Revelation 21:22, the temple is the presence of the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb. The people serve God “night and day”, i.e. continually, for there shall be no night there (Rev. 21:25). Night speaks of the need for rest, of fear, and of dangers. In heaven, there will be no night to trouble God’s children. What Paul foretold in plain language in his epistle to the Ephesians would have been fulfilled (Eph. 2:4-7; 3:21):
But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus…to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.
The end, or goal, of God’s plan of salvation — which is the manifestation of the glory of God in the salvation of the elect — will have been accomplished.
IV. Three implications.
The three certainties of missions — viz. the certainty of progress, the certainty of hindrances, and the certainty of success — lead to many implications, three of which are considered here.
Generosity without compromise
Missions is not the work of any one church nor of any one constituency of churches. Truth, vision, and spirituality are not the monopoly of any single denomination. The Great Commission encompasses all the Lord’s people, and all the Lord’s churches. There are churches that have gone too far astray, to the extent of denying the fundamentals of the faith, with which we may have no fellowship. We are to endeavour “to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” without compromising the fundamentals of the faith (Eph. 4:1-6). No doubt, all truths are important so that error in any one truth will affect the faith in some ways down the line. However, it must be honestly acknowledged that the Bible is not equally clear in all its parts, and not all Christians are equally clear on every point of doctrine. Having said that, it must be noted that there are essential points of doctrine which cannot be denied without harming “the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 3). It follows that on the one hand, we must be big-hearted towards those who differ from us in doctrine and practice, on the other hand, we must separate from those who are in error on the fundamentals of the faith. While the dividing line between the fundamentals and the non-essentials may be debated, each church must work out the extent of fellowship it chooses to have with those who differ from it. This is where the creeds of the early church and the historic Confessions of Faith from the Reformation come into their own.
On the practical level, all Evangelicals must be respected and loved as our brethren. We would define an Evangelical as one who holds to the sole authority of Scripture, the gospel of “justification by faith”, and the imperative of evangelism (Poh, TR, 2017). We would have difficulty co-operating in missions with Evangelicals who practise hard-core altar calls, or hold to Charismatic views on the sign gifts, or advocate contemporary worship. However, we would not compete with them in missions, nor undermine them in their work. We may express our disagreement with them, and correct them as the opportunity arises, which is different from intruding into their sphere of ministry and taking away their churches or missionaries. When their churches or missionaries voluntarily choose to join us because they have had a change in theology to conform with ours, the transfer of allegiance should be done with amicability and transparency as much as possible. Problems often arise from a lack of reciprocal spirit. “And just as you want men to do to you, you also do to them likewise (Luke 6:31).”
For ourselves, we would plant only churches that hold to our distinctive theology. Life is short, resources are limited, and opportunities are many. We must be focused in what we want to achieve — i.e. the type of churches we want to plant and to establish. At the same time, we would open our church leaders’ seminars and ministers’ conferences to other Evangelicals with the understanding that we teach from our perspective of the truth, and that they come in peace and not with the intention of undermining our work or poaching our missionaries. Not only do we share teaching in this manner, we also contribute and collect funds for special needs such as in building projects, good works, and disaster relief involving other Evangelicals. In some situations where we are unable to be directly involved, we are happy to contribute — in finance and prayer — to those who are able to preach the gospel and carry out good works.
Being generous in this manner to Evangelical brethren without compromising our distinctive theology and denominational convictions has brought us no small measure of comfort and sweet fellowship with others. The old adage, “In essentials unity, in non-essentials liberty, in all things charity”, applies.
Leadership without elitism
We have emphasised that the Great Commission of Matthew 28:18-20 (and related passages) is a command to the local church to plant other local churches. The principle of ‘the centrality and uniqueness of the local church in the purposes of God’ is upheld. The Great Commission is not a command given to independent individuals or to para-church organisations. Furthermore, the work of missions involves the whole local church, and not just a few individuals in the church. This emphasis on the role of the local church should not be misunderstood, misapplied, or abused.
The Orthodox churches — including the Roman Catholic and the Eastern Orthodox churches — have always posited a clear and absolute distinction between the clergy and the laity. This led to the Protestant churches emphasising the principle of ‘the priesthood and prophethood of all believers’ instead. This means that every believer — not just the minister — has the right to draw near to God in prayer and to proclaim the word of God. In some circles, this has been taken to the extreme such that the role of the minister of the gospel in the church is minimised or denied. The Plymouth Brethren, for example, practise the equality of lay elders, with no recognition of the role of the full-time pastor. In some evangelical circles, the bi-vocational ministry is advocated in which the pastor — whether formally trained or not — holds a full-time job at the same time. Some Reformed Baptist churches hold to the parity of all elders in which the full-time elder and the other elders are regarded as pastors who share equal rights in all the ministries in the church. The doctrine of the call to the ministry of the word is either inconsistently upheld or denied by replacing it with something quite different from how it is traditionally understood (Waldron et. al., 1997; Poh, 2006).
The Scripture places ministers of the word as the instrument of God to declare His will and to lead His people. In the Old Testament, the prophets, priests, and kings were equated with the shepherds of God’s people — be they faithful (Jer. 23:4; Ezek. 34:11-12) or unfaithful ones (Jer. 6:13-14; 8:10-11; 50:6; Ezek. 34:1-10; Zech. 11:7, 8, 15-17). In the New Testament, the abiding office of the minister is that of the pastor, although he is also an elder who normally leads the eldership in ruling the church (Eph. 4:11; 1 Tim. 5:17). The leadership of the church, therefore, is neither individualistic nor polycentric in an absolute sense. Instead, it consists of an eldership led by the pastor and, together, they oversee the church. Believing in the autonomy of the churches, the leadership of a network of churches is not centralised or decentralised in an absolute sense. The flagship church concept allows for clear leadership of one church while allowing for, recognising, and encouraging the contribution of other churches — much like a happy family. After all, the gifts of the ministers vary and opportunities of service are diverse. Church history reveals that God has used ministers of the word to win souls, to build up the church, and to lead His people. Genuine revivals of the past have always involved the leadership of ministers of the gospel. George Whitefield, John Wesley, Charles Spurgeon, and Asahel Nettleton are among the many that may be named. The well-known missionary, William Carey, was the pastor of a church before he went into the mission field. Jonathan Edwards and Charles Simeon were pastors who were deeply involved in missions. Although Hudson Taylor and Jim Elliot were connected with he Plymouth Brethren, they would have been considered ministers in other communions. The attempts to minimise the office and calling of the pastor that we have listed above fail to give credence to the obvious and natural understanding of the role of the angel in Revelation 1 to 3. Are these attempts an over-reaction to the clergy-laity distinction of the Orthodox churches? Or are they a result of pandering to the egalitarianism of Postmodernism? While not wanting to promote a new elitism, the biblical role of ministers of the gospel in the work of missions must be pressed. (Here, elitism is the belief that the clergy or a select few know the Bible better than others and should lead the church; egalitarianism is the belief that all Christians are equal and deserve equal rights and opportunities to serve in the church.) The Great Commission of Matthew 28:18-20 must be understood in this light. While it is a command to the local church to plant other local churches, the leadership and instrumentality of the ministers must not be denied or minimised. The related passages of Matthew 9:37-38 and Romans 10:14-15 make this clear.
Various Confessions of Faith that arose from the Reformation show a comfortable acceptance of the complementary roles of the ministers and the other members of the church. The 1689 Baptist Confession clearly recognises the office of the minister when it says (1689 Confession:26:10):
The work of pastors being constantly to attend the services of Christ, in His churches, in the ministry of the word, and prayer, (t) with watching for their souls, as they that must give an account to Him; it is incumbent on the churches to whom they minister, not only to give them their due respect, (u) but also to communicate to them of all their good things according to their ability, so as they may have a comfortable supply, without being themselves (x) entangled in secular affairs; and may also be capable of exercising (y) hospitality toward others; and this is required by the (z) law of nature, and the express order of our Lord Jesus, who hath ordained that they that preach the gospel, should live of the gospel.
(t) Acts 6:4; Heb. 13:17; (u) 1 Tim. 5:17, 18; Gal. 6:6, 7; (x) 2 Tim. 2:4; (y) 1 Tim. 3:2; (z) 1 Cor. 9:6-14.
The Confession further says that the ordinances of baptism and the Lord’s Supper are to be administered, not by just any Christian, but by “those only, who are qualified and thereunto called according to the commission of Christ” (1689 Confession:28:2). The two Bible references, viz. Matthew 28:19 and 1 Corinthians 4:1 pertain to those who are called to be ministers of the gospel. While the position and role of the pastor are clearly recognised, the role of other members of the church in handling the word of God is not overlooked, as seen in these words (1689 Confession:26:11),
Although it be incumbent on the bishops or pastors of the churches to be instant in preaching the word, by way of office; yet the work of preaching the word, is not so peculiarly confined to them; but that others also (a) gifted, and fitted by the Holy Spirit for it, and approved, and called by the church, may and ought to perform it.
(a) Acts 11:19, 20, 21; 1 Pet. 4:10, 11.
Pastors must take the lead in missions, helped by the other elders. Churches must pray for preachers to be raised up, trained, and sent forth to preach the gospel. When God gives a revival, it will be one led by ministers of the gospel, as much as it will be a grassroots movement. The primacy of preaching and teaching God’s word will be obvious. A grassroots movement not held together by powerful preaching will turn anarchic sooner of later. It will not fit into the pattern of what we would expect of a genuine work of God (cf. 1 Cor. 14:40). In short, the leadership of ministers in missions must not be overlooked, denied, or minimised while encouraging the involvement of the whole church.
Biblicism without obscurantism
In missiology, trends may be noted in the various eras. The Reformation of the 16th century saw the recovery of biblical doctrines and the reformation of worship. The attempt to recover biblical church order did not result in a consensus of opinion on the subject. The early stirrings in foreign missions during the Reformation were eclipsed by the colossal task of reforming the churches after the centuries of accumulated human traditions and spiritual declension (Haykin & Robinson, 2014). The Moravians, despite their unorthodox beliefs on Scripture and on the death of Christ, were active in foreign missions from around 1730 (Dallimore, 1979: 171-174). The 17th century saw a notable increase of interest in wider church planting among the non-Conformist Puritans on both sides of the Atlantic (Poh, 2013:199-206, 288-290). This culminated in the rise of the era of Modern Missions in the next century. The initiative of the Particular Baptists in the 18th century of sending William Carey (1761-1834) and others to India spurred the formation of various missions boards on both sides of the Atlantic (Haykin, 1995). William Carey has been hailed as “the Father of Modern Missions”.
The rise of social concerns and co-operation in missions in the 19th century resulted in a toning down of emphasis on distinctive ecclesiological and theological beliefs (Brown:1986:136-141). This was a time of exploration and the opening of new frontiers, accompanied by the advent of the so-called Theory of Evolution and Modernism (or Theological Liberalism). Church-based missions boards became independent of the churches which founded them while para-church organisations and independent missionary societies mushroomed. On the front of missions, it was a time of experimentation and reflection on the methodology of missions. Hudson Taylor (1832-1905) and the China Inland Mission (later renamed Overseas Missionary Fellowship, then OMF International), and John Nevius (1829-1893) belong to this period. Hudson Taylor took to wearing Chinese attire, including sporting the Manchurian pigtail, while John Nevius formulated the Three-Self Principle of missions. The Three-Self Principle was the outcome more of empirical observation and experimentation than the fruit of theological reflection or biblical exegesis.
In the 20th century, revivals broke out in various parts of the world — including in Korea, north-east India, parts of South-east Asian countries, and China. This was the era of Roland Allen (1868-1947) in China, when the idea of missions as a grassroots movement was fostered. In the West, the Fundamentalist-Modernist Controversy rocked churches. After the 1930’s, the Modernists (or Liberals) were largely pushed to the confines of the theological faculties of universities, or dispersed as social workers in various non-governmental organisations. The original Fundamentalist camp was made up of various shades of Evangelicals who upheld biblicism, i.e. the belief in the sole authority of Scripture in all matters of faith and practice. By the 1930’s the Fundamentalist camp broke up into the Fundamentalists (the term now taking on a narrower meaning), the Reformed, and the Neo-Evangelicals. The Neo-Evangelicals place emphasis on social concerns and are incline to be ecumenical. The Pentecostals arose to form a fourth group (Poh, TR, 2017). Together, these groups are known as Evangelicals (the term now taking on a broader meaning). In other words, the Fundamentalists before 1930 were the old Evangelicals, while the new Evangelicals comprise the new Fundamentalists, the Reformed, the Neo-Evangelicals, and the Pentecostals.
After the Second World War (1939-1945), a theological re-alignment began to take place which has continued to today. Some Fundamentalists have become Reformed, some Reformed men have become Neo-Evangelical, and some Pentecostal men have embraced Reformed theology. A resurgence of interest in Pentecostal theology and Reformed theology occurred from the 1960’s. Pentecostal theology spilled into other denominations to become the Charismatic Movement while Reformed soteriology has been embraced by sections of the Charismatics who constitute the New-Calvinist movement of today. This was the period when the Modern Church Growth movement arose — advocating the ideas of contextualisation, cross-cultural sensitivity, and the use of scientific analysis to assess the viability of outreach methods. From the earlier empirical approach (e.g. McGavran, 1955) to the later sociological approach (e.g. Hesselgrave, 1978) the ideas of the Modern Church Growth movement have been praised as well as criticised. Two divergent emphases emerged — ‘holism’ which emphasised good works and social ministries, and ‘prioritism’ which emphasised conversion and spiritual transformation. Those who opposed the ideas of the Modern Church Growth movement were frowned upon as non-progressive.
The early 21st century saw the rise of the Missional Church movement among the ecumenical-minded Evangelicals which has been embraced by conservative Evangelicals as well. When the expression “a missional church” was first used, it appeared to carry the meaning “a missions-minded church”. With time, the term took on a different nuance and has become a catchphrase of a new missions movement (Stetzer and Im, 2016; Roxburgh and Boren, 2009; Woodward, 2016). The Missional Church movement begins its narrative with the missio Dei (the mission of God), based on John 20:21, ‘So Jesus said to them again, “Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.”’ The movement eschews ‘extractionism’, i.e. the practice of taking converts out of their cultural environment. The life of Abraham is used as a model of missions when, in reality, it is a model of the personal life of faith (Rom. 4:18-22; Heb. 13:8-10, 13-16). The movement eschews ‘extractionism’, i.e. the practice of taking converts out of their cultural environment. It also repudiates the ‘attractional church’, which aims to attract people instead of going out to people. It advocates the planting of reproducing churches. It also embraces the seeker-sensitive approach to local outreach, the multi-site approach to church growth, contemporary worship, and the community-based ‘incarnational’ (some read as ‘worldly’) lifestyle for the church. While differences exist between conservative Evangelicals and ecumenical Evangelicals of the Missional Church movement, the pursuit of cultural relevance through an egalitarian church structure is a common trait. Furthermore, distinctive conviction in theology and ecclesiology is eschewed and indiscriminate ecumenism in missions and social concerns is encouraged. While not always stated explicitly, those who do not share their views of church growth would be considered obscurantist, stuck in the past, or ignoring modern needs.
On our part, we have opted to hold on to historic biblicism while resisting any tendency to obscurantism. (Here, we use the word ‘obscurantism’ to mean opposition to new ideas and knowledge from disciplines other than biblical theology.) Modern technology, the findings of science, and the insights of sociology may be harnessed to missions as tools. The foundational principles and methods of missions, however, must flow from the word of God — not by a patchwork theology, but by a holistic approach that avoids majoring on minor issues. We see the Great Commission of Mathew 28:18-21 as the key passage on missions and John 20:21 as a subordinate passage, not vice versa. We see the apostle Paul, rather than Abraham, as setting the example for missions. We arrive at a view of church oversight from the Scripture and not from pragmatic considerations that are thinly veiled by irrelevant theological arguments. We see missions in the light of the eternal purpose of God, not in the limited view of transient cultural trends. We rejoice over the recovery of biblical insights on missions through the centuries — including the necessity of cross-cultural sensitivity, the proper place of contextualisation, the planting of reproducing churches, and the harnessing of the whole church to the work of missions. Instead of the patchwork theology and empirical approach of the various missions movements, our approach has yielded similar results and more, while avoiding aberrations from the Bible. In particular, we would single out three critical aspects of missions that have been overlooked or under-emphasised by others.
Firstly, missions must take into consideration the certainty of spiritual decline and apostasy in the church. This has been foretold in God’s word. Apostasy occurred among God’s people in the Old Testament. Towards the end of the New Testament period, the condition of “the seven churches” in Asia was indicative of the spiritual decline all round. Decline occurred in the early church while the gospel spread. Departure from the truth and the accretion of human traditions led to the one thousand years of spiritual darkness of the Middle Ages (500 AD to 1500 AD). The Reformation of the 16th century restored important biblical doctrines while clearing away human traditions. The gains made began to be lost as the centuries passed by so that today we have the phenomenon of ‘Christian nations’ sliding into Modernism, then into Postmodernism, and now into post-Christendom. Should this departure from the faith surprise us? Have we not been warned of this in Scripture? What this means to us in practice is that the ground must be ploughed again and the seed of the gospel planted in so-called Christian nations and communities. We are reminded afresh of the spatial and temporal aspects of missions as taught in Acts 2:39, and the light shed by this truth on our understanding of the Great Commission of Matthew 28:18-20.
Secondly, missions must take into consideration the spiritual struggle that underlies the advance of God’s kingdom on earth. Satan is actively hindering the advance of the gospel by spreading false teaching, by persecuting the church, and by drawing souls away through worldly allurement. These are the works of the beast of the sea, the beast of the earth, and the Great Harlot called Babylon. They are the agents of the great fiery serpent who failed to destroy the male Child of the woman, and now turns his fury against her offspring. The battle is fierce on every front. In the West, worldly allurement has drawn away millions. In the Middle-East, the Indian sub-continent, and Southeast Asia, millions have been blinded by false religions. In parts of Africa, the Middle-East, and Asia, millions of the Lord’s people are put under fear and stress because of the fires of persecution. (It is estimated that in China alone there are more than 80 million believers). We know, however, that the Lord will preserve His people and the church will emerge victorious in this war. Practically, this means that missions must be carried out with much prayer and a prayerful spirit. It also means that new disciples of Christ must be taught to expect and to accept self-denial, suffering, and death for the faith (Matt. 10:16-20, 28; Luke 9:23-26; Rom. 8:16-17; 2 Tim. 3:12). This is a teaching neglected in many Christian circles. Instead, self-indulgence is promoted under the guise of the health-and-wealth gospel, incarnational ministry, New Covenant Theology (which denies the abiding relevance of the Ten Commandments to Christians), New Calvinism (also known as the Young, Restless, and Reformed movement), and the like. These are the symptoms, if not the contributory causes, of the worldliness and decline of churches in ‘Christian nations’. It is ironic that such churches constitute the Missional Church movement. This might sound too harsh a judgement. Seen in the light of the agents of Satan hindering the spread of the gospel — and, in particular, the agent of the Great Harlot — one is obliged to give sober thought.
Thirdly, missions must take into consideration the Christian hope — which includes the certainty of Christ’s return to judge the world, the gathering together of all the redeemed of the Lord, and the eternal blessedness of life in heaven. The Christian hope should condition not only the personal Christian life but also the quality and spirit of missions (Rom. 8:18-39). All the elect will be called into God’s kingdom by the gospel. The Holy Spirit will bless human instrumentality and the God-appointed means of hearing the word. The devil might do his worst against the church through his agents, but God’s plan of saving for Himself a people will not be frustrated. There will be a new heaven and a new earth, in which is the New Jerusalem. The Covenant of Redemption is immutable. In the Christian life, we may take to heart the words of Romans 8:37-39:
Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
In missions, we may take to heart the words of the apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 15:10 and 2 Timothy 2:10,
But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me…Therefore I endure all things for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.
V. Summary
The end of missions is the gathering together of the elect in heaven to worship and serve God, in response to the manifested glory of God in the salvation of His people. The objective of missions is the planting and establishment of local churches, in preparation for life in heaven. The end of missions should condition the accomplishing of the objective of missions. The book of Revelation reveals three certainties concerning missions, namely: the certainty of progress, the certainty of hindrances, and the certainty of success. This leads to three implications, namely: (i) there should be generosity towards others without compromising distinctive theology and denominational convictions; (ii) the leadership of ministers in missions must not be overlooked, denied, or minimised while encouraging the involvement of the whole church; and (iii) historic biblicism may be clung to without ignoring contemporary needs and issues. Missions must take into consideration three aspects that have been overlooked or under-emphasised, namely: (a) the certainty of spiritual decline and apostasy in the church; (b) the spiritual struggle that underlies the advance of God’s kingdom on earth; and (c) the Christian hope.
The Lord who gave us the Great Commission had known the end from the beginning. He had foreseen the advance of science and technology, and the changes to the way we see and do things. He has given us the principles and methods of missions that are always relevant and applicable. We are convinced that it is possible to hold firmly to a biblicism that avoids obscurantism.
References
1. Brown, Raymond, 1986. The English Baptists of the 18th Century. The Baptist Historical Society. 187 pp.
2. Dallimore, Arnold. 1979. George Whitefield. Banner of Truth.
3. Haykin, Michael, 1995. One Heart and One Soul: John Sutcliff of Olney, his friends and his times. Evangelical Press. 432 pp.
4. Haykin, Michael, and Robinson Sr, Jeffrey , 2014. To the Ends of the Earth: Calvin’s Missional Vision and Legacy, Crossway, 144 pp.
5. Hendriksen, 1980. More Than Conquerors: An Interpretation of the Book of Revelation. Baker Book House. 285 pp.
6. Hesselgrave, David J., 1978. Communicating Christ Cross-culturally: An Introduction to Missionary Communication. Zondervan. 511 pp.
7. Mangalwady, Vishal, 2012. The Book That Made Your World. Thomas Nelson. 297 pp.
8. McGavran, Donald Anderson, 1955. The Bridges of God: A Study in the Strategy of Missions. Wipf & Stock Pub. 174 pp.
9. Poh, B. S., 2000 (First published 1995). The Keys of the Kingdom: A Study on the Biblical Form of Church Government. Good News Enterprise. 417 pp.
10. Poh, B. S., 2006. Against Parity. Good News Enterprise. 74 pp.
11. Poh, B. S., 2013. A Garden Enclosed. Good News Enterprise. 346 pp.
12. Poh, B. S., 2017. Thoroughgoing Reformation. Good News Enterprise. 186 pp.
13. Roxburgh, Alan J. and Boren, M. Scott, 2009. Introducing the Missional Church: What It Is, Why It Matters, How to Become One. Baker Books. 202 pp.
14. Stetzer, Ed. and Im, Daniel, 2016. Planting Missional Churches: Your Guide to Starting Churches that Multiply. B & H Academic. 416 pp.
15. Waldron, S. et. al., 1997. In Defense of Parity: A Presentation of Parity or Equality of Elders in the New Testament. Truth For Eternity Ministries. 138 pp.
16. Woodward, J. R., 2016. The Church as Movement: Starting and Sustaining Missional-Incarnational Communities. IVP Books. 240 pp.
Recommended Reading
1. Hendriksen, 1980. More Than Conquerors: An Interpretation of the Book of Revelation. Baker Book House. 285 pp.
2. Mangalwady, Vishal, 2012. The Book That Made Your World. Thomas Nelson. 297 pp.