Ministry in a Multi-Cultural and Unchurched Society

Sess i on 7: Chur ch Mat ter s and Go i ng Back to the Future

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3. Throughout Christian history, the charity and benevolence of Christians has been and continues to be a major demonstration of the life of God in the midst of his people and through them to the world, “We [Gentiles] who used to hate and destroy one another, and would not live with men of a different tribe because of their different manners, now, since the coming of Christ, live familiarly with them, and pray for our enemies” (Justin Martyr, c. 160 [cf. David W. Bercot, ed. A Dictionary of Early Christian Beliefs . Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, 1998, p. 409]).

C. The Great Tradition was intensely missional in its prophetic witness, seeking to preach and teach the Gospel among the unreached in every place where the Lord was not believed in.

1. The very ground of early Christianity is missional.

a. Our Scriptures were the product of missionary communications.

b. The churches were all formed through direct apostolic witness.

c. The DNA of the Gospel message itself is linked and expressed through missionary enterprise (cf. John 20; Mark 16; Matt. 28; Luke 24; Acts 1).

2. The earliest records available show an interest, engagement, and success in missions in the earliest Christian movements.

3. The “tradition behind the tradition” recognizes both a primacy and priority in seeking to obey the Great Commission to go and make disciples of all nations.