Charles Haddon Spurgeon is reported to have said, “Every Christian is either a missionary or an impostor.” Others have put it this way: “You are either a missionary or a mission field.” Both those statements roll off the tongue but are they correct?
Who am I to disagree with Spurgeon but in this instance may I suggest that not every Christian is a missionary? That may get some people’s feathers ruffled but allow me to explain. I believe the Bible clearly defines the role of a missionary. And just like everyone in the Navy isn’t a Navy Seal every Christian is not a Missionary. There is a clear difference between the Christian who makes disciples in their local town and those who have left home, family, comfort, security, culture, country, finances, and safety for the cause of Christ.
Now please hear me correctly – every believer should be involved in the Great Commission. Making disciples is not the job description of a few hyper-Christians. And while every Christ follower should in some way participate in missions as ambassadors of Christ (2 Corinthians 5:18-20), scripture is clear that the members of the body are uniquely gifted and operate in varying roles (Ephesians 4:11-12.) Not everyone is a pastor and not everyone is an evangelist just like not everyone is a missionary. So if every Christian is to participate in the Great Commission, who should be considered “the missionaries?”
Jesus’s Own Words
First, I propose the answer partly lies in Jesus’s own words. He expects some believers to make exceptional sacrifices for the cause of the Great Commission. He alludes to them in these passages:
And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands for my name’s sake will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life. (Matthew 19:29)
And he said to them, “Truly I say to you, there is no one who has left house or wife or brothers or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God who will not receive many times more in this time and in the age to come eternal life” (Luke 18:29; Mark 10:29-30).
It is obvious that not every believer does this, nor is it expected that every Christian would leave houses and lands. Also, not every Christian is eligible for the blessings promised in these verses. They apply to the people who have embarked on this special assignment – those who we have traditionally called missionaries.
Origin of the Term “Missionary”
So where did this term come from? “Missionary” is not found in scripture; it comes from the Latin word “missio” which means “to send.” However, that harmonizes with the biblical term “apostle” which means “one who is sent.” Scripture uses the term “apostle” to describe both the 12 Apostles and apostles who served as missionaries (Romans 16:17; 1 Thessalonians 2:6.) Perhaps “missionary” was later coined to distinguish between these two groups especially since there were specific and special qualifications of the 12 Apostles that cannot be met today (see 2 Corinthians 12:12; Acts 1:21-26; 1 Corinthians 12:27 for more on this topic.) Some have designated “the 12” as apostles with a capital “A” while the others are apostles with a lowercase “a.” The point is that there were those sent away from their home by the local church to do Great Commission work.
The Apostle Paul’s Example
Second, the Apostle Paul and his co-workers set the example for the work of missionaries. He traveled extensively in four Roman provinces during his three missionary journeys with at least 41 different team members traveling with him. God made it clear at his conversion that he was supposed to hit the road when He said: “Go for I will send you far away to the Gentiles’” (Acts 22; 21.) Paul clearly understood this and set a goal “to preach the gospel not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on someone else’s foundation” (Romans 15:20.) The church of Antioch was sensitive to the Holy Spirit and became the catalyst to “send” him. It’s obvious that Paul and those who traveled with him were in a different category from the believers who stayed home.
Additionally, while going on a short-term missions trip is an excellent way to get a taste of what the life of a missionary is like and serve others for a short while, it does not make you a missionary any more than walking into a garage makes you an auto mechanic. There is much more to being a missionary than being on foreign soil for ten days. It is a major task to learn a new language and culture. The classic job description of a missionary is (1) frontline evangelism, (2) discipling new believers, (3) training church leaders, and (4) establishing local churches. The average Christian might do one or two of those things briefly on a short-term mission trip.
Implications for the Local Church
All this means several things for the local church:
- Everyone in the church should be involved in the Great Commission. Making disciples is simply a mandate given to all believers. Some will do this locally, and others will be sent out by the local church to accomplish this.
- The congregation should regularly be seeking to identify those who should be sent. If Antioch is the example, prayer and fasting will lead to sensitivity to the Holy Spirit identifying those who should be sent.
- The local church must recognize and commission people they send out as “missionaries” – separate from those who are local. Beyond meeting the financial needs of this special assignment, it also requires training and spiritual care from the sending church and other supporters. Designating these individuals and families as missionaries recognizes the call to “go” and sets them apart to receive the support they need to accomplish the assignment given to them by the Lord.
- The local church must have a plan to equip and develop missionaries. Since this is a specific group of believers set apart to uniquely serve, there must be specialized training. Missionaries must do things that are never expected of the average Christian. Some of that training can be outsourced to colleges and seminaries, but ultimately the local church that sends missionaries must take responsibility for equipping them.
If everyone is a missionary, then there is no need for anyone to go anywhere. It would save a lot of money and sacrifice if all believers just stayed where they are, but we cannot fulfill the mandate of the Great Commission unless someone goes. According to the Joshua Project, there are still more than 6000 unreached people groups (https://joshuaproject.net/global_statistics). They will not be reached unless some obey the call to make exceptional sacrifices to do what is referenced in Matthew 29:19 and Mark 10:29-30. We must give them the unique designation of “missionary” so they can be equipped in specialized ways and supported to fulfill this high calling. And what a privilege for the rest of us to give time, talent, or treasure to participate in this calling!
If you are a church interested in learning more about how to train, support, and send missionaries, click here to see how we can help.
Click here if you are an individual or family called to the mission field and need help getting started.
