Paul's Missionary Methods by Plummer Robert L.;Terry John Mark;

Author:Plummer, Robert L.;Terry, John Mark; [Plummer, Robert L.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: InterVarsity Press
Published: 2013-05-14T00:00:00+00:00

Is Pauline Methodology Normative for the Church and Missions Today?

The question this chapter has sought to answer is whether Paul’s missionary methods are applicable to modern missions. Or, to put it another way, should modern missionaries seek to imitate Paul? The answer from Roland Allen is “yes,” at least in the sense of taking very seriously the approaches of Paul in Acts and his Epistles. Allen believed Scripture gives the churches their marching orders today. We have already noted Allen’s statement in his introduction to Missionary Methods to this effect. But is this in accord with generally accepted principles of hermeneutics? Frequently, the teaching we encounter in the epistles is taken to be more binding than examples in historical or narrative portions of the scripture like the Acts of the Apostles, as mentioned earlier in the chapter. Both example and narrative passages provide principles that missionaries should take seriously, but missionaries need not imitate the apostles slavishly in every regard.

Bernard Ramm makes this observation: “Holy Scripture is not a book of theoretical abstractions, but a book that intends to have a mighty influence on the lives of its readers.”[20] Walter Kaiser and Moisés Silva more recently have pointed out that two-thirds of the Bible is narrative in nature, and this argues for the importance of such material for the Body of Christ. “Narrative is clearly the main supporting framework of the Bible.”[21]

St. Paul himself gives a “minitheology” of the significance of historical portions of the Bible when he reminds the Corinthians that the events of the Exodus and wilderness experience happened and were recorded for the admonition of those who would come much later, even to the present generation of his readers (1 Cor 10:6, 11). This clearly implies that historical narrative in Scripture has a pedagogical intent and value.

Add to this Paul’s own teaching to Timothy that “all scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Tim 3:16-17 NIV). This does not imply slavish repetition of Scriptural patterns; that would result in a new legalism running counter to grace. But it certainly does mean that patterns of ministry like that of Paul are applicable and recorded precisely because they are of value in formulating ministry approaches. They constitute benchmarks against which we can and should evaluate contemporary missionary practice.

Roland Allen was also positive about the ability of indigenous believers to understand and interpret Scripture. He discouraged foreigners from handing down directives about the meaning of scriptural passages and their application to newly planted churches. The ability of believers, imbued with the Spirit, to make sound joint decisions was clearly recognized by Paul when he admonished the Corinthians to trust their own common members to make right decisions in momentous matters (1 Cor 6:1-6). Peter advocated the priesthood of all believers in 1 Peter 2:4-10. This had the effect of establishing believers as reliable arbiters of their own affairs.

The

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.