I have been a part of crafting the Acts 1:8 challenge for the SBC. This grew out of some initial efforts of the IMB to mobilize churches for personalized involvement in international missions. An SBC task force sought to strengthen the cooperation between various denominational entities and came up with the concept of Empowering Kingdom Growth.
Kingdom Growth is not just the reign of Christ in our lives, our churches, our communities and our nation; kingdom growth is also the geographic expansion of God’s kingdom through our mission efforts. The concept of the Acts 1:8 challenge was based on the fact every denominational entity exists not for its own program and purpose, but to empower churches through serving, enabling and facilitating them to fulfill the Great Commission.
The IMB realized a long time ago that we would never have enough missionaries to reach all the lost people in the world. But if we could mobilize and enable 42 state conventions, 1,200 local associations, 43,000 churches and 16 million Southern Baptists (or however many there are) to be strategically involved in global missions, the task would be doable. God has blessed us in numbers and resources, not to take pride in being a great denomination and for all the programs we can carry out, but to be His instrument to reach the world with the gospel.
Just as the IMB was seeking to enable churches to reach the ends of the earth, it was apparent our denominational structure was uniquely positioned to serve churches in the Acts 1:8 missions paradigm. Associations could empower and lead churches to evangelize and reach their “Jerusalem.” State conventions could coordinate mission outreach beyond the local association throughout “Judea.” And the North American Mission Board was positioned to lead churches to engage cross-culturally throughout “Samaria.”
It was gratifying to see many churches respond to the challenge; unfortunately many were disappointed in the lack of vision and equipping provided for the task. Rather than empowering the local church, the perception of many was that Acts 1:8 became promotion for support of denominational entities responsible for each of those concentric circles.
Equally regrettable, Acts 1:8 became justification for even more emphasis on local missions. The attitude developed of reaching our Jerusalem first, then moving on to reach “Judea”—our state, and maybe, eventually, doing something across North America and perhaps even overseas. Priority of time, energy and resources stayed in the local church and in America. This stay-at-home, reach-our-own first interpretation was the devotional setting prior to the GCRTF report last month in the Executive Committee.
I have pointed out to more than one pastor that there is no “then” in Acts 1:8! This is not a sequential task for us today. It is not either/or. You have to resort to hermeneutical gymnastics to make this the application of Acts 1:8. Jesus was outlining the progression of the gospel which one can readily follow historically in the book of Acts. The gospel spread throughout Jerusalem, into Judea and Samaria and then began to spread to the Gentiles and to the ends of the earth.
Literally, the early believers were witnesses to Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria. They were evangelized, and begin to reach the Gentile world. It now remains for us to complete the task of reaching the ends of the earth. Okay, in that context we have to acknowledge the people of America, too, are the ends of the earth, but are we fulfilling the mission and reaching all the diverse ethnic peoples even here where we live? Most churches have abandoned the inner-city and ghettos populated by immigrants from all over the world and retreated into the security of doing church with their own kind in homogeneous suburbs.
Certainly we need to witness to the lost where we live and where our church is located. But there is no way we can use Acts 1:8 to justify drawing a circle around our community, or even around our nation, while denying our responsibility to reach the whole world.
I have talked with many (including Pastors) who have the “there’s enough to do right here at home” mentality. It is so frustrating to think that Pastors and others haven’t gotten a grip on the reality of what Acts 1:8 communicates.
Why is that so? Is it laziness in their study? Is it fear of the “ends of the earth”? Is it some type of prejudice against the ethnics they would be confronted with as they move to reach the nations? God forbid, is is simply a financial fear? A contentment with the status quo?
Any insight would be helpful from your experience – because any info that would help me better communicate God’s heart for the nations would be appreciated.
Great insights into issues related to our misuse of the Acts 1:8 Challenge concept. One problem is we don’t spend enough time focusing upon what that passage actually means. We sprint to the application. “Jerusalem today is my city. Judea and Samaria is anything outside my city. Ends of the Earth is anything outside my nations border. Then we create a program based on that faulty assumption. Let’s slow down and examine the scripture before we build a program around a faulty assumption.
See link below about some other problems with our use of the passage for our own purposes.
Six Reasons The First Chapter of Acts Needs A Fresh Look
http://www.missionleader.com/?p=653
This is such an eye-opener. I am an Intercultural Studies major at Liberty University and my teachers instruct us in all my missions classes that our mission is overseas. Matthew 28 says “Go, so just go, students!” But this was never good enough for me. The question of Acts 1:8 saying to minister also in Judea, Jerusalem, and Samaria always lingered in my mind as a command with just as much importance. But if we do this “hermenuetical backflip” and take scripture for what it says and not what we want it to say, then we will realize that we are “the ends of the earth.” We are the Gentiles who needed the gospel, but now that we have it we get the mindset that “the buck stops here.” Anyways I could keep ranting about this, but I would just be repeating everything you said. Thank-you Jerry for taking the time to disciple to SBC college students through the means of your blog. It means a lot.
“I have pointed out to more than one pastor that there is no “then” in Acts 1:8!”
Absolutely correct!
There is also no “your” in the passage. “Your Jerusalem, your Judea and Samaria, your ends of the earth” as many like to preach it as well.
Unfortunately, many churches in every age will never stop finding tricky ways to claim obedience to the Great Commission by interpreting the key verses in a way that baptizes whatever else they really care about.
I found this quote by Hengel on the lack of missionary effort among first century Judaism that I thought had a frightening connection to today:
““A universal missionary consciousness could not really develop freely in the face of this elemental impulse towards national self-preservation.”
I’m an avid reader of the Commission magazine. I am a new reader to your blog. I also recently read your book Spiritual Warfare.
I am amazed and shocked that their are Christians, even some in my own church, that believe not all churches and Christians are given the task to do mission work—it boggles my mind.
All believer’s in Christ Jesus are to be a witness and be a testimony. The message of the Gospel–the Good News–is for EVERYONE. I believe this is our primary function to reach the lost for the sake of Christ.
[...] International Mission Board President Jerry Rankin wrote recently about how Christ’s command to reach the world in Acts 1:8 is not intended to be understood as meaning that we are only to reach out to the world after we have reached our local communities, state and nation. We are to be reaching out in all of these areas simultaneously. [...]
In all things, we should follow the leadership of the Holy Spirit. When I was in seminary at GGBTS, a lot of the students preparing for full-time foreign missions service wouldn’t do any ministry in the Bay Area, where the whole world had come and only 2% of the 6.5 million people were evangelical Christians. We send IMB missionaries to countries with less population and more Christians than that. But, their excuse was that they were called to a certain people group in Central Asia or somewhere else and they weren’t really called to their neighbor. Most of the professors called them out on it and said that if you aren’t going to cross the street, then you have no business crossing the oceans. It was pretty frustrating to me, but a lot of these students had already served 2 year stints as Journeymen with the IMB and they did little to reach the lost of San Francisco while in seminary. Why was that? They were so focused on the ends of the earth that they forgot their neighbor. This was in the late 90’s. Things might be different now.
The truth is that we need to radically love God and love people everywhere we go. God knows the exact times and places where we are to live (Acts 17:26). If we are following Him, He will lead us to where we are to go. The primary issue is not a lack of missionary zeal, but a lack of love for Christ. Paul said that he was compelled by the love of Christ. When our hearts are aflame with love for Jesus and we truly are following Him, we will be responsive to His call both locally and globally. Of course, that call must be clearly articulated. But, trying to delineate between local and global usually creates problems. Even if you are all fired up about global missions, if you are a selfish person, it will come through in other ways.
Well said, Alan; excellent reminder and challenge! My point was not to distinguish “ends of the earth” as an either/or responsibility. We can’t justify not doing missions anywhere. San Francisco and the lost in Virginia are as much ends of the earth as Central Asia. From our perspective, we are all to be witnesses wherever we are and happen to be at any given time. But from the perspective of the lost it is a matter of access to a witness. The 98% of the population lost in San Francisco may not have as much access as the lost in Virginia, but they do have more than the lost in Central Asia and unreached people groups of the world.
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by tom ascol, timmybrister, Chris Coppenbarger, Tim Yarbrough, Western Recorder and others. Western Recorder said: RT @RankinOnMission: New blogpost at RankinConnecting.com – Are we "Guilty of Distorting Acts 1:8"? http://tinyurl.com/y8tojrf #sbc #g … [...]
Dear Dr. Rankin,
Your post stated;
“The IMB realized a long time ago that we would never have enough missionaries to reach all the lost people in the world. But if we could mobilize and enable 42 state conventions, 1,200 local associations, 43,000 churches and 16 million Southern Baptists (or however many there are) to be strategically involved in global missions, the task would be doable.”
I know it was an unintended oversight, but the statement overlooks mention of the primary task of reaching the world lying upon the shoulders of the international churches abroad.
I simply mention this to emphasize that our national churches are the ones responsible for the majority of numbers in baptisms and churches planted each year and some of our Southern Baptists may not realize that there is a vibrant and growing national church around the world, even in the most dark and unreached nations.
The millions of members in the evangelical churches around the world seem to me to be experiencing an awakening and responding to the call to reach the areas of Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and even some are going out to the ends of the world! Still, people groups of tens of millions often have less than 2% Christians in their population but those few are working with increased passion to reach the lost.
They’re winning souls and planting churches among people groups in their countries and even the unengaged people groups in increasing numbers. The Gospel has taken on an indigenous face and it’s resulting in exponential expansion of God’s Kingdom each year. There are some amazing things happening throughout the world and most of the victories are coming through the national church.
God certainly isn’t depending upon Southern Baptists to accomplish His mission task to reach all nations for Christ. But if we pass up the chance to get involved with those national Christians in winning the world we will miss the joy of being at least a portion of what God is doing.
“Going” is not so much an obligation as it is a tremendous honor and opportunity for those called to be in the center of their Father’s will.
Thanks, Rick; you are absolutely right and I appreciate your highlighting the significant role of national church partners around the world. Our missionaries are evangelizing, but also discipling, training and facilitating local churches and believers multiplying the work. I am going to highlight that when I get to a subsequent blog on the deficient methodology we are using to reach the lost in America which is characterized by hiring professionals and paying the denomination to do it. To highlight that side of global evangelization could well lead stateside churches to justify not being needed internationally and they can just focus on the task at home–NOT what I am wanting to say in this post.
[...] 31, 2010 tags: Cross-culture, Missions, Samaria by michael debusk Reading Jerry Rankin’s post this week on how many churches have distorted Jesus’ commission in Acts 1:8 by inferring a [...]
Acts 1:8 really sets up the way the rest of the book unfolds – and rather quickly! Now 85 years into the CP, we cannot be satisfied with the current level of our investment which is directly intended to support the work of reaching the nations who live outside the boarders of this country. The difference in access to the gospel, not degrees of lostness, is the key.