The Biblical Model Part 1: The Actual Mission of Missions

The Actual Mission of “Missions”

What are missions? What is mission work?

It can be a buzz word of sorts in Christian circles. Local missions, foreign missions, “mission minded”, “mission trips”, etc. I, for one, am someone who likes to define the terms when getting into explaining things, anything. We live in a world of so much information that the waters have certainly been muddied.

This makes communication in a postmodern world difficult and unprofitable sometimes, actually many times. There should be a clear understanding of what we mean by our use of any given word, but, someone else may use the VERY SAME word, but mean something else by it. So, let’s define the terms upfront as we think about the topic of “missions.”

What exactly is “the mission” or what are “missions?”

As we think about the New Testament, who do we speak of most, or think about first when we think of missions? Who is the first to pop into your mind? Is it Peter, James or John? Maybe, but I’d have to say probably not. Most people would automatically think. Paul of course. Why is this?

We know that Paul is most remembered as “the missionary” because there is much in the NT about his missionary journeys. But it is important that we remember that he was also the Apostle to the gentiles. The other Apostles pretty much stayed ministering to the Jews, their same people group. While Paul went out to the Gentiles, people different from himself, in places away from his own home, to places where people looked different and spoke different languages and believed different things. They had a different worldview and culture.

The other Apostles pretty much stayed around people who were like themselves, believed the same things, shared the same culture and language. We have to admit that there is definitely a different element about Paul’s mission to the Gentiles, in comparison to the way the Gospel was preached to the Jews in Jerulsalem. Paul crosses cultural lines with the Gospel. He went to the “ethnos” he went to the nations, to other people who were not like him.

In what is known as the Great Commission found in Matthew 28:18 – 20, Jesus says the following:

“Jesus came near and said to them, “All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations (ethnos), baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.””

Go, therefore, and make disciples of all the ἔθνος…
Original Word: ἔθνος
Transliteration: ethnos
Phonetic Spelling: (eth’-nos)
Definition: a race, a nation, the nations
This word can mean:
a race, people, nation; the nations, Gentiles (non Jews).

The Great Commission, in this text, is the “mission” that we as Christians refer to when we talk about “missions.” But in light of the clear command of Christ here, are we using this term correctly? Oftentimes I think we don’t. I must say first of all that I believe that most people have the best of intentions, and I certainly commend their willingness to serve. Nothing but love and respect for them there.

But the mission is to literally take the Gospel and make disciples of people from other nations. Ours too, of course, but not just ours. I don’t think the Scriptures give us the luxury of an “either or” approach when it comes to missions. Each local church should strive to be involved in Gospel proclamation at home and overseas. Whether it be in going, sending, supporting, praying, whatever. But involved and committed, in both local ministry and foreign missions to the best of their ability. Understanding that He who has all authority in heaven and on earth was not just giving a suggestion. It wasn’t a beggar’s plea, but a King’s command to His people!

In foreign missions, the call is to reach and make Christ followers of people who are unlike ourselves. Crossing geographical, ethnolinguistic and cultural boundaries. It could be said that what many call “local missions” is actually evangelism, and/or some other type of ministry. But according to the command, actual missions would be evangelism and discipleship in a different cultural context than your own.

That definition could certainly be broadened, but for now let’s say that at a minimum, missions, as we see in Scripture, is crossing cultural barriers with the Gospel. Some may not see that as significant. But I would argue that it is very important that we make such a distinction. We must define the terms.

I say this only because when we use terms like local missions, we refer to activities that aren’t really missional. We actually are only doing “local missions” if we are crosssing those cultural barriers in your own area or hometown. If you are in a predominantly white church or community, and are reaching nearby populations of Hispanics, Indians, Asians etc., I’d consider that actually doing “local missions.” But anything else …is, well, something else.

It may be benevolence…. good. We must show mercy and help the needy, as we ourselves have been shown mercy.

It may be evangelism…..absolutely essential. We must preach the Gospel everywhere. But this usually plays out most naturally where we live and in the surrounding area with people that are involved in our daily life.

Disaster relief…amen. We should come to the rescue of those in need and suffering. This is not only the right thing to do, but it also opens us up to new opportunities to share the Gospel with people who are not in our immediate circle of influence and are in need of hope.
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In no way am I trying to downplay the importance of these ministries, and important acts of Christian service. But this is not local missions, it’s another kind of good and necessary local ministry.

If we don’t make this distinction, we can fail in at least this area of our calling as Christians. Because if we call something missions that is not missions, we will THINK we are doing what we are called to do, when in fact we are only doing part of what we should be doing (commanded to do). Why? Because we have been calling it something else that it really is not. That’s why defining the terms is so important here.

We are called to evangelize the surrounding community. But the church is also called to the nations (ethos). We can do that through equipping or through going ourselves. We may do that through sending and that means commitment, funding and communication. But when the church does that, and a person takes the gospel across cultural lines, for the purpose of making disciples….then the church has participated in “missions” in the most biblical sense.

What we do know is that mission work is definitely the work of the local church, it is the will of God, and it is the way that God has ordained to call people from every tribe, tongue and nation unto Himself while making His name great among the nations! God is calling a people unto Himself, Christ is building His church, preparing His bride and has invited us into this work. All who name the name of Christ. What an honor it is to serve our King in this way! What kindness, to bring former rebels into His family as sons and daughters, allow us to serve Him in this holy work. Let us understand it not as a sacrifice, but a privilege.

This idea of missions overseas also necessitates a support system. An important partnership between the local church (and other supporting churches), the missionary and the “Epaphroditus.” That fellow soldier and worker, that messenger and minister to the missionary’s need.

I will unpack some of what that partnership looks like in the next article using an example from the book of Philippians.

Grace and peace.
Written by Antonio Salgado Jr.

“I give thanks to my God for every remembrance of you, always praying with joy for all of you in my every prayer, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now.” – Philippians 1:3-5

If the Lord so lies on your heart to give back to Him by supporting this ministry:

You can donate to this ministry online with PayPal. Click the donate button below to send support of any amount directly to the ministry. This is the fastest option to get funds to us. Click the link below for that option.

Also,

CENTRAL MISSIONARY CLEARINGHOUSE
P.O. Box 219228
Houston, Texas 77218-9228
1-800-CMC-PRAY (1-800-262-7729)
Office: 281-599-7411
Fax: 281-599-7511

The ministry of (CMC) serves hundreds of missionaries, but they ONLY receive the funds for us and in no way have control over how the funds are to be spent or what we are to do as a ministry, which gives room to be sensitive to the Spirit’s leading and the liberty in making needed adjustments.

You may begin sending your support to the BCMS (Antonio Salgado) at any time at the address above. (Checks should be made payable to Central Missionary Clearinghouse or C.M.C.)

You can also now give to the ministry here in the DR online through the new giving solution called “click and give” at the CMC website.

To get started, you just need to click on the link below and register the first time. Just a simple click on the donate button on their page (see link below), and then click the “click and give icon/button”.

https://www.cmcmissions.org/donate

For tax exemption, you must send your donation through Central Missionary Clearinghouse (CMC) at the address above. But the PayPal option is the fastest way to get funds directly to the field.

We do not use a sending agency that gets a percentage of the money donated, so you can be sure that your gift goes directly to the mission field.

Whatever you decide, thank you so much for praying for us. Grace and peace.

January 31, 2024January 31, 2024

EL PRIORISMO Y EL HOLISMO EN LAS MISIONES ¿POR QUÉ NO AMBOS?

MISIONES BÍBLICAS Y LA RELEVANCIA DE CARL F. H. HENRY

A lo largo de la historia, en medio de hambrunas, plagas y persecuciones, la iglesia ha enfrentado muchos desafíos. Especialmente cuando se trataba de cómo manejar dos cosas, la proclamación del evangelio y ayudar a los necesitados de la sociedad en medio de eso. Estas controversias en las misiones no son nuevas. Cuando la puerta del ministerio se abrió a los gentiles en el libro de los Hechos, las cosas se complicaron aún más después de que Pablo y Bernabé enfocaron su atención en los gentiles en su trabajo misionero. Por supuesto, el contexto del debate en Hechos 15 fue determinar si los gentiles deben o no guardar la ley y ser circuncidados. Pero es generalmente cierto que, al cruzar la brecha cultural, habrá desafíos en la proclamación del Evangelio y para algunos, en la identificación de los detalles del papel de la iglesia con respecto a los problemas sociales y la contextualización. No hay escasez de personas perdidas o sufrientes a nuestro alrededor, y por lo tanto, ciertamente no ha cambiado hoy.

En todo caso, el problema solo se ha agravado a lo largo de los siglos a medida que los diferentes contextos culturales continúan siendo penetrados con la luz del Evangelio. Es hermoso e inspirador saber que el Evangelio se está llevando a los lugares más oscuros y difíciles, pero también conlleva desafíos reales para enfrentar y las necesidades cada vez mayores. Especialmente cuando se trabaja con los pobres. Puede ser un trabajo difícil, y de alguna manera es más fácil predicar que ensuciarse las manos para servir entre los indefensos de la sociedad en el frente. Pero no la conciencia de todos les permitirá ser oyentes de la Palabra solo cuando se encuentren cara a cara con las grandes necesidades de otros portadores de la imagen de Dios. Y las preguntas sobre qué deben hacer o no exactamente los misioneros han entrado en el debate en repetidas ocasiones. Por lo tanto, esta es una controversia que ciertamente me llama la atención. Es el debate aparentemente interminable entre lo que se conoce como priorismo y holismo.

Definiendo los términos

Debemos admitir que la iglesia no siempre ha hecho muy bien en matizar las cosas en el pasado, especialmente al desarrollar una teología que permita adecuadamente ambos lados de un problema como este. Pero antes de profundizar en el asunto en cuestión, quizás deberíamos tomarnos un tiempo para definir los términos un poco mejor. Dependiendo de con quién hable, las personas pueden tener algunas ideas diferentes cuando usan las mismas palabras. ¿Qué es exactamente el priorismo y qué es el holismo? ¿Son esas las dos únicas opciones?

En un artículo del Judson Center, Jay Flinn resume la historia del debate evangélico de la misión holística. Él escribe: “En las décadas siguientes, se ha escrito mucho sobre el tema de la misión holística. La mayor parte de lo que se ha escrito se puede resumir en tres posiciones principales relacionadas con la relación de evangelismo y acción social en la misión. Una posición conserva el énfasis en el evangelismo y la plantación de iglesias con poca consideración a la acción social. Una segunda posición sigue el modelo de evangelismo de Stott como la misión principal con la acción social cristiana como socio secundario. La tercera posición considera la acción social como una misión igual al evangelismo. Si bien existen variantes para estas posiciones y se pueden usar diferentes términos para describirlas, las variantes se definen en última instancia por la relativa prioridad y la relación de evangelismo y acción social entre sí”.

Entendiendo el Priorismo

Por un lado, del tema, hay quienes dicen que el Evangelio (y algunos incluyen plantar iglesias con eso) siempre debe ser lo principal. Y tienen razón, muy bien debería ser. Una declaración clásica sobre priorismo de Donald McGarvan afirma: “Una multitud de empresas excelentes nos rodean. Tan grande es el número y tan urgentes los llamados, que los cristianos pueden fácilmente perderse entre ellos, viéndolos a todos igualmente como una misión. Pero al hacer el bien, pueden fallar de lo mejor. Al ganar los preliminares, pueden perder el juego principal. Pueden tratar una picazón problemática, mientras el paciente muere de cólera. La cuestión de las prioridades no se puede evitar “.

Él hace un punto válido. Aquellos que se aferran al priorismo temen que algunos que se aferran a un enfoque más holístico hayan hecho del Evangelio una cuestión secundaria. Aunque debemos reconocer que es cierto para algunos, también debemos tener cuidado con la generalización imprudente. Pero gran parte de la confusión se debe a que las palabras reinventadas significan cosas distintas de lo que originalmente significaban. Esto solo enturbia aún más las aguas teológicas, causando confusión en lugar de ayudar a aclarar el tema. En estos días, muchas palabras como evangelismo, evangelio y misión pueden significar cosas diferentes de lo que solían ser. Por lo tanto, es importante que examinemos estos términos bíblicamente, de lo contrario no tienen límites en cómo se usan y pierden todo significado real.

Lo más probable es que sea el resultado a lo largo del tiempo de lo que se conoce como “deriva de la misión”. El CEO de Edify dijo: “Es la excepción de que una organización se mantiene fiel a su misión. El curso natural, la desafortunada evolución natural de muchas misiones originalmente centradas en Cristo, es ir a la deriva ”.

En un número de Evangélicas Misiones Trimestrales, se publicó un “simposio” en el que “se pidió a cinco líderes que expresaran sus puntos de vista sobre la relación entre proclamación y acción social, y solo uno presentó una aproximación a la posición prioritaria”. Esto es bastante desafortunado considerando que antes del primer Congreso de Lausana en 1974, el priorismo era la opinión dominante entre los evangélicos. Sin duda, los asuntos eternos tienen prioridad sobre los asuntos temporales.

Son correctos en su manera de mantener el evangelio como el foco principal de la misión. Pero para algunos en el extremo del espectro (prioristas estrictos), lamentablemente se ha convertido prácticamente en lo único que hacen. Este es un agujero enorme en su posición. Debido a esta falta en la teología de algunos quienes se aferran al priorismo, a menudo son acusados de descuidar el mandamiento de amar a su prójimo en su intento de centrarse en el Evangelio. Estoy de acuerdo en que el Evangelio es la prioridad y debe estar en la parte superior de la lista para todos nosotros. Sin embargo, irónicamente, muchos de los que dicen ser apasionados por Cristo pueden aislarse de las comunidades a las que intentan llegar mostrando poco interés en su condición humana temporal de sufrimiento. Muchos lo interpretan como una falta de amor, no solo por la perspectiva opuesta, sino también por la comunidad perdida que siempre está mirando. Por lo tanto, no deberíamos ser tan rápidos para descartar por completo todo el enfoque holístico del ministerio. Algunas de las acusaciones a los prioristas estrictos son justas y deben abordarse. Pero siempre recordando que existen otras opiniones más equilibradas entre estas dos posiciones. John Stott finalmente cambió sus puntos de vista a favor de un enfoque más equilibrado de la Gran Comisión.

Entendiendo el holismo

En el otro lado del tema, hay quienes toman una misión más holística. Afirman creer y predicar el Evangelio también, lo que puede hacer que las cosas que dicen parezcan algo ambiguas. C. René Padilla, quien fue muy influyente al convencer a muchos de adoptar un enfoque holístico de la misión, dijo lo siguiente:

“La misión holística es una misión orientada a satisfacer las necesidades humanas básicas, incluida la necesidad de Dios, pero también la necesidad de comida, amor, vivienda, ropa, salud física y mental, y un sentido de dignidad humana. Además, este enfoque tiene en cuenta que las personas son seres espirituales, sociales y corporales, hechos para vivir en relación con Dios, con sus vecinos y con la creación de Dios. En consecuencia, presupone que no es suficiente cuidar el bienestar espiritual de un individuo sin tener en cuenta sus relaciones personales y su posición en la sociedad y en el mundo. Como Jesús lo vio, el amor a Dios es inseparable del amor a nuestro prójimo “.

En mi opinión, no está equivocado al decir que el amor a Dios es inseparable del amor a nuestro prójimo. Dentro de este campo hay quienes son acusados de tener otro Evangelio, un evangelio de “justicia social”. Y para estar seguros, hay algunos en este campamento que no están muy centrados en el evangelio. En el peor de los casos, pueden ser de naturaleza casi completamente humanitaria con poca o ninguna enseñanza bíblica del Evangelio o del sonido. Algunos están distraídos y descuidan el verdadero evangelismo bíblico. Sin embargo, hay algunas cosas que un priorista estricto puede aprender de ellos. Usualmente son muy activos en servir a sus comunidades, alimentar a los pobres, defender a los débiles y los necesitados y hacer el bien a su familia de fe y a sus vecinos fuera de la iglesia. Aunque el evangelio es un asunto eterno y de mayor peso, al menos debemos admitir que estas son cosas buenas e importantes y no deben ser ignoradas. Y no todos los que adoptan un enfoque holístico de la misión se ajustan a la descripción de “guerreros de la justicia social” o no estarían completamente de acuerdo en una categoría u otra. Entonces, a medida que avanza el debate, la línea continúa pareciendo borrosa para algunos sobre cómo exactamente estas dos cosas deben encajar correctamente.

¿Una alternativa?

Debemos ser conscientes y estar dispuestos a admitir los peligros de una posición extrema en ambos lados. Esta es simplemente una de las muchas áreas de nuestra teología donde debemos aprender a vivir en la tensión y encontrar una manera de reconciliar las dos ideas, ya que ambas tienen bases bíblicas. Ciertamente no queremos caernos a ambos lados del caballo, por así decirlo. Hacerlo, creo, sería caer en algún tipo de error u otro. Debemos encontrar un mayor equilibrio bíblico, y aquí es donde Carl F. H. Henry es extremadamente útil.

Sus credenciales

Carl Henry es más relevante cuando se trata de esto por muchas razones. Él mismo dijo que era, de hecho, un priorista, pero que también mantenía la necesidad de la preocupación social. Henry fue uno de los arquitectos fundadores del movimiento evangélico moderno de EE. UU., Y probablemente ha dicho y escrito más sobre el tema que nadie, siendo él mismo extremadamente influyente, “llamando a los evangélicos a diferenciarse del fundamentalismo separatista y reclamar un papel para influir en la cultura americana más amplia. Participó en la creación de numerosas organizaciones evangélicas importantes, incluidas la Asociación Nacional de Evangélicos, el Seminario Teológico Fuller, la Sociedad Evangélica Teológica, la revista Christianity Today (de la cual fue editor fundador) y el Instituto de Estudios Cristianos Avanzados. El Instituto Carl F. H. Henry para la Participación Evangélica en el Seminario Teológico Bautista del Sur y el Centro Carl F. H. Henry para la Comprensión Teológica en la Universidad Internacional Trinity buscan continuar su legado “. Su visión de la necesidad de competencia teológica y compromiso cultural sigue siendo una de las alternativas más vibrantes en nuestros días. Era conocido por su compromiso con los rigores teológicos, su compromiso activo con los problemas sociales apremiantes de nuestros días, pero también por tener un compromiso inquebrantable con el evangelio de Jesucristo. Su libro “La conciencia inquieta del fundamentalismo moderno” (1947) fue una respuesta al movimiento fundamentalista separatista que sin darse cuenta se convirtió en un obstáculo para su propia causa de alcanzar a los perdidos con el Evangelio.

Henry habló elocuentemente sobre lo que durante mucho tiempo ha sido disputado por teólogos y misiólogos. El propio Henry había dicho que “estas tensiones ahora irritan a la iglesia como nunca antes en la historia reciente”. El tema ha generado mucha división entre los evangélicos, especialmente desde la controversia fundamentalista-modernista de principios del siglo XX.

En un ensayo sobre Carl Henry y su modelo “regenerativo” de evangelismo y preocupación social, Jerry M. Ireland cita: “El fundamentalismo respondió a la agenda social centrada en el ser humano de la teología liberal al retirarse principalmente del compromiso cultural y la acción social. En lugar de desarrollar una respuesta bíblicamente más equilibrada a los problemas sociales. Desafortunadamente, el fundamentalismo tendió a truncar la reverencia temporal del evangelio a favor de un enfoque exclusivo en asuntos eternos “.

Su modelo regenerativo

Hay mucho que aprender de Henry. Como señala Irlanda, Henry asocia estas dos tareas de la iglesia de una manera similar a C. H. Dodd, distinguiendo la palabra didache de kerygma. En las enseñanzas de Dodd, señala que “kerygma representa el mensaje único de salvación de la iglesia”. La proclamación del evangelio. Mientras didache, dice, “se refiere a las enseñanzas de la iglesia y las demandas éticas de las Escrituras”.

Henry creía que el kerygma se relaciona especialmente con el cumplimiento de la Gran Comisión. Kerygma es necesario porque es el medio que Dios usa para dar a conocer Su voluntad y el evangelio. Didache es necesario porque es el proceso de enseñanza que es esencial para la formación moral de una persona. Las enseñanzas de las Escrituras que Dios usa para traer crecimiento espiritual. Pero sin kerygma primero (proclamación del evangelio), no puede haber didache (discipulado). Y aunque kerygma y didache son ambos necesarios, no son necesarios de la misma manera.

Orden bíblica

La preocupación es buena, hacer y mantener el evangelio como la prioridad. Sin embargo, con un vistazo rápido a los imperativos en las Escrituras, la vida de Cristo y el ejemplo del apóstol Pablo, uno tendría dificultades para presentar el caso de que la preocupación por la condición humana sufriente de nuestro prójimo y la generosidad hacia ellos era algo opcional. Jesús tuvo compasión por las multitudes, Pablo dijo que estaba ansioso por ayudar a los pobres, y hay muchos otros ejemplos de por qué debemos hacer el bien a la familia de fe y a nuestro prójimo. A continuación se presentan solo algunos del Antiguo y Nuevo Testamento.

Evidencia del Antiguo Testamento

El generoso será bendito, Porque da de su pan al pobre. (Proverbios 22.9 NBLA)

El que oprime al pobre afrenta a su Hacedor, Pero el que se apiada del necesitado lo honra. (Proverbios 14.31 NBLA)

El que cierra su oído al clamor del pobre, También él clamará y no recibirá respuesta. (Proverbios 21.13)

(Para más ejemplos miren a Proverbios 14.21, 29.7, 31.8-9, Ezekiel 16.49)

Evidencia del Nuevo Testamento

En todo les mostré que así, trabajando, deben ayudar a los débiles, y recordar las palabras del Señor Jesús, que dijo: “Más bienaventurado es dar que recibir”». (Hechos 20.35 NBLH)

Solo nos pidieron que nos acordáramos de los pobres, lo mismo que yo estaba también deseoso de hacer. (Gálatas 2.10 NBLH)

Al que te pida, dale; y al que desee pedirte prestado, no le vuelvas la espalda. (Mateo 5.42 NBLH)

La religión pura y sin mancha delante de nuestro Dios y Padre es esta: visitar a los huérfanos y a las viudas en sus aflicciones, y guardarse sin mancha del mundo. (Santiago 1.27 NBLH)

(Para más ejemplos miren a 1 Juan 3.17-18, Lucas 14.12-14, 12.32-34, 3.11)

La lista puede seguir y seguir y seguir …

También existe la evidencia de la historia a considerar. El impacto de la iglesia primitiva continúa siendo visible en la civilización occidental de hoy. Los historiadores señalan que “en la Edad Media, el cristianismo transformó las sociedades para mejor y continúa influyendo en la cultura dondequiera que se extendieron sus enseñanzas. La caridad alentada por las enseñanzas bíblicas (Lucas 10.30-37) eventualmente llevó a la fundación de hospitales, orfanatos, hogares para ancianos y cuidado de los pobres, los hambrientos y las personas sin hogar. Incluso muchas de las universidades más grandes y prominentes de nuestros días se fundaron originalmente para propósitos cristianos”. La tendencia de la iglesia a extender la compasión a los que sufren y los necesitados a su alrededor a lo largo de la historia, fue simplemente fruto de los cristianos que viven una vida transformada llena del Espíritu en obediencia a las Escrituras. Vivieron imitando el ejemplo de Cristo, motivados por el amor a Aquel que nos amó primero, y que se entregó sacrificialmente por nosotros. ¿De qué manera esto sería algo malo? Y con las Escrituras y la historia que atestiguan el patrón de audaz proclamación del Evangelio Y compasión y generosidad hacia los demás, ¿por qué sería diferente para la iglesia hoy?

No hay necesidad de debatir si la iglesia debe ser generosa o no con la familia de fe, pero por alguna razón hay personas que piensan que no debemos distraernos con problemas sociales o invertir demasiado tiempo o dinero en mostrar compasión. a otros portadores de imágenes que sufren. Henry ciertamente tuvo una elocuencia única sobre él a la hora de reconciliar este tema. A veces parecía hablar el idioma de ambos campos. Se aferró a mantener el Evangelio como una prioridad, pero manteniendo la preocupación social como algo importante y necesario.

No hay necesidad de debatir si la iglesia debe ser generosa o no con la familia de fe, pero por alguna razón hay personas que piensan que no debemos distraernos con problemas sociales o invertir demasiado tiempo o dinero en mostrar compasión. a otros portadores de imágenes que sufren. Henry ciertamente tuvo una elocuencia única sobre él a la hora de reconciliar este tema. A veces parecía hablar el idioma de ambos campos. Se aferró a mantener el Evangelio como una prioridad, pero manteniendo la preocupación social como algo importante y necesario.

Es importante tener en cuenta que aunque su modelo (el de Henry) sostuvo ambos puntos de vista según fuera necesario, no significa que ambos fueran iguales. Henry fue una crítica de las falacias liberales y seculares con respecto a la benevolencia de Dios. En el libro Controversias en las misiones, Jerry M. Ireland escribe que “Henry encuentra un motivo de preocupación entre las tendencias liberales y seculares … y advierte contra el evangelismo confuso y la preocupación social, o de reducir el evangelismo a simplemente atacar los males sociales o políticos. Hacerlo es cometer el último acto de falta de amor, ya que descuida la mayor necesidad de la humanidad, a saber, la redención personal y la regeneración sobrenatural “.

Jerry M. Ireland también hace una distinción importante cuando dice que está “ligeramente fuera de lugar decir que el evangelismo y la preocupación social son dos alas del mismo pájaro, o dos caras de la misma moneda”. Porque incluso la Escritura nunca iguala estas dos cosas de una manera tan abiertamente paralela, a pesar de que la Escritura defiende la necesidad y la importancia de ambas “. Debemos trabajar y vivir en la tensión que existe allí.

Al comprender las diferencias en kerygma y didache, se hace evidente por qué la proclamación del evangelio debe ser una prioridad en las misiones. Deberíamos querer que más personas vengan a Cristo. Como resultado de hacer discípulos, eventualmente se plantarán más iglesias. E históricamente, la iglesia ha sido un medio por el cual el bien se desborda naturalmente en el mundo que la rodea. Es una gracia de Dios, un beneficio de simplemente vivir cerca del pueblo de Dios. Sin embargo, lo que sucede en algunas iglesias es que el enfoque se vuelve mucho más interno, a lo que sucede dentro de las cuatro paredes de un edificio, y menos tiempo que la sal y la luz para quienes los rodean. La evidencia de esto se ve en lo poco que se designa para la benevolencia en los presupuestos de la iglesia local promedio.

Yo conozco personalmente a misioneros que se dieron cuenta del desequilibrio en sus ministerios de una estricta visión prioritaria y en realidad perdieron el apoyo de algunas iglesias, cuando debido a una “conciencia incómoda” (como lo llamaría Henry), se involucraron más para ayudar a satisfacer las necesidades de aquellos a quienes sirvieron además de la predicación y la enseñanza regulares. Fueron rechazados por algunos partidarios que eran prioritarios estrictos cuando adoptaron un enfoque más holístico para participar más en sus comunidades. Cuando un misionero decide obedecer las Escrituras en ambas áreas en amor por su próximo, y en realidad pierde el apoyo de las iglesias, esto no solo es trágico, ¡es una locura! El evangelio siempre debe seguir siendo lo principal, por supuesto, pero también debemos aprender a caminar en las buenas obras que nos prepararon (Efesios 2.10.) Se nos dice que amemos, pero no solo de palabra, sino de hecho también (1 Juan 3.18), y que nuestra fe sin obras está muerta. (Santiago 2.26)

¿Por qué no las dos cosas?

La pregunta es, ¿por qué no ambos? Carl Henry se consideraba un priorista, pero claramente creía y enseñaba que ambas eran tareas necesarias de la iglesia. Es posible predicar un Evangelio bíblico, con un énfasis importante en la evangelización, entrenando líderes y discipulado, al mismo tiempo que sirve a su comunidad, mostrando compasión por el sufrimiento siempre que sea posible. Es bastante desafortunado cuando quienes luchan por tratar de mantener un mejor equilibrio son acusados de un “Evangelio social” cuando no se descuida la proclamación del evangelio, simplemente se agrega un mandato bíblico que faltaba. Estamos llamados a ser sal y luz, haciendo buenas obras para que otros puedan glorificar a nuestro Padre en el cielo. Después de todo, una fe genuina no es meramente intelectual y pasiva, sino una fe activa y activa.

Pero Ireland hace un punto que vale la pena recordar cuando se discuten estos temas. Él dice que “es importante que distingamos el evangelio en sí mismo de las demandas del evangelio y evitemos confundir los dos si queremos ser fieles a las Escrituras. Cuando se hace esto, podemos abogar por la prioridad del evangelismo y por una sólida preocupación social cristiana “.

También usa una ilustración útil de la vida cotidiana para demostrar esto. Él dice: “Imagínese si tuviera que ir a un banco para hacer un depósito para pagar sus facturas. Ir al banco sería la prioridad. Porque si el cheque no se deposita, las facturas no se pueden pagar. Claramente, una cosa es una prioridad y debe tener lugar primero, pero ambas siguen siendo necesarias. Debo depositar mi cheque y debo pagar mis facturas. Lo segundo depende de que lo primero ya haya sucedido y la prioridad de lo primero no hace que lo segundo sea opcional”. Es similar a esto con evangelismo y preocupación social.

Hacer del evangelismo una prioridad no debe significar descuidarnnos en los actos de compasión. Tampoco un enfoque holístico tiene que significar la negligencia del evangelismo, de ninguna manera. En este punto, los términos priorismo y holismo han adquirido tanto equipaje y significados diferentes que casi se han vuelto inútiles, especialmente cuando no se puede acordar lo que significan.

Hacer del evangelismo una prioridad no debe significar descuidarnnos en los actos de compasión. Tampoco un enfoque holístico tiene que significar la negligencia del evangelismo, de ninguna manera.

Pero cuando se trata de dar a conocer a Cristo a través del evangelismo audaz y mostrar compasión y amor a nuestro prójimo, digoque esto es el cristianismo bíblico del Nuevo Testamento, entonces, ¿por qué no ambos?

Autor- Antonio Salgado Jr.

Director Biblical Christian MIssionary Society

I give thanks to my God for every remembrance of you, always praying with joy for all of you in my every prayer, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now.

– Philippians 1:3-5

Bibliografía

SCOTT MOREAU. Mission and missions. ED A. SCOTT MOREAU. Evangelical dictionary of world missions. Grand Rapids. Baker Academic, 2000.
CHRISTOPHER R. LITTLE. The case for prioritism. SCHEUEREMANN, ROCHELLE and CATHCART. Controversies in mission: theology, people, and practice of mission in the 21st century. Pasadena. Scheuermann, Rochelle and Cathart, 2016. Loc 671-672. ISBN: 978-0-87808-892-8
CHRISTOPHER R. LITTLE. The case for prioritism. SCHEUEREMANN, ROCHELLE and CATHCART. Controversies in mission: theology, people, and practice of mission in the 21st century. Pasadena. Scheuermann, Rochelle and Cathart, 2016. Loc 643. ISBN: 978-0-87808-892-8
CHRISTOPHER R. LITTLE. The case for prioritism. SCHEUEREMANN, ROCHELLE and CATHCART. Controversies in mission: theology, people, and practice of mission in the 21st century. Pasadena. Scheuermann, Rochelle and Cathart, 2016. Loc 1112. ISBN: 978-0-87808-892-8
CHRISTOPHER R. LITTLE. The case for prioritism SCHEUEREMANN, ROCHELLE and CATHCART. Controversies in mission: theology, people, and practice of mission in the 21st century. Pasadena. Scheuermann, Rochelle and Cathart, 2016. Loc 684. ISBN: 978-0-87808-892-8
Wikipedia. Disponible en https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carl_F._H._Henry
JERRY M. IRELAND. Concern and the promise of an evangelical consensus. SCHEUEREMANN, ROCHELLE and CATHCART. Controversies in mission: theology, people, and practice of mission in the 21st century. Pasadena. Scheuermann, Rochelle and Cathart, 2016. Loc 1129-1130. ISBN: 978-0-87808-892-8
JERRY M. IRELAND. Concern and the promise of an evangelical consensus. SCHEUEREMANN, ROCHELLE and CATHCART. Controversies in mission: theology, people, and practice of mission in the 21st century. Pasadena. Scheuermann, Rochelle and Cathart, 2016. Loc 1134. ISBN: 978-0-87808-892-8
JERRY M. IRELAND. Concern and the promise of an evangelical consensus. SCHEUEREMANN, ROCHELLE and CATHCART. Controversies in mission: theology, people, and practice of mission in the 21st century. Pasadena. Scheuermann, Rochelle and Cathart, 2016. Loc 1380. ISBN: 978-0-87808-892-8
JERRY M. IRELAND. Concern and the promise of an evangelical consensus. SCHEUEREMANN, ROCHELLE and CATHCART. Controversies in mission: theology, people, and practice of mission in the 21st century. Pasadena. Scheuermann, Rochelle and Cathart, 2016. Loc 1134. ISBN: 978-0-87808-892-8
TOMMORROW’S WORLD. How “Christianity” changed the world. Disponible en https://www.tomorrowsworld.org/magazines/2016/november-december/how-christianity-changed-the-world
JERRY M. IRELAND. Carl F. H. Henry’s regenerational model of evangelism and social concern and the promise of an evangelical consensus. SCHEUEREMANN, ROCHELLE and CATHCART. Controversies in mission: theology, people, and practice of mission in the 21st century. Pasadena. Scheuermann, Rochelle and Cathart, 2016. Loc 1288-1296. ISBN: 978-0-87808-892-8
JERRY M. IRELAND. Carl F. H. Henry’s regenerational model of evangelism and social concern and the promise of an evangelical consensus. SCHEUEREMANN, ROCHELLE and CATHCART. Controversies in mission: theology, people, and practice of mission in the 21st century. Pasadena. Scheuermann, Rochelle and Cathart, 2016. Loc 1296-1303. ISBN: 978-0-87808-892-8
JERRY M. IRELAND. Carl F. H. Henry’s regenerational model of evangelism and social concern and the promise of an evangelical consensus. SCHEUEREMANN, ROCHELLE and CATHCART. Controversies in mission: theology, people, and practice of mission in the 21st century. Pasadena. Scheuermann, Rochelle and Cathart, 2016. Loc 1387-1394. ISBN: 978-0-87808-892-8
JERRY M. IRELAND. Carl F. H. Henry’s regenerational model of evangelism and social concern and the promise of an evangelical consensus. SCHEUEREMANN, ROCHELLE and CATHCART. Controversies in mission: theology, people, and practice of mission in the 21st century. Pasadena. Scheuermann, Rochelle and Cathart, 2016. Loc 1394-1402. ISBN: 978-0-87808-892-8

We do not use a sending agency that gets a percentage of the money donated, so you can be sure that your gift goes directly to the mission field.

If the Lord so lies on your heart to give back to Him by supporting this ministry:

You can donate to this ministry online with Paypal. Click the donate button below to send support of any amount directly to the ministry. This is the fastest option to get funds to us. Click the link below for that option.

https://www.paypal.me/SalgadoDRMission?locale.x=es_US

Also,

CENTRAL MISSIONARY CLEARINGHOUSE
P.O. Box 219228
Houston, Texas 77218-9228
1-800-CMC-PRAY (1-800-262-7729)
Office: 281-599-7411
Fax: 281-599-7511

You may begin sending your support to the BCMS (Antonio Salgado) at any time at the address above. (Checks should be made payable to Central Missionary Clearinghouse or C.M.C.)

You can also now give to the ministry here in the DR online through the new giving solution called “click and give” at the CMC website.

https://www.cmcmissions.org/donate

For tax exemption, you must send your donation through Central Missionary Clearinghouse (CMC) at the address above. But the Paypal option is the fastest way to get funds directly to the field.

We do not use a sending agency that gets a percentage of the money donated, so you can be sure that your gift goes directly to the mission field.

Whatever you decide, thank you so much for praying for us and helping this ministry. God Bless You!

July 23, 2022April 12, 2024

Why Do Missionaries Seem To Always Need Money?

A Glance At Both Sides Of The Same Coin

For every person who has ever prayed for me, or donated any amount over the years. Thank you, I appreciate your love for the Lord and the desire to be involved His mission.

Anyone who has followed the work here for any length of time has probably read in a newsletter, or a post on social media somewhere that,

“Those who pray for and give to missions play a role just as important as the missionary on the field.”

I say it often, especially when doing some speaking back home or talking missions with anyone. I say it a lot because I really believe that. The church or person who gives any amout faithfully over time, or the grandmother who wakes up early every morning to pray for the missionaries that she has pictures of or names of on her fridge. Both play a crucial role in this long term partnership in the Gospel we call mission work.

When it comes to funding a missionary, some would say very simply that if it’s God’s will He will provide, and they take the position of not seeking to share needs or raise money. They firmly believe that in this way they are truly trusting the Lord. That’s fine, if it is their conviction, and I believe that if it’s God’s will then He will provide too. But to leave it so simplistic would really be to miss something important on the other side of the same coin. Something clearly revealed in the Scriptures that should not be avoided.

We understand and believe that God has ordained all things, absolutely. But He has also ordained the means by which to reach those ends. One confession puts it well when speaking on the decree of God. It says that:

“God hath decreed in himself, from all eternity, by the most wise and holy counsel of his own will, freely and unchangeably, all things, whatsoever comes to pass; yet so as thereby is God neither the author of sin nor hath fellowship with any therein; nor is violence offered to the will of the creature, nor yet is the liberty or contingency of second causes taken away, but rather established; in which appears his wisdom in disposing all things, and power and faithfulness in accomplishing his decree.”

And it wouldn’t take long reading through the epistles before you would start to notice a couple of things:

First, Paul absolutely depended on God and prayed expecting God to answer, and God often did.

At the same time we see other examples of Paul making his needs known to the churches. He also expected the brethren to help him with his needs and the needs of others.

Both are true and they go together.

Yes, at times he worked with his hands out of a conviction and even necessity. In Philippians he writes that at one time

“in the early days of the gospel, when I left Macedonia, no church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving except you alone.” (Philippians 4:15)

This is incredibly astounding! Consider the great Apostle Paul, the Apostle to the gentiles, the great missionary. Now consider churches that he himself and perhaps others had planted, unwilling to give or help Paul so that the Gospel may go forth in other places? If we lost all of our support, and only one (fairly young) church supported us, we would have to do the same. I too have had to do quite a bit of tent making as of late, at least until we acquire some new mission partners to help ease the burden of new needs and to prepare for future plans we have. But that hasn´t always been the case.

One realistic downside of bivocational missionaries to consider, is that it is easy to become overloaded and overwhelmed, and hence comes the possibility of becoming less effective and their longevity on the field may then soon be in play. Unless somehow, they had established in the past a business, or a high paying career before they moved to a foreign mission field, and they were able to somehow keep it going and make money for their family and ministry without sacrificing all of their time. But those are exceptions, and often bivocational missionaries usually end up spending less time working for the Lord (of course everything we do is unto the Lord, but I mean specifically mission work and ministry here) and more time working just to survive and make ends meet.

And as the Lord opens more doors, it also comes with more expenses and needs. In the past, I taught English at another school free of charge for almost two years. We still even recently have helped that school. But there are seasons of life and ministry when you just do what you gotta do. So I was teaching at another school, but now I am working at the orphanage to make ends meet. I am willing to do it and even enjoy it in many ways. Sure it is a blessing and the opportunities to share the Gospel are many. But, family in that mix of a very demanding work load, both in ministry and another full time job, and you will eventually have a recipe for burnout. Especially on the field where the needs are often much greater when working with the poor, and people aren´t so individualistic and private, but need and desire much more attention and time spent together with them. Often needing more time and resources than you have available, and need more than most Americans do.

It is this way with ministry in many other cultures, it’s just different. And if we are honest, most people culturally as Americans just like thier privacy and in general are better off financially. And that’s ok. I say this to mean that just because something is common and or easily done in the States, it doesn’t mean it will be so in a different setting. And though bivocational ministry is always difficult, it proves to be even moreso where the people are poor, often sick and less educated. In those situations, things usually take much more time, energy and money.

But why do some missionaries seem to always need money?

Well, first we would certainly agree that the most loving thing we can do for a person is to share the Gospel with them and point them to Christ. To this we say yes and amen. Yet at the same time, it would very unloving to preach the Gospel and ignore someones obvious urgent, basic needs, especially if we were in any position to help them. Of course we cannot help everyone, and the “poor will always be with us.” But this is no excuse for not being as generous as possible and we must remember that we were saved not just from something, but also for somethings,

“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time for us to do.” Ephesians 2:10

Time and time again we see in Scripture the duty of the believer to compassionate, merciful and generous as we saw exemplified in the life of our Lord and the Apostles and the early church. When the other Apsotles extended the right hand of fellowship to Paul and Barnabas as they were getting ready to go off to proclaim the Gospel and make disciples of the gentiles, they reminded Paul of something that was important to them beacuse it was important to God..

“Only, they asked us to remember the poor, the very thing I was eager to do.” Galatians 2:10

In the book “Controversies in Missions,” a compilation of essays written on various controversial topics in missions, a chapter on Carl F. H. Henry’s regenerational model puts it this way:

“The particular eloquence of Henry’s position is this: one need not deny the important biblical commands regarding social justice in order to arrive at prioritism (the Gospel proclamation is the priority), and the way one does this is by understanding the full weight of the doctrine of revelation within Christian theology. When this is done, it becomes clear that there is a direct correlation between the doctrine of revelation and the priority of proclamation. However, such a prioritist position by no means renders what the Bible says about social justice as irrelevant or unimportant. In fact, the opposite is true. A high view of the doctrine of revelation, especially concerning Scripture, also gives rise to a robust social concern because the moral imperatives for God’s people are divinely revealed.”

This is in no way a “social gospel” as some understand it. But rather biblical ministry centered on God’s revelation and the ethical demmands put on those who are transformed by the very same Gospel proclamation. The latter (compassionate generosity) actually gives evidence to and establishes that the first and main thing, (Gospel proclamation and salvation) actually took place to begin with. One is a priority, yet both are necessary and biblical. The author offers a very helpful illustration from every day life to help us understand how both are necessary, while rightly keeping the main thing, namely Gospel proclamation, the main thing.

“I might say that I am going to go to the bank to make a deposit and then to the post office to mail some bills. I furthermore declare that the bank is my top priority because if I do not deposit my paycheck, then the bills cannot be paid. Clearly, one has here a case of priority in which both things remain necessary. I still must deposit my check and I still must pay my bills. Yet one of these takes priority because the second thing depends on the first thing having taken place. It is the same with evangelism and social concern. The gospel must first be preached before converts can be discipled and, indeed, the content of Christian discipleship remains mired in obscurity apart from the proclamational foundations of the apostles and prophets, which is divine revelation. Thus, the logical priority of evangelism does not render compassion as optional. It simply affirms the ultimate place of Scripture and the unequivocal role given to proclamation in the life of the church.”

Consider this text in James:

“If a brother or sister is without clothes and lacks daily food and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, stay warm, and be well fed,” but you don’t give them what the body needs, what good is it? In the same way faith, if it doesn’t have works, is dead by itself.” James 2:15-17

But now back to my first point on the funding necessary in order to do both of these things:

So we have the Apostle Paul, who was inspired by the Holy Spirit to write and explain the mysteries of God being revealed, praying to the Sovereign Lord, and at the same time He makes his needs known to the churches and seemingly expected them to meet those needs. We see true dependence on God through prayer, AND communicating to the churches his own needs and the needs of others. Why? Because He understood that the means to reach the goal of the church, IS the church. Specifically, the emphasis in the NT is overwhelmingly on the local churches.

God´s people have a mission, to go and make disciples of all nations, baptize and to teach all that Christ has commanded. God´s people also have the real responsibility to be intentional in going, sending, praying for and providing for that mission and showing mercy and compassion to others in the process. There are ethical demmands that are put upon the beliver through the commands in the NT.

It´s not rocket science, but for some at least, its hard to stay balanced. Many people error and fall off of one side of the horse or the other. It just isn’t as black and white as some would like. We live in a tension in this area. Consider the beautiful mystery of God’s Sovereignty and the will and responsibility that man has. His decrees and His means to reach His intended purpose.

Who´s mission is it? God´s.

Who has He commanded to fulfill the mission? God´s people.

Who´s doing the calling? God.

Who´s Word are we preaching and teaching? God´s.

Who did He choose and inspire to write and preserve it? God´s people.

Who is the one preaching and teaching? God´s pèople.

Who is forgiving sins and doing the saving? God.

Who is being saved and who is He using to proclaim the Gospel? God´s people.

Who is opening the minds of people, illuminating them to understand the Scriptures? God is.

Who does He use to do this? God´s people.

To Whom belongs the cattle on a thousand hills (and everything else in the universe)? To God.

Who is doing the praying and who is doing the providing? God´s people.

Who has He entrusted precious resources to, to be used for His glory? God´s people.

At the same time, who is really doing the providing and Sovereignly answering specific individual prayers of provision for His people who are doing His will on His mission? God is.

I could go on and on, but hopefully you get the point by now. His plans will be accomplished and cannot be thwarted, no doubt about that. But He has revealed and commanded how it is to be done as well. And we are very much responsible for being about the will of God in the work of the church. He will do it, and He will do it through His people. Paul knew this. But many who lean too much in either direction fall into error and become unbalanced, inconsistent or worse, unbiblical.

To deny the real responsibility we have before Him would be somewhat foolish and would require the systematic focusing on some particular texts of Scripture, while at the same time ignoring of a lot of other texts. Or putting Scripture against Scripture versus putting the two things together. It would be akin to an error as in saying, God will provide for me but I refuse to work. Or that God will cause me to grow in knowledge but I refuse to read or study.

For the above mentioned reasons, we have come to the understanding that it is ok to ask for help and make needs known for us and for others. We simply say “these are the needs, pray about helping.” If the Lord puts in someone the desire to help, then praise the Lord! We have examples of it in the Scriptures and we simply accept it and live in the tension between the Sovereignty of God and the responsibility of man. There is no need to even try to reconcile the two, we see both in the Bible and they do not oppose eachother in any way.

Why even address this? I feel the need to expalian this mainly because of critics, who themselves are of an extreme position and choose not to communicate or share needs out of their conviction.

Unfortunately, the same often suffer need more frequently and unnecessarily. God has blessed and given the specific gift of helping/giving to some. (1 Cor. 12:28) People who desire to see the Gospel taken forth and to help the poor and others. There are people and churches somwhere, right now praying about which mission to give to.

I could testify time and time again about how the Lord in His providence would bring such people across our path through their own prayers in seeking who to help, while at the same time answering our specific prayers for provision. Many of who we have never even met or had any prior contact or a relationship with! The Lord really has provided and answered an innumerable amount of prayers like these. And He always did so through His people, whether a church as a whole or through individual brothers and sisters.

Having said all of that, I am extremely grateful to God and to our mission partners who pray and support. Especially those who have done so faithfully over the years. Without your prayers and donations we just wouldn’t be able to do what we do for as long as we have done it. That’s a fact. Thank you and God bless you.

In Christ,

Antonio Salgado Jr.

Please pray for our BCMS workers serving faithfully in hard places. May the Gospel continue to go forth, to God be the glory.

If the Lord so lies on your heart to give back to Him by supporting this ministry, you can easily donate online through PayPal. Click the donate button below to send support of any amount directly to the ministry. This is the fastest option to get funds to the mission field.

You can donate to this ministry online with Paypal. Click the donate button below and you can send support of any amount directly to the ministry. You can choose the option of doing a one-time donation and this is the fastest option to get funds to us. Click the link below for that option.

Also,

CENTRAL MISSIONARY CLEARINGHOUSE
P.O. Box 219228
Houston, Texas 77218-9228
1-800-CMC-PRAY (1-800-262-7729)
Office: 281-599-7411
Fax: 281-599-7511

You may begin sending your support to the BCMS (Antonio Salgado) at any time at the address above. (Checks should be made payable to Central Missionary Clearinghouse or C.M.C.)

You can also now give to the ministry here in the DR online through the new giving solution called “click and give” at the CMC website.

To get started you just need to click on the link below and register the first time. Just a simple click on the donate button on their page (see link below), and then click the “click and give icon/button”.

https://www.cmcmissions.org/donate

For tax exemption, you must send your donation through Central Missionary Clearinghouse (CMC) at the address above. But the Paypal option is the fastest way to get funds directly to the field.

We do not use a sending agency that gets a percentage of the money donated, so you can be sure that your gift goes directly to the mission field.

Whatever you decide, thank you so much for praying for us and helping this ministry. God Bless You!

August 16, 2021April 23, 2024

THE BIBLICAL MODEL PART 2: THE PHILOSOPHY OF MISSIONS

BIBLICAL HOLISTIC MISSIONS

Throughout history, amidst famines, plagues and persecution, the church has been faced with many challenges. Especially when it came to managing two things, the proclamation of the gospel and helping the needy of society. These challenges in missions and ministry are not new. When the door of ministry opened to the gentiles in the book of Acts, things became even more complicated after Paul and Barnabas turned their focus to the gentiles in their mission work. It is generally true that when crossing the cultural divide, there will be challenges in Gospel proclamation and, for some, in identifying the details of the role of the church regarding societal problems and contextualization. There is no shortage of lost or suffering people around us so that certainly has not changed today.

If anything, the problem has only been compounded over the centuries as different cultural contexts continue to be penetrated with the light of the Gospel. It is beautiful and inspiring to know that the Gospel is being taken to the darkest and hardest of places, but these are real challenges to confront, along with ever-growing needs, especially when working with the poor. It can be difficult work, and in some ways it is easier to just preach than to actually get your hands dirty in serving the helpless in society on the front lines and out of your comfort zone. But not everyone’s conscience will allow them to be speakers of the Word alone when coming face to face with such great needs of fellow image–bearers. And questions about what exactly missionaries should or should not be doing have repeatedly come into the arena of debate. Therefore, this is a controversy that certainly sticks out to me. It is the seemingly never-ending debate between what is known as prioritism and holism.

Defining the terms

We must admit that the church has not always done very well at nuancing things in the past. Especially when developing a theology that properly allows for both sides of an issue such as this one. But before delving deeper into the matter at hand, perhaps we should take some time to define the terms a little better. Depending on who you talk to, people have different ideas when using the same words. What exactly is prioritism and what is holism? Are those the only two options?

In an article from the Judson Center, Jay Flinn summarizes the history of the evangelical holistic mission debate. He writes, “In the ensuing decades, much has been written on the topic of holistic mission. Most of what has been written can be summarized into three primary positions related to the relationship of evangelism and social action in mission. One position retains the emphasis on evangelism and church planting with little regard to social action. A second position follows Stott’s model of evangelism as the primary mission with Christian social action a secondary partner. The third position considers social action as mission equally with evangelism. While there are variants to these positions and different terms may be used to describe them, the variants are ultimately defined by the relative priority and relationship of evangelism and social action to one another.”[1]

Understanding Prioritism

On one side of the issue there are those who say that the Gospel (and some include church planting with it) should always be the main thing. And they are right, it very well should be. A classic statement on prioritism by Donald McGarvan states:

“A multitude of excellent enterprises lie around us. So great is the number and so urgent the calls, that Christians can easily lose their way among them, seeing them all equally as mission. But in doing good, they can fail of the best. In winning the preliminaries, they can lose the main game. They can be treating a troublesome itch, while the patient dies of cholera. The question of priorities cannot be avoided.”[2]

He makes a valid point. Those that hold to prioritism fear that some who hold to a more holistic approach have made the Gospel a secondary matter. Although we must acknowledge this is true of some, we also must beware of over–generalizing. Much of the confusion is due to the reinventing words to mean things other than what they originally meant. This only muddies the theological waters, causing confusion rather than bringing clarity to the issue. These days, many words like evangelism, gospel and mission can mean different things than they used to. So it is important that we examine these terms biblically, otherwise they have no limits in how they are used and can therefore lose all real meaning.

This most likely is a result, over time, of what is referred to as “mission drift.” The CEO of Edify said,

“It’s the exception that an organization stays true to its mission. The natural course- the unfortunate natural evolution of many originally Christ–centered missions– is to drift.”[3]

In an issue of Evangelical Missions Quarterly there was a “symposium” published where five leaders were asked to articulate their views regarding the relationship between proclamation and social action, and only one presented a view approximating the prioritistic position.[4] (2012,264-271) This is quite unfortunate, considering that prior to the first Lausanne Congress in 1974, prioritism was the dominant view among evangelicals. To be sure, eternal matters take priority over temporal matters. The prioritists are correct in emphasizing the Gospel as the main focus of the mission. But for some on the far end of the spectrum (strict prioritists,) it has become pretty much the only thing. This is a gaping hole in their position. Due to a deficit in the theology of some, those who hold to prioritism are often accused of neglecting the commandment to love their neighbor in their attempt to be Gospel–centered. I agree that the Gospel is the priority and should be at the top of the list for all of us. Yet, ironically, many prioritists or of those who claim to be passionate about Christ can isolate themselves from the very communities they are trying to reach by showing little interest in their temporal human condition of suffering. This is interpreted by many as a lack of love, not only by the opposing perspective, but also by the lost community that is always watching. So we should not be so quick to completely dismiss the entire holistic approach to ministry. Some of the accusations toward strict prioritists are fair and should be addressed, always remembering that there do exist other, more balanced views between these two positions. Even John Stott eventually changed his views in favor of a more balanced, holistic approach to the Great Commission.

Understanding Holism

On the other side of the issue are those who do take a more holistic approach in their mission work. They claim to believe and preach the Gospel, too, which can make what they say seem contradictory. C. Rene Padilla, who was very influential in convincing many to embrace a holistic approach to mission, said the following:

“Holistic mission is mission oriented towards the meeting of basic human needs, including the need of God, but also the need of food, love, housing, clothes, physical and mental health, and a sense of human dignity. Furthermore, this approach takes into account that people are spiritual, social, and bodily beings, made to live in relationship with God, with their neighbors, and with God’s creation. Consequently, it presupposes that it is not enough to take care of the spiritual well being of an individual without any regard for his or her personal relationships and position in society and in the world. As Jesus saw it, love for God is inseparable from love for our neighbor.”[5]

In my opinion, he isn’t wrong in saying that love for God is inseparable from love for our neighbor. Within this camp there are those who are accused of having another Gospel, a “social justice” gospel. And to be sure, there are some in this camp who are not very Gospel–centered at all. In the worst of cases, they can be almost completely humanistic with little to no Gospel proclamation or sound Bible teaching. Some are distracted and are neglecting real biblical evangelism. However, there are some things that a strict prioritist can learn from them. They are usually very active in serving their communities, feeding the poor, defending the weak and the needy and doing good to their family of faith and their neighbors outside of the church. Although the gospel is an eternal and weightier matter, we must at least admit that these are good and important things that should not be ignored. And not all who take a holistic approach to mission fit the description of “social justice warriors” or would not completely agree so rigidly on one category or the other. So as the debate goes on, the line continues to seem blurred for some as to how exactly these two things should fit together.

An alternative?

We must be aware of and willing to admit the dangers of an extreme position on either side. This is simply one of the many areas of our theology, work, mission and ministry where we must learn to live in the tension and find a way to reconcile the two ideas, since both have biblical grounds. We certainly do not want to fall off either side of the horse divide. so to speak. To do so, I believe, would be to fall into one kind of error or another. We must find a more biblical balance, and this is where Carl F. H. Henry is extremely helpful.

His credentials

Carl Henry is most relevant when it comes to this for the following reasons. He himself said he was indeed a prioritist yet held to the necessity of social concern as well. Henry was one of the founding architects of the modern U.S. Evangelical movement, and has probably said and written more about the topic than anyone else, being extremely influential “calling evangelicals to differentiate themselves from separatist fundamentalism and claim a role in influencing the wider American culture. He was involved in the creation of numerous major evangelical organizations, including the National Association of Evangelicals, Fuller Theological Seminary, Evangelical Theological Society, Christianity Today magazine (of which he was the founding editor), and the Institute for Advanced Christian Studies. The Carl F. H. Henry Institute for Evangelical Engagement at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and the Carl F. H. Henry Center for Theological Understanding at Trinity International University seek to carry on his legacy.”[6] His vision of the necessity of theological competence and cultural engagement remains among the more vibrant alternatives in our day. He was known for his commitment to theological rigors, his active engagement with the pressing social issues of our day, but also for having an unwavering commitment to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. His book “The Uneasy Conscience of Modern Fundamentalism” (1947) was a response to the separatist fundamentalist movement that inadvertently became a hindrance to its own cause of reaching the lost with the Gospel.

Henry spoke eloquently about what has long been disputed by theologians and missiologists when it comes to Henry himself had said that “these tensions now vex the church as never before in recent history.”[7]The issue has brought much division among evangelicals, especially since the fundamentalist-modernist controversy of the early twentieth century.

In an essay about Carl Henry and his “regenerational” model of evangelism and social concern, Jerry M. Ireland writes,

“Fundamentalism responded to the human-centered social agenda of liberal theology by mostly withdrawing from cultural engagement and social action, rather than developing a more biblically balanced response to the social issues. Unfortunately, fundamentalism tended to truncate the gospel’s temporal relevance in favor of an exclusive focus on eternal matters.”[8] It is my humble suggestion that we should always do both.

His regenerational model

There is much to be learned from Henry. As Ireland points out, Henry associates these two tasks of the church in a similar way that C. H. Dodd does, distinguishing the word didache from kerygma. In Dodd’s teachings he points out that “kerygma represents the church’s unique message of salvation”,[9] the proclamation of gospel. While didache, “refers more to the church’s teachings and Scripture’s ethical demands.”[10]

Biblical warrant

The concern is a good one, to make and keep the Gospel as the priority. However, with a quick look at the imperatives in Scripture, the life of Christ, and the Apostle Paul’s example, one would have a difficult time presenting the case that concern for the suffering human condition of our neighbor and generosity towards them was optional. Jesus had “compassion on the multitudes.” Paul said he was “eager to help the poor,” and there are many other examples of why we should do good to the family of faith and to our neighbor. Below are just a few from the Old and New Testaments.

Old Testament Evidence

Whoever has a bountiful eye will be blessed, for he shares his bread with the poor. (Proverbs 22.9)

Whoever oppresses a poor man insults his Maker, but he who is generous to the needy honors him. (Proverbs 14.31)

Whoever closes his ear to the cry of the poor will himself call out and not be answered. (Proverbs 21.13)

Proverbs 14.21 Whoever despises his neighbor is a sinner, but blessed is he who is generous to the poor.

Proverbs 29.7 A righteous man knows the rights of the poor; a wicked man does not understand such knowledge.

Proverbs 31.8-9 Open your mouth for the mute, for the rights of all who are destitute. Open your mouth, judge righteously, defend the rights of the poor and needy.

Ezekiel 16.49 Behold, this was the guilt of your sister Sodom: she and her daughters had pride, excess of food, and prosperous ease, but did not aid the poor and needy.

(Did you catch that? The guilt of Sodom was not aiding the poor and needy!)

New Testament Evidence

Acts 20.35 In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”

Galatians 2.10 Only, they asked us to remember the poor, the very thing I was eager to do.

Matthew 5.42 Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you.

1 John 3.17-18 But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him?

James 1.27 Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction…

Luke 14.12-14 He said also to the man who had invited him, “When you give a dinner or a banquet, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, lest they also invite you in return and you be repaid. But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you. For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the just.”

Luke 12.33-34 Sell your possessions, and give to the needy. Provide yourselves with moneybags that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

Luke 3.11 And he answered them, “Whoever has two tunics is to share with him who has none, and whoever has food is to do likewise.”

We see the to need to bear the burden of the family of faith AND show love to our neighbor in word and in deed. The list of examples from Scripture can go on and on and on …

Historical Evidence

There is also the evidence from history to consider. The impact of the early church continues to be visible in Western civilization today. Historians note that “by the Middle Ages, Christianity transformed societies for the better and continue to influence culture wherever its teachings spread. The charity encouraged by biblical teachings (Luke 10.30-37) eventually led to the founding of hospitals, orphanages, homes for the elderly and care for the poor, the hungry and the homeless. Even many of the greatest and most prominent universities of our day were originally founded for “Christian” purposes.”[11]

Throughout history, the tendency of the church to extend compassion to those suffering and in need around them , was simply the fruit of Christians living out a transformed, Spirit–filled life in obedience to the Scriptures. They imitated the example of Christ, motivated by love for the One who loved us first, and who sacrificially gave Himself for us. In what way would this at all be a bad thing? With Scripture and history attesting to the pattern of bold Gospel proclamation AND compassion and generosity to others, why would it be any different for the church today?

There is no need to debate whether or not the church should be generous to the family of faith. But there are those who think that we should not be distracted by societal problems or invest too much time or money in showing compassion to image–bearers outside the church. Henry certainly had a unique eloquence when it came to reconciling this issue. At times he spoke the language of both camps. He held to maintaining the Gospel as a priority yet maintaining social concern as something important and necessary.

It is important to note that even though Henry’s model held both views as necessary, it doesn’t mean that both were equal. Henry was critical of liberal and secular fallacies regarding the benevolence of God. In the book Controversies in Missions, Jerry M. Ireland writes that

“Henry finds a cause for concern among liberal and secular tendencies… and warns against confusing evangelism and social concern- or of reducing evangelism to merely attacking social or political evils. To do so is to commit the ultimate act of lovelessness, for it neglects humanity’s greatest need, namely personal redemption and supernatural regeneration.”[12]

Ireland also makes an important distinction when he says it is

“slightly off base to say that evangelism and social concern are two wings of the same bird, or two sides of the same coin. For even Scripture never equates these two things as in such an overtly parallel manner, even though Scripture upholds the necessity and importance of both.”[13]

We must work out and live in the tension that exists there.

We should want more people to come to Christ. As a result of making disciples, more churches will eventually be planted. And historically, the church has been a means by which good naturally overflows to the world around it. It is a grace of God, a benefit of simply living in proximity to the people of God. Yet what happens in some churches over time is that the focus becomes much more inward, to what happens within the four walls of a building, and less time being salt and light to those around them. The evidence of this is seen in how little is designated for benevolence in the budgets of the average local church.

Sadly, I personally know of missionaries who have realized the imbalance of the strict prioritist view and actually lost support from some churches, when due to an “uneasy conscience” of their own, as Henry would call it, they became more involved in helping meet the needs of those who they served in addition to the regular evangelism and preaching and teaching of the Word. They were rejected by some supporters who were strict prioritists when taking a more holisitic approach and becoming more involved in their communities. They were penalized for obeying God in loving their neighbor.

When a missionary decides to obey the Scriptures in both areas in love for their neighbors, but then actually loses support from churches, this is not only tragic, it is madness! The Gospel must always remain the main thing, of course, but we must also learn to walk in the good works that we were prepared for us to do (Ephesians 2.10.) We are told to love, but not only in word, but in deed as well (1 John 3.18), and that our faith without works is dead. (James 2.26)

Dare I say that when we justify our lack of compassion by saying that the greatest act of love is sharing the Gospel with people (which is indeed true), some may be attempting to hide some real laziness and apathy. May the Lord guard our hearts from such things and give us grace to do that which is most important without neglecting other necessary commands.

Making evangelism a priority shouldn’t mean neglecting acts of compassion. Neither does a holistic approach have to mean the neglect of evangelism in any way.

Why not both?

The question is, why not both? Carl Henry considered himself a prioritist but clearly believed and taught that both were necessary tasks of the church. It is possible to preach a biblical Gospel, emphasizing evangelism, training leaders and discipleship, while also serving your community, showing compassion to those suffering whenever possible. It is unfortunate when those who maintain a better balance are accused of a “social Gospel” when Gospel proclamation is not being neglected, but rather a biblical command that was missing in ministry is simply added. We are called to be salt and light, doing good works so that others may glorify our Father in heaven. After all, a genuine faith is not merely intellectual and passive, but an active working faith. And in light of the biblical and historical evidence, this does indeed seem to be a more balanced and accurate way for doing missions, and ministry in general.

Ireland makes a point worth remembering when discussing these issues. He says that

“it is important that we distinguish the Gospel itself from the demands of the Gospel and avoid equivocating the two if we are to be faithful to Scripture. When this is done, then we can advocate for both the priority of evangelism and for a robust Christian social concern.”[14]

He also uses a helpful illustration from everyday life to demonstrate this. He says,

“Imagine if you had to go to a bank to make a deposit in order to pay your bills. Going to the bank would be the priority. Because if the paycheck is not deposited then the bills cannot be paid. Clearly one thing is a priority and must take place first, yet both remain necessary. I must deposit my check and I must pay my bills. The second thing depends on the first thing having taken place already and the priority of the first does not render the second as optional.”[15]

The same is true with evangelism and social concern, with loving your neighbor. And let us avoid seeking to justify ourselves by asking, “Who is my neighbor?”

Making evangelism a priority shouldn’t mean neglecting acts of compassion. Neither does a holistic approach mean the neglect of evangelism in any way. At this point, the terms prioritism and holism have taken on so much baggage and different meanings that they have almost been rendered useless, especially when it often cannot be agreed upon as to what they even mean. But when it comes to making Christ known through bold evangelism AND showing compassion and love to our neighbor, I say this is biblical New Testament Christianity. So why not both?

Written by Antonio Salgado

Please pray for our BCMS workers serving faithfully in hard places. May the Gospel continue to go forth, to God be the glory.

Also,

CENTRAL MISSIONARY CLEARINGHOUSE
P.O. Box 219228
Houston, Texas 77218-9228
1-800-CMC-PRAY (1-800-262-7729)
Office: 281-599-7411
Fax: 281-599-7511
You may begin sending your support to BCMS/Antonio Salgado at any time at the address above. (Checks should be made payable to Central Missionary Clearinghouse or C.M.C.)
You can also now give to the ministry online through the new giving solution called “click and give” at the CMC website. To get started, you just need to click on the link below and register the first time. Just a simple click on the donate button on their page (see link below), and then click the “click and give icon/button”.

https://www.cmcmissions.org/donate

For tax exemption, you must send your donation through Central Missionary Clearinghouse (CMC) at the address above. PayPal option is the fastest way to get funds directly to the field in case of emergencies. We do not use a sending agency that gets a percentage of the money donated, so you can be sure that your gift goes directly to the mission field. Whatever you decide, thank you so much for praying for us. Grace and peace.

July 8, 2021

Perdonado Y Perdonando (En Español)

“Soportándose unos a otros y perdonándose unos a otros si alguno tiene agravio contra otro. Así como el Señor los perdonó, ustedes también deben perdonar ”.
Colosenses 3:13

El evangelio no es solo para el mundo incrédulo. El Evangelio también es muy importante para los creyentes. Nunca debemos dejar de recordar. Nunca debemos dejar de predicarnos el Evangelio a nosotros mismos primero, porque de hecho somos criaturas olvidadizas. Nunca debemos dejar de mirar a la cruz con asombro, por el hecho de que nosotros mismos podemos ser perdonados.

Fue Charles Spurgeon quien dijo una vez:

“Mientras otros se felicitan a sí mismos, yo tengo que recostarme humildemente al pie de la cruz de Cristo y maravillarme de que soy salvo”.

El perdón que recibimos realmente es muy humillante, pero también muy liberador. ¿Cómo es posible te preguntas? Esta mentalidad evangélica nos libera y nos recuerda el alcance de la gracia de Dios hacia nosotros en la muerte de su Hijo en la cruz. También nos recuerda la profundidad de nuestro propio pecado y la ofensa que es para Dios. Mucho más ofensivo y perverso que cualquier pecado que alguien más haya cometido contra nosotros. Porque nuestro pecado es en, última instancia contra nuestro Creador, un Dios tan Santo, tan absolutamente apartado, y con un valor infinitamente mayor del que nosotros, como meras criaturas.

Pero cuando “captamos” el Evangelio, comprendiendo realmente por qué la muerte de Cristo fue necesaria y sus implicaciones, nos liberamos de pensar en nosotros mismos más alto de lo que deberíamos. También debemos reconocer que la falta de perdón y la amargura es un veneno que es sumamente tóxico para nuestros propios corazones. Y a menudo es nuestro orgullo el origen de todo ello. Definitivamente deberíamos sentirnos humildes por la gracia demostrada en la cruz, pero esta gracia debería permitirnos perdonar verdaderamente a los demás también. Podemos luchar a veces, cuando el dolor es profundo y la persona que nos lastimó es alguien cercano y querido. Podemos hacer las cosas mal y hacer las cosas de manera imperfecta. Pero el Espíritu de Dios en nosotros hará que deseemos perdonar y, finalmente, llegaremos a un lugar de verdadero perdón hacia los demás.

Como cristianos, deberíamos ser personas que perdonan. Predicarnos el Evangelio a nosotros mismos y meditar sobre nuestra propia posición ante Dios es de gran ayuda cuando luchamos por perdonar a los demás, ya que es un recordatorio constante de la gracia de Dios hacia nosotros y de la profundidad de nuestro propio pecado. Un pecado tan perverso y tan profundamente arraigado en nuestros propios corazones, que solo por la muerte del Hijo de Dios se podía pagar.

Y de hecho está pagado. No hay más consecuencias o ira reservadas para nosotros porque Cristo lo tomó todo sobre sí mismo. Todo ello. Por eso “no hay condenación para los que están en Cristo Jesús”. Para los que están en él. Sí, incluso a aquellos a quienes les cuesta perdonar, si son creyentes, su pecado está cubierto. Se nos ha mostrado una gracia tan maravillosa y un amor tan trascendente, tan más allá de nuestro entendimiento, que adoraremos por toda la eternidad absolutamente asombrados de haber sido perdonados.

“Pero Dios, que es rico en misericordia, por el gran amor que nos tenía, nos dio vida con Cristo aunque estábamos muertos en nuestros delitos. ¡Eres salvo por gracia! ”
Efesios 2: 4-5

Así que ora, luego sigue adelante y perdona a esa persona. No pierdas más tiempo sintiéndote amargado y abrigando esos sentimientos. Tus heridas sanarán y crecerás a partir de esta experiencia. Sean “imitadores de Dios”, mostrando gracia y perdonando.

Junto con Spurgeon, yo también debo hacerlo a menudo …

“… tengo que recostarme humildemente al pie de la cruz de Cristo y maravillarme de que soy salvo”.

Si estamos en Cristo, somos perdonados, completamente y perfectamente. Por lo tanto, una de las señales de identidad del cristiano es perdonar a los demás, como también a nosotros se nos ha perdonado.

July 29, 2019July 29, 2019

Being Forgiven And Being Forgiving

“bearing with one another and forgiving one another if anyone has a grievance against another. Just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you are also to forgive.”
‭‭Colossians‬ ‭3:13‬ ‭CSB‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

The Gospel is not just for the unbelieving world. The Gospel is very much for us believers too. We must never stop remembering. We must never stop preaching the Gospel to ourselves first, because we are indeed forgetful creatures. We must never stop looking to the cross in awe and wonder of what God has done, at the fact that we ourselves can be forgiven.

It was Charles Spurgeon who once said,

“While others are congratulating themselves, I have to lie humbly at the foot of Christ’s cross & marvel that I am saved at all.”

The pardon we receive really is very humbling, but it is also very liberating. How so you might ask? This Gospel mentality frees us and reminds us of the extent of God´s grace towards us in the death of His Son on the cross. It also reminds us of the depth of our own sin and the offense it is to God. Far more offensive and wicked than any sin anyone else has ever committed against us. For our sin is ultimately against our Creator, a God so Holy, so absolutely set apart, and with infinitely more worth than we as mere creatures have in and of ourselves.

But when we “get” the Gospel, really grasping why the death of Christ was necessary and it´s implications, we are freed from thinking higher of ourselves than we ought to. We also must recognize that unforgiveness and bitterness is a poison that is most toxic to our own hearts. And it is often our pride that is at the root of it. We should definitely be humbled by the grace demonstrated at the cross, but this grace should enable us to truly forgive others too. We may struggle at times, when the hurt is deep and person who hurt us is someone near and dear. We may get things wrong and go about things imperfectly. But the Spirit of God in us will cause us to desire to forgive, and we will eventually come to a place of true forgiveness towards others.

As Christians, we should be a forgiving people. Preaching the Gospel to ourselves and meditating on our own standing before God is most helpful when we struggle to forgive others, for it is a constant reminder of God´s grace towards us, AND the depth of our own sin. A sin so wicked and deep rooted in our own hearts, that it was only by the death of the Son of God that it could be paid for.

And it is indeed paid for. There are no more consequences or wrath reserved for us because Christ took it all upon Himself. All of it. For this reason ” there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” For those who are in Him. Yes, even those who you are having a hard time forgiving, if they are believers, their sin is covered. We have been shown a grace so wonderful and a love so transcendent, so beyond our understanding, that we will worship for all of eternity absolutely amazed that we actually were forgiven.

“But God, who is rich in mercy, because of his great love that he had for us, made us alive with Christ even though we were dead in trespasses. You are saved by grace!”
‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭2:4-5‬ ‭CSB‬‬‬‬‬‬

So pray, then go ahead and forgive that person. Don´t waste anymore time feeling bitter´and harboring such feelings. Your wounds will heal, and you will grow from this experience. Be “imitators of God,” by showing grace and being forgiving.

Along with Spurgeon, I too must often..

“..have to lie humbly at the foot of Christ’s cross & marvel that I am saved at all.”

If we are in Christ we are forgiven, completely, fully, perfectly. Therefore, one of the distinctive marks of being a Christian, is to forgive others, just as we too have been forgiven.

Written by Antonio Salgado Jr.

June 1, 2019February 12, 2024

Salgado DR Mission: Yeison’s story

With so much talk about abortion these days I have something I want to share since everyone seems to be putting their two cents forth. This is not a structured argument or anything, but it is part of our story.

Some of you who have supported or follwed thi sministry know about a special little boy named Yeison. Many of you know that, through an incredible series of events, the Lord opened the door for Yeison to come into our home when he was only three months old. Many of you know that he was born to a mother who is mentally handicapped and lives in very poor and difficult circumstances.

But here is something many may not know….

Our son is a product of rape. His mother was left alone and abused by an unknown man, and it was later discovered that she was pregnant. This was absolutely a tragic and horrific act, and if ever found, that wicked man should be brought to justice. Castrated even!

Yet, I thank God that abortion is not legal here in the Dominican Republic. At least not yet, although sadly it may be just a matter of time. Yeison’s biological mother is mentally about four or five and can never live by herself and will always need care, but she knows she has a child. She knows his name. She asks about him. She loves him. I am sure she remembers what happened to her, though she may not be able to process everything that happened during that traumatic experience. Even in her condition, you can see that she loves her son.

The question is, how is this Yeison’s fault?! If so, how?

Another thing that others may not know is that I had prayed for a few years for another child. Admittedly, at first I did not want to start over. Our children were getting older and I had my plans. And back then, I was dead set on them. But over time, the Lord changed my heart.

I prayed for a long time, and interestingly enough, during that same time God had me working in a very poor area for a few years when I shared the Gospel, taught Bible studies and preached often.

The Lord orchestrated things in such a way that He not only answered prayers, but He put me in a position to help Yeison, his mother and her caretaker. Yera (his biological mother) is in a much better situation today than the day we found her with baby Yeison, by God’s grace.

But the sad reality is that he probably would have died had not the Lord crossed our paths when He did. He suffered from malnutrition and was dehydrated when we found him. Yera’s mother was dying of cancer at the time and bed ridden, and Yera had no idea no how to care for Yeison. She couldn’t even care for herself.

But this got me thinking and it truly horrifies me to ponder, what would have happened if abortion were legal here?? Especially in a case like this with Yera’s condition and it being a rape?

I am almost certain that we would have one son less than we have today. It breaks my heart just to think about it. Even in cases of rape, like with our son, the child should never be the one to pay the price. It is never ok to murder a child in the womb, period. Every human being, be it inside the womb or out, at any stage of development from conception, has intrinsic value and created in the image of God. We simply have no right commit such atrocities regardless of how some may try to justify it.

Lord willing, Yeison could be the first one in his family to study and perhaps go to college. Or better yet, he may throw himself upon the mercy of Christ and be used mightily by the Lord someday. But this I do know, he is already bilingual and very bright. We love him SO very much and really could not imagine life without him today.

His siblings love him and always cared for him with such tenderness. He is no different to them at all. He has brought so much joy to our family, and God has taught us so much through him over the years. We are so very thankful that the Lord allowed Yeison to be born in a country where abortion still is not legal or, chances are, he would not be with us today. Just the thought makes my heart extremely heavy. Abortion is murder, be sure of it, and though we must be gracious when addressing the topic, Christians should work together to end it…. AND minister and give hope to those who may have had an abortion but now are feeling the deep loss and sorrow. There is forgiveness and there is healing for them.

When I see Yeison, I see myself. He really is a constant reminder of the Gospel for us. For when we were not God’s children, Christ came to rescue us and through Him, we can be ADOPTED into the family of God.

For me, apart from marriage, adoption is one of the most beautiful pictures of the Gospel. The Almighty Creator becomes our Abba Father. We go from lost enemies and rebels, to becoming co-heirs, privileged sons and daughters. This makes my heart rejoice and extremely grateful. And the only proper response to this is to worship passionately and live for Him. Praise God from who all blessings flow!

May we live and act in such a way that people can see the Gospel in all areas of our lives. God forbid, they only hear it in our words alone. Pray.

November 11, 2018November 13, 2018

Salgado DR Mission

Thank you to all of our friends, mission partners, and brothers and sisters in Christ for your ongoing prayers and support. This month I will briefly share some urgent prayer requests and share an article I wrote a couple of months ago from personal experience in the ministry which was originally written in Spanish, but due to some encouraging and positive feedback, I decided to translate it to share it here for everyone in English as well.

But first and foremost, Pray!

Our entire family has been under attack in every way imaginable. Our marriage, our children, the church, an all out war of the worst kind. Sadly, we feel at times that we are barely remaining afloat but desperatley desire the prayers of the saints back home. Please pray for us during this time of difficulty. We have been affected spiritually, emotionally, physically and it has been just all around draining. Enduring the storm is never easy, and we don’t recall a time it has grown to this intensity, but we know that the Lord walks with us through it. I ask that you please intercede specifically for each of us by name when you remember our family.

Antonio Salgado Jr, Christen Salgado, Trinity Salgado (although not present with us here), Maya Salgado, Antonio Salgado III, Sahira Lora, Yeison Rosario, and our nephew Dominic who is here spending a few months with us. May the Lord protect us, strengthen us, and teach us in this process for our own good and His ultimate glory. Pray brethren. Thank you and God bless.

The article begins below, and I pray some pastor or preacher out there may be encouraged by it. Also that some brother or sister out there would stop, think and come to a realization to show the love that they may be lacking in situations as the one presented. If the shoe fits…wear it.

“For it is said, “His letters are weighty and powerful, but his physical presence is weak and his public speaking amounts to nothing.””
‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭10:10‬ ‭CSB‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

The apostle Paul was an extremely intelligent man. To Him had been revealed the mysteries of God hidden to those generations before him. His letters and sermons were extremely deep and theologically weighty.

However, we see it had ironically been said about him, “his presence is weak and his public speaking amounts to nothing”. (really!?)

Even with the incredible amount of knowledge he had, by God’s grace of course, there were critics (and we all have them, especially preachers), that simply did not like his preaching or way of speaking. He would speak true and beautiful things, pure words from God, nothing unbiblical in any way. But perhaps he was not as eloquent as other preachers or even the philosophers of his day. You should remember this before we are so quick to judge your pastor, or any other preacher of the Word of God.

God has given us pastors and teachers as gifts to His church for our edification. At the same time, just like with the different human authors of the gospels, each of them have, (and each of us too) will have a unique way, due to our different characters, personalities, education, etc. of communicating the same truths. Some may just sound better than others, some may have more passion that others. Some are certainly more eloquent and academic or teacherly than others. Each one of them are their own individual persons as God created them. And its is quite probable that none of them may ever meet your own persoanl standard, please you in their way of thinking or philosophy of ministry, according to your personal preference, opinion, or tradition perfectly. (NONE of which ultimately matter anyway).

The question is , are they preaching the Scriptures or not? Do they love the Word, do they love the Lord, and do they love and care for His church?

They may or may not preach exactly to your preferred method, they may fail at times. We all have those days where we just preach a bad sermon, or miss a point of the text or a certain detail you thought should have been emphasized more in the text here and there.

But he question is, is the Lord using this man to grow and edify the church or not? This is not about if he will have his own weaknesses, struggles and even sins? Of course he will! Someone once said that even the best men are still just men at best.

Will they perhaps even have even a few different (hopefully secondary) theological views on certain things that you may understand differently in the Scriptures? Yes of course, and if you don’t see it now, eventually you will.

Almost always, there will be something you eventually will disagree with for sure. But guess what…its ok! Its good and well so long as they aren’t missing the mark on the fundamentals of the faith. Isn’t it time we show ourselves mature? There should always be unity in the main things, liberty on the secondary issues, but love in everything. And there is truly an amazing beauty in such a diversity.

We have examples in Scripture of men who preach or tell of histories correctly, but in slightly different ways or with some different details. Many men praised Apollos for his great eloquence, while others despised or at least had no appreciation for Paul. Some preachers today include some details and applications that others don’t. So what!

But again the question is, “are they preaching the Word in such a way that what they are saying can be seen and understood from the text, and is the congregation being edified and benefitted from the teaching/ preaching!?”

Are people in the church joyful and expressing so after the preaching, as God has spoken and taught them something new through His living Word that they now understand that something should change in their life? Are giving thanks to God for those same sermons that others despise and judge?!

Just look at the men that God has used greatly in the past and compare their sermons. Charles Spurgeon, Jonathan Edwards, Whitfield, Pink, Tozer, Piper, MacArthur, etc. Everyone preaches the Word, and most with excellence! Some with different methods, some with more passion. Not only in the communication of the message, but also in the way of organizing it.

But it is beautiful how God, through different men and in different ways, always does His will through His Spirit to speak through a man and edify His people. Anyone familiar with Spurgeon’s sermons could attest that many times they sounded more like poetry than anything else.

When we cry out to everyone that we all must cling to only ONE single method, and in our useless way, try to limit the Holy Spirit of God by saying that only in SUCH a way should a sermon be delivered, and if it is not, then people will not be edified, we are showing nothing more than a deep pride in our hearts and very much immaturity. (And this is coming from a person who is an avid promoter of good, sound exegesis and expository preaching.)

Now, THE most important thing in any message of any preacher is that God is being glorified and Christ is being lifted up, … but also brothers, there is much wisdom in the following verse. Dont miss it…

“Now, brothers and sisters, I have applied these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, so that you may learn from us the meaning of the saying: “Nothing beyond what is written.” The purpose is that none of you will be arrogant, favoring one person over another.”
‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭4:6‬ ‭CSB‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

It is true that there are better and more accurate methods of preaching than others. There are ways to preach more effectively academically than others, but when we place ourselves as the judge of these things, (especially when it comes from those who are not pastors), we do not know the inner struggles of each man, or when we are not appreciating the time and effort that man dedicated to be able to preach that message to the best of his ability at that moment, the time spent in prayer and mediating on the text….. we are doing just what the Word forbids. Just being a discontent hater and, murmuring…

“Do everything without grumbling and arguing,”
‭‭Philippians‬ ‭2:14‬ ‭CSB‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬
(For my theologians out there- yes I understand the immediate context of this text, however this can easily be applied to every aspect of the Christian life)

Oh how easy it is to judge another man instead of loving him and receiving the much good of the message that was preached! Mature people eat the meat and spit out the bones. But sadly, it seems that for many it is far too easy for them to desire another church, another pastor, or a better specific method of preaching, INSTEAD of loving and serving the church they have, loving and helping the pastor they have, and looking for the good in what was preached instead of judging with arms crossed as the expert that most certainly are not. There seems to be at least one in every crowd these days. Especially moreso among certain circles that shall not be named. That overly critical spirit is one of the ugliest personality traits a child of God can show, ESPECIALLY when its towards another brother or sister in Christ.

Let us be very careful as to how we treat our spiritual family. Philippians 2 teaches us that the humility of Christ is what brings unity in His church. And the lack of humility in any member of the church for any reason, will only bring division and the opposite of what Christ wants from us.
Pray.

“Above all, maintain constant love for one another, since love covers a multitude of sins.”
‭‭1 Peter‬ ‭4:8‬ ‭‬‬‬‬

“A fool does not delight in understanding, but only wants to show off his opinions.”
‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭18:2‬ ‭

“The one who has knowledge restrains his words, and one who keeps a cool head is a person of understanding.”
‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭17:27‬ ‭

The Actual Mission of “Missions”

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MISIONES BÍBLICAS Y LA RELEVANCIA DE CARL F. H. HENRY

SCOTT MOREAU. Mission and missions. ED A. SCOTT MOREAU. Evangelical dictionary of world missions. Grand Rapids. Baker Academic, 2000.

CHRISTOPHER R. LITTLE. The case for prioritism. SCHEUEREMANN, ROCHELLE and CATHCART. Controversies in mission: theology, people, and practice of mission in the 21st century. Pasadena. Scheuermann, Rochelle and Cathart, 2016. Loc 671-672. ISBN: 978-0-87808-892-8

CHRISTOPHER R. LITTLE. The case for prioritism. SCHEUEREMANN, ROCHELLE and CATHCART. Controversies in mission: theology, people, and practice of mission in the 21st century. Pasadena. Scheuermann, Rochelle and Cathart, 2016. Loc 643. ISBN: 978-0-87808-892-8

CHRISTOPHER R. LITTLE. The case for prioritism. SCHEUEREMANN, ROCHELLE and CATHCART. Controversies in mission: theology, people, and practice of mission in the 21st century. Pasadena. Scheuermann, Rochelle and Cathart, 2016. Loc 1112. ISBN: 978-0-87808-892-8

CHRISTOPHER R. LITTLE. The case for prioritism SCHEUEREMANN, ROCHELLE and CATHCART. Controversies in mission: theology, people, and practice of mission in the 21st century. Pasadena. Scheuermann, Rochelle and Cathart, 2016. Loc 684. ISBN: 978-0-87808-892-8

Wikipedia. Disponible en https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carl_F._H._Henry

JERRY M. IRELAND. Concern and the promise of an evangelical consensus. SCHEUEREMANN, ROCHELLE and CATHCART. Controversies in mission: theology, people, and practice of mission in the 21st century. Pasadena. Scheuermann, Rochelle and Cathart, 2016. Loc 1129-1130. ISBN: 978-0-87808-892-8

JERRY M. IRELAND. Concern and the promise of an evangelical consensus. SCHEUEREMANN, ROCHELLE and CATHCART. Controversies in mission: theology, people, and practice of mission in the 21st century. Pasadena. Scheuermann, Rochelle and Cathart, 2016. Loc 1134. ISBN: 978-0-87808-892-8

JERRY M. IRELAND. Concern and the promise of an evangelical consensus. SCHEUEREMANN, ROCHELLE and CATHCART. Controversies in mission: theology, people, and practice of mission in the 21st century. Pasadena. Scheuermann, Rochelle and Cathart, 2016. Loc 1380. ISBN: 978-0-87808-892-8

JERRY M. IRELAND. Concern and the promise of an evangelical consensus. SCHEUEREMANN, ROCHELLE and CATHCART. Controversies in mission: theology, people, and practice of mission in the 21st century. Pasadena. Scheuermann, Rochelle and Cathart, 2016. Loc 1134. ISBN: 978-0-87808-892-8

TOMMORROW’S WORLD. How “Christianity” changed the world. Disponible en https://www.tomorrowsworld.org/magazines/2016/november-december/how-christianity-changed-the-world

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BIBLICAL HOLISTIC MISSIONS

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