Paul's Missionary Methods: In His Time and Ours

by Robert L. Plummer (Editor), John Mark Terry (Editor), Eckhard J. Schnabel (Contributor)

What does Paul's missions strategy mean for today? A century ago Roland Allen published Missionary Saint Paul's or Ours? , a missiological classic which tackled many important issues, including what biblically rooted missions looks like in light of the apostle Paul's evangelistic efforts. Although Allen's work is still valuable, new understandings have been gained regarding Paul's milieu and missionary activity, and how his practices ought to inform missions in our ever-changing world. Using the centennial anniversary of Allen's work as a springboard for celebration and reflection, the contributors to Paul's Missionary Methods have revisited Paul's first-century missionary methods and their applicability today. This book examines Paul's missionary efforts in two parts. First Paul is examined in his first-century what was his environment, missions strategy and teaching on particular issues? The second part addresses the implications of Paul's example for missions is Paul's model still relevant, and if so, what would it look like in modern contexts? Experts in New Testament studies and missiology contribute fresh, key insights from their fields, analyzing Paul's missionary methods in his time and pointing the way forward in ours. Contributors include

Genres: Biblical Studies, Theology

253 pages, Paperback

First published November 19, 2012

About the author

Robert L. Plummer, Ph.D., is Professor of New Testament Interpretation at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Louisville, Ky. Dr. Plummer is the author or editor of several books, including '40 Questions About Interpreting the Bible' (Kregel, 2010). Dr. Plummer is an elder at Sojourn Community Church (East Campus), Louisville, Ky. He has served on mission assignments in China, India, Malaysia, Ghana, Israel, Turkey, and Trinidad. He and his wife Chandi have three daughters. During his spare time, Dr. Plummer enjoys running mini-marathons and drinking hot tea.

Reviews

[Seth Mcdevitt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great resource.

This book is an essential primer on missionary method. I was at a disadvantage because I have not already read Roland Allen's book, but this is good as a stand alone. I am confident that I am thoroughly prepared for that classic. And I desire to read it soon. I will definitely make use of this book whenever I teach on missions in my church. It is an indispensable missions resource.

[Daniel Kleven · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book on Paul, missions, and Roland Allen. Particularly good chapters were “Paul the Missionary” by Eckhard Schnabel, “Paul’s Theology of Suffering” by Don Howell Jr., “ Paul and Spiritual Warfare” by Craig Keener, and “Paul and Church Planting” by Ed Stetzer with Lizette Beard.

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Missional Apostle: a book review
When Robert Plummer and John Mark Terry started gathering contributors for Paul’s Missionary Methods: In His Time and Ours, two figures loomed large in their collective imagination. The first was Paul of Tarsus whose mission and writings helped shape the early Christian movement. The other figure was Roland Allen, the 20th Century Anglican missionary to China. One Hundred years ago Allen wrote Missionary Methods: St. Paul’s or Ours? (1912). Allen had been a missionary to China and critiqued the missionary culture of his day for being too closely linked to imperialism. From a fresh reading of Paul’s mission, Allen emphasized church planting, indigenous leadership of national churches, and reliance on the Holy Spirit.


Paul’s Missionary Methods: In His Time and Ours edited by Robert L. Plummer & John Mark Terry
Published on the centennial of Allen’s original publication, Paul’s Missionary Methods: In His Time and Ours provides a detailed reading of Paul’s Missionary activity and build on Allen’s insights for a contemporary context. While various contributors critique Allen’s work in several respects, generally they all see Allen’s book as justly influential and seek to carry some of his emphases forward.

The book divides into two sections: part one focuses on Paul’s message while part two focuses on the implications of Paul’s mission for today. These sections were written by two complementary sets of scholars. Part one is written by Biblical scholars; part two is composed by missiologists, church planters and practitioners. Thus while each author tries to suggest what the implications of their topic are for today, the second section is more practical and the first section remains more theological.

In Part 1, Michael Bird sketches the cultural and historic milieu of Paul’s mission, placing it in context. Eckhard Schnabel examines what we know of Paul’s missionary journeys. Robert Plummer discusses the nature of Pauls gospel (especially in reference to 1 Cor. 15:1-8). Benjamin Merkle ‘s and Christoph Stenschke‘s chapters explore Paul’s ecclesiology and the nature of his mission for the life of the church. Don Howell explores Paul’s theology of suffering while Craig Keener looks at Paul’s understanding of Spiritual warfare. Each of these authors presents their topic in conversation with Allen’s work.

In Part 2, David Hesselgrave and Michael Pocock flesh out Paul’s missional strategy and discuss its value for today, John Mark Terry explore Allen’s reading of Paul’s mission and the implications for the indigenous church, Ed Stetzer and Lizette Beard write about Paul’s emphasis on church planting. M. David Sills discusses contextualization and Chuck Lawless explores Paul’s ongoing emphasis on leadership development in the churches he planted.

Finally J.D. Payne has a postscript on the legacy of Allen’s work and its abiding influence 100 years after its original publication.

This collection of essays provides a good introduction to Roland Allen and his influence on missiology. Aspects of Allen’s work are critiqued in these pages (see especially Hesselgrave’s chapter), but each of the authors displays deep admiration for Allen and follow his summons to conduct missions in the Spirit of Paul’s mission.

As with all multi-author works, some essays are stronger than others and there is a certain amount of topical overlap between chapters. However each chapter stands on its own merit. Too much of the modern missional literature is rootless and lacks Biblical grounding. These authors (and Roland Allen) call us to see Paul’s mission as integral to proper missional theology and praxis. I am inclined to think they are right and would recommend this book to a broad range of pastors, church planters.

Thank you to IVP for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for my fair and honest review.

[Craig Hurst · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just over 100 years ago Roland Allen wrote Missionary Methods: St. Paul’s or Ours? which became one of the most influential books on missions that is still available today. As is the custom for many classic works Robert Plummer and John Mark Terry have compiled a team of contributors who have been greatly influenced by Allen’s work to write a tribute. Paul’s Missionary Methods: His Time and Ours has contributions from authors like Michael Bird, Eckhard Schnabel, Craig Keener and Ed Stetzer. As quoted in the book, Leslie Newbigin said of Allen’s work when he wrote the foreword for its American edition in 1962,

I have thought it right to enter these words of caution, because the reader should be warned that he is embarking on a serious undertaking. Once he has started reading Allen, he will be compelled to go on. He will find that this quiet voice has a strange relevant and immediacy to the problems of the Church in our day. And I shall be surprised if he does not find before long that any of his accustomed ideas are being questioned by a voice more searching than the word of man. (p. 241-42)

The book has two parts. Part one looks at Paul in the New Testament as the contributors seek to extrapolate parts of Paul’s missiology in regards to areas like him as a missionary, as a suffering missionary, his ecclesiology and the mission of the church. Some notable chapters as as follows. Michael Bird lays out the religious and historical context in which Paul did his missionary work. Eckhard Schnabel looks at the person of Paul namely his calling and role as apostle while also briefly sketching out the order of his missionary travels. Robert Plummer looks at the contribution to our understanding of the gospel that Paul makes. Benjamin Merkle sketches Paul’s ecclesiology taking a credo interpretation of baptism and the Lord’s Supper and a plurality of elders approach to church leadership. Don Howell Jr. provides a great analysis of the role of suffering in Paul’s life as it relates to his missionary ministry.

The second part of the books deals with Paul’s influence on missions. It is the second part of the book that the contributors begin to interact with Allen’s original work. By in large the authors express great agreement with Allen’s assessment of Paul’s missiology with only a few differences here and there. In chapter nine Michael Pocock seeks to answer the question of whether or nor Paul’s missionary methods/strategies are determinative for today. Chapters eleven and twelve deal with Paul and church planting and the accompanying are of contextualization.

All in all this is a great book. I have not personally read Allen’s original work but I suspect I will have to some day soon. For now, Paul’s Missionary Methods is a great primer on the missiology of Paul as well as the thoughts of Paul the missionary by the great missiologist Roland Allen. Here is an introduction to the missiology of two great missionaries: Paul the apostle and Roland Allen the great missionary to China.

NOTE: I received this book for free from Baker Academic in exchange for an honest review. The words and thoughts expressed are my own.

[Shane Goodyear · Rating 4 out of 5]

Introduction
Paul’s principles of mission are for all time, even if circumstances are diffrent
No perceived plan of campaign
Went where the spirit led
Sought for open doors
Centres most suitable for gathering converts and propagation of the faith
Aimed deftly of converting men and women to faith in Jesus Christ
Planted churches that rapidly became self supporting and self governing
Not to compel them to obey the law, but to compel them to obey the inner working of the H.S

We have made converts for a long time go through a long process of training before they can stand on their own two feet (p4)

Paul planted churches- and he did not leave a church until it was fully equipped with orders of ministry, sacraments and traditions (P6)

Foreign systems of church organisation (P7)

Unhesitating faith in the power of the H.S to apply gospel priciples to his hearers, and to work out their appropriate external expressions in them (P8)

Strategic points

Term work: is used in a general sense of the objects of their journey rather than any defined sphere of action (P16)

Did not plan his missionary work- but guided by some principles in selection of mission stations (17)
Establishing of a church in a province, rather than a city, village or town he preached in (17)

[Phil Chapman · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was between two and three stars on this book. I dont have the book with me so I cant write a review the way i would really want to, but in short I wasnt really impressed by this book.

There was nothing new or challenging in the book. My favorite part was the part where an author talks about what paul expected from the churches with regards to evangelism including (but not precisely), ethical living, apologetic witness, apologetic speech, and public worship.

I was very displeased with the way all of the authors seemed to have the mentality of protecting their doctrine and protecting their view and defense of both protestant christianity and missions.

many of the authors wrote in a style that did not make for exciting reading.

Roland Allen seems worth looking into.

[Brian LePort · Rating 2 out of 5]

Some good insights.