Encountering Theology of Mission Quotes

“The highest motive must remain rooted in the person of God himself: his love for the world, his redemptive work in Christ, and his promise that all nations will hear and that his glory will fill the earth.”
― Craig Ott, Encountering Theology of Mission (Encountering Mission): Biblical Foundations, Historical Developments, and Contemporary Issues

“Humanization and liberation understandings have taken seriously the plight of the poor, oppressed, and marginalized. Approaches to mission that declare simplistic spiritual answers for all humanity’s problems without also addressing the sociopolitical roots of those problems are neither credible nor in the spirit of the gospel. God’s concern for the plight of the poor and disenfranchised is well attested in the Old Testament, in the life of Jesus, and in the early church. “The righteous care about justice for the poor, but the wicked have no such concern” (Prov. 29:7). The question is not whether the church should be concerned about the poor and the economic systems that contribute to poverty and oppression; rather, the question is how such issues should be addressed and how such concerns relate to the overall task of missions.”
― Craig Ott, Encountering Theology of Mission (Encountering Mission): Biblical Foundations, Historical Developments, and Contemporary Issues

“The church does not determine its mission; rather, God’s mission determines the church. In an ultimate sense the church does not do mission; rather, the church is taken up by and participates in God’s mission.”
― Craig Ott, Encountering Theology of Mission (Encountering Mission): Biblical Foundations, Historical Developments, and Contemporary Issues

“According to the original advocates of the concept, the church is to be understood not as an organization with a mission; rather, the church’s very identity is mission. Mission and church are merged into one. The church is not primarily a sender; rather, the church itself is the sent one, and it is sent on a mission that is larger than itself.”
― Craig Ott, Encountering Theology of Mission (Encountering Mission): Biblical Foundations, Historical Developments, and Contemporary Issues

“God’s kingdom is characterized as that place where Christ is acknowledged as Lord, the reign of God transforms all aspects of life, and the powers of evil are defeated. “The proclamation of the Gospel is thus the proclamation of the Lordship of Christ among the nations”; therefore, “mission is the summons of the Lordship of Christ” (Blauw 1962, 84).”
― Craig Ott, Encountering Theology of Mission (Encountering Mission): Biblical Foundations, Historical Developments, and Contemporary Issues

“Paul goes on to say in Romans 10:15 that people who proclaim the message have “beautiful feet.” Paul is quoting Isaiah 52:7, where God promised the captive Israelites that he would return them to their land. When someone brings this good news to the depressed captives, he will be welcomed with great joy because he brings news of deliverance from captivity. In the same way, Paul says, when anyone brings the news of eternal salvation through Jesus Christ, his coming is “beautiful” for those who receive the message. They will greatly appreciate his coming because he has brought them the message that will save them. Missions is not only the most urgent task facing believers; it is also each believer’s greatest joy and privilege.”
― Craig Ott, Encountering Theology of Mission (Encountering Mission): Biblical Foundations, Historical Developments, and Contemporary Issues

“The true scandal of mission is not that evangelicals believe that Jesus is the only way of salvation but that many who claim to believe this are doing little or nothing to spread the gospel to lost people around the world. Paul’s passion to preach the gospel controlled his life (Rom. 9:1–4; 10:1; 15:18–21). If we have no reason to believe that any individual will spend eternity with God unless that person puts his or her faith in Christ, then mission becomes the most urgent task of the church and of every individual believer.”
― Craig Ott, Encountering Theology of Mission (Encountering Mission): Biblical Foundations, Historical Developments, and Contemporary Issues

“It seems incredible that those in hell would choose to continue in their sin and remain there in rebellion against God. But “what the damned want is to be happy on their own terms. However, that is impossible. The only possible way we can be truly happy is on God’s terms. So the damned choose what they can have on their own terms, namely, a distorted sense of satisfaction that is a perverted mirror image of the real thing” (J. L. Walls 2003, 121–22).”
― Craig Ott, Encountering Theology of Mission (Encountering Mission): Biblical Foundations, Historical Developments, and Contemporary Issues

“The main message of the book is that Jesus is superior to all other spiritual powers and any other religious person or system. He is superior in who he is and in the salvation he provides. He is the best revelation of God (1:1–4), superior to all angelic and spirit powers (1:5–14), the one who defeated Satan and freed humanity from its fear of death (2:14–15), superior to Moses (3:1–6), and the best priest (4:14–5:10; 7:23–28). Jesus has established a better covenant (7:22; 8:6–13) with a better sacrifice for sin, his own blood (9:11–14, 23–28; 10:5–18). Because Jesus is absolutely superior, no ground exists for pursuing any other person or religious system. The only acceptable response to Jesus and his work is to steadfastly follow him and hold to him and his salvation (2:1; 3:12–14; 4:14; 6:9–12; 10:19–23, 35–36, 39; 12:1–2, 15; 13:11–15).”
― Craig Ott, Encountering Theology of Mission (Encountering Mission): Biblical Foundations, Historical Developments, and Contemporary Issues

“Put simply, the match cannot be engaged if the players remain in the safety of the locker room. The creeds of historic Christianity are not bunkers behind which we hide; they are the basis for a global proclamation.”
― Craig Ott, Encountering Theology of Mission (Encountering Mission): Biblical Foundations, Historical Developments, and Contemporary Issues

“RESOURCES FOR LEARNING FROM BELIEVERS IN MANY GLOBAL CONTEXTS • Africa Bible Commentary (Adeyemo 2006) • Global Dictionary of Theology: A Resource for the Worldwide Church (Dyrness and Kärkkäinen 2008) • God’s Global Mosaic: What We Can Learn from Christians around the World (Chandler 2000) • Learning about Theology from the Third World (Dyrness 1991) • Theology in the Context of World Christianity (Tennent 2007)”
― Craig Ott, Encountering Theology of Mission (Encountering Mission): Biblical Foundations, Historical Developments, and Contemporary Issues

“The process begins both with the text of scripture and with the context. As obedient believers read scripture, they will reflect on how it relates to their lives and will seek to obey what they have learned. As they begin to live out the reality of the Bible in their context, they will gain even deeper insight into the texts they have read. At the same time, seeking to live obediently to scripture will continually raise further issues and questions that demand biblical answers. That, in turn, will drive them back to scripture to seek answers. “Our understanding of Scripture is conditioned by our environment and shaped by our obedience. . . . Practice, then, inevitably has epistemological significance” (Dyrness 1991, 117).”
― Craig Ott, Encountering Theology of Mission (Encountering Mission): Biblical Foundations, Historical Developments, and Contemporary Issues

“Of course, it is not wrong to use the resources that God has provided. But a clear indication of the core trust of an individual or church is their prayer life. If we are praying about something, we are ultimately dependent on God for it. If we are not praying about something, we are ultimately depending on some other resource.”
― Craig Ott, Encountering Theology of Mission (Encountering Mission): Biblical Foundations, Historical Developments, and Contemporary Issues

“Life is war. That’s not all it is. But it is always that. Our weakness in prayer is owing largely to our neglect of this truth. Prayer is primarily a wartime walkie-talkie for the mission of the church as it advances against the powers of darkness and unbelief. It is not surprising that prayer malfunctions when we try to make it a domestic intercom to call upstairs for more comforts in the den. . . . Prayer gives us the significance of frontline forces, and gives God the glory of a limitless Provider. John Piper (1993, 41)”
― Craig Ott, Encountering Theology of Mission (Encountering Mission): Biblical Foundations, Historical Developments, and Contemporary Issues

“Though we dare not limit the Spirit’s ministry to demonstrably supernatural works of God, the Spirit’s power is necessary for every aspect of missionary work. Without the Spirit’s ministry, preaching and teaching will be lifeless. Ministry to human need will become a troublesome duty instead of a display of love and compassion, for the love of God is poured into our hearts by the Spirit (Rom. 5:5). The deprivations and difficulties of missionary life will become burdens to be borne instead of opportunities to see God work. Every phase of missionary work must be done in dependence on the Holy Spirit, infused with the Spirit’s power.”
― Craig Ott, Encountering Theology of Mission (Encountering Mission): Biblical Foundations, Historical Developments, and Contemporary Issues

“J. Hudson Taylor, founder of the China Inland Mission, preached these words in 1865 to a large audience in Perth, Scotland, pleading for missionaries to be sent to China. Do you believe that each unit of these millions has an immortal soul, and that there is “none other name under heaven given among men” save the precious name of Jesus “whereby we must be saved”? Do you believe that He and He alone is “the way, the truth, and the life,” and that “no man commeth unto the Father” but by Him? If so, think of the condition of these unsaved souls, and examine yourself in the sight of God to see whether you are doing your utmost to make Him known to them or not. It will not do to say that you have no special call to go to China. With these facts before you, you need rather to ascertain whether you have a special call to stay at home. If you cannot in the sight of God say you are sure that you have a special call to stay at home, why are you disobeying the Saviour’s plain command to go? Why are you refusing to come to the help of the Lord against the mighty? . . . Before the next Perth conference twelve millions more, in China, will have passed for ever beyond our reach. What are we doing to bring them the tidings of Redeeming Love? (from Taylor and Taylor 1965, 167)”
― Craig Ott, Encountering Theology of Mission (Encountering Mission): Biblical Foundations, Historical Developments, and Contemporary Issues

“mission minded” (it is their “thing”), but others are not. Missions is another line item on the church budget, the short-term mission trip another date on the church calendar. Missionary service is described in terms of a choice for those with a particular interest. Such thinking is entirely inconsistent with the explicit divine mandate emanating from the very lips of Jesus in his parting words to his followers. Obedience may not be the noblest of motives, but it does call the whole church to account as stewards of the gospel with unmistakable marching orders from its Lord.”
― Craig Ott, Encountering Theology of Mission (Encountering Mission): Biblical Foundations, Historical Developments, and Contemporary Issues

“David J. Bosch describes it, Compassion and solidarity had been replaced by pity and condescension. In most of the hymns, magazines, and books of the early nineteenth century, heathen life was painted in the darkest colors, as a life of permanent unrest and unhappiness, as life in the shackles of terrible sins. . . . The pagans’ pitiable state became the dominant motive for mission, not the conviction that they were objects of the love of Christ. (1991, 290)”
― Craig Ott, Encountering Theology of Mission (Encountering Mission): Biblical Foundations, Historical Developments, and Contemporary Issues

“Many short- and long-term missionaries view host cultures with condescension. They confuse Western culture with Christian values; promote (intentionally or unintentionally) a materialistic worldview, individualism, and competitiveness; and tenaciously defend policies of their country of origin.”
― Craig Ott, Encountering Theology of Mission (Encountering Mission): Biblical Foundations, Historical Developments, and Contemporary Issues

“Great Commandment calls the church to love God and as an outworking of this to love neighbor—the two cannot be separated (Matt. 22:37–39; 1 John 4:20). Love is the mark of discipleship (John 13:35). Love is the fulfillment of the law of God (Rom. 13:10; Gal. 5:14). Love reflects the very character of God (1 John 4:8). Kingdom communities are characterized by loving relationships evidenced in tangible ways, beginning with the family of God and moving out to others, including enemies (Matt. 5:43–48; Rom. 12:9–21; Gal. 6:10).”
― Craig Ott, Encountering Theology of Mission (Encountering Mission): Biblical Foundations, Historical Developments, and Contemporary Issues

“To summarize, we affirm an incarnational model of mission understood as humble self-renunciation for the sake of others whereby the life and love of Christ become manifest to others. Mission in the spirit of Christ is an undertaking of selfless love, a surrender of rights and privileges, in order to serve and identify with others for the sake of the gospel. Incarnational mission profoundly defines the character of mission, which in turn impacts our understanding, our method, and our commitment in mission.”
― Craig Ott, Encountering Theology of Mission (Encountering Mission): Biblical Foundations, Historical Developments, and Contemporary Issues

“Jonathan Edwards saw God’s work of redemption as his greatest and most glorious work, for which all other works exist. “Church participation in the work of redemption is the most glorious of all the works of the Church. For in that participation, the work of redemption is completed, and that work perfected which brings the most glory to God” (Chaney 1976, 225). “For the glory of God and His kingdom!” was the slogan of the late eighteenth-century Dutch pioneer missionary Johannes Theodorus Van der Kemp (Enklaar 1978, 284).”
― Craig Ott, Encountering Theology of Mission (Encountering Mission): Biblical Foundations, Historical Developments, and Contemporary Issues

“Because Paul couches his mission in terms of priestly ministry and offering, mission to the nations itself is raised to an act of worship.2 Mission is more than an obligation of obedience. What greater gift of worship, what more profound offering can the believer lift up to God than those who once were far away but have been brought near, sanctified by the blood of the Lamb (Eph. 2:13), and have become his worshippers also!”
― Craig Ott, Encountering Theology of Mission (Encountering Mission): Biblical Foundations, Historical Developments, and Contemporary Issues

“Mission anticipating the fullness of the kingdom will be a mission of power, not of human, coercive power, but of spiritual power. The book of Acts makes evident that apart from the Spirit, the disciples would probably never have moved outside Jerusalem, gone to the Gentiles, accepted Gentile believers, nor convinced any hearers.”
― Craig Ott, Encountering Theology of Mission (Encountering Mission): Biblical Foundations, Historical Developments, and Contemporary Issues

“Thus the joyful-earnest task falls to Christ’s followers to take up where he left off in his earthly ministry, to become his agents of forgiveness and kingdom transformation in the power of the Spirit. Such an understanding of the missionary mandate must at once fill us with deep wonder, evoke a sense of great privilege, and convey a burning urgency.”
― Craig Ott, Encountering Theology of Mission (Encountering Mission): Biblical Foundations, Historical Developments, and Contemporary Issues

“The same Jesus to whom all authority is given promises to accompany the disciples on this daunting mission—they neither go on their own authority, nor do they go alone. One can hardly overlook the comprehensiveness of Matthew’s formulation: all authority, all nations, all that Jesus commanded, who is always with them.”
― Craig Ott, Encountering Theology of Mission (Encountering Mission): Biblical Foundations, Historical Developments, and Contemporary Issues