Ok, i just wanted to share with yall some things that have been running through my mind, so please take the time to read, pray, comment, and apply what the Lord leads you to do in your own ministry.
Matt 10:5 These twelve Jesus sent out, instructing them, “Go nowhere among the Gentiles and enter no town of the Samaritans, 6 but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 7 And proclaim as you go, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ 8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons. You received without paying; give without pay. 9 Acquire no gold nor silver nor copper for your belts, 10 no bag for your journey, nor two tunics nor sandals nor a staff, for the laborer deserves his food. 11 And whatever town or village you enter, find out who is worthy in it and stay there until you depart. 12 As you enter the house, greet it. 13 And if the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it, but if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you. 14 And if anyone will not receive you or listen to your words, shake off the dust from your feet when you leave that house or town. 15 Truly, I say to you, it will be more bearable on the day of judgment for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah than for that town.
Luke 10:1 After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them on ahead of him, two by two, into every town and place where he himself was about to go. 2 And he said to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. 3 Go your way; behold, I am sending you out as lambs in the midst of wolves. 4 Carry no moneybag, no knapsack, no sandals, and greet no one on the road. 5 Whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace be to this house!’ 6 And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest upon him. But if not, it will return to you. 7 And remain in the same house, eating and drinking what they provide, for the laborer deserves his wages. Do not go from house to house. 8 Whenever you enter a town and they receive you, eat what is set before you. 9 Heal the sick in it and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’ 10 But whenever you enter a town and they do not receive you, go into its streets and say, 11 ‘Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet we wipe off against you. Nevertheless know this, that the kingdom of God has come near.’ 12 I tell you, it will be more bearable on that day for Sodom than for that town.
In these two stories, Jesus instructs the disciple specifically how to do missions. I try to follow this pattern, staying with men of peace in communities i stay in, not going door-to-door, and working with them in order to eat. I have struggled with the first part though, about not taking my money, bag, and knapsack. I take my backpack, changes of clothes, and shoes wherever i go. I tell myself, “That was then. This is now. I need shoes!” But, is this a right attitude? And, why shouldn’t i greet those on the road, on the way to the community? What does that mean?
Now, perhaps i can confide in the fact that "bag" can be translated "beggar's bag," which makes me think that in light of the statement, "A laborer deserves his wages," that Jesus was telling them, "Don’t use your own money and don’t beg for money, but work for your food and privilege to stay." I noticed during this recent trip, as we stayed with a family using this model of staying in a home and working with them to receive food that they were getting slack on the meals. They'd eat in secret and not invite us to eat when the food was not plentiful. We'd worked with them all that they desired and still were not being fed. We were close to the town of Intuto, so i started just walking to town and buying meals at restaurants. The family new what i was doing and for the last couple of weeks, this was normal. I realized they were expecting me to buy my own dinner and use my own money so they just quit trying to provide food all together. I was convicted for not following this model Jesus gave. Drew and i committed to go the last few days without buying our own food and the Lord provided for us each time with food from this family and others who wanted us to eat their food. Amazing what happens when you trust God! So should we follow this model to a T in missions if we really want to be Biblical?
Luke 22:35 And he said to them, “When I sent you out with no moneybag or knapsack or sandals, did you lack anything?” They said, “Nothing.” 36 He said to them, “But now let the one who has a moneybag take it, and likewise a knapsack. And let the one who has no sword sell his cloak and buy one. 37 For I tell you that this Scripture must be fulfilled in me: ‘And he was numbered with the transgressors.’ For what is written about me has its fulfillment.” 38 And they said, “Look, Lord, here are two swords.” And he said to them, “It is enough.”
Here Jesus turns the tables, and i don't know why. What the heck do yall think? Perhaps Jesus is making an exception to the guidelines He’s already laid down.
On to some other examples of missions support in Scripture…
1 Thes 2:9 For you remember, brothers, our labor and toil: we worked night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you, while we proclaimed to you the gospel of God.
2 Thes 3:7 For you yourselves know how you ought to imitate us, because we were not idle when we were with you, 8 nor did we eat anyone's bread without paying for it, but with toil and labor we worked night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you. 9 It was not because we do not have that right, but to give you in ourselves an example to imitate. 10 For even when we were with you, we would give you this command: If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat.
1 Cor 4:12 and we labor, working with our own hands. When reviled, we bless; when persecuted, we endure;
1 Cor 9:1 Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are not you my workmanship in the Lord? 2 If to others I am not an apostle, at least I am to you, for you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord.
3 This is my defense to those who would examine me. 4 Do we not have the right to eat and drink? 5 Do we not have the right to take along a believing wife, as do the other apostles and the brothers of the Lord and Cephas? 6 Or is it only Barnabas and I who have no right to refrain from working for a living? 7 Who serves as a soldier at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard without eating any of its fruit? Or who tends a flock without getting some of the milk?
8 Do I say these things on human authority? Does not the Law say the same? 9 For it is written in the Law of Moses, “You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain.” Is it for oxen that God is concerned? 10 Does he not speak entirely for our sake? It was written for our sake, because the plowman should plow in hope and the thresher thresh in hope of sharing in the crop. 11 If we have sown spiritual things among you, is it too much if we reap material things from you? 12 If others share this rightful claim on you, do not we even more?
Nevertheless, we have not made use of this right, but we endure anything rather than put an obstacle in the way of the gospel of Christ. 13 Do you not know that those who are employed in the temple service get their food from the temple, and those who serve at the altar share in the sacrificial offerings? 14 In the same way, the Lord commanded that those who proclaim the gospel should get their living by the gospel.
15 But I have made no use of any of these rights, nor am I writing these things to secure any such provision. For I would rather die than have anyone deprive me of my ground for boasting. 16 For if I preach the gospel, that gives me no ground for boasting. For necessity is laid upon me. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel! 17 For if I do this of my own will, I have a reward, but if not of my own will, I am still entrusted with a stewardship. 18 What then is my reward? That in my preaching I may present the gospel free of charge, so as not to make full use of my right in the gospel.
Acts 20:33 I coveted no one's silver or gold or apparel. 34 You yourselves know that these hands ministered to my necessities and to those who were with me. 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.’”
These are a few examples of Paul's of ministry support (which he commends the church of Thessalonica to follow) where he works with his own hands to provide for his own needs on the field. I forget where, but i recalled reading he was a tent maker in Scripture. He works night and day so that he will not be a burden to the churches. In 1 Cor he was giving a description of "apostles" (ie. sent out ones, perhaps the Biblical term for "missionaries") and said they work with their hands. He goes on in the letter to describe his right to the support from the churches he's planted, but doesn't take advantage of it so that others may know he is not in this for the money. Should we then in return follow the instructions of Christ and the example of Paul by working for our own support while we are on the mission field? Is a mission trip where i receive a pay check, therefore, unbiblical?
This is not to say that we should not receive some donated finances from the rest of the Church. Here are some other examples of Paul’s support in Scripture…
Rom 15:24 I hope to see you in passing as I go to Spain, and to be helped on my journey there by you, once I have enjoyed your company for a while.
2 Cor 11:7 Or did I commit a sin in humbling myself so that you might be exalted, because I preached God's gospel to you free of charge? 8 I robbed other churches by accepting support from them in order to serve you. 9 And when I was with you and was in need, I did not burden anyone, for the brothers who came from Macedonia supplied my need. So I refrained and will refrain from burdening you in any way.
Phil 4: 15 And you Philippians yourselves know that in the beginning of the gospel, when I left Macedonia, no church entered into partnership with me in giving and receiving, except you only. 16 Even in Thessalonica you sent me help for my needs once and again. 17 Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that increases to your credit. 18 I have received full payment, and more. I am well supplied, having received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent, a fragrant offering, a sacrifice acceptable and pleasing to God.
Paul is certainly willing to except financial support from the churches of Roman (possibly not financial), Macedonia, and Philippi. We should as well from our churches. The fact remains that he worked to support himself and on occasion, received support from the churches. He even requested it from the Romans.
I've been thinking recently that a local church collectively giving to a need is much better (and perhaps more Biblical) than an individual giving to a need, because when the church gives, Christ is accredited, but when an individual gives, the individual is often accredited. Plus, it's what we’ve seen in these Verses. Should individuals give to missions? Should we only accept money that is given from a church and not from an individual?
Perhaps Phoebe is an example of Biblical individual giving, but the following verse is inconclusive whether it is about finances or encouragement or prayers whatever the "patron" act is.
Rom 16:1 I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a servant of the church at Cenchreae, 2 that you may welcome her in the Lord in a way worthy of the saints, and help her in whatever she may need from you, for she has been a patron of many and of myself as well.
I would love to hear yall's Biblical feedback (meaning not so much your personal opinion, but rather what you read in Scriptue) on some of these things. Are there other passages in Scripture that point to a Biblical outline for the support of missions?
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