基督教宣教的圣经基础

The Biblical Foundations of Christian Mission

Brian STANLEY

The theme of God's loving mission to all humanity is present throughout the Bible — in the Old Testament as well as the New. The New Testament, however, shifts the emphasis from drawing the Gentiles in to the company of Israel towards sending the new Israel out to all peoples. Mission in the New Testament rests not simply on the so-called “Great Commission” of Matthew 28, but on the fact that Christians as part of the body of Christ share in his sending by the Father in the power of the Spirit into the world. Nonetheless, Matthew 28, when rightly understood, has much to teach us about Christian mission. It reminds us that “all authority” is given to Jesus, not “all dominion” to us, that our task is the making of disciples, and not simply of converts, and that in mission, those who teach themselves remain as disciples, those who are still learning from Christ; domination of converts is therefore ruled out.