Character of a Missionary

When God first called for missionaries, In the New Testament, God demanded the top two men in the church as missionary preachers. While they were gone, and possibly afterwards, the men who were considered to be 'second string' had to move up and improve so that they could take over the positions of Paul and Barnabas. In addition, there were others who went on that trip, such as John Mark, who was not spiritually mature enough, at that time, and departed from them from Pamphylia, and went not with them to the work  (Acts 15:38). The point being that true missionaries must be spiritually mature enough to handle whatever comes at them when they do not have the support of their church near-by.

Next, many preachers brag about their call.  However, all saved are called to be saints  (Romans 1:7; 1Corinthians 1:2; Ephesians 1:18). In addition, Matthew 22:14 says: For many are called, but few are chosen.  Therefore, it is not the call  that is important but being chosen.  With that in mind, people can, and should, go on short-term mission trips before becoming a full-time missionary in order to get experience. The church may send people out but God will not choose  someone who is not qualified.

Next, as already mentioned, John Mark went as a missionary before he was qualified. That was why he turned back. Now, if people will ignore all of the doctrinal error taught about deacons and church staff, such as trustees, and study what the Bible actually says is the job of deacon and staff (see Philemon), they will see that there is an absolute division of labor given by God. The pastor is to be in complete control of spiritual matters, and have spiritual oversight of physical matters, but the deacons and staff are to be responsible for the physical matters. Therefore, as a matter of training, non-preacher missionaries should have some experience in a staff position before going to the mission field as a full-time missionary. This is because some things are only learned through personal experience. In addition, the Biblical requirements for a deacon (1Timothy 3) should be used as guidelines for all church staff positions since deacons and church staff both deal with the physical aspects of the church. In addition, the spiritual attitude taught in Philemon should also be taught to deacons, church staff and all missionaries.

Next, Ephesians 4:11-12 says: And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.  (Our sentence continues on with more reasons but we will only consider this part of the sentence and the reader can verify that what is written here fits within the context of this Bible reference.) The some,  of this sentence, is some churches. In addition, the phrase pastors and teachers  is one person with two jobs, according to the punctuation and his main job is the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry.  That is: the pastor and teacher  is to cause God's saved people to spiritually mature completely (the perfecting of the saints)  so that God can use them in the mission field (for the work of the ministry).  No one can teach what they do not know. Therefore, the pastor and teacher  needs to make the following part of their personal character so that they can teach it to the church members. One of the main reasons why America is turning their back on God, and calling home more missionaries than they are sending out, is that the pastors of many (most?) churches in America do not have the character that is described in this section. The pastors need to be sure that they personally have this character so that they can teach it to their members like God calls them to do.

Disciple

1. Now they which were scattered abroad upon the persecution that arose about Stephen travelled as far as Phenice, and Cyprus, and Antioch, preaching the word to none but unto the Jews only.  (Acts 11:19)
1. The first mission church was not started by missionaries sent out by the home church. It was started by God sending out disciples. God brought persecution upon the church since they refused to fully obey the 'Great Commission' and take the Gospel to all the world  (Mark 16:15); all nations  (Matthew 28:19); and unto the uttermost part of the earth.  (Acts 1:8). When we refuse to obey, God still accomplishes His purpose but we are disciplined instead of being blessed.
2. They were driven away from their home and their church but not from their disciplined personal relationship with Jesus Christ (they which were scattered abroad'travelled'preaching the word).  They did not let persecution nor anything else separate them from their personal disciplined lifestyle .
3. They went preaching the word  even though they were not preachers. They were soul-winners who represented Jesus Christ and His message regardless of place or circumstances.
4. They did as they were taught in their home church (preaching the word to none but unto the Jews only).  They kept the teaching of their home church and honestly represented it without compromising with the local Gentile culture. These people would have submitted to their pastor even when they thought the pastor was wrong so long as the pastor was not telling them to violate the clear teaching of the Bible.
2. And some of them were men of Cyprus and Cyrene, which, when they were come to Antioch, spake unto the Grecians, preaching the Lord Jesus.  (Acts 11:20)
1. The Grecians  were Greek speaking Jews. They were not as tied into the religious traditions of the Jews as the Jews in Jerusalem. In addition, many of them had married Gentiles. Therefore, when they spake unto the Grecians, preaching the Lord Jesus,  the Gentile members of their families would also have heard and believed. Thus, God brought Gentiles into the group of believers at Antioch. In addition, Acts 11:1-18 tells us that, even in Jerusalem, the Jews had to glorify God, saying, Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life.  Thus, they were not going against anything that God had revealed. Yes, they were going against Jewish traditions but were following the revealed will of God.
2. When these people saw evidence of God changing the doctrine of their home church then they accepted the change from God. However, until God showed them differently, they stayed loyal to the doctrine of their home church because they started out preaching the word to none but unto the Jews only.  Thus, we see that missionaries are to stick to the doctrine of their home church until God clearly shows them a change which leads to more souls being saved and more glory being given to God. That is what is reported in the next sentence of Acts.
3. Please notice that the basic doctrine of the gospel was not changed. Only the application was changed. The Jews, in the Jerusalem Church, said that the gospel was to be applied to Jews only.  They applied the gospel to all men like God truly wanted. One historical problem is that sending churches try to have missionaries preach their home religious practices along with the basic gospel. However, the basic reference in the word of God, for missionaries, is 1Corinthians 9:18-23 which contains (not complete quote) I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.  The basic gospel is to be the same everywhere but the missionary is to adapt to the local culture in the application of the gospel.
4. We later see that God destroyed the Jerusalem Church and killed many thousands of Jews there are which believe  of Jews who were all zealous of the law  and refused to let God change their doctrine and practices (Acts 21:20-22). All true representatives of God are to let God control their docgtrine.
3. And the hand of the Lord was with them: and a great number believed, and turned unto the Lord.  (Acts 11:21).
1. Notice that our sentence starts with the word And,  which means it is added to the prior sentence and is a direct consequence of the prior sentence.
2. They verified the change with evidence from God that God authorized the change in doctrine. That is: a change from preaching the word to none but unto the Jews only  to preaching the word to  everyone. Nothing short of an act of God was allowed to change their doctrine.
4. Then tidings of these things came unto the ears of the church which was in Jerusalem: and they sent forth Barnabas, that he should go as far as Antioch.  (Acts 11:22).
1. The home church heard what was happening. The home church has a responsibility to keep up with what happens in the lives of church members who travel from their home church but do not join another church of like faith.
2. The group that was meeting in Antioch submitted to the will of the home church and accepter Barnabas as their local pastor. Until a mission work organizes as an independent church, it is under the authority and control of the mother church.
5. Who, when he came, and had seen the grace of God, was glad, and exhorted them all, that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord.  (Acts 11:23).
1. At this point, this mission work would have non-Jews as members. The mother church in Jerusalem had to acknowledge that God saved Gentiles, but that did not mean that they had accepted those Gentiles into their church. What we see here is what is often true in a mission work. The cultural differences can force differences in the practices and worship and we are to allow those differences so long as the basic doctrine to the true Gospel are kept and so long as those changes bring more glory to God. Cultural differences which allow sin, such as we read about in 1Cortinthians, are to be rejected.
2. Notice that Barnabas had seen the grace of God.  This is why he did not object to the Gentile believers, even though it went against the doctrine of his home church.
3. Also, he was glad, and exhorted them all, that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord.  He told them to stick to what is literally written in the Bible as the law of the Lord  and did not require them to keep the religious traditions which were added by men within the Jewish culture.
6. For he was a good man, and full of the Holy Ghost and of faith: and much people was added unto the Lord.  (Acts 11:24). Barnabas proved the type of preacher and pastor he was by letting the Holy Ghost and of faith  dictate the doctrine taught in the church instead of sticking strictly to religious traditions.

Christian

• Then departed Barnabas to Tarsus, for to seek Saul: And when he (Barnabas) had found him (Paul), he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught much people. And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.  (Acts 11:25-26)

1. Barnabas brought in Paul to teach even though the teaching of Paul had caused riots in Jewish cities. The riots were because the teaching of Paul was based upon what scripture actually said even though it went against Jewish traditions. Barnabas had enough sense to realize that this church with mixed membership and with traditions which already went against Jewish traditions would not object to true Bible teaching which went against the Jewish traditions. Earlier in our account we already read how Barnabas was full of the Holy Ghost and of faith.  He had already accepted that God was doing things in this church which were different from his home church. A modern example is that God is working in some Filipino churches differently from how American churches work and God is blessing the Filipino churches far more than American churches which are stuck on their religious traditions.
2. Look at where our reference says: And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught much people.  Teaching takes time and a plan. They were not looking for instant results but were looking for quality results which would last.
3. This church was started by disciples  and it was disciples were called Christians first  and that was in Antioch.  There had been thousands and thousands to people saved in Jerusalem but the saved in Jerusalem were not called Christians.  Acts 4:13 says: Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.  Like Peter and John, the saved in Antioch acted ignorant  of the traditions which would normally identify them as Jews. The saved did not differentiate between saved Jew and saved Gentile within the church.
4. This was the church that God used to send out the first missionary team from. In Acts 8 we read about Samaritans being saved but no effort was made to reach more of the Samaritans with the Gospel from the church in Jerusalem. In Acts 10 we read about Gentiles being saved and they of the circumcision which believed were astonished,  but no effort was made to reach more Gentiles with the Gospel from the church in Jerusalem. What we see here is that the attitude of the home church determines if God sends missionaries from it or not. Antioch was full of disciples who learned to live a life like Christ and God used it to train and send missionaries. Jerusalem had many thousands of Jews there are which believe; and they are all zealous of the law  (Acts 21:20), which was their religious traditions. Because of the difference in attitude towards the word of God, as opposed to religious traditions, the Jerusalem church was destroyed and many thousands  killed while the church at Antioch expanded their ministry and their doctrine is the basis of true Bible doctrine even today.
5. These believers didn't just make a profession. They didn't just get baptized and go to church on Sunday. They had a personal disciplined Bible Study and prayer life. When they moved to another country, they continued their own personal disciplined life of prayer and Bible study. Therefore, the Bible still called them disciples  even after they left their home church, their home country, their home culture, their home language and much more. What they kept was their personal relationship with God which was displayed in their every-day life.

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