BEGINNING FROM JERUSALEM
By Cornelius Rivera
Missions, in the minds of many, often evokes images of that which is done in "the uttermost part of the earth". This is the one phrase that for years has prevailed in most missionary circles. Is this wrong?
Certainly not, but it is not right either. The less familiar Great Commission passage in Luke 24 parallels the better known Acts 1:8, in the extremely important aspect of the geographic strategy of missions. Both mention Jerusalem as the starting point, but v.47 of Luke has a grammatical feature that left a mark in the apostles' pattern for missionary activity. The usual translation of the phrase indicating the point of departure is "beginning at [or from] Jerusalem." The form of the verb is an aorist participle which indicates antecedent action to the main verb (to proclaim). As such, the idea is that "having begun from Jerusalem," that is, before proclaiming the gospel to all the nations the beginning should take place in Jerusalem. This we believe in theory, at least, but it is not emphasized in its practice. More often than not, those who are sent to the uttermost parts of the earth go without having had a thorough beginning in Jerusalem.1
The troubling question is this: is the church today, by emphasizing the uttermost part of the earth, bypassing the all important and strategic step, that those who are to do the work of missions should obtain the necessary experience by beginning in Jerusalem? The apostles were not to bypass their own area. Imperatively, the antecedent was Jerusalem, before any other place.
It is often observed that it was not until the persecution that ensued upon Stephen's martyrdom that the church followed the Lord's plan for evangelism. This is true, but the statement in Acts 8:2 that all "were scattered throughout . . . Judea and Samaria, except the apostles" is not a negative reflection on the latter. On the contrary, it would have been easier to flee, than to face persecution and the possibility of death. But they stayed because there remained a work for them to do. The apostles laid an excellent foundation for the ministry, for "the Word of God kept on spreading, and the number of disciples continued to increase greatly in Jerusalem" (6:7). Their stay set the basis for strengthening the growing church, and polished their skills for future ministry elsewhere. Thus, they were able to send Peter and John to Samaria to confirm Philip's ministry (8:14). But there was still work for them in Jerusalem because they returned there (v.25). In Acts 15, with the apostles still in Jerusalem, their presence in the city is mentioned in a matter-of-fact manner, not in a reprehensible way (vs. 2, 4). It is evident that their leadership was still needed in that place.2
In Paul's case, he began ministering in the place of his conversion (Acts 18:19-22), and then spent time (evidently several years) in his own Jerusalem (Tarsus). It was there where Barnabas went to look for him. But it is not until chapter 13 that he launches a ministry far beyond his immediate area. Thus, the apostle after whom we seek to pattern our strategy for missions today, patterned his own after the one given by the Lord Jesus: having begun, and having gained considerable experience, in his own Jerusalem.
In essence, the goal of Spanish World Ministries is that of helping the Jerusalem of the Spanish speaking countries to do the work of missions according to Christ's defined strategy. The mission was born in 1959 as an effort to reach as many people as possible with the Gospel, by means of the far reaching method of radio. Our stated mission is: "to assist local churches, in the Spanish speaking world, to carry out the ministry of communicating the gospel of Christ, and to edify those who believe." Whereas to us, in the United States, the countries south of the border might represent Samaria (in the geographical progression of missions) to Spanish World Ministries missionaries, who minister in their own countries, their field is their own Jerusalem. To assist them in their ministry Spanish World Ministries provides them with literature, finances, and a radio program used as an evangelistic instrument. The importance of helping the national church with missionary work in her own Jerusalem can be clearly seen in Cuba. Even though a foreign missionary presence has been almost non-existent for the last forty-five years, ministries, like Spanish World, have assisted the national church with radio broadcasts beamed into the island, and by sending packages with Bibles, New Testaments, and other Christian literature. But the leg work has been done by the Cuban churches. They have taken an active part in encouraging a host of young people to go as missionaries to the small towns and cane fields in order to reach people with the Gospel. Thus, the house church movement is alive and well in Cuba, and the desire for studying the Word is evident in church attendance and the demand for literature.
1. An aorist participle is also used in v. 27 to indicate that the Lord followed a specific [strategic] order in his explanation of the prophecies concerning Himself. "Having begun with Moses and with all the prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures . . . ". That is, in that order: the Law, the prophets, and the writings, and not the other way around.
2. The "missions conference" in this chapter, besides the giving and hearing of reports, took a problem solving approach to the ministry.
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