Who is a true missionary? Part 3
Article – Andrew Smith :: Image – via Wikipedia
The original is translated by ‘Gentleman’ and posted on the OrthodoxChristianity.net forum. Below is my summary. Like the translation, I’m going to divide my summaries into four parts before doing a commentary…
–
In Orthodoxy, people talk a lot about mission, but they’re calling things missionary when they’re not. When you go to other Orthodox and tell them about Christ you are catechising – teaching people what they should know and making up for the shortage of their spiritual formation.
If you go to those who don’t want to listen, then you are missionaries – the true warriors of Christ, using the swords of God’s Word and God’s Commandments to fearlessly attack the devil and wrest souls away from him.
A person who saves someone from their evil way has saved a soul from death and covered a multitude of sins. Missionaries must not be afraid because they sinned at one time; they must stop sinning and cover them by converting unbelievers, strangers and the ignorant to Christianity, by bringing sectarians to the fullness of the Faith.
The missionary, being a weapon of God against the devil, must remember that his job is to announce the word of God unchanged – neither added nor subtracted. The missionary who adds will be punished, the missionary who subtracts will be taken away from the book of life (Rev 22:18-19).
Following the Apostle Paul, we are to know only Christ, and Him crucified (1 Cor 2:2), and are to life this life – co-crucified with Christ, showing victory over the power of death and a sign of the world’s end. A missionary works so that we might sooner be gathered to Christ, bringing about the end of this world and the beginning of our life resurrected with Christ.
A missionary doesn’t just pray and long for the Kingdom of God (‘Thy Kingdom Come’) – a missionary actively makes it happen. Those people he converted will then pray for him, and thus will have a multitude of friends among those he converted and among the angels, who yearn for the people and the nations they protect. The missionary co-operates with the angels, the saints, and the Mother of God in seeking the salvation of all.
—
Really interested in church growth? Check out Footsteps of the Apostles now!
Comments, questions or feedback? Who do you know that is a ‘true missionary’? Ideas on missionary work? Let me know by commenting below, or on Google Plus or Facebook!
