Discussion from Contemporary Theological Issues Class at Baptist Bible Seminary- Other Student Reply

Be sure to read the previous post before reading this one.

“Our focus needs to change from just ministering to those within our midst to those that are outside our doors.”

I think I understand the idea behind this sentence, and I agree that Christians need to express genuine love and compassion for those outside of the church. At the same time, this sentence reflects a line of thought that emerged within our reading, that the primary focus of the church should somehow be on those outside of the church, essentially expanding the borders of the church, emphasizing an outward orientation versus an inward orientation.

The point at which I take exception with such a stand is at the point where the word ‘primary’ is inserted. Certainly, there is no doubt that we are to love our neighbors and our enemies, that we are to do acts of goodness and kindness to all men in all places, but I would suggest that the Scriptures indicate that our first and primary focus is to be on loving and meeting the needs of other believers.

As a quick example, consider the case of the widows. Throughout the New Testament, Christians are encouraged to meet the needs of the widows within their community, but I am unable to think of a text that exhorts the church specifically to meet the needs of non-Christian widows in the surrounding community.

As one other example, consider this statement from Earl Radmacher. (I have to paraphrase it, as he made the comment during a class session I attended, and I do not have the comment in writing.) He was speaking concerning prayer for salvation of the nonbeliever. He suggested that the biblical pattern calls for believers to pray for one another and to proclaim the Gospel to nonbelievers, and asserted that there was no

scripture that exhorted believers to pray for the salvation of nonbelievers. (Dr. Radmacher did leave one possible exception, the verse in which Paul says that his prayer, desire or wish is for the salvation of the Jews.) Whether we think he is overstating his case or not, we must agree that there is a difference in New Testament teaching between

how we are to act toward those within the church and those outside the Church. And, yes, this demands that we observe a boundary or separation between church members and non-church members.

In short, I reject the reactionary position that the church is to be summarized solely as missional. Mission is an essential part of the church, but it is only one of many essential parts. God is love, but it is wrong to say that love is God. Similarly, the Church is to be missional, but mission is not to be the Church.