Eckhard Schnabel defines mission as the "activity of a community of faith that distinguishes itself from its environment in terms of both religious belief (theology) and social behavior (ethics), that is convinced of the truth claims of its faith, and that actively works to win other people to the content of faith and the way of life whose truth and necessity the members of that community are convinced” (Paul the Missionary: Realities, Strategies and Methods, 22).
After looking at three important aspects for understanding missions--intentionality and movement, the nature of missionary work in the NT, and the reality of the apostolic method--he summarizes the work of a missionary as follows:
“missionaries establish contact with non-Christians, they proclaim the news of Jesus the Messiah and Savior (proclamation, preaching, teaching, instruction), they lead people to faith in Jesus Christ (conversion, baptism), and they integrate the new believers into the local community of the followers of Jesus (Lord’s Supper, transformation of social and moral behavior, charity)” (29).
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