WHY ARE WE STUDYING THE FIELD?
By L. Flora Plummer
“Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.” Who is meant by “ye”? Does it mean any less in the preceding sentence than it does in this one: “Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest”? Each person who hears the invitation to come, should heed the command to go. “Oh,” some one is saying, “we have a Foreign Mission Board to bear the responsibility of the foreign work.” Yes, we have such a board, but do they, can they, bear our responsibility in this matter?—Certainly not; we can no more turn the first text quoted over to them than we can the second one. So, because we must each answer to God for the way in which we obey this command, we are studying the field. From the Testimonies I take this sentence: “We are to be partners in the work of God759in all parts of the world; wherever there are souls to be saved, we are to lend our help, that many sons and daughters may be brought to God.” Each of us, then, is in partnership with God. In what?—In his work in all parts of the field. What is expected of each of us?—We are to “lend our help” wherever there are souls to be saved. So, because we are partners in the world-wide business of soul-saving, we are studying the field. Paul states that he was “debtor both to the Greeks, and to the barbarians.” What made him in debt to them? He had the gospel, and they had not. Receiving the gospel puts a man in debt to the whole world. Each of us has the gospel, and is a personal debtor to everyone who has it not. That we may know just how large this debt is, and when and how to make our payments, we are studying the field. Another statement from the Testimonies, which should stir us not a little, is this: “Ye churches of the living God, . . . consider how your lack of faith, of spirituality, of divine power, is hindering the coming of God. Were every one of you living missionaries, the gospel would be speedily proclaimed in all countries, to all peoples, nations, and tongues. This is the work that must be done before Christ shall come in power and great glory. I call upon the church to pray earnestly that you may understand your responsibilities.” We are hindering, or delaying, the coming of the Lord. If each of us had obeyed the gospel commission, had performed our part of the business in which we are partners with God, had paid our debts to the world, Christ would have come ere this. That we may understand our responsibilities, and not hinder the Lord any further in this work of carrying the gospel to all peoples, nations, and tongues, we are studying the field.