Our Missionary Work and Why It Is Important by I. G. Bigelow

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Jan 9, 1913

Our Missionary Work and Why It Is Important

By I. G. Bigelow

I. G. BIGELOW

I BELIEVE our duty for this present time is clearly indicated by our Saviour in his revelation to St. John on the lonely isle of Patmos, recorded in Rev. 2:4, 5: "Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick

out of his place, except thou repent."

"Do the first works." Now if we can find what the first works were, our duty will be made clear. I am glad that our Lord has not left us in darkness in regard to this.

We read in Matt. 4:12, 23, that when John was cast into prison, Jesus departed into Galilee and went about all that country, preaching the gospel of the kingdom and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people. This was the work of the Saviour, not only in Galilee, but from the beginning of his work until his suffering and death on the cross; and even after his resurrection he showed himself alive by many infallible proofs, continuing with the apostles forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God. The question of the apostles (Acts 1:6), "Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?" shows plainly that they had become imbued with the spirit of his teaching, and a few months later we find Philip down in Samaria preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God.

As a result of this earnest work many believed and were baptized, both men and women, "and there was great joy in that city." Acts 8:5, 8, 12. Philip evidently believed in city missionary work.

Paul at this time was persecuting the believing Jews, but it was not long after this when he, too, was converted, and taking up the work of the Master, cooperated with Philip and the apostles in teaching Christ to be the Son of God, and preaching the resurrection, and all things pertaining to the kingdom of God. That Paul did not soon grow weary in well-doing is shown by the record in Acts 19:6-12, where we learn that he held a three months' effort, preaching in the synagogue, "disputing and persuading the things concerning the kingdom of God." And this was twenty-one years after his conversion. Four years later, during his counsel with the elders of Ephesus, he testified that through all his trials and persecutions, through all the dangers to which he was exposed, and the temptations he must have had to suppress those truths that were less acceptable to the unrenewed nature of man, or to the particular prejudice of the Jews and the Gentiles, he fully and faithfully declared "all the counsel of God." Acts 20:27. And in his letter to the church at Rome the same year he said: "I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed."

Have we during our experience in this message permitted the fear of ridicule and persecution to keep us from declaring all the counsel of God? Have we at any time been ashamed of the gospel of Christ? I believe these things have been recorded for our benefit, and Christ has left us an example that we should follow, for we are taught plainly that if we abide in him we ought to walk as he walked. Three years later and twenty-eight years after his conversion, we find Paul a prisoner at Rome. He was just as earnestly "preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching those things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ, with all confidence, no man forbidding him." Acts 28:23, 30, 31. Here he dwelt for two years in his own hired house, receiving all that came in unto him.

The work of Christ, Philip, and Paul represented the work of the whole church in its infancy. Therefore, I conclude that as Christ started the church by preaching the gospel of the kingdom (Mark 1:14, 15), and as the apostles and the whole church in the beginning continued to follow the Saviour in preaching the gospel of the kingdom, the church should have continued its first works until all the world had been brought to the knowledge of the power of salvation in the gospel of Christ. And as the whole world has not been imbued with this knowledge, it is the work of the church to-day to continue the first works until every kindred, tongue, and people has heard the gospel of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. "This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations." This, then, is our missionary work: we are the church, therefore it is our duty to give this gospel to the world.

(To be concluded)