Rediscovering Paul’s Church Planting Strategies

I. On Making Disciples as a Strategic Focus

Brandon Price posted on his blog (link) that he was “growing kind of uncomfortable with the term ‘church planting.’” He said that term, “seems to put all the focus on creating a church (an often location-based institution), and nowhere in scripture are we told to go and make churches. Instead, the church is a natural outflow of what our actual call is: making disciples.” He is reframing their work of planting churches as “making disciples.” It got me thinking. A google search turned up Scott Thomas, who wrote the following in Sept 2009 at Acts 29, “Jesus did not say go make churches. He said go make disciples (link). Where disciples are gathered, churches are formed. But if we fail to focus on making disciples we will use them to build our church.”

When you look at church planting through the lens of Making Disciples, the transformation of people comes more clearly into focus. For me, it is freeing—I don’t have to think so much in terms of what a church will look like as on what the people must look like. Then, as Brandon puts it, “the church is a natural outflow” that results from making disciples, and as Scott says, “the church will form.” And, especially important, the church that results will be adapted to the culture and people group from which it springs. I tried to keep this perspective in mind as I outlined the points to follow. It was Brandon’s post that prompted me to set down some things I’ve been thinking over about Paul’s church planting methodology.

We also have a biblical definition and model of what it means to be a disciple. Jesus defined this with finality in Matt 16:24: “Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.” In Phil 2: 2-9, Paul exhorts us to follow our Lord’s example:

“Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name."

Finally, Brian Russell sums the focus on discipleship and disciplemaking nicely on his blog (link):

“Discipleship at its heart is missional. Jesus calls disciples in order to multiply his own work of making disciples. This is clear in the climactic passage of Matthew (28:16-20). This text, better known as the Great Commission, centers on Jesus’ exhortation to ‘Make disciples.’ Thus, we need to read Matt 16:24 and its call to discipleship within this overarching framework of mission…”

II. Paul’s Example

Their work was taking place among very similar cultures and times to our own. We can look to their methods to re-examine and revise the church planting models we use today, and especially to increase our expectations of what God can accomplish through His people as He builds His Church. Here are seven key observations, which would be considered ridiculous strategies by the church planting movements in the West today.

1. On average, churches were planted and self-sufficient in 12 months
2. The work was unfunded, accomplished by bivocational servants
3. Paul planted multiple churches regionally, often from a base camp church in a major city (churches that planted churches)
4. There was follow-up by Paul and/or itinerants as well as letters to continue to support and encourage, especially through troubles
5. Whole households were being converted, not just individuals
6. After an initial time in weeks or months of reaching new disciples, they are left on their own as a church without formal leadership for months
7. Paul enlists additional workers from among the new churches as local elders (on average with 6 to 12 months experience as believers) and as itinerants (with about 2 years experience as believers). They all share the same focus (see Eph 4:11-16).

A dose of reality: Don't try to copy a church model (maintain the principles and functions while staying expectantly and brutally flexible on the practices and forms that will uniquely emerge in the people God calls together where you are laboring); don't expect an implausible growth explosion. A typical church plant will be well under 100 in the first year, and in the first five years.

III. Paul’s Purpose

Making Disciples: travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you

Paul’s Goal: He tells the Galatians that I am in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you (Gal 4:19). My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you.

Making Disciples who make disciples

For Paul, all should be involved in the purpose to bring one another into the measure of the stature of the fullness of Chris. 

In Eph Paul is explicit that the apostolic giftings and NT elders are given “For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:…Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ:… speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.” Eph 4:12-13, 15-16

IV. Paul’s Message

“For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.” –I Cor 3:11

And he is before all things, and by him all things consist. And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence. For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell; –Col 1:17-19

Paul was a skilled logician, and rhetoric was a highly respected cultural means of public address. Yet, we read this,

And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified. And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling. And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God. –I Cor 2:1-5

Someone just this week made the observation that if Paris Hilton can draw a following, anyone can start a church. But the church isn’t to be built following a celebrity pastor with excellent teaching that entertains. interests, and informs. It isn’t built on excellent speech, but on following Jesus at great cost by a congregation of disciple making disciples (who will make up church planting churches).

V. Paul’s Pattern

The Pattern we gave you – Follow my example

“One thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. All of us who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. Only let us live up to what we have already attained. Join with others in following my example, brothers, and take note of those who live according to the pattern we gave you.” Phil 3:13b-17 NIV

The Tradition you received from us – the Example we set for you to follow

“Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not after the tradition which he received of us. For yourselves know how ye ought to follow us: for we behaved not ourselves disorderly among you; Neither did we eat any man's bread for naught; but wrought with labour and travail night and day, that we might not be chargeable to any of you: Not because we have not power, but to make ourselves an ensample unto you to follow us. -II Thess 3:6-9

VI. Paul’s Venue

In today’s church, the pastor is expected to invest significant time preparing for a major weekly sermon address. This is considered his important teaching ministry. But if our focus shifts to making disciples, then we might rethink this approach.

Paul spent time teaching people in their homes, one to one and in small groups. He was focused on building disciples, and this is not something accomplished by weekly lectures. Jesus also taught both publicly and in homes, in large groups and small and in one to one or one to a few opportunities. If your pattern is to invest most of your time and teaching efforts to a weekly public delivery, then you are not using the methods of Jesus and Paul to build disciples.

VII. Paul’s Power

The secret power Paul used was that He believed God was alive and active in the affairs of His people. Paul entrusted the new believers in the hands of God at work in and among them.

“And when they had ordained them elders in every church, and had prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord, on whom they believed.” –Acts 14:23

“And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified.” –Acts 20:32

VIII. Paul’s Plan

We know that Paul felt an urgency in these, teaching new believers both publicly and privately (Acts 20:20)

1. “I kept back nothing that was profitable unto you, but have shewed you, and have taught you publicly, and from house to house, Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.” –Acts 20:20, 21
2. “Now I praise you, brethren, that ye remember me in all things, and keep the ordinances, as I delivered them to you… For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, that the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread:” -I Cor 11:2, 23
3.  "Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle.” –II Thess 2:15
4. “O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy trust. // Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.” –I Tim 6:20; II Tim 1:13
5. “Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers.” –Titus 1:9
6. These foundations included:

• Instruction in remembering the death of the Lord and expecting His return I Cor 11:23-26
• The accounts of the resurrection I Cor 15:3-18
• A whole list of what Bill Dillon (God's Work in God's Way, Brown Gold Publications) called, “rich doctrinal truths” shared so quickly can be seen from I Thessalonians, including, “election, 1:4; Holy Spirit, 1:5-6, 4:8, 5:19; assurance, 1:5; Trinity of the Godhead, 1:1,5,6; conversion, 1:9; second coming of Christ, 1:10, 2:19, 3:13, 4:14-17, 5:23; walk of the believer, 2:12, 4:1; sanctification, 4:3, 5:23; Day of Jehovah, 5:1-3; resurrection of Christ and believers, 4:14-18; man as body, soul and spirit, 5:23.

IX. Paul’s Values

1. The gracious, sacrificial example of Jesus – “This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.” –I Tim 1:15
   
   
2. The example of men sacrificing to serve others in the community – “This is a true saying, If a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work.” –I Tim 3:1
3. The contrast between living for this world and the next – “For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come. This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation.” –I Tim 4:8,9
4. The importance and rewards of sacrifice and suffering – “It is a faithful saying: For if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him: If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us: If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself.”–II Tim 2:11-13
5. The focused effort needed in doing good works – “This is a faithful saying. and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men.” –Titus 3:8 (note that this is one of the important purposes of assembling together regularly—to consider one another to “provoke unto love and to good works” which is holding fast to “the profession of our faith without wavering.”

X. Paul’s Results: Devout Disciples

“…our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance; as ye know what manner of men we were among you for your sake. And ye became followers of us, and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Ghost. So that ye were ensamples to all that believe in Macedonia and Achaia… For they themselves shew of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God; And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.” –I Thess 1:5-10

 OLD TESTAMENT EVANGELISM

“God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten son . . .”  No phrase is better known or better captures the depth and extent of God’s love for man.  Christians are clear about this in the New Testament.  We know God wants others to come to know Him, too.  We understand the Church, His called out people, are to spread the Good News of this message around the world to every people.  We know the eternal consequences for those who are never reached, who never accept God’s salvation.  But think a minute about the nations of people in the Old Testament. Were they not to be reached?  Did God not love them, too?  Did He not want to be known to them?

God called out Abram to establish a new people, a people for His name.  From the  beginning, God was clear about His ultimate plan to bless all nations, through Israel:

Now the Lord had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy
kindred, and from thy fathers house, unto a land that I will shew thee: And I will
make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and
thou shalt be a blessing: And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that
curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.
-Genesis 12:1-3

And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed;
 -Genesis 22:18a

And said unto me, Thou art my servant, O Israel, in whom I will be glorified. . . .
And he said, It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the
tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee for a
light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the
earth.  -Isaiah 49:3, 6

While these verses today are applied prophetically to the Messiah, at the time they were given they applied directly to the nation of Israel.  The ability of Israel to be a blessing to all nations hinged on her being obedient, so God could bless her, setting an example of His greatness and mercy:

And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast
obeyed my voice.  -Genesis 22:18b

When the Lord turned again the captivity of Zion, we were like them that dream.  
Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing: then said
they among the heathen, The Lord hath done great things for them.
-Psalm 126:1-2

Behold, I have taught you statutes and judgments, even as the Lord my God
commanded me, that ye should do so in the land whither ye go to possess it.  Keep
therefore and do them; for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight
of the nations, which shall hear all these statutes, and say, Surely this great
nation is a wise and understanding people.  -Deuteronomy 4:5-6

Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee.  For,
behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the
Lord shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee.  And the Gentiles
shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising.    -Isaiah 60:1-3

From the above scriptures, God clearly wanted an obedient and blessed Israel to be a light to the gentiles.  In her obedience, Israel would prosper on earth, being an earthly people.  All nations would be drawn to her God.  Those who opposed Israel would be completely defeated.  God had a plan for reaching the nations even in the Old Testament.  He cares about the lost.  But He works through His people.  As a light to the nations, Israel was largely ineffective.

NEW TESTAMENT EVANGELISM

Certainly the Church would not make the same mistake as Israel.  Of course, we are no different, we are subject to the same world system that opposes God, and are made of the same nature.  Let us look carefully at God’s plan for us, and see how we are doing.

Let’s begin with our mission, to evangelize the world.  For Israel, this meant becoming a successful nation blessed by God.  That was the context for Israel to draw people to the Saviour.  We often think of this task in the New Testament as something done on an individual basis.  The required context, however, for our effectiveness in reaching the lost is found in our Lord’s prayer for us in John 17:

Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.  As thou hast sent me into the
world, even so have I also sent them into the world.  And for their sakes I sanctify
myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth.  Neither pray I for
these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; That
they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be
one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.  -John17:17-21

The RSV and NIV emphasize, “so that the world may believe . . .”  An imperative for the Church to succeed in her mission to evangelize the world is our unity.  Note the following passage in I Corinthians, when denominationalism reared it’s head in Paul’s day:

Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all
speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be
perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.  For it hath
been declared unto me of you, my brethren, by them which are of the house of
Chloe, that there are contentions among you.  Now this I say, that every one of
you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ.  Is
Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized in the name of
Paul?  -I Corinthians 1:10-13

In America alone there are today 215 denominational headquarters listed in the Handbook of Denominations in the United States, 10th edition.  I know this cannot be fixed, or rather, I don’t have faith and vision strong enough to imagine it being fixed.  But it cannot be what our Lord expects from us.  I think what Paul expressed to the Philippians is important to our success as an evangelizing agency:

Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I
come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast
in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel;
-Philippians 1:27

Ephesians is the great treatise on the Church.  What does God reveal to us about his expectations on unity?

Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.  There is one
body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; One Lord,
one faith, one baptism, One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through
all, and in you all. . .
Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of
God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:
-Ephesians 4:3-6, 13

Perhaps this is the greatest need for evangelism in our day, to be one. 

I ask you to consider refraining from the phrases, “My church,” or “Our church,” or even, “Your church.”  In each case, the correct phrase is, “His church (here, there), or at least, “the church (here, there). 

If we recognized His ownership, His commandership, it would be more difficult to look askance at one another because of light, or lack of it.  We are all part of His glorious church, His body, here as a vehicle and testament of His love and wisdom in gathering His own from among the nations.  Don’t you think?

Old Testament and missions

• Genesis 12:1-3 ...in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed (repeated in Gen. 18:18, 22:17-18, 26:24 and 28:12-14)
• Exodus 9:14-16 -- purpose of the plagues
• Exodus 19:6 -- Israel was to be a "kingdom of priests"
• Numbers 14:21 -- glory of Lord fills the whole earth
• Deuteronomy 4:6-8 -- show your understanding to the nations
• Deuteronomy 10:19 -- "You are to love those who are aliens"
• Deuteronomy 28:10 -- "all the peoples on the earth will see that you are called by the name of the Lord"
• Deuteronomy 32:1 - "Hear, O earth, the words of my mouth."
• Joshua 4:24 -- "That all the people of the earth might know"
• 1 Samuel 2:10 -- "The LORD will judge the ends of the earth."
• 1 Samuel 17:46 -- "the whole world will know there is a God in Israel"
• 1 Kings 8:41-43, 59-60 (also in 2 Chronicles 6:32-33) -- "so that all peoples of the earth may know your name" (Solomon's prayer at dedication of Temple)
• 2 Kings 19:15 -- "Hezekiah prayed . . . : O LORD, you alone are God over all the kingdoms of the earth.'"
• 1 Chronicles 16:31 "Let the earth be glad; let them say among the nations, The Lord reigns!'"
• 1 Chronicles 16:24 -- "Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples"
• 2 Chronicles 6:33 -- "so that all the peoples of the earth may know your name and fear you"
• Psalm 2:7-10 -- "You are my Son . . . I will make the nations your inheritance"
• Psalm 7:7-8 -- "Let the Lord judge the peoples"
• Psalm 8:9 -- "How majestic is your name in all the earth!"
• Psalm 18:49 -- "I will praise you among the nations"
• Psalm 19:1-4 -- "their words to the ends of the world"
• Psalm 22:26-28 -- "all the families of the nations will bow down"
• Psalm 22:27 -- "All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the Lord"
• Psalm 24:1 -- "The earth is the Lord's"
• Psalm 33:13-15 -- "The LORD looketh from heaven; he beholdeth all the sons of men"
• Psalm 45:17 -- "The nations will praise you for ever and ever"
• Psalm 46:10 -- "I will be exalted among the heathen"
• Psalm 47:7-8 -- "God is the King of all the earth"
• Psalm 48:10 -- "According to thy name, O God, so is thy praise unto the ends of the earth"
• Psalm 49:1 -- "Hear this, all ye people; give ear, all ye inhabitants of the world"
• Psalm 50:1 -- "the LORD, hath spoken, and called the earth from the rising of the sun unto the going down thereof"
• Psalm 57:9 -- " I will sing unto thee among the nations"
• Psalm 59:13 -- "let them know that God ruleth in Jacob unto the ends of the earth"
• Psalm 65:5-8 -- "O God of our salvation; who art the confidence of all the ends of the earth, and of them that are afar off upon the sea"
• Psalm 66:4 -- "All the earth shall worship thee, and shall sing unto thee; they shall sing to thy name"
• Psalm 67:4 -- "O let the nations be glad and sing for joy: for thou shalt judge the people righteously, and govern the nations upon earth"
• Psalm 68:32 -- "Sing to God, O kingdoms of the earth"
• Psalm 72:17 -- "men shall be blessed in him: all nations shall call him blessed"
• Psalm 82:8 -- "Arise, O God, judge the earth: for thou shalt inherit all nations"
• Psalm 86:9 -- "All nations whom thou hast made shall come and worship before thee, O Lord; and shall glorify thy name"
• Psalm 96:3 -- "Declare his glory among the heathen, his wonders among all people"
• Psalm 97:1 -- "The LORD reigneth; let the earth rejoice; let the multitude of isles be glad thereof"
• Psalm 98:3 -- "All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God."
• Psalm 98:9 -- "with righteousness shall he judge the world, and the people with equity"
• Psalm 102:15 -- "The nations will fear the name of the LORD, all the kings of the earth will revere your glory."
• Psalm 102:22 -- "when the peoples and the kingdoms assemble to worship the Lord"
• Psalm 105:1 -- "O give thanks unto the LORD; call upon his name: make known his deeds among the people"
• Psalm 108:3 -- "I will praise thee, O LORD, among the people: and I will sing praises unto thee among the nations"
• Psalm 108:5 -- "Be exalted, O God, above the heavens, and let your glory be over all the earth."
• Psalm 117:1,2 -- "O praise the LORD, all ye nations: praise him, all ye people. For his merciful kindness is great toward us"
• Psalm 126:2 -- "then said they among the heathen, The LORD hath done great things for them"
• Psalm 138:4 -- "All the kings of the earth shall praise thee, O LORD, when they hear the words of thy mouth"
• Isaiah 2:3 -- "Many peoples will come and say, "Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob.
• Isaiah 6:3 -- "They were calling to one another: Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.'"
• Isaiah 11:9 -- "the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD"
• Isaiah 11:10 -- "a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek"
• Isaiah 12:4 -- "Praise the LORD, call upon his name, declare his doings among the people, make mention that his name is exalted"
• Isaiah 24:16 -- "From the uttermost part of the earth have we heard songs, even glory to the righteous'"
• Isaiah 25:6 -- "the LORD Almighty will prepare a feast of rich food for all peoples"
• Isaiah 42:4 -- "in His law the islands will put their hope"
• Isaiah 42:6 -- "I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people and a light for the Gentiles."
• Isaiah 34:1 -- "Come near, you nations, and listen; pay attention, you peoples!"
• Isaiah 37:16 -- "O Lord Almighty . . . , you alone are God over all the kingdoms of the earth."
• Isaiah 42:4 -- "He will not falter or be discouraged till he establishes justice on earth. In his law the islands will put their hope."
• Isaiah 43:6 -- "I will say to the north, 'Give them up!' and to the south, 'Do not hold them back.'"
• Isaiah 45:6 -- "from the rising of the sun to the place of its setting men may know there is none besides me."
• Isaiah 45:22 -- "Turn to me . . . all you ends of the earth"
• Isaiah 49:1-6 -- "I will make you a light for the Gentiles"
• Isaiah 49:22 -- "The Sovereign Lord says: "See, I will beckon to the Gentiles, I will lift up my banner to the peoples."
• Isaiah 52:10 -- "The Lord will lay bare his holy arm in the sight of all the nations, and all the ends of the earth will see the salvation of our God."
• Isaiah 56:7 -- "my house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations"
• Isaiah 59:19 -- "From the west, men will fear the name of the Lord, and from the rising of the sun, they will revere His glory."
• Isaiah 60:3 -- "Nations will come to your light"
• Isaiah 62:11 -- "The Lord has made proclamation to the ends of the earth"
• Isaiah 66:19 -- "They will proclaim my glory among the nations"
• Jeremiah 3:17 -- "All nations will gather in Jerusalem to honor the name of the Lord"
• Jeremiah 16:19 To you the nations will come from the ends of the earth and say, "Our fathers possessed nothing but false gods, worthless idols that did them no good."
• Ezekiel 36:22-23 -- "The nations will know I am the Lord"
• Daniel 2:47; 4:1-2; 6:25 -- "Surely your God is the God of gods"
• Daniel 7:13, 14 -- "all peoples, nations and languages should serve Him"
• Jonah's story -- the missionary book of the Old Testament [ e-book on Jonah ]
• Micah 1:2 -- "Hear, O peoples, all of you, listen, O earth and all who are in it."
• Micah 4:2 -- "Many nations will come"
• Micah 5:4 -- "His greatness will reach to the ends of the earth."
• Habbakuk 2:14 -- "The earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the water cover the sea"
• Zephaniah 2:11 -- "Nations on every shore will worship him"
• Zephaniah 3:9 -- "Then will I purify the lips of the peoples, that all of them may call on the name of the Lord."
• Haggai 2:7 -- "Desire of all nations"
• Zechariah 2:11 -- "Many nations will be joined with the Lord in that day and will become my people"
• Zechariah 8:20-23 -- "Many peoples and inhabitants of many cities will come"
• Zechariah 9:10 -- "He will proclaim peace to the nations"
• Zechariah 14:9 -- "The Lord will be king over the whole earth."
• Malachi 1:10-11 -- "My name will be great among the nations, from the rising to the setting of the sun"

New Testament and missions

• Matthew 4:8-11 -- Temptation of Jesus
• Matthew 6:9-10 -- The Lord's prayer
• Matthew 8:11 -- "Many will come from the east and the west, and will take their places at the feast . . . in the kingdom of heaven"
• Matthew 10:18 -- "On my account you will be brought before governors and kings as witnesses to them and to the Gentiles."
• Matthew 13 (Ezekiel 17:23) -- parables of sower, weeds, mustard seed, fishing net
• Matthew 24:14 -- the gospel will be preached in the whole world
• Matthew 28:19-20; Mark 16:15 - The Great Commission (which many say is a re-statement of God's promise to Abraham in Genesis 12) [ Rev. Susan Fitkin's reflection on the passage ]
• Mark 11:17 (Isaiah 56:7) -- a house of prayer for all nations
• Mark 13:10 -- "the gospel must first be preached to all nations"
• Mark 16:15 (see Matthew 28:19-20)
• Luke 2:32 -- "a light for revelation to the Gentiles"
• Luke 10:2 -- "harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few" (see John 4:35)
• Luke 10:27 -- "love your neighbor as yourself"
• John 3:16 [ text of verse ]
• John 4:35 -- whitened fields (see Luke 10:2)
• John 12:32 -- "I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself."
• John 21:4-14 -- some Biblical commentators have said the 153 fish equals the number of all the tribes and nations which the ancients thought existed on earth
• Acts 1:8; 2:5-12 13:47 (Isaiah 49:6) -- witnesses in all the earth
• Acts 3:25 -- "He said to Abraham, Through your offspring, all peoples on earth will be blessed.'"
• Acts 9:15 "Go! This man is my chosen instrument to carry my name before the Gentiles and their kings."
• Acts 11:18 -- "They praised God, saying, So then, God has granted even the Gentiles repentance unto life.'"
• Acts 13:47 -- "I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth." (Isaiah 49:6)
• Acts 14:27 -- "They reported all that God had done through them and how he had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles."
• Acts 28:28 -- "Therefore I want you to know that God's salvation has been sent to the Gentiles, and they will listen!"
• Romans 1:5 -- "We received grace and apostleship to call people from among all the Gentiles to obedience."
• Romans 3:29 -- "Is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles too? Yes, of Gentiles too."
• Romans 10:12-15 -- "How can they hear?"
• Romans 15:10 "Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people." (Deuteronomy 32:43]
• Romans 15:11 "Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and sing praises to him, all you peoples." (Psalm 117:1)
• Romans 16:26 -- So that all nations might believe
• 2 Corinthians 4:15 -- "grace that is reaching more and more people"
• 2 Corinthians 10:16 -- "so that we can preach the gospel to the regions beyond you"
• Galatians 3:8 -- "The Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: All nations will be blessed through you.'" (Genesis 12:3; 18:18; 22:18)
• Galatians 3:14 -- "He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles."
• Ephesians 1:10 -- "To bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ."
• Ephesians 2:11-19 -- "you are no longer foreigners and aliens"
• Philippians 2:10 -- Every knee shall bow
• 1 Thessalonians 2:15-16 -- "to keep us from speaking to the Gentiles so that they may be saved"
• Hebrews 6:13-14 -- God's promise to Abraham
• 2 Peter 3:9, 12 -- "not wanting anyone to perish"
• 1 John 2:2 -- "He is the atoning sacrifice . . . for the sins of the whole world"
• Revelation 5:9 -- "you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation"
• Revelation 7:9 -- Every tribe, tongue, people and nation
• Revelation 14:6 -- "The angel had the eternal gospel to proclaim to those who live on the earth -- to every nation, tribe, language and people."
• Revelation 15:4 -- "all nations will come and worship before you"
• Revelation 21:23-24 -- "The Lamb is its lamp. The nations will walk by its light"