Acts 10:37 KJV
That word, I say, ye know, which was published throughout all Judaea, and began from Galilee, after the baptism which John preached;
I find it interesting that in two of the earliest efforts to reach non Jews, those they attempted to reach had already been exposed to the Word of God.
In Samaria, Philip's ministry among these people was certainly aided by the ministry Christ had there with the woman at the well. In this case Peter bluntly exclaims that Cornelius and those with him already knew the Word he was about to preach to them. It had been published throughout Judaea and began from Galilee.
This is still the case of much of the world today, certainly of all of the civilized world; very few people do not know something about the Lord Jesus Christ.
Perhaps this is the difference between true missions and what might be better called evangelism: Missions takes the message to those who have never heard any portion of the Word of God, evangelism reaches out to those who have heard, with the personal application, "Ye must be born again."
In the world in which I live, though people are becoming less and less "Christianized" still my main work is not to introduce them to the name of Christ for the first time, my work is to bring what they have already heard to life. My task, as was Peter's, is to try to get the message from the head into the heart.
Peter preached the Word of God and Cornelius and those with him responded as the Spirit of God moved upon them.
Holy Spirit, so move among those we take the Gospel to.
That word, I say, ye know, which was published throughout all Judaea, and began from Galilee, after the baptism which John preached;
I find it interesting that in two of the earliest efforts to reach non Jews, those they attempted to reach had already been exposed to the Word of God.
In Samaria, Philip's ministry among these people was certainly aided by the ministry Christ had there with the woman at the well. In this case Peter bluntly exclaims that Cornelius and those with him already knew the Word he was about to preach to them. It had been published throughout Judaea and began from Galilee.
This is still the case of much of the world today, certainly of all of the civilized world; very few people do not know something about the Lord Jesus Christ.
Perhaps this is the difference between true missions and what might be better called evangelism: Missions takes the message to those who have never heard any portion of the Word of God, evangelism reaches out to those who have heard, with the personal application, "Ye must be born again."
In the world in which I live, though people are becoming less and less "Christianized" still my main work is not to introduce them to the name of Christ for the first time, my work is to bring what they have already heard to life. My task, as was Peter's, is to try to get the message from the head into the heart.
Peter preached the Word of God and Cornelius and those with him responded as the Spirit of God moved upon them.
Holy Spirit, so move among those we take the Gospel to.
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