This is not a study, but I intend to turn it into one. This is a brief answer that I gave to a friend of mine on how I see "missionaries" as presented by the Bible:
I think this is what our little body here would do / or how we would do it if we had "missionaries." So:
As far as I can tell from the Bible there were a few types of "missionaries." There were the apostles who were sent out by Christ into all the world to tell the word of God to the children of Israel... and incidentally (or by design of the Spirit I suppose) to any gentiles that ended up among that group and believed. Then there was Paul who was also sent out by Christ to Israel, but also specifically to the gentiles. Then there were those sent out by the body at Jerusalem (Barnabas and Paul and others) and some that seem to have been led of the Spirit to various areas (Appolos and Philip come to mind). Even Jonah and Nahum in the OT were sent out to gentiles (Assyria / Nineveh) as was Obadiah (to Edom / descendants of Esau). On more than one occasion, a "missionary" was called by the area that needed him (Cornelius calling Peter, and Samaria indirectly calling Peter and James among others...).
So. In the case of a man led of the Spirit, I feel that he needs no sending body. He just needs the word from the Lord and obedience. In this case he will go as a messenger, and may well be hated by the other religious groups in the area. The important thing here is to strictly stick to the message given. See the prophet from Judah to Israel that was told to go, give his message, and to leave without eating or staying in Israel. He disobeyed and was killed by God by a lion in the road.
In the case of a group of people that needs teaching, I think it is right that one well founded body should send elders to that people to teach. It is the receiving body's responsibility to feed, clothe and house such men... and their families. There may be exceptions, but that is the general rule.
This is the same (I believe) of a body that sees a people group that God has laid on their heart, and that the Spirit has led the body by prophecy to send out "church apostles" (missionaries) to such a people. Again, these will be elders.
Elders: men that are 30 years old or older, and meet the qualifications in Timothy, Titus and other parts of the Bible.
So... we as a body might not necessarily be willing to send just any person to the people group of their choice... but, I don't think the body at Jerusalem would have sent Philip where he went either (he being only a deacon and not an elder), nevertheless, the Spirit led him, and he obeyed, and what he did was right.
If our body did send a missionary (we would call it a "church apostle" or a "messenger from the body at Gallup") we would have to make sure that he was an elder. That he had firm knowledge of the word, that he was full of the Spirit of God, and that he had demonstrated competence among us such that we would be confident that he should complete his task. In some cases this would mean him living among us, and us well knowing him, etc... in other cases it would simply be by prophecy among the elders of the body. It is God's congregation... not our own.
Also... Beka had a dream some time back which I believe to be a word from God, and it seems pertinent to the topic at hand and speaks more to political "sending bodies" more than to the Biblical teaching on "apostles" or "missionaries." She just posted it, and here is the link:
Church ProstitutionPlease post or pm questions. I will try to make this a complete study as I have time.
--gabe
