The Mission Observer

100 Missio Apostolica
Mission Observer
Meaning and Significance of " Apostolica1 f
Karl Heinrich Rengstorf of Tubingen wrote the definitive background for the
Greek word "apostello" in Kittel's Theological Wordbook of the New Testament.
Although Rengstorf's is not the most complete discussion of what it means to be
an apostle (Carl Braaten, Walther Schmitals, J.B. Lightfoot and T.W. Manson
contribute excellent and more complete insights) his article is very widely quoted
when it comes to the history, form and function of this very common but little
understood term.
Rengstorf traces the history of apostello from a Greek seafaring term
designating a ship on an official ambassadorial mission. He describes the Jewish
apostle (the "shaliach") and refers to "Beracoth V" of the Talmud (the section on
contracts) to show that an "apostle of a man is as the man himself." And he
identifies others in the New Testament who bear the title of apostleBarnabus,
Silvanus, Andronicus and Juniaamong possible others (missionaries in the
early church).
Further, according to Rengstorf, apostello's emphasis is not just on linking
sender and sent (which is more appropriate for "pempo"), but the emphasis is on
uniting the sender and the sent one. The stress is less on simply going to a place
or person, or assuming an officeand more on from whom the apostle is
coming. "In the last resort not they, but He who had sent them, must be the
subject of the preaching of the gospel to the world"Matthew 10:18-20 and
Luke 12:11-12 (Kittel, p. 433). "In John the thought of the authorization of the
messengers is subsidiary to that of the part of Jesus in their work, or rather to
the consideration that it is He who sustains both them and their apostolic office"
(Ibid., p. 435).
This is particularly true when we think of the term "apostolic church." This
common description of the body of Christ is meant to convey the idea that the
Church, as Christ's body, is an extension of Himself; i.e., we do not act on our
own. The church has been sentwith the Good News that eternal life is now
possiblenot only that, but it is available and is being offered. This world is
linked to the Lord of salvation through the authoritatively sent churchin the
Word, in, with and under the bread and wine of the Lord's Supper and the water
of Holy Baptism.
The Mission Observer serves as a forum for comments on, and assessments of,
developments and events in the mission at large, as well as the thoughts and current
issues related to the Christian mission. The views presented in this column will not
always reflect the opinion of the editorial committee.
Mission Observer 101

The founders of Missio Apostolica intend in a very Lutheran way to
strengthen the link between the terms "apostolic church" and "missionary
church." The Savior, once sent with authority (John 20:21), continues to send out
His forgiveness through His "missioned" Body. In the church the world meets
not just an institution, not just a buildingbut a Saviorsent into the world to
forgive sins. What better linkage could there be?
Robert J. Scudieri
The Verbs of Matthew 28

One occasionally hears a speaker pit the "discipling" approach of Matthew
28 against a "maintenance" ministry. The latter, so it is claimed, simply
"maintains" the status quo whereas the former really "disciples" people.
This kind of contrast is at best misleading. According to Matthew 28, Jesus
commissioned the Eleven to go and "make disciples by baptizing and teaching."
The imperative and the participles are not to be understood as separate and
distinct activities something like, "Do apples and oranges and pears; we're strong
on oranges and pears, but we need to learn to do apples." The verbal activities
do not form a list ("Now we need to learn how to disciple") but are all of a piece
in one unity. "Discipling" occurs through the instrumentality of and
synchronically with "baptizing and teaching." When the Eleven "baptized and
taught" they ipso facto "discipled," and when they sought to make followers of
Jesus ("disciples") they "baptized and taught." The book of Acts reveals how this
indivisible "discipling-by-baptizing-and-teaching" Ministry was carried out in the
first generation.
So what shall we say about a so-called "maintenance" ministry, a ministry
directed to the same persons year after year? Not that no "discipling" is going
on thereprovided that people are being baptized into the Triune name and are
being taught the whole Word of the Lordbut that such a "discipling" ministry
is not being directed toward "all the nations," toward the community, toward
optsiders.
In short, disciples of Jesus are made through the means of grace and not
apart from those means. There is nothing over and beyond the Word and
Sacraments which the Spirit uses to create and sustain Jesus' disciples.
Matthew's Great Commission, then, is to bring the means of grace to "all the
nations." With this understanding Luke's version essentially agrees, namely to
preach the Law serving the Gospel to all the nations ("that repentance unto the
forgiveness of sins in his name be preached to all the nations"Luke 24:47).
Paul R. Raabe
^ s
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100 Missio Apostolica

Mission Observer 101

The Verbs of Matthew 28

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