Missionaries? Disciples?

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Redbaron

Pirate fan since the dark ages
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In the thread discussing the Gospel of Mark, one of our posters has decided to dispense with the word 'disciple', preferring the word 'missionaries'. So as not to derail the Mark thread, I'm starting a new one to discuss this change in nomenclature. Is it appropriate? Are the two words interchangeable? Or are there distinctions between missionaries and disciples?

(Spoiler alert: I believe that all missionaries are disciples, but not all disciples are missionaries. More on this as time goes on.)

Discuss.
 
Missionaries are front persons .. while disciples are followers to check mistakes by those appearing up front by their total knowledge ... but their masque doesn't reveal their weals and scars ... causing even donkeys to bite ...

These bites may come because of insecurities in the perfect domains ... thus crabs and capricious attributes to character development ...

My grandfather used to call them jumped up demons in front Jobs ...

Myself ... I just don't know ... i've been told ... so as to expose by flaws ... I allow no followers ... they have to learn on their own. Why the hart is a lonely hunter ...

It is almost as hard to discover as the mind ... of an emotional leader ...

If you see lightning in a dark cloud ... look underneath it for the subtle organs ... sometimes referred to those with better cuts as ... tripe and thus disposed ... denied!

In any account it could be a myth considering what human determinants know for sure ... some say determination is crass form of gentile persistence across time ...

Thus if you are a dude/dud you may be recycled ... I am looking forward to it after much elimination I feel like I am being forced into piscine ... golden stains out there ...

Like tracking spore when hunting mysteries like the great obscure fete ... manifest abstract!

Is there a history of missionaries messing up belief systems in far out places?
 
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Consider Captain Bligh and his losing the craft HMRS Bounding ...

There are similar stories like Cain and Canes Mutiny ...
 
We could debate these two terms as we use them in present day.

However, I am not sure there is any reason to call the biblical disciples "missionaries".

When I first encountered this usage, I wondered if "missionaries" might be a new buzzword. We have been hearing about "missional churches" for a while and I wonder if there is a connection.
 
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However, I am not sure there is any reason to call the biblical disciples "missionaries".

Why not? Jesus commissioned them to spread the word, did he not? While it could be argued they were more than just missionaries, that was, to my eye, certainly part of the role he called them to.
 
Why not? Jesus commissioned them to spread the word, did he not? While it could be argued they were more than just missionaries, that was, to my eye, certainly part of the role he called them to.
Agreed that it is accurate to call them missionaries. But what is gained by changing our language for the twelve?
 
Time is said to cause crossover in all things physical, mental and emotional ... do we ever get there?

Unlikely for monadistic BS that can't put triads together to see what comes forth there ... Runes in deconstructionism? --- Runis ...

Leaves me all broke up ...
 
Agreed that it is accurate to call them missionaries. But what is gained by changing our language for the twelve?

I think, as you suggested in a previous post, that it ties back to the whole of the Church being missional in nature. If the core mandate of the church is "mission" then calling the "founders" who received that mandate from Jesus "missionaries" kind of makes sense. The problem is that the disciples were more than ordinary missionaries. They were Jesus' inner circle, the primary recipients of his teaching. That's why we call them "disciples" or "apostles" not just "missionaries."
 
Ah. Then all we have to do is determine what the mission of the church is.
--To convert the heathen into its own way of thinking?
--To make the world as better place for all its inhabitants? (i.e. plant, animal, etc. includes environmental concerns that certain stripes of "Christians" have labelled demonic)
--To create a community that includes everybody? To exhibit love and compassion to all? or just to some?
As you can see a few details remain to be ironed out.....
 
Ah. Then all we have to do is determine what the mission of the church is.
--To convert the heathen into its own way of thinking?
--To make the world as better place for all its inhabitants? (i.e. plant, animal, etc. includes environmental concerns that certain stripes of "Christians" have labelled demonic)
--To create a community that includes everybody? To exhibit love and compassion to all? or just to some?
As you can see a few details remain to be ironed out.....

How about a grip on getting it all together for pragmatic reason with do 'n care and concern ... in a world lacking much concern as that would be worrisome ... who'd bother?
 
Ah. Then all we have to do is determine what the mission of the church is.
--To convert the heathen into its own way of thinking?
--To make the world as better place for all its inhabitants? (i.e. plant, animal, etc. includes environmental concerns that certain stripes of "Christians" have labelled demonic)
--To create a community that includes everybody? To exhibit love and compassion to all? or just to some?
As you can see a few details remain to be ironed out.....

I think there's a thread or two about that around here...:rolleyes:
 
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Ah. Then all we have to do is determine what the mission of the church is.
--To convert the heathen into its own way of thinking?
--To make the world as better place for all its inhabitants? (i.e. plant, animal, etc. includes environmental concerns that certain stripes of "Christians" have labelled demonic)
--To create a community that includes everybody? To exhibit love and compassion to all? or just to some?
As you can see a few details remain to be ironed out.....
Always wondered why Jesus and his Jewish disciples were into conversion? I thought Jews preferred not to convert....especially under threats of death as the Romans later did?
Anyhoo...I think disciples knew Jesus but I would hope missionaries would too.
 
Always wondered why Jesus and his Jewish disciples were into conversion? I thought Jews preferred not to convert....especially under threats of death as the Romans later did?
Anyhoo...I think disciples knew Jesus but I would hope missionaries would too.

If Jesus was more about reforming Judaism as he often seems to have been, he would have been talking about winning converts to his message and interpretation of the Law and Prophets rather than to a new faith. The "converts" would still be Jews, just live that Judaism differently than those who followed the teachings of other sects like the Pharisees. The idea of winning converts into a completely new religion would be more Paul's era and beyond.
 
Redbaron said:

"Missionary" is not a word that is employed by the Biblical text. Depending upon your translation it may appear three times in the book of Acts and there it is an Editorial preference referring to journey's made by Paul.

Biblically speaking the distinction is made between "disciple" and "apostle" the key distinction being the action undertaken. Disciples study and Apostles are sent out.

In that regard "missionary" seems to be roughly equivalent to "apostle" and not disciple. With an eye to the sending out it is also important to note that Christ sends out Apostles whereas missionaries are sent by the Church. Biblically speaking Apostles is a select term and tends to refer to the 12 who were disciples of Christ and witnesses of his resurrection and then to Paul as one born late. It is more specific whereas disciple is more generic.
 
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