Questions & Answers about Primitive Baptists
by Elder Tim McCool
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What is the Primitive Baptist understanding of the Bible's teaching concerning missionaries?
The term missionary is found nowhere in the Bible. The gifts of the church are found in Eph. 4:11. The purpose of these gifts is for the benefit of the saints, or those who are already born again. Primitive Baptists wholeheartedly believe that gospel ministers must go where directed by the Spirit and not by a mission board (Acts 20:22-23). The call to "save lost sinners", or the cry of mission work as is common today, whether intentional or not, works to de-emphasize the importance of the local ministry and place the importance of the Christian walk somewhere far away. It causes individuals to lose sight of their true "mission", that of being content with where God has placed them and striving to spread the gospel to those in the area where they have the most influence -- their home and their communities. It is noteworthy that Primitive Baptists have established churches in foreign lands, such as the Philippines, Africa and India, to which no organization or board has directed men to go, other than the Lord.
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