Today, Christian missions is in the blessed state of utter confusion!
The claim "evangelization of the world in our generation"
represented the "holy confidence" of the Edinburgh Missionary
Conference (1910) among the western mission leaders. This
"confidence" may have been confused with the western political or
colonial power. Ironically, as the colonial system broke down, global
Christianity shifted radically and grew exponentially. With almost
two-thirds of world Christians now living in the three southern
continents, and their immigrant communities bringing new energy to
the waning churches in the North, a large space has opened up for
creative rethinking of Christian witnessing. Hence, the rethinking and
revisioning process of mission urges us all to go back to the Scripture
afresh, devoid of any cultural lenses but listening to the Holy Spirit.
Given this unique locus of today's church, this book takes us back
to the foundational teachings of Jesus on missions: the Great
Commission (Gospel of Matthew) and the Messianic Commission
(Gospel of John). Although these two passages are "universal" in
grounding Christian mission, Professor Keener wants to assure that the
role of the Holy Spirit is central to Christian living and acting as God's
witnesses. The chapter on Pentecost is an important contribution not
only to Pentecostals in missions but the entire Christian church. The
growth of Pentecostal Christianity, which has fueled the radical shift
in and expansion of the global church, will find that this chapter serves
as the firm foundation for Spirit-empowered witnessing. The last
chapter presents the fundamental and equally challenging feature of
global missions: crossing barriers. This drive to embrace diversity and
desire for unity appears counter-intuitive and even counter-norm. This seeming contradiction can take place only when Christ's followers
invite the work of the Holy Spirit into their life! At the end of this rather
short reading, one is left with a deep sense that we have been
commissioned to live, work, and proclaim in this world as Christ's
witnesses through the power of the Holy Spirit. Implicitly,
-Foreword by: Wonsuk Ma
