What Is the Mission of the Church? (什么是教会的使命?)

Christians today define mission more broadly and variably than ever before. Are we, as the body of Christ, headed in the same direction or are we on divergent missions?

Some argue that the mission of the Church is to confront injustice and alleviate suffering, doing more to express God’s love for the world. Others are concerned that the church is in danger of losing its God-centeredness and thereby emphasize the proclamation of the gospel. It appears as though misunderstanding of mission persists.

Kevin DeYoung and Greg Gilbert believe there is a lot that evangelicals can agree on if only we employ the right categories and build our theology of mission from the same biblical building blocks. Explaining key concepts like kingdom, gospel, and social justice, DeYoung and Gilbert help us to get on the same page―united by a common cause―and launch us forward into the true mission of the church.

今天，基督徒对教会使命的定义比以往任何时候的都要宽泛、多变。作为基督的身体，我们是朝着相同的使命迈进，还是各行其是?

有人认为，教会的使命是对抗不公，减轻苦难，做更多的事来展现神对世人的爱。也有人担心，教会面临着不以神为中心的危险，因此更强调福音的宣讲。对教会使命的误解似乎依然存在。

凯文·德扬和纪格睿认为，只要我们采用正确的范畴，并在相同的圣经根基上构建我们的使命神学，福音派就能达成许多共识。作者解释了神国、福音和社会正义等关键概念，让我们有了一致的步调，推动我们投身于教会真正的使命。