The "Return" of Acts– World Christianity and Missed Opportunities in Understanding Its Transmission
In many missiological works there seems to be a particular running historical interpretation, especially when focusing on church planting, the transmission of Christianity from one people, society, or civilization to another. This interpretation could be seen as a hyperbolic returning to the correct (or anointed) model of transmitting the message of Christ and His followers around the world. To this interpretation of the book of the Acts of the Apostles it might be good to ask the following questions:
Does Acts show the definitive prescription of how the church should shape itself and spread?
Have Christian communities throughout history, whether the churches of late antiquity, the middle ages, those in Central Asia from the fifth century till the fifteenth, or Protestant missions from the eighteenth, “missed” or ignored the correct way to diffuse their faith among peoples who have no adherence to Christ or have never heard of him?
Answering these questions are dissertation level endeavors, following a long paths of research, delineation, and reflection. It cannot be tamed here. However, it can be mentioned that the assumption of many church planters, missiologists, and researchers that Acts, or the New Testament at large, prescribes one specific ecclesiology and methodology for disseminating Christianity is dubious. Whether this is house churches, or certain methods for rapid church planting movements. It is tempting to think that somehow past communities of Christians have missed, or purposely ignored, the proper church planting method. From Roland Allen’s works to the newest from Steve Smith, the late and esteemed missionary and missiologist, there often seems to be such a theme in any encouragement to adjust or practice a certain church planting methodology. This can be shown in often hagiographical statements, “The DNA of Jesus’ discipleship is emerging fresh” among leaders in the present day. It is often assumed, or seemingly intimated, that these emergences are despite the wrong thinking of those who came before it.
The critique is easily made. Missionaries, church planters, Christians of all stripes living their lives and sharing their faith, make mistakes or act in ignorance to history, culture, and Biblical testimony. Church history is filled with theology and practice which is motivated by personal and cultural preference. However, the history of the transmission of Christianity is also filled with just that– transmission. Christianity has a long replete history of changing hands, intentionally and un-intentionally.
Also, looking at Acts of the Apostles in its historical contexts and narrative (not as a work of cause and effect church planting prescription), maybe we can often gain much more than just a prescription and algorithmic formula for sharing Christ and spreading His renown. We can gain a great deal in seeing those early churches and believers as they wrestle with faith, society, and giving testimony to how Christ accomplishes His continued work in a complex world with fallible people.