Tag Archives: theology

Mailbag: Neglecting the Unreached and Fighting Heresy

In this episode, we tackle two pivotal topics at the heart of global missions. We begin by responding to one friendly criticism and exploring the nuanced definition of “reached,” emphasizing the importance of not just making contact with the unreached but ensuring every nation, tribe, and people group has a fully mature body of believers.Continue reading “Mailbag: Neglecting the Unreached and Fighting Heresy”

Virtuous Persuasion: Redefining Missions With Michael Niebauer

In this insightful episode, Michael Niebauer, pastor and director of Heritage Mission, delves into the heart of Christian missions. He eloquently discusses the essential elements of virtuous practice, proclamation, and gathering in missions, redefining skilled missionary work as following Christ rather than just mastering techniques. Niebauer also critically evaluates three popular models of missions, offeringContinue reading “Virtuous Persuasion: Redefining Missions With Michael Niebauer”

A Theology of the Cross in Missions: Tim Bertolet Explains

Join Scott and Alex for a profound discussion with ABWE’s own Tim Bertolet, focusing on the motivations in ministry: are we seeking personal glory or glorifying the Lord? Delving into Martin Luther’s distinction between the theology of glory and the theology of the cross, this episode examines its impact on evangelical missions and Christian living.Continue reading “A Theology of the Cross in Missions: Tim Bertolet Explains”

What Is Karmic Christianity? An Interview With E.D. Burns

In this eye-opening episode, we sit down with E.D. Burns, author of Karmic Christianity: Finding Peace by Faith Alone, to dissect the pitfalls of blending karma with Christian faith. Burns warns missionaries against the trap of treadmill living, where the focus shifts from God’s grace to human effort, leading to ministry burnout and a distortedContinue reading “What Is Karmic Christianity? An Interview With E.D. Burns”

The Cross in Context? Exploring Atonement and Contextualization with Brad Vaughn

Engage in a thought-provoking continuation of The Missions Podcast as we delve into the ideas presented by Brad Vaughn in his book The Cross in Context. Join hosts Alex Kocman and Scott Dunford as they explore various perspectives on the relationship between Christianity and Western culture, the diverse metaphors of sin and Christ’s atonement, andContinue reading “The Cross in Context? Exploring Atonement and Contextualization with Brad Vaughn”

The Resurrection and Mission With Dr. Tim Bertolet

What does the resurrection of Jesus Christ mean for global missions? In this thought-provoking podcast, Tim Bertolet (Ph.D., University of Pretoria), initiatives strategist with ABWE, dives deep into the importance of the resurrection and its relationship with redemption, evangelism, and our future hope. With insightful analysis of key verses from 1 Corinthians, Romans, and Acts,Continue reading “The Resurrection and Mission With Dr. Tim Bertolet”

The ‘Simple’ Trinity in Missions: Matthew Barrett – #FTC22

Missions exists to spread the knowledge of God. But who is God? And how are evangelicals today getting the Trinity wrong? Dr. Matthew Barrett of Midwestern Seminary gives such much-needed insights at the For the Church conference. Watch the video version of this episode here. Matthew Barrett is Associate Professor of Christian Theology at MidwesternContinue reading “The ‘Simple’ Trinity in Missions: Matthew Barrett – #FTC22”

Why Missionaries Must Read Old Books: Banner of Truth’s John Rawlinson

Enter our giveaway to attend the Radius Missiology Conference in person or virtually. Details at missionspodcast.com/radius22. The Missions Podcast exists to help goers think and thinkers go. Perhaps no other modern Christian publisher is more concerned with helping believers to think deeply about—and experience—the things of God than Banner of Truth. What cross-cultural impact is theContinue reading “Why Missionaries Must Read Old Books: Banner of Truth’s John Rawlinson”

No Shortcuts to Success: Matt Rhodes’ ‘Manifesto’

Watch the video version of this episode here. Americans have a need for speed—and missionaries aren’t immune. But in his new “manifesto,” author and missionary Matt Rhodes explains why faithful missions requires long-term commitment. This week, we talk to him about historic missionaries’ example, why definitions matter, and how to gain agreement on a fieldContinue reading “No Shortcuts to Success: Matt Rhodes’ ‘Manifesto’”

Helping Goers Think and Thinkers Go: Paul Davis on Media and Missions

Why does this show exist? What do media and technology have to do with missions? This week, ABWE President Paul Davis turns the table on Scott Dunford and Alex Kocman in a three-way conversation about the state of the show and why it’s critical to equip missionaries and church leaders through resources online. Subscribe now toContinue reading “Helping Goers Think and Thinkers Go: Paul Davis on Media and Missions”

Chad Vegas: Defining the ‘Proclamational Model’ (Part 2)

Watch the video version of this episode here. This week, we continue our conversation with Chad Vegas defining proclamation, outlining the dangers of pragmatism, and sketching a vision for a biblically-driven missiology. Miss part 1? Listen here. Chad is the founding pastor of Sovereign Grace Church of Bakersfield, the founding board chairman of Radius InternationalContinue reading “Chad Vegas: Defining the ‘Proclamational Model’ (Part 2)”

Chad Vegas: Defining the ‘Proclamational Model’ (Part 1)

Watch the video version of this episode here. In the missions world, there’s a rift between movement practitioners and advocates of biblical proclamation. Why the disagreement? And is there such a thing as the “proclamational model”? Chad Vegas weighs in this week. Chad is the founding pastor of Sovereign Grace Church of Bakersfield, the foundingContinue reading “Chad Vegas: Defining the ‘Proclamational Model’ (Part 1)”

Suffering, Eschatology, and the Glorious Reward in Missions

Why does God give us a glimpse of the future? How can we prepare for suffering in missions? This week, hear a special presentation from Alex Kocman to members of Westminster Theological Seminary’s Global Missions Fellowship on 2 Corinthians 4:16-18, taken from Alex’s upcoming book with Chad Vegas on integrating doctrine and practice. Support thisContinue reading “Suffering, Eschatology, and the Glorious Reward in Missions”

The Transcultural Gospel: E.D. Burns

Honor and shame. Fear and power. Guilt and innocence. Missiologists are increasingly identifying these cultural value systems as the key to communicating the gospel. But have we gotten them wrong? E.D. Burns, author of The Transcultural Gospel, returns to the show to explain how the biblical gospel message transcends cultures and all our imperfect effortsContinue reading “The Transcultural Gospel: E.D. Burns”

#RMC21 Panel 2: Sending Well With Paul Davis, Chad Vegas, and Barry Brown

Sending missionaries has taught these pastors what to do—and what not to do. Chad Vegas, Paul Davis and Barry Brown join Scott Dunford and Alex Kocman in this panel from the 2021 Radius Missiology Conference. Watch the video version of this episode: youtu.be/NEyXBNj9HTU. Want to ask a question or suggest a topic? Email alex@missionspodcast.com. The MissionsContinue reading “#RMC21 Panel 2: Sending Well With Paul Davis, Chad Vegas, and Barry Brown”

#RMC21: Chad Vegas and Alex Kocman on Their Upcoming Book on Missions

Recorded live at the Radius Missiology Conference in Minneapolis: In this midweek exclusive, Chad Vegas, pastor of Sovereign Grace Church in Bakersfield, California, and board chairman for Radius International, joins to discuss his and Alex Kocman’s new book on missions scheduled for publication from Founders Press later this year. Watch the video version of thisContinue reading “#RMC21: Chad Vegas and Alex Kocman on Their Upcoming Book on Missions”

Heresy and Contextualization: Tim Bertolet on Galatians

We don’t normally think of Galatians as a “missions book.” Paul is confronting heretics, defending doctrine, and getting really, really detailed about circumcision. Yet according to Tim Bertolet, Ph.D., Galatians is all about God’s mission to the world. It exposes how we idolize contextualization, shows the healthy way to bring the gospel into new contexts,Continue reading “Heresy and Contextualization: Tim Bertolet on Galatians”

Christmas Episode: Can Missions Be ‘Incarnational’?

Merry Christmas from the Missions Podcast! To celebrate the holiday, we’re honing in on the incarnation of Christ and asking: what do Christian leaders mean when they talk about “incarnational” ministry? Can the incarnation actually be imitated, or does referring to our ministry as incarnational cheapen the uniqueness of Christ’s birth? This week, Scott andContinue reading “Christmas Episode: Can Missions Be ‘Incarnational’?”

James Dolezal: What Every Missionary Needs to Know About the Doctrine of God

Only a big view of God can sustain the people of God on a big mission. Yet have missionaries gotten their very doctrine of God himself wrong? This week, Dr. James Dolezal highlights the doctrines of divine simplicity, immutability, and aseity—aspects of theology proper often lost on modern evangelicalism—and why they matter for reaching pagans,Continue reading “James Dolezal: What Every Missionary Needs to Know About the Doctrine of God”

Brooks Buser Answers: How Dare Missionaries Seek to Convert?

On August 8, 2020, a simple tweet by Brooks Buser, president of Radius International, ignited a firestorm of controversy: “Thank you for the prayers for Amdu people and team. By God’s grace, there are now members of that people group who are reconciled to God, who no longer have their sins counted against them.” Skeptics,Continue reading “Brooks Buser Answers: How Dare Missionaries Seek to Convert?”

Fearless Leadership in Fearful Days: Charles Smith Speaks

Between global illness, national riots, and the ordinary lump-in-the-throat feeling that often accompanies Christian obedience, the temptations to retreat in fear—or simulate real risk with risk-free alternatives—are plentiful. But this is not the time for cowardice cloaked in carefulness. Now is the time for fearless mission. This week on The Missions Podcast, Charles Smith discussesContinue reading “Fearless Leadership in Fearful Days: Charles Smith Speaks”

When the Church Can’t Gather: Pandemics, Persecution, and Worship on the Mission Field

Does online worship count as “church?” Is Sunday unique as the Lord’s Day? Does the Bible give us a regulative principle or worship, or a normative principle of worship? The current global crisis has brought up these important questions about ecclesiology—questions that missionaries already face in parts of the world where gathering openly and regularlyContinue reading “When the Church Can’t Gather: Pandemics, Persecution, and Worship on the Mission Field”

Coronavirus and Plague: Lessons From Church History With Glenn Sunshine

The COVID-19 pandemic is challenging churches to be more bold, evangelistic, and loving towards our neighbors than we’ve ever needed to be. But this isn’t the first time in church history that Christians have faced the challenge of a plague. In this episode, our friend Glenn Sunshine returns to share a history of pandemics, theContinue reading “Coronavirus and Plague: Lessons From Church History With Glenn Sunshine”

Disagreeing Agreeably: An Honest Discussion on Separation, Fundamentalism, and Cooperation with Josh Teis

Nothing requires Christians across tribal lines to work together quite like the Great Commission. However, nothing divides Christians quite like our mission and methods, either. How can we cooperate and disagree agreeably in an age of separatism, without compromising on gospel issues and matters of sound, biblical, conservative theology? How can missionaries understand fundamentalism andContinue reading “Disagreeing Agreeably: An Honest Discussion on Separation, Fundamentalism, and Cooperation with Josh Teis”

Should Emotions Motivate Missions? Jonathan Edwards, David Brainerd, and Religious Affections With Ryan Martin

What role should our emotions play in motivating us towards missions? The answer is in church history. Jonathan Edwards is noted his biography of the famous missionary David Brainerd, who was among the first to reach the Native Americans with the gospel. But most people don’t know that Jonathan Edwards wrote about Brainerd primarily asContinue reading “Should Emotions Motivate Missions? Jonathan Edwards, David Brainerd, and Religious Affections With Ryan Martin”

Is All Theology Cultural? Biblical Authority and Contextualization

Biblical authority is under attack. A missionary’s job is partly to make the transcendents truths of God’s word understandable within human language, context, and culture. But is it possible to know God’s objective truth, or are we always “stuck” within our culture—making modern missions inescapably colonialist? In this episode, Scott Dunford and Alex Kocman dialogueContinue reading “Is All Theology Cultural? Biblical Authority and Contextualization”

What Is Gospel-Centered Missions?

What is the gospel? It’s a question missionaries can’t afford to take for granted. Specifically, what would a distinctly gospel-centered approach to missions look like, and how would it differ—or not differ—from forms of mission that focus heavily on meeting physical, tangible needs? What is the relationship between gospel proclamation and cultural engagement? Scott and AlexContinue reading “What Is Gospel-Centered Missions?”

Mere Hope: Jason Duesing on Missionary Hope in a Cynical Age

We live in an age of perpetual outrage and cynicism, and lost hope takes its greatest toll upon the missionary endeavor. This week we spoke with Dr. Jason Duesing, passionate missions sender and academic Provost and Associate Professor of Historical Theology at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, author of the new book Mere Hope: Life in An AgeContinue reading “Mere Hope: Jason Duesing on Missionary Hope in a Cynical Age”

Tom Schreiner: What Is the Role of the Holy Spirit and Miracles in Missions?

Dreams and visions in the Islamic world. Miraculous healings. “Power-encounters.” What is the role of the Holy Spirit in missions? Are miracles still normative in front-lines missions—and specifically, what about the apostolic sign gifts seen throughout the Book of Acts? There’s perhaps no one better to ask than Dr. Thomas R. Schreiner, one of theContinue reading “Tom Schreiner: What Is the Role of the Holy Spirit and Miracles in Missions?”

Conrad Mbewe: Combatting Prosperity Teaching in Africa

Christianity isn’t spreading into Africa; it’s already there. But as our guest this week shares, it is afflicted by the problem of syncretism, hyper-charismatic influence, so-called prosperity “gospel” teaching, and weak theology. How can pastors and missionaries confront these threats and help the African church develop theologies that are rich, sound, and historically rooted? ConradContinue reading “Conrad Mbewe: Combatting Prosperity Teaching in Africa”

Chris Bruno: Biblical Theology Versus Systematic Theology in Missions

Protestants in the West have a rich heritage of systematic theology—but it doesn’t always translate easily into new cultural contexts. Is a return to narrative-focused, biblical theology the answer? Chris Bruno, Assistant Professor of Greek and New Testament at Bethlehem College and Seminary, joins us to answer and weigh in on his own cross-cultural experiencesContinue reading “Chris Bruno: Biblical Theology Versus Systematic Theology in Missions”

Paul Davis: Why Missionaries Must Be Theologians

On this episode, ABWE President Paul Davis joins us to share why it’s crucial that missionaries be theologians. We dive into why a “big God” theology that acknowledges the absolute supremacy of Christ is the only theology weighty enough to compel an unbeliever to convert and commit “treason” against their old gods. It’s also the onlyContinue reading “Paul Davis: Why Missionaries Must Be Theologians”

Zane Pratt: Are Explosive Disciple-Making Movements Really Healthy?

You’ve probably heard that Muslims are coming to Christ throughout the Islamic world in record numbers, many of them prompted by dreams and visions. Perhaps you’ve also heard of related disciple-making movements and church-planting movements that report exponential multiplication of converts and fledgling churches. But what’s the real story behind these stats, and are these explosive growth movements really healthy and biblical? Zane Pratt joins us today to answer.

Collin Hansen: Social Justice, Racial Reconciliation, and Missions

What is a biblical definition “social justice” and how does it relate to the gospel? What bearing does the recent conversation about racial reconciliation—and the resulting controversy—have for missionaries ministering to disparate and people groups and ethnicities? How can the church do a better job of addressing social justice and racial issues without proposing leftistContinue reading “Collin Hansen: Social Justice, Racial Reconciliation, and Missions”

T4G Panel on Theological Training in Missions

There’s a theological famine across the majority world. How can we fix that? Are translated English resources the solution? How can we encourage more theological educators to serve overseas? And why does the chasm between the gospel-centered, big-God theology movement and the missions world seem so large? On April 12th, 2018 at Together for the GospelContinue reading “T4G Panel on Theological Training in Missions”

God’s Sovereignty, Human Responsibility, and Missions

Is Reformed theology antithetical to missions? Can Calvinists and Arminians partner together in gospel ministry? Today, Scott and Alex take a swing at these hotly-debated topics and provide answers from a biblical perspective recognizing that God’s sovereignty is fully compatible with the call to repent and believe the gospel—and how the fact that Christ hasContinue reading “God’s Sovereignty, Human Responsibility, and Missions”