In 1853, 21-year-old Hudson Taylor left Liverpool for China. His ship arrived in Shanghai, one of five treaty ports China had opened to foreigners following The First Opium War with England. Soon after arriving, Taylor made a radical decision (at least for Protestant missionaries of his day). He decided to wear Chinese clothing and grow a pigtail (as Chinese men commonly did).
Eighteen hundred years earlier, the apostle Paul lived out a similar missions philosophy: “When I was with the Jews, I lived like a Jew to bring the Jews to Christ” (1 Corinthians 9:20-21). It’s likely that Paul would have insisted on wearing a Chinese “chang pao ma gua” complete with pigtail too.
While recuperating in England because of a sickness, and troubled that believers had little interest in China, Taylor wrote: “Can all the Christians in England sit still with folded arms while these multitudes [in China] are perishing—perishing for lack of knowledge—for lack of that knowledge which England possesses so richly?”
Taylor began the China Inland Mission, later called Overseas Missionary Fellowship, with a number of distinctive features: Its missionaries would have no guaranteed salaries nor could they appeal for funds; they would simply trust God to supply their needs. Furthermore, its missionaries would adopt Chinese dress and spread the gospel into China’s interior.
Paul also felt compelled to preach the gospel to as many people as he could (vv.16,22). Though he could have asked (vv.11-15), Paul restrained from seeking support from the people to whom he was ministering. He wanted to preach the gospel without charge (vv.15,18). Both the apostle Paul and Hudson Taylor were men consumed by one singular passion: “I do everything to spread the Good News and share in its blessings” (v.23). What’s your passion?
More:
• Matthew 9:35-38
• John 4:34-38
• John 20:21
Next:
How do you reveal your passion for sharing the gospel? What change will help you better spread the good news?
R R Kelkar on June 15, 2010 at 12:40 am
This is a very good post. I live in a country which has a variety of cultures, traditions, religions and languages. These are not static but evolving. If we want the Good News to have an impact on people, it must make a meaning to them in their existing situations. What is comfortable to us may seem very alien to others or appear out of context to them. That is what Paul meant when he said that he became like others for the sake of the gospel, because then he could have an empathy with them.
This is particularly important in Bible translation. I have a web site that makes available the New Testament in the Marathi language in a contemporary and lucid manner without loss of its authenticity. Please pray for those who translate the Bible into various languages of the world.
loananna on June 15, 2010 at 8:13 am
Yeah, the Lord spoke to me on how we here in America have many we still need to reach. We need to reach out on their level, not with fire and brimstone, but with God’s Love. Letting them know the good word is for them and that they have a father who loves them as they are. It’s not our job to change them, just plant the seed and the Holy spirit will nourish it> I pray that the Lord’s will will be done here as in heaven.