Fellow Workers for Truth

This past week marked the one-year anniversary of when one of our families, the Madsens, arrived in Zambia to begin serving as the first missionaries sent by our congregation. And so this morning, I’d like to offer a biblical understanding of what it exactly means for a church to “support” missionaries.

In his third Epistle, the Apostle John exhorts a church to support a group of faithful missionaries as they continue on in their travels, telling them to send them on their way “in a manner worthy of God" (3 Jn. 6). He then writes, “For they went out for the sake of the Name, accepting nothing from the Gentiles. Therefore, we ought to support such men, so that we may become fellow workers for the truth (v. 7–8).

Here John says that when you support those who have gone out among the Gentiles, among the nations, in the name of Christ – you become “fellow workers” with them. You become their co-laborers. Though your feet stay firmly planted here on Idaho soil, you, in a very real sense, are united in their work an ocean away. Likewise, when writing to the Philippians, the Apostle Paul says that when they financially supported him they became his partners – the Greek word there being koinonia for intimate fellowship or communion (Phil. 4:14–17).

Too often, when the topic of foreign missions comes up, Christians think that their options are to either answer the call and go — or — kind of ignore it and feel either a bit guilty or become entirely disinterested. But that is an unbiblical false dichotomy. You may not be called to move your family overseas. But you are still called to participate in God’s work among the nations, by supporting those who do go. 

The great pioneer missionary William Carey told his friends that he would go down into the pit—if they promised to hold the rope. And they did. They faithfully supported him all their lives as he gave his away in India.

Now this role of rope-holder might seem like the less important job. But if you are the one dangling on the other end, you know that the work is absolutely vital to the mission. And so, let’s thank God together that He has given us this privilege to participate in what He is doing in Zambia. May we continue to hold the rope with our earnest prayers, encouragement, and giving—that His name would be great among the nations (Mal. 1:11).