Missions And Apostles Of Medieval Europe

Excerpt from Missions and Apostles of Medieval Europe For though it may be true that in early times the Teuton knew nothing of temples made with hands, that the Deity, whom no enclosure could contain, or mortal form rep resent, received the adoration of his wor shippers in the obscurity of the wood, or on the lonely mountain-top, yet without doubt the introduction of an elaborate form of polytheism brought with it in time a more elaborate form of external worship. The transition from the sacred oak-grove to the hill altar and the cairn was easy. Equally easy the transition thence to the temple of wood, with its nave and shrine, its holy place, and its holy of holies. In the Norse temples, formed doubtless on a plan common in earlier times, the images of the gods stood on a platform in a shrine. In front of them was the altar, on which burnt the holy fire. Ou it, too, was laid the great ring, which, stained with the sacred blood, was placed in the hand of all such as were about to take any solemn oath. Hard by also was the brazen vessel, in which the blood of the slaughtered victims was caught, and the brush or twig wherewith the worshippers were sprinkled, while they stood behind a partition-wall opposite the platform of the gods, and from this outer court beheld the ceremonies. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

From the Author's PREFACE: THESE Lives are naturally based, to a considerable extent, on my History of Christian Missions in the Middle Ages, which I have at times been advised to publish in a somewhat more popular form, but the numerous notes and references there given have been omitted, while the Lives themselves have been re-cast, and in some cases entirely re-written. The Mediaeval Period is apt to be altogether overlooked in modern accounts of Christian Missions, and yet it was fertile in noble and heroic men, who laid the foundations of many of the Churches of Modern Europe, and into whose labours we have entered. If we remember to make due allowance for the Age in which they lived, we shall, I think, conclude that the roll of missionary heroes, since the days of the Apostles, can point to few more glorious names than of some of those whose Memoirs are recorded in the following pages.

Numerous trends are presently converging in ways that make this moment in mission history significant. These include the growth of short-term service, the multiplication of mission organizations, local churches sending missionaries without an agency, and the internationalization of missions. It is crucial in the midst of such change that we not lose connection with the New Testament model of the missionary apostles. Apostles, now commonly called missionaries, are God's gift for the initial planting phase of the church among every people, to the end of the age. This unique church-planting role is the forgotten foundation of the church. Much of the ineffectiveness in missions is due to our attempts to build Christ's church on a different foundation. This book will examine five critical questions from the perspective of biblical scholarship, history, and contemporary experience: Why are missions-minded Evangelicals reluctant to identify missionaries as apostles, considering that the two words have the same root meaning? How is apostolos used in the New Testament, and specifically, is it sometimes used as a designation for missionaries? How should we conceptualize an ongoing role for missionary apostles that does not detract from the crucial, unique role of the original Apostles? What ministry pattern does the New Testament record from the lives of the early missionary apostles? How should an awareness of missionary apostles guide our mission efforts today?

The stories and contributions of the apostles provide an important entrée into church history. This comprehensive historical and literary introduction uncovers their lives and legacies, underscoring the apostles' impact on the growth of the early church. The author collects and distills the histories, legends, symbols, and iconography of the original twelve and locates figures such as Paul, Peter, and John in the broader context of the history of the apostles. He also explores the continuing story of the gospel mission and the twelve disciples beyond the New Testament.