Introduction
The history of business in missions begins in the book of Genesis when God created the world and gave it to man to rule over. Through the resources God provided, He allowed humans to work and live on the earth even after mankind fell into sin. God’s purpose is to bring fallen humans back into a relationship with Him. Business is a part of God’s plan to bless human beings and to show them that He is their Provider and LORD. Throughout history we see how business is an avenue for God’s Word and the gospel to spread to the world. This paper will look at business in biblical history and in the history of missions of the last two millenniums.
Old Testament
Starting from the beginning of history, people were engaged in business. Adam was a farmer (Gen 3:18-19)[1]. Abel kept flocks and Cain was a farmer. [2] Noah became a farmer.[3] Abraham was rich in cattle, silver, and gold and he had servants. Abraham bought the first piece of the Promise Land, a field and cave to bury Sarah for 10 pounds of silver.[4] Isaac and Jacob have many slaves, flocks, and herds.[5] We see how the slave trade was part of the redemption story. Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers to Ishmaelite traders,[6] where he was bought by Potiphar the captain of the Egyptian palace guard. As the Prime minister of Egypt, Joseph was a shrewd financial manager for the country. In the Law God gave to Moses, there are many ordinances related to how to conduct business and show kindness through business dealings. For example, in the Ten Commandments, it forbids stealing and coveting the possessions of others. Boaz who married Ruth was a wealthy landowner with many workers. A financial transaction took place in order for Boaz to marry Ruth.[7] Ruth would later become the grandmother of King David. David’s son Solomon built the temple of the LORD by purchasing cedar and pine wood from Hiram, the king of Tyre.[8] Job was a rich rancher who owned seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred teams of oxen, and five hundred female donkeys and a large number of servants.[9] Solomon organized the first Hebrew commercial sea venture by building ships and using experienced men from King Hiram to sail to Ophir. This successful business venture netted them 420 talents of gold.[10] We must not ignore the sins connected to commerce with other countries. Many Old Testament prophets prophesied against the rich trading cities such as Sidon and Tyre. Israel fell into the sin of Baal worship when Jezebel, daughter of the prince of Sidon, married Ahab, king of the northern kingdom of Israel[11]
New Testament
In the New Testament we see even more examples of businessmen and businesswomen being used in God’s plan of redemption. Joseph, the earthly father of Jesus, was a carpenter and so was Jesus before He started to preach the Kingdom of God. In Business as Mission, Neil Johnson observed: “As a businessmen – a carpenter by trade – Jesus was intimately familiar with the necessities of running a business and making a living”.[12] Matthew was a tax collector and the disciples Peter, Andrew, James and John were fishermen.[13] Some women who were healed of sicknesses and evil spirits supported Jesus and His disciples using their own money.[14] The apostle Paul, and his coworkers Aquila and Priscilla all worked in the tent making trade.[15] Luke was a doctor and one of Paul’s coworker Zenas was a lawyer.[16] Early people converted to Christianity included those who are in finances and business such as the Ethiopian eunuch who was in charge of the finances of the Queen Candace and Lydia of Thyatira who was a seller of purple cloth.[17] By AD 57, as a tentmaker and apostle, Paul had established churches in four provinces of the Empire, Galatia, Macedonia, Achaia, and Asia. [18] Corinthian bronze and the Cilician cloth that was the raw material of Paul’s tent-making trade were probably distributed, locally or abroad, by the same kind of private enterprise as Lydia’s cloth business.[19] David Befus in Kingdom Business makes the following observation about Paul:
The example of Paul is a good case for thinking about missionary businesses. He worked to generate his salary, and was a sole proprietor, who had full control of his business. His vocation as a leather artisan was apparently highly paid throughout the Roman Empire, and his business was sufficiently profitable that a single person needed to work only a few days per week to support himself, leaving the other days free for ministry activity. (Acts 18:1-4).[20]
[1] Genesis 3:18-19.
[2] Genesis 4:2.
[3] Genesis 9:20.
[4] Genesis 12:5, 13:2, 23:16-20.
[5] Genesis 26:12-14, 31:18.
[6] Genesis 37:27-28.
[7] Ruth 2:1-3, 4:7-10.
[8] 1 Kings 5:6-11.
[9] Job 1:1-3.
[10] 1 Kings 9:26-28.
[11] J.D. Douglas and Merrill C. Tenney, NIV Compact Dictionary of the Bible (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1989), 603.
[12] C. Neal Johnson, Business as Mission: A Comprehensive Guide to Theory and Practice (Downers Grove: Intervarsity Press, 2009), 171.
[13] Matthew 9:9, 4:18-21.
[14] Luke 8:2-3.
[15] Acts 18:3.
[16] Colossians 4:14, Titus 3:13.
[17] Acts 8:27, 16:14-15.
[18] Ruth A. Tucker, From Jerusalem to Irian Jaya: A Biographical History of Christian Missions (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2004), 27.
[19] J.D. Douglas and Merrill C. Tenney, 603.
[20] David R. Befus, Kingdom Business: The Ministry of Promoting Economic Development (Miami: Latin American Mission, 2002), 57.
