12. Nothing left but the covers

• Scripture repeatedly speaks of God's desire that the good news of His justice, grace, and love be spread to all people.
• World mission involvement is not just an option; it is a scriptural mandate for the Church.
• Since world missions outreach colors the whole sweep of Scripture, the statement "If you take missions out of the Bible, you won't have anything left but the covers" is more than hyperbole.

Slogans to awaken the Church

Sayings about world evangelism that stir hearts and move people to action

"If you take missions out of the Bible, you won't have anything left but the covers" -- Nina Gunter

Those are strong words from Nina Gunter. If what she said -- "nothing left but the covers" -- is true, then world mission involvement is not just one option among many good things for believers to do. It is a primary task for the Church.

However, we can also ask: Was Gunter overstating things to simply pound home a point? I know people who think the Bible would be just a tad smaller if you took everything out of it that relates to world evangelism. In that vein, I envision an acquaintance or two of mine pointing to random Bible verses and saying to me, "Well, tell me what this verse has to do with missions. Or, how about this verse over here?"

Perhaps Gunter purposefully overstated things. However, I believe "nothing left but the covers" is more than hyperbole. Think of how world missions outreach colors "the whole sweep of Scripture," to use a phrase from Bible scholar N.T. Wright. We often say the entire Bible is one story. Indeed, it is. The Bible is the story of God seeking to reclaim His lost Creation from all over the earth. It is the story of the unfolding of John 3:16. It is about God seeking as well as sending to seek.

Gunter's statement "If you take missions out of the Bible, you won't have anything left but the covers" clearly springs from how the Bible recounts God's "incredible rescue operation," as Linda Seaman titled her book about the beginnings of Nazarene work in Martinique.

Nina Gunter was right. If we take missions out of the Bible, there would be more missing than a verse here or there. Scripture repeatedly speaks of God's desire that news of His justice, grace, and love be published in all the earth. If we take everything out of the Bible relevant to the cause of world evangelism, we will indeed be left holding not much more than its covers.

Discussion questions

1. Why can it be said that the concept of world missions outreach colors the whole sweep of Scripture? What examples can you give to support this idea?
2. Do you agree with the statement "If you take missions out of the Bible, you won't have anything left but the covers"? Why or why not?
3. Can you think of any counterarguments people might raise in response to Gunter's statement? If so, how would you respond to them?
4. If God does indeed desire that His justice, grace, and love be published in all the earth, how should that affect our understanding of the Christian faith?
5. What are some practical ways that churches and individuals can engage in world missions outreach and fulfill the Scriptural mandate?

Afterword

Nina Gunter's powerful statement, "If you take missions out of the Bible, you won't have anything left but the covers" serves as a poignant reminder that the idea of world missions permeates the entire Bible. From Genesis to Revelation, we read again and again of God's desire that all nations hear of His justice, grace, and love. This truth has far-reaching implications for the Church. Understanding God's heart for global evangelism should ignite a passionate commitment to participate in His incredible rescue operation. By engaging in practical ways, churches and individuals can play an active role in spreading the Gospel to the ends of the earth.

    -- Howard Culbertson,

More mini-essays in the "Slogans that awakened the Church" series

Who was Nina Gunter?

• Nina Gunter was an ordained elder in the Church of the Nazarene who, with her husband, co-pastored churches in Tennessee, Missouri, and South Carolina.
• For almost 20 years, Nina Gunter was the global director of Nazarene Missions International, the world missions mobilization arm of local Nazarene churches.
• In 2005, Nina Gunter was elected as a general superintendent of the Church of the Nazarene - - the first woman to be elected as one of the denomination's top six leaders. She filled that denominational leadership role for 12 years.

More on world evangelism in the Bible

• Implications of Genesis 1:1 for Nina Gunter's slogan
• Nina Gunter on being passionate about world evangelism
• Why world missions?
• From Genesis to Revelation
• Mini-essays on 36 global missions passages
• List of missions Bible verses
• Jonah,reluctant missionary