Scripture verses on missions: Christian global evangelism in the Bible
What the Bible says about world missions
The first mention of missions in the New Testament comes
early in Matthew
List of 80 Bible mission verses
Prayer: The mission of the
church
"O God, you have made of one blood all the peoples of the earth
and sent your blessed Son to preach peace to those who are far off and to those who are near.
Grant that people everywhere may seek after you and find you. Bring the nations into your fold.
Pour out your Spirit upon all flesh, and hasten the coming of your Kingdom through Jesus Christ
our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Amen."
— Book of Common Prayer
(Anglican)
"We must choose this day whether we will hide our eyes from the need and close our
ears to the call or whether we will tackle with new decisiveness, mixed with humility and
devotion, the unchanging command of a faithful God who is still seeking." —
Ralph Winter in Faithful in Christ Jesus: A mission reader
Harvest passages:
80 New Testament verses on missions
Why missions? We have a mission to fulfill: New Testament
Biblical passages dealing with world evangelism
Are you working on a missionary sermon or message?
Do you have to do a Bible study on missions? Has someone asked the question: Why
missions? Why should I be concerned about the global harvest of souls?
Sacred scripture is full of explicit as well as implicit references to God's will for world
evangelism. Most evangelical believers know the
Great Commission: "Go ye into all the world."
The Great Commission is only one reason for God's people
to be doing global mission. There are lots of other missions verses in God's Word. Here is a
partial listing of missionary scriptures — scriptures concerning missions — from
the New Testament. Use these to encourage a clear missionary vision. Several of the passages
have links to where they are cited on other pages of this website.
Some of these Bible phrases relating to missions would
make great Faith Promise convention themes.
John 4:35 — Ripe harvest fields (see Luke 10:2 and Matthew 9:37)
Engagemagazine article
John 12:32 — "I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to
myself."
John 17:23 — "To let the world know that you sent me and have loved them"
John 20:21 — "As the Father has sent me, I am sending you." —
Engagemagazine article
John 21:4-14 — Some Biblical commentators have said the 153 fish equals the
number of all the tribes and nations which the ancients thought existed on earth
Acts 1:8; 2:5-12 13:47 (Isaiah 49:6) — Witnesses in all the
earth — Engagemagazine article
Acts 3:25 — "He said to Abraham, Through your offspring, all peoples on earth will
be blessed.'"
Acts 9:15 "Go! This man is my chosen instrument to carry my name before the Gentiles and
their kings."
Acts 10:35 — "God . . . accepts men from every nation who fear him and do what is
right."
Acts 11:18 — "They praised God, saying, So then, God has granted even the Gentiles
repentance unto life.'"
Acts 13:47 — "I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation
to the ends of the earth." (Isaiah 49:6) — Engagemagazine article on "light" and Engagemagazine article on "ends of the earth"
Acts 14:27 — "They reported all that God had done through them and how he had
opened the door of faith to the Gentiles."
Acts 28:28 — "Therefore I want you to know that God's salvation has been sent to the
Gentiles, and they will listen!"
Romans 1:5 — "We received grace and apostleship to call people from among all the
Gentiles to obedience."
Romans 1:16 — "The gospel . . . is the power of God that brings salvation . . . first to
the Jew, then to the Gentile"
Romans 3:29 — "Is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles too?
Yes, of Gentiles too."
Romans 9:17 — "That my name might be proclaimed in all the earth"
Romans 15:10 "Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people." (Deuteronomy 32:43]
Romans 15:11 "Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and sing praises to him, all you peoples."
(Psalm 117:1)
Romans 16:26 — So that all nations might believe
1 Corinthians 1:24 — "To those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks"
2 Corinthians 4:15 — "Grace that is reaching more and more people"
2 Corinthians 10:16 — "So that we can preach the gospel to the regions beyond you"
— Engagemagazine article
Galatians 3:8 — "The Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith,
and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: All nations will be blessed through you.'"
(Genesis 12:3; 18:18; 22:18)
Galatians 3:14 — "He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might
come to the Gentiles." — Engagemagazine
article
Ephesians 1:10 — "To bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one
head, even Christ."
Ephesians 2:11-19 — "You are no longer foreigners and aliens"
Philippians 2:10 — Every knee shall bow
1 Thessalonians 2:15-16 — "To keep us from speaking to the Gentiles so that they may
be saved"
Hebrews 6:13-14 — God's promise to Abraham
2 Peter 3:9, 12 — "Not wanting anyone to perish"
1 John 2:2 — "He is the atoning sacrifice . . . for the sins of the whole world"
Revelation 5:9 — "You purchased men for God from every tribe and language and
people and nation"
Revelation 7:9 — Every tribe, tongue, people and nation — Engagemagazine article
Revelation 14:6 — "The angel had the eternal gospel to proclaim to those who live on
the earth — to every nation, tribe, language and people."
Revelation 15:4 — "All nations will come and worship before you"
Revelation 21:23-24 — "The Lamb is its lamp. The nations will walk by its light"
— Engagemagazine article
Into whatever groups we divide humanity — races, nations, languages, cultures
— it is clear that God loves all of them and wants people from all those groupings to be
reconciled to Him.
In top-line blessings/bottom-line responsibilities categories of Don Richardson and Bob
Sjogren, many of these scriptures are in the bottom-line responsibility group.
"The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few; therefore pray the Lord of the harvest
to send out laborers into His harvest" — Luke 10:2 (New King James Version)
Video: "Making disciples in all nations" (13 minutes)
" I was amazed to see that God placed missions all throughout His word, from
Genesis to Revelation! I cannot believe that I missed the multitude of verses on the topic before!"
-- Allie M., Nazarene Bible College student
The barbarians become Christian
In the years 400-800 the Germanic tribes of
central Europe turned to Christ in great numbers. [ more
]