Book: The Church Comes from All Nations: Luther Texts on Mission

The Church comes from all nations: Luther's texts on mission is a collection of key excerpts from the writings of Martin Luther on Christian missions. 

Drawing from Martin Luther's lectures, sermons, treatises, hymns, and devotional writings, the author presents the excerpts according to themes and provides commentary on the reformer's understanding of mission in the world.

Contents include:

I. Biblical Foundation for Mission

• All Christians from the patriarchs to us ourselves are called to mission
• Steadfastness in faith leads toward a missionary expansion of faith
• Abraham was effective as a missionary in Egypt
• Jacob preaches to the Gentiles
• Mary and Joseph were missionaries in Egypt like the Wise Men were in their land. Persecution leads to the expansion of the church.
• On the missionary effectiveness of the treasurer in Africa
• A Christian lives for the sake of proclamation
• Every Christian is bound by duty to give a missionary witness
• The missionary witness is linked to prayer
• The movement that began with the apostles continues until Judgment Day
• As a stone that falls in the water
• The kingdom of Christ is a constant happening
• We are still calling today
• The preaching of Christ is God’s blessing for all people—as preaching of Law and Gospel
• The whole of theology is therein summarized
• The preaching of repentance and forgiveness of sins addresses all people
• Reformation of mission practice

II. Practical Realization of Mission

• Congregational work with missionary orientation
• Missionary forms of liturgy
• Catechetical instruction as preparation for missionary witness
• The singing of Christian songs as Gospel witness
• Hymns
• Mission prayers
• Your kingdom come
• Lord, convert
• The missionary witness toward the Jews
• Biblical teaching and Christian life must come together
• Common hearing of the witness of the Bible
• The missionary conversation must not demand too much of our Jewish partners
• Luther reports on his conversations with Jews
• The meaning of the Reformation for the Jewish mission
• Instructions on the Baptism of a Jewish maiden
• Conversion or banishment
• The missionary witness toward the Turks
• The missionary responsibility of the pastoral office
• How righteous Christians should confront the Turks
• It is chiefly a spiritual confrontation
• The Qur’an is to be tested by the witness to Christ
• Prisoners of war as missionaries

III. The History of Mission

• The mission stretches through all time from the beginning to the end of the world
• From the beginning of the world, Christ has been preached and believed
• The different religions must be derived from the one true religion
• Only the preaching of Christ actually makes God known
• The movement of the Gospel through the world before the coming of the end
• The end of the preaching of the Gospel is near
• The church of God must resist the church of Satan
• Mission and reformation are very closely connected. This is already demonstrated by the biblical example of Egypt.
• The church always lives in severe tribulation
• The last confrontation between church and antichurch
• The worldwide gathering of the people of God
• How Christianity spread through the world
• The gathering of a people of God from all peoples
• Now there are still many islands and lands that have been newly discovered
• God fulfills his promise in the history of mission