Continuity Or Discontinuity?

I don’t know if you’ve given much thought to how continuity and discontinuity relate to the work of the ministry (2 Tim. 4:5). The world of human anatomy readily acknowledges the continuity of the human body. A medical article discussing the five parts of the diaphragm system states, "The diaphragm muscle should not be seen as a segment but as part of a body system." The article proceeds to explain the interconnectedness and inherent essential interrelationship of the system for the necessary health of the body.[1]It follows that as Christ created the complexity of continuity within the human body, so too, the Body of Christ is to function in complete continuity as an expression of its unity in Christ. The ministry of the church is not one of discontinuity but of inherent and essential continuity in Christ (See Romans 12:1–8; Ephesians 1:22-23).

Evangelism, church planting, and missions are sometimes mistakenly practiced as separate ministries. They can become "segmented" rather than viewed as part of the whole system. Often, we see "evangelism" and "discipleship" as two different entities. Similarly, we may tend to view the "local church" ministry and "missions" as two different areas of ministry. Granted, there are some nuanced differences, but there really should not be any “discontinuity” between them. Some local church ministries emphasize evangelism; others may emphasize discipleship, and yet another may focus on “outreach” in the community as missions, while another on “the unreached” people groups as missions.

Much like the gifts of the Spirit, each one has a distinction of role and purpose as the Spirit designs and directs, but all are to contribute with "continuity" for one overriding purpose, namely the edification of the Body of Christ, for His ultimate exaltation and glory.

Likewise, the work of “evangelism” and the task of “making disciples,” though different in some ways, must never lack biblical continuity; there ought to not be discontinuity. Interestingly, though the term “disciples” and the command to “make disciples” is prominent in the Gospels, such terms are absent in the Epistles where, in distinction from the Gospels, the term “saints” seems to replace “disciple.” But there is continuity and not discontinuity. Believers are to progress in their initial response to “evangelism” and “discipleship” to becoming mature as saints in Christ Jesus.  We are each individual members of the Body of Christ, but we are not independent members to live apart from the Body of Christ. Such “separation” is not biblical. We grow in grace and the knowledge of Christ together as members of His body (Rom. 12:5; 1 Co. 12:11, 27). Evangelistic proclamation of the Gospel (Acts 21:8; 2 Tim. 4:5), making disciples (Matt. 28:19; Mk. 2:23), and the perfecting of the saints (2 Cor. 7:1; Ephesians 4:12-14) are all done in continuity, not discontinuity.

The specificity of “the gospel” is declared in the Gospels[2], in the book of Acts[3], and the Epistles.[4] Paul was so committed to gospel proclamation that he called it “my gospel” (Rom. 2:16; 16:25; 2 Tim. 2:8). Paul had in mind the total development of the saints in sanctification, not segmented by discontinuity but in continuity (Eph. 4:13).

It is precisely such believers in the Gospel of Jesus Christ who are to be disciple-followers of Christ, maturing as saints conformed to Christ (Rom. 8:29), and are to become the lead church-establishing missionary pastors. This continuity is the New Testament model, starting at the church of Antioch (Acts 11:26; 13:1-5)[5] and continuing to the rest of the world throughout church history to the present day. This is biblical continuity.

Continuity or discontinuity? Structure your life in Christ and ministry around continuity rather than discontinuity. There should be no gap between evangelistic outreach and the maturing of the saints. There must be no discontinuity between the local church and missions. When you get the church right, you will get missions right, and when you get missions right, you will get the local church right. There ought not be any discontinuity as we fulfill God’s call upon our life to serve Christ in all respects (Col. 1:9-12).

[1] Functions of Human Life, https://openstax.org/books/anatomy-and-physiology/pages/1-3-functions-of-human-life. The continuity of the body: hypothesis of treatment of the five diaphragms, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25775273/

[2] Matt. 4:23; 9:35; 11:5; Mk. 1:1, 14; 13:10; 14:9; 16:15; Lk. 3:18; 4:18; 7:22; 9:6; 16:16; 20:1

[3] Acts 8:25, 40; 14:7, 15, 21; 15:7; 16:10; 20:24

[4] Rom. 1:1, 9, 15; 11:28; 15:16, 19; 1 Cor. 1:17; 4:15; 9:12, 14, 16, 18, 23; 15:1; 2 Cor. 2:12; 4:4; 8:18; 9:13; 10:14, 16; 11:7; Gal. 1:7, 11; 2:2, 5, 7, 14; 3:8; 4:13; Eph. 1:13; 3:6; 6:15, 19; Phil. 1:5, 7, 12, 16, 27; 2:22; 4:3, 15; Col. 1:5, 23; 1 Thess. 2:2, 4, 8; 3:2; 2 Thess. 1:8; 2 Tim. 1:8, 10; Phlm. 1:13; 1 Pet. 1:12; 4:6, 17

[5] The city’s location at a chief trade intersection between Egypt, Asia Minor, Greece, Italy, and Mesopotamia made the church at Antioch a strategic hub for spreading the gospel to cities around the Mediterranean and beyond. The church at Antioch was the launching site for several missionary journeys (Acts 13:1–3; 14:26; 15:32–33, 36–40; 18:22–23). In many cases, the church at Antioch commissioned the missionaries for a specific task. https://www.gotquestions.org/church-at-Antioch.html

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