Book Review: TBS Missionary Discipleship

• Title: Threshold Bible Study: Missionary Discipleship
• Author: Stephen J. Binz
• Published: New London, Connecticut: Twenty-Third Publications, 2017. 130-pages.

My Perspective

My first introduction to the Threshold Bible Study series was at my parish when I joined a Sunday Bible study group.  The books were designed to be used as a small group or for individual study.  They are organized and presented so that a specific topic can be covered in six sessions (at least that has been my experience thus far).  Each session has a number of quick sections followed by questions.  The sections typically start with a Bible quotation, followed by commentary, then questions, and then a prayer.  It is not meant to be read in one sitting, although one could.  I have enjoyed going through several years of these small group sessions.  There are many times we have drifted “off track,”  but I believe these for the most part were guided by the Holy Spirit to allow the group to respond to issues that appeared to be outside the topic, but in reality they helped us gain a better understanding of our relationship with God.

This particular book is about missionary discipleship.  All Christians that have been baptized are called to evangelize.  The book is designed to show us that the message is loud and clear.  Binz identifies five obstacles that todays world face in opposition to the Word of God. [1]

1. Secularism: “living as if there were no God or any need for God.”
2. Rationalism: “that human reason is the sole arbiter and the final test of all truth.”
3. Relativism: “there is no absolute truth or value.”
4. Individualism: “individuals are free to choose their own personal values and live life in a way that leads to their own satisfaction.”
5. Consumerism: a desire for material objects, temporary pleasures, “gadgets, entertainment, trends, and novelties.” Manifested in the churches confusing evangelization with marketing, and “offering multiple social choices and options for self-improvement” instead of our Christian faith.

In the second session Binz references the Old Testament.  He starts with Genesis and the great faith of Abraham.  He continues with Exodus, Deuteronomy, 2 Samuel, 1 Kings, Psalms, and then Isaiah.  Showing the continuity of the message of evangelization.  As we go spread the Word of God, it is important to remember that it is not through our own strength that God’s blessings are given, but rather God working through us.

The prophets of Israel consistently reminded the people when they were breaking their covenant with God, when they had lost faith.  “When God’s people highlight only their own privilege, seek their own security, and take for granted the salvation they receive from God, the prophets admonish them with threats of destruction and persuade them to remember their outward-facing mission.”[2]

An example of how Binz describes the people of God:

The oracle of God teaches that it is not those who share the lineage of Abraham and pass it on to their offspring who are especially pleasing to God.  Rather, God’s people are those who manifest a living relationship with the God of all the earth.  Even though they never knew Abraham and died childless, they are truly God’s children.  God desires those who love what he loves, hate what he hates, and wants what he wants.  If anyone lives this way, their ancestry, their body, and their abilities have nothing to do with their acceptability before God.[3]

But what about me, how can I evangelize when sometimes I have doubt?  This is a question that many will ask.  When Jesus gave his great commission telling the disciples to go out into the world, some worshipped him and some doubted.  Binz states, “This mixture of adoration and doubt, of faith and indecision, is characteristic of Christian discipleship until the close of the age.”[4]  I have read many biographies of the saints and a common theme is this feeling of doubt that occurs.  We are still called to evangelize and have faith in the Holy Spirit.  It is not through our will, but through God.  We are but the servant who sows, waters, and cares for the seed.  We did not make the seed, nor will we harvest the fruit.

The book offers many opportunities for discussion, and quiet prayer and contemplation.  But ultimately it is a call to action.  Read the book by yourself, take some time, meditate over the passages, break up the sections into daily meditations if need be.  Share it with someone else.  Explore it, use it.  The book is a tool to help us understand God and have a better relationship with him.  I am more than open to share this and talk about it with any of my friends, family, or anyone else for that matter.

[1] All quotes in the following Binz, Stephen J. Missionary Discipleship. New London: Twenty-third Pubications, 2017. Page 3-4.

[2] Ibid., 28

[3] Ibid., 33

[4] Ibid., 45