Doctrine & Practice of
World Missions
I will forever be grateful for this class, for a multitude of reasons. First, this was the first college level class that I ever completed. Therefore, it was in this class that I gained my first ever college credit. Secondly, this class demonstrated to me that God has been mission minded from day one. It turns out that God was the very first missionary. Finally I learned what true missions are meant to look like, and I learned about the true heart of missions as well.
For this class we had to read a book entitled Bruchko: Below you will see a link and description to the book. Bruchko is The Astonishing True Story of a 19-Year-Old American, His Capture by the Motilone Indians and His Adventures in Christianizing the Stone Age Tribe. The book really opened my eyes to the heart of God behind missions. After reading the book the class was asked to write a interaction paper on the book. Proceeding the book link and description, you will find my response to the book.
For this class we had to read a book entitled Bruchko: Below you will see a link and description to the book. Bruchko is The Astonishing True Story of a 19-Year-Old American, His Capture by the Motilone Indians and His Adventures in Christianizing the Stone Age Tribe. The book really opened my eyes to the heart of God behind missions. After reading the book the class was asked to write a interaction paper on the book. Proceeding the book link and description, you will find my response to the book.
Book Review from Amazon.com
What happens when a nineteen-year-old boy leaves home and heads into the jungles to evangelize a murderous tribe of South American Indians? For Bruce Olson, it meant capture, disease, terror, loneliness, and torture. But what he discovered by trial and error has revolutionized then world of missions.
Bruchko, which has sold more than 300,000 copies worldwide, has been called “more fantastic and harrowing than anything Hollywood could concoct.” Living with the Motilone Indians since 1961, Olson has won the friendship of four presidents of Colombia and has made appearances before the United Nations because of his efforts. Bruchko includes the story of his 1988 kidnapping by communist guerrillas and the nine months of captivity that followed. This revised version of Olson’s story will amaze you and remind you that simple faith in Christ can make anything possible. “[Bruchko is] an all-time missionary classic. Bruce Olson is a modern missionary hero who has modeled for us in our time the reaching of the unreached tribes.” —Loren Cunningham Co-founder, Youth With A Mission.
What happens when a nineteen-year-old boy leaves home and heads into the jungles to evangelize a murderous tribe of South American Indians? For Bruce Olson, it meant capture, disease, terror, loneliness, and torture. But what he discovered by trial and error has revolutionized then world of missions.
Bruchko, which has sold more than 300,000 copies worldwide, has been called “more fantastic and harrowing than anything Hollywood could concoct.” Living with the Motilone Indians since 1961, Olson has won the friendship of four presidents of Colombia and has made appearances before the United Nations because of his efforts. Bruchko includes the story of his 1988 kidnapping by communist guerrillas and the nine months of captivity that followed. This revised version of Olson’s story will amaze you and remind you that simple faith in Christ can make anything possible. “[Bruchko is] an all-time missionary classic. Bruce Olson is a modern missionary hero who has modeled for us in our time the reaching of the unreached tribes.” —Loren Cunningham Co-founder, Youth With A Mission.
Bruchko Response Essay (Fall 2011)
Chuck Chapman
Gods Bible School and College
Abstract
The Doctrine and Practice of World Mission students were asked to write an interaction paper to our reading of the book entitled Bruchko by Bruce Olson. In this interaction paper we were asked to discuss topics such as:
Bruchko Essay
This book challenged me in many ways, the first way is not the typical way one might think; “that I need to start doing more for fulfilling the Great Commission” (Matthew, 60-65 A.D.). Nor did the book challenge me in its reading comprehension; it actually was a very easy read. However, the book did challenge me to seek God’s perspective on how Bruce handled his job assignment given to him by the Lord. It actually made me have to step back and think was this command from God? Did God ask Bruce to go to another country and preach the Gospel? Given the past historical evidence it would suggest that God has operated like this before and it would not be highly unlikely that He would choose to operate in a likewise manner today.
On the other hand, could this have been a youthful desire of Bruce’s to simply go elsewhere to find what he seemed to be lacking at home in the states. One might ask “how could you come to such an implication as that” or “did you even read the book and see that an entire tribe of Stone Age Indians were Christianized.” My reply to that has to do with the focus interaction questions; (what I liked or disliked, & what might I have disagreed with?). Do I agree that the benefits of Bruce’s persistence paid off? My answer is a resounding yes! Where my argument or disagreement lies is at the core of disobeying a direct command from God. Dr. Allan P. Brown (A professor at my college) once said that “It is never right to do wrong even for a chance to do right, the ends does not justify the means”. (Brown, 2010). My knowledge of scripture and my belief to hold to it as absolute truth is the source for my disagreement.
God commands us to “Submit to governing authorities, for all authority comes from God and those placed in positions of authority have been placed there by God. So anyone who rebels against authority is rebelling against what God has instituted and they will be punished” (Romans 13:1-2). Bruce clearly disobeys a direct command from the God ordained leadership of the mission board and also thereby disobeys God (pg 42). My method and analysis is as follows.
The Method
To measure my initial disagreement of the way Bruce went about fulfilling his God given mission, and determining was the mission ordained by God or was it the desires of a 19 year old youthful boy to find fulfillment in his life I researched what the Scriptures (GOD) had to say about it.
The testimony given by Bruce in regards to his trails and sicknesses would suggest that he may have been on the wrong path. In the book of Deuteronomy Moses warns of the curses that will befall those who go against God’s commands: “these curses will come upon you and overtake you” (Deut 28:15). In contrast to the curses pronounced by God through Moses; Bruce was also provided for, in the form of food through a little boy (page 73), after being shot in the leg with an arrow, and he was protected from harm from his captures on the following page (74) which the extent of that protection is described in greater detail on page (105).
In light of this information, I am reminded of the verse that says “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies” (Psalm 23:5). This Heavenly provision does not seem to be mentioned in the curses for disobedience that Moses pronounced in Deut. 28:15, which leans the argument over to the other side that Bruce is in the will of the Lord. After these examples I asked “so what” then I asked “Would the Lord still bless someone’s efforts if they went about fulfilling God’s commands; in the incorrect way?” I used many other examples from the historical evidence of Scripture, and found King Saul on one side of the coin, with his disobedience leading to the Kingdom being torn from him, only to find on the other side King David and his sin with Bathsheba, along with the murder of her husband only to later be blessed with a descendant on the thrown for all of eternity. This led me to narrow my focus. I realized there must be a command that over rides Rom 13:1-2. This brings me to my results.
Results
I found in the Book of Acts, after Peter and John had been previously commanded by those in authority over them not to speak or teach in the name of Jesus they replied to the council “Weather it is right in the sight of God to listen to you more than to God, you judge.” This passage confirms that when God ordained leadership is established and has given a direct command to do, or not to do that command may only be overridden by a direct command from God. After obtaining this evidence in light of Bruce’s methods for Christianizing the Motilone tribe I have come to my stand on the assigned interaction questions, my conclusion or discussion is as follows.
Conclusion
I was asked how this book challenged me, and my response is that it challenged me to determine “What is God’s perspective on how He wants His work accomplished?” I have determined that Gods work will be fulfilled one way or another, and that He may choose, or choose not to bless and fulfill that work even if we have not followed the authority structure that God has instituted.
Therefore; do I disagree with Bruce’s methods for reaching the Motilone tribe? Yes I do, I believe that if he would have waited then God would have provided another route, within Bruce’s God-given authority structure. His methods suggest that it is ok to disobey the God instituted authority structure. However I also believe that if Bruce would have submitted to the missionary board and went home that God would have brought him back and possibly Bruce would not have suffered as much, and it might not have taken as much time to reach the whole tribe. I did not like Bruce’s disobedience to the council however I did like his perseverance, his determination, and his heart for complete strangers to share with them the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Chuck Chapman
Gods Bible School and College
Abstract
The Doctrine and Practice of World Mission students were asked to write an interaction paper to our reading of the book entitled Bruchko by Bruce Olson. In this interaction paper we were asked to discuss topics such as:
- How the book challenged us?
- What we liked or disliked?
- What might we have disagreed with?
Bruchko Essay
This book challenged me in many ways, the first way is not the typical way one might think; “that I need to start doing more for fulfilling the Great Commission” (Matthew, 60-65 A.D.). Nor did the book challenge me in its reading comprehension; it actually was a very easy read. However, the book did challenge me to seek God’s perspective on how Bruce handled his job assignment given to him by the Lord. It actually made me have to step back and think was this command from God? Did God ask Bruce to go to another country and preach the Gospel? Given the past historical evidence it would suggest that God has operated like this before and it would not be highly unlikely that He would choose to operate in a likewise manner today.
On the other hand, could this have been a youthful desire of Bruce’s to simply go elsewhere to find what he seemed to be lacking at home in the states. One might ask “how could you come to such an implication as that” or “did you even read the book and see that an entire tribe of Stone Age Indians were Christianized.” My reply to that has to do with the focus interaction questions; (what I liked or disliked, & what might I have disagreed with?). Do I agree that the benefits of Bruce’s persistence paid off? My answer is a resounding yes! Where my argument or disagreement lies is at the core of disobeying a direct command from God. Dr. Allan P. Brown (A professor at my college) once said that “It is never right to do wrong even for a chance to do right, the ends does not justify the means”. (Brown, 2010). My knowledge of scripture and my belief to hold to it as absolute truth is the source for my disagreement.
God commands us to “Submit to governing authorities, for all authority comes from God and those placed in positions of authority have been placed there by God. So anyone who rebels against authority is rebelling against what God has instituted and they will be punished” (Romans 13:1-2). Bruce clearly disobeys a direct command from the God ordained leadership of the mission board and also thereby disobeys God (pg 42). My method and analysis is as follows.
The Method
To measure my initial disagreement of the way Bruce went about fulfilling his God given mission, and determining was the mission ordained by God or was it the desires of a 19 year old youthful boy to find fulfillment in his life I researched what the Scriptures (GOD) had to say about it.
The testimony given by Bruce in regards to his trails and sicknesses would suggest that he may have been on the wrong path. In the book of Deuteronomy Moses warns of the curses that will befall those who go against God’s commands: “these curses will come upon you and overtake you” (Deut 28:15). In contrast to the curses pronounced by God through Moses; Bruce was also provided for, in the form of food through a little boy (page 73), after being shot in the leg with an arrow, and he was protected from harm from his captures on the following page (74) which the extent of that protection is described in greater detail on page (105).
In light of this information, I am reminded of the verse that says “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies” (Psalm 23:5). This Heavenly provision does not seem to be mentioned in the curses for disobedience that Moses pronounced in Deut. 28:15, which leans the argument over to the other side that Bruce is in the will of the Lord. After these examples I asked “so what” then I asked “Would the Lord still bless someone’s efforts if they went about fulfilling God’s commands; in the incorrect way?” I used many other examples from the historical evidence of Scripture, and found King Saul on one side of the coin, with his disobedience leading to the Kingdom being torn from him, only to find on the other side King David and his sin with Bathsheba, along with the murder of her husband only to later be blessed with a descendant on the thrown for all of eternity. This led me to narrow my focus. I realized there must be a command that over rides Rom 13:1-2. This brings me to my results.
Results
I found in the Book of Acts, after Peter and John had been previously commanded by those in authority over them not to speak or teach in the name of Jesus they replied to the council “Weather it is right in the sight of God to listen to you more than to God, you judge.” This passage confirms that when God ordained leadership is established and has given a direct command to do, or not to do that command may only be overridden by a direct command from God. After obtaining this evidence in light of Bruce’s methods for Christianizing the Motilone tribe I have come to my stand on the assigned interaction questions, my conclusion or discussion is as follows.
Conclusion
I was asked how this book challenged me, and my response is that it challenged me to determine “What is God’s perspective on how He wants His work accomplished?” I have determined that Gods work will be fulfilled one way or another, and that He may choose, or choose not to bless and fulfill that work even if we have not followed the authority structure that God has instituted.
Therefore; do I disagree with Bruce’s methods for reaching the Motilone tribe? Yes I do, I believe that if he would have waited then God would have provided another route, within Bruce’s God-given authority structure. His methods suggest that it is ok to disobey the God instituted authority structure. However I also believe that if Bruce would have submitted to the missionary board and went home that God would have brought him back and possibly Bruce would not have suffered as much, and it might not have taken as much time to reach the whole tribe. I did not like Bruce’s disobedience to the council however I did like his perseverance, his determination, and his heart for complete strangers to share with them the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.