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KHRIHFABU LE MISSION RIAN
(The Church and Its Mission)
Prepared by Thawng Hlei Thang
April 18,2015, ZBC
Introduction
Khrihfabu cu Pathian thawngtha phuangtu le ramkauh tertu ding ah tuanvo
pek le fial a si. Pathian thawngtha phuan kan ti tik ah thawngtha chim (preaching),
lawng si lo in cawnpiaknak (teaching) le damnak (healing) zong aa telchih ti kha kan
philh lo awk a si. Mission nih a chimduh mi cu Jesuh Khrih nih a raktuan mi, sifakmi
rawl pek, thilpuan a ngeilo mi hnipuan pek, mizaw va zohkhenh le thongtla mi va len
kai nak I va tel ve le va tuanve kha a si.
(Therefore, mission certainly means our involvement with Christ in
catering to the needs of the people i.e., to feed the poor, cloth the naked, visit the
sick and those in prison).
Cucaah mission rian cu hma a pu mi hna va thlop, temhinnak a tuarmi hna va
hnemh,lung a kuaimi hna le aa thenmi hna va fonhtonh, vawlei saltaan nak chung I a
um mi hna sin ah luatnak va pek, le va bawmh khi a si.
1. The Meaning of the Church
Church timi biafang hi Greek holh Ekklesia, in a ra mi a si I, a chim duh mi
cu Local Khrihfabu a si,(a local congregation of Christians).1 Ekklesia hi ek, meaning
“from” or “out of” (in) le kaleo, which means “called out from” or “to call” ti a si.
A biafang hi vawlei lei riantuannak I hman mi a si I, ram caah maw pa khatkhat ca I
riantuan awk ah thim mi, Khua le ram ca riantuan tu ah Thim mi, kawhauh mi ti
duhnak a si. Cucu Khrihfa minih kan hman ve I Pathian thimmi miphun, zumtu, ti in
kan hman.
Ekklesia timi biafang hi phun hnih in hman a rak si, Biakamthar ah cun
Pathian thim mi khrihfabu, zumtu, hmuh khawhmi (visible church) tinak a si. A pa
hnih nak cu hmuhkhawh lo mi Khrihfabu (Invisible church) khi a si a ti. Cucaah
hmuhkhawh mi khrihfabu cu hmuhkhawh lomi khrihfabu I a muisam a si a ti.
Therefore, the visible, local church is the only tangible manifestation of the
invisible, universal church.2
Khrihfabu ti mi cu riantuan tu ding ah thim mi, auhmi ti nak a si. Pathian nih
mi a thim, a auh tik hna ah hin auh sawhsawh le thim sawh sawh a si lo, riankhinh
1
J.D. Dauglas, ed., New Bible Dictionary (Leicester: Inter-varsity Press, 1996), 199.
Everett C. Goodwin, The New Hiscox Guide for Baptist Churches (Valley Forge: Judson
Press, 1995), 2.
2
1
2
chih kan si (Responsibility). Khrihfabu cu society caah a si, society hi khrihfabu caah
a si lo. Emil Brunner ni cun “As fire exists by its burning, the church exists by its
mission” a ti.
Walter Rauschenbusch, (a social gospel theologian) nih cun, khrihfabu nih
mi sifak le thazaang a der mi hi a cawm hlawm hna ding a si, chan tampi chung zei I
kan rak rello mi kan pawngkam minung hna zohkhenh hi khrihfabu nih a rian ah aa
ruah ding a si a ti. Cucu khrihfabu I a rian taktak cu a si, “the fundamental purpose
of its existence.”3 German theologian minthang Dietrich Bonhoeffer nih cun,
Khrihfabu cu mica I a diar (nun) lawng ah khrihfabu tiah auh a si (The church is the
church when its exists for others) a ti.
“The church is not a saving institution but rather an institution of the
saved. The church exists not for herself but for the world”.
2.
Meaning and Definition of Mission
Mission timi biafang hi mah le sining (context) hoih in sullam lak cio a si.
Ecumenical missiologists pakhat a si ve mi M. R. Spindle nih cun
(I)
Mission timi cu thlah, kalter a si, Mission is being sent out (Matt 10:
16, Lk 10:1ff,
(II)
(ii) Mission cu khuakip le ram kip ah va kal I zumtu, Khrih zultu ah va
ser a si, (Mission is to make disciples of all nations (Matt 28:19)),
(III) (iii) Mission cu luatnak va pek khi a si a ti. Mission is deliverance,
emancipatory action grounded in witness (Acts 1:8).4
Harare I an tuah mi World Council of Churches meeting ah mission cu hiti hin a
sullam an langhter, Pathian khamhnak thawngthabia cu bia in phuan word
(Kerygma), tuahsernak deed (Diakonia), thlacamnak le pumhnak prayer and
worship (Liturgia) and Khrihfa mi nih kan langhter mi nun nak, the every witness of
Christian life (Martyria), Pathian lei I an thannak ah thazaang pek nak teaching as
building up and strengthening people in their relationship with God and each
other (didache), le Pathian le minung, minung le pawngkam sermi thil hna karah
damnak tling, remnak le daihnak sernak, healing as wholeness and reconciliation
into koinonia- communion with God, communion with people, and communion
with creation as a whole.5 Mission cu Luatnak, thlennak Pathian I a tuah mi I va
telve khi a si.
3. Missions in the Old Testament
Mission cu Pathian nih a thawk, a mah hi a hmasabik missionary le
missionary a thlahtu a si. Biakam hlun chung ah Pathian hi luatnak petu missionary
diar hmun in kan hmuh khawh, Cucaah biakam hlun Pathian cu Luatnak petu
3
Max L. Stackhouse, The Righteousness of the Kingdom, ed., Water Rauschenbusch (New
York: Abingdon Press, 1968), 153.
4
F. J. Verstraelen, A. camps, I.A. Hoedemaker and M. R. Spindle, eds. Missiology in
Ecumenical Introduction: Texts and contexts of Global Christianity (Grand Rapids: William
b. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1995), 127.
5
Rev. G. Dyvasirvadam,” Mission in Transition: A Contextual Appraisal”, in
Mission Paradigm in the New Millennium, ed. by W. S. Milton Jegannathan, (Delhi:
Cambridge Press, 2000), 1.
2
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(liberator) tiah an auh nak a si. Hremmi hna, serhsat mi miphun, sal I zuatmi hna kha
luatnak a pek hna. (Egypt, Babylon le a dang dang ram chung in). 6
YHWH, Pathian cu uknak ruang ah siseh, economic ruang ah siseh lung
rethei le ttamhaal in a um mi hna, leiba ruang ah sal I tlaih mi hna miphun lei I a ttang
mi Pathian a si. Sifak mi hna ttah ai hramnak a theitu, Pathian a si. 7 Cucaah biakam
hlun I Pathian cu Luatnak petu Pathian, khamhtu Pathian in hmuh a si.
A. Prophets Mission
Prophet pawl I an mission cu ramchung I a hman lo mi uknak tha lo doh le
ram mi hna nih Pathian an ttih I dinnak an tuah nak hnga va chim kha a si. Mi rum nih
sifak an serhsat hna, nuhmei le ngakttah an nautat hna, ruang ah Pathian aa lawm lo,
Pathian cu a dingmi Pathian, sifak le nuhmei sin a tang mi Pathian a sinak kha raltha
te in an phuan. 8
Prophet Hosea nih cun raltha ngai in dinnak kong kha a phuan, (6:6) cun
dinnak tuah kha a fial hna (2:19), Micah zong nih dinnak kong a chim (6:8). Isaiah
(58: 6-7). Amos (5:24).
Mission in the New Testament
A. The Nazareth Manifesto
Jesuh mission riantuan nak hi Luka thawng tha tialtu nih cun Luke 4: 16-20, nih hin
fiang te in a langhter a ti. The goal of Jesus’ liberation is characterized by
Nazareth Manifesto in Luke 4:16-20:
Bawipa Thlarau cu ka cung ah a um, sifak mihna sin I Thawngtha chim
awkah chiti a ka thuh I Saltangmi hna sin I luatnak thanhawk ah a ka
thlah, Mitcaw mi hna sin I khuahmuh than nak pek awk le hrem mi hna
luat ter ding ah a ka thlah.
Hi Bible cacang ah hin Israel miphun hna nih chan tampi an rak hngah mi
Missiah (khamhtu), mi nunnak a thlengtu sining kha a langhter. 9 Luke ca tial tu nih
cun minung nih nifa kan tonmi harnak, thleidan nak, a phunphun kan ton mi (social
issues) kha fak deuh in a langh ter. Sifakmi, mitcaw mi, le serhsatmi hi pa thum hi fak
deuh in a langhter.
B. Mission of Jesus
Jesuh Khrih I a mission cu sifak mi hna sin I thawngtha va thanh kha a si, cu
thawngtha cu Luatnak (liberation) thawngtha kha a si. Jesuh nih thlarau khamhnak,
pumsa damnak le fimnak thanchonak thawngtha kha a chim (Preaching, teaching
Rev. Dr. Daniel Jones Muthnayagam,” Life Centred Missiology with Biblical
Models”, in Mission Paradigm In the New Millennium, 32.
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7
Ibid. 33.
Ken Gnanakan, Kingdom Concerns: A Theology of Mission Today (Bangalore: Inter-Varsity
Press, 1993), 92.
9
Alian Johnson, The Great Commission (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1992), 64.
8
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and healing). A mah lawng lawng nih minung hi luatnak a pek khawh. Sualnak in
luat nak, vawlei sal taan nak chung in luat nak, hruhnak saltaan nak chung in luat nak
a kan tuah piak.10Jesuh cu misual mi hna I an hawi thabik, sifakmi hna nun a hrawm
tu, mizaw hna I an sibawi, a si.
4. Mission in Myanmar
Uknak that lo ruang ah kan ram nih chanti luan a dawi kho ti lo, pawcawmnak
ca ah tuan le kawl a hau, a cu za rih lo mi kan fa le tam pi rian an tuan (child labor),
hramhram riantuanternak (forced labor), minung I zuarnak (human trafficking),
rithainak zu le sii phunphun, I tuknak, I dohnak le a dang vawlei nih a chuah pi mi
har nak tampi kan tong. (With the accelerating deterioration of the global
economic and political situation, the indigenous people face increasingly
vulnerable to all kinds of exploitations such as sexual violence, child labor, forced
labor, trafficking of children and women, drugs and substance abuse, armed
conflict, violence, state terrorism and lack of legal protection mechanisms.)11
Myanmar ram ah hmuh khawh lomi le theih khawh rih lo mi tampi a um rih,
nung na in a thi mi (living-dead) an tam pi. Cu hna nih duhdim nunnak an hmuh
khawhnak hnga tuan vo kan ngei. Cu rian cu Khrihfabu nih aa khinh ding cu a si.
Thawng tha bia karh nak caah Bible sianginn le mission trainng school tuahnak,
fimnak caah boarding school tuahnak, ngandamnak caah Clinic tuahnak tbk
Khrihfabu nih a tuan cuahmah. Kan ram nih a herhmi tam pi lak ah development
centre, le a dangdang thanchonak he aa pehtlai mi rian tuan ding tampi a um.
Eg, Pu Cung Hu riantuan nak.
A. Work of the Past Missionaries in Myanmar
Myanmar I missionary rian tuan tu hna nih an rak tuan bik mi cu thlennak
(transforming), luatnak (liberating) le a tha deuh mi diarhmun (a better place) ah
hun cawi kha a si. Adoniram Judson te nu pa zong hi rian hi biapi bik ah an rak chiah.
Cu mission rian cu nihin tiang pehzulh te in tuan a si. Khrihfa mission rian cu thlarau
tlau mi kawl lawng a si lo, thinlung, pumsa zong in luatnak, khamhnak an hmuhnak
hnga tuan a si.12 The aim and goal of mission should not only be saving the lost
soul, but it should be transforming, developing the old life into a new and better
life.
B. Healing as Christian Mission
Khrihfa mission riantuan nak ah hin pumsa damnak hi tuanchih mi a si, Jesuh
nih a zultu hna kha khua za ramkip ah va kal I Preaching, teaching le healing rian va
tuan kha a fial hna. Carson te nu pa, le a dangdang missionary pawl zong nih pumsa
damnak mission cu an tuan cio, Clinic an tuah cio, eg. KBC, Agape , Bethel, Wisley,
10
Orlando E. Coastas, The Integrity of Mission: The Inner Life and Outreach of the Church
(New York: Happer and Row Publishers, 1979), 69.
11
A. Wati Longchar, “Identity and Dignity: An Indigenous People’s Vision of Mission in
Asia” in Engagement: Judson research Center Bulletin, vol.3 (Yangon: MIT, dec.2004), 29
12
Karen Zau Nan, “Mission as Multidimensional: A Mission Paradigm for Christian in
Myanmar” in RAYS; MIT Journal of Theology, vol.7 (Yangon: MIT, 2006), 114.
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etc… Jesuh rian tuan nak ah hin pumsa ngandamnak hi a kemhchih zungzal, khuachia
le khua vang nih a tuah mi, mit caw le ke bei, hnachet le thinghmui zawtnak zong kha
a dam ter hna.
Pumsa dam nak lawng siloin thinlung damnak zong kan herh. A tlau cang mi
kan minung sinak ah khan kiar than kha kan rian a si. Khrihfabu i a rian cu sermi
minung le thingram vial te nih damnak an hmuh nak hnga tuan vo pek a si. Pum sa
dam nak, thlarau dam nak hi kan herh mi cu a si13
C. Education
Judson te nu pa kawlram an phak cang ka in an tuan mi cu fimnak Education
hi a si. Sianginn phun hnih an derh colh, chun sianginn le zan siang inn ti in sianginn
pa hnih an derh. Khrihfa mission a um hlan ah Buddhist pawl nih education mission
cu an rak thawk cang. Fimnak hi minung kan nunnak ah kan rak herh mi a si. Nu bal
te an rak kai ter hna lo. Mission nih cun thawngtha chim, fimnak le damnak hi
hmunkhat te in a kal pi.
Conclusion
Khrihfabu timi cu zumtu pumpak hi kan si i, zumtu pumpak cio nih kan
tuanawk a si mi cu kan bawipa Jesuh nih a rak tuan mi mission rian pehzulh kha a si.
Sifak mi hna, mi zaw mi hna, san tlailo mi hna, ruahchannak a ngei lo mi hna, ca
cawn a duh ko na in ca a cawng kho lo mi hna, dam ding a si ko na in bawmtu ngeih
lo ruang ah thih can phak hlan ah a thi mi hna, Pathian dawtnak a thei lo mi hna nih
Pathian dawtnak an theih nak hnga, pumpak cio kan rian a si. Rian a tuan lo mi zumtu
cu zumtu taktak a si lo, zumtu deu a si. Cucaah, Khrihfabu cu kan society caah a nung
mi rian a tuan mi kan si awk a si.
Discussion
Zei tin dah, zeiban tuk mission dah kan tuan lai.
1.
2.
3.
4.
Missionay tlah in kan tuan lai maw.
Boarder phun in dah kan tuah lai
Tar zohkhenhnak, Ngandamnak,
Khoi ka ah kan tuan lai, eg. Thlanglei Laitlang ah maw
13
Marc Reuver, Friedhelm Solms, Gerrit eds., The Ecumenical Movement Tomorrow:
Suggestions for Approaches and Alternatives (Geneva: WCC Publications, 1993), 229.
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