Doctrine and Covenants 163 Commentary Series

Forerunners of Peace

by Bob Kyser

To accelerate the work of sharing the gospel, the Twelve and the Seventy should be closely associated in implementing wholistic evangelistic ministries. The seventy are to be the forerunners of Christ’s peace, preparing the way for apostolic witness to be more readily received. Procedures regarding the calling and assignments of the Presidents of Seventy and members of the Quorums of Seventy shall be developed to facilitate the maximum level of collaboration with the Council of Twelve. The Twelve, the Presidents of Seventy, and the Quorums of Seventy should spend sufficient time together to ensure a mutual understanding of evangelistic priorities and approaches.
—Doctrine and Covenants 163:5b, c

My personal reflections on the above scripture passage almost immediately have brought two other biblical references to mind. The first speaks of consistency in the call for forerunners of Christ’s peace, while the second implies consideration of a departure from the norm.

As I have considered the implications of this paragraph of Doctrine and Covenants 163, a connection emerges with Luke 10:1, 5 IV.

After these things the Lord appointed other seventy also, and sent them two and two before his face, into every city and place where he himself would come. …And into whatsoever house ye enter, first say, Peace to this house.

There is something inherent in being a disciple of Jesus Christ that calls one to go in advance of Christ’s “coming” to share with people and communities a blessing of peace that impacts their lives. In this situation, thirty-five teams left their physical association with Jesus to witness of Christ in the places where he was to come. We receive the commission again today.

The second scripture is from Matthew 9:23 IV (9:17 others): “New wine must be stored in new wineskins.” This raises a concern for me. It would seem so easy to lift out and up the name “forerunners of Christ’s peace” as descriptive of the ministry of the seventy without probing more deeply into the possible new meaning of this call in this day and time. Does it mean for the seventy just to keep doing what we have always done and for disciples fellowshipping in the Community of Christ to keep maintaining their present expression of witness? I am thinking that in this passage there must be “new wine” to be discerned and lived out in the witness of the church. It is this new meaning and application that I would like to explore.

Accelerate Sharing the Gospel
This passage contains instruction to specific people, namely the twelve apostles and the seventy. However, it also lifts up principles for every disciple and the entire church. It is not a paragraph to be skipped because the reader is not a member of a specific priesthood quorum. The challenge is for the church to be engaged to a much greater measure in sharing the good news of the gospel in places and with people and situations where the church has yet to go. There is an urgency inherent in these words that calls the Twelve and Seventy to lead by example, as well as each disciple reaching out to another person who is seeking for meaning and hope in their life. It sounds the imperative to speed up the rate at which disciples witness of new life in Christ and seekers experience it in ways that help to heal divisions and make relationships whole.

Are we being reminded once again that the time for hesitation is past?

Implement Wholistic Evangelistic Ministries
For several generations, while methods and media have changed, the intent of sharing the story of the church has remained basically the same. Scripture, gospel principles, basic beliefs, doctrinal statements have all been used to convey information that will persuade people to live out their faith and commitment to Christ in the church. Testimonies of spiritual experiences have witnessed the reality of God, Christ, and the Holy Spirit. Invitation to baptism and lifelong discipleship continues to be critical in the church’s response to the Great Commission.

Does this provide an adequate definition of “wholistic evangelism”? Is there something missing? The answers to these and other related questions may well be found in an understanding of sharing the elements of faith in a way that touches all aspects of a person’s being. One example would be that of relationships. How does our “missionary message” impact a person’s relationship with parents, children, spouse, relatives, co-workers, and friends? How might we intentionally help people discover their individual spiritual gifts and provide opportunities for them to share those gifts within and without the walls of the church?

Similar exploration relates to life areas of health, purpose, priorities, acceptance, and self-esteem, which impact a person’s ability to become a lifelong disciple of Jesus Christ. Are we prepared to embrace the concept of discipleship formation and make the changes necessary to become a follower in action as well as word?

Being the Forerunners of Christ’s Peace
Let’s revisit Luke 10. According to this scripture, those seventy missionaries (or seventy-two in some translations) were sent to every city and place where Jesus was to go. They were to be in the communities as well as the houses of those who lived there.

Regardless of their reception, they were to announce that God’s kingdom was available to them. While it might not be accurate to assume that they did not go to the synagogues, the focus seems to be in the cities or communities where the people who needed the blessing of peace and the coming kingdom resided.

I recently returned from a missionary trip to South America. It is apparent to me both by listening and observing that in Bolivia the primary mission of the church there is expressed in the context of community. The disciples there sense a call to go into a community, neighborhood, or group of people to live and serve with them. Needs and resources are identified.

The work of making a community sacred is supported by the giftedness of those who live in that community. The identity of the Community of Christ emerges gradually as those living in the village or city come to understand why members of the church have come to their community to teach their children, make more-nutritious bread available, and empower already existing economic organizations to improve the quality of life for all. The opportunity is present to form a faith community made up of entire families and neighborhoods. I am not suggesting that this approach has been perfected but this understanding of mission is worth considering.

If this insight was applied to the ministry of the seventy as forerunners of Christ’s peace it could well require a new “wineskin” that might include the following:

• Discernment of where the Spirit of Christ desires to be received and go there

• Ministerial skill-set for community transformation

• Confronting injustices wherever found

• Engagement in life and death struggles

• Contemporary expression of two by two missionary witness

Would this be enough to create a new wineskin for the ministry of the seventy and the support of the church for that ministry? It could certainly be a start. What else might we consider?

• Affirm the call of selected seventy to leave the established congregations and engage in new witnessing opportunities expressed in diverse cultures and subcultures where the Community of Christ is yet to engage in mission.

• Affirm the call of other seventy to engage existing congregations in investing the majority of their resources in community/neighborhood transformation.

• Prioritize resources for the retraining of seventy to become community change agents and to experience the peace of Christ in their own lives.

It seems apparent that the seventy can only be forerunners if they leave their places of ministerial security and comfort and move sacrificially into the mainstream of community life and struggle.

Prepare for Apostolic Witness
There is an important relationship between the phrases “be the forerunners of Christ’s peace” and “preparing the way for apostolic witness to be more readily received.” The word “apostolic” carries the meaning of “being sent” to witness and doing so with conviction and the authority of firsthand experience. Having experienced the peace of Jesus Christ as individuals, congregations, and communities, the apostolic witness bears an integrity that will merit being heard. In addition, as seventy and co-disciples work at transforming communities into places of equality and hope, the receptivity of people will be heightened.

Recently I was a recipient of this preparation. While on a missionary trip to Lima, Peru, I was scheduled to make a home visit one evening. Missionary elders had been leading study sessions with this family and an invitation had been extended for us to come to their house while we were in Lima. Specifically we were to participate in anointing with oil and offering a prayer for healing of the grandmother, who was unable to walk.

In the course of the visit I bore my testimony of how strongly I felt the Holy Spirit connecting us together. Language, cultural, and geographical barriers had been overcome. I had come as a stranger to this house, and this family had extended to me the blessing of hospitality. It seemed as though I had been in that home on numerous occasions. There was a feeling of closeness with this family I had just met a few moments before. We all felt this so very strongly. It was apparent that preparation had been made for apostolic witness. I saw the potential for witness and response in that home.

It is clear to me that one of the gifts of seventy ministry is the spirit of discernment. The seventy is to discern missionary opportunities and where the witness of the Twelve might be best received to assist in maximizing that initiative. Then they prepare accordingly.

Similarly inherent in the ministry of the Twelve is having the vision of the new places where the mission of the church needs to go and “sending” the seventy to begin the new opening. This relationship is lived out in relationships with individuals, families, neighborhoods, community organizations, and specific population groups.

Realigning the witness of the apostles and seventy is a tangible response to this prophetic insight. Again, the principle applies to each disciple and to every congregation. As we all work together preparing, witnessing, and affirming the missionary gifts of each other, the peace of Jesus Christ is shared more broadly and effectively.

Let’s Start Running
I believe we—disciples, apostles, seventy—need to start running ahead, freed of concerns for our sense of security that we might be open to discovering a deepened faith in the Christ who sends us. We need to discern where it is that Christ is planning to be present, and minister in those places (which certainly will not be limited to established congregations of the Community of Christ). We need to experience firsthand the peace of Jesus Christ in our own life and that of our family.

As we are running ahead, we need to have something to share when we go into the homes of those who receive us. Running ahead is part of the preparation, and preparation is part of the running ahead. Those in the houses are waiting for our testimony of the blessing of Christ’s peace! Let’s go!