Role of Divine Providence in Missions and Evangelism

Divine providence, understood as God's preserving and governing all things through secondary causes, plays a significant role in Christian missions and evangelism ^[1]. This concept encompasses God's oversight of the natural world, animal creation, and human affairs, including the free actions of individuals ^[1]. The biblical understanding of providence suggests that nothing occurs by chance, but rather by God's will and counsel ^[6].

God's providential care extends to the broader unfolding of His purposes for humanity, sometimes referred to as dispensations ^[2]. These dispensations represent stages in God's plan of grace ^[2]. In the context of missions, this means that God orchestrates events and circumstances to advance the spread of the Gospel. For instance, the timely arrival of a messenger warning Saul of a Philistine invasion, thereby saving David, illustrates God's intervention in human affairs for His purposes ^[7]. Similarly, the "two kingdoms of providence and grace" are seen as intimately connected, with temporal affairs subject to divine providence and spiritual concerns dependent on divine grace ^[9].

The New Testament highlights the role of divine providence in the apostolic ministry. Paul, for example, saw himself as a "servant of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles," commissioned to preach the Good News so that the Gentiles might become an acceptable offering, sanctified by the Holy Spirit ^[3]. His extensive travels, "from Jerusalem, and around as far as to Illyricum," where he "fully preached the Good News of Christ," were accomplished "in the power of signs and wonders, in the power of God’s Spirit" ^[4]. This suggests that God's Spirit actively empowered Paul's missionary endeavors, guiding his steps and validating his message through miraculous displays.

The sending of ministers is a key aspect of God's providential work in evangelism. John Gill, a Baptist commentator, emphasizes that there is no proper or lawful preaching of the word without a mission, whether extraordinary, like that of the apostles, or ordinary, for pastors and teachers ^[10]. This implies that God providentially calls and equips individuals for the task of proclaiming the Gospel. The "maidens" sent forth by Wisdom in Proverbs 9:3 are interpreted by Gill as ministers of the Gospel, further illustrating the idea of God sending His messengers ^[8].

Furthermore, the impact of missionary work is seen as leading to the glorification of God. When the poor saints in Jerusalem experienced the generosity of the Gentile churches, they glorified God, acknowledging Him as the source of all grace. This act of giving was a "proof" or "experiment" of the Gentile churches' "professed subjection to the Gospel of Christ" ^[11]. Thus, God's providence not only facilitates the spread of the Gospel but also uses the results of evangelism to bring Him glory.

Christ's ongoing intercession in heaven is also connected to divine providence in missions. As part of His priestly office, Christ continually intercedes for His people, appearing in God's presence on their behalf ^[5]. This intercession, based on His sacrifice, secures the fulfillment of God's promises ^[5]. This suggests that the success of missions is not solely dependent on human effort but is also sustained by Christ's continuous advocacy before the Father, ensuring that God's redemptive purposes are realized.

Sources

Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Providence — Literally means foresight, but is generally used to denote God's preserving and governing all things by means of second causes (Ps. 18:35; 63:8; Acts 17:28; Col. 1:17; Heb. 1:3). God's providence extends to the natural world (Ps. 104:14; 135:5-7; Acts 14:17), the brute creation (Ps. 104:21-29; Matt. 6:26; 10:29), and the affairs of men (1 Chr. 16:31; Ps. 47:7; Prov. 21:1; Job 12:23; Dan. 2:21; 4:25), and of individuals (1 Sam. 2:6; Ps. 18:30; Luke 1:53; James 4:13-15). It extends also to the free actions of men (Ex. 12:36; 1 Sam. 24:9-15; Ps. 33:14, 15; ”
Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Dispensation — (Gr. oikonomia, "management," "economy"). (1.) The method or scheme according to which God carries out his purposes towards men is called a dispensation. There are usually reckoned three dispensations, the Patriarchal, the Mosaic or Jewish, and the Christian. (See [160]COVENANT, Administration of.) These were so many stages in God's unfolding of his purpose of grace toward men. The word is not found with this meaning in Scripture. (2.) A commission to preach the gospel (1 Cor. 9:17; Eph. 1:10; 3:2; Col. 1:25). Dispensations of Providence are providenti”
Romans “that I should be a servant of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles, serving as a priest the Good News of God, that the offering up of the Gentiles might be made acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit. -- Romans 15:16”
Romans “in the power of signs and wonders, in the power of God’s Spirit; so that from Jerusalem, and around as far as to Illyricum, I have fully preached the Good News of Christ; -- Romans 15:19”
Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Intercession of Christ — Christ's priestly office consists of these two parts, (1) the offering up of himself as a sacrifice, and (2) making continual intercession for us. When on earth he made intercession for his people (Luke 23:34; John 17:20; Heb. 5:7); but now he exercises this function of his priesthood in heaven, where he is said to appear in the presence of God for us (Heb. 9:12, 24). His advocacy with the Father for his people rests on the basis of his own all-perfect sacrifice. Thus he pleads for and obtains the fulfilment of all the promises of the everlas”
Proverbs (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on Proverbs 16:33: Note, 1. The divine Providence orders and directs those things which to us are perfectly casual and fortuitous. Nothing comes to pass by chance, nor is an event determined by a blind fortune, but every thing by the will and counsel of God. What man has neither eye nor hand in God is intimately concerned in. 2. When solemn appeals are made to Providence by the casting of lots, for the deciding of that matter of moment which could not otherwise be at all, or not so well, decided, God must be eyed in it, by prayer, that it may be disposed aright (Give a perfect lo”
1 Samuel (Methodist/Wesleyan) “Adam Clarke on 1 Samuel 23:27: There came a messenger - See the providence of God exerted for the salvation of David's life! David and his men are almost surrounded by Saul and his army, and on the point of being taken, when a messenger arrives and informs Saul that the Philistines had invaded the land! But behold the workings of Providence! God had already prepared the invasion of the land by the Philistines, and kept Saul ignorant how much David was in his power; but as his advanced guards and scouts must have discovered him in a very short time, the messenger arrives just at the point of ti”
Proverbs (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Proverbs 9:3: She hath sent forth her maidens,.... Not moral virtues, or good works, which subserve the interest of Christ and religion, adorn the Gospel and its professors; nor the liberal arts and sciences, said to be handmaids to divinity; nor angels, ministering spirits to Christ; but the ministers of the Gospel, who being so called does not suppose or encourage women's preaching; but have the name to keep up the decency of the parable, and the propriety of the allegory: for since Wisdom is represented as a lady, a princess or queen, it is proper that her attendants should be ”
Zechariah (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on Zechariah 6 (introduction): The two kingdoms of providence and grace are what we are all very nearly interested in, and therefore are concerned to acquaint ourselves with, all our temporal affairs being in a necessary subjection to divine Providence, and all our spiritual and eternal concerns in a necessary dependence upon divine grace; and these two are represented to us in this chapter - the former by a vision, the latter by a type. Here is, I. God, as King of nations, ruling the world by the ministry of angels, in the vision of the four chariots (Zac 6:1-8). II. God, as Kin”
Romans (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Romans 10:15: And how shall they preach, except they be sent,.... There is no proper, rightful, regular, and lawful preaching of the word without a mission, which is either extraordinary, or ordinary; extraordinary mission was such as the apostles themselves had; who, as they were called to extraordinary service, had extraordinary qualifications, and were sent forth in an extraordinary manner, with a power of doing miracles, and immediately by Christ himself. Ordinary mission is of men to be pastors and teachers, which includes qualifications for the ministerial work; for whom Chr”
2 Corinthians (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on 2 Corinthians 9:13: Whiles by the experiment of this ministration,.... That is, the poor saints at Jerusalem having a specimen, a proof, an experience of the liberality of the Gentile churches ministered to them by the apostles, first, they glorify God; by giving thanks unto him, acknowledging him to be the author of all the grace and goodness which they, and others, were partakers of; particularly for your professed subjection to the Gospel of Christ. The Gospel of Christ is the doctrine of grace, life, and salvation by Christ, of which he is the author, as God, the subject m”

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