What is a missionary?
Romans 10:14-15
14 How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?
15 And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”
New International Version (NIV)
The answer
A missionary is one who is sent to proclaim the gospel where it has not yet been heard, so that those people may believe and call on the Lord. The English word carries the Latin mittere ("to send"), and Scripture pins that down in Romans 10:15: "how will they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: 'How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the Good News of peace.'" — a quote from Isaiah 52:7.
The chain that makes the work necessary
Romans 10:14 lays out the logic the missionary serves:
- Call on Him → believe in Him → heard of Him → a preacher → the preacher is sent.
Without the sent preacher, the chain breaks — no hearing, no faith, no calling on the Lord. That is the gap the missionary exists to fill.
What the missionary does
Christ sets the task in Mark 16:15: "Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature." Luke 24:47 extends it: "repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations." Titus 1:3 calls this preaching "according to the commandment of God our Saviour" — it is not an optional enterprise but a commanded one.
Who sends, and to whom
The sending is God's, worked through His servants. Acts 26:17-18 shows the pattern in Paul's commission: "Delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee, to open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light." The same Father who sends is the one being preached — the missionary does not carry a message about Himself but about Christ.
A biblical picture
Acts 8:31 shows the work in a single meeting: the Ethiopian eunuch asks, "How can I, except some man should guide me?" — and Philip, already on the road because he was sent, sits with him and explains the Scripture. That is the missionary shape: one sent to a person who has not heard, so the hearer can believe.
In short: a missionary is a sent preacher of the gospel to those who have not heard, that they may believe and be saved (Romans 10:14-15).
Answered from Scripture · reviewed November 7, 2026
Scripture defines a missionary not by modern organizational titles, but by the biblical reality of being sent with the gospel of Jesus Christ. From the Latin mittere and the Greek apostellein, the missionary is an ambassador commissioned by God and His church to bring the message of salvation to those who have not yet heard. Without someone sent to proclaim Christ, the chain of hearing, believing, and calling upon the Lord cannot take place.
The Great Sending
God Authorizes and Commissions the Mission to All Nations
Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
Matthew 28:19 (NIV)
Christ grounds all missionary authority in His own universal sovereignty and commands His followers to make disciples of every nation.
The missionary task rests entirely upon the sovereign authority of the risen Lord. In Matthew 28:19, Jesus speaks to His disciples with absolute imperial clarity: 'Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.' He prefaces this charge in Matthew 28:18 by announcing that all authority in heaven and on earth has been granted to Him, and He seals it in Matthew 28:20 with the promise that He is with His church to the end of the age as they instruct converts in all His ways. This commission reaches every corner of human existence. In Mark 16:15, He commands the company to proclaim the gospel to every creature, while Luke 24:46 and Luke 24:47 declare that the Christ had to suffer and rise so that repentance and forgiveness of sins could be heralded across all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.
Jesus patterns this task after His own incarnation. In John 20:21, He commissions His people directly: 'As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.' This sending is never pursued in mere human flesh; Acts 1:8 assures the disciples that the incoming Holy Spirit will empower them to bear witness through Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the uttermost ends of the earth. Long before His resurrection, Jesus taught His followers to discern this urgent need. Matthew 9:37 and Luke 10:2 reveal a vast harvest with tragically few workers, prompting His command in Matthew 9:38 to beseech the Lord of the harvest to thrust forth laborers. He then acted on that prayer, sending the twelve in Matthew 10:5 and the seventy-two in Luke 10:1 ahead of Him in pairs to proclaim the kingdom.
| Passage | What it says |
|---|---|
| Matthew 28:18 | Jesus declares that all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Him. |
| Matthew 28:19 | The risen Lord commands His disciples to go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them. |
| Matthew 28:20 | Disciples are to be taught all Christ commanded, accompanied by His abiding presence to the end. |
| Mark 16:15 | Christ commands His disciples to go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to every creature. |
| Luke 24:46 | Jesus shows that Scripture required the Christ to suffer and rise from the dead on the third day. |
| Luke 24:47 | Repentance and remission of sins must be proclaimed in His name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. |
| John 20:21 | Jesus sends His disciples into the world just as the Father sent Him. |
| Acts 1:8 | The Holy Spirit empowers believers to be witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the earth's end. |
| Matthew 9:37 | Jesus observes the vast harvest field and the scarcity of laborers. |
| Matthew 9:38 | Christ instructs disciples to pray that the Lord sends out workers into His harvest. |
| Matthew 10:5 | Jesus sends out the twelve disciples with explicit instructions and divine authority. |
| Luke 10:1 | The Lord appoints and sends seventy-two others ahead in pairs to every town. |
| Luke 10:2 | Jesus reiterates that the harvest is plentiful but laborers must be sent. |
The Saving Chain
Salvation Requires Hearing, and Hearing Requires One Sent
How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?
Romans 10:14 (NIV)
Paul sets out the unbroken logical sequence from sending to preaching, hearing, believing, and calling on the Lord.
Salvation comes through a concrete, divine sequence that requires a herald. In Romans 10:14, the apostle Paul asks the unyielding theological question: 'How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?' Paul anchors this inquiry in the glorious promise of Romans 10:13, where everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved. Yet calling requires faith, faith requires hearing the word of Christ, and hearing requires someone who speaks.
This chain demands that heralds be commissioned. Romans 10:15 explains that preachers cannot speak unless they are sent, quoting Isaiah 52:7 to celebrate the lovely feet of those who bring good tidings of peace and announce the sovereign reign of God. Faith is not an autonomous spark within fallen man; as Romans 10:17 clarifies, faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the spoken word of Christ. Titus 1:3 confirms that God has chosen to manifest His eternal promise of life in due time specifically through the public proclamation of the gospel committed by divine commandment. Without this spoken gospel, men remain estranged and destitute of the saving knowledge of God, for Hebrews 11:6 reminds us that without faith it is impossible to please Him. A missionary is the vital link in God's saving chain: the one sent so that those who sit in silence may hear, believe, and call.
| Passage | What it says |
|---|---|
| Romans 10:13 | Scripture promises that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved. |
| Romans 10:14 | Paul asks how men can call without believing, believe without hearing, or hear without a preacher. |
| Romans 10:15 | Preachers cannot proclaim the gospel unless sent, fulfilling Isaiah's prophecy of beautiful feet bearing good news. |
| Romans 10:17 | Faith comes by hearing, and hearing comes through the spoken word of Christ. |
| Isaiah 52:7 | The prophet celebrates the lovely feet of messengers announcing peace, salvation, and God's reign. |
| Titus 1:3 | God manifested His word in due time through preaching committed to Paul by divine commandment. |
| Hebrews 11:6 | Without faith it is impossible to please God, for seekers must believe He exists and rewards them. |
The Apostles Sent
The Early Church Models the Missionary Call and Sending
While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.”
Acts 13:2 (NIV)
The Holy Spirit explicitly directs the local church to set apart and send specific men for missionary labor.
The Book of Acts demonstrates that missionary identity is rooted in the sovereign direction of the Holy Spirit through the local assembly. In Acts 13:2, as the prophets and teachers of the church at Antioch worshiped the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, 'Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.' Acts 13:1 situates this event within a vibrant, multi-ethnic congregation, and Acts 13:3 records their response: after further fasting and prayer, the church laid hands on the two men and sent them forth. A missionary is not an unaccountable maverick, but a laborer called by the Spirit and sent out by the church of God.
Earlier, the Spirit demonstrated this individual commissioning in Acts 8:26, directing Philip to a desert road to meet a high Ethiopian official. Prompted by the Spirit in Acts 8:30, Philip heard the man reading Isaiah, accepted his invitation in Acts 8:31, and opened his mouth in Acts 8:35 to preach Jesus directly from the prophet's text. Later, Paul recounted his own heavenly commission in Acts 26:17 and Acts 26:18, where the risen Christ sent him to open the eyes of the Gentiles and deliver them from darkness to light. The missionary cycle continues in Acts 14:21–23, as Paul and Barnabas preached, established disciples, exhorted young converts, and ordained local elders. In Acts 14:26 and Acts 14:27, they returned to Antioch to give an accounting of all God had wrought. Furthermore, Acts 16:9 and Acts 16:10 show the team obediently altering their course when God summoned them across cultural borders into Macedonia.
| Passage | What it says |
|---|---|
| Acts 8:26 | An angel of the Lord directs Philip southward toward the desert road to Gaza. |
| Acts 8:30 | Philip runs up to the chariot, hears the Ethiopian reading Isaiah, and asks if he understands. |
| Acts 8:31 | The Ethiopian asks how he can understand without a guide, inviting Philip to sit with him. |
| Acts 8:35 | Philip opens his mouth and, beginning from Isaiah 53, preaches Jesus to him. |
| Acts 13:1 | Prophets and teachers minister to the Lord in the local assembly at Antioch. |
| Acts 13:2 | The Holy Spirit commands the church to set apart Barnabas and Saul for the work called. |
| Acts 13:3 | After fasting and praying, the church lays hands upon them and sends them out. |
| Acts 26:17 | The risen Christ tells Paul He is delivering him and sending him to the Gentiles. |
| Acts 26:18 | Paul is sent to open their eyes, turn them from darkness to light, and grant them forgiveness. |
| Acts 14:21 | Paul and Barnabas preach the gospel, make disciples, and strengthen nascent churches. |
| Acts 14:22 | The missionaries encourage believers to remain steadfast through trials. |
| Acts 14:23 | They appoint elders in each church and commit them to the Lord. |
| Acts 14:26 | The missionaries return to Antioch, having fulfilled the work commended to God's grace. |
| Acts 14:27 | They gather the church and report how God opened faith to the Gentiles. |
| Acts 16:9 | Paul sees the Macedonian vision pleading for cross-cultural missionary help. |
| Acts 16:10 | The missionary team concludes God called them to preach to Macedonia. |
Unreached Frontiers
Missionaries Strive to Preach Christ Where He Was Unnamed
It has always been my ambition to preach the gospel where Christ was not known, so that I would not be building on someone else’s foundation.
Romans 15:20 (NIV)
Paul defines the distinctively missionary ambition of building where no foundation has yet been laid.
A missionary carries the gospel across geographical, linguistic, and cultural boundaries to places where the name of Jesus has never been uttered. In Romans 15:20, Paul declares his defining vocational drive: 'and thus I make it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on someone else's foundation.' He corroborates this passion in Romans 15:21 by citing Isaiah's prophecy that those who were never told will see, and those who have never heard will understand. In 2 Corinthians 10:16, Paul similarly yearns to preach the gospel in lands lying beyond existing territories rather than boasting in work already completed.
This pioneer endeavor is propelled by the eternal scope of redemption. Revelation 5:9 reveals that the slain Lamb bought people for God with His blood out of every tribe, language, people, and nation, and Revelation 7:9 portrays this vast, robed throng worshipping before the throne in spotless white. Paul understood in Romans 1:5 that he received grace and apostleship precisely to bring about the obedience of faith among all these nations for the glory of Christ's name. As 2 Corinthians 5:20 establishes, every missionary stands as an ambassador making Christ's direct appeal of reconciliation to a dying world. This demanding labor requires sacrificial partnership; 3 John 1:7 and 3 John 1:8 declare that workers who go out for the Name deserve faithful care so the sending church becomes fellow workers for the truth. Philippians 4:15 and Philippians 4:16 illustrate this bond, recounting how the Philippians repeatedly provided financial support to sustain the apostle's frontier ministry.
| Passage | What it says |
|---|---|
| Romans 15:20 | Paul makes it his ambition to preach the gospel where Christ has not been named. |
| Romans 15:21 | Citing Isaiah, Paul writes that those not told of Him will see and understand. |
| 2 Corinthians 10:16 | Paul longs to preach the gospel in lands beyond Corinth rather than boast in another's field. |
| 3 John 1:7 | Missionary laborers went out for the sake of the Name, accepting nothing from the Gentiles. |
| 3 John 1:8 | Believers are obligated to support such workers, becoming fellow laborers for the truth. |
| Revelation 5:9 | The Lamb was slain and ransomed people for God from every tribe, tongue, people, and nation. |
| Revelation 7:9 | A great multitude from all nations stands before the throne and the Lamb, clothed in white. |
| Romans 1:5 | Apostles received grace to bring about obedience of faith among all nations. |
| 2 Corinthians 5:20 | Believers serve as Christ's ambassadors making God's direct appeal of reconciliation. |
| Philippians 4:15 | The Philippian church partners in the matter of giving and receiving for missions. |
| Philippians 4:16 | They send financial provision repeatedly to support gospel missionary advance. |
The Old Testament Pattern
God Commands His Servants to Cross Cultural Frontiers
I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”
Genesis 12:3 (NIV)
It defines God's overarching purpose to extend redemption across all earthly families and tribes.
Long before the formal institution of the apostolic church, God set in motion His cosmic mission to reach the ends of the earth. In Genesis 12:3, the Lord establishes the definitive charter for worldwide redemption, declaring that through Abraham “all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” This foundational promise reveals that God’s redemptive purpose has never been insular or ethnic; it has always been global. The call begins when the Lord instructs Abram to abandon his homeland and kindred in Genesis 12:1, venturing out into an unknown inheritance solely upon the authority of the divine command. In Genesis 12:2, God pledges to forge from him a great nation, not as an end in itself, but so that he might serve as an instrument of blessing across territorial and cultural frontiers.
This outward, cross-cultural sending finds vivid historical expression in the commissioning of the prophets. When Jonah 1:1 records the word of the Lord coming to the son of Amittai, it marks a direct mandate to breach pagan borders. God commands the prophet in Jonah 1:2 to “arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it,” sending a Hebrew messenger into the violent heart of the Assyrian empire. Though Jonah initially fled, God’s sovereign pursuit broke his resistance, leading to the renewed charge in Jonah 3:1 where the divine word arrives a second time. God repeats His non-negotiable missionary directive in Jonah 3:2, ordering him once more to deliver the heavenly message to an alien people.
Submitting at last to the heavenly call, Jonah embarks on the long trek across foreign borders in Jonah 3:3, entering the sprawling pagan metropolis. Walking a single day’s journey into the vast urban center, he heralds God’s warning in Jonah 3:4, crying out impending judgment in the streets. The immediate outcome demonstrates the astonishing power of God’s sent word: Jonah 3:5 records that the people of Nineveh believed God, from the greatest to the least, clothing themselves in sackcloth and repenting. Across both patriarch and prophet, Scripture establishes that a missionary is one called by God to cross cultural boundaries, bearing His word so that distant nations might turn and live.
| Passage | What it says |
|---|---|
| Genesis 12:1 | God commands Abram to leave home to go to an unmapped land. |
| Genesis 12:2 | The Lord promises to make Abram a great nation and a blessing. |
| Genesis 12:3 | God decrees that in Abraham all families of the earth will be blessed. |
| Jonah 1:1 | The word of the Lord comes to Jonah commanding cross-cultural proclamation. |
| Jonah 1:2 | God charges Jonah to arise and preach against the pagan city of Nineveh. |
| Jonah 3:1 | The word of the Lord comes to Jonah a second time to preach. |
| Jonah 3:2 | God renews the missionary charge to deliver His message to Nineveh. |
| Jonah 3:3 | Jonah arises and goes to Nineveh according to the word of the Lord. |
| Jonah 3:4 | Jonah proclaims the warning message throughout the streets of the foreign metropolis. |
| Jonah 3:5 | The pagan people of Nineveh believe God and proclaim a communal fast. |
Where in the Bible
| Book | Passages |
|---|---|
| Genesis | 3 · Genesis 12:1, Genesis 12:2, Genesis 12:3 |
| Isaiah | 1 · Isaiah 52:7 |
| Jonah | 7 · Jonah 1:1, Jonah 1:2, Jonah 3:1, Jonah 3:2, Jonah 3:3, Jonah 3:4, Jonah 3:5 |
| Matthew | 6 · Matthew 28:18, Matthew 28:19, Matthew 28:20, Matthew 9:37, Matthew 9:38, Matthew 10:5 |
| Mark | 1 · Mark 16:15 |
| Luke | 4 · Luke 24:46, Luke 24:47, Luke 10:1, Luke 10:2 |
| John | 1 · John 20:21 |
| Acts | 17 · Acts 1:8, Acts 8:26, Acts 8:30, Acts 8:31, Acts 8:35, Acts 13:1, Acts 13:2, Acts 13:3, Acts 26:17, Acts 26:18, Acts 14:21, Acts 14:22, Acts 14:23, Acts 14:26, Acts 14:27, Acts 16:9, Acts 16:10 |
| Romans | 7 · Romans 10:13, Romans 10:14, Romans 10:15, Romans 10:17, Romans 15:20, Romans 15:21, Romans 1:5 |
| 2 Corinthians | 2 · 2 Corinthians 10:16, 2 Corinthians 5:20 |
| Philippians | 2 · Philippians 4:15, Philippians 4:16 |
| Titus | 1 · Titus 1:3 |
| Hebrews | 1 · Hebrews 11:6 |
| 3 John | 2 · 3 John 1:7, 3 John 1:8 |
| Revelation | 2 · Revelation 5:9, Revelation 7:9 |
The story in order
- God calls Abram to leave (c. 2000 BC) · Genesis 12:1 · God's call to cross cultural frontiers begins.
- Jonah commanded to Nineveh (c. 780 BC) · Jonah 1:1 · God sends a prophet to a pagan city.
- Jesus commissions the disciples (AD 30) · Matthew 28:19 · The Great Commission to make disciples of all nations.
- Jesus sends out the Seventy-two (AD 30) · Luke 10:1 · Disciples are sent out in pairs to proclaim.
- The Spirit empowers witnesses (AD 30) · Acts 1:8 · Witnesses are empowered to reach the ends of the earth.
- Philip preaches to the Ethiopian (AD 35) · Acts 8:35 · The gospel is preached to a foreigner.
- Church sends Barnabas and Saul (AD 46) · Acts 13:2 · The church sets apart and sends missionaries.
- Paul sees the Macedonian call (AD 50) · Acts 16:9 · A vision prompts cross-cultural mission.
- Paul's ambition to preach where Christ is unnamed (AD 57) · Romans 15:20 · Missionaries focus on unreached peoples.
- Christ's ambassadors of reconciliation (AD 57) · 2 Corinthians 5:20 · Believers serve as Christ's envoys.
- The Lamb ransomed people from every nation (c. AD 95) · Revelation 5:9 · The ultimate scope of salvation is all nations.
The Goal: People from Every Nation
| The Redeemed | The Source | The Scope | Passage |
|---|---|---|---|
| People for God. | The Lamb who was slain. | From every tribe, tongue, people, and nation. | Revelation 5:9 |
| A great multitude. | Standing before the throne and the Lamb. | From all nations, tribes, peoples, and languages. | Revelation 7:9 |
| Obedience of faith. | Apostles received grace. | Among all nations. | Romans 1:5 |
Key words
- Missionary (apostolos (Greek))
- One who is sent with the gospel of Jesus Christ to proclaim salvation. · John 20:21
- Sent (pempo (Greek))
- Commissioned and authorized by God or His church to proclaim the gospel. · John 20:21
- Ambassador (presbeuo (Greek))
- One who represents Christ and delivers God's message of reconciliation. · 2 Corinthians 5:20
- Preach (kerusso (Greek))
- To proclaim the gospel message publicly and authoritatively. · Mark 16:15
- Nations (ethnos (Greek))
- Peoples or ethnic groups, encompassing all humanity. · Matthew 28:19
Every follower of Jesus belongs to a church called to bear witness to the risen Lord, either by going across geographic and cultural boundaries or by sending those who do. The calling of the missionary reminds us that salvation comes through hearing the Word of God, and that God's heart beats for every nation, tribe, and tongue.
57 passages, each cited once.
Scripture cited
- Romans 10:14-15
- Acts 26:17-18
- Titus 1:3
- Acts 8:31