Was Adam a Missionary? Matthew Newkirk on the Creation Mandate and Missions

Should Christians “go and make disciples” or “be fruitful, multiply, and take dominion”? The answer isn’t either-or.

Was Adam a Missionary? Matthew Newkirk on the Creation Mandate and Missions

In Genesis, Adam was told to be fruitful, multiply, and take dominion of creation. He failed. Now, believers in Christ are called to spread the good news of Christ to the world. Are these two separate missions, or is the Great Commission a renewal of the original marching orders from Eden? Matthew Newkirk, author of Fill the Earth: The Creation Mandate and the Church’s Call to Missions.

Matthew (Ph.D., Wheaton College) is president and professor of Old Testament at Christ Bible Seminary in Nagoya, Japan. For two decades he has served churches in a variety of ministerial roles including youth, worship, mercy, missions, and adult education, and has taught Hebrew and Old Testament in seminaries in the United States, Australia, and Japan. He is married to Caroline and together they have four children and reside in Japan.

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Alex Kocman & Scott Dunford

Alex Kocman is the Director of Communications and Engagement for ABWE. He serves as general editor for Message Magazine and co-hosts The Missions Podcast. After earning his M.A. in Communication and B.S. in Biblical Studies, he served as an online apologetics instructor with Liberty University and a youth pastor in Pennsylvania, where he now resides with his wife and three children. Read his blog or follow him on X/Twitter.

Scott Dunford is the pastor of Western Hills Church in San Mateo, Calif. Previously, Scott served as Vice President of Mobilization and Communications for ABWE and as a missionary in East Asia. Scott graduated from Northland International University (B.A. in Pastoral Studies), earned his M.A. in biblical studies from Central Baptist Theological Seminary, his M.B.A. from Cornerstone University, and is currently enrolled in Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary’s D.Min. program with an emphasis on missions.