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Topic: END (06/09/22)
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TITLE: Captivated by One Purpose – for a Lifetime | Previous Challenge Entry
By Dale Buchanan
06/16/22 -
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A Man With a Burden That Created a Life Purpose
An Englishman, William Carey (1761–1834), accepted Christ as Savior in 1783. He was a voracious reader reading all available literature about foreign lands. The unevangelized people worldwide put an unending burden on his heart. This burden was built and developed while pastoring a church in Moulton, Northamptonshire.
In the 18th century churches of England, there was very little concern for missions. Carey and a few other pastors believed they were responsible to pagans in other countries. He began to preach about missions. Eventually, 12 pastors joined to form "The Particular Baptist Society for Propagating the Gospel among the Heathen, later shortened to the Baptist Missionary Society (BMS)."
Carey was a linguistic genius. Before leaving England, he had learned Latin, Greek, Hebrew, French, Dutch, and Italian. Later, after arriving in India, Carey added to his repertoire Bengali, Sanskrit, and several Indian dialects. He was also a lover and a student of the natural sciences. These skills significantly increased the effectiveness of his ministry in India.
In 1793 Carey, his wife, Dorothy, and their son, Felix, became one of the first two missionary families appointed from BMS to the British colony of India. The first six years in India were extremely difficult. Malaria, dysentery, and cholera devastated them. Their second son died, and his wife had a mental illness. She died in 1807. Later he buried his second wife in India.
The first baptized convert didn't come until 1805. The fruit was minimal those first years, but Carey and his two associates, John Marshman and William Ward, persevered. By 1821 they had baptized 1,407 converts.
In 1800 Carey moved to a Danish colony in India called Serampore and remained there until he died in 1834. While there, the Serampore trio, Carey, Marshman, and Ward, founded the Serampore College, which effectively trained indigenous ministers.
This trio of godly men was very influential in social reform In India. Carey and his two associates succeeded in getting the government to forbid two atrocious Indian customs: sacrificing children and burning widows on their husband's funeral pyres.
Carey's greatest gift was linguistics. He translated the Bible into Bengali, Oriya, Marathi, Hindi, Assamese, and Sanskrit, as well as partial translations in 29 other languages and dialects. His perseverance and attention to detail created long-lasting spiritual and literary benefits in India. For 30 years, Carey held the positions of professor of Bengali and Sanskrit at Fort William College in Calcutta.
William Carey has been called the "father of the modern mission movement." He firmly believed that the Great Commission of Matthew 28:18-20 was a binding command to every generation of Christians.
His entire life demonstrated his commitment to that command and the goal of carrying the gospel to the unevangelized.
Jesus gave the command, set the goal, and was the example that inspired Carey!
When Jesus was on trial before Pilate, He was asked, "Are you a king?" But Jesus' answer enlightened further when he said, "Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth." (John 18:37).
In John 14:6, Jesus declared plainly, "I am – THE TRUTH."
The Truth was the essential part of His mission to reach the lost. "For the Son of man is come to seek and save that which is lost" (Luke 19:10). That mission included dying on the cross to pay for our sins (I Peter 1:18-20).
Near the end of His earthly life, Jesus said to the Father, "I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do" (John 17:4). As He hung, dying on the cross, He said, "It is finished" (John 19:30).
After He arose from the dead, he showed himself alive by many infallible proofs. (Acts 1:3). He then repeated the command, "Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature." (Mark 16:15)
As with William Carey, Jesus' command must be our goal and our end purpose as a Christian!
Sources: https://www.christianstudylibrary.org/article/william-carey-%E2%80%93-pioneer-modern-mission
https://www.imb.org/2018/07/31/missionaries-you-should-know-william-carey/
Scripture quotations are from the KJV Bible.
The opinions expressed by authors may not necessarily reflect the opinion of FaithWriters.com.
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