Who were the missionaries of The Bible?

Short Answer:

1. Paul of Tarsus

2. Philip

3. Barnabus

4. Apollos

5. All of the apostles

6. Jonah

7. Jesus

Long Answer:

The Word "missionary" is subject to multiple definitions, but we could say that a biblical missionary is one who left one culture and traveled to another to communicate the "good news"--the offer of reconciliation with God and life that such reconciliation brings.

In this definition, Jesus himself is the missionary par Excellence. Having left heaven, he emptied himself of the divine attributes that were rightfully his in order that he might fully enter the world of humanity as a man. In his life he most fully communicated the offer of reconciliation with God, and in his death he paved the way for it.

According to early Christian tradition, all of the apostles also became missionaries (except for Judas, who had hanged himself). All were Jewish, but in the process of following Christ's parting command to "make disciples of all nations", traveled throughout the Roman Empire and beyond. For example, Peter is believed to have finally died in Rome itself, while Thomas is believed to have traveled all the way to India.

However, it is Paul of Tarsus who is often considered the greatest (human) missionary. After a remarkable conversion experience, Paul set himself to spreading the gospel. According to the Acts of the Apostles, he eventually made at least four missionary journeys through Asia Minor, Greece, Macedonia, and Rome. In each city, Paul preached in Jewish synagogues and public places and succeeded in starting small communities of Christians in many places despite frequent persecution. Since the book of Acts appears to have been written before Paul had yet died, it is possible that he went on to visit more places. Church tradition maintains that Paul eventually went even as far as Spain.

Paul was nearly always accompanied with companions in his missionary travels, including Barnabus, Luke, Mark, and many others. Additionally, many of Paul's disciples also became missionaries, such as Apollos, Aquila and Priscilla, Timothy and Titus.

Other New Testament missionaries include Philip, the deacon. Originally selected to help the early Church take care of widows and orphans, Philip also traveled and preached.

If we loosened our working definition of missionary, there might be several we could mention from the Old Testament, but as it is I will limit it to Jonah. According to the book of Jonah, God called a prophet named Jonah to preach a message of repentance to the Assyrian capital of Nineveh. Since Assyria had long been a ruthless oppressor of Israel and other surrounding lands, Johah initially refused. According to the book of Jonah, God was able to use a giant fish to change his mind, and Jonah reluctantly delivered his message.