![]() Many of these same countries welcome and sometimes even recruit foreign nationals to live and work within their borders. About 80% of the world’s population, including most unreached groups, live in countries that do not allow missionary visas. Tentmaking, then, can be very powerful in some mission fields that recently have proven to be difficult, such as Europe or Japan.ġ) It provides entry into most countries of the world, especially those that are considered restricted access. The term “inaccessible people” can refer to those who live in somewhat primitive conditions and practice another religion, such as Islam, or to those who enjoy success in their professional lives but simply do not seem to be open to the Gospel. Tentmaking is an exciting area for missions because it opens up opportunities to reach seemingly inaccessible people in new ways with the Gospel. Therefore, work is a vital aspect of Christian witness because it provides substantial means of developing relationships, credibility, and contexts for ministry. A Tentmaker is a dedicated, spiritually mature Christian man or woman who views work in light of the Great Commission and as an opportunity to serve the Kingdom of God. ![]() Today Tentmaking has taken on a much broader definition than just referring to the skill of making tents. Therefore, his trade, in Corinth, was a tool that provided greater opportunity to share the saving grace of Jesus Christ both during the week and even on the Sabbath in the synagogue. This identity provided greater opportunity than he would have had if he was seen simply as a missionary or pastor. Our belief is that to the Corinthians, Paul was a Tentmaker. Does anyone really believe that Paul worked during the day at his trade and never shared the Gospel with any of those that came to him for his services? On the contrary, his whole motivation was about opportunity. This contact furnished him the opportunity to minister, and it also furnished him legitimacy because he was providing a needed skill in the community. His trade gave him regular day-to-day contact with merchants and travelers. His business or trade was not as much about expenses or negotiating visa requirements in “Restricted Access Countries” as much as it was about opportunity. In Corinth, Paul would preach to the Jews on the Sabbath in the synagogue, and during the week he worked as a Tentmaker talking to the merchants and travelers. For Paul making tents was not just about paying expenses. He used his skill of making tents to carry him into some very difficult mission fields and into areas, such as Corinth, dominated by commerce. ![]() The New Testament specifically reports that Paul worked in Galatia, Corinth, Thessalonica, and Ephesus (1 Th. However, this is not the only instance of Paul’s using Tentmaking. He and his co-laborers, Priscilla and Aquila, made tents while pursuing their primary goal of spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ (Acts 18:1-5). ![]()
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