An Examination of Matthew 5:13–16; 28:19–20 on the Mission of the Church: A Case of the Church in the Democratic Republic of Congo

Abstract

The number of churches is increasing yearly in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). And the question that many people ask is, what is the impact of these churches in addressing contextual issues like corruption and injustices? There are different opinions on whose role it is to fight against these social evils. Some claim that the church’s mission is solely to proclaim the gospel for the salvation of souls. They believe the church is a divine institution that must be concerned only with winning souls because people are perishing in ignorance of the gospel. In contrast, others believe that the mission of the church is to stabilise the community’s social life by fighting against injustice. Therefore, this library-based paper clarifies the mission of the church through a textual analysis of Matthew 5:13–16 and 28:19–20. These two interconnected verses indicate that the disciples of Christ have a role beyond winning souls to Christ; they should be the salt and light of the world. The study is applied to the church in the DRC.