TRUE OR FALSE
- Patrick was responsible for driving all of the snakes from Ireland
- Patrick was Irish
- Patrick used the shamrock to teach Christians about the Trinity
- Patrick was the first Christian to bring the gospel to Ireland
- Patrick converted the entire country of Ireland to Christianity
- Patrick brewed green, Irish beer every March
You are on your way to becoming a Patrician scholar if you answered FALSE to each of these statements.
Though Patrick (b. 389?) was not the first missionary to Ireland, his example and leadership were most significant for the advancement of the gospel among the Celtic people. Much of what we know about Patrick is myth. Ruth Tucker described him as “one of the most misrepresented figures in church history” (From Jerusalem to Irian Jaya, 37). We have very little historical information about the man. The best information comes from two of his writings: Confessions and Letter to the Soldiers of Coroticus.
John Mark Terry and Robert L. Gallagher write:
Over the course of eight hundred years, thousands of Celtic women and men traveled across Scotland and throughout continental Europe. . . . With an intense love for God, compassion for the marginalized, and a dependence on the Holy Spirit accompanied by supernatural manifestations, Celtic believers propagated the first de-Romanized Christianity without the sociopolitical burdens of the Greco-Roman world. They helped people absorb the gospel into the social norms and developed a unique type of religion by allowing them to follow Christ without condemning their culture (Encountering the History of Missions, 42).
Today is St. Patrick’s Day. During this time each year, I try to encourage readers to do the following:
- Find out more about this significant missionary. I have made it easy for you. Check out this conversation I had with mission historian, Dr. Ed Smither on the real Patrick.
- Read Patrick’s Confessions. It is a very brief work, but one that is very important in Church history. You can read the pdf HERE.
In his book, Missionary Monks: An Introduction to the History and Theology of Missionary Monasticism, Edward L. Smither states that Patrick’s missionary methods involved at least six components:
- He began his work in new areas by making alliances with local tribal or political leaders.
- He practiced itinerant preaching.
- He took new believers through a period of instruction before they could be baptized and become part of the local church.
- His preaching addressed the island’s sin of slavery.
- His teaching included that suffering and persecution were part of the Christian life.
- He used a team approach to ministry.
Now you know a little more about a man so many of us know little about.