An Enquiry Into the Obligations of Christians to Use Means for the Conversion of the Heathens

by William Carey

Earnest, concise, and biblically persuasive, Carey’s “An Enquiry” remains unwavering in its Great Commission challenge to Christ’s Church. For any Christian, any local church, invested in carrying the light of Christ to the ends of the earth, ”An Enquiry” remains a vital study.

Genres: Theology, Christian, Church History, Christianity, Evangelism, Nonfiction, Audiobook

112 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1792

About the author

William Carey was an English Protestant missionary and Baptist minister, known as the "father of modern missions." Carey was one of the founders of the Baptist Missionary Society. As a missionary in the Danish colony, Serampore, India, he translated the Bible into Bengali, Sanskrit, and numerous other languages and dialects. He also has at least four colleges named after him, William Carey International University in Pasadena, California, Carey Theological College, Carey Baptist College, and William Carey University, Hattiesburg, Mississippi.

From Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_...

Reviews

[Joshua Bremerman · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a standalone, I would probably give this a 3-star rating. In its context, though, it becomes a 4-star in my opinion—particularly related to hyper-calvinists denying the modern applicability of the Great Commission along with refusing to use means for missions. His treatment on the GC, the impediments to mission, and the use of means (coming back to prayer—if we *really* pray, we will inevitably love God's global mission) is really good.

I would also add that his main motive for mission is the need and the call to obey Christ. Well and good, but I have found Piper’s (and the Bible) emphasis on mission for the glory of God as the most heart-stirring call. Carey lacks this, partly due to whom he is writing against, and he could easily have made this the real answer to hyper-calvinists, especially when talks about prayer and God’s power.

Historical Note: If you look up Carey and his own going to India, I have a lot of serious concerns about his treatment of his first wife's mental state. While trying to judge with eyes toward this period history, not our own, I still leave with a sour taste and an unwillingness to completely heroize him for his own ministry.

[ValeReads Kyriosity · Rating 4 out of 5]

Keep forgetting that I read this while I was sick a few weeks ago. This content seems pretty ho-hum to us today, but imagine being the first to say these things. Carey was a great man.

[Brian Eshleman · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is more a brief argument than a book, but it is effective at what it aims to do– awaken current and future audiences to the idea that missions is crucial. Just the author's challenge that the very reasons we use that worldwide missions is not feasible are invalidated by what we will do to make a buck in the world market is worth the price of admission. He also gives a very good view of the book of Acts from 20,000 feet in one of his chapters.

[Ander Blowers · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is more of a long essay, but very God centered and covering an issue very few Christians consider. His overview of the church beginning in acts all the way to his present time was great. He greatly presses to go to places in which have absolute no access to the gospel at all and answers all objections in which people give on why they can’t send.

I pray the Lord would bring a revival to draw many to see the necessity to obey Christ through planting churches in places where He is no glorified.

[Nicholas Potts · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good little book on the obligation for all Christians to participate in missionary work somehow.

[Jeremy Mueller · Rating 4 out of 5]

In An Enquiry into the Obligations of Christians to Use Means for the Conversion of Heathens, William Carey argues that the commission given by Christ to his disciples in Matthew 28:18-20 is a universal call to be answered by all Christians. All Christians throughout the church’s history must answer the call to make disciples of all nations. He goes on to show how the commission was carried out in the book of Acts and throughout the history of the early church into the present century. After describing the past, he focuses on his own historical era and describes the present state of missions in the church before going on to answer assumed objections to the missionary call in the final section of his book. One thing is abundantly clear from Carey’s Enquiry and it is that the missionary task is urgent, difficult, divinely mandated, and promised to come to pass through the Lord’s help.

[Brian Whited · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book, first published in 1792, is incredibly relevant to this day. Carey gives a brief overview of the spread of the gospel starting in Acts up to Carey's present day. He then presents strong and persuasive arguments for why missions is not optional, but rather a duty for all Christians. He argues from Scripture, that we are to use the means of God's grace to evangelize the lost. He also reasons that if traders go to the far reaches to make money, how much more should Christians go to save the souls of the lost. He also argues for the dignity of the most primitive people and longs to read great works from them as they are brought to salvation. A most encouraging and convicting read.

[Richard Moore · Rating 5 out of 5]

You want to know about modern missions? Better go to the father of modern missions and it is William Carey

[Caroline McGill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Don’t let the title intimidate you. This is an excellent enquiry by an 18th century baptist into the means by which Christians should spread the gospel to unteaches peoples. The means he suggests are that churches should send, support, and pray for missionaries to go out and spread the gospel into the world.

[Ben Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

An important book for every Christian to read and prayerfully consider

[Chantz Hall · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really good arguments for being part of missions. An old short book that inspired the haystack revival is worth the read.

[Luke Schmeltzer · Rating 4 out of 5]

An important landmark in the modern missions movement and a good look into the biblical mandate for missions.

[William Marr · Rating 5 out of 5]

That this was written in 1792 is amazing and convicting. Carey dismisses the excuse of distance in missions with the invention of the mariners compass. What would he think of air travel and internet? So much of today’s missions mobilization strategies draws from Carey in this work. And a short read too!

[Alan Castro · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book is better than the title. Not necessarily a huge “eye opening” book, but definitely a great reminder of what we are called to as believers.

[Ruth · Rating 4 out of 5]

For its time, a very insightful overview and call to action.

[Melissa]

FREE on christianaudio.com right now! http://christianaudio.com/an-enquiry-...

[Logan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Father of missions? Providence of God combined with means? Excellent.

[Scott Paulson · Rating 5 out of 5]

At only 90 pages (in the paperback edition), I don’t know why I haven’t read this classic or modern missions before now. I read the Kindle edition, and therefore, taking notes and highlighting was a little easier.

Me. William Carey provided a brief survey (much according to tradition and the church fathers) of the earliest proclamation of Christ’s church to the nations, beginning with the 12 apostles. He also provides an argument for the application of the Great Commission to the church living after the apostles, since some argued the command and instruction of our Lord no longer applied in Carey’s day.

Mr Carey, not only a shoemaker but a Baptist pastor (and a particular, or Calvinistic, pastor, at that), urges ordinary Christians toward going or supporting others going to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ to the nations, especially where no witness had gone before, or where the light and the truth of the One True God has been lost.

He presents the objections that have been put forward and then removes, with logic and compassion, each of the barriers set forth. If what Mr. Carey advanced in 1792 as reasons for the removal of barriers is true, how much more, in 2021?

[Ankueric1gmail.com · Rating 5 out of 5]

Motivated to "Go"

This book has ignited a fire in me to obey the commandments of Jesus often referred to as the great commission which largely in our Christian world has become a great omission. The command is to go and it is still binding on us. My favourite quote in the book "As our blessed Lord has required us to pray that his kingdom may come, and his will be done on earth as it is in heaven, it becomes us not only to express our desires of that event by words, but to use every lawful method to spread the knowledge of his name. In order to this, it is necessary that we should become, in some measure acquainted with the religious state of the world". William Carey gives an overview of the work of Holy Spirit in the world through the apostles and saints of God throughout history and gives some practical advice to missionaries on the field.

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent little book written by William Carey in 1792. In this book, Carey explains why Christians are obligated to spread the kingdom of Christ over all the earth. Carey's optimism is evident: "God repeatedly made known his intention to prevail finally over all the power of the devil, and to destroy all his works, and set up his own kingdom and interest among men, and extend it as universally as Satan had extended his." He gives a recap of the success of the gospel over the past 1700 years and also provides a review of all the nations of the earth and their religions. He ends with a chapter full of application on how Christians can go about the task of transforming cultures with the gospel.

[Tessa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Carey’s main appeals in this book I would summarize as two: (1) We must take the words of Jesus spoken to the disciples as spoken to us today. Therefore, the Great Commission applies directly to us and we have a responsibility to do something about the nations. (2) Why can the church not do any better than profit-seeking businessmen? Businessmen in Carey’s time were better about getting to the nations and all they had to inspire them was money and temporal glory. Carey urges the church on to take responsibility for the nations and calls for a manly sort of pursuit of the Great Commission. It was the adventure that, in part, convinced Carey to go and I would guess made it so appealing to so many others.

[Mwansa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good book though it left me eager to hear what more William Carey could have added to it if he were to write a full length book. But maybe that is a doing him an injustice because he was thorough in bring out his points. My biggest takeaway from the book was that each and every believer should be passionate about missions and the primary way this displays itself is in personal prayer for missions work. An individual that prays for the work on the mission field is not to far off from giving his time and money to the work where it is needed because he longs to meet the needs associated with the work.

Brothers Peter Joshua and Emmanuel Mkandawire, thank you for pointing me in the direction of this book

[Pig Rieke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Disclaimer: I only listened to this one on Hoopla.

Published in 1792, this small treaty was the domino the Lord was pleased to use to set off a chain reaction known as the Modern Missions Movement. In the work, William Carey details how the Scriptures teach the duty of Christians to proclaim the gospel to the unbelieving world, the historical spread of Christianity through missions from Christ to Carey’s present day, the need of missions and missionaries in the world, practical objections and solutions, and recommendations for missions. While the work isn’t thrilling, it is a work of substantial historical significance and full of the Scriptures.

[Maria Sarver · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book! It was very interesting to me to see his thoughts on the hindrances to missions - though written a couple hundred years ago - are still true today to some extent. Also, to see his solution- very much a “team missions” plan. We have seen that work and be a blessing here in Kumasi. One last takeaway is his passion which he puts forth, that if we would give ourselves with a single-minded purpose - both personally and financially - toward spreading the gospel, we could make a great difference! (Mat 6:22  The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.)

[Alex Strohschein · Rating 2 out of 5]

William Carey's short tract helped to galvanize the modern evangelical missionary movement. Carey retraces the missionary exploits of the apostles in the Book of Acts and the subsequent missionary endeavours recorded by church fathers into Asia, Europe, and Africa. About one-quarter of the tract is taken up with statistics on the number of inhabitants throughout the world and their religious affiliation. Carey urges Christians to continue proclaiming the Gospel throughout the world and many have heeded his call.

[Tim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book promoting Missions

A challenge to each generation! We all see the need of missions. Each generation endures the rejection of the gospel. The church also reaps the consequences of corruption in the church. In this book the dark ages were really dark times for the church. A lot of heresy, violence, and forced faith stemming from Constantine. The book promotes mission overseas for lack of Christian organizations unlike America with churches at every corner. Pray fervently and ask God to help expose people to Jesus.

[Chase Cohee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Seminal work, providing compelling reasons for missions, a wonderful exposition of Acts and history of global missions from the apostolic era through the Puritan age, and an amazing description of the state of the lost in the eighteenth century world. Wonderful to read this knowing what Carey would do in India because of this passion.

[Jacob · Rating 5 out of 5]

Carey presents a wonderful argument for the enduring obligation of the Great Commission on both exegetical and historical grounds. He also does an excellent job presenting the need for sending missionaries and the Christian's duty to, as he has said elsewhere, either go down into the pit or hold the ropes for those willing to go.

[Gabriela Cativiela · Rating 4 out of 5]

Carey tiene la sensibilidad para llevarnos a responsabilizarnos de lo que el Señor nos ordena en su palabra. Lejos de sonar autoritario, es ilógico llamarse hijo de Dios sin tener un "corazón misionero." Qué Dios mismo obre a través de Su Palabra para llevarnos al uso de medios disponibles, movidos por la transformación de nuestros corazones. ¡El Señor es bueno y está viniendo!

[Sandra D Cornelius · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant foresight, challenge & plan

The vision & planning have proved effective as believers have accepted the challenge of taking the Gospel of Jesus to the peoples of the world.