The Mission of Gods People

Biblical Theology for Life

A Biblical Theology of the Churchs Mission
General Editor
Jonathan Lunde
Christopher J. H. right


For Suzy and Ed

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Table of Contents
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"raise
&o!yright
About the "ublisher
Share 8our Thoughts

$%&'%$ P&%(AC%
The Duestion E'hat does the ;ible have to say about that5F is$ in essence$ +hat the
;iblical Theology for Life series is all about 0ot unlike other biblical eG!lorations of various
to!ics$ the volumes in this series articulate various themes in biblical theology$ but they al+ays
do so +ith the ESo +hat5F Duestion rumbling about and demanding to be ans+ered Too often$
books on biblical theology have focused mainly on description sim!ly discerning the teachings
of the biblical literature on a !articular to!ic ;ut contributors to this series seek to straddle both
the +orld of the teGt and the +orld in +hich +e live
This means that their descri!tions of biblical theology +ill al+ays be understood as the
im!ortant first ste! in their task$ +hich +ill not be com!leted until they dra+ out that theology=s
!ractical im!lications for the contem!orary conteGt &ontributors therefore engage both in the
description of biblical theology and in its contem!orary contextualization$ accosting the reader=s
!ers!ective and fostering a!!lication$ transformation$ and gro+th #t is our ho!e that these
informed insights of evangelical biblical scholarshi! +ill increasingly become enfleshed in the
sermons and discussions that trans!ire each +eek in !laces of +orshi!$ in living rooms +here
;ible studies gather$ and in classrooms around the +orld 'e ho!e that this series +ill lead to
!ersonal transformation and !ractical a!!lication in real life
Every volume in this series has the same basic structure #n the first section$ entitled
E2ueuing the 2uestions$F authors introduce the main Duestions they seek to address in their
books /aising these Duestions enables you to see clearly from the outset +hat each book +ill be
!ursuing$ inviting you to !artici!ate in the !rocess of discovery along the +ay #n the second
section$ EArriving at Ans+ers$F authors develo! the biblical theology of the to!ic they address$
focusing their attention on s!ecific biblical teGts and constructing ans+ers to the Duestions
introduced in section one #n the concluding E/eflecting on /elevanceF section$ authors
conteGtualize their biblical theological insights$ discussing s!ecific +ays in +hich the theology
!resented in their books addresses contem!orary situations and issues$ giving you o!!ortunities
to consider ho+ you might live out that theology in the +orld today
Long before you make it to the E/eflecting on /elevanceF section$ ho+ever$ +e
encourage you to +restle +ith the im!lications of the biblical theology being described by
considering the E/elevant 2uestionsF that conclude each cha!ter FreDuent sidebars s!ice u!
your eG!erience$ su!!lementing the main discussion +ith significant Duotations$ illustrative
historical or contem!orary data$ and fuller eG!lanations of the content
#n sum$ the goal of the ;iblical Theology for Life series is communicated by its title 1n
the one hand$ its books mine the ;ible for theology that addresses a +ide range of to!ics$ so that
you may kno+ Ethe only true God$ and %esus &hrist$ +hom HheI sentF (%ohn 4?.9) 1n the other
hand$ contributing authors conteGtualize this theology in +ays that allo+ the lifeJgiving 'ord
(%ohn 4.:K 6C.94) to s!eak into and transform contem!orary life
Series Editor
Jonathan Lunde

P&%(AC%
E$o this is the sim!lified version of The Mission of God, then5F is a comment # have
heard Duite often +hile +orking on this book$ and have needed to correct$ and do so again here
#t is true that a fe+ years ago # !ublished The Mission of God: Unlocking the i!le"s Grand
#arrati$e
4
and$ true$ that is a rather big book The dif ference bet+een it and this one$ ho+ever$
is much more than *ust their relative size
#n The Mission of God # +as arguing for a missional hermeneutic of the +hole ;ible )y
concern +as to ask if it is !ossible and right for &hristians to read their +hole ;ible from the
!ers!ective of the mission of God and +hat ha!!ens +hen they do The argument of that book is
that all the great sections of the canon of Scri!ture$ all the great e!isodes of the ;ible story$ all
the great doctrines of the biblical faith$ cohere around the ;ible=s central character A the living
God and his grand !lan and !ur!ose for the +hole of creation The mission of God is +hat
unifies the ;ible from creation to ne+ creation That book lays the foundation for this one
#n this book$ # am asking the Eso +hat5F Duestion on behalf of those of us +hom this God
of the ;ible has called into saving and covenant relationshi! +ith himself A the church$ the
!eo!le of God from Abraham to the !o!ulation of the city of God in /evelation 'ho are +e and
+hat are +e here for5 #f the ;ible renders to us the grand mission of God through all generations
of history$ +hat does it tell us about the mission of God=s people in each generation$ including
our o+n5 'hat is our mission5
This s!ecific focus on the mission of the church means that +e +ill not be surveying
every biblical doctrine that could be said to be relevant to mission in general There are many of
those For eGam!le$ the nature of the incarnation$ the doctrine of the atonement$ the great truth of
the resurrection$ the doctrine of *udgment$ the doctrine of God=s sovereign !rovidence$ the
Trinity A all these have huge im!lications in a broader theology of mission And they +ill also
doubtless be to!ics for other books in this series on ;iblical Theology for Life # have not tried to
address them all$ eGce!t as they emerge naturally in discussion of the teGts +e +ill survey in our
eGercise in biblical theology
#n this volume$ our !rime concern is sim!ly to ask the Duestion. E'hat does the ;ible as
a +hole in both testaments have to tell us about +hy the !eo!le of God eGist and +hat it is they
are su!!osed to be and do in the +orld5F 'hat is the mission of God=s !eo!le5
So +e +ill be eG!loring the ;ible$ as you=d eG!ect in a book of biblical theology For
reasons of s!ace$ it is not !ossible to !rint out in full every !assage of Scri!ture that is referred to
in the cha!ters to follo+$ though key ones that come in for eGtended study +ill be So this is the
kind of book that$ really$ you *ust have to read +ith an o!en ;ible ready to hand # +ould urge
you to !ause regularly to check out the references and read them #mitate the ;ereans$ if you like$
+ho even +hen they had the a!ostle "aul teaching them$ EeGamined the Scri!tures every day to
see if +hat "aul said +as trueF (Acts 4?.44)
A small note on the name of God. most of the time # have follo+ed the English
translation tradition and used Ethe LordF or Ethe L1/(F for the divine name in the 1ld
Testament ;ut +hen it seemed im!ortant to em!hasize that this God had a !ersonal$ revealed
name$ +hich distinguished him as the one true living God from all other soJcalled gods$ # have
used the four 3ebre+ letters A 83'3 0obody seems Duite sure eGactly ho+ it +as !ronounced$
though E8ah+ehF has become common
# am grateful to %onathan Lunde (the Series Editor) and 7atya &ovrett (Senior
AcDuisitions Editor at Londervan) for inviting me to contribute to this eGciting ne+ series$
;iblical Theology for Life (+hat other kind of biblical theology should there be5) #t is
!articularly !leasing to be E!airedF +ith %onathan in the first t+o volumes in the series$ since
!erha!s no title could go better +ith this book on the mission of God=s !eo!le than his on the
biblical theology of disci!leshi! For disci!les +e are and disci!les +e are to make more of$ said
%esus
# am grateful too to #nter-arsity "ress$ +hich !ublished my book The Mission of God$ for
the !ermission granted me to Duote significant !ortions of that book
#t may become a!!arent as you read +hat follo+s that many of the teGts +e +ill look at
are ones # have !reached on Thus$ often that sermonic atmos!here survives in the eG!osition and
a!!lication of the teGt # have not tried to conceal that After all$ it is ho!ed that this series +ill be
of hel! to !astors and !reachers$ and it is certainly one of the !assions of my o+n ministry to
!reach on mission as often as # can A from the 1ld Testament es!ecially
And that eG!lains the dedication too 1ur youngest daughter$ Suzannah$ !robably heard
more of my sermons on mission than any other living soul$ by accom!anying my +ife$ Liz$ and
me on many occasions to churches of all sha!es and sizes for Emission +eekendsF Some of
those sermons she heard so often she +ould mimic them mercilessly later # trust that this book
+ill do more than recall that nostalgic mimicry$ but also foster the missional commitment to
&hrist that she no+ shares +ith her husband$ Edmund The book$ finished *ust a fe+ +eeks too
late to serve as a +edding !resent$ is dedicated to them both +ith love and !rayer
%hristopher J& '& (right
)cto!er *++,

')T&*+,CT'*)
Think of a doctrine A any doctrine bet+een 6CC and 6CCC (A() )ulti!ly it by historic
confessions (ivide by denominational variations Add a sus!icion of heresy Subtract the
doctrine you first thought of And +hat are you left +ith5 "robably *ust about the sum of +hat
theology and mission have in common in the mind of your average &hristian A not much
Theology$ after all$ is all in the head A reflection$ argument$ teachings$ creeds and
confessions of faith 'e think of a theological li!rar- +here ideas get stored )ission$ or
missions$ is doing A !ractical$ dynamic$ achieving results 'e think of the mission field +here
!eo!le go and do eGciting stuff 0ot only do theology and mission not seem to have much in
common in themselves$ it is easy to get the im!ression that most of those interested in the one
have little interest in the other
# am the son of missionary !arents and # studied theology at &ambridge ;ut the t+o
seemed to have little connection in my youthful zeal as a &hristian They certainly had no
connection in my &ambridge theology studies$ +here (as far as # remember) EmissiologyF +as
not even a +ord at the time )ost of my &hristian friends +ho +ere interested in su!!orting and
!raying for missionary +ork +ere not interested in theology$ beyond +eekly ;ible studies And
the theology de!artment certainly +asn=t interested in mission
Theology$ it seems$ is all about God #t rummages around in +hat (mostly dead) !eo!le
have thought and +ritten about God$ God=s character and actions$ God=s relationshi! to the
+orld$ to human society$ God=s involvement in the !ast$ !resent and future$ and the like )ission$
in ha!!y contrast$ is all about us the living$ and +hat +e (or some of us at least) believe +e are
su!!osed to be doing in the +orld to hel! God along a bit )ission seems to be about hel!ing
God to get over those barriers of strange cultures and fara+ay !laces that he seems to have such
difficulty crossing
So$ in mutual sus!icion$ theologians may not relish their theories being muddied by facts
on the ground and the challenging Duestions thro+n u! by the messiness of !ractical mission
"ractitioners of mission$ in Duick ri!oste$ may not +ish to see their urgent commitment to getting
on +ith the *ob &hrist entrusted to us delayed by indulgent navelJgazing about obscure long
+ords ending in A ology
And so the dangerous result is that theology !roceeds +ithout missional in!ut or out!ut$
+hile mission !roceeds +ithout theological guidance or evaluation
)y ho!e is that this book +ill at least hel! to ans+er that broad Duestion$ E(hat do
theolog- and .ission ha$e to do /ith each other0F And of course$ this series is called E;iblical
Theology for LifeF$ so +e are thinking es!ecially of that branch of theology kno+n as Ebiblical
theologyF A +ith its attem!t to embrace the broad and unifying theological themes that s!an the
+hole of the ;ible$ though articulated in different +ays +ithin the great variety of the canon
0o+$ # don=t kno+ +hich of the !hrases on the cover of this book most moved you to buy
it (or at least to be reading it) A The Mission of God"s 1eople$ or 2 i!lical Theolog- of the
%hurch"s Mission& That is$ # don=t kno+ +hether you are !rimarily eGcited by mission (and
!erha!s +ondering ho+ it connects +ith theology$ if at all)$ or +hether you are !rimarily
interested in biblical theology (and !erha!s mildly !uzzled at the thought that mission +ould be
included in its sco!e. isn=t mission +hat comes after the ;ible5 (oesn=t mission come in the
practical theology boG$ along +ith homiletics$ !astoralia$ evangelism$ etc5) Either +ay$ # ho!e
that one ma*or result of reading this book is that you +ill gain a satisfactory ans+er to those
Duestions and understand that biblical theology and mission are integrally related to each other
There should be no theology that does not relate to the mission of the church A either by
being generated out of the church=s mission or by ins!iring and sha!ing it And there should be
no mission of the church carried on +ithout dee! theological roots in the soil of the ;ible
0o theology +ithout missional im!actK no mission +ithout theological foundations
That is the vision that ins!ires this modest essay

PA&T *)%
-,%,')G TH% -,%$T'*)$

CHAPT%& .
H* A&% % A)+ HAT A&% % H%&% (*&/
M'$$'*) *& M'$$'*)$/
The title of the book$ The Mission of God"s 1eople$ immediately sends a Duestion to the
to! of the Dueue #t is a Duestion of definition. 'hat !o!s into our mind +hen +e see or hear the
+ord EmissionF5 "erha!s +e are more familiar +ith it in the form EmissionsF$ +hich usually
brings to mind all the crossJcultural missionary +ork of the churches +e are familiar +ith 'e
think of missionary societies$ of evangelistic and churchJ!lanting missions$ of longJterm career
missionaries or shortJterm missions$ and of global net+orks of such agencies and individuals$
like the Lausanne )ovement
Gods $ending
All of these images have in common the notion of sending and being sent That sense$ of
course$ lies at the Latin root of the +ord .ission itself$ and is very a!!ro!riate And very biblical
too There is no doubt that the ;ible sho+s God sending many !eo!le Eon a mission from GodF$
and the missionary movement in the book of Acts begins +ith a church res!onding to that divine
im!ulse by sending "aul and ;arnabas out on their first missionary *ourney
;ut recognizing that mission has at its heart a sense of sending and being sent only raises
another Duestion. sent to do +hat5 The ;ible tells us that God did send many !eo!le ;ut the
range of things for +hich !eo!le +ere sent is staggeringly broad ESendingF language is used in
all the follo+ing stories %ose!h +as sent (un+ittingly at first) to be in a !osition to save lives in
a famine (Gen :<.?) )oses +as sent (un+illingly at first) to deliver !eo!le from o!!ression and
eG!loitation (EG 9.4C) Eli*ah +as sent to influence the course of international !olitics (4 7ings
4B.4< A 4@) %eremiah +as sent to !roclaim God=s 'ord (eg$ %er 4.?) %esus claimed the +ords
of #saiah that he +as sent to !reach good ne+s$ to !roclaim freedom$ to give sight for the blind$
and to offer release from o!!ression (Lk :.4> A 4BK cf #sa >4.4)
The disci!les +ere sent to !reach and demonstrate the delivering and healing !o+er of
the reign of God ()att 4C.< A @) As a!ostles they +ere sent to make disci!les$ ba!tize and teach
()att 6@.4@ A 6C) %esus sent them into the +orld in the same +ay that the Father had sent him$
+hich raises a lot of interesting Duestions and challenges (%ohn 4?.4@K 6C.64) "aul and ;arnabas
+ere sent +ith famine relief (Acts 44.6? A 9C) Later they +ere sent for evangelism and church
!lanting (Acts 49.4 A 9) Titus +as sent to ensure trust+orthy and trans!arent financial
administration (6 &or @.4> A 6:) Later he +as sent for com!etent church administration (Titus
4.<) A!ollos +as sent as a skilled ;ible teacher for church nurture (Acts 4@.6? A 6@) )any
unnamed brothers and sisters +ere sent out as itinerant teachers for the sake of the truth of the
gos!el (9 %ohn < A @)
So$ even if +e agree that the conce!t of sending and being sent lies at the heart of
mission$ there is a broad range of biblically sanctioned activities that !eo!le may be sent by God
to do$ including famine relief$ action for *ustice$ !reaching$ evangelism$ teaching$ healing and
administration 8et +hen +e use the +ords EmissionsF and EmissionariesF$ +e tend to think
mainly of evangelistic activity 'hat +ill our biblical theology have to say to that5 'e +ill think
about this more in cha!ter 46
Gods Purpose
#t is not so much the case that God has a mission for his church in the +orld$ as that God
has a church for his mission in the +orld )ission +as not made for the churchK the church +as
made for mission A God=s mission
%hris (right
6
Another common usage of the +ord EmissionF$ ho+ever$ is a sense of !ur!ose or goalJ
orientation Even in the secular +orld +e talk about organizations having a Ecor!orate missionF$
+hich may +ell be summed u! in a !ithy Emission statementF So to ask the Duestion$ E'hat is
the mission of God=s !eo!le5F is really to ask$ EFor +hat !ur!ose do those +ho call themselves
the !eo!le of God actually eGist5 'hat are +e here on earth for5F
;ut to ans+er that +e have to go one ste! further back and ask$ 'hose mission is it
any+ay5 And of course$ the ans+er to that has to be A it is the mission of God God himself has a
mission God has a !ur!ose and goal for his +hole creation "aul called this the E+hole +ill
H!lanI of GodF (Acts 6C.6?K cf E!h 4.B A 4C) And as !art of that divine mission$ God has called
into eGistence a !eo!le to !artici!ate +ith God in the accom!lishment of that mission All our
mission flo+s from the !rior mission of God And that$ as +e +ill see$ is broad indeed E)ission
arises from the heart of God himself$ and is communicated from his heart to ours )ission is the
global outreach of the global !eo!le of a global GodF
4
$ingular and Plural
That broad definition allo+s us to include many different .issions +ithin the category of
.ission& "erha!s the easiest +ay # can eG!lain the difference that # !erceive bet+een talking
about mission (singular) and missions (!lural) is to use analogies from other human activities
'e can s!eak about science (singular)$ and +e have a generic conce!t in mind #t s!eaks
of the challenge of discovery$ eG!erimentation and eG!lanation #t s!eaks of a method$ an ethos$ a
system of values$ certain !aradigms that govern scientific enDuiry$ a certain kind of faith and a
strong kind of commitment Science is a dimension of human life and civilization
;ut then there are sciences 'hen +e use the +ord in the !lural$ +e are s!eaking of a
+hole vast range of activities +hich have scientific aims$ methods$ criteria and controls There
are !hysical sciences$ +ith many subdivisions in the eG!loration of the natural +orld and our
universe There are social sciences$ life sciences$ and the like And then there=s the science of
economics And statistics ;ut let=s not stray into science fiction
)y !oint is$ science is a generic +ord for a +hole array of human endeavour that can be
characterized as sciences There is a multitude of activities that can be *ustly characterized as
science$ and from time to time scientists themselves argue over +hether this or that !articular
activity is Ereally scienceF at all ;ut (rather like the !arts in "aul=s descri!tion of the body)$ one
legitimate science cannot say to another$ Ebecause you are not !hysics$ you are not real scienceF
0or can one legitimate science say about itself$ Ebecause # am not !hysics$ # don=t belong to the
+orld of scienceF There is a universal conce!t$ broadly understood$ and there is a multi!licity of
embodiments of it in !ractical life
1ne could build the same analogy +ith regard to art and the arts, or to sport and sports&
There are all kinds of artistic and s!orting activities$ but +e kno+ +hat +e mean +hen +e use a
generic conce!t like art or s!ort to include that variety and multi!licity
So +hen # s!eak of .ission$ # am thinking of all that God is doing in his great !ur!ose for
the +hole of creation and all that he calls us to do in coo!eration +ith that !ur!ose )ission$ like
science$ has a conce!tual$ generic breadth$ and a +ord like EmissionalF can be as broad in
significance as EscientificF And # +ould suggest that the +ord EmissionaryF should have the
same kind of breadth of !ossibility as the +ord EscientistF Like the latter$ it is a +ord you have
to fill +ith s!ecific meaning rather than assume or imagine +hat the said !erson actually does
;ut +hen # s!eak of .issions$ # am thinking of the multitude of activities that God=s
!eo!le can engage in$ by means of +hich they !artici!ate in God=s mission And it seems to me
there are as many kinds of missions as there are kinds of sciences A !robably far more in fact
And in the same +ay$ in the variety of missions God has entrusted to his church as a +hole$ it is
unseemly for one kind of mission to dismiss another out of a su!eriority com!leG$ or to
undervalue itself as Enot real missionF out of an inferiority com!leG The body image has
!o+erful resonance here too
That is +hy # also dislike the old knockJdo+n line that sought to ringJfence the +ord
EmissionF for s!ecifically crossJcultural sending of missionaries for evangelism. E#f everything is
mission$ then nothing is missionF #t +ould seem more biblical to say$ E#f everything is
missionMeverything is missionF &learly$ not everything is cross3cultural e$angelistic mission$
but everything a &hristian and a &hristian church is$ says and does should be missional in its
conscious !artici!ation in the mission of God in God=s +orld
"erha!s you have heard of this definition of mission5 4(orld e$angelization re5uires the
/hole church to take the /hole Gospel to the /hole /orld&6 #t comes from the Lausanne
&ovenant
9
#t is a fine ringing slogan$ +hich actually has even earlier roots
:
;ut each of its three
!hrases leads us into a cluster of Duestions #t !rovides a convenient frame+ork to set out some
of the issues that our biblical theology of mission +ill address A though not necessarily in this
!articular order
TH% H*L% *&L+
The hole orld as the Goal of Gods Mission
E'hat=s the +orld coming to5F +e sometimes ask +hen things seem *ust too much
beyond our understanding or control ;ut it=s a good Duestion to ask +hen +e are thinking about
the mission of God=s !eo!le too$ for it !oints us to+ards a future that ultimately lies in God=s
hands As +e said above$ our mission flo+s from God=s mission$ and God=s mission is for the
sake of his +hole +orld A indeed his +hole creation
So +e have to start by seeing ourselves +ithin the great flo+ of God=s mission$ and +e
must make sure that our o+n missional goals A long term and more immediate A are in line +ith
God=s For that !ur!ose$ +e need to kno+ the story +e are !art of$ the great story that the ;ible
tells that encom!asses the !ast and the future
;ut ho+ many churches that are keen on mission$ or ho+ many mission agencies that
!ursue their agendas +ith urgency and zeal !ause to think about that great story A +here it has
come from so far$ +hat sha!e it has from the /hole ;ible (not *ust a fe+ missionary verses)$ and
+here it is going5 And yet if our mission efforts lose touch +ith that story or set off on all kinds
of tangents from it$ +e have to ask. 'hose mission are +e on5 'hose agenda are +e !ursuing5
So our first task in "art 6 +ill be to gain some necessary orientation by giving attention to
the story +e are !art of if +e consider ourselves to be God=s !eo!le on God=s mission That +ill
be our focus in cha!ter 6
The hole orld and the $cope of *ur Mission
God=s mission$ +e +ill find from the ;ible$ includes the +hole of creation ;ut +here
does that truth lead us in terms of our mission on earth5 Es!ecially$ +hat does it im!ly for our
treatment of that !art of creation entrusted to us A !lanet Earth5 #t is generally acce!ted among
&hristians (and more +idely) that +e ought to be good ste+ards of the earth=s resources ;ut do
+e have a .issional res!onsibility beyond that level of moderately res!onsible living5 'e are all
conscious of the ecological challenges that face the human race 'e may rightly feel confused in
the +elter of alleged facts and scary !ro*ections$ not kno+ing ho+ much is ob*ective reality and
ho+ much is the result of media frenzy or !olitical machination 0obody can seriously doubt that
+e face enormous global !roblems$ but +e may +ell differ +idely over the best +ay for+ard
from +here +e seem to have reached
;ut is this a matter that should be on the agenda of &hristian mission5 3o+ does our
biblical theology hel! us address that Duestion5 At the very least$ one might say$ if the goal of
God=s mission is the ne+ creation that +e antici!ate from the climaG of the ;ible=s story$ then
mission in the midst of the story ought to have some !lace for our res!onse to creation as it is
no+ Traditionally$ ho+ever$ the conce!t of mission in &hristian circles has been confined to the
needs of human beings So$ is ecological concern and action a biblically legitimate missional
concern$ or merely a contem!orary obsession driven by the +orld=s agenda5 'e +ill think about
that Duestion in cha!ter 9
The hole orld as the Arena of *ur Mission
'here does EmissionaryF +ork begin and end5 'e so easily fall into com!artmentalized
thinking$ s!litting u! our +orld into different zones The very +ord EmissionF often comes along
+ith the notion of Ethe mission fieldF$ +hich normally means Eforeign countries out there$ but
not here at homeF This has been a 'estern +ay of looking at the +orld$ but it is also found in
other !arts of the +orld that no+ have strong missionaryJsending churches The reality is$ of
course$ as soon as you think seriously about it$ that the mission field is every+here$ including
your o+n street A +herever there is ignorance or re*ection of the gos!el of %esus &hrist
;ut another eDually damaging false dichotomy is bet+een the soJcalled sacred and
secular realms$ and EmissionF is located firmly in the first So mission is something either that
s!ecially commissioned &hristians manage to do fullJtime$ if they can get enough Esu!!ortF to
do so$ or something that other &hristians (the vast ma*ority) do in odd moments of time they
have to s!are from the necessity of having to +ork for a living )aybe they can fit Ea mission
tri!F into a vacation$ or go on a Echurch missionF over the +eekend
;ut +hat about the rest of life5 'hat about the rest of the E+orldF A the +orld of +ork$
the !ublic arena$ the +orld of business$ education$ !olitics$ medicine$ s!orts$ and the like5 #n
+hat sense is that +orld the arena of the mission of God=s !eo!le$ and +hat does such mission
consist of5 #s it only the moments of evangelistic o!!ortunity in that +orld$ or can our +ork itself
!artici!ate in God=s mission5
The &hurch must be seen as the com!any of !ilgrims on the +ay to the end of the +orld
and the ends of the earth
Lesslie #e/!igin
<
To !ush the Duestion further$ do the !eo!le of God have any res!onsibility to the rest of
human society in general beyond the im!erative of evangelism5 'hat content do +e !ut into
biblical !hrases like being a blessing to the nations$ or seeking the +elfare of the city$ or being
the salt of the earth or the light of the +orld$ or doing good (one of the commonest eG!ressions
used by "aul and "eter)5 (o these conce!ts figure in our biblical theology of mission5
"erha!s this sounds like the hoary and familiar debate about the relationshi! bet+een
evangelism and social action$ but # ho!e that our study of biblical theology in the follo+ing
cha!ters +ill take us beyond the traditional !olarizing and !rioritizing that$ in my o!inion$ so
distorts and !ulls a!art +hat God intended to be held together So even a sim!le eG!ression like
Ethe +hole +orldF$ then$ raises all kinds of issues for us #t is geogra!hical (all the earth)$ but it is
also ecological$ economic$ social and !olitical And +e remember too that the ;ible s!eaks about
the Eend of the +orldF A though it is not so much an end as a ne+ beginning So Ethe +hole
+orldF includes time as +ell as s!ace The church needs to relate to both 'e are sent to the ends
of the earth$ and +e kee! going till the end of the +orld
TH% H*L% CH,&CH
ho Are the People of God/
EThe )ission of God=s "eo!leF$ announces our title !age &ould # not have *ust used the
book=s subtitle$ EThe &hurch=s )issionF5 'ell$ yes !erha!s$ but only if +e have got our biblical
theology of the church straight$ and that is !robably an o!timistic assum!tion For many
&hristians$ the +ord EchurchF takes them back only to the su!!osed birthday of the church in the
book of Acts on the day of "entecost ;ut is that a valid !erce!tion5 'hen and +here did the
!eo!le of God come into eGistence$ and for +hat reason5 3o+ does the eGistence and mission of
this !eo!le relate to the mission of God in and for his +orld5 'hen did their mission begin$ and
ho+ and +hen +ill it end5
1r to !ut this Duestion another +ay$ ho+ does the mission of the church in the 0e+
Testament (that most of us can relate to$ since if nothing else +e are familiar +ith the soJcalled
Great &ommission and vaguely recall that it comes at the end of a gos!el) relate to the identity
and history of 1ld Testament #srael5 (id #srael have a EmissionF$ and if so$ +hat +as it5 #ndeed$
does the 1ld Testament have any relevance to &hristian mission at all A other than a fe+ !o!ular
EcallJstoriesF like )oses$ #saiah and %eremiah (so useful for missionary sermons)$ and the ob*ect
lesson of a single reluctant missionary +ho +as embarrassed and angry at his o+n success
(%onah)5
3o+ many sermons have you heard on a missionary Sunday !reached from the 1ld
Testament5 3o+ many times have you !reached a missionary sermon from the 1ld Testament
yourself$ if you are a !astor5 #f the ans+er is Elots and lotsF$ #=d love to hear from you to
com!are notes$ since # try to do it +herever # go ;ut if the ans+er is Every fe+F or Ehardly
everF$ then the !oint of my Duestion is clear 'here and +hen do +e start in constructing a
!i!lical theology of the mission of God=s !eo!le$ and +hat ha!!ens if +e include the 1ld
Testament5
So +e need to think carefully about +hat the ;ible as a +hole has to say about +ho
eGactly are EGod=s !eo!leF$ and in +hat sense they are (and al+ays have been) a !eo!le +ith a
mission That is +hy # make no a!ology for including so much eG!osition of 1ld Testament teGts
in the cha!ters that follo+ After all$ the 0e+ Testament church did not actually have a 0e+
Testament +hen they set out on the task of +orld mission #t +as the Scri!tures of the 1ld
Testament that !rovided the motivation and *ustification for their missional !ractice$ as +ell as
the underlying theological assum!tions and eG!ectations that reassured them that +hat they +ere
doing +as EbiblicalF (as +e +ould say)
hat 0ind of People Are e/
'hat kind of !erson is your !ostman5 The Duestion hardly seems to matter at a functional
level 'hoever delivers mail to your address has a *ob to do$ and the !oint is to make sure that
the *ob gets done$ not to +orry about the morals of the !erson +ho does it The man may have
been cheating on his +ife the night before$ but so long as you get the mail neGt morning$ so long
as the message gets delivered to you$ that doesn=t matter (to you)
,nfortunately$ there is a danger that the eG!ression Ethe +hole church taking the +hole
gos!el to the +hole +orldF turns the church into nothing more than a delivery mechanism for the
message All that matters is Egetting the *ob doneF A !referably as soon as !ossible And sadly
there are some forms of missionary strategy and rhetoric that strongly give that im!ression
The ;ible$ in stark contrast$ is !assionately concerned about +hat kind of !eo!le they are
+ho claim to be the !eo!le of God #f our mission is to share good ne+s$ +e need to be good
ne+s !eo!le #f +e !reach a gos!el of transformation$ +e need to sho+ some evidence of +hat
transformation looks like So there is a range of Duestions +e need to ask about Ethe +hole
churchF that have to do +ith things like integrity$ *ustice$ unity and inclusion$ and &hristlikeness
The biblical +ord is EholinessF$ and it is as much a !art of our missional identity as of our
!ersonal sanctification
;ut should +e include ethics in our understanding of .ission in this +ay5 (oes it not
lead to E+orks righteousnessF and legalism5 Surely +e should concentrate eGclusively on calling
!eo!le to faith5 'ell$ +e may struggle +ith seeing a tension there$ but the a!ostle "aul sa+ only
integration +hen he described his o+n life=s mission as calling all the nations to Efaith=s
obedienceF The gos!el is something to be obeyed (according to "aul)$ not *ust believed That
+ill lead us to some interesting teGts and reflections &ha!ters < A @ +ill eG!lore a variety of
biblical teGts that stress the ethical dimensions of the mission of God=s !eo!le
hat Are the Priorities and Li"its of *ur Mission/
A medical missionary cou!le # kne+ had been running a rural hos!ital in Africa for years
+hen they received a communication from their church in Australia that they had been
reclassified as Esecondary missionariesF$ because they +ere not directly engaged in evangelism
and church !lanting (even though fruitful evangelistic +ork +as actually ha!!ening among staff
and !atients at the hos!ital) 0eedless to say$ this brought them little encouragement ;ut +as
such EclassificationF biblically legitimate5
A !ostman delivers the mail to your home That is his !rime function in life 3is *ob
descri!tion reDuires him to do that 0o+ of course$ he may come in and hel! you fiG a blocked
drain$ if he has time 1r he may offer to carry out the garbage 1r feed the cats +hile you are
a+ay 3e may en*oy serving the social needs of the community in lots of little +ays$ like
"ostman "at in the children=s books ;ut that=s not +hat his Ereal *obF is And some !eo!le may
even accuse him of +asting his em!loyer=s time on EsecondaryF things 3e should stick to +hat
he=s sent to do and get the *ob done as Duickly and efficiently as !ossible
So another Duestion arises in relation to the church=s mission. 'hat eGactly is it5 #s there
something that is !rimary that makes everything else secondary A ho+ever desirable and hel!ful
those other things may be5 1nce again$ the !erceived division bet+een evangelism and social
action surfaces #s the church=s mission pri.aril- the delivery of the message of the gos!el A in
+hich case the verbal element is all that really matters5 1r does the church=s mission include the
embodiment of the message in life and action5 Sometimes this Duestion is raised as the tension
bet+een procla.ation and presence& 1r bet+een /ords and /orks& #n some of the cha!ters
belo+ +e +ill eG!lore the integration of +hat the church is meant to !e as +ell as +hat the
church is meant to sa-&
TH% H*L% G*$P%L
Ho! Big 's 1our Gospel/
This Duestion is clearly linked to those above 'hat eGactly is the gos!el that lies at the
core of our mission5 #t is the good ne+s of +hat God has done through %esus &hrist for the
redem!tion of the +orld ;ut +hat is the scale and sco!e of God=s redem!tion5 The ;ible
describes God as E/edeemerF from very early on
>
'hat content does the +ord hold for those
+ho s!oke of God in that +ay$ and +hat does it then im!ly for those +ho are among the
redeemed5 'hat kind of eG!erience is redem!tion$ and +hat kind of life is then eG!ected of the
redeemed5 This is something +e shall eG!lore in cha!ter >
1ne of the dangers +ith a +ord like Egos!elF is that +e all love it so much (rightly)$ and
+ant to share it so !assionately (rightly again)$ that +e don=t take time to eG!lore its full biblical
content 'ho invented the +ord$ for eGam!le5 'hat did %esus and "aul mean +hen they used it
A !articularly since$ as #=ve already said$ they had no 0e+ Testament to read to tell them (id
they find Ethe gos!elF in the 1ld Testament5
And if it does go back to the 1ld Testament (as +e +ill see)$ +hat does that do to our
understanding of +hat the good ne+s actually is5 1nce again$ +e +ill find that the ;ible itself
+ill correct our tendency to reduce the gos!el to a solution to our individual sin !roblem and a
s+i!e card for heaven=s door$ and re!lace that reductionist im!ression +ith a message that has to
do +ith the cosmic reign of God in &hrist that +ill ultimately eradicate evil from God=s universe
(and solve our individual sin !roblem too$ of course)
)o *ther )a"e
;ut at the end of the day$ mission is a matter of loyalty The ambassador must have
com!lete loyalty to the government he or she re!resents A trusted messenger +ill faithfully
deliver +hat his sender said$ not his o+n o!inions
So the mission of God"s !eo!le has to start and finish +ith commitment to the God +hose
mission +e are called to share ;ut that in turn de!ends on kno/ing our God A kno+ing God in
de!th$ from eG!erience of his revelation and his salvation So +hat eGactly is it$ then$ that +e are
to kno/ and to remain loyal to5 #n both testaments$ God=s !eo!le are called to nonnegotiable$
uncom!romising loyalty to the uniDueness of God A revealed as 83'3 in the 1ld Testament$
and +alking among us in the incarnate life of %esus of 0azareth in the 0e+
The mission of God=s !eo!le flo+s from the uniDueness of the God of the ;ible$
su!remely revealed to us in the uniDueness of &hrist That is both the source of our mission (for
this is the one +ho sends us into the +orld in his name)$ and also the content of our mission (for
all that +e say and do is to bear +itness to the truth that the Lord is God and there is no other$
that %esus has been given the 0ame that is above all names$ and that there is Eno other name
given under heaven by +hich +e must be savedF$ Acts :.46)
As +e turn$ then$ in !art 6 to our *ourney through some of the great teGts and themes of a
biblical theology of the mission of God=s !eo!le$ this is a sam!ling of the Duestions and issues
+e +ill face As #=ve said$ +e +ill not necessarily follo+ the same order as the frame+ork # have
*ust used to survey those Duestions For this is biblical$ not systematic$ theology$ and my ho!e is
that as +e eG!ose ourselves to the rich array of biblical teGts from both testaments and s!end
time in the task of eGegesis and eG!osition$ +e +ill find broad ans+ers to those broad Duestions A
or even that some of the Duestions melt a+ay in the +ider !ers!ectives of the ;ible itself

PA&T T*
A&&'2')G AT A)$%&$

CHAPT%& 3
P%*PL% H* 0)* TH% $T*&1 TH%1 A&% PA&T *(
*&L+ M'$$'*) A)+ TH% B'BL% $T*&1
So +here shall +e start5 A great number of books (and sermons) on the to!ic of &hristian
mission start +ith the Great &ommission A the final +ords of %esus to his disci!les before his
ascension$ sending them out into the +orld to make disci!les of all nations #t=s a natural instinct
to start there because it chimes in +ith so much else that the 0e+ Testament has to say about
%esus and his follo+ers$ and about "aul and the early &hristians )ission confronts you
+hichever gos!el you read to find %esus$ and it only intensifies after that in Acts and the e!istles
)atthe+=s %esus instructs his disci!les to make disci!les and ba!tize in all the +orld
Luke=s %esus commissions his follo+ers to go to %erusalem$ %udaea and the ends of the earth$ and
%ohn=s %esus says Eas the Father sent me$ so # send youF The story of Acts is the story$ or rather a
story$ of early &hristian mission AndMthe letters Hof "aulI confirm that not only he but a good
many other &hristiansMbelieved it their business to travel around the kno+n +orld telling
!eo!le that there +as Eanother king$ this %esusF
'orld mission is thus the first and most obvious feature of early &hristian !raGis
4
And +e have to ask$ 'hy5 'hat +as it that made &hristianity a missionary faith from the
very start5 'hat made the first follo+ers of %esus so !assionately$ courageously and unsto!!ably
committed to telling the +orld about him5
'ell$ you might res!ond$ because %esus told them to They had the Great &ommission #t
+as a matter of obedience And that +ould be true$ given the endings of )atthe+$ Luke and %ohn
that +e have *ust noted A though +e should remember that the Gos!els +ere not +ritten until
+ell after the church=s mission had been going for many years$ so the +ritten record of %esus=
+ords +as not in their hands$ as it +ere
&hristianity did not s!read by magic #t is sometimes suggested that the +orld +as$ so to
s!eak$ ready for &hristianity. Stoicism +as too lofty and dry$ !o!ular !aganism meta!hysically
incredible and morally bankru!t$ mystery religions dark and forbidding$ %udaism la+Jbound and
introverted$ and &hristianity burst on the scene as the great ans+er to the Duestions everyone +as
asking There is a grain of truth in this !icture$ but it hardly does *ustice to historical reality
&hristianity summoned !roud !agans to face torture and death out of loyalty to a %e+ish villager
+ho had been eGecuted by /ome &hristianity advocated a love +hich cut across racial
boundaries #t sternly forbade seGual immorality$ the eG!osure of children$ and a great many
other things +hich the !agan +orld took for granted &hoosing to become a &hristian +as not an
easy or natural thing for the average !agan
#& T& (right
6
;ut if this sim!le obedience to the Great &ommission +ere the ma*or reason in the
consciousness of the early &hristians$ it is sur!rising that it is never mentioned any+here else in
the 0e+ Testament (on=t misunderstand me here # am not suggesting for a moment that the
Great &ommission never ha!!ened$ only that it is not referred to as an eG!licit driver for the
missionary eG!ansion of the church in the 0e+ Testament after Acts 4
1r some !eo!le have argued that the +orld +as sim!ly ready for the &hristian gos!el$
such that the message *ust s!read like +ildfire$ filling the vacuum$ as it +ere$ of the failure of
other !hiloso!hies and +orldvie+s ;ut this is an inadeDuate eG!lanation$ even if there is some
truth in it The &hristian message may indeed have ans+ered Duestions that other religions and
!hiloso!hies could not$ but that did not mean that *oining the des!ised &hristian sect +as
instantly attractive &alling !eo!le to conversion +as to confront them +ith serious and costly
demands
So +hat com!elled the first follo+ers of %esus$ %e+s as they +ere$ to make the +orld their
mission field5
0no!ing the $tory
E%e+s as they +ereF A # sli!!ed that in because it is the key to the ans+er That is$ those
first believers kne/ the stor- the- /ere in And they kne+ the story because they kne+ their
Scri!tures They +ere %e+s They kne+ the story so far$ they understood that the story had *ust
reached a decisive moment in %esus of 0azareth$ and they kne+ +hat the rest of the story
demanded
#n fact$ +hen the first missionary *ourneys !roduced a sudden influG of E!aganF converts
(let=s call them Gentiles$ or !eo!le from the nonJ%e+ish nations from here on)$ and +hen that in
turn !roduced a big theological !roblem for the %e+ish &hristians$ ho+ +as the !roblem
resolved5 They met in %erusalem in the first council of the &hristian faith$ and the event is
recorded in Acts 4< As an aside$ it is +orth noting that the first &hristian council +as called
because of the !roblems caused by highly successful &hristian mission #t +ould be +onderful if
all church committees$ councils$ conferences and congresses had the same causeN
The !roblem +as solved not by referring to the command of %esus 1ne could easily
imagine "eter standing u! to say to the critics$ EListen$ friends$ Jesus told us to go and make
disci!les of all nations and that is +hat "aul and ;arnabas are doing So back offNF ;ut instead$
%ames settles the matter by reference to the !ro!hetic Scri!tures 3e Duotes from Amos B and
affirms that +hat the !ro!het foresa+ is no+ ha!!ening. the house of (avid is being restored and
the Gentile nations are being brought in to bear the name of the Lord That=s +here the story
!ointed$ and that=s +hat +as no+ ha!!ening
1r come +ith "aul to "isidian Antioch in Acts 49 #t +as a Gentile city$ but "aul +ent to
the %e+ish synagogue on the Sabbath$ as he usually did 'hat did he do5 3e told them their o+n
story (the 1ld Testament narrative) as a !relude to telling them about %esus and then adding Ethe
good ne+s. 'hat God !romised our ancestors he has fulfilled for us$ their children$ by raising u!
%esusF (Acts 49.96 A 99) The story led to %esus$ )essiah$ crucified but risen
;ut the story +ent further For +hen some of the %e+s re*ected the message +hile Gentile
EGodJfearersF (converts to %e+ish faith) acce!ted it$ "aul had an 1ld Testament !assage for them
too$ to *ustify his missionary a!!eal to them 3e Duotes #saiah :B.> and a!!lies it to himself and
his missionary colleagues.
EFor this is +hat the Lord has commanded us.
E O# have made you a light for the Gentiles$
that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth= F
'hen the Gentiles heard this$ they +ere glad and honored the +ord of the LordK and all
+ho +ere a!!ointed for eternal life believed (Acts 49.:? A :@K italics added)
1nce again$ "aul could easily have said$ EJesus commanded us to bring this good ne+s to
you GentilesF 3e could even have referred to the s!ecific missional command that he$ "aul$ had
!ersonally received in his conversionJcommissioning encounter +ith the risen &hrist on the +ay
to (amascus ;ut instead$ "aul !oints to the Scri!tures and the story they tell A the story that
leads inevitably to the gos!el going to the nations And he took that EstoryJyetJtoJcomeF as!ect
of the +ords of the !ro!het and heard in them a command from the Lord himself
#n fact$ even for %esus himself this +as the foundation of the Great &ommission Luke
gives us the fullest account of ho+ %esus commissioned the disci!les after his resurrection$ and
+hat is striking is the em!hasis that Luke (and %esus$ of course) !laced u!on the understanding
of the (1ld Testament) Scri!tures Luke 6: describes the first day in the life of the risen %esus
And ho+ did he s!end it5 Teaching the Scri!tures Another aside. As an 1ld Testament teacher
most of my life # find this a rather reassuring thought that %esus s!ent the afternoon and evening
of his resurrection day systematically teaching the 1ld Testament
'hat +e +ould give for the notes of those t+o lecturesN For there +ere in fact t+o
E/esurrection LecturesF$ and they +ere subtly different
Messiah and Mission
The first +as on the road to Emmaus to the t+o disci!les +hose big !roblem +as their
disa!!ointment that the redem!tion of #srael$ +hich they had ho!ed %esus +as going to
accom!lish$ did not seem to have ha!!ened %esus +ent through the +hole canon of the 1ld
Testament (E)oses and all the "ro!hetsF) to eG!lain ho+ it all led u! to him$ the )essiah$ and
ho+ his death and resurrection +ere in fact the +ay God had ke!t his !romise to #srael (Luke
6:.49 A 6?) So that first lecture +ent through the 1ld Testament in order to .ake sense of the
stor- so far A the story that led u! to %esus himself$ the +hole !oint$ !ur!ose and destination of
the story
;ut then$ in the evening$ +ith the rest of the disci!les in %erusalem$ %esus +ent through
the 1ld Testament for the second time A not because they didn=t kno+ it (they !robably kne+
huge sections of the 1ld Testament by memory)$ but to hel! them understand +here it led
3e said to them$ EThis is +hat # told you +hile # +as still +ith you. Everything must be
fulfilled that is +ritten about me in the La+ of )oses$ the "ro!hets and the "salmsF
Then he o!ened their minds so they could understand the Scri!tures 3e told them$ EThis
is +hat is +ritten. The )essiah +ill suffer and rise from the dead on the third day$ and
repentance for the forgi$eness of sins /ill !e preached in his na.e to all nations, !eginning at
Jerusale.& 7ou are /itnesses of these thingsF (Lk 6:.:: A :@K italics added)
This time$ you notice$ he surveys the 1ld Testament in order to .ake sense of the stor-
fro. there on 8 that !art of the story they +ere about to embark on$ of bearing +itness to the
saving !o+er of the death and resurrection %esus to all nations #n other +ords$ for %esus$ EThis is
+hat is +rittenF governed not only the .essianic meaning of the Scri!tures$ but also their
.issional significance& The 1ld Testament tells the story that not only leads u! to %esus but one
that also leads on to mission to the nations
%esus often s!oke about ho+ the course of his o+n life A his suffering$ death and
resurrection A +as governed by the Scri!tures 3ere he is eGtending that to the ongoing mission
of the church as +ell #t is all !art of the same great story that the Scri!tures ma!!ed out This
means that the Great &ommission +as not something %esus thought u! as an afterthought A
something for the disci!les to be getting on +ith +hile he +ent back to heaven #t +as not *ust
something that rested solely on his o+n authority as the risen Lord (though$ of course$ it is fully
+arranted by that$ as )atthe+=s version makes clear) #t +as the inevitable outcome of the story
as the Scri!tures told it A leading up to the )essiah and leading on to mission to the nations
8ou could say about the church=s +orld+ide mission that %esus commanded it because
the Scri!tures demanded it %esus kne+ the story too 8ou could say$ in another sense$ that=s
because he +rote it
TA0')G TH% $T*&1 A$ A H*L%
So +e are seeking$ in this book$ for a E;iblical Theology of the &hurch=s )issionF 'hat
better eGam!les could +e follo+ than %esus and "aul5 'e need to !ay attention to the +hole
story of the ;ible and see our mission in the light of all of it
E%ust do itF seems to have s!illed over from 0ike to being the slogan of some forms of
&hristian mission # +as at a large mission mobilization congress +here the slogan +as E%ust
goNF )y first reaction +as to say$ E%ust hold onF Even %esus s!ent three years training his
disci!les before he told them to EGoF$ and even that time +as scarcely enough to radically
resha!e their scri!tural understanding in the light of his o+n identity$ to understand +here the
biblical story +as leading in relation to himself and the future of #srael and of the +orld 3o+
much more is such training needed +hen +e hear that ;ible reading and kno+ledge among
evangelical &hristians is at a shamefully lo+ ebb
#ndeed$ +e need to ask ourselves right u! front. 3o+ +ell do you actually kno+ the
biblical story5 #f %esus and "aul sa+ fit re!eatedly to go over it +ith those +ho kne+ their 1ld
Testament Scri!tures inside out$ ho+ much more do +e need to make sure +e are familiar +ith
the content of the ;ible as a +hole5 Tragically$ even among &hristians +ith great enthusiasm for
+orld mission$ there is often not only !rofound ignorance of great vistas of biblical revelation$
but even im!atience +ith the !rolonged effort that is needed to soak ourselves in these teGts until
our +hole thinking and behaviour are sha!ed by the story they tell$ the +orldvie+ that story
generates$ the demands it lays u!on us and the ho!e it sets before us The attitude of some is that
all you need is the Great &ommission and the !o+er of the 3oly S!irit ;ible teaching or biblical
theology +ill only serve to delay you in the urgent task "resumably # can take comfort in the
fact that you are reading this book$ +hich means that this is an attitude you don=t share
# find it hel!ful to visualize the biblical story as an actual line on +hich one can !lot key
!oints The four ma*or sections of the biblical story line are A &reation$ Fall$ /edem!tion in
3istory$ and 0e+ &reation 'ithin the /edem!tion in 3istory section$ of course$ falls by far the
largest !ortion of the biblical story$ and it needs further subdivision


.. Creation
The ;ible does not begin at Genesis 9 (or end at /evelation 6C) 8ou might think so +hen
you listen to some !resentations of the ;ible=s message and mission That is to say$ the ;ible is
not *ust about the solution to our sin !roblem and ho+ to survive the day of *udgment #t begins
+ith creation and ends +ith ne+ creation So our biblical theology of mission needs to take this
great beginning and ending seriously
The creation narrative !rovides t+o of the fundamental !lanks for the foundational
&hristian +orldvie+$ for it ans+ers t+o of the most fundamental Duestions that all !hiloso!hies
and religions ans+er in different +ays. (here are +e5 and (ho are +e5 That is to say$ first$ +hat
is this universe in +hich +e find ourselves5 'here did it come from and +hy does it eGist and is
it even real5 And then$ second$ 'hat does it mean to be human5 Are +e gods$ or merely animals
that have evolved a bit further than the rest5 (oes human life have any value$ meaning and
!ur!ose5
The distinctive ans+ers that the ;ible gives to these Duestions have !rofound
im!lications for our understanding of mission in God=s +orld in the midst of human beings like
ourselves$ made in the image of God
3. (all
3uman disobedience and rebellion against the &reator God brought disastrous results
(Gen 9 A 44) Evil and sin +eave their +ay into every as!ect of God=s creation and every
dimension of human !ersonhood and life on earth 1h-sicall-$ +e are sub*ect to decay and death$
living +ithin a !hysical environment that is itself under the curse of God 9ntellectuall-$ +e use
our incredible !o+ers of rationality to eG!lain$ eGcuse and EnormalizeF our o+n evil Sociall-$
every human relationshi! is fractured and disru!ted A seGual$ !arental$ familial$ societal$ ethnic$
international A and the effect is consolidated horizontally through the !ermeation of all human
cultures$ and vertically by accumulation through the generations of history And spirituall-$ +e
are alienated from God$ re*ecting his goodness and authority /omans 4.4@ A 96 outlines all of
these dimensions in its analysis of the fruit of Genesis 9
#f there is good ne+s for such dire realities$ it needs to be !retty big The glorious truth is
that the ;ible gives us a gos!el that addresses every dimension of the !roblem that sin has
created God=s mission is the final destruction of all that is evil from his +hole creation 1ur
mission therefore has to be as com!rehensive in sco!e as the gos!el the +hole ;ible gives us
4. &ede"ption
God chose not to abandon or destroy his creation$ but to redeem it And he chose to do so
+ithin history through !ersons and events that run from the call of Abraham to the return of
&hrist 'hile every !art of this great story has its !articular contribution to the +hole$ +e do
need to see this +hole section of the line as a fundamental unity A the single great saving act of
God # think the unity bet+een the 1ld and 0e+ Testament sections of this !art of the biblical
story of redem!tion is +hy /evelation !ictures the redeemed humanity in the ne+ creation
singing the song of )oses and the song of the Lamb (/ev 4<.9) This +ill save us from the
common misunderstanding that the 1ld Testament is Salvation "lan A (failed)$ and the 0e+
Testament is Salvation "lan ; (success) That is a severe distortion of the story ;ut +ithout
falling into that tra!$ +e can still trace the t+o main !arts of the story in 1ld and 0e+
Testaments
*ld Testa"ent
;y the time the story has reached Genesis 44$ the human race faced t+o huge !roblems.
the sinfulness of every human heart$ and the fracturing and confusion of the nations of humanity
God=s !lan of redem!tion addressed both #n the call of Abraham God set in motion a historical
dynamic that +ould ultimately not only deal +ith the !roblem of human sin but also heal the
dividedness of the nations
The election of Abraham +as eG!licitly for the blessing of all nations on earth God=s
command and !romise to Abraham can legitimately$ therefore$ be called the first Great
&ommission A EGoMHandI be a blessingMand all !eo!les on earth +ill be blessed through youF
(Gen 46.4 A 9) God=s !lan$ then$ +as to deal +ith the !roblem of humanity A sin and division A
through #srael$ the !eo!le of Abraham
The eGodus !rovides the !rime 1ld Testament model of God acting as /edeemer This is
+hat redem!tion looks like +hen God does it #t is an act that simultaneously demonstrates
God=s faithfulness$ *ustice and love And the !eo!le +ho kno+ themselves to be the redeemed
!eo!le of this God$ no+ revealed as 83'3$ are called u!on to model before the nations +hat it
means to be redeemed and to live redem!tively in their o+n society
At Sinai$ God entered into covenant +ith #srael$ still +ith the rest of the nations in vie+$
calling them to be his re!resentatives (!riestly) and to be distinctive (holy) 3e gave them his la+
as a gift of grace A not so that they could earn his salvation$ for they had already been redeemed$
but to sha!e them as his model !eo!le$ to be a light to the nations
As the history of #srael moved for+ard$ ho+ever$ through the era of the settlement in the
land$ the *udges$ and the monarchy$ it became increasingly clear that #srael not only could not
and +ould not live by the standards of God=s la+ in res!onse to his saving grace$ but actually
!roved themselves to be no different from the nations The la+ itself$ as "aul sa+ so clearly$
eG!osed the fact that #srael +as as much in need of God=s salvation as the rest of the nations
There is no difference$ all have sinned #srael$ the servant of the Lord$ called to be a light to the
nations$ turned out to be a failed servant$ blind to God=s +orks and deaf to his 'ord They too
needed God=s salvation
0evertheless$ the 1ld Testament continues though the !ro!hets to !oint for+ard and to
insist that God +ould kee! his !romise to bring blessing to the nations and salvation to the +hole
+orld$ and that he +ould do so through #srael #n other +ords$ the failure of historical #srael +as
antici!ated by God and did not re!resent a failure of God"s !lan #n the mystery of his sovereign
!ur!ose it +ould lead to salvation going to the ends of the earth as God al+ays intended ;ut if
1ld Testament #srael !roved to be unfaithful$ ho+ could it then ha!!en5
)e! Testa"ent
The 0e+ Testament !resents to us the ans+er that the !ro!hets !oint to+ards. the 1ne
+ho +ould embody #srael as their )essiah$ +ho +ould be faithful +here they had been
rebellious$ +ho +ould be obedient unto death$ and through his death and resurrection +ould
bring about not only the restoration of #srael but also the !romised salvation to the ends of the
earth
So the story line of the ;ible moves on until E+hen the set time had fully come$ God sent
his Son$ born of a +omanMF (Gal :.:) The incarnation of God in &hrist brings t+o ne+ factors
into our theology of mission. the inaugurated !resence of the kingdom of God and the
incarnational model and !rinci!le itself
#n %esus$ the reign of God entered human history in a +ay not !reviously eG!erienced A
though the eG!ectation of it and the ethical im!lications of it are thoroughly rooted in the 1ld
Testament The dynamic action of the kingdom of God in the +ords and deeds of %esus and the
mission of his disci!les changed lives$ values and !riorities$ and !resented a radical challenge to
the fallen structures of !o+er in society To say E%esus is LordF$ and not &aesar or any of his
successors$ is a ma*or missional mandate in itself Luke can find no more missional +ay to end
his second volume than by leaving "aul in /ome +here he Eproclai.ed the kingdo. of God and
taught about the Lord %esus &hrist A +ith all boldness and +ithout hindranceF (Acts 6@.94K italics
added)
;ut$ as the !arables of %esus em!hasized$ God inaugurated his reign in hidden$ humble
+ays A choosing to enter the +orld himself$ co!ing +ith all its limitations and frustrations #t is a
!attern that %esus then laid on his follo+ers for their o+n costly engagement +ith the +orld and
all its issues$ as he !rayed to his Father A EAs you sent me into the +orld$ # have sent them into
the +orldF (%ohn 4?.4@K cf 6C.64)
The cross and resurrection of %esus bring us to the central !oint of the +hole line of
redem!tion in history 3ere is God=s ans+er to every dimension of sin and evil in the cosmos and
all their destructive effects The gos!el !resents us +ith an accom!lished victory that +ill
ultimately be universally visible and vindicated #f +e have been as radical as +e ought in our
analysis of the effects of the fall$ then +e must be eDually radical and com!rehensive here in our
understanding of all the +ays in +hich the cross and resurrection reverse and ultimately destroy
those effects The cross must be central to every dimension of the mission of God=s !eo!le A
from !ersonal evangelism among individual friends to ecological care for creation$ and
everything in bet+een
%ust as the eGodus redem!tion led to the creation of the covenant !eo!le of 1ld Testament
#srael$ so the Easter redem!tion led to the eschatological gift of the 3oly S!irit at "entecost and
the birth of the church ;ut +hile the church as the community of follo+ers of %esus +as birthed
at "entecost$ its roots go back$ of course$ to the !eo!le of God since Abraham For the church is
nothing less than the multinational fulfillment of the ho!e of #srael$ that all nations +ill be
blessed through the !eo!le of Abraham The expansion of #srael to include the Gentiles (note
carefully. not the a!andon.ent of #srael in favour of the Gentiles)$ in and through &hrist$
fulfilled the !romise to Abraham and accom!lished God=s !ur!ose to solve not only the !roblem
of Genesis 9 (human fallenness and sin)$ but also of Genesis 44 (racial dividedness and
confusion) This is +hy it is so im!ortant to recognize that the church by its very nature is part of
the gos!el for its eGistence$ for as a community of reconciled sinners from all races it
demonstrates the gos!el=s transforming !o+er
T+o realities from this !art of the line inform our theology of mission. first$ the !resence
of the 3oly S!irit making available to the !eo!le of God the same transforming !o+er that
energized the life and ministry of %esus and raised him from the deadK and second$ the eGistence
of the church itself as the missional community of those +ho have res!onded to$ and entered$ the
kingdom of God by re!entance and faith in &hrist$ and +ho no+ seek to live as a transformed
and transforming community of reconciliation and blessing in the +orld
5. )e! Creation
The return of &hrist +ill not only bring to its grand finale that section of the ;ible story
line that +e have called redem!tion in history$ it +ill also inaugurate the ultimate fulfillment of
the +hole !oint of the story A namely$ the redem!tion and rene+al of God=s +hole creation
The ;ible includes in this climactic !art of its story line$ of course$ the reality of
*udgment The day of *udgment is something that the ;ible +arns about$ from Amos=s
thunderous reversal of #srael=s shallo+ o!timism about Ethe day of the L1/(F$ through the
+arnings of %esus$ "aul and "eter about the *udgment seat of God$ to the terrifying visions of
/evelation The reality of *udgment is at one level part of the gos!el$ for it is good ne+s that evil
+ill not have the last +ord but +ill ultimately be destroyed by God And at another level it is the
bad ne+s about the +rath of God that makes the gos!el such eternally good ne+s for our fallen
+orld
1ur children are no+ all gro+n adults /ecently (!erha!s +hen they thought it +as safe
to tell us) they told us of a game they used to !lay as children They +ould go in the lounge$
+hen my +ife +as in the kitchen or garden$ or # +as out at +ork$ and do everything they kne+
they +eren=t allo+ed to. *um!ing u! and do+n on the sofa$ thro+ing the cushions at each other$
etc$ until one of them +ould call out E)ummy=s comingNF$ at +hich !oint they all had to sit
do+n and be Duiet and the last one do+n +as EoutF For if E)ummy=s comingF$ there +ill be *oy
or grief +hen the moment of *udgment arrives ELet=s go !lay O)ummy=s coming$= F they +ould
say$ a!!arently
EGod is comingF$ shouts the +hole creation again and again$ according to the ending of
"salm B> And then it bursts into odes of *oy at the thought of it For if E)ummy=s comingF is a
matter of childish fear (or *oy$ de!ending on +hat she sees +hen she o!ens the door)$ +hat does
it mean for the +hole creation$ for you and me$ to kno+ for certain that EGod is comingF A to !ut
things right forever5
Through believing the story$ +e are dra+n in to the action and find ourselves caught u! in
the saving movement of God 'e learn to Eind+ellF the story so looking out from +ithin the
biblical +orld +ith ne+ eyes onto our !ostmodern lives and +orld. +e sto! trying to make the
;ible relevant to our lives and instead begin to find ourselves being made relevant to the ;ible
'e give u! the clumsy attem!t to +rench the ancient teGt into our contem!orary +orld and
instead bring our +orld back into collision +ith$ and cleansing by$ the strange ne+ +orld of the
;ible Through believing the story$ +e allo+ our minds to be continuously rene+ed by the
normative narrative of GodM%esus calls all his disci!les a+ay from a faith in +hich God is
available to bless their business into a faith in +hich disci!les are available to God to be !art of
his business And God=s business is a multiJnational com!any +ith branches every+hereN
1hilip Greenslade
9
1ur mandate for +orld evangelization is the +hole ;ible #t is to be found in the creation
of God (because of +hich all human beings are res!onsible to him)$ in the character of God (as
outgoing$ loving$ com!assionate$ not +illing that any should !erish$ desiring that all should come
to re!entance)$ in the pro.ises of God (that all nations +ill be blessed through Abraham=s seed
and +ill become the )essiah=s inheritance)$ in the %hrist of God (no+ eGalted +ith universal
authority$ to receive universal acclaim)$ in the Spirit of God (+ho convicts of sin$ +itnesses to
&hrist$ and im!els the church to evangelize) and in the church of God (+hich is a multinational$
missionary community$ under orders to evangelize until &hrist returns)
John Stott
:
;ut the ;ible does not end +ith the day of *udgment ;eyond the !urging fire of
*udgment and the destruction of all that is evil and o!!osed to God=s good !ur!ose$ there lies the
ne+ heavens and ne+ earth$ in +hich righteousness and !eace +ill d+ell$ because God himself
+ill d+ell there +ith his redeemed !eo!le from every nation
'hen +e take our biblical theology of mission to the end of the line in this +ay$ it
generates biblical faith and ho!e A that irre!ressible o!timism that should characterize all
&hristian action in the +orld The mission of God=s !eo!le is not only driven for+ard by the
command of &hrist$ it is also dra+n for+ard by the !romise of God$
ELookN God=s d+elling !lace is no+ among the !eo!le$ and he +ill d+ell +ith them
They +ill be his !eo!le$ and God himself +ill be +ith them and be their God O3e +ill +i!e
every tear from their eyes There +ill be no more death or mourning or crying or !ain$ for the old
order of things has !assed a+ay= F
3e +ho +as seated on the throne said$ E# am making everything ne+NF (/ev 64.9 A <)
This$ then$ is the grid of the ;ible=s o+n story line$ +hich sha!es and energizes the
mission of God=s !eo!le This +as the story that the early follo+ers of %esus kne+$ and it +as
their confidence in this story$ and the certainty that they had a !art to !lay in it$ that led them out
into the +orld in mission This is the story that +e need to kno+ +e are !art of For our mission
is nothing less (or more) than !artici!ating +ith God in this grand story until he brings it to its
guaranteed climaG
As +e think through our biblical theology of the church=s mission in the light of this
story$ it has a !rofoundly illuminating !o+er
&reation !rovides our foundational values and !rinci!les
The fall brings us do+n to the realities of the cursed earth and the !ervasive tentacles of
human and satanic +ickedness
The 1ld Testament sho+s us the sco!e of God=s redeeming !ur!ose$ +orked out in a
s!ecific historical and cultural conteGt$ and models for us in amazing detail (from the la+$ the
narratives$ !ro!hets$ +isdom and +orshi! of #srael) the kind of !ractical res!onses that !lease
God (and those that don=t)
The incarnation brings God right alongside us in our struggle and calls us to embody and
be agents of the reign of God through &hrist
The cross and resurrection enable us to eG!erience and share the !o+er of true
reconciliation$ love$ ho!e and !eace$ and to seek the atoning$ redem!tive +ork of God even in
the most a!!arently irredeemable human situations
The 3oly S!irit in the church !rovides the guidance and the !o+er to eG!ect real change
in lives and societies$ +hile kee!ing our eyes on the cor!orate$ not merely individual$ dimensions
of &hristian mission
1ur great future ho!e of ne+ creation gives value and +orth to all that +e do in the
!resent$ for our labour is not in vain in the Lord$ and sha!es our res!onse to the !resent by the
revealed sha!e of the future
TH% M'$$'*) *( G*+
The story +e have *ust surveyed can be vie+ed$ from another angle$ as the mission of
God #t is the story of ho+ God in his sovereign love has !ur!osed to bring the sinful +orld of
his fallen creation to the redeemed +orld of his ne+ creation
#t is the com!rehensiveness of "aul=s message that is im!ressive 3e !roclaimed God in
his fullness as &reator$ Sustainer$ /uler$ Father$ and %udge All this is !art of the gos!el$ or$ at
least$ the necessary !rolegomena to the gos!el )any !eo!le are re*ecting our gos!el today$ not
because they !erceive it to be false$ but because they !erceive it to be trivial They are looking
for an integrated +orldvie+ that makes sense of all their eG!erience 'e learn from "aul that +e
cannot !reach the gos!el of %esus +ithout the doctrine of God$ or the cross +ithout creation$ or
salvation +ithout *udgment$ or vice versa Today=s +orld needs a bigger gos!el$ the full gos!el of
Scri!ture$ +hat "aul later in E!hesus +as to call Ethe entire !lan of GodF (Acts 6C.6? 0A;)
John Stott :on 1aul"s ser.on in 2thens, 2cts ;<=
<
God=s mission is +hat s!ans the ga! bet+een the curse on the earth of Genesis 9 and the
end of the curse in the ne+ creation of /evelation 66
God=s mission is +hat brings humanity from being a caco!hony of nations divided and
scattered in rebellion against God in Genesis 44 to being a choir of nations united and gathered in
the +orshi! of God in /evelation ?
God=s mission$ in other +ords$ is +hat "aul !robably meant +hen he said that he had
s!ent several years in E!hesus teaching the church there about Ethe +hole +ill Hor counsel$ or
!lan$ or missionI of GodF (Acts 6C.6?) #t +as a vast$ com!rehensive !ro*ect of cosmic salvation$
and even +hen s!eaking to a nonJ%e+ish audience$ "aul found +ays of communicating its
universal sco!e (Acts 4?)
#n my larger book$ The Mission of God: Unlocking the i!le"s Grand #arrati$e$
>
# argued
that +e can read the +hole ;ible +ith a missional hermeneutic and then eG!lored some
dimensions of +hat ha!!ens +hen +e do That is +here # have eGamined in more de!th the
missiological dimensions of such vast biblical themes as monotheism (the uniDueness of 83'3
and of %esus)$ idolatry$ election$ redem!tion$ covenant$ ethics$ ecology$ and eschatology
This !resent book needs to be read in the light of the substantial eGegesis and argument of
The Mission of God& There is$ of course$ inevitably some overla! (+e are$ after all$ talking about
the same ;ibleN) ;ut +hereas in The Mission of God # +as making a case for a missional
hermeneutic of the +hole canon of Scri!ture$ seeing it as the de!osit of and +itness to the
mission of God in all creation and history$ in this book +e are basically trying to ans+er the
(only slightlyN) more limited Duestion$ E'hat are /e here for5 'hat is the mission of God=s
people as they live in God=s +orld and !artici!ate in God=s mission5F
$,MMA&1
'e began this cha!ter asking +hy the first &hristians +ere so indomitably
missionminded A determined at all costs to s!read the good ne+s about %esus &hrist to every
corner of the +orld they kne+ And the ans+er$ +e have seen$ is that they understood clearly the
dynamic thrust of the ;ible=s o+n story line They sa+ that story as the story of God=s o+n
mission$ and they sa+ their o+n !art in the story$ !artici!ating in its last great act$ as EGod=s coJ
+orkersF (4 &or 9.B)
So$ in the cha!ters belo+$ # have sought to follo+ roughly the outline of the story above$
asking as +e go along. 'hat challenges and res!onsibilities face the !eo!le of God in their o+n
mission in the light of this or that !art of the biblical story5 So # have selected teGts that seem
re!resentative of such missional as!ects of our life as God=s !eo!le These are by no means all
that could have served our !ur!ose$ but # ho!e they sho+ at least t+o things. first$ that +e can
and should dra+ our biblical theology of the church=s mission from the +hole range of the ;ibleK
and second$ that +hen +e do so$ it becomes clear that the mission of God=s !eo!le is vast and
various
&%L%2A)T -,%$T'*)$
"rior to reading this cha!ter$ ho+ relevant +ere the 1T Scri!tures for your understanding
of the church=s mission5 3o+ has your vie+ been im!acted by the content of this cha!ter5
'e tend to eG!lain Ethe gos!elF in the form of a series of !ro!ositions or doctrines #n the
light of the +hole ;ible story$ as summarized in this cha!ter$ ho+ +ould you summarize the
gos!el in more narrative form5
'hat suggestions can you make to hel! churches (including !astors$ leaders$ missions
committees$ etc) to become more motivated for mission by having a better understanding of Ethe
story +e are inF5 'hat im!act +ould better teaching in this area have on our mission a+areness
and mission commitment5

CHAPT%& 4
P%*PL% H* CA&% (*& C&%AT'*)
$ome !eo!le have a hard time connecting their understanding of &hristian mission to the
1ld Testament at all$ let alone starting in Genesis ;ut +e really must begin +here the ;ible
begins For if +e don=t$ +e +ill miss the vital im!ortance of ho+ the ;ible ends
The ;ible begins and ends +ith creation #t o!ens +ith the +ords$ E#n the beginning God
created the heavens and the earthF (Gen 4.4)$ and its final great vision o!ens +ith the +ords$
EThen # sa+ Oa ne+ heaven and a ne+ earth= F (/ev 64.4) The trouble is that some &hristians
seem to have ;ibles that begin at Genesis 9 and end at /evelation 6C They kno+ all about sin
from the story of the fall$ and they kno+ that God has solved the sin !roblem through &hrist$ and
that they +ill be safe on the great day of *udgment The story of creation for them is no more
than a backdro! for the story of salvation$ and the ;ible=s grand climaG s!eaks to them only of
going to heaven +hen they die (even though the last cha!ters of the ;ible say nothing about us
going any+here$ but eagerly antici!ate God=s coming here)
;ut a ;ible stri!!ed of its beginning and ending +ill !roduce a conce!t of mission that is
distorted in the same +ay 'e +ill imagine that God=s only concern$ and therefore ours too$ is to
save !eo!le from sin and *udgment 0o+ of course$ there can be no doubting that the ;ible gives
enormous attention to that issue$ and no doubt also that it must be at the heart of our mission in
God=s name ;ut it=s not the +hole story #t=s not the +hole story of the ;ible$ and it should not
be the +hole story of our mission
Let us rediscover that the gos!el$ the good ne+s$ does not begin +ith %esus= birth #t
begins +ith the good earth that God made through %esus Let us celebrate again that creation in
all its richness is the +onderful gift of a good God
>a$e ookless
4
The ;ible=s story is that the God +ho created the universe$ only to see it ravaged by evil
and sin$ has committed himself to the total redem!tion and restoration of the +hole creation$ has
accom!lished it in advance through the cross and resurrection of %esus of 0azareth$ and +ill
bring it to glorious com!letion in the ne+ creation +hen &hrist returns #n bet+een the great
!oles of the original creation and the ne+ creation$ the ;ible has a great deal more to say about
creation
#n fact$ creation is one of the ma*or themes in biblical theology So it +ould be
astonishing if it did not have a significant !lace +ithin a biblical theology of mission And indeed
it is astonishing$ and very sad$ that it has such an insignificant$ virtually noneGistent$ !lace in the
mission theology and !ractice of so many &hristians +ho like to claim that they are EbiblicalF in
all things
To be human is to be in !ro!er relationshi! +ith God$ other !eo!le$ and the +orld Sin
has marred and +ellJnigh destroyed these relationshi!s$ but in &hrist$ the !erfect human$ they are
restoredMEach of these three relationshi!s is restored as +e increasingly gro+ into the image of
&hrist ;ecause &hrist is the !erfect human$ the one !erson +ho com!letely fills out the image of
God$ the more +e become like him$ the more human +e becomeMThe &hristian life$ far from
transforming us into su!erJs!iritual$ DuasiJangelic beings$ is actually a Duest to recover our
humanity
Michael (itt.er
9
'e +ill first of all$ then$ remind ourselves of the mission of caring for creation$ +hich
God gave to humanity in Genesis 4 A 6 +hen he first created us on earth Then +e +ill go on to
see +hat else is said about creation in the 1ld Testament that reinforces the im!ortance of that
task After that +e +ill move to the 0e+ Testament and see ho+ creation is connected to &hrist
After all$ our mission has to be &hristJcentred or it is not even biblical at all Finally +e +ill
suggest some reasons +hy ecological concern and action can thus be seen as a fully legitimate
!art of the mission of God=s !eo!le
6
$,B+,% A)+ &,L%6 $%&2% A)+ 0%%P7 G%)%$'$ . 8 3
So let us begin at the beginning by recalling that all of us +ere created as human beings
in God=s o+n image #t may be easy to forget$ but +e +ere human beings before +e became
&hristians$ and +e don=t sto! being human beings +hen +e do become &hristians (though some
&hristians make you +onderM) And God +ill hold us accountable for our humanity as much as
for our &hristianity For there are things +e have been commanded by God to do as human
creatures$ from +hich no other ;ible teGt or teaching eGem!ts us 1n the contrary$ being God=s
!eo!le and therefore already among the ne+ redeemed humanity surely reinforces and intensifies
our obligation to live by his original mandate to the human race 3uman beings are !eo!le +ith a
mission
0ings of Creation7 Genesis .739 8 3:
Then God said$ ELet us make human beings in our image$ in our likeness$ so that they
may Hlit$ and let themI rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky$ over the livestock
and all the +ild animals$ and over all the creatures that move along the groundF
So God created human beings in his o+n image$
in the image of God he created themK
male and female he created them
God blessed them and said to them$ E;e fruitful and increase in numberK fill the earth and
subdue it /ule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that
moves on the groundF
The first mention of human beings in the ;ible states t+o fundamental things about us$
t+o things that are !ut so closely together that they are clearly connected. (4) God made us in his
image (both male and female)$ and (6) God intended us to eGercise dominion +ithin creation #t
is not that having dominion is +hat constitutes the image of God$ but rather that eGercising
dominion is +hat being made in God=s image enables and entitles us to do 'e humans have a
mission on earth because God had a !ur!ose in !utting us on it
So God instructs the human s!ecies not only to fill the earth (an instruction given to the
other creatures in their habitats)$ but also to su!due the earth and to rule o$er the rest of the
creatures The +ords ka!a? (EsubdueF) and radah (EruleF) are strong +ords$ +ith a sense of
im!osing of +ill u!on another 3o+ever$ they are not terms that necessarily im!ly violence or
abuse (though some critics of &hristianity lay the blame for ecological disaster at the door of
these t+o +ords and the freedom they allegedly give to us to ra!e the environment A a charge
that has been +ell refuted)
The first +ord$ Esubduing Hthe earthIF$ !robably im!lies no more than the task of
agriculture$ though it no+ encom!asses many other !roducts of human ingenuity and effort
The second +ord$ Erule overF$ is more distinctive #t describes a res!onsibility for human
beings that is entrusted to no other s!ecies A the task of ruling or eGercising dominion over the
rest of creation 'ith this +ord$ God is !assing on to human hands a delegated form of God=s
o+n kingly authority over the +hole of his creation 7ings and em!erors in ancient times (and
even dictators in modern times) +ould set u! an image of themselves in far flung corners of their
domains These great statues !roclaimed their sovereignty over that territory and its !eo!le The
image re!resented the authority of the king Similarly God installs the human s!ecies as his
image +ithin creation and authorizes humans to eGercise authority ;ut that is an authority that
finally belongs to God$ the creator and o+ner of the earth
;ut if human beings are meant to function as kings +ithin creation$ then +hat kind of
king is God5 3o+ does God eGercise his kingshi! +ithin creation5 'e need to kno+ the ans+er
in order to be able to say +hat it means for humanity as God=s image to behave as king +ithin
creation
"salm 4:< is one !lace to find out$ for it is addressed to Emy God the 7ingF and calls on
all creation to !raise him There +e discover that the reign of God in creation is characterized by
+isdom$ !o+er$ goodness$ grace$ com!assion$ faithfulness$ generosity$ !rovision$ !rotection$
*ustice and love #f that is +hat it means for God to act as king$ then the same Dualities should be
seen in the +ay +e +ho are made in God=s image eGercise the dominion that God has entrusted
to us 'e are given the mission of ruling over creation$ but +e are to do it in +ays that are
modeled on the character and values of God=s o+n kingshi!
This understanding Hof the image of GodI turns our su!remacism u!sidedo+n$ for if +e
resemble God in that +e have dominion$ +e must be called to be Eimitators of GodF (E!h <.4) in
the +ay +e eGercise it #ndeed$ far from giving us a free hand on the earth$ the i.ago >ei
constrains us 'e must be kings$ not tyrants A if +e become the latter +e deny$ and even destroy$
the image in us
'u/ Spanner
:
So then$ human dominion over the rest of creation is to be an eGercise of kingshi! that
reflects God=s o+n kingshi! The image of God is not a license for arrogant abuse$ but a !attern
that commits us to humble reflection of the character of God
$er;ants of Creation7 Genesis 37.<
The L1/( God took the man and !ut him in the Garden of Eden to +ork it and take care
of it
3ere +e find t+o more verbs to describe the mission of human beings God took the
human creature he had made and !ut him in the s!ecial environment +ithin the earth that he had
made A the garden in Eden A +ith a sim!le task. to ser$e it and keep it& That is the sim!lest
meaning of the t+o verbs
The verb @!ad means Eto serveF$ +ith the connotation of doing hard +ork in the !rocess
of serving So although most translations render it in this verse +ith meanings like Eto +ork itF$
Eto till itF$ or Eto cultivate itF$ the essential core of the +ord still has the sense of serving
3umans are servants of creation$ and that is the +ay they are to eGercise their kingshi! over it
The verb ?a.ar means Eto kee! something safeF$ +ith !rotection$ care$ and +atchfulness
#t means to treat something (or someone) seriously as +orthy of devoted attention (thus$ for
eGam!le$ in a moral sense it can mean to kee! the +ay of the Lord$ or to kee! God=s la+ A ie$
by studying$ understanding and obeying it)
So humans are !ut into God=s created environment to serve it and to look after it This
makes it clear that the main !oint of our ruling the earth is for its benefit$ not our o+n 0o+ of
course$ there is !lenty in the ;ible about ho+ creation serves our human needs also$ as +e +ill
see in a moment ;ut +e need to begin here first God created us to rule over the rest of his
creation by serving and kee!ing it A that is$ by +orking hard in a +ay that +ill care for creation
and !rotect its best interests
/uling and serving creation is humanity=s first mission on earth$ and God never re!ealed
the mandate
The great commission given us by %esus in the 0e+ Testament must be held alongside the
very first great commission God gave us at the start of the ;ible #n Genesis 4$ God=s very first
+ords to human beings are about ruling over and caring for creation. the fish$ the birds and all
the other living creatures$ for God=s sake This is$ if you like$ a universal *ob descri!tion of +hat
it means to be human To the Duestion E'hy are +e here5F the ultimate ans+er has to be. ETo
+orshi! and serve GodF The first element of that +orshi! and service that the ;ible talks about
is creation care
>a$e ookless
<
1ne of the !rimary res!onsibilities of kings in the 1ld Testament +as to act !articularly
on behalf of the +eak and !o+erless "salm ?6 !rays that God +ill endo+ the king +ith *ustice
so that he can defend the afflicted and the needy %ustice in the 1ld Testament is not blind
im!artiality$ but intervening to set things right$ such that those +ho have been +ronged are
vindicated$ those +ho are being o!!ressed are delivered$ and those +ho are +eak and vulnerable
have their voices heard and their case attended to
3ere is a challenging !iece of advice given to a king by his mother.
S!eak u! for those +ho cannot s!eak for themselves$
for the rights of all +ho are destitute
S!eak u! and *udge fairlyK
defend the rights of the !oor and needy ("rov 94.@ A B)
So then$ for us as humans to rule over the rest of creation as king$ to act as the image of
God the king$ means to do biblical *ustice in relation to the nonhuman creation And doing *ustice
must involve !articular concern for the +eak and defenseless ES!eak u! for those +ho cannot
s!eak for themselvesF Surely that describes not *ust +hat a king should do for his sub*ects$ but
+hat humans should do for the nonhuman creation To be the voice of the voiceless is very much
!art of the motivation of &hristians involved in ecological action$ in !rotection of s!ecies and
their habitats$ in environmental advocacy$ and so on #n fact$ it is one mark of a righteous !erson
to be concerned for animals ("rov 46.4C) So then$ the first dimension of our mission as God=s
!eo!le is the mission that +e share +ith the rest of humanity$ to rule over creation as God
intended by serving and caring for it
(*& G*+= (*& ,$= (*&%2%&
For several years the ;ritish /oyal Society for the "rotection of ;irds (/S";) had as its
motto$ EFor ;irds$ for "eo!le$ ForeverF #t +as neat and catchy$ and it al+ays struck me as very
biblical$ eGce!t for one missing !hrase A EFor GodF
As the 1ld Testament develo!s the theme of creation$ +e can identify at least three strong
em!hases$ each of +hich feeds into our concern for ecological mission
Gods Glory 's the Goal of Creation
The creation eGists for the !raise and glory of its creator God 'e humans$ being
creatures ourselves$ share in that reason for eGistence As the Shorter &atechism of the
'estminster &onfession of Faith states$ E)an=s chief end is to glorify God and en*oy him
foreverF 1ur Echief endF$ the !rime goal of all human life$ is to bring glory to God$ and in doing
so to en*oy ourselves because +e en*oy God
;ut that GodJfocused goal of human life (to glorify and en*oy God) is not something that
sets us apart from the rest of creation /ather$ it is something +e share +ith the rest of creation
That is the Echief endF of all creation The only difference is that +e hu.an beings must glorify
our creator in uniDuely hu.an +ays 'e are the only creatures +ho are made in the image of
God$ and so the !raise and glory +e bring to God reflects that status So$ as humans +e !raise
God +ith hearts and hands and voices$ +ith rationality as +ell as emotion$ +ith language$ art$
music and craft A +ith all that reflects the God in +hose image +e +ere made 1ur !raise is
eG!licitly hu.an !raise
This res!onse of gratitude is a fundamental feature of creaturely being +hich is shared by
all the creatures of the earth$ humans and animals$ landsca!es$ seas and mountains$ earth$ +ind$
fire and rain The "salmist charges all things +ith the first moral duty of the creation$ to +orshi!
and !raise the creatorM#n the 3ebre+ !ers!ective humanity and the cosmos have moral
significance$ and both are reDuired to make a moral res!onse to the creator$ a res!onse to God
+hich reflects his glory and offers the return of gratitude$ !raise and +orshi! H"s 4<CI
Michael #orthcott
>
;ut all the rest of creation A animate and inanimate A already !raises God #ndeed in the
;ible$ the creatures are summoned again and again to !raise GodN %ust read "salm 4:@$ and the
closing line of the +hole book of "salms. ELet everything that has breath !raise the L1/(F ("s
4<C.>K cf 4:<.4C$ 64K 4:@) There is a res!onse of gratitude that befits not *ust human
beneficiaries of God=s generosity$ but comes from the nonhuman creatures as +ell (eg$ "s
4C:.6? A 6@)
0o+ +e may be !uzzled by this ;ut that=s no reason for not believing it Since +e are
human beings$ +e kno+ only the reality of our human !ersonhood Efrom the insideF$ and +hat it
means for us to !raise God 'e cannot !ut ourselves into the EmindF of the animals$ still less into
the EbeingF of a tree or a mountain 0or can +e !ut ourselves into the mind of God the creator
and understand ho+ God relates to his nonhuman creation ;ut the ;ible tells us that God does$
and that he receives !raise and glory from all of it 'e may not be able to eG!lain ho/ it is that
creation !raises its maker ;ut *ust because +e cannot articulate the ho/ of creation=s inarticulate
!raise$ or indeed the ho/ of God=s receiving of it$ +e should not therefore deny the fact that
creation !raises God A since it is affirmed throughout the ;ible +ith over+helming conviction
So +hen +e care for creation$ +e share in its great !ur!ose of giving glory to God
&onversely$ of course$ +hen +e fail to do so$ or +hen +e !artici!ate in the destruction$ !ollution
and +asting of creation$ +e are reducing even further creation=s ca!acity to give glory to God
Hu"an Life and Creation Are 'ntegrally Bound Together
The close link bet+een human beings and the earth is made clear from the start The
3ebre+ +ord for EmanF (generically) is ada. The +ord for the EgroundF$ or the soil (and
sometimes the +hole earth)$ is da.ah So +e are indeed EearthJcreaturesF$ formed from the
dust of the earth$ and sharing the same basic EstuffF A !articles$ !roteins$ (0A$ minerals and so
on A as all other creatures and the !lanet itself Es!ecially +ater E'e do not de!end on +ater
'e are +aterF$ +as an arresting o!ening line in an article in a recent /S";=s magazine #t +as
making the !oint that +hatever +e do to the !lanet=s +ater resources +e do to ourselves
The 1ld Testament goes on to em!hasize this integral relationshi! bet+een humans and
the earth in t+o +ays
The %arth Pro;ides for ,s
First$ God has given the resources of the earth to us for our food and survival 1f course$
this is true also of all animal s!ecies ;ut eG!licit !ermission is given to human beings in Genesis
4.6B A 9C and B.9 to eat +hat is around us in the +orld
The earth feeds us And clothes us And shelters us Think of grass for a moment A
!ossibly the most abundant form of vegetation on the !lanet$ in its myriad varieties in all
climates 'e eat grass$ once it has become meat from grazing animals +hose only diet is daily
grass 'e drink grass$ in the form of milk and curds 'e +ear grass$ in clothing made from +ool
or shoes made from leather )illions of humans still use grass for effective thatched shelter from
sun and rain Grasses are +oven into ro!es$ baskets and floor coverings Grass alone !rovides
humans +ith incalculable benefits and su!!lies so much of our needs$ even before +e go on to
talk about cultivated grasses that !roduce the vast variety of nourishing grains +e shake into our
cereal bo+ls in the morning
So really$ it is some+hat arrogant for us to go on talking about ho+ +e have to Ecare for
the environmentF$ as if it +ere *ust a !assive ob*ect in need of our sym!athy 9t is the
en$iron.ent that cares for us, silently ministering the generous grace of God to us every day +e
live on the !lanet$ as "salm ><.B A 49 cheerfully remembers +ith gratitude
The %arth $uffers !ith ,s
Second$ ho+ever$ the 1ld Testament insists on a strong moral link bet+een ho+ humans
behave on earth and the state of the earth itself A for good or ill S!ecifically$ human +ickedness
!roduces ecological stress The !eo!le of 1ld Testament times may not have understood the
underlying scientific connections bet+een human action and biological effects$ but they could
observe them and dra+ theological and ethical conclusions
3osea !rovides the most direct eGam!le of the link +hen he concludes his catalogue of
social evils +ith de!ressing sym!toms in the natural order
3ear the +ord of the L1/($ you #sraelites$
because the L1/( has a charge to bring
against you +ho live in the land.
EThere is no faithfulness$ no love$
no ackno+ledgment of God in the land
There is only cursing$ lying and murder$
stealing and adulteryK
they break all bounds$
and bloodshed follo+s bloodshed
;ecause of this the land dries u! Hor$ mournsI$
and all +ho live in it +aste a+ayK
the beasts of the field$ the birds in the sky
and the fish in the sea are s+e!t a+ay (3os :.4 A 9)
(euteronomy 6@ sho+s ho+ the obedience or disobedience of the !eo!le +ill have
effects$ in blessing or curse$ that o!erate +ithin the natural order %eremiah :.69 A 6> !ortrays
God=s *udgment in a +ay that terrifyingly reverses the gifts of creation
So the !oint is that +e cannot eGtract ourselves from the natural environment of the earth
'e +ere created as !art of it and +ere created to care for it 'hatever +e do on earth$ for good
or ill$ +ill have ecological im!act because of the integration of human life and all other life on
earth That is the +ay God arranged it$ and +e rea! the conseDuences of our actions A greedy
humanity +ill lead to a suffering earth A and a suffering earth +ill lead to a suffering humanity
Gods &ede"ption 'ncludes Creation
As +e kno+ all too +ell today$ the accumulated effect of our carelessness for generations
is causing an environmental crisis of un!recedented !ro!ortions # need not go into details since
the facts are +ellJkno+n and increasingly disturbing (though also confusing) 0or do # +ant to
!lay at being a !ro!het and make dire !redictions 'e cannot kno+ the future$ and the
combination of God=s grace and human ingenuity may yet enable means to be found to avert
some of the +orst scenarios that assail us$ +hether from sober science or movie fiction
3o+ever$ the 1ld Testament insists that our future does not de!end on human ingenuity$
ho+ever great that may be (and it is in itself$ of course$ !art of the gift of God=s creation in us)
'e live on a cursed earth (according to Gen 9)$ but +e also live on a covenanted earth
(according to Gen B) 1ur survival ultimately de!ends not on us but on the !romise of God to
0oah$ after the flood$ that God himself +ould sustain the means of life on the !lanet A a covenant
made not *ust +ith human beings$ but eG!licitly +ith all life on earth So there is a universal
assurance of God=s intentions even +ithin the !resent natural order that is so stressed and s!oiled
by our greed and destruction
;ut beyond that$ the 1ld Testament s!ecifically includes creation +ithin its vision of
God=s redem!tive !lans God intends to bless the nations of humanity$ and he has !romised
Abraham that he +ill so That is a theme that +ill echo again and again through our reflections in
the cha!ters to come ;ut that blessing is never envisaged as +hisking the nations off the !lanet
to some other blessed abode /ather$ it +ill be a blessing of !eo!le /ith and /ithin a creation
that is finally redeemed and restored to the state of multi!le blessedness that characterized it in
Genesis 4 A 6
&reation is not *ust the dis!osable backdro! to the lives of human creatures +ho +ere
really intended to live some+here else$ and some day +ill do so 'e are not redeemed out of
creation$ but as part of the redeemed creation itself A a creation that +ill again be fully and
eternally for God=s glory$ for our *oy and benefit$ and forever
#srael=s song+riters s!end a lot of time looking for+ard to the day +hen God +ill !ut all
things right 'hen God finally comes to *udge the earth$ this does not have only a negative ring
(though of course it does mean that the unre!entantly +icked +ill finally be dealt +ith)$ but it
means that God +ill vindicate the o!!ressed$ restore +holesome relationshi!s$ and bring !eace
and *ustice to earth
;ut those #sraelite song+riters do not think of !eo!le only The +hole of creation +ill
benefit from the climactic redem!tion of God and +ill re*oice in it "salm B> comes to its climaG
!roclaiming the coming reign of God$ and the im!act on creation is unmistakable There is a
great E1de to %oyF from the +hole created order.
Say among the nations$ EThe L1/( reignsF
The +orld is firmly established$ it cannot be movedK
he +ill *udge the !eo!les +ith eDuity
Let the heavens re*oice$ let the earth be gladK
let the sea resound$ and all that is in it
Let the fields be *ubilant$ and everything in themK
let all the trees of the forest sing for *oy
Let all creation re*oice before the L1/($ for he comes$
he comes to *udge the earth
3e +ill *udge the +orld in righteousness
and the !eo!les in his faithfulness ("s B>.4C A 49K cf B@.? A B)
The !ro!hets share the enthusiasm A es!ecially #saiah #saiah 44.4 A B !ortrays the *ust
rule of the future messianic king and concludes +ith a !icture of harmony and shalom +ithin the
created order #saiah 9< also envisages transformation +ithin creation +hen God finally redeems
his !eo!le 3o+ever$ the climaG of the 1ld Testament future vision regarding creation is found in
#saiah >< A >> The +ords$ E;ehold$ # am creating ne+ heavens and a ne+ earthF (#sa ><.4? A
the o!ening +ord is a !artici!le$ suggesting it is something God is already active in doing$ not
merely a future intention)$ introduce a +onderful section that sim!ly has to be read in full
ESee$ # +ill create
ne+ heavens and a ne+ earth
The former things +ill not be remembered$
nor +ill they come to mind
;ut be glad and re*oice forever
in +hat # +ill create$
for # +ill create %erusalem to be a delight
and its !eo!le a *oy
# +ill re*oice over %erusalem
and take delight in my !eo!leK
the sound of +ee!ing and of crying
+ill be heard in it no more
E0ever again +ill there be in it
infants +ho live but a fe+ days$
or older !eo!le +ho do not live out their yearsK
those +ho die at a hundred
+ill be thought mere youthsK
those +ho fail to reach a hundred
+ill be considered accursed
They +ill build houses and d+ell in themK
they +ill !lant vineyards and eat their fruit
0o longer +ill they build houses and others live in them$
or !lant and others eat
For as the days of a tree$
so +ill be the days of my !eo!leK
my chosen ones +ill long en*oy
the +ork of their hands
They +ill not labor in vain$
nor +ill they bear children doomed to misfortuneK
for they +ill be a !eo!le blessed by the L1/($
they and their descendants +ith them
;efore they call # +ill ans+erK
+hile they are still s!eaking # +ill hear
The +olf and the lamb +ill feed together$
and the lion +ill eat stra+ like the oG$
but dust +ill be the ser!ent=s food
They +ill neither harm nor destroy
on all my holy mountain$F
says the L1/( (#sa ><.4? A 6<)
This ins!iring vision !ortrays God=s ne+ creation as a !lace that +ill be *oyful$ free from
grief and tears$ lifeJfulfilling$ +ith guaranteed +orkJsatisfaction$ freedom from the curses of
frustrated labour$ and environmentally safeN #t is a vision that !uts most 0e+ Age dreams in the
shade
This naturally leads us on to the +ay the 0e+ Testament sees the fulfillment of these
great ho!es for creation in the redem!tion accom!lished by %esus &hrist ;ut before going there$
let=s briefly summarize +here +e have gone so far
'hen God created the earth$ he created human beings in his o+n image +ith the eG!ress
mission of ruling over creation by caring for it A a task modeled on the kingshi! of God himself
That human mission has never been rescinded$ and &hristians have not been given some
eGem!tion on the grounds that +e have other or better things to do
As +e !artici!ate in that task of ruling and caring for creation$ +e are !artici!ating in the
creation=s o+n giving glory and !raise to the creator$ +hich in turn is a !ro!er res!onse to the
fact that the creation$ by God=s intention$ !rovides for our needs in such abundance
;ut even as +e do so$ +e are conscious of the a!!alling suffering and desecration of
creation that is the conseDuence of our sin$ greed and violence So +e not only look back to the
!rinci!les of creation that push us out in ecological mission$ but +e also look for+ard to the
redem!tion of creation$ +hich pulls us for/ard +ith ho!e and the assurance that our labour is not
in vain in the Lord
B1 CH&'$T= (*& CH&'$T= TH&*,GH CH&'$T
"erha!s +ith a sigh of relief and some im!atience$ +e move to the 0e+ Testament 3ere$
after all$ is +here +e find &hrist$ the &hrist +hose Great &ommission drives our mission$ the
&hrist in +hose name alone our mission is authorized and effective And once our minds turn to
&hrist$ a number of +ellJkno+n teGts flood in E8ou are to give him the name %esus$ because he
+ill save his !eo!le from their sinsF ()att 4.64) E&hrist %esus came into the +orld to save
sinnersF (4 Tim 4.4<) Saving sinners +as the mission of %esus and the meaning of the cross
Surely$ then$ it constitutes the !arameters of our mission too For if our mission flo+s from the
redeeming +ork of &hrist and his cross$ +here does creation fit into that5 Saving sinners$ not
saving +hales or trees A is that not +hat +e should concentrate on5
;ut once again +e have to !oint out that although it is gloriously true that sinners are
saved through the cross of &hrist$ it is not actually the +hole gos!el or the +hole achievement of
the cross A not according to the 0e+ Testament itself
All Things &econciled by the Cross
Listen to "aul eG!ounding his grand vision of the +ork of &hrist$ in a !assage that seems
to be definitive of Ethe ho!e of the gos!elF #t is very clearly and carefully constructed
The Son is the image of the invisible God$ the firstborn over all creation For in him all
things +ere created. things in heaven and on earth$ visible and invisible$ +hether thrones or
!o+ers or rulers or authoritiesK all things have been created through him and for him 3e is
before all things$ and in him all things hold together And he is the head of the body$ the churchK
he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead$ so that in everything he might have
the su!remacy For God +as !leased to have all his fullness d+ell in him$ and through him to
reconcile to himself all things$ +hether things on earth or things in heaven$ by making !eace
through his blood$ shed on the cross
1nce you +ere alienated from God and +ere enemies in your minds because of your evil
behavior ;ut no+ he has reconciled you by &hrist=s !hysical body through death to !resent you
holy in his sight$ +ithout blemish and free from accusation A if you continue in your faith$
established and firm$ and do not move from the ho!e held out in the gos!el This is the gos!el
that you heard and that has been !roclaimed to every creature under heaven$ and of +hich #$
"aul$ have become a servant (&ol 4.4< A 69)
There are several things +e should note in this +onderful teGt
"aul is talking about the +hole of creation 3e first says Eall creationF (v 4<)$ and then
uses the !hrase Eall things in heaven and earthF (v 4>) #t could not be clearer that "aul has in
mind the /hole of the created uni$erse A not *ust human beings
"aul links %hrist and creation in the most com!rehensive +ay &hrist +as there$ of
course$ as the Son of God$ even before creation eGisted (v 4?) &hrist is the source of the
creation of the universe (v 4>) &hrist is beneficiary or heir of all creation (Ethe firstbornF Hv
4<I$ Efor himF Hv 4>I) &hrist sustains creation in eGistence (v 4?)
"aul includes creation in the sa$ing po/er of the cross &hrist has redeemed creation (v
6C) #t is vital to see here that the blood of &hrist$ shed on the cross$ is the means of the
reconciliation of creation to God$ not only of sinners EAll thingsF that are reconciled in verse 6C
must have the same universal meaning as the Eall thingsF that +ere created in verse 4>
The order of "aul=s argument here is also revealing and runs counter to the +ay +e tend
to describe the gos!el 'e start from the other end
'e tend to start +ith individuals +ho need to have their sin !roblem dealt +ith The cross
is the ans+er to that individual !roblem$ so that you can be saved and go to heaven )ean+hile$
you need fello+shi! and com!any on the +ay to heaven$ and that=s +hat the church is for$ so
you=d better *oin one As for the +orld out there$ +e have to live in it until +e get to heaven$ but
+e should not get too obsessed +ith it$ since only +hat is EheavenlyF really counts
#ndividual P church P +orld P heaven That is our tra*ectory$ +ith its builtJin dualism
;ut "aul=s gos!el +orks in the eGact o!!osite direction God has a very big !lan indeed
"aul starts +ith creation A and relates that to &hrist as its creator and sustainer Then he moves to
the church (v 4@)$ +hich +ill be the !eo!le of the ne+ creation$ because they are in &hrist$ +ho
is the firstborn of the ne+ creation *ust as he is the firstborn of the original creation That is to
say$ the church belongs to &hrist because all things belong to &hrist$ but also because the church
is already$ in this creation$ the antici!ation of the redeemed !eo!le of God in the ne+ creation
Then$ having s!oken of all creation and of the +hole church$ "aul sums u! their totality in the
reconciling +ork of the cross (v 6C) Finally$ having sketched the grand !lan of God for the
+hole universe and em!hasized the centrality of the cross +ithin it$ "aul adds A E1h yes$ even
you too HEand youF at the beginning of v 64 is em!haticI$ you get to be !art of thisN 8ou +ho
+ere Gentile outsiders Has described in E!h 6.44 A 46I can be among the reconciled$ through
faith in this gos!el$ +hich is no+ for everybody every+hereF (E!roclaimed to every creature
under heavenF$ v 69$ could be better translated as E!roclaimed in the +hole creation Q in all
creation under heavenF Has in /E; and ES-IK "aul sees the +hole created earth as the s!here of
gos!el !roclamation)
Good )e!s for All Creation
"aul=s vision of the gos!el is as +ide as creation itself$ and that is because his
understanding of the cross includes the +hole of creation in the reconciling +ork of &hrist 0o+
our mission is founded on the gos!el and needs to reflect the length$ breadth and de!th of the
gos!el #f$ then$ the cross of &hrist is good ne+s for the +hole creation$ our mission must include
being and bringing good ne+s to the +hole creation
?
So our care for creation is motivated not solely by the fact that it +as created by God and
+e +ere commanded to look after it$ but also by the fact that it has been redeemed by &hrist$ and
+e are to erect sign!osts to+ards its ultimate destiny of com!lete restoration in &hrist God=s
redem!tive mission includes creation 1ur mission involves !artici!ating in that redem!tive
+ork as agents of good ne+s to creation$ as +ell as to !eo!le
1ther !arts of the 0e+ Testament add to this great vision for the future "aul connects the
redem!tion of creation +ith the redem!tion and resurrection of our bodies in /omans @ A a
highly significant !assage
The creation +aits in eager eG!ectation for the children of God to be revealed For the
creation +as sub*ected to frustration$ not by its o+n choice$ but by the +ill of the one +ho
sub*ected it$ in ho!e that the creation itself +ill be liberated from its bondage to decay and
brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God
'e kno+ that the +hole creation has been groaning as in the !ains of childbirth right u!
to the !resent time 0ot only so$ but +e ourselves$ +ho have the firstfruits of the S!irit$ groan
in+ardly as +e +ait eagerly for our ado!tion$ the redem!tion of our bodies (/om @.4B A 69)
"eter too looks for+ard beyond the !urging *udgment of God that +ill destroy all that is
evil in the !resent +orld order to a ne+$ redeemed creation
;ut in kee!ing +ith his !romise +e are looking for+ard to a ne+ heaven and a ne+ earth$
+here righteousness d+ells (6 "eter 9.49)
The language of fire and destruction does not mean that the +hole of creation +ill be
o!literated /ather$ it is !arallel to the same terms used to describe the +ay the sinful +orld +as
EdestroyedF by +ater in the flood (6 "eter 9.> A ?) 'hat +as destroyed in the flood +as not the
+hole !lanet$ but the +orld of sin and rebellion Like+ise$ +hat +ill be destroyed in the final
*udgment is not the universe$ but the sin and rebellion of humanity and the devastation they have
caused #t +ill be a conflagration that !urges and !urifies$ so that the ne+ creation +ill be a !lace
devoid of sin but filled +ith righteousness$ because God himself +ill d+ell there among his
redeemed !eo!le (/ev 64.4 A :)
@
As a result$ our mission as created human beings is to care for the earth God created And
that mission is intensified for us as redeemed human beings because +e look for+ard to the
redem!tion of creation as +ell 1ur ecological activity as &hristians thus has both a creational
and a redem!tive dimension #t is a missional res!onse to +hat our biblical theology teaches us
about God=s !ur!ose for creation$ from the very beginning and the very ending of the ;ible
$,MMA&1
# ho!e that our brief survey of the biblical theology of creation has !rovided sufficient
*ustification for saying that &hristians ought to be in the forefront of caring for creation 'e have
far more !rofound reasons for doing so$ dra+n from our faith and +orldvie+$ than merely
!rudential or selfJserving ones (+e=d better do something or +e=ll all fry or dro+n) So$ yes$
&hristians should seek to live on the !lanet in +ays that are no+ generally a!!roved as EgreenF A
avoiding +asteful use of energy$ reducing our carbon foot!rint$ recycling rather than trashing$
!reventing !ollution$ and su!!orting !olitical and economic initiatives that !rotect the
environment from further needless destruction
;ut is there more than that5 'hat about ecological .ission5 #s it legitimate to a!!ly our
biblical theology for life at this !oint by saying that some !eo!le are called and sent by God +ith
the s!ecific mission of creation care$ scientific research in the ecological arena$ habitat
conservation$ and so on5 # believe that the ans+er is yes$ and +ill suggest some reasons +hy
+hen +e come to reflect on relevance in cha!ter 4<
&%L%2A)T -,%$T'*)$
4 #f the ;ible=s story runs from creation to ne+ creation$ +hat should that mean for your
church=s mission agenda$ if it is to be fully biblical5
6 #n +hat +ays has this cha!ter enriched your understanding of %esus A es!ecially in
relation to the significance and sco!e of his accom!lishment through the cross and resurrection5
9 3o+ does the inclusion of earth care in the church=s mission affect your !erce!tion of
the &hristian=sQ church=s res!onsibility in environmental issues5
: Are there s!ecific !atterns of behaviour and ste+ardshi! that you feel should change in
your o+n life as a result of this !ers!ective5

CHAPT%& 5
P%*PL% H* A&% A BL%$$')G T* TH% )AT'*)$
ho +as the greatest missionary in the ;ible5 Some might say %esus$ but most +ould
!robably ans+er$ "aul 3e certainly stands as the one +ho$ as Ea!ostle to the nationsF$ envisaged
and accom!lished the great transition of the gos!el across the divide bet+een %e+s and Gentiles
and thus set in motion the movement that +ould see the gos!el s!read to every corner of the
+orld
3o+ did "aul understand his o+n missionary life and +ork5 'hat +as he trying to
accom!lish5 'hat ke!t him going through all the battering and bruising (literally) of his
missionary career5
TH% *B%+'%)C% *( (A'TH AM*)G ALL )AT'*)$
"aul tells us in a !hrase that comes at the beginning and end of his greatest letter 3is
calling as an a!ostle +as$ he says$ Eto bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his
H&hrist=sI name among all the nationsF (/om 4.<K re!eated at 4>.6> ES-)
0o+ that is an ambition that resonates +ith strong echoes of Abraham For Abraham is
the 1ld Testament character !ar eGcellence +ho +as the model of faith and of obedience A as
"aul$ %ames and the author of 3ebre+s all testify And the horizon of Eall the nationsF goes back
to God=s !romise to Abraham that through him all the nations on earth +ill be blessed
So "aul is indicating$ by this !rominently !laced !hrase$ that his lifetime=s service of the
gos!el +as all about !roducing communities of Abraham lookJalikes in all the nations$ not *ust in
the nation !hysically descended from Abraham An ambitious goal$ for sure$ but !rofoundly
rooted in his reading of God=s mission as eG!ressed in his !romise to Abraham
;ut it goes dee!er than that "aul did not *ust mean that Abraham +as a rather fine
exa.ple that he could use to illustrate the doctrine of *ustification he +as about to eG!ound in the
rest of the letter God=s !romise to Abraham +as not merely a random illustration of something
else #t +as the thing itself A God=s o+n agenda for saving the +orld God=s !romise to Abraham
+as$ in short$ the gos!el #t is very good ne+s indeed
That is ho+ "aul describes God=s !romise to Abraham in Galatians
Scri!ture foresa+ that God +ould *ustify the Gentiles Hthe nationsI by faith$ and
announced the gospel in advance to Abraham. EAll nations +ill be blessed through youF (Gal
9.@$ italics added)
So the gos!el$ the good ne+s$ from God=s o+n mouth$ is that God intends to bless all
nations$ and to do so through Abraham and his descendants
'ho are +e then5 'e are like the Galatians to +hom "aul +as +riting #f +e are among
the Gentile nations and have come to believe in %esus as the )essiah of #srael and saviour of the
+orld$ +e have entered into the blessing of Abraham #ndeed$ +e have become !art of the !eo!le
of Abraham To be in &hrist is to be in Abraham$ according to "aul A no matter +hat ethnic$
social$ or gender identity you have
There is neither %e+ nor Gentile$ neither slave nor free$ neither male nor female$ for you
are all one in &hrist %esus #f you belong to &hrist$ then you are Abraham=s seed$ and heirs
according to the !romise (Gal 9.6@ A 6B)
;ut +hat does this mean for our mission5 #f +e are the !eo!le of God no+ in &hrist and
therefore also Ein AbrahamF$ ho+ +ill that affect our understanding of +ho +e are and +hat +e
are here for5 'e need first of all to see *ust ho+ im!ortant God=s choice of Abraham +as for the
im!lementing of God=s o+n mission of redem!tive blessing Then +e=ll need to scan some of the
echoes of Abraham through the 1ld and 0e+ Testaments$ sho+ing that it is in fact a ma*or theme
of biblical theology Finally +e can a!!ly all this to our o+n !ractice of mission #n +hat +ays
are +e to be !eo!le +ho model our mission !ractice on the faith and obedience of Abraham5
'hat does it mean to say that +e are !eo!le chosen to bless the nations5
4
;ut first$ +e need to see the connection +ith the last cha!ter There +e eG!lored the great
biblical arch from creation to ne+ creation #t +as human rebellion that s!oiled God=s good
creation and led to God=s restoration !ro*ect that no+ begins +ith Abraham And the story that
begins here is the first ste! on the road that leads to the ne+ creation itself 'e are standing at a
very key moment in the ;ible=s story
AB&AHAM 8 ') TH% BL%A0 C*)T%>T *( G%)%$'$ . 8 ..
The great !romise of God to Abraham$ often called the Abrahamic covenant$ comes in
Genesis 46.4 A 9 ;ut Genesis 46 comes after Genesis 4 A 44 That may seem obvious$ but it is
crucially im!ortant For the +hole !oint of +hat God initiates +ith his !romise to Abraham only
becomes clear +hen +e see it against the darkening background of those cha!ters
After the grand o!ening cha!ters of creation$ the biblical story goes a+ry in Genesis 9$
+hen God=s human creatures choose to rebel against their creator$ distrusting his benevolence$
disobeying his authority and disregarding the boundaries he had set for their freedom in his
+orld This !roduces radical brokenness in all the relationshi!s established in creation 3uman
beings hide from God in guilty fear )en and +omen can no longer face one another +ithout
shame and blame The soil comes under the curse of God$ and the earth no longer res!onds to
human touch as it should
The follo+ing cha!ters (chs : A 44)$ then$ combine an escalating crescendo of human sin
alongside re!eated marks of God=s grace The ser!ent=s head +ill be crushed Adam and Eve are
clothed &ain is !rotected 0oah and his family are saved Life goes on$ and creation is !reserved
under covenant The great creation !ro*ect is still moving for+ard$ but it is lim!ing under the
cri!!ling +eight of human sin
After the flood$ God rene+s his !romise to creation$ and human beings are again sent
forth under God=s blessing to multi!ly and fill the earth (Gen B.4) 3o+ever the story runs into
trouble yet again in cha!ter 44 The human decision to settle and to build a city +ith a to+er in
the land of Shinar seems to combine arrogance (in +anting to make a name for themselves) and
insecurity (in +anting not to be scattered over the +hole earth as God intended) The ;abel story
!resents us +ith !eo!le +ho seem intent on invading the heavens even +hile resisting God=s +ill
for them on earth
The result is chaotic dividedness Genesis 9 A 44 sho+ ho+ every dimension of life is
tragically adrift from the original goodness of God=s !ur!ose The earth lies under the sentence
of God=s curse because of human sin 3uman beings are adding to their catalogue of evil as the
generations roll !ast A *ealousy$ anger$ murder$ vengeance$ violence$ corru!tion$ drunkenness$
seGual disorder$ arrogance Animals are being killed for food$ +ith God=s !ermission but hardly
+ith their creator=s best !leasure 'omen en*oy the gift of childbirth along +ith suffering and
!ain )en find fulfillment in subduing the earth$ but +ith s+eat and frustration ;oth en*oy
seGual com!lementarity and intimacy$ but along +ith lust and domination Every inclination of
human hearts is shot through +ith evil Technology and culture are advancing$ but the skill that
can craft instruments for music and agriculture can also forge +ea!ons of violent death 0ations
eG!erience the richness of their ethnic$ linguistic and geogra!hical diversity along +ith
confusion$ scattering and strife
'here can the mission of God go from here5 'hat can God do neGt5 'hatever it may
be$ it +ill have to tackle a broad redem!tive agenda Genesis 4 A 44 !oses a cosmic Duestion to
+hich God must !rovide a cosmic ans+er The !roblems so gra!hically s!read before the reader
in Genesis 4 A 44 +ill not be solved *ust by finding a +ay to get human beings to heaven +hen
they die (eath itself must be destroyed if the curse is to be removed and the +ay o!ened to the
tree of life The love and !o+er of God must address not only the sin of individuals$ but the strife
and strivings of nationsK not only the need of human beings but also the suffering of animals and
the curse on the ground
#t +ill take the +hole of the rest of the ;ible=s story$ from Genesis 46 to /evelation 64 A
66$ to accom!lish all this ;iblical theology encom!asses this com!rehensive s!an of !roblem
and solution So our biblical theology of mission must stretch alongside the same s!an
'hat can God do neGt5 Something that only God could have thought of God sees an
elderly$ childless cou!le in the land of ;abel itself and decides to make them the launch !ad of
his +hole mission of cosmic redem!tion 1ne can almost hear the shar! intake of breath among
the angels +hen the astonishing !lan +as revealed They kne+$ as the reader of Genesis 4 A 44
no+ kno+s$ the sheer scale of devastation that ser!entine evil and human recalcitrance have
+rought in God=s creation 'hat sort of an ans+er can be !rovided through Abram and Sarai5
8et that is !recisely the scale of +hat no+ follo+s
The call of Abram is the beginning of God=s ans+er to the evil of human hearts$ the strife
of nations$ and the groaning brokenness of his +hole creation #t is the beginning of the mission
of God and the mission of God=s !eo!le
AB&AHAM A)+ G*+$ $,&P&'$% 8 BL%$$')G T* TH% )AT'*)$
The L1/( had said to Abram$ EGo from your country$ your !eo!le and your father=s
household to the land # +ill sho+ you
E# +ill make you into a great nation$
and # +ill bless youK
# +ill make your name great$
and you +ill be a blessing
# +ill bless those +ho bless you$
and +hoever curses you # +ill curseK
and all !eo!les on earth
+ill be blessed through youF (Gen 46.4 A 9)
#t is not hard to see +hat the central theme of these verses is The +ords !less and
!lessing shine through it like a golden thread The root +ord (!arak= actually occurs five times in
the three verses And it is sudden and sur!rising good ne+sN
A!art from the +ords of God to 0oah immediately after the flood$ +e have not heard
much about blessing since the o!ening cha!ters of Genesis$ +hen God=s blessings bathed the
+hole creation The story has lurched through sin and rebellion to *udgment and curse ;ut no+$
God s!eaks again$ as he s!oke at creation$ +ith +ords of blessing$ first for Abraham$ but then
through him for all nations on earth
0o +onder "aul read this teGt as Ethe gos!el in advanceF (Gal 9.@) #t is God=s glorious
sur!rise #n s!ite of all that has occurred in the !revious cha!ters$ God still intends blessing for
the nations And he +ill launch that great mission of blessing through Abraham
;ut +hat is meant by EblessingF5 All too easily our minds as &hristians sli! Duickly into
s!iritual mode$ and verses like E!hesians 4.9 !o! u!. E"raise be to the God and Father of our
Lord %esus &hrist$ +ho has blessed us in the heavenly realms +ith every s!iritual blessing in
&hristF 'e may be tem!ted$ then$ to think that only s!iritual blessings are contained in God=s
!romise to Abraham ;ut of course +e must take the +ords in their +ider and fuller biblical
conteGt 'hen +e do so$ +e find that there are several rich and com!lementary ingredients in the
biblical conce!t of EblessingF
Blessing and the Goodness of Creation
#n the ma*estic account of creation in Genesis 4$ God=s blessing is !ronounced three
times. on day five he blessed the fish and the birdsK then on day siG he blessed human beingsK
and finally on day seven he blessed the Sabbath The first t+o blessings are immediately
follo+ed by the instruction to multi!ly and fill the seas and the earth The third blessing is
follo+ed by the +ords of sanctification and rest that define the Sabbath
lessing$ then$ at the very beginning of our ;ible$ is constituted by fruitfulness$
abundance and fullness on the one hand$ and by en*oying rest +ithin creation in holy and
harmonious relationshi! +ith our &reator God on the other ;lessing is off to a good start 'e
find the same themes in God=s +ords of blessing to 0oah in Genesis B (vv 4 A 9$ B A 4?)
So +hen +e come to 46.4 A 9$ the +ord of blessing must$ from the conteGt so far$ include
at least the conce!t of fruitfulness$ multi!lication$ s!reading$ filling and abundance #t is a richly
lifeJaffirming +ord This is +hat God +ants for the nations of humanity
3o+ever$ there is nothing mechanical about being blessed in this +ay ;lessing is set
+ithin relationshi!s that are both vertical and horizontal That is$ blessing is de!endent on
relationshi! +ith God$ and blessing is something to be shared in relationshi! +ith other human
beings
1n the one hand$ $erticall-$ those +ho are blessed kno+ the God +ho is blessing them$
and they seek to live in faithful relationshi! +ith their God The !atriarchs kne+ that the
blessings that accom!anied them all their lives +ere all +ra!!ed u! +ith their relationshi! +ith
God 'hen blind and aged %acob blesses the t+o sons of %ose!h$ he ackno+ledges this %acob
kne+ from +hom his blessing had come.
)ay the God before +hom my fathers
Abraham and #saac +alked faithfully$
the God +ho has been my she!herd
all my life to this day$
the Angel +ho has delivered me from all harm A
may he bless these boys (Gen :@.4< A 4>)
1n the other hand$ horizontall-$ the relational element of blessing reaches out to those
around Genesis has several instances of other !eo!le being blessed through contact +ith those
+hom God has blessed Those +ho inherit the Abrahamic family blessing are then found to
fulfill God=s !ur!ose that they should be a blessing to others
Laban is enriched by God=s blessing on %acob (9C.6? A 9C)
"oti!har is blessed through the !resence of %ose!h (9B.<)
"haraoh is blessed by %acob (:?.?$ 4C)
Thus$ the blessing of Abraham becomes selfJre!licating Those +ho are blessed are called
to be a blessing beyond themselves A and this is one feature that makes it so !rofoundly
missional For if +e see ourselves (as +e should$ according to "aul in Galatians) as those +ho
have entered into the blessing of Abraham through faith in &hrist$ then the Abrahamic
commission becomes ours also A Ebe a blessingF
Blessing and Hope !ithin History
'hen +e combine the dark !icture of Genesis 9 A 44 +ith the !romise of blessing in
cha!ter 46$ +e can antici!ate that the story to follo+ +ill involve both realities 'e kno+ that +e
+ill be +atching t+o scenarios unfolding together A *ust as %esus said in his !arable of the +heat
and the +eeds gro+ing in the same field 1n the one hand$ +e kno+ that history +ill be the
arena of human sin getting even +orse ;ut on the other hand$ +e +ill no+ be +atching for the
foot!rints of God=s blessing and looking for+ard to ho+ he +ill kee! his vast !romise to bring
about blessing for all nations through the nation to emerge from the loins of Abraham ;lessing
+ill take on a historical dimension$ in*ecting ho!e and faith into an other+ise dark and
de!ressing narrative
And that means also$ then$ that blessing +ill be missional For it is !recisely this !romise
that all the nations on earth +ill find blessing through God=s election of Abraham that drives
for+ard the mission of God$ and the mission of God=s !eo!le that flo+s from it
At the most fundamental level$ +ho +ere these !eo!le called #srael in the 1ld Testament$
and +hat +ere they there for5 To be the vehicle of God=s mission of eGtending his blessing to the
nations
So +ho are +e and +hat are +e here for5 The same ans+er has to be given A and is
indeed given in the 0e+ Testament as +e +ill eventually see 'e also are to be a !eo!le through
+hom the nations are blessed The history of mission is the history of the s!read of God=s
blessing$ the history of God kee!ing his !romise to Abraham
Blessing= $al;ation and *bedience
God !romised to bless Abraham +ithin a covenant relationshi! in +hich Abraham
res!onded in faith and obedience That remained the !attern for #srael too ;lessing +as not
automatic or mechanical ;lessing flo+ed from all that God had already done for #srael in the
grace of redem!tion$ !rovision and !rotection And blessing flo+ed only as #srael res!onded to
God=s grace in covenant obedience The !lessing of sal$ation called for the response of
co$enantal o!edience in order for the !lessing to go on !eing enAo-ed&
;lessing is the +ay God enables his creation to be fertile and fruitful$ to gro+ and to
flourish #t is in the most com!rehensive sense God=s !ur!ose for his creation 'herever human
life en*oys the good things of creation and !roduces the good fruits of human activity$ God is
!ouring out his blessing 'herever !eo!le bless God for his blessings$ to that eGtent God is
kno+n as the good &reator +ho !rovides for human flourishing God=s blessing is universal ;ut
it is not the case that blessing is God=s goodness in creation as distinct from his goodness in
salvation$ as has sometimes been !ro!osedM
Salvation too is God=s blessing$ since salvation is the fulfillment of God=s good !ur!oses
for creation$ !ur!oses already eG!ressed in creation ;ut salvation is the fulfillment of God=s
!ur!oses in s!ite of the damage evil does to God=s creation The Abrahamic blessing is more than
the blessing of creation because it is designed to contend +ith and to overcome its o!!osite.
God=s curseM
The ultimate goal of God=s !romise to Abraham is that blessing +ill !revail over curse #t
does so +hen the seed of Abraham$ the singledJout descendant of Abraham$ the )essiah$
becomes Ea curse for usMso that in &hrist %esus the blessing of Abraham might come to the
GentilesF (Galatians 9.49 A 4:) #t is in this light that "aul can call the !romise to Abraham that
the nations +ill be blessed the gos!elM
The gos!el is that in &hrist %esus the curse has been set aside and God=s creative !ur!ose
for the blessing of his creation is established beyond any !ossibility of reversal
Bichard auckha.
6
(euteronomy comes to its climaG +ith a !o+erful a!!eal to #srael to Echoose lifeF$ that
is$ to sustain their en*oyment of God=s blessing (in +hich they already stood by God=s redeeming
grace) They could do this only by living in loving$ trusting and obedient relationshi! +ith their
God ((eut 9C) This did not mean$ of course$ that #srael ever did or ever could deser$e the
blessing of God or any of his great saving acts #t is a fundamental mistake to think that in the
1ld Testament blessing or salvation came as something earned through obedience (this is a
mistaken +ay of reading (eut 6@.4 A 4:) 1n the contrary$ blessing is intrinsic to the covenant
relationshi! established by God=s saving grace The !attern is clear in (euteronomy 6>. the
initial redem!tive blessing of God has been eG!erienced as a matter of grateful re*oicing (vv 4 A
44) This leads on to res!onsive obedience (vv 4 A 4:) And that in turn is the conteGt in +hich
further blessing can be antici!ated (v 4<)$ +ithin the frame+ork of mutual covenant
commitment (vv 4> A 4B)
'e affirm that there is a biblical vision of human !ros!ering$ and that the ;ible includes
material +elfare (both health and +ealth) +ithin its teaching about the blessing of God This
needs further study and eG!lanation across the +hole ;ible in both Testaments 'e must not
dichotomize the material and the s!iritual in unbiblical dualism
'o/e$er, /e reAect the un!i!lical notion that spiritual /elfare can !e .easured in ter.s
of .aterial /elfare, or that /ealth is al/a-s a sign of God"s !lessing :since it can !e o!tained !-
oppression, deceit or corruption=, or that po$ert- or illness or earl- death, is al/a-s a sign of
God"s curse, or lack of faith, or hu.an curses :since the i!le explicitl- denies that it is al/a-s
so=&
Lausanne Theolog- (orking Group
9
1bedience$ then$ is the means of li$ing /ithin the s!here of blessing and en*oying itK
obedience is never the means of earning or deser$ing the blessing #srael had already been
redeemed by God (in the eGodus)$ so their obedience could never earn that #t +as already
accom!lished 3o+ever$ their obedience +as necessary in order to go on en*oying the benefit of
their salvation 1ther+ise$ through disobedience they +ould find themselves thro+n out of the
land$ out of the !lace of God=s blessing
This ethical dimension of blessing +ithin the covenant relationshi! is another feature that
!rotects biblical blessing from degenerating into the !arody that is !araded in "ros!erity
Theology ;lessing is not *ust an automatic refleG$ routinely doled out in res!onse to certain
!rescribed in!uts A !rayers or faith or money ;lessing is not like a great heavenly cashboG of
miracles stored u! for you and *ust +aiting to be claimed 'e +ill have some more to say on the
"ros!erity Gos!el in cha!ter 4<
AB&AHAM 8 G*+$ M'$$'*) A)+ *,&$
Gods ,ni;ersal Mission 8 All )ations
Genesis 4C and the first !art of cha!ter 44 focus on the nations of humanity #n Genesis
4C they are scattering across the earth in order to fill it$ as they +ere told to #n Genesis 44 they
are scattering$ but in a state of confusion and division that th+arts their arrogant attem!t at selfJ
built unification So it is natural and fitting that God=s great !romise and !lan announced in
cha!ter 46$ though it involves one man initially$ has all the nations in vie+ God=s !romise to
Abraham in Genesis 46 is God=s ans+er to the !roblem of the nations in Genesis 4C and 44
The bottom line (literally and meta!horically) of the Abrahamic covenant is that Eall
!eo!les on earth +ill be blessed through youF (Gen 46.9) There is some dis!ute over the !recise
eGegesis of the verb$
:
but there can be no doubt about the eGtent of God=s intention A Eall
!eo!lesF The +ord varies bet+een Eall kinshi!Jgrou!sF (.i?pehCt) and Eall nationsF (go-i.)$
but the intention is clear and em!hatic
#n fact$ it is so em!hatic that this !romise is re!eated five times in Genesis (46.9K 4@.4@K
66.4@K 6>.:K 6@.4:) There is a universal end in vie+ #f humanity as a +hole is sub*ect to God=s
curse$ then humanity as a +hole must be reached by God=s blessing And therein lies the great
thrust of God=s mission and the mission of God=s !eo!le
From the !ers!ective of biblical theology +e can dra+ a great tra*ectory A from the
Etribes$ languages and nationsF of Genesis 4C$ +ho stood in need of redem!tive blessing$ to that
Egreat multitude that no one could count$ from every nation$ tribe$ !eo!le and languageF$ +ho
+ill constitute the redeemed humanity in the ne+ creation (/ev ?.B)
The Abrahamic covenant is therefore one of the key unifying threads in the +hole ;ible
As #=ve said before$ no +onder "aul could sim!ly call it Ethe gos!el in advanceF 'hat could be
more Egos!elF A more good ne+s A in the light of Genesis 9 A 44 than that God has committed
himself to bless all the !eo!le of the earth5
Gods Particular Means 8 *ne )ation
;ut this same teGt that ends +ith such universality begins in singular !articularity God
addresses one man$ Abraham$ and !romises to bring his blessing to humanity through one nation
A his descendants At Genesis 46.4 A 9 +e stand at the fountainhead of 1ld Testament #srael=s
selfJconsciousness of being God=s elect !eo!le That is$ they believed they +ere a !eo!le
uniDuely chosen by God for a relationshi! +ith himself that +ould later be consolidated in the
form of the Sinai covenant ;ut it is utterly crucial to see that this divine election of one man and
one !eo!le takes !lace in the conteGt of$ and on the global stage of$ God=s dealings +ith all the
nations$ +ho have been the main focus of the narrative in cha!ters 4C and 44
1ne nation is chosen$ but all nations are to be the beneficiaries of that choice #n our
biblical theology$ +e kno+$ of course$ that in the end that one nation +ould be re!resented by
one man$ the )essiah %esus$ through +hom God=s redem!tive blessing +ould become available
to all nations That +as the +ay "aul understood God=s mission through &hrist and the s!read of
the gos!el as the fulfillment of God=s !romise to Abraham in Galatians 9
%lection for Mission
This affects the +ay +e understand the +hole biblical doctrine of election There is a
tendency to s!eak of it solely as a doctrine of sal$ation A that is to say$ the elect are those +ho
get saved That then leads to all kinds of controversy through the centuries as to +hether God is
fair in choosing some to be saved and not others # don=t +ant to get bogged do+n in that ancient
but still !otent debate All # +ant to !oint out here is that the first time +e really see God
choosing and calling someone A ie$ !utting election into action A it is !recisely not so that
Abraham and his family alone get saved$ but rather that by being blessed he should become the
agent of !lessing to others
Election of one is not the re*ection of the rest$ but ultimately for their benefit #t is as if a
grou! of tra!!ed cave eG!lorers choose one of their number to sDueeze through a narro+ flooded
!assage to get out to the surface and call for hel! The !oint of the choice is not so that she alone
gets saved$ but that she is able to bring hel! and eDui!ment to ensure the rest get rescued
EElectionF in such a case is an instrumental choice of one for the sake of many
#n the same +ay$ God=s election of #srael is instrumental in God=s mission for all nations
Election needs to be seen as a doctrine of .ission$ not a calculus for the arithmetic of salvation
#f +e are to s!eak of being chosen$ of being among God=s elect$ it is to say that$ like Abraham$
+e are chosen for the sake of God=s !lan that the nations of the +orld come to en*oy the blessing
of Abraham (+hich is eGactly ho+ "aul describes the effect of God=s redem!tion of #srael
through &hrist in Gal 9.4:)
Missional Church
#t all started +ith one man$ Abraham ;ut the !romise +as to him and his seed$ or his
descendants (ho are the descendants of 2!raha. no/0 "aul is totally eG!licit on this !oint.
!eo!le of any and every nation +ho believe in %esus as )essiah and saviour are included in the
seed of Abraham and are inheritors of the !romise made to Abraham Abraham$ as God
!romised$ has become the father of many nations A in and through %esus &hrist Abraham is$ in
short$ Ethe father of us allF A all of us +ho share his faith (/om :.4> A 4?) The church$ then A
that multinational community that includes believing %e+s and Gentiles A is the !eo!le chosen
and called in Abraham to be God=s !eo!le
;ut if that is so$ and # cannot read the 0e+ Testament in any other +ay than to affirm that
it is so$ an im!ortant conclusion follo+s #f +e are in &hrist$ +e not only share in the blessing of
Abraham$ /e are co..issioned to spread the !lessing of 2!raha.& The last !hrase of Gen 46.6
is actually an im!erative in 3ebre+ A E;e a blessingNF$ though it is most often translated sim!ly
as a conseDuential statement from the !receding !hrases$ Eso that you +ill be a blessingF )y
o+n eGegetical understanding of the structure of Gen 46.4 A 9 sees it as t+o fundamental
commands$ each follo+ed by three subordinate or eG!lanatory clauses$ climaGing in the last line
of verse 9
The skeleton message of Genesis 46.4 A 9 is this.
4GoD
and !e a !lessingD
and all nations /ill !e !lessed through -ou&6
#s that not a Egreat commissionF5 #s it not$ in fact$ the foundation on +hich the +hole
thrust of God=s mission$ including +hat is usually referred to as EThe Great &ommissionF in
)atthe+ 6@$ is based5 And if so$ this has serious conseDuences for our understanding of the
church as +ell as of mission
'hen God set about his great !ro*ect of +orld redem!tion in the +ake of Genesis 46$ he
chose to do so not by +hisking individuals off u! to heaven$ but by calling into eGistence a
community of blessing Starting +ith one man and his barren +ife$ then miraculously
transforming them into a large family +ithin several generations$ then into a nation called #srael$
and then$ through &hrist$ into a multinational community of believers from every nation A all
through the story God has been moulding a !eo!le for himself ut also a people for others&
4Through -ouDall nations&6
#n other +ords$ the missional thrust of Genesis 46.4 A 9 is also ecclesiological The
origins of the church go back$ not *ust to "entecost$ but to Abraham And the missionary im!ulse
that +e find in Acts +as no sudden change$ but the out+orking of the logic of biblical faith and
history The command of %esus and the leading of the 3oly S!irit combined to send the church
out in mission to the ends of the earth$ as those +ho$ having received the blessing of Abraham$
must no+ be the means of !assing it on That +as ho+ the story +orked$ and that +as the story
they kne+ they +ere in
So the idea of Emissional churchF is far from a ne+ idea #t may have taken on a
!articular cultural form in recent years in reaction to an institutionalized church that has lost
touch +ith its o+n raison d=Rtre ;ut really$ if +e understand the church from our biblical
theology as that community of !eo!le chosen and called since Abraham to be the vehicle of
God=s blessing to the nations$ +hat else can the church be but missional5 This is +ho +e are and
+hat +e are here for
#ndeed$ as a friend of mine said recently$ EAll this talk of Omissional church= sounds to me
like talking about a Ofemale +oman= #f it=s not missional$ it=s not churchF
%CH*%$ *( AB&AHAM ') B'BL'CAL TH%*L*G1
'e are attem!ting to do biblical theology in this book and series$ so +e need to sho+ that
a theme +e are !utting so much +eight on actually does find su!!ort through a variety of biblical
teGts in both the 1ld and 0e+ Testaments 1nce again$ a fuller eG!osition of all the follo+ing
teGts and many more can be found in The Mission of God (read es!ecially chs >$ ? and 4:)$ but a
selection of some of the most revealing ones should make our !oint clear (o take time to read
these teGts Their cumulative effect +ill greatly strengthen our biblical theology of mission at this
!oint
The )ations +ra!n to 'sraels orship and 'sraels $al;ation
The "salms are the songs of #srael=s faith imagination in +orshi! They not only soar into
the !resence of God in adoration$ confession$ thanksgiving$ !raise and !rotest$ they also take
+ings and fly to the ends of the earth and bring the nations of the +orld into the sco!e of their
vision 'hatever God is doing in and through #srael itself must ultimately im!act the nations$ for
that is the reason for #srael=s eGistence in the first !lace
#t +ould be +orth+hile to read the follo+ing !assages carefully and note the echoes of
the Abrahamic !romise in their reference to all nations of the +orld ultimately coming to
+orshi! 83'3 the God of #srael$ or being the venues +here the !raises of God are sung These
are some of the !laces in the book of "salms +here +e see the universality of #srael=s faith in
relation to the nations Some of them seem clearly to be echoes of the Abrahamic covenant$ but
even +here they are not directly alluding to it$ they dra+ from its dee! source a !o+erful
message of God=s overarching mission of blessing that eGtends +ay beyond the borders of #srael
itself
"salm 66.6? A 6@
"salm :?.B
"salm >?
"salm ?6.4?
"salm @>.B
"salm @?
"salm B>
"salm 4C6.4<$ 64 A 66
"salm 44?
The !ro!hets$ like the historians and !salmists$ focus most of the time on #srael in
relationshi! +ith God$ but +hen their vision +idens to the nations and the earth$ the results are
sometimes stunning$ and the echoes of Abraham are unmistakable Again$ take some time and
read these !assages$ savouring the universality of their vision These are the kind of teGts that
feed the 0e+ Testament theology of mission to the nations
#saiah 4B.4B A 6< (es! vv 6: A 6<)
#saiah :<.66 A 69
#saiah <>.9 A @
#saiah >C
%eremiah :.4 A 6
Amos B.44 A 46
Lechariah 6.4C A 44
Abraha" in the Gospels
)atthe+ is often !ortrayed as the gos!el for the %e+s ;ut )atthe+ sees clearly that the
very eGistence of the %e+s$ as the !eo!le of Abraham$ is for the sake of all nations )atthe+
sho+s this in the +ay he begins +ith Abraham and ends +ith all nations
Luke also !uts an Abrahamic envelo!e around his gos!el by seeing the coming of %esus
as the fulfillment of that !romise$ +ith its relevance to #srael and to all nations 3e begins and
ends on that note of Scri!ture fulfillment (Luke 4.<<$ ?9K 6.6B A 96K 6:.:> A :?)
)atthe+ frames the +hole story of %esus bet+een the identification of him as a
descendant of Abraham in the o!ening verse of the Gos!el and$ in the closing +ords of %esus at
the end of the Gos!el$ the commission to the disci!les of %esus to make disci!les of all nations
)atthe+=s genealogy of %esus begins +ith Abraham (4.4 A 6)$ not +ith Adam$ as Luke=s does
(9.9@)$ nor +ith (avid$ +hich +ould have been sufficient to !ortray %esus the )essiah the son of
(avid$ +hich certainly is an im!ortant theme in )atthe+=s Gos!el 3o+ever$ for )atthe+$ %esus
is the )essiah not only for %e+s but also for Gentiles 3e is the descendant of Abraham through
+hom God=s blessing +ill at last reach the nations
Bichard auckha.
<
;ut Luke also mentions Abraham by name in four short but significant incidents in his
narrative A three in the gos!el and one in Acts
Luke 49.4C A 4> A the cri!!led +oman
Luke 4>.4B A 94 A the !oor beggar Lazarus
Luke 4B.4 A 4C A the taG collector Lacchaeus
Acts 9.4 A 6> A the lame man at the tem!le
'hat these stories have in common is that in each of them somebody +ho +as eGcluded
A by demonic bondage$ or !overty and in*ustice$ or deserved social contem!t$ or cri!!ling illness
A is brought into saving blessing 0one of the characters is a Gentile (though Luke has !lenty to
say about them too) ;ut they illustrate the healing$ transforming$ restoring !o+er of God that is
entailed by receiving the blessing of Abraham
Abraha" in Pauls Gospel
#t +ould not be eGaggerating to say that Abraham is the most im!ortant figure in "aul=s
understanding of the gos!el A second only to %esus &hrist For +hat God had accom!lished in
&hrist +as nothing less than +hat God had !romised to Abraham$ to bring about the blessing of
all nations on earth That universal ho!e had been a mystery (as "aul !uts it) for centuries A not a
mystery in terms of /hat +as eG!ected$ for that +as clear in the teGt itself$ but a mystery in terms
of ho/ it could ever be accom!lished That$ says "aul$ has no+ been revealed through the gos!el
of &hrist$ by +hat he accom!lished in his cross and resurrection (E!h 9.: A >)
So$ as +e sa+ at the start of this cha!ter$ "aul=s !ersonal mission +as to re!licate
Abrahamic faith and obedience among all nations$ to bring about +hat God had originally
!romised Abraham "aul=s theology of the gos!el and his theology of mission are both
Abrahamic #n &hrist$ the !romise to Abraham is accom!lished in !rinci!le$ for salvation is no+
o!en to !eo!le of all nations #n mission$ the !romise to Abraham is +orked out in the ongoing
history of the church in its !roclamation of the good ne+s
Thus$ though +e cannot no+ study the !assages in detail$ "aul=s argument from /omans
9.6B to the end of /omans :$ and even more so in Galatians 9$ is not (as sometimes suggested)
merely using Abraham as an illustration of his doctrine of *ustification by faith$ but constitutes
!recisely his eG!osition of +hat that doctrine means God has demonstrated his righteousness
and his trust+orthiness by kee!ing his !romise to Abraham through !roviding$ in &hrist$ the
means by +hich !eo!le of all nations$ not *ust %e+s$ can enter into the blessing of a right
relationshi! +ith God by God=s grace through faith
>
"aul=s doctrine of *ustification is essentially missional for it eGtends the blessing of the
gos!el$ +ith no ethnic !rivileges or barriers$ to all nations in !rinci!le$ and therefore demands
that it be eGtended to them in !ractice A that is$ in the !ractice of evangelism$ churchJ!lanting
and disci!ling communities +ho +alk in Ethe obedience of faithF among all nations
Mission Acco"plished in &e;elation
3o+ else could +e finish a biblical survey of such an im!ortant theme other than in the
;ible=s climactic final book$ /evelation5 And there indeed the echoes of Abraham resound loud
and clear
&e;elation <7? 8 .@
'hy is %esus +orthy to unlock the seals on the scroll in the right hand of God5 ;ecause
he is Ethe Lamb +ho +as slainF #t is the crucified &hrist +ho holds the key to the unfolding
!ur!ose of history and its final destination So +hen the elders sing out their ans+er to the
Duestion as to +ho is +orthy to o!en the sevenJsealed scroll$ they celebrate the cross as
redem!tive$ universal and victorious And that universal !hrase$ E+ith your blood you !urchased
for God members of every tribe and language and !eo!le and nationF$ is an instantly
recognizable allusion to the conteGt of Genesis 4C$ the +orld of nations$ for +hose blessing and
salvation God had called Abraham
&e;elation A7? 8 .@
The same language surfaces again here$ as the great song of God=s salvation is sung by Ea
great multitude that no one could count$ from every nation$ tribe$ !eo!le and languageF
&e;elation 3373
'ho benefits from the healing !o+er of the tree of life by the river of life in the ne+
creation5 The nations& They have already been !ictured as bringing their s!lendour$ glory and
honour into the city of God A redeemed and !urified of all sin and evil (/ev 64.6: A 6?) ;ut the
final !icture of the nations that +e have in the ;ible is healing. EThe leaves of the tree are for the
healing of the nationsF 0ations that have been fundamentally sick since Genesis 9 A 44 +ill at
last eG!erience that international healing that the +orld longs for The blessing of Abraham +ill
bring all nations into the shalo. of &hrist$ the redeemer$ saviour and healer of all
And as redeemed humanity$ together +ith all angels and all creatures in creation$ *oins to
celebrate that great achievement$ # !icture God turning to Abraham and saying$ EThere you are #
ke!t my !romise OAll nations$= # said$ and all nations it is )ission accom!lishedF
AB&AHAM A$ A M*+%L (*& *,& M'$$'*)
# ho!e it has been ins!iring to see the +onderful biblical !anorama of God=s !romise to
Abraham and ho+ it generates the biblical theology of God=s mission to all nations ;ut +e are
thinking in this book not only of the mission of God but the mission of God=s !eo!le And so +e
need to ask also +hat relevance Abraham has to our o+n conce!t and !ractice of mission
#f +e are those +ho inherit not only the !rivilege of Abrahamic blessing$ but also the
res!onsibility of being a blessing to the nations$ then +hat is reDuired of us5 Surely$ that +e
res!ond as Abraham did to the !romise and command of God For Abraham$ that meant leaving
and going$ believing and obeying
Lea;ing and Going
God=s o!ening +ord to Abraham +as$ in essence. EGet u! and go$ a+ay from your
landMF #t is a clear command to leave a !articular !lace and go else+here 3e had to leave his
land and !eo!le$ in order that God +ould bless all lands and !eo!les 1nly Abraham=s leaving
released the nations= blessing
The story of ;abel had brought an end to the ho!e and attem!ts of humankind to find
their o+n means of blessing ;lessing +ill not come from +ithin that +orld itself Abraham must
relinDuish all that ties him to the land of ;abylon before he can be the vehicle of blessing to the
+hole earth ;abel$ the climaG of the !roblem !ortrayed in Genesis 9 A 44$ cannot be the source
of the solution to the !roblem
#n this +ay$ even the great )eso!otamian em!ires are relativized and negated The
greatest human civilizations cannot solve the dee!est human !roblems God=s mission of
blessing the nations has to be a radical ne+ start #t reDuires a break$ a radical de!arture from the
story so far$ not merely an evolutionary develo!ment from it So Abraham is commanded to get
u! and leave
God=s mission reDuired leaving and going And of course$ it still does
0o+ at one level$ +e can see this as an obvious !arallel to the o!ening of the soJcalled
Great &ommission$ EGo and make disci!les of all nationsF ()att 6@.4B) A though it needs to be
!ointed out that the first +ord is not a command in itself$ but a !artici!le A EAs you goMF
0evertheless$ it is clear that if the nations +ere to be disci!led$ the disci!les had to go to them
So +e can certainly detect in God=s first command to Abraham an antici!ation of the dynamic
that +ould eventually eG!lode in centrifugal missional EgoingF to the ends of the earth And that
+ould be an a!!ro!riate connection to make
;ut at another level$ such Eleaving and goingF need not necessarily mean actual travel
from one geogra!hical !lace to another &hristians +ho commit themselves to the mission of
God in the +orld have to start +ith a certain going out fro. the +orld For +e still live in the
land of ;abel and Sodom 'e need to recognize the idolatrous nature of the +orld and all its
claims and ideologies This is not so that +e become EotherJ+orldlyF$ for as +e +ill see in
cha!ter 49$ our mission must also take !lace in the !ublic arena of the !lace +here God has !ut
us 0evertheless$ there is a form of leaving and going that is s!iritual$ mental and attitudinal A
even +hen it is not !hysical For it involves the abandonment of the +orldvie+ through +hich
the +orld tells its o+n usur!ed story$ and ado!ting$ in faith and ho!e$ the +orldvie+ of the story
+e are in A the biblical story of God=s mission That brings us to our neGt !oint
Belie;ing and *beying
'e began this cha!ter +ith "aul=s ambition to bring about Ethe obedience of faithM
among all the nationsF$ and that indeed is +hat the ;ible em!hasizes most of all about Abraham$
in both the 1ld and 0e+ Testaments A his EfaithJobedienceF
There is an old dis!ute among biblical theologians as to +hether the covenant +ith
Abraham +as unconditional or conditional ;ut really$ that is far too sim!listic because$ in
different res!ects$ it +as both 1n the one hand$ it +as unconditional$ in the sense that it did not
de!end u!on any prior condition that Abraham had fulfilled God sim!ly announces his choice
of Abraham and his amazing intention to bless the nations through him Abraham had done
nothing to deserve or trigger that action on God=s !art
8et on the other hand$ God=s first +ords im!ly a condition Everything hinges on the
o!ening command (lit)$ EGet yourself u! and go from here to the land # +ill sho+ youF All that
God goes on to !romise de!ends on that 0o leaving$ no blessing ;luntly !ut$ if Abraham had
not got u! and left for &anaan$ if he had not trusted God enough to obey him$ the story +ould
have ended right there The ;ible +ould be a thin book indeed
#t is not that the divine !romise has become contingent u!on Abraham=s obedience$ but
that Abraham=s obedience has been incor!orated into the divine !romise 3enceforth #srael o+es
its eGistence not *ust to 83'3 but also to Abraham Theologically this constitutes a !rofound
understanding of the value of human obedience A it can be taken u! by God and become a
motivating factor in his !ur!oses to+ards humanity
(alter Mo!erl-
?
;ut Abraham=s faith and obedience +ere re!eatedly tested in the cha!ters that follo+ The
severest test came in Genesis 66$ +hich is really the climaG of the +hole story of Abraham God
commanded Abraham to take his son #saac and sacrifice him Abraham=s +illingness to obey
even u! to that !oint and to trust God for the aftermath$ +as then built into God=s most solemn
confirmation of his !romise$ reinforced by an oath on his o+n eGistence
;y myself # have s+orn$ oracle of 83'3$
it is !ecause of the fact that -ou ha$e done this thing
and have not ke!t back your son$ your only one$
that # +ill most surely bless you$
and # +ill most surely multi!ly your offs!ring HseedI$
like the stars in the heavens and like the sand on the seashore$
and your offs!ring +ill !ossess the gate of your enemies
And in your offs!ring all the nations of the +orld +ill find blessing$
on account of the fact that you obeyed me
(Gen 66.4> A 4@K my translation and italics)
This remarkable teGt eG!licitly binds together God=s !romised intentions for the nations$
on the one hand$ and Abraham=s faith and obedience on the other The t+o are integrally bound
together God=s s!eech em!hatically begins and ends by making Abraham=s obedience the reason
+hy God no+ binds himself irrevocably on oath to kee! his !romise to bless the nations
0o+ of course this does not in any +ay mean that Abraham has .erited God=s covenant
!romises 'e are not sli!!ing into E+orks righteousnessF here As +e *ust said$ Abraham had
done nothing to deser$e God=s !romise$ +hich came Eout of the blueF$ as it +ere ;ut Abraham=s
sustained res!onse of faith and obedience not only moves God to count him as righteous (Gen
4<.>)$ but also enables God=s !romise to move for+ard to+ards its universal horizon
'hen +e come to the 0e+ Testament$ +e find that "aul$ %ames and the +riter to the
3ebre+s bet+een them ca!ture both !oles of Abraham=s res!onse to God
"aul focuses on the faith that led Abraham to !elie$e in the pro.ises of God$ ho+ever
im!ossible they seemed$ and that +as thereby counted as righteousness (/om :K Gal 9.> A 6B)
%ames focuses on the faith that led Abraham to o!e- the co..and of God$ thus
demonstrating in !ractice the genuineness of his faith (%ames 6.6C A 6:)
3ebre+s actually ca!tures !oth dimensions (as$ of course$ "aul and %ames +ould have
both agreed)$ by re!eatedly em!hasizing Abraham=s faith +hile going on to sho+ that he !roved
his faith through his obedience$ from his initial de!arture from his homeland to the classic
account of his obedience in Genesis 66 (3eb 44.@ A 4B)
For ourselves$ +ith our concern for a missiological reading of these teGts$ the im!ortant
!oint to notice is the +ay God=s intention to bless the nations is combined +ith human
commitment to obedience$ +hich enables us to be the agent of that blessing
The glorious gospel of the Abrahamic covenant is that God=s mission is ultimately to
bless all the nations The enduring challenge of the Abrahamic covenant is that God !lanned to
do that Ethrough you and your descendantsF The faith and obedience of Abraham$ therefore$ are
not merely models for personal !iety and ethics They are also the essential credentials for
effective !artici!ation in all that is meant by the command$ E;e a blessingF
There is no blessing$ for ourselves or for others$ +ithout faith and obedience Those
+hom God calls to !artici!ate in his redem!tive mission for the nations are those +ho eGercise
saving faith like Abraham and demonstrate costly obedience like Abraham
So then$ /hat God pro.ised 2!raha. becomes the ultimate agenda for God=s o+n
mission (blessing the nations)$ and /hat 2!raha. did in response to God"s pro.ise becomes the
historical model for our mission (faith and obedience)
$,MMA&1
#n E2ueuing the 2uestionsF (the title to !art 4 of this book)$ +e asked the fundamental
Duestion about the church. E'ho are +e and +hat are +e here for5F Getting a correct ans+er to
that Duestion is essential if +e are to build a sound biblical theology of the church=s mission
/ather than begin +ith the book of Acts$ +e have gone back to Abraham$ because that is +here
+e find God launching his great redem!tive$ restorative !ro*ect A God=s ans+er to the bleak
situation !resented in Genesis 9 A 44
#n a +orld +here God=s curse is o!erating in res!onse to human sin and rebellion$ God
launches a !rogram to bring blessing$ and +e have eG!lored +hat a rich and com!rehensive
content there is in the biblical +ord EblessingF ;ut God=s blessing +as not for Abraham and his
family only 3e +ould be the father of a !articular nation through +hom blessing +ould come
universally to all nations E'eF$ then$ if +e are in &hrist$ are !art of that family of Abraham$ no
matter +hat nation +e come from
;ut if$ in &hrist$ +e inherit Abraham=s blessing$ +e also inherit Abraham=s mission A that
is$ to go and be a blessing$ to be the means by +hich God=s blessing comes to others At a
fundamental level$ starting right here in Genesis$ that is E+ho +e areF A the children of AbrahamK
and that is E+hat +e are here forF A to !artici!ate in God=s !romised mission of bringing !eo!le
from all nations on earth into the s!here of God=s redem!tive blessing through &hrist
3o+ever$ in E2ueuing the 2uestionsF +e also asked$ E'hat kind of !eo!le are +e to
be5F Abraham +as called not only to trust God but also to obey him There is an ethical
dimension to being a !eo!le of blessing that also derives from the great Abrahamic tradition
That is a dimension of the mission of God=s !eo!le that +e must eG!lore further in the coming
cha!ters #n the neGt cha!ter +e +ill see that it +as in God=s mind even +hen he chose and called
Abraham
&%L%2A)T -,%$T'*)$
4 'hat does the +ord EblessingF usually bring to mind for you5 #n +hat +ays has your
conce!t changed in the light of this cha!ter5
6 E;eing a blessingF might not seem an adeDuate descri!tion of Ethe mission of God=s
!eo!leF (and indeed$ by itself it isn=tN)$ but +hat as!ects of our mission +ould be challenged or
im!roved by thinking in such Abrahamic terms5
9 Abraham +as called to Eleave and goF 'hether or not you are called to !hysically
leave your country and go overseas as a missionary$ +hat elements of your !resent cultural and
social conteGt do you need to EleaveF if you are to follo+ Abraham in EfaithJobedienceF5
: (oes the notion of the demand of obedience to the mission of the church sound like
legalism to you5 3o+ might this unbiblical notion be biblically rebutted5

CHAPT%& <
P%*PL% H* AL0 ') G*+$ A1
G*+$ $%L(B&%M')+%&
For # have kno+n HchosenI him HAbrahamI for the !ur!ose that he should instruct his
children and his household after him that they should kee! the +ay of the L1/($ by doing
righteousness and *ustice$ for the !ur!ose that the L1/( may bring about for Abraham +hat he
has s!oken H!romisedI to him
Gen 4@.4B (my translation)
EAll !eo!les HnationsI on earth +ill be blessed Hor +ill bless themselvesI through youF
(Gen 46.9) This is the grand$ s+ee!ing sco!e of God=s !romise to Abraham As +e eG!lored in
cha!ter :$ if +e ask +hat is the mission of God=s !eo!le$ the first thing the ;ible tells us$ +hen
God=s !eo!le had not yet even been conceived in the +omb of Sarah$ is that they +ill be a !eo!le
of blessing for the nations #ndeed$ says "aul$ that is the good ne+s$ the gos!el (Gal 9.@)
;lessing the nations is the declared mission of God$ and that is the reason +hy he calls this
!eo!le into his eGistence A to be the vehicle of that mission of God in the historical +orld of
nations
The history of God=s saving +ork began +ith the call of Abraham and the !romise that
through his descendants$ !lessing /ould co.e to all nations on earth
;ut ho+5
That$ of course$ is the Duestion that +e +ill be ans+ering in different +ays as +e eG!lore
the many dimensions of the task God lays on his !eo!le in the ;ible ;ut here in this single
verse$ in delightfully human language$ God reminds himself of +hat he had in mind +hen he
chose Abraham in the first !lace
Genesis 4@.4B is a remarkable teGt$ for it !uts together in a single sentence God=s choice
of Abraham$ God=s .oral de.and on Abraham=s community$ and God=s pro.ise to Abraham
(+hich the immediately !receding verse 4@ has s!elled out yet again$ that Eall nations on earth
+ill be blessed through himF) Election$ ethics and .ission all in one verse A that=s biblical
theology for lifeN #n this cha!ter +e +ill be looking at ho+ these three great biblical themes are
inse!arable A integrally intert+ined +ith each other
3o+ +as Abraham going to be a blessing to the nations5 First of all$ as +e sa+ in the
closing section of cha!ter :$ only by trusting and obeying God himself So the first thing +e have
to say$ if +e hold u! Abraham as the father of God=s !eo!le and the embodiment of the mission
of God=s !eo!le$ is that he reminds us that our mission has to start +ith *ustifying faith in God
and !ractical obedience to God That=s an im!ortant lesson$ but it=s only the starting !oint of the
missional significance of Abraham
The sco!e of God=s !ur!ose Hin telling Abraham his !lansI must be carefully noted 3is
+ill$ as made kno+n to Abraham$ bound all Abraham=s descendants &ertainly God does not
make his +ill kno+n to us so that kno+ledge of him should die +ith us 3e reDuires us to be his
+itnesses to the neGt generation$ so that they may in turn hand on +hat they have received from
us to their descendantsM#n this +ay +e must !ro!agate God=s truth #t +as not given for our
!rivate en*oymentK +e must mutually strengthen one another according to our calling and our
faith
John %al$in
4
After all$ Abraham had only the one lifetime$ so ho+ could his faith and obedience
constitute a means of !lessing to the nations (ie$ have a missional im!act)$ other than by the
story of his eGam!le5 Genesis 4@.4B gives us the ans+er The !o+er of Abraham=s !ersonal
eGam!le +as to be reinforced and multi!lied by direct instruction and moral formation
Abraham=s family$ and then his +hole household after him A that is$ the +hole community of
Abraham=s descendants +ho +ould be the !eo!le of God A +ere to be taught to +alk in the +ay
of the Lord$ by doing righteousness and *ustice
0o+ in terms of biblical theology$ +e have already !ointed out that Ethe community of
AbrahamF includes 1ld Testament #srael along +ith all those +ho are in &hrist A %e+ and
Gentile believers (/om :K Gal 9) So the ethical stretch of Genesis 4@.4B is long indeed and
eGtends right to +here you and # sit right no+ For if +e are in &hrist$ +e are in Abraham$ heirs
of the !romise God made to him and the res!onsibility God laid on him And if +e inherit
Abraham=s blessing$ +e inherit his mission also
'hat then is the mission of God=s !eo!le5 According to this teGt$ it is to be the
community +ho live by the ethical standards of the +ays of God$ so that God can fulfill his
!romise to Abraham and bring about the blessing of the nations 1ur ethics and God=s mission
are integrally bound together That is +hy God chose us in the first !lace
3o+ever$ before +e look more carefully at +hat that means in !ractice$ +e need to !ay
attention to the conteGt of our teGt God=s conversation +ith himself here comes in the middle of
the story of God=s *udgment on Sodom and Gomorrah$ a story that com!rises Genesis 4@ and 4B
So God=s universal !romise of !lessing here is actually nested +ithin the story of one
!articularly notorious instance of God=s historical Audg.ent That=s an im!ortant conteGt #t
reminds us that the mission of God o!erates +ithin this fallen +orld$ that the most glorious
!romise of blessing stands alongside the most terrible +ords and actions of *udgment$ and that
the !eo!le of God are called to live like Abraham in a +orld like Sodom
6
$*+*M7 A M*+%L *( *,& *&L+
+isobedience of the )ations
Sodom re!resents the +ay of the fallen +orld #t stands in Scri!ture as a !roverbial
!rototy!e of human +ickedness and of the *udgment of God that ultimately falls on evildoers
'ith Sodom$ +e seem to come again to a story like the To+er of ;abel A stories that illustrate
the horrendous ca!acity of human societies for evil$ in the +ake of Genesis 9 #t is the
disobedience of Adam$ Eve$ &ain and their descendants multi!lied to a national level
#n order to make this clear$ let=s do a condensed Ebiblical theology of SodomF and trace
the theme through several teGts
Starting in Genesis ;E:*+$ +e hear the EoutcryF (ze 5ah ) that comes u! to God from
Sodom A a +ord that immediately tells us there +as cruelty and o!!ression going on there
Then the L1/( said$ EThe outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is so great and their sin
is so grievous that # +ill go do+n and see if +hat they have done is as bad as the outcry that has
reached meF (Gen 4@.6C A 64)
The term ze 5ah$ or sF 5ah$ is a technical +ord for the cry of !ain$ or the cry for hel!$
from those +ho are being o!!ressed or violated
9
#t is the +ord used for #sraelites crying out
under their slavery in Egy!t (EG 6.69) "salmists use it +hen a!!ealing to God to hear their cry
against un*ust treatment (eg$ "s 9:.4?) )ost gra!hically of all$ it is the scream for hel! by a
+oman being ra!ed ((eut 66.6:$ 6?) As early as Genesis 49.49 +e +ere told that Ethe men of
Sodom +ere +icked and +ere sinning greatly against the L1/(F 3ere that sin is identified as
o!!ression$ for that is +hat the +ord EoutcryF immediately indicates Some !eo!le in or near
Sodom +ere suffering to such an eGtent that they +ere crying out against its o!!ression and
cruelty
#n Genesis ;, +e read further of the hostile$ !erverted and violent seGual immorality that
characterized Eall the men from every !art of the city of Sodom A both young and oldF (4B.:)
#n >euterono.- *,:*G the future fate of #srael under God=s anger and *udgment for their
idolatry is com!ared to that of Sodom and Gomorrah$ +hich suggests that !art of the sin of the
t+in cities +as unbridled idolatry$ along +ith their social evils (cf Lam :.>)
9saiah !ortrays the %erusalem of his o+n day in the colours of Sodom and Gomorrah
+hen condemning it for its bloodshed$ corru!tion and in*ustice (#sa 4.B A 69) 3e further
!ortrays the future *udgment of God against ;abylon (another !rototy!ical city) for its !ride as a
re!lay of God=s destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah (#sa 49.4B A 6C)
Ezekiel even more caustically com!ares %udah unfavourably +ith Sodom$ describing
Sodom=s sin as arrogance$ affluence$ and callousness to the needy They +ere over!roud$
overfed$ and underconcerned A a very modern sounding list of accusations (Ezek 4>.:@)
So$ from this +ider 1ld Testament +itness$ it is clear that Sodom +as used as a !aradigm
A a model of human society at its +orst At the same time$ the name Sodom s!oke of the
inevitable and com!rehensive *udgment of God u!on such +ickedness Sodom +as a !lace filled
+ith o!!ression$ cruelty$ violence$ !erverted seGuality$ idolatry$ !ride and greedy consum!tion$
and it +as a !lace em!ty of com!assion or care for the needy A model$ indeed$ of the fallen
+orld in +hich +e still live
'hen +e dra+ the theme through into the 0e+ Testament$ +e find a similar ESodomic
catalogueF in "aul=s !ortrayal of human +ickedness in /omans 4.4@ A 96 Though "aul does not
name Sodom$ his devastating list of human sin reflects all of the above items in the sin of
Sodom$ and that is !robably +hat is in the back of his mind from his o+n %e+ish traditions
:

Significantly$ "aul begins his list +ith the statement$ Ethe +rath of God is being revealed from
heaven againstF all such behaviour$ and he ends it +ith the statement that Ethose +ho do such
things deserve deathF #t +as indeed from heaven that fire and brimstone rained death u!on
Sodom and Gomorrah (Gen 4B.6:)
0o+$ if that +as the +orld as "aul sa+ it in his day A a +orld of nations ty!ified by
Sodom A that +as also the +orld into +hich "aul +as called to engage in mission 'hat a +orld
of evilN 3o+$ then$ did "aul see his mission in such a +orld5 3e tells us t+ice$ at the beginning
and end of /omans "aul=s mission +as nothing less than to bring about Ethe obedience of
faithMamong all the nationsF (/om 4.<K 4>.6> ES-)
*bedience a"ong the )ations
3aven=t +e heard that language already5 As +e em!hasized in cha!ter :$ "aul sa+ his
mission in Abrahamic terms 3is mission +as to carry on +hat God commanded Abraham in our
teGt A to create communities of faith and obedience$ communities committed to +alking in the
+ays of the Lord in a +orld of nations that +ere +alking in the +ays of Sodom A transformed
communities that +ould !resent a stark contrast to the Sodom all around them
"aul=s mission$ therefore$ had a strongly ethical content There +as mission beyond
evangelism #t +as the mission of teaching the ne+ communities$ of moral transformation into
the +ays of God This +as fundamentally Abrahamic$ and in line +ith our teGt in this cha!ter
1ur mission$ in line +ith "aul=s and Abraham=s$ is the same And it reDuires no less of the
miraculous transforming grace of God in the gos!el to even contem!late +hat it means
The +orld has not changed much from the +orld of Sodom The mission of God=s !eo!le
has therefore not changed either 'e are still called to be those +ho are taught by Abraham=s
eGam!le and +ho are committed to E+alking in the +ay of the L1/(F by Edoing righteousness
and *usticeF 'hat those !hrases mean$ +e +ill come to in a moment ;ut for no+$ it is
unavoidably clear from this teGt that the ethical distinctiveness of God=s !eo!le is an integral !art
of the role they are called to !lay in God=s mission of bringing blessing to a +orld that other+ise
stands under his *udgment$ like Sodom #ndeed$ according to Genesis 4@.4B$ that ethical Duality
of life is !art of the very !ur!ose of our election in Abraham
#f the nations are to be blessed$ God=s !eo!le must +alk in God=s +ays
AB&AHAM7 A M*+%L *( G*+$ M'$$'*)
God=s conversations +ith himself and +ith Abraham in Genesis 4@$ then$ are set +ithin
the conteGt of the +ickedness of Sodom #t +as that +ickedness that had led to the investigation
being conducted by God +ith his t+o angels$ an investigation that seemed certain to end in
*udgment God=s conversation +ith hi.self begins in Genesis 4@.4@ +ith a reca!itulation of the
original covenant !romise. EAbraham +ill surely become a great and !o+erful nation$ and all
nations on earth +ill be blessed through himF
'""ediate Judg"ent7 ,lti"ate Blessing
;y re!eating this overarching missional goal for the +orld$ God eG!lains +hy he had *ust
rene+ed his !romise to Abraham and Sarah that they +ould have a son (+hich he had done a
little earlier in the story$ over dinnerK Gen 4@.4C$ 4:) 'hatever God is about to do A *udgment
for Sodom and Gomorrah$ or a son for Abraham and Sarah A must be seen in the light of this
!ur!ose God$ +hile he is on his +ay to act in immediate *udgment on a particular evil society$
sto!s to remind himself of his ultimate !ur!ose of uni$ersal blessing to all nations #t is almost as
if God cannot do the one (*udgment) +ithout setting it in the conteGt of the other (redem!tion)
The immediate !articular necessity +as *udgment The ultimate universal goal is (as it
al+ays +as) blessing This is an im!ortant !art of our biblical theology of mission 0ever forget
"aul=s definition of the gos!el in Galatians 9.@ A God=s +ill that the nations of the earth should
be blessed That=s the good ne+s to bear in mind even in the conteGts of a+esome *udgment such
as this one
A Pro"ise for the orld
So then$ God sto!s for a meal +ith Abraham and Sarah God need not have done so$ of
course$ any more than he needed to Ego do+nF to discover +hat +as going on in Sodom The
reason that God and his t+o angels choose to sto! off and have a meal +ith Abraham *ust as if
they +ere three travelers (as Abraham at first thought they +ere$ 4@.6) is not because they kno+
Sarah is a good cook #t is because God sa+ in this elderly and still childless cou!le$ cam!ed
there on the hills above the cities of the !lain$ the key to his +hole missional !ur!ose for history
and humanity
The story reminds the reader (*ust as God reminds himself in vv 4? A 4B) of the centrality
of Abraham in the biblical theology of the mission of God Abraham and Sarah +ill have a son$
!romises God 'hy5 0ot *ust as a s!ecial treat +hen they both thought it +as too late for all that
kind of thing (Gen 4@.4C A 49 seem deliberately humorous) 0o They must and they +ill have a
son because God=s +hole !lan for the evangelization of the +orld to bring blessing to all nations
de!ends on it After all$ the +hole idea that God=s !eo!le should have the mission of being a
blessing to the nations does rather de!end on such a !eo!le of God actually eGisting And that
can=t even begin until Abraham and Sarah are blessed +ith the !romised son
So +e need to give full attention to the global sco!e of verses 4? A 4B God=s !romise to
Abraham is the foundation stone$ or mains!ring$ of all the mission of God=s !eo!le throughout
history
'hen individuals came to saving faith in the God of #srael +ithin the 1ld Testament
itself (such as /uth$ 0aaman$ the +ido+ of Lare!hath)$ God +as kee!ing his !romise to
Abraham
'hen Solomon !rayed that !eo!le from the ends of the earth could come and have their
!rayers ans+ered by God in the tem!le$ he +as !raying for God to kee! his !romise to Abraham
'hen !salmists$ !ro!hets$ a!ostles and gos!el +riters all sa+ the eGtension of the good
ne+s of God=s saving love to the Gentiles$ they kne+ that God +as kee!ing his !romise to
Abraham
'hen the gos!el moved north to Asia )inor$ +est to Euro!e$ south into Africa$ and East
to Arabia (+ithin the 0e+ Testament era itself)$ God +as kee!ing his !romise to Abraham
'hen the gos!el stretched further over all the centuries$ reaching the very ends of the
earth (like my home country$ #reland$ from #srael=s !ers!ective)$ God +as kee!ing his !romise to
Abraham
And +hen the gos!el reaches you and me and embraces us +ithin this great multinational
community of Abraham=s faith and obedience$ God is still kee!ing his !romise
That is +hat constitutes the mission of God=s !eo!le A to be those +ho$ having received
the blessing of Abraham$ continue the task of reaching those +ho have not yet been touched by
it
Abraham and Sarah may have not seen much beyond their tent door and their longing for
a son$ but God had a longJterm vision in mind that lunchtime
CTH% A1 *( TH% L*&+D7 A M*+%L (*& G*+$ P%*PL%
/eturning to the key central verse (Gen 4@.4B)$ +e find ethics in the middle of it$ +ith
election (God=s choice of Abraham) on one side and .ission (God=s !romise to Abraham) on the
other So +e need to eGamine +hat the key !hrases. Ethe +ay of the L1/(F and Edoing
righteousness and *usticeF actually mean Then +e +ill take note of the strong missional logic
that runs through the verse And +e +ill finish u! +ith some challenging !ractical reflections
An %thical %ducation
God says that he had chosen Abraham to be a teacher$ s!ecifically a teacher of the +ay of
the Lord$ and a teacher of righteousness and *ustice This ethical education +ill start +ith his
children and then !ass on to Ehis household after himF That means that there +ill have to be
transmission of the teaching do+n through the generations A +hich is eGactly +hat +e find in
later 1ld Testament #srael (eg$ (eut >.? A B) T+o !hrases summarize the content of the
Abrahamic family curriculum.
CThe ay of the L*&+D
The eG!ression Ekee!ing the +ay of the L1/(F or E+alking in the +ay of the L1/(F
+as a favourite meta!hor used in the 1ld Testament to describe a !articular as!ect of #srael=s
ethics& A contrast is im!lied. that is$ +alking in 7'('"s +ay$ as distinct from the +ays of other
gods$ or the +ays of other nations$ or one=s o+n +ay$ or the +ay of sinners 3ere$ the contrast is
clearly bet+een the +ay of 7'(' and the +ay of Sodo. that immediately follo+s
As a meta!hor$ E+alking in the +ay of the L1/(F seems to have t+o !ossible !ictures in
mind
1ne !icture is that of follo+ing someone else on a !ath$ +atching his footste!s and
follo+ing along carefully in the +ay he is going #n that sense$ the meta!hor suggests the
imitation of God. you observe ho+ God acts and you try to follo+ suit E1 let me see thy
footste!s and in them !lant my o+n$F as the hymn says about follo+ing %esus #t is a +ay of
talking about the imitation of God$ or better$ of reflecting his character
The other !icture is of setting off on a !ath follo+ing the instructions that someone has
given you A !erha!s a sketch ma! (if that is not too anachronistic for ancient #srael)$ or a set of
directions to make sure you stay on the right !ath and do not +ander off on +rong !aths that may
turn out to be dead ends or dangerous This use of the meta!hor is most commonly linked to
obeying God=s commands$ +hich is one dimension of reflecting God himself
The commands of God are not *ust arbitrary rulesK they are freDuently related to the
character or values or desires of God So to obey God=s commands is to reflect God=s character
in human life
1ne of the clearest eGam!les of this dynamic at +ork is (euteronomy 4C.46 A 4B #t
begins +ith a rhetorical flourish$ rather like )icah >.@$ summarizing the +hole la+ in a single
chord of five notes. fear$ +alk$ love$ serve and obey.
And no+$ 1 #srael$ +hat does the L1/( your God ask of you but to fear the L1/( your
God$ to /alk in all his /a-s$ to love him$ to serve the L1/( your God +ith all your heart and
+ith all your soul$ and to observe the L1/(=S commands and decrees that # am giving you this
day for your o+n good5 ((eut 4C.46 A 49$ italics added)
And +hat are the +ays of 83'3 in +hich #srael is to +alk5 The ans+er is given first in
broad terms 3is +as the +ay of condescending love in choosing Abraham and his descendants
(vv 4: A 4<)$ so that #srael should res!ond in re!entance and humility (v 4>)
;ut +hen the !assage goes on specificall- to define the +ays of 83'3$ it focuses on his
character and actions
H3eI sho+s no !artiality and acce!ts no bribes 3e defends the cause of the fatherless and
the +ido+$ and loves the alien$ giving him food and clothing 2nd -ou are to lo$e those /ho are
aliens, for you yourselves +ere aliens in Egy!t (vv 4? A 4B$ italics added)
To +alk in the +ay of the Lord$ then$ means doing for others +hat God +ishes to have
done for them$ or more !articularly$ doing for others +hat (in #srael=s case) God has already done
for you (deliverance from alien status in Egy!t and !rovision of food and clothing in the
+ilderness) 8ou kno+ +hat God is like because you have eG!erienced him in action on your
behalf 0o+ go and do like+iseN
The contrast +ith Sodom stands out no+ even more clearly For these things +ere eGactly
+hat the !eo!le of Sodom +ere failing to do$ in their callous o!!ression and lack of care for the
needy So Abraham is to teach his !eo!le to be fundamentally different ETo kee! the +ay of the
L1/(F +ould mean renouncing the +ay of Sodom #t still does And it is a fundamental !art of
the mission of God=s !eo!le that +e do so
The !hrase Ekee! the +ay of the L1/(F$ then$ +ould have been enough for any
eG!erienced reader of the 1ld Testament to understand the full$ rich significance of God=s !oint
here ;ut to make absolutely sure +e get the message$ our teGt eG!lains it further +ith t+o more
+ords
+oing &ighteousness and Justice
3ere is a !air of +ords that stands right at the to! of the 1ld Testament=s ethical
vocabulary Each of them individually$ in various verbal$ ad*ectival and noun forms$ occurs
hundreds of times$ and they are often found together as here Let=s look at the t+o root +ords
<
(4) The first is the root sd H 5, +hich is found in t+o common noun forms$ sFde5 and
sFda5ah& These +ords are usually translated ErighteousnessF in English ;ibles$ but that +ord$
+ith its some+hat religious flavour$ does not convey the full range of meaning that the +ords
had in 3ebre+ The root meaning is !robably EstraightF. something that is fiGed and fully +hat it
should be So it can mean a norm or standard A something by +hich other things are measured
#t is used literally of actual ob*ects +hen they are$ or do$ +hat they are su!!osed to. for
eGam!le$ accurate +eights and measures are Emeasures of sFde56 (Lev 4B.9>K (eut 6<.4<)
Safe !aths for shee! are E!aths of sFde56 ("s 69.9) So it comes to mean rightness$ that +hich is
as it ought to be$ that +hich matches u! to the standard
'hen a!!lied to human actions and relationshi!s$ it s!eaks of conformity to +hat is right
or eG!ected ;ut this is not in some abstract or absolute +ay$ but rather according to the demands
of the !articular relationshi! or situation one is in #t means doing +hat is right in this
relationshi!$ or according to the !riorities and eG!ectations of this situation #t is not an abstract
norm$ but a !articular sense of +hat it means to do the right thing$ as a !arent$ as a child$ as a
*udge$ as a king$ as a brother$ as a farmer$ as a s!ouse$ as a friend$ as a +orshi!er$ and so on
/ighteousness is doing all that one ought to do in the given circumstances and relationshi!s
(6) The second is the root ?pt$ +hich has to do +ith *udicial activity at every level A
common verb and noun are derived from it The verb ?apat& refers to legal action over a +ide
range #t can mean. to act as a la+giverK to act as a *udge by arbitrating bet+een !arties in a
dis!uteK to !ronounce *udgment by declaring +ho is guilty and +ho is innocent res!ectivelyK and
to eGecute *udgment in carrying out the legal conseDuences of such a verdict #n the +idest sense$
it means Eto !ut things rightF$ to intervene in a situation that is +rong$ o!!ressive$ or out of
control$ and to fiG it So +hen the !salmists looked for+ard to God=s coming Eto *udge the
earthF$ they +ere not thinking *ust of his condemning the +icked$ but of God=s !utting all things
right that have gone so badly +rong in society and creation
The derived noun .i?pat can describe the +hole !rocess of litigation (a case)$ or its end
result (the verdict and its eGecution) #t can mean a legal ordinance$ usually a case la+ based on
!ast !recedents EGodus 64 A 69$ kno+n as the &ovenant &ode$ or ;ook of the &ovenant$ is
called in 3ebre+$ sim!ly$ the .i?pat&i.
;ut .i?pat can also be used in a more !ersonal sense as one=s legal right$ the cause or
case one is bringing as a !laintiff before the elders The freDuent eG!ression$ Ethe .i?pat of the
or!han and +ido+F$ means their rightful case against those +ho +ould eG!loit them$ their *ust
cause in an unfair +orld #t is from this last sense in !articular that .i?pat& comes to have the
+ider sense of E*usticeF in a more active sense$ +hereas sFde5IsFda5ah has a slightly more static
flavour
There is a great deal of overla! and interchangeability bet+een the t+o +ords$ but if there
is any distinction$ one might !ut it like this. .i?pat& is +hat needs to be done in a given situation
if !eo!le and circumstances are to be restored to conformity +ith sFde5IsFda5ah& Mi?pat& is a set
of actions 8 something you do SFde5IsFda5ah is a state of affairs 8 something you aim to
achieve ;ut actually both +ords can be used for !ractical actions
3ere in Genesis 4@.4B the t+o +ords are !aired$ as they freDuently are$ to form a
com!rehensive !hrase This !airing is +hat is technically called a hendiad-s A that is$ a single
com!leG idea eG!ressed through the use of t+o +ords !aired together (like Ela+ and orderF)
"ossibly the nearest English eG!ression to the 3ebre+ double +ord !hrase +ould be Esocial
*usticeF Even that !hrase$ ho+ever$ is some+hat too abstract for the dynamic nature of this !air
of 3ebre+ +ords For sFda5ah and .i?pat& are concrete nouns$ unlike the English abstract nouns
used to translate them That is$ in 1ld Testament thinking$ righteousness and *ustice are actual
actions that you do$ not conce!ts you reflect on or an ideal you dream about
Abraham$ then$ +as to teach his household the +ay of the Lord and about doing
righteousness and *ustice And this ethical education +as to !ass do+n through the generations
That$ says God$ is +hat # chose him for
;ut ho+ +ould Abraham himself come to learn +hat he +as su!!osed to teach5 3e gets
his first lesson from God in Genesis 4@ 'ho better than God himself to teach the +ay of the
Lord and +hat it means5
The first !oint that 83'3 dra+s to Abraham=s attention is God=s o+n concern about the
suffering of the o!!ressed in the region at the hands of Sodom and Gomorrah #n the careful
account of the conversation$ Genesis 4@.4? A 4B are soliloDuy A that is$ God s!eaking to hi.self
;ut at verse 6C God s!eaks again to 2!raha.$ and the very first +ord that God s!eaks in that
sentence is. ze@5ah (Ecry for hel!F) The trigger for God=s investigation and action is not only
the a!!alling sin of Sodom$ but es!ecially the !rotests and cries of its victims
0o+ this is an eGact antici!ation of +hat motivated God in the early cha!ters of EGodus
(see EG 6.69 A 6<K 9.?) God hears the cry for hel! from the #sraelites under slavery #n fact this
incident in Genesis is highly !rogrammatic in the +ay it defines God=s character$ actions and
reDuirements 'hen God acts in the story of the eGodus$ it +ill be in the same +ay as God tells
Abraham he is about to act on Sodom and Gomorrah$ and for the same reasons A his com!assion
for the suffering and his anger at in*ustice
So the +ay of the Lord$ +hich Abraham is about to +itness and then to teach$ is to do
righteousness and *ustice for the o!!ressed and against the o!!ressor The !salmist says that God
taught this to )oses 3e could easily have added$ Eand to AbrahamF
The L1/( +orks righteousness
and Austice for all the o!!ressed
3e made kno+n his /a-s to )oses$
his deeds to the !eo!le of #srael ("s 4C9.> A ?$ italics added)
The Missional Logic
/eturning again to our key teGt$ +e must also give attention to its grammatical structure
and logic Genesis 4@.4B is a com!act statement$ and the order of clauses and the connections
bet+een them are im!ortant Let=s +ork through it in order.
Gen 4@.4B falls into three clauses$ *oined by t+o eG!ressions of !ur!ose A Eso thatMF
49 ha$e kno/n hi.6 A +hich is freDuently used for God=s choosing to bring a !erson or
!eo!le into intimate relationshi! +ith himself (eg$ also Am 9.6) That is +hy it is usually
translated$ E# have chosen himF
God then states the !ur!ose of his choice of Abraham. 4for the purpose that
>
he /ill
co..andIteach his children and household after hi. to keep the /a- of 7'(' !- doing
righteousness and Austice&6 This is +hat +e have been eG!loring in the last section
This in turn is then follo+ed by another !ur!ose clause$ 4for the purpose that 7'('
.a- !ring a!out for 2!raha. /hat he has spokenIpro.ised to hi.&6 This is the final clause$
eG!ressing the longJterm goal of both the !revious clauses God intends to kee! his !romise of
blessing the nations through #srael=s descendants (*ust referred to in v 4@) That=s +hy he chose
Abraham$ and that=s +hy Abraham must teach his descendants to live in the +ay of the Lord
#n terms of our biblical theology$ as +e said above$ this one verse thus binds together
election$ ethics and .ission into a single seDuence located in the +ill$ action and desire of God #t
is fundamentally a .issional declaration$ +hich explains the reason for election and explains the
purpose of ethical li$ing& #t is enormously rich and significant
'e should !articularly notice the +ay ethics stands as the .id3ter. !et/een election and
.ission& Ethics is the !ur!ose of election and the basis of mission That is to say$ God=s election
of Abraham (line 4) is intended to !roduce a community +ho are taught and committed to ethical
reflection of God=s character (line 6) And the result of such a community actually eGisting +ill
be the fulfillment of God=s mission of blessing the nations (line 9)
This builds on the link that +e sa+ in cha!ter : bet+een Abraham=s election for the
blessing of others and Abraham=s o+n personal obedience to God ;oth Genesis 66.4@ and 6>.:
A < make that link$ connecting God=s intention to bless the nations +ith Abraham=s tested
obedience The !ersonal obedience of Abraham +as to be the model for his descendants$ as
God=s !romise goes on being fulfilled ;ut here in this teGt$ that !ersonal obedience of Abraham
is to be !assed on by teaching to his +hole community They +ill become a model community$
taught by the model of Abraham himself
Another +ay to make this clear is to a!!roach the missional logic of Genesis 4@.4B from
either end of the verse Either +ay you read the verse$ ethics stands in the middle
/eading from the end.
(hat is God"s ulti.ate .ission0 To bring about the blessing of the nations$ as he
!romised Abraham ("issionE
'o/ /ill that !e achie$ed0 ;y the eGistence in the +orld of a community that +ill be
taught to live according to the +ay of the Lord in righteousness and *ustice (ethicsE
ut ho/ /ill such a co..unit- co.e into existence0 ;ecause God chose Abraham to be
its founding father (electionE
1r reading from the beginning.
(ho is 2!raha.0 The one +hom God has chosen and come to kno+ in !ersonal
friendshi! (electionE
(h- did God choose 2!raha.0 To initiate a !eo!le +ho +ould be committed to the +ay
of the Lord and his righteousness and *ustice$ in a +orld going the +ay of Sodom (ethicsE
Jor /hat purpose should the people of 2!raha. li$e according to that high ethical
standard0= So that God can fulfill his mission of bringing blessing to the nations ("issionE
3ere$ then$ is another !assage that sho+s us the im!ortant link$ in our biblical theology$
bet+een our ecclesiology and our missiology 'e have already !ointed out ho+ im!ortant it is to
see the missional reason for the very eGistence of the church as the !eo!le of God #n this age$
the church is missional or it is not church
;ut no+ +e see more clearly that this link bet+een church and mission is also ethical&
The community God seeks for the sake of his mission is to be a community sha!ed by his o+n
ethical character$ +ith s!ecific attention to righteousness and *ustice in a +orld filled +ith
o!!ression and in*ustice 1nly such a community can be a blessing to the nations
'ith such a strong biblical link$ it is not sur!rising that %esus s!ent so much time training
his community of disci!les in +hat it meant to follo+ him in all the demanding ethical choices of
life A turning a+ay from the +ays of their surrounding culture (re!entance)$ eGercising faith in
him and obeying his teaching Thus$ +hen he sent them out to the nations$ it +as +ith the same
em!hasis on the o!edience of disci!leshi!. Eteaching them to observe all that # have commanded
youF )ission to the nations is ethical at its core$ for it demands lives committed to obedience to
the Lord$ +hich become selfJre!licating through the +ork of evangelism (ba!tism) and
disci!ling (teaching)
The combined missional and ethical thrust of the Great &ommission is entirely consistent
+ith +hat +e have seen in this single verse in Genesis According to Genesis 4@.4B$ the ethical
5ualit- of life of the people of God is the $ital link !et/een their calling and their .ission God=s
intention to bless the nations is inse!arable from God=s ethical demand on the !eo!le he has
created to be the agent of that blessing
There is no !i!lical .ission /ithout !i!lical ethics&
$,MMA&1
There +ould be nothing ne+ in com!laining about the state of the church around the
+orld Everybody does 'e are all !ainfully a+are that &hristians every+here$ and institutional
forms of &hristianity +orld+ide$ fall far short even of our o+n ideals$ let alone the reDuirements
of God ;ut +hat the eGegesis and standards of this teGt make even more !ainfully !lain for us to
see is that it is the moral state of those +ho claim to be God=s !eo!le that is a ma*or hindrance to
the mission +e claim to have on his behalf
'hile # lived in #ndia$ # +as freDuently told by #ndian &hristians themselves that the
greatest obstacle to the evangelization of #ndia +as not the state of the nation or the resistance of
3induism$ but the state of the church itself
1ur teGt tells us that God *udged Sodom 8es$ and +e can see the marks of Sodom all
around us still ;ut God called Abraham and his !eo!le to be different$ to live by different
standards$ to reflect the God +ho is radically different from all the fla+ed gods of the nations
1ur !roblem is that so often the church is no different from the +orld$ and in some res!ects even
+orse
A divided$ s!lit and fighting church has nothing to say or to give to a divided$ broken and
violent +orld An immoral church has nothing to say to an immoral +orld A church riddled +ith
corru!tion$ caste discrimination and other forms of social$ ethnic$ or gender o!!ression has
nothing to say to the +orld +here such things are ram!ant A church +ith leaders seemingly
obsessed +ith +ealth and !o+er has nothing to say to a +orld of greedy tyrants A church that is
bad ne+s in such +ays has no good ne+s to share 1r at least$ it has$ but its +ords are dro+ned
out by its life
This is +hat makes it so im!ortant to take seriously +hat God said to Abraham in the first
Great &ommission and +hat %esus said to his disci!les in his later version God=s !eo!le must be
taught and must !ass on that teaching$ about +hat it means to +alk in God=s +ays and
demonstrate righteousness and *ustice There is an unavoidable ethical dimension to the mission
of God=s !eo!le
This is +hat is at stake in all those ethical choices +e have to make in life A +hether at an
individual level or as communities of God=s !eo!le #t is al+ays linked to the effectiveness of our
mission #t is never merely a matter of me and my conscience and God The moment +e fail to
+alk in the +ay of the Lord$ or fail to live lives of integrity$ honesty and *ustice$ +e not only
s!oil our !ersonal relationshi! +ith God$ +e are actually hindering God in kee!ing his !romise
to Abraham 'e are no longer the !eo!le of blessing to the nations
'e cannot fit into the last line of Genesis 4@.4B unless +e fit into the middle line 'e
cannot fulfill line 4 of the Great &ommission unless +e also obey line 9
This does not mean$ of course (and # am not suggesting)$ that the church has to be
morally !erfect before anybody can engage in mission #f that +ere so$ no mission +ould ever
have ha!!ened$ for even the church in the 0e+ Testament +as all too human and fla+ed The
!oint is. 'hat is our goal5 'here is our heart5 Are +e obsessed +ith making converts only$ or
are +e committed to teaching God=s !eo!le to +alk in his +ays$ so that the nations are blessed5
&%L%2A)T -,%$T'*)$
4 'hat im!act does Sodom=s !aralleling of modern society have on your sense of the
need of the +orld5
6 3o+ does the link bet+een the church=s mission and godly ethics challenge your o+n
life and the life of the church5
9 Abraham +as called to EteachF his household and community to kee! the +ay of the
Lord by doing righteousness and *ustice 3o+ much does ethical teaching in your church
connect +ith the church=s sense of mission and calling5
: #f ethics is the middle term bet+een our calling and our mission (in Gen 4@.4B)$ +hat
difference should that make as +e go about our daily lives in the +orld A in our choices$ actions$
attitudes and relationshi!s5
< 3o+ different might the history of &hristian mission have been if the church had been
as concerned about the middle section of this verse (doing righteousness and *ustice A ie$ its
o+n ethics) as it has been about the final section (fulfilling God=s !romise of blessing all the
nations A ie$ its evangelism)5

CHAPT%& 9
P%*PL% H* A&% &%+%%M%+ (*& &%+%MPT'2%
L'2')G
EAre you redeemed5F +as a Duestion that earnest E!ersonal +orkersF +ould ask com!lete
strangers on the streets of ;elfast or in buses #n the 0orthern #reland of my youth the amazing
thing is that most !eo!le +ould kno+ you +ere talking about the gos!el$ about the need for
!ersonal salvation$ about getting saved and going to heaven That +as in the days +hen
EredeemingF +as still a &hristian +ord$ and not something you do +ith re+ard !oints on your
su!ermarket loyalty card or freDuent flyer miles
;ut even if at that time +e thought of the church as God=s redeemed !eo!le$ it +as seen
largely as a collection of redeemed individuals$ not as a +hole community redeemed for a
!ur!ose$ redeemed for mission )ission meant hel!ing others to get redeemedK it +as not
intrinsically connected to the +hole !ur!ose of redem!tion in itself for the !eo!le of God
;iblically$ ho+ever$ +hen +e first encounter the language of redem!tion$
4
it is in the
mouth of God addressed as a !romise to the +hole #sraelite community in bondage in Egy!t (EG
>.>) 0eGt +e find it on the li!s of )oses celebrating God=s redem!tion of the +hole !eo!le for
himself (EG 4<.49) #t is unambiguously cor!orate A God redeemed the +hole #sraelite nation
out of Egy!t And God did so +ith clear !ur!ose A that they should be his !eo!le$ committed to
him by covenant$ kno+ing him as 83'3$ and serving him as a holy !riesthood in the midst of
the nations #srael +as redeemed to fulfill the !romise God had made to Abraham$ that all the
nations on earth should find blessing through his descendants #srael +as redeemed for a reason
They had a mission in the +orld as the !eo!le God had redeemed for himself$ for his glory and
for his mission
So in this cha!ter +e +ill think about +hat it means to be that redeemed !eo!le of God
'e +ill see that God=s idea of redem!tion is eGodusJsha!ed So +e need to ask +hat the
eG!erience of redem!tion meant for #srael$ and ho+ that great 1ld Testament story is built into
the foundations of the biblical theology of the cross$ and must therefore affect +hat it means for
us as &hristians to say that +e are redeemed
Second$ +e need to observe ho+ dee! and +ide +as the influence of the eGodus on
#srael=s life and faith /edem!tion +as not merely a !ast event$ but a reality that reDuired
!ractical res!onse in the !resent /emembering the eGodus +as not confined to the annual
"assover rituals$ but !erformed some !o+erful functions in #srael=s faith A sometimes in re!roach
but also for encouragement and ho!e
Finally$ +e must ask +hat it means$ then$ to live redem!tively in mission Jor /hat have
/e been redeemed5
%>P%&'%)C')G G*+$ &%+%MPT'*)
#f our earnest 0orthern #rish evangelist had asked an 1ld Testament #sraelite$ EAre you
redeemed5F the ans+er +ould have been an immediate$ E8esF And if our good ,lster man or
+oman had !ersisted$ E3o+ do you kno+5F the ans+er +ould !robably not have been a
personal testi.on- (though if the #sraelite ha!!ened to be +riting a !salm at the time$ it might
have been)$ but a national epic A the story of the eGodus For$ as noted above$ the first and
strongest use of the language of redem!tion in the ;ible is a!!lied to the eGodus
The meal itself HThe Last Su!!erI said t+o very s!ecific things
First$ like all %e+ish "assover meals$ the event s!oke of leaving Egy!t To a firstJcentury
%e+$ it !ointed to the return from eGile$ the ne+ eGodus$ the great covenant rene+al s!oken of by
the !ro!hetsM
Second$ ho+ever$ the meal brought %esus= o+n kingdom movement to its climaG #t
indicated that the ne+ eGodus$ and all that it meant$ +as ha!!ening in and through Jesus
hi.selfD
%esus intended this meal to symbolize the ne+ eGodus$ the arrival of the kingdom through
his o+n fate The meal$ focused on %esus= actions +ith the bread and the cu!$ told the "assover
story$ and %esus= o+n story$ and +ove these t+o into one
#& T& (right
6
#n the eGodus God acted as redeemer and the event itself is called an act of redem!tion #n
both res!ects (+hat it said about God and +hat redem!tion actually +as for #srael)$ the eGodus
!rovides one of the key +ays in +hich the 0e+ Testament inter!rets the achievement of the
cross of &hrist A most significantly through the actions of %esus himself in the final meal +ith his
disci!les before his crucifiGion$ +hich all the Gos!els connect in some +ay to the "assover A the
celebration of God=s great act of redem!tion
So the eGodus redem!tion is clearly a ma*or theme for our biblical theology for life$ and
it certainly im!acts the mission of God=s !eo!le For those +ho have been redeemed are called to
live redem!tively in res!onse This is another +ay in +hich the biblical story line that +e are
follo+ing im!acts our understanding of the mission of God=s !eo!le 'ho are +e and +hat are
+e here for5 'e are the !eo!le +hom God has redeemed$ and redeemed for a !ur!ose
The &edee"er 8 A Cha"pion ho +oes hate;er 't TaFes
'e need to ask first +hat the +ords mean #n a!!lying the +ords EredeemF to God=s
action in the eGodus$ #srael dre+ on a conce!t and !ractice that +as an integral !art of their
culture and used it as a meta!hor for +hat God had done for #srael The English +ord Eto
redeemF$ from its Latin roots$ means to Ebuy backF something or someone #n #srael the !ractice
might involve that$ but had +ider cultural meaning
The 3ebre+ verb is g@al$ and the noun for a !erson +ho !erforms that action is a goKl #n
#srael$ somebody acted as a goKl +henever they took it u!on themselves to act in defence of
another member of their o+n family +ho had been +ronged or +as facing some danger or threat
So the +ord is sometimes translated EkinsmanredeemerF or Efamily guardianF 3ere are three
eGam!les of ho+ somebody might act as a goKl in 1ld Testament #srael.
Bringing a Murderer to Justice
#f someone +as murdered$ it +as the duty of some member of the victim=s +ider family
to seek out the guilty !erson and bring him or her to *ustice before the elders This did not give
free rein to revenge and blood feudsK it +as built into a careful system of legal !rocess that took
account of accidental killing and the need for courts to decide in cases of doubt (cf 0um 9<.> A
9:$ +here the goKl is described as Ethe avenger of bloodF)
Helping a (a"ily Me"ber out of +ebt or $la;ery
#f someone +as struggling against adverse economic circumstances and had no o!tion but
to sell some land$ or even to sell de!endents into bonded labour$ in order to obtain or !ay off
debts$ it became the duty of a member of the family to buy that land in order to kee! it in the
+ider family$ or to !ay off the debt so that family members enslaved for it could be freed The
descending degrees of such im!overishment and the rules to co!e +ith it are laid out in Leviticus
6<$ +here +e find the language of redem!tion in its most literal sense #t reDuired somebody to
!ay the cost of the restoration of a brother=s land or of a family=s freedom
9
0eeping a Brothers (a"ily )a"e Ali;e
#f a man died +ithout having a son +ho +ould inherit his name and !ro!erty$ there +as a
strong moral obligation (though it does not seem to have been a legally enforced duty) on a
brother or some other male relative to take his +ido+ into his o+n family$ and to seek to have a
son by her Then that son +ould inherit the name and !ro!erty of the deceased brother
(euteronomy 6<.< A 4C refers to this !ractice (though the +ord ga@al is not used)$ and
indicates that it +as !robably an un!o!ular duty The story of /uth$ by contrast$ sho+s ;oaz
eGercising EfaithfulnessF in acting as goKl for /uth and 0aomi$ +hereas a nearer kinsman
eGercised +hat +e might call his Eright of first refusalF The other man=s action indicates that
taking on the role of goKl did indeed involve considerable !ersonal cost and risk (/uth 9.B A 49K
:.4 A @)
So then$ +hen God !romised he +ould ga@al his !eo!le (EG >.>)$ and +hen )oses
celebrates that he had done so (EG 4<.49)$ it s!eaks !o+erfully of 83'3=s ado!ting a
significant role in relation to #srael #t means God is as committed to his !eo!le as any family
member to another 3e acce!ts a kinshi! relationshi! +ith all its obligations God is !re!ared to
do +hatever it takes$ to !ay +hatever it costs$ in order to !rotect$ defend and liberate his !eo!le
Are they being murdered (as they +ere under Egy!tian genocide)5 3e +ill avenge them
and see that *ustice is done Are they languishing in economic bondage$ +ithout land or freedom5
3e +ill restore them to both Are they in danger of dying out +ithout !osterity (as the Egy!tian
killing of all male sons threatened)5 3e +ill take them to himself in a covenant bond that +ill
ensure that all future generations of firstborn sons belong to him by right of redem!tion (EG 49.4
A 4>)
Those are the rich dimensions of meaning that filled #srael=s minds +hen they s!oke of
83'3 as EredeemerF God +as their cham!ion$ !rotector$ liberator$ avenger and defender #t
+as the foundation for !rayer and !raise in the "salms (eg$ "ss 4B.4:K >B.4@K ?6.4:K ?:.6K
??.4<K ?@.9<K 4C9.:K 4C>.4CK 4C?.6K 44B.4<:) And it reaches its crescendo in the !oetry of #saiah
(eg$ #sa :4.4:K :9.4$ 4:K ::.>$ 66 A 6:K :@.6CK <6.BK >6.46K >9.B)
;ut +hat eGactly did this God do +hen he chose to act as redeemer5 3e did the eGodus
So +e need to look carefully at that event to see the scale and sco!e of God=s idea of
redem!tion in action /emember$ the reason +e need to do this is that if our mission is connected
to God=s redem!tion$ +e need to understand the ;ible=s teaching on +hat redem!tion actually
means That +ill affect ho+ +e understand +hat it means to live redem!tively in res!onse to
God=s redem!tion
The %Godus 8 +eli;erance fro" hate;er %nsla;es
#t is hard to imagine a seDuence of events more com!rehensive in effect than the story of
the eGodus !resented to us in the book of that name The teGts !ortray at least four dimensions of
the bondage that #srael suffered in Egy!t A !olitical$ economic$ social and s!iritual A and goes on
to sho+ ho+ God redeemed them in every one of these dimensions
Political
The #sraelites +ere an immigrant$ ethnic minority in a large im!erial state They had
come originally as famine refugees and found a +elcome (as they rememberedK (eut 69.? A @)
;ut government !olicy did a ,Jturn in a later generation$ and economic asylum turned into a
!rison house of !olitical hatred$ unfounded fears$ eG!loitation and discrimination EGodus 4
echoes through the stories of many such ethnic minorities in the modern era$ suffering the
sus!icion and systematic o!!ression of host states
God=s redeeming +ork included bringing this !olitical enslavement to an end$ enabling
#srael eventually to become established as a free !eo!le "rovisional asylum for tem!orary
survival had ke!t the !romise of Abraham going ;ut !ermanent slavery under !olitical
o!!ression +as intolerable since it !revented the !romise to Abraham going any further So to
liberate them$ God confronted the state !o+er of an em!ire
/edem!tion o!erated on the !olitical stage
%cono"ic
The shar!est !ain of the o!!ression +as economic #sraelites +ere being eG!loited as
slaveJlabour$ on land not their o+n$ for the economic benefit of the host nation$ in its agricultural
and construction !ro*ects (EG 4.44 A 4:) #t +as their outcry (sF@5ah= against this that
!reci!itated the com!assionate intervention of God as their goKl
;ut it +as not enough *ust to get #srael out of Egy!t into some kind of tenuous freedom in
the +ilderness The ob*ective of their redem!tion (also stated in EG >.> A @) +as to give them
land of their o+n A along +ith an economic system that +as intended to outla+ such o!!ression
+ithin #srael itself As +e +ill see in a moment$ it +as !articularly in the economic realm that the
#sraelites themselves +ere to live redem!tively$ in res!onse to +hat God had done for them
/edem!tion +as strongly economic in content
$ocial
The horror story of EGodus 4 moves on from economic eG!loitation (+hich failed as a
tool of !o!ulation control)$ to attem!ted subversion from +ithin (via the 3ebre+ mid+ives)$ and
finally to stateJs!onsored genocide (eGtermination of all male 3ebre+ babies by orders of the
governmentK EG 4.66) Thus$ lack of !olitical freedom and endurance of economic o!!ression
are no+ com!ounded by vicious invasion of normal family life and the denial of fundamental
human rights 1nce again$ +e don=t have to look far to see EGodus 4 thriving in our modern
+orld
So +hen God redeemed his !eo!le from this intolerable hell of suffering$ it led to the
inauguration of a society in +hich limitation on government !o+er$ res!ect for human life and
basic rights$ and !assion for social *ustice +ere built into the founding documents A though sadly
their history +ould sho+ ra!id decline from the !ostJeGodus ideals of the Sinai covenant
/edem!tion +as a social transformation
$piritual
3ebre+ uses the same +ord$ @!odah, for service as a slave and for +orshi! The +ord
occurs freDuently in EGodus 4 A 6 for the 3ebre+ slaves serving "haraoh ;ut +hen God says to
"haraoh$ E#srael is my firstborn son$ and # told you$ OLet my son go$ so he may +orshi! me= F
(EG :.66 A 69)$ the ambiguity is evident as different English versions sho+. some render the last
+ord Eserve meF$ others E+orshi! meF For indeed the #sraelites= slavery to "haraoh +as a
massive hindrance to their +orshi! of the God of their fathers #srael=s bondage had a s!iritual
dimensionK it +as not merely !olitical$ economic and social
#n fact$ )oses= s!ecific reDuest to "haraoh +as that the #sraelites be allo+ed to go and
+orshi! their o+n God$ and God had already told )oses that they +ould do so on the same
mountain as he had received his commission at the burning bush
As the story develo!s$ it becomes a massive !o+er encounter bet+een 83'3 and
"haraoh A +ho +as acclaimed among the gods of Egy!t So the victory over Egy!t +as not
merely at the socioeconomic and !olitical level$ but +as God=s *udgment on Eall the gods of
Egy!tF (EG 46.46) So the su!reme moment comes +hen )oses !roclaims at the climaG of his
song after the crossing of the Sea of /eeds$ EThe L1/( H83'3I reigns for ever and everF (EG
4<.4@) A +ith the clear im!lication$ Eand not "haraohF
So +hen God redeemed #srael at the eGodus$ it +as not *ust out of the several dimensions
of their bondage$ but also into a covenant relationshi! +ith God himself #t +as not the case that
#srael +as !hysically enslaved and needed to be freed (in +hich case God could have led them
out and then +aved fare+ell as they made off to +hatever destiny they might choose in their
freedom) The !roblem +as not *ust that the 3ebre+s +ere slaves$ but that they +ere slaves to
the +rong master and needed to be transferred into the service of the living God
The eGodus +as not a movement from slavery to freedom$ but from slavery to covenant
/edem!tion +as for relationshi! +ith the redeemer$ to serve his interests and his !ur!oses in the
+orld
/edem!tion had clear s!iritual intent and results
The %Godus 8 A Holistic Model
1olitical, econo.ic, social, spiritual A all of these dimensions are integral to the ;ible=s
first great act of redem!tion God did +hatever it +ould take to rescue #srael out of +hatever
form their bondage took
So the eGodus narrative tells us com!rehensively /hat God did +hen he redeemed #srael
;ut it also tells us the reasons /h- he did so
The clear motivation for the eGodus eG!lained in EGodus 4 A 6 +as t+ofold First$ it +as
because of God=s com!assionate concern for !eo!le suffering undercruel o!!ression A that is
God=s !assion for *ustice Second$ it +as because of God=s faithfulness to his covenant !romises
to Abraham #n other +ords$ this is sim!ly the biblical God acting on mission and acting in
character
#n the eGodus God res!onded to all the dimensions of #srael=s need God=s momentous act
of redem!tion did not merely rescue #srael from !olitical$ economic and social o!!ression and
then leave them to their o+n devices to +orshi! +hom they !leased 0or did God merely offer
them s!iritual comfort of ho!e for some brighter future in a home beyond the sky +hile leaving
their historical condition unchanged 0o$ the eGodus effected real change in the !eo!le=s real
historical situation and at the same time called them into a real ne+ relationshi! +ith the living
God This +as God=s total res!onse to #srael=s total needM
So here +e have the !rime$ o!ening$ definitive case study of the /edeemer God acting in
history out of his o+n motivation$ achieving com!rehensive ob*ectives$ and !inning his o+n
identity and character to the narrative as a !ermanent definition of the meaning of his name$
83'3
%hris (right
:
0o+$ if the mission of God=s !eo!le flo+s from the mission of God$ +hat do +e learn
from the ;ible=s first story of redem!tion about the sha!e of our o+n mission in God=s +orld5
#f then$ redem!tion is biblically defined in the first instance by the eGodus$ and if God=s
redeeming !ur!ose is at the heart of God=s mission$ +hat does this tell us about mission as +e
are called to !artici!ate in it5 The inevitable outcome surely is that exodus3shaped rede.ption
de.ands exodus3shaped .ission And that means that our commitment to mission must
demonstrate the same broad totality of concern for human need that God demonstrated in +hat
he did for #srael And it should also mean that our overall motivation and ob*ective in mission be
consistent +ith the motivation and !ur!ose of God as declared in the eGodus narrative
<
The eGodus$ then$ as a model of redem!tion is !art of the biblical foundation for the
holistic understanding of mission that seems to me to be demanded from a holistic reading of the
;ible
'e should not fall into unbalanced inter!retation of the eGodus 'e may be tem!ted$ for
eGam!le$ to s!iritualize its meaning into merely an 1ld Testament E!ictureF of !ersonal
deliverance from the !o+er of sin 1r +e may be inclined instead to !oliticize it into merely a
!icture of !olitical or economic action for *ustice +ithout reference to the s!iritual demands of
kno+ing and serving the living God through faith and obedience directed to %esus as Lord
>
The best +ay to avoid such unbalanced inter!retation is to move for+ard in our biblical
theology to the +ay the 0e+ Testament sees the eGodus as finding its ultimate counter!art in the
cross of &hrist
The Cross 8 Gods 2ictory o;er hate;er *pposes and *ppresses
The 0e+ Testament !resents the redeeming death of %esus through the lens of the eGodus
;oth the !erson and the event match the 1ld Testament !icture of redem!tion %esus as redeemer
is the cham!ion +ho +ill do +hatever it takes to achieve rescue for his !eo!le #t took the
surrender of his o+n life And the cross$ as the su!reme moment of redem!tion$ +as God=s
victory over all that o!!oses him and enslaves his creation
The clearest reference to the eGodus in the Gos!els comes +hen %esus met +ith )oses
and Eli*ah on the )ount of Transfiguration According to Luke Ethey +ere talking about his
eGodus that he intended to fulfill in %erusalemF (Luke B.94$ my translation) ,nfortunately the
significance is lost in English versions that translate the Greek +ord exodos as Ehis de!artureF
(ho+ do you EfulfillF a de!arture5) The t+o great re!resentatives of the La+ and the "ro!hets
+ere hardly chatting about %esus= death merely as an EeGitF$ but about the fulfillment of the
Scri!tures they had !layed such a !art in S!ecifically$ they +ere referring to the fulfillment of
EeGodusF$ achieved for national #srael under )oses$ no+ to be achieved for the +orld by %esus
3is imminent and fully intended death +ould constitute God=s great act of redem!tion God in
&hrist +ould !ay the cost of delivering the +hole creation from the bondage of sin and evil$
leading his !eo!le out of the darkness of ca!tivity into the light and liberty of God
1ther gos!el +riters see eGodus motifs else+here )atthe+ sees events in the infancy of
%esus as eGodus re!layed ()att 6.49 A 4<) )ark uses the ne+ eGodus imagery of #saiah :C A <<
in his understanding of the life and accom!lishment of %esus ()ark 4.9K :.9< A <.49) Luke does
the same in recording the song of Lechariah$ +ith its re*oicing in the antici!ated redem!tion of
God=s !eo!le from the tyranny of their enemies (Luke 4.>? A ?B) %esus died at "assover time$
+ith its memory of the historical eGodus deliverance and its ho!es that God +ould deliver his
!eo!le again
"aul uses the language of redem!tion$ sometimes in its more literal sense of ransom$ the
!urchase of freedom for those in bondage (!robably +ith the Greek and /oman !ractice of
slaves gaining freedom or !risoners of +ar being ransomed$ eg$ 4 Tim 6.>)$ but sometimes also
+ith the 1ld Testament eGodus in the background #n /omans$ for eGam!le$ he looks for+ard to
the +hole creation being liberated from its bondage to decay$ as +e antici!ate the redem!tion of
our bodies (/om @.4@ A 6<) /edem!tion is both the accom!lishment of &hrist through his death
for our forgiveness (E!h 4.?K &ol 4.4:)$ and also the future com!lete liberation to +hich +e
look for+ard (E!h 4.4:K :.9C) As the #sraelites did at "assover$ so &hristians can look back to
the cross as God=s historic rescue mission and look for+ard to final redem!tion of ourselves and
all creation
%ust as the eGodus +as God=s great defeat of the usur!ed claims and !o+er of "haraoh$ so
the cross +as God=s victory over the !rinci!alities and !o+ers (&ol 6.4<) The eGodus imagery
is !erha!s strongest in &olossians
The eGodus event is one of the archety!al narratives of the ;ible for it informs the
beginning$ middle and end of the biblical account of redem!tive history God inaugurates the
nation of #srael in the eGodus from Egy!t 3e establishes his covenant +ith the nation at )ount
Sinai$ !rovides for his !eo!le=s needs in the +ilderness for forty years$ and finally leads them
into the "romised LandM
#n the middle of God=s !lan of redem!tive history +e find %esus &hrist=s incarnation$ life$
death and resurrectionMThe four 0e+ Testament evangelists frame at least !arts of their gos!el
narratives in eGodus terms and !atterns &hrist=s teaching of his disci!les is often informed by the
eGodus eG!erience and his actions among the multitudes have eGodus overtonesMeGodus themes
and !atterns hel! eG!lain the events of &hrist=s life and death
At the end of redem!tive history is the A!ocaly!se %ohn makes use of eGodus allusions
and !atterns in the A!ocaly!se to bring the biblical narrative to its conclusion The ancient
#sraelites entered &anaan$ their "romised Land 0e+ Testament &hristians enter the !romised
rest of their salvation and freedom from their sins At the end of it all$ the redeemed of all ages
+ill enter the 0e+ %erusalem and their eGile +ill finally be over They +ill be home The eGodus
is never far from the readers of the 1ld and 0e+ Testaments
Bichard 1atterson and Michael Tra$ers
?
For HGod the FatherI has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into
the kingdom of the Son he loves$ in +hom +e have redem!tion$ the forgiveness of sins (&ol
4.49 A 4:)
#n other +ords$ in the 1ld and 0e+ Testaments$ redem!tion is the act of God in +hich he
stands u! as the great cham!ion of his !eo!le$ eGerts his mighty strength$ and !ays the full cost
of rescuing them from all that o!!oses and o!!resses them #t involves the defeat of all
o!!ressive !o+er and the reversal of all dimensions of bondage that afflict !eo!le #t brings his
!eo!le Eout from underF and brings them into a ne+ relationshi! +ith God And that ne+
relationshi! calls for the !ractical res!onse of redem!tive living in mission for God in the +orld
&%$P*)+')G T* G*+$ &%+%MPT'*)
Called to &e#oice
The first instinctive res!onse to the great eGodus deliverance +as to break out in songs of
re*oicing$ as )oses and )iriam did (EG 4<.4 A 64) The song of )oses celebrates God as
redeemer$ em!hasizing that he has +on a great victory over his enemies$ that he is beyond
com!arison +ith any of the gods of the nations$ that he has redeemed his !eo!le$ and that other
!eo!les +ill be affected by the ne+s of this great event The song is a celebration of the reign of
God demonstrated in his mighty act of redem!tion
;ut re*oicing in redem!tion +as not to die a+ay like the cheering and a!!lause at the end
of a great s!orting victory #t +as to become a habit of !ersonal life and embedded in #sraelite
culture The redem!tive reign of God$ in a sense$ continued to be actualized in the +orshi!ing
life of #srael
8ou are the 3oly 1ne$
Enthroned u!on (or d+elling in) the !raises of #srael
("s 66.9$ my translation$ in !reference to the 0#-QT0#-)
The life of #srael +as !ermeated by the times of re*oicing in God that !unctuated the
annual calendar The "assover in the s!ring$ of course$ +as the most s!ecific celebration of the
eGodus deliverance ;ut the autumn harvest !rovided another o!!ortunity for telling the old$ old
story of 83'3 and his love and singing the songs of redem!tion ((eut 6>.< A 44)
/e*oicing in redem!tion +as thus not only !ersonal$ but also communal (all sections of
society +ere to be allo+ed to *oin in)$ and also commanded #t +as not so much an o!tional
emotional bonus as an inculcated community res!onsibility and benefit ((eut 4>.44K cf 0eh
@.4C A 46) 1ld Testament #sraelites +ould have agreed +ith the lines in the Anglican Eucharistic
!rayer$ E#t is not only right$ it is our duty and our *oy at all times and in all !laces to give you
thanks and !raiseMF
@
"eter$ then$ is being authentically scri!tural and #sraelite +hen he Duotes the book of
EGodus to tell his readers$ most likely !redominantly Gentile believers$ that they have also had
their eGodus eG!erience$ and he immediately adds that their first !ractical res!onse to it should
be to live lives of declarative !raise$ as the GodJcentred conteGt in +hich they should also be
living lives of !ractical goodness among the nations "raise and !ractice together are missional
functions$ and both are +hat +e are called to in res!onse to God=s redeeming love
;ut you are a chosen !eo!le$ a royal !riesthood$ a holy nation$ God=s s!ecial !ossession$
that you may declare the !raises of him +ho called you out of darkness into his +onderful light
(4 "eter 6.B)
'e shall consider the missional im!ortance of such !raise and !rayer in cha!ter 4:
Called to '"itate
The eGodus !ermeated #srael=s la+s and customs #t is mentioned many times as
motivation for obedience to a range of social reDuirements This is +here the eG!erience of
redem!tion blends into the !ractice of redem!tive living
The eGodus is not merely an event in history #t becomes a model for behaviour As a
redeemed !eo!le$ #srael must live out the same Dualities that motivated 83'3 to act as their
divine go l "art of the mission of God=s redeemed !eo!le is to reflect the character of their
redeemer in the +ay they behave to others And that means es!ecially the chief reDuirements of
any go l. costly com!assion$ commitment to *ustice$ caring generosity$ redem!tively effective
action Those are the things that are involved in redem!tive living
$la;e &elease
So it is not sur!rising to find that the first la+s given to #srael A a bunch of esca!ed slaves
A immediately after the Ten &ommandments$ have to do +ith the +ay they +ere to treat those
+ho$ in their o+n society$ +ould find themselves in some form of bonded labour (EG 64.4 A 44)
E3ebre+ servantsF +ere !robably not ethnic #sraelites$ but a vulnerable class of landless !eo!le
in the ancient 0ear Eastern culture +ho lived by selling their services as labourers$ soldiers$ or
+hatever +as available #srael=s la+ reDuired that after siG years of service they +ere to be
granted the o!tion of freedom A an EeGodusF !rovision
The same body of la+ makes #srael=s eG!erience in Egy!t an eG!licit motivation for not
treating foreigners in their midst in the +ay they had suffered in Egy!t (EG 69.B)
(euteronomy 4<.4 A 4@ is !ossibly the +armest cha!ter in the 1ld Testament about the
economics of generosity #t !reaches com!assion for the needy in a highly relational manner
#f anyone is !oor among your !eo!le in any of the to+ns of the land that the L1/( your
God is giving you$ do not be hardhearted or tightfisted to+ard them /ather$ be o!enhanded and
freely lend them +hatever they needMThere +ill al+ays be !oor !eo!le in the land Therefore #
command you to be o!enhanded to+ard those of your !eo!le +ho are !oor and needy in your
land ((eut 4<.? A 44)
Generosity
'hen the !assage from (euteronomy moves on immediately to its command to sho+
generosity to released slaves$ it eG!licitly cites the eGodus as the model and motivation for such
behaviour.
And +hen you release them$ do not send them a+ay em!tyJhanded Su!!ly them
liberally from your flock$ your threshing floor and your +ine!ress Give to them as the L1/(
your God has blessed you Be.e.!er that -ou /ere sla$es in Eg-pt and the L)B> -our God
redee.ed -ou& That is /h- 9 gi$e -ou this co..and toda- ((eut 4<.49 A 4<K italics added)
Those +ho kno+ +hat it is to be redeemed must live redem!tively to+ards others A
es!ecially those +ho are no+ in the same kind of need as #srael +as +hen God redeemed them
&ede"ption and Jubilee
The most literal use of the language of redem!tion is in Leviticus 6<$ +here it a!!lies to
the buying back of land that had been (or +as about to be) sold as collateral for a loan$ and to the
buying back of family members +ho had been sold to +ork off debts #nter+oven +ith these
redem!tion !rocedures +as the 8ear of %ubilee$ +hich aimed at restoration of families to their
ancestral land and to !roductive !artici!ation in the community
B
All of these mechanisms +ere fundamentally redem!tive and restorative in a broader
economic and social sense A intended to intervene and reverse the other+ise relentless do+n+ard
s!iral of debt$ !overty and dis!ossession 1nce again$ +e find that God=s great redeeming act$
the eGodus$ stands as the re!eated model and motivation for all such behaviour Theology and
economics do not inhabit se!arate universes but combine in the biblical eG!erience and !ractice
of redem!tion
)icah !ut the t+o together +ith devastating logic /ead )icah >.: A <$ @ and notice ho+
it moves through the history of redem!tion$ to God=s revelation of eG!licit and universal moral
demands
(orgi;eness and +ebts
The same dynamic !rinci!le of reflecting our redeemer through redem!tive living
!ermeates the 0e+ Testament also 3o+ many times can +e say the Lord=s "rayer and not notice
this !rinci!le5 EAnd forgive us our sins$ for +e ourselves forgive everyone indebted to usF (Luke
44.:K 0/S-)
4C
#n )atthe+=s version$ the +ord is EdebtsF in both !arts of the !etition$ though %esus
eG!lains it in terms of EtransgressionsF A affirming that God=s forgiveness of our transgressions
is linked to our +illingness to forgive the transgressions of others ;ut in a society +here !overty
and debt +ere endemic and a ma*or cause of social unrest$ the !rayer that God +ould Erelease for
us our debtsF had a strongly economic ring$ as +ell as !ointing to the reality of our sins against
God There is no need to o!t for either an eGclusively s!iritual or eGclusively financial
inter!retation of the !rayer at this !oint The link bet+een sins and debts cro!s u! else+here in
%esus= teaching as +e shall see
The more crucial !oint +e are making here is that the forgiving action of God and the
com!assionate action of those +ho !ray to him are integrally linked As those +ho kno+ God=s
forgiveness$ +e are to behave in like manner to those +ho have offended us A es!ecially those
+ho have debts
The *oy of being released from debt (one of the meanings of redem!tion$ as +e have
seen) should !roduce a +illingness to release others from debt$ an act that reflects the generosity
of the original redeemer This is !recisely the !oint of %esus= !arable in )atthe+ 4@.64 A 99$
+hich %esus told to eG!lain the radical meaning and sco!e of forgiveness +ithin God=s kingdom
#t is not that +e can earn forgiveness by being forgiving #t is rather that our eG!erience of
God=s great mercy should make us merciful !eo!leM
The eG!erience of grace transforms us into gracious !eo!le #t is not *ust about interJ
!ersonal conflict #t is about ho+ +e treat other !eo!le #t is about economic generosity 'hile
God forgives our sins$ +e forgive our de!tors& Luke could have used the +ord EsinF in both
cases$ but he chose to highlight the economic im!lications of %esus= +ordsM
#n the 1ld Testament 8ear of %ubilee debts +ere forgiven and slaves +ere set free as the
!eo!le celebrated God=s grace to them in !roviding atonement (see Lev 6< and (eut 4<) 0o+
the Lamb of God +ho takes a+ay the sins of the +orld has come #n the light of God=s
forgiveness$ a ne+ era of economic and social relations has begun among those forgiven and set
free by &hrist=s death The follo+ers of %esus are to live as both reci!ients of$ and !artici!ants in$
a !ermanent *ubilee
Ti. %hester
44
EG!erience of redem!tion must generate redem!tive living This is the missional outflo+
of +hat God has done for us The mission of God=s !eo!le has such intensely !ractical
dimensions
The !rinci!le of reflecting our eG!erience of God=s redeeming grace in ho+ +e live and
es!ecially in our treatment of others is found throughout the 0e+ Testament A fe+ eGam!les
make the !oint clear.
;e merciful$ *ust as your Father is merciful (Luke >.9>)
Love each other as # have loved you (%ohn 4<.46)
;e kind and com!assionate to one another$ forgiving each other$ *ust as in &hrist God
forgave you (E!h :.96)
Acce!t one another$ then$ *ust as &hrist acce!ted you (/om 4<.?)
See that you also eGcel in this grace of givingMFor you kno+ the grace of our Lord %esus
&hrist$ that though he +as rich$ yet for your sake he became !oor$ so that you through his
!overty might become rich (6 &or @.? A B)
This is ho+ +e kno+ +hat love is. %esus &hrist laid do+n his life for us And +e ought to
lay do+n our lives for one another #f any one of you has material !ossessions and sees a brother
or sister in need but has no !ity on them$ ho+ can the love of God be in you5 (4 %ohn 9.4> A 4?)
1nce u!on a time there +ere certain banks +ho$ though their o+n great folly$ found
themselves in danger of colla!se under mountains of toGic debt that they could not re!ay or even
understand So they +ent to their governments$ +ho had mercy on them and took their debts
a+ay +ith thousands of billions of dollars and !ounds taken from their taG!ayers Then those
same banks came across many individuals +hose taGes had rescued them$ +ho o+ed them small
debts of a fe+ thousand dollars or !ounds$ but they sho+ed them no mercy at all and took a+ay
their homes because they couldn=t !ay u! 'hich goes to sho+ that redem!tion in our fallen
+orld seems to +ork very nicely for the rich and !o+erful but is hard to come by if you=re !oor
%esus= idea of redem!tion in the kingdom of God o!erates differently
L'2')G &%+%MPT'2%L1 ') M'$$'*)
3o+ then can +e relate this survey of some dimensions of the biblical theology of
redem!tion$ +ith its eGodus roots and its fulfillment at the cross$ to life in mission for the !eo!le
of God5
'e have seen that in both 1ld and 0e+ Testaments$ redem!tion +as not *ust a historical
fact of the !ast$ nor *ust a !ersonal eG!erience to be en*oyed in the !resent$ but a status that +as
to be lived out in ethical res!onse God=s redeemed !eo!le are called to redem!tive living in the
+orld And in vie+ of our eGodus understanding of the full breadth of +hat it means +hen God
acts to redeem$ there must be eDually broad im!lications for our understanding of a Duality of
mission that res!onds to$ reflects$ and in some +ays embodies the redeeming !ur!oses of God
The eGodus has been seen as the biblical foundation !ar eGcellence for theologies of
mission that em!hasize the im!ortance of social$ !olitical and economic concern and action
alongside the s!iritual dimensions of !ersonal forgiveness 1r rather$ and +ith greater biblical
faithfulness$ it is the biblical basis for the integration of all these dimensions +ithin the
com!rehensive good ne+s of the biblical gos!el Such holistic$ or integral$ understandings of
mission !oint to the totality of +hat God accom!lished for #srael in the !aradigmatic redem!tive
event A the eGodus And # believe they are right to do so
46
0eeping the Cross Central
3o+ever$ # have stressed in this cha!ter that +e must see the eGodus in the light of the
cross$ and vice versa God=s redem!tion is in reality one great redeeming achievement A even
though s!read across centuries of human history The redeemed in the ne+ creation sing the song
of )oses and the Song of the Lamb (/ev 4<.9)$ because essentially it is one song celebrating
one great redeemer and his one great redem!tive +ork in history
For this reason$ +hen +e think of the mission of God=s !eo!le in holistic or integral terms
as described above$ it is $ital that /e keep the cross central to e$er- di.ension of .ission that +e
engage in The follo+ing section is an eGtract from The Mission of God in +hich # eG!ressed a
!assionate concern for this$ and since # don=t think # can say it any better$ # Duote it here
All &hristian mission flo+s from the cross A as its source$ its !o+er$ and as that +hich
defines its sco!e
9t is $ital that /e see the cross as central and integral to e$er- aspect of holistic, !i!lical
.ission A that is$ of all +e do in the name of the crucified and risen %esus #t is a mistake$ in my
vie+$ to think that$ +hile our evangelism must be centred on the cross (as of course it has to be)$
our social engagement and other forms of !ractical mission +ork have some other theological
foundation or *ustification
A church +ithout social ethics rooted in the moral vision of the Scri!ture +ith its
em!hasis on *ustice$ mercy$ and humility before God is in no condition to avoid irrelevance in
relation to the great !roblems that affect humankind At best it +ill concentrate on em!ty
ritualism and !rivate morality$ but +ill remain indifferent to the !light of the !oor and the ra!e of
God=s creation At +orst it +ill fail to recognize its o+n ca!tivity to the cultureJideology of
consumerism and +ill be used by the !o+erful to !rovide religious legitimization to their un*ust
socioeconomic and !olitical system and even to +ar
Bene 1adilla
49
'hy is the cross *ust as im!ortant across the +hole field of mission5 ;ecause in all forms
of &hristian mission in the name of &hrist +e are confronting the !o+ers of evil and the
kingdom of Satan A +ith all their dismal effects on human life and the +ider creation #f +e are
to !roclaim and demonstrate the reality of the reign of God in &hrist A that is$ if +e are to
!roclaim that %esus is king$ in a +orld +hich likes still to chant E+e have no king but &aesarF
and his many successors$ including mammon A then +e +ill be in direct conflict +ith the
usur!ed reign of the evil one$ in all its legion manifestations The deadly reality of this battle
against the !o+ers of evil is the unanimous testimony of those +ho struggle for *ustice$ for the
needs of the !oor and o!!ressed$ the sick and the ignorant$ and even those +ho seek to care for
and !rotect God=s creation against eG!loiters and !olluters$ *ust as much as it is the eG!erience of
those (freDuently the same !eo!le) +ho struggle evangelistically to bring !eo!le to faith in &hrist
as Saviour and Lord and !lant churches #n all such +ork +e confront the reality of sin and
Satan #n all such +ork +e are challenging the darkness of the +orld +ith the light and good
ne+s of %esus &hrist and the reign of God through him
;y +hat authority can +e do so5 'ith +hat !o+er are +e com!etent to engage the
!o+ers of evil5 1n +hat basis dare +e challenge the chains of Satan$ in +ord and deed$ in
!eo!le=s s!iritual$ moral$ !hysical and social lives5 1nly through the cross
1nly in the cross is there forgiveness$ *ustification and cleansing for guilty sinners
1nly in the cross stands the defeat of evil !o+ers
1nly in the cross is there release from the fear of death and its ultimate destruction
altogether
1nly in the cross are even the most intractable of enemies reconciled
1nly in the cross +ill +e finally +itness the healing of all creation
The fact is that sin and evil constitute bad ne+s in every area of life on this !lanet The
redem!tive +ork of God through the cross of &hrist is good ne+s for every area of life on earth
that has been touched by sin A +hich means every area of life ;luntly$ +e need a holistic gos!el
because the +orld is in a holistic mess And by God=s incredible grace +e have a gos!el big
enough to redeem all that sin and evil have touched And every dimension of that good ne+s is
good ne+s utterly and only because of the blood of &hrist on the cross
,ltimately all that !ill be there in the ne+$ redeemed creation +ill be there because of the
cross And conversely$ all that +ill not be there (suffering$ tears$ sin$ Satan$ sickness$ o!!ression$
corru!tion$ decay and death)$ +ill not be there because they +ill have been defeated and
destroyed by the cross That is the length$ breadth$ height and de!th of God=s idea of redem!tion
#t is eGceedingly good ne+s #t is the font of all our mission
So it is my !assionate conviction that holistic mission must have a holistic theology of
the cross That includes the conviction that the cross must be as central to our social engagement
as it is to our evangelism There is no other !o+er$ no other resource$ no other name$ through
+hich +e can offer the +hole Gos!el to the +hole !erson and the +hole +orld$ than %esus &hrist
crucified and risen
4:
The Church as an %Godus and Jubilee Co""unity
;ut +hile +e kee! the cross central to all that +e mean by the mission of God=s !eo!le$
+e need to vie+ it from the )ount of Transfiguration$ in conversation +ith )oses and Eli*ah$ as
Ethe eGodus that %esus intended to fulfillF That is to say$ +e do not see the cross as that +hich
replaced the eGodus (as if all the socioeconomic and !olitical as!ects of the eGodus sim!ly dro!
a+ay$ leaving only a s!iritual significance) /ather$ +e see the cross as the fulfill.ent of the
eGodus$ including +ithin its total redem!tive accom!lishment final liberation from all that
enslaves and o!!resses humanity and creation 1f course$ +e do not yet see the com!letion of
that redem!tive +ork in !resent history$ but +e look for+ard to it in its ultimate totality$ as "aul
does in /omans @ The Eday of redem!tionF still lies ahead$ even though the achievement of
redem!tion has been +on at the cross
1ur biblical theology for life has to build the s!an of its great arch of redem!tion from
the Torah to /evelation
$,MMA&1
'e have seen$ then$ that our biblical theology of redem!tion !ortrays God as the divine
/edeemer 3e is the one +ho undertakes to do +hatever it takes and to !ay +hatever it costs to
deliver his !eo!le from all that o!!resses them 3e is the great cham!ion +ho +ins the victory
that sets his !eo!le free The eGodus !rovides the 1ld Testament model of redem!tion and sho+s
ho+ broad and com!rehensive a thing it is +hen God ste!s in as redeemer The 0e+ Testament
!resents the cross and resurrection of %esus as the grand eGodus par excellence A the cro+ning
accom!lishment of God=s redeeming +ill and !o+er$ his victory over all !o+ers$ human and
satanic$ that o!!ose him and o!!ress his !eo!le
So +hat then is the mission of God=s !eo!le5 Surely it is to live as those +ho have
eG!erienced that redeeming !o+er of God already$ and +hose lives A individual and cor!orate A
are sign!osts to the ultimate liberation of all creation and humanity from every form of
o!!ression and slavery
For that reason$ +e engage in redem!tive living that seeks to bring the different
dimensions of God"s idea of redem!tion A as eG!ressed in the eGodus and 8ear of %ubilee A to
bear on all such manifestations of o!!ression as surround us And that is +hy +e too must
converse +ith )oses and Eli*ah$ for it is the La+ and the "ro!hets that !rovide us +ith so many
resources to !ut flesh and blood on +hat it means to live redem!tively$ to be moved by
com!assion$ *ustice and generosity in a +orld of cruelty$ eG!loitation and greed
That$ after all$ is +hat the Scri!tures are for$ according to "aul (referring to the 1ld
Testament).
All Scri!ture is GodJbreathed and is useful for teaching$ rebuking$ correcting and training
in righteousness$ so that all God=s !eo!le may be thoroughly eDui!!ed for every good +ork (6
Tim 9.4> A 4?)
The &hristian community is both a sign and a !romise of God=s coming liberation 'e
are the !resence of God=s liberating kingdom in a broken +orld 'e are the !lace +here
liberation can be found$ offering a home for eGiled !eo!le 'e are to +elcome the broken !eo!le
to a community of broken !eo!le 'e are the community among +hom liberation is a !resent
reality A the *ubilee !eo!le +ho live +ith ne+ economic and social relationshi!s 'e are the light
of the +orld$ a city on a hill The challenge for us is to articulate %esus= message of liberation in a
+ay that connects +ith !eo!le=s eG!erience and offers a !lace of liberation in the &hristian
community
Ti. %hester
4<
# am not suggesting that the church should seek to reenact literal eGoduses or !romote
legislation for enforcing a literal *ubilee /ather$ +e need to see these as models of the kind of
com!rehensive redem!tive res!onse to human need that God himself enacted and then demanded
of his !eo!le
'here there is !olitical in*ustice$ economic eG!loitation$ social o!!ression and s!iritual
bondage$ +hat actions are a!!ro!riate for those +ho share God=s com!assion and *ustice$
demonstrated at the eGodus5
'here !eo!le are torn a!art by an u!+ard s!iral of debt and a do+n+ard s!iral of
!overty$ +ith all the human indignity and social eGclusion that go +ith them$ +hat actions reflect
the theological !rinci!les of the *ubilee$ +ith its insistence that debt should not have eternal life
and that the failures of one generation should not condemn all future generations to !overty5
'ill +e$ in other +ords$ choose to define our o+n mission +ith some degree of similarity
to the +ay %esus defined his o+n$ dra+ing on the !ro!het=s reframing of the language and the
ho!es of eGodus and *ubilee5
EThe S!irit of the Lord is on me$
because he has anointed me
to !roclaim good ne+s to the !oor
3e has sent me to !roclaim freedom for the !risoners
and recovery of sight for the blind$
to set the o!!ressed free$
to !roclaim the year of the Lord=s favorF (Luke :.4@ A 4B)
As +e do so$ +e become communities that are like eGodus and *ubilee sign!osts$ !ointing
to the redeeming +ork of God in the !ast and to the only ho!e of liberation that our +orld can
have for the future
&%L%2A)T -,%$T'*)$
4 3o+ does understanding the cross and resurrection of %esus as the fulfillment of the
eGodus !attern im!act ho+ you understand redem!tion and the church=s mission5
6 'hen +e think of Ebeing redeemedF$ +e tend to eDuate it sim!ly +ith having our sins
forgiven$ +hich is right and good ;ut +hat other dimensions of God=s redeeming (delivering$
liberating) +ork$ as +e have considered it in this cha!ter$ can you !oint to in your o+n life
eG!erience5
9 'e also tend to think of redem!tion in individual terms (being redeemed !ersons) ;ut
ho+ should it change your !erce!tion of the church to think of it as a redeemed co..unit-5 And
in +hat +ays could your church function as such$ in reflecting the redem!tive com!assion and
*ustice of God in the +orld around5
: 'hat difference +ill it make to your understanding of the mission of God=s !eo!le if
you no+ believe that it is not *ust about sending missionaries to other countries so that other
!eo!le can be redeemed$ but includes God=s !eo!le every+here living redem!tively in the +orld$
as reflectors and messengers of God in &hrist$ our redeemer5

CHAPT%& A
P%*PL% H* &%P&%$%)T G*+ T* TH% *&L+
&%M%MB%&')G TH% $T*&1
The $tory That Pro;ides a &eason for Li;ing
(ho are /e and /hat are /e here for0 These could be said to be the Duestions +e are
seeking to ans+er in the +hole of this book. 'hat is the mission of God=s !eo!le5 ;ut even at
the !ersonal level such Duestions are challenging 'hat is your sense of identity and +hat is the
!ur!ose of your eGistence in this +orld5
The ans+er de!ends on +hat story you think you are !art of 'e all live the little stories
of our o+n lives on the assum!tion of some larger story that makes sense to us$ or that makes
enough sense to allo+ us to think it is !robably$ on balance$ +orth going on living That is true
even if you have to make such a story u! for yourself rather than seeing yourself +ithin a grand
story that transcends your o+n life$ and transcends even the material universe That is certainly
+hat atheists have to do$ though one +onders if they manage to make a satisfying *ob of it They
don=t have much of a story to tell
#f +e ste! back again to the 1ld Testament$ +e could ask the same Duestions about the
#sraelites 'ho +ere the-$ and +hat +ere the- there for5 And the +ay +e ans+er has to come out
of the big story they +ere !art of So at this !oint +e take another ste! for+ard in seeing the
significance of the grand biblical narrative that +e surveyed in cha!ter 6 This is +hy it matters
so much to have a gras! of it
3ere$ then$ is God=s o+n ans+er to those Duestions for the 1ld Testament #sraelites.
E'ho are +e and +hat are +e here for5F #t comes in one of the most influential verses in the
;ible
Then )oses +ent u! to God$ and the L1/( called to him from the mountain and said$
EThis is +hat you are to say to the house of %acob and +hat you are to tell the !eo!le of #srael.
O8ou yourselves have seen +hat # did to Egy!t$ and ho+ # carried you on eagles= +ings and
brought you to myself 0o+ if you obey me fully and kee! my covenant$ then out of all nations
you +ill be my treasured !ossession H<bI Jor indeed the +hole earth is mine$ and you +ill be for
me a kingdom of !riests and a holy nation= These are the +ords you are to s!eak to the
#sraelitesF
EG 4B.9 A > (my italics and translation in v <b)
0o+ the story that formed the immediate conteGt for these +ords +as$ of course$ the
story of the eGodus$ as +e sa+ in cha!ter > ;ut even that is not a big enough story That +as *ust
one !art of God=s great drama that sha!es the +hole ;ible$ that s!ans the +hole universe$ and
that includes the !ast$ !resent and future #t +as the early e!isodes of the big story that told the
#sraelites +ho they +ere
#n early 6CCB an advertisement a!!eared on the sides of London=s red buses$ s!onsored
and !aid for by various humanist and atheist societies and individuals$ such as /ichard (a+kins
A televangelist of atheist fundamentalism. 4There pro!a!l- is no God& #o/ stop /orr-ing and
enAo- life&6 A curious misunderstanding$ # thought +hen # sa+ it$ for it suggests that belief in
God only makes !eo!le +orried or s!oils their en*oyment All the research and statistics$
ho+ever$ have sho+n that !eo!le +ith &hristian faith are less stressed than average and have a
markedly greater sense of lifeJfulfillment ;ut my main res!onse to the slogan +as$ E'ell$ that=s
not much of a story #n fact$ no story at all #t gives nobody a !ositive reason to live (or die)F
&ontrast the gos!el EGod so loved the +orld that he gave his only Son$ that +hoever believes in
him shall not !erish but have everlasting lifeF (%ohn 9.4>) 0o+ there=s a storyN #t has a sub*ect$ a
!roblem$ an action$ a solution and a ha!!y ending
#t is also the story that tells us +ho /e are and +hy$ for it is !art of the story that gave us
%esus of 0azareth and his story #ndeed it +as the story that confirmed to %esus +ho he +as and
+hat he +as there to be and to do And as +e sa+ in cha!ter 6$ it is the story that drove the 0e+
Testament church out in its mission to the +orld
So then$ in thinking about +hat it is about our identity as the !eo!le of God that
necessitates our involvement in mission$ +e need once again to !ay attention to the story A as
God surveys it in this teGt
The $tory $o (ar
So as +e turn in this cha!ter to study EGodus 4B.9 A >$ remember that all the +ay through
this book +e are building biblical theology for life A +hich means that the theology +e dig out of
this story and God=s comment on it can be a!!lied to our o+n lives !recisely because this is !art
of our story$ !art of the big story that gives meaning and !ur!ose to our lives as God=s !eo!le
'e kno+ the story so far The #sraelites had been o!!ressed as an ethnic minority in
Egy!t God$ out of com!assion and faithfulness$ sent )oses to deliver them After a series of
!lagues on "haraoh and Egy!t$ they had esca!ed$ and God sealed their deliverance by a
miraculous crossing of the sea$ celebrated by )oses and )iriam in EGodus 4< Then God had
!rovided them +ith food$ +ith +ater$ +ith !rotection from their enemies$ and +ith a bit of
organizational common sense from )oses= fatherJinJla+ (EGodus 4> A 4@)
;ut no+ at last$ God had got the #sraelites to himself$ as it +ere$ gathered at the foot of
)ount Sinai$ as he had !romised )oses (EG 9.46) #t +as time to eG!lain Time to make sense of
the story so far Time to hel! them understand the !oint of it all Time to tell them +ho they
+ere$ and +hat they +ere to be and do for God in this ne+ +orld situation in +hich they found
themselves
That is the thrust of EGodus 4B.4 A > The s!eech of God at this !oint is a crucial hinge
bet+een the great story of redem!tion in the first half of the book and the making of the
covenant$ the giving of the la+$ and the construction of the tabernacle in the second half of the
book #t is eG!lanatory$ encouraging and challenging all at once
)ost of all$ this teGt gave to #srael (and gives to us$ as +e +ill see once +e build it into
our biblical theology) an identity$ a role$ and a mission in the +orld$ along +ith the !rivileges
and the res!onsibilities that go along +ith them
So then$ in verses : A > God !oints in three directions 3e !oints !ack to #srael=s recent
!ast 3e !oints for/ard to his future vision for all nations And he !oints to the present
res!onsibilities of #srael And in every direction +e find God=s grace at +ork
PA$T G&AC%7 G*+$ $AL2AT'*) 8 %>*+,$ .?75
The first +ords God tells )oses to s!eak to the #sraelites are a reminder E8ou yourselves
have seen +hat # didMF And of course$ so they had #t +as a recent memory
1nly three months !reviously (v 4) they had been slaves in Egy!t$ enduring systematic
stateJs!onsored genocide as an ethnic minority ;ut no+$ as +e eG!lored in the last cha!ter$ they
are com!rehensively liberated A bit footsore and +eary$ !erha!s A bit bored of manna already$
!erha!s ;ut free$ +ith the Egy!tian o!!ression already fading into the !ast And all of that +as
because God had taken the initiative 3e had acted out of his com!assion$ love and faithfulness
to his !romise to their ancestors
So God !oints em!hatically to this as his o!ening +ords 3e !oints to his grace in action$
caring for them enough to liberate them$ to eGercise his mighty hand and outstretched arm in
defeating their o!!ressors and rescuing them from the !lace of slavery and death God=s grace
has been !roved in history God=s *ustice has been done$ the mighty !ut do+n and the !oor lifted
u! God +as their great redeemer$ as +e sa+ in cha!ter >
'hatever is going to come neGt in the story (+hich the reader kno+s$ of course$ but the
#sraelites in the story do not yet) +ill thus be founded on that historical grace of God Soon +e
+ill be in the +orld of the Ten &ommandments (ch 6C)$ the +ider la+ in the ;ook of the
&ovenant (chs 64 A 69)$ and the making of the Sinai covenant (ch 6:) ;ut all of that +ill be a
matter of res!onding to the grace of redem!tion already eG!erienced
# em!hasize this !oint because of a misunderstanding that is still sadly common about the
difference bet+een the 1ld and 0e+ Testaments )any &hristians think that it can be summed
u! by saying that in the 1ld Testament !eo!le tried to get saved by obeying the la+$ +hereas in
the 0e+ Testament (thank God)$ +e kno+ that +e can only get saved by grace through faith ;ut
the first is a distorted idea Some form of that vie+ (though not nearly so blunt as that) +as +hat
"aul +as combating in his arguments +ith some of the %e+s +ho disagreed +ith his missionary
theology and !ractice ;ut as "aul himself !ointed out$ salvation had al+ays been$ even in the
1ld Testament$ a matter of God=s !romise and grace$ received by faith (like Abraham)
Grace came first$ faith neGt$ and obedience to the la+ a necessary third$ as a believing
res!onse in action to +hat God had already done
So here in our teGt$ God reminds the #sraelites that he had alread- delivered them$ and
only then did he say$ E0o+ let=s talk about your obedience in res!onse to +hat # have doneF The
very sha!e of the book of EGodus as a +hole im!licitly su!!orts the theology that is eG!licit in
this teGt 'e have 4@ cha!ters of salvation before +e get a single cha!ter of la+ La+ is the
res!onse to grace$ not the means of earning it
Already in EG :.94 these !eo!le believe the gos!el +ord of God s!oken by )oses and
bo+ do+n and +orshi! 83'3 The "assover materials continue this +orshi!ing theme (46.6?)$
and it comes to a climaG in the +orshi! activity of 4<.4 A 64 The !eo!le +ho are delivered from
Egy!t are the elect !eo!le of God$ a community of faith already +orshi!ing 83'3 #t is as such
a !eo!le of God that they Efear the L1/(F and Ebelieve in the L1/(F (4:.94) God=s saving
actions$ undertaken at the divine initiative$ have dra+n the community into a ne+ orbit of life
and blessing$ to +hich the !eo!le have res!onded in faithQ+orshi! ;efore there is any talk of
obeying the la+$ +hat God has done fills their livesMThe covenant at Sinai is a s!ecific
covenant +ith an already eGisting covenant Hie$ AbrahamI +ith an elect$ redeemed$ believing$
+orshi!ing community
Terence E& Jrethei.
4
The same basic !rinci!le flo+s through biblical theology$ ethics and mission &ommands
follo+ grace Generosit- is commanded in (euteronomy$ but obedience to that command is
motivated by blessing already received EGive to them as the L1/( your God has blessed youF
((eut 4<.4:) Lo$e is commanded by %esus$ but our obedience starts +ith his love for us. E'e
love because he first loved usF (4 %ohn :.4B) Mutual forgi$eness is commanded by "aul$ but our
obedience is based on being forgiven ourselves. Eforgiving each other$ *ust as in &hrist God
forgave youF (E!h :.96) 'e are sent out in .ission by the command of &hrist ;ut the !rior
reality +as God=s grace in sending %esus into the +orld (%ohn 4?.4@)
#f +e +ere to trans!ose God=s +ords to #srael into a 0e+ Testament theological conteGt$
it +ould be as if God +ere to !oint to the cross of &hrist and say to us$
E8ou have seen +hat # have doneMF After that$ +hatever action +e take$ in ethical
or missional obedience$ is a matter of grateful res!onse
Like the #sraelites$ +e need to remind ourselves of God=s !ast grace demonstrated in
historical redem!tion and then go on to understand our identity and our mission in the light of it
(,T,&% G&AC%7 G*+$ M'$$'*) 8 %>*+,$ .?7<B
# +onder +hat the vie+ +as like from the to! of )ount Sinai #n the !ictorial$
meta!horical language of the story$ that is +here God E+asF That is +here he s!oke from That
is +here )oses$ and later the elders$ had to go to meet +ith him (EG 6:.B A 44)
(o+n at the foot of the mountain$ the only !eo!le around +ere the #sraelites The
Amalekites had been scattered in defeat #t may have been easy for #srael to imagine they +ere
the only !eo!le God +as interested in They +ere the ones +ho had been rescued$ fed$ +atered$
!rotected and brought to this !lace for an a+esome encounter +ith the living God And of
course$ at one level they +ere right
A $pecial People= but )ot the *nly People
There +as indeed a uniDue and s!ecial relationshi! bet+een God and this !eo!le$
established through Abraham #srael +as$ as God had instructed )oses to tell "haraoh$ Emy
firstborn sonF (EG :.66) And God +ould reinforce that s!ecial relationshi! in 4B.< (Emy
treasured !ossessionF)$ and then consolidate it in the Sinai covenant a fe+ cha!ters later ;ut it
+as far from being exclusi$e in the sense that 83'3 could be considered as merely the local
god of one !articular !eo!le
83'3 never had been and never +ould be the God of #srael alone (cf /om 9.6B) 1n
the contrary$ from his elevated mountainJto! altitude$ as it +ere$ God surveys Ethe +hole earthF$
and Eall the nationsF$ and they all belong to him #n other +ords$ that uniDue and s!ecial
relationshi! +ith #srael must be !laced +ithin the +ider universal frame+ork of God=s global
o+nershi!
8es$ God had *ust rescued one !articular nation out of bondage ;ut his ultimate goal +as
to offer salvation to all nations 8es$ God had *ust demonstrated his sovereign !o+er in one
!articular land$ the land of Egy!t ;ut even +hile doing so$ he had made it re!eatedly !lain to
"haraoh himself that his intention +as to !rove that the /hole earth belongs to him and his
sovereignty kno+s no boundaries (EG B.4:$ 4>$ 6B) This is the universal sco!e of God=s
mission$ as +e have been seeing re!eatedly so far in our survey
0o+ of course$ +e can grant that the references to all the nations and the +hole earth in
EGodus 4B.< serve !rimarily to em!hasize the s!ecial status$ identity and role that 9srael +ill
have in that +ider conteGt 0evertheless$ in such an im!ortant conteGt$ at such a crucial *uncture
in #srael=s !ilgrimage$ at such a !ivotal !oint in God=s historical address to them$ the dou!le
reference to this universal dimension (Eall nationsF$ Ethe +hole earthF)$ is very telling
The vie+ from the to! of Sinai is 9>CJdegree$ +ideJangle !anoramic God=s vision and
intentions s!an the +hole earth and all nations The !eo!le and the !lace are !articular (#srael at
Sinai) The God +ho addresses them is a+esomely universal God=s agenda is global
,nfinished Business
E;ut of course it isNF +e might eGclaim For +ho is this God +ho is s!eaking$ after all5
This is the God +ho introduced himself to )oses at this very !lace$ at the burning bush on
)ount Sinai$ +ith the +ords$ E# am the God of your father$ the God of Abraham$ the God of
#saac and the God of %acobF (EG 9.>) And +e kno+ enough no+ about the God of Abraham to
understand that his intentions include all nations As +e eG!lored in cha!ter :$ this is the God
+ho s!oke re!eatedly in Genesis of his !romise to bless Abraham and through him all nations on
earth
So God=s business +ith #srael is really his unfinished business +ith the rest of the +orld$
as it has been ever since Genesis 4C and 44 This !art of the story is no eGce!tion$ but rather the
continuation of that great drama EGodus 4B.<b$ even +hile it focuses !rimarily on #srael=s
distinctive role$ +on=t let the story of #srael !roceed +ithout a reminder of God=s +ider agenda
and the ultimately universal sco!e of his saving sovereignty
That$ then$ is the big !icture That is the reminder of the big story$ +hich is the longJterm
biblical story of God=s bringing all nations into the s!here of his blessing That=s +hat told the
#sraelites +ho they +ere That=s +hat made sense of the !art of the story they had *ust lived
through$ and that +as the foundation for +hat God no+ eG!ected from them
"utting our first and second main sections together no+$ +e see here the future grace of
God=s ultimate mission to the nations alongside the past grace of God=s historical act of
redem!tion And the +hole story of 1ld Testament #srael is slung bet+een these t+o !oles
And so is the story of our o+n lives as disci!les of &hrist in every generation This is
+hat frames the mission of God=s !eo!le All our missional res!onse to God lies bet+een the
!ast and the future$ bet+een grace and glory$ bet+een historical salvation and ongoing mission$
bet+een +hat God has done and +hat God +ill yet do$ bet+een +here +e have come from and
+here +e are going
'ho$ then$ are +e and +hat are +e here for5 'e are the !eo!le (4) +hom God has
redeemed out of bondage and sin (!ast)$ and (6) through +hom God is +orking to bring blessing
to all nations on earth (future)
S!eaking !ersonally$ that is the story +ithin +hich # make sense of that little slice of
s!ace$ time and matter that # call my o+n life #t makes a great deal more sense$ and brings a
great deal more significance$ than the !hiloso!hy eG!ressed on the London buses by /ichard
(a+kins and his atheist friends #t gives a meaning and !ur!ose to this tiny bundle of intelligent
(0A because it locates my !ersonal eGistence +ithin a story that has God at its beginning and its
end That is a story +orth living in That is a story +ith a !ur!ose +orth living for
;ut so +hat5 'hat$ then$ did such a location +ithin the !ast and future grace of God
mean for #srael$ and by eGtension$ for us5 ;et+een the !ast and the future lies the !resent$ and so
+e move on to our third observation in this teGt
P&%$%)T G&AC%7 G*+$ P%*PL% ') G*+$ *&L+ 8 %>*+,$ .?79
E8ou +ill be for me a kingdom of !riests and a holy nationF
6
These !hrases are not immediately obvious to us First$ EkingdomF and EnationF are more
or less neutral God is saying$ E1f course you +ill be a nation and !robably also a kingdom ;ut
the !oint is$ /hat kind of nation and kingdom5F The em!hasis$ then$ is on the descri!tive +ords
#srael +as to be priestl- and hol- These are the +ords +e need to +ork at understanding
!ro!erly
Priestly
To understand +hat it meant for #srael as a +hole to be called God=s !riesthood in
relation to the nations$ +e have to understand +hat #srael=s !riests +ere in relation to the rest of
the !eo!le "riests stood in the middle$ bet+een God on the one hand and all the rest of the
!eo!le on the other #n that intermediate !osition$ !riests had a t+ofold task$ a *ob that meant
+orking in both directions.
Teaching the la/ of God to the people The *ob of the !riests +as to teach God=s la+ to
the !eo!le (see Lev 4C.44K (eut 99.4CK %er 4@.4@) They +ere a!!ointed to make kno+n the
+ays$ +ord and commands of God Through the !riests God +ould be kno+n to his !eo!le
That=s +hy$ +hen the !eo!le +ent so badly astray$ the !ro!hets said it +as because there +as no
kno+ledge of God in the land And +hom did they blame5 The !riests$ for failing to teach (3os
:.4 A BK )al 6.> A ?)
ringing the sacrifices of the people to God (Lev 4 A ?$ etc) #sraelites +ho had sinned
in some +ay +ould bring their animal to the sanctuary$ lay their hands on its head$ and slaughter
it The !riest +ould take the blood and thro+ it against the altar$ re!resenting God Then the
!riest +ould declare to the +orshi!ers that their sins +ere atoned for and that they could come
back into covenant fello+shi! +ith God So then$ through the !riests and their +ork of
atonement$ the !eo!le could come to God
The *ob of !riests$ then$ +as to bring God to the !eo!le and bring the !eo!le to God So
no+$ +ith rich significance$ God says to #srael as a +hole !eo!le.
47ou /ill !e for .e to all the rest of the nations /hat -our priests are for -ou& Through
-ou 9 /ill !eco.e kno/n to the /orld, and through -ou ulti.atel- 9 /ill dra/ the /orld to
.-self&6
That is +hat it meant for #srael to be God=s !riesthood in the midst of the nations As the
!eo!le of 83'3 they +ould have the historical task of bringing the kno+ledge of God to the
nations$ and of bringing the nations to the means of atonement +ith God
#n addition to those t+in tasks$ it +as also a !rime !rivilege and res!onsibility of the
!riests to !less the people in the name of 83'3 (0um >.66 A 6?) So the Abrahamic task of
being a means of blessing to the nations also constituted being a !riesthood in the midst of the
nations %ust as it +as the role of the !riests to bless the #sraelites$ so it +ould be the role of #srael
as a +hole ultimately to be a blessing to the nations
#srael as a Ekingdom of !riestsF is #srael committed to the eGtension throughout the +orld
of the ministry of 8ah+eh=s !resenceMa kingdom not run by !oliticians de!ending u!on strength
and connivance but by !riests de!ending on faith in 8ah+eh$ a servant nation instead of a ruling
nation
John 9& >urha.
9
This dual movement in the !riestly role (from God to !eo!le$ and from !eo!le to God) is
reflected in !ro!hetic visions concerning the nations$ +hich included both centrifugal and
centri!etal dynamics There +ould be a going out from God and a coming in to God 1n the one
hand$ the la+$ or the *ustice$ or the light of 83'3 +ould go out to the nations from #srael or
from Lion (eg$ #sa :6.4 A :) 1n the other hand$ the nations could be !ictured as coming to
83'3$ or to #srael or to %erusalemQLion (eg$ #sa 6.6 A <K >C.4 A 9K Lech 6.44)
The !riesthood of the !eo!le of God$ then$ is a .issional function$ +hich stands in
continuity +ith their Abrahamic election and im!acts the nations %ust as #srael=s !riests +ere
called and chosen to be the servants of God and his !eo!le$ so #srael as a +hole is called and
chosen to be the servant of God and all !eo!les EGodus 4B.: A > carries for+ard the intention of
Genesis 46.4 A 9$ in the saving !ur!oses of God for the +orld
The mission of God=s !eo!le$ then$ includes being God=s !riesthood in the +orld 'e are
a re!resentative !eo!le 1ur task is to re!resent the living God to the +orld$ and to bring the
+orld to ackno+ledge the living God This fits eGactly +ith the +ay the 0e+ Testament also
!resents our res!onsibility as &hristians
The fact that EGodus 4B.9 A @ is a form of re+orking of Genesis 46.4 A 9 reminds us that
this designation links +ith 8h+h=s lordshi! over the +hole +orld and +orks to+ard the +orld=s
inclusion rather than its eGclusion The stretching of the royal !riesthood to include other !eo!les
(/ev 4.>) is in kee!ing +ith the Abrahamic vision
John Goldinga-
:
#f somebody reads on the side of a London bus$ EThere !robably is no GodM$F they
should think$ EThat can=t be right # kno+ Sally$ and she=s a &hristian$ and God is very clearly
alive and +ell in her lifeF 'e are called to be the living !roof of the living God$ to bring God to
!eo!le and to bring !eo!le to God That is our !riesthood That is !art of the mission of God=s
!eo!le
&ertainly this +as eGactly ho+ "aul sa+ his o+n life=s +ork as a missionary to the
Gentiles A the nations 3e reminds the /omans of
the grace God gave me to be a minister of &hrist %esus to the Gentiles 3e gave me the
priestl- dut- of !roclaiming the gos!el of God$ so that the Gentiles might become an offering
acce!table to God$ sanctified by the 3oly S!irit (/om 4<.4< A 4>K italics added)
#n other +ords$ "aul sa+ his role as bringing God to the nations and bringing the nations
to God$ and he !ictures himself as a !riest in doing so "aul could never$ of course$ have
functioned as a !riest in %erusalem 3e +as of the tribe of ;en*amin$ not Levi ;ut he says he had
a !riestly *ob A not in some !rofessional ordained function /ithin the church$ but in his
evangelistic missionary +ork among the Gentiles E$angelis. is a priestl- task
;ut +e must not confine this task only to crossJcultural missionaries "eter a!!lies our
very same teGt (EG 4B.>) to all believers$ +riting !robably to a miGture of %e+ish and Gentile
believers scattered over several !rovinces in Asia )inor 0otice in this rich teGt ho+ "eter
combines several 1ld Testament references$ including EGodus 4B.>$ and goes on to insist that it
affects ho+ +e are to live among the nations
8ou are a chosen !eo!le$ a royal !riesthood$ a holy nation$ God=s s!ecial !ossession$ that
you may declare the !raises of him +ho called you out of darkness into his +onderful light 1nce
you +ere not a !eo!le$ but no+ you are the !eo!le of GodK once you had not received mercy$ but
no+ you have received mercy
(ear friends$ # urge you$ as foreigners and eGiles$ to abstain from sinful desires$ +hich
+ar against your soul H46I Live such good lives among the nations that$ though they accuse you
of doing +rong$ they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us (4 "eter
6.B A 46$ my italics and translation in v 46)
47ou H!luralI are that !riesthood$F says "eter 'e are God=s re!resentatives in the +orld
;ut ho+ can +e function in that +ay5 'hat sort of life can !roduce that kind of effect5
That is +here the second of our t+o !hrases becomes crucial
To be God=s !riesthood$ +e have to be holy
Holy
#n 1ld Testament terms$ being holy did not mean that the #sraelites +ere to be a s!ecially
religious nation At heart$ the +ord EholyF (in 3ebre+$ 5ado?) means different or distincti$e
Something or someone is holy +hen they get set a!art for a distinct !ur!ose in relation to God
and then are ke!t se!arate for that !ur!ose For #srael$ it meant being different by reflecting the
very different God that 83'3 revealed himself to be$ com!ared +ith other gods #srael +as to
be as different from other nations as 83'3 +as different from other gods
There +ere several as!ects to #srael=s holiness in the 1ld Testament that +e must
understand before +e consider ho+ they a!!ly to us as &hristians and to our mission
<
Holiness 8 a Gi;en (act
First of all$ holiness /as a gi$en 8 a fact of #srael=s eGistence That is to say$ God had set
a!art #srael for himself #t +as God=s initiative and choice. E# am the L1/( your God$ +ho has
sanctified youF (Lev 6C.6:$ my trans) A that is$ the God +ho has made you holy$ se!arate$
distinct from the nations %ust like the choice of Abraham and the eGodus eG!erience of
redem!tion$ holiness is a !rior gift of God=s grace #srael=s o+n !riests +ere set a!art by God as
holy +ithin #srael (Lev 64.@$ 4<$ 69) The same thing is also said of #srael as a +hole in relation
to the nations.
8ou are to be holy to me because #$ the L1/($ am holy$ and 9 ha$e set -ou apart fro.
the nations to !e .- o/n& (Lev 6C.6>K italics addedK cf Lev 66.94 A 99)
The same thing is said about &hristians in the 0e+ Testament 'e are those +hom God$
in his grace$ has chosen to EsanctifyF (+hich is the same basic +ord)$ that is$ to set a!art for
himself This is the 0e+ Testament meaning of the +ord EsaintsF #t does not refer to es!ecially
religious !eo!le$ or those +ho have achieved higher status than anybody else through great
s!iritual eGertion or su!remely moral living #t sim!ly means those +hom God has identified as
his o+n
Holiness 8 A Gi;en TasF
;ut then second$ holiness +as an im!erative #srael +as reDuired to live out in daily life
the !ractical im!lications of their status as God=s holy !eo!le E;e +hat you are$F +as the
message E;e differentNF #t could not be !ut more clearly than in this teGt.
8ou must not do as they do in Egy!t$ +here you used to live$ and you must not do as they
do in the land of &anaan$ +here # am bringing you (o not follo+ their !ractices 8ou must obey
my la+s and be careful to follo+ my decrees # am the L1/( your God (Lev 4@.9 A :)
#srael as a Eholy !eo!leF then re!resents a third dimension of +hat it means to be
committed in faith to 8ah+eh Hie$ in addition to being a treasured !ossession and a kingdom of
!riestsI. they are to be a !eo!le set a!art$ different from all other !eo!le by +hat they are and are
becoming A a dis!layJ!eo!le$ a sho+case to the +orld of ho+ being in covenant +ith 8ah+eh
changes a !eo!le
John 9& >urha.
>
The t+o country references are more than geogra!hical Egy!t +as characterized by the
idolatry of military !o+er and em!ire E(on=t mimic the +orld # rescued you from$F said God to
#srael E;e different from the Egy!ts of the +orldF &anaan +as characterized by the idolatry of
fertility and all that ;aal +as su!!osed to bring by +ay of seG$ success$ !ros!erity$ and the like
E(on=t go do+n that road either ;e different from the &anaans of the +orldF These idolatries
are still +ith us in !otent and seductive forms$ and !art of the mission of God=s !eo!le is to be
different
So too in the 0e+ Testament$ holiness is a calling )any times the a!ostles tell their
readers to live out +hat is true of them$ to demonstrate in !ractice the holiness of life that is
consistent +ith the holiness of their status as God=s !eo!le "eter=s first letter is virtually a +hole
tract on eGactly that !oint
Holiness 8 'n All of Life
The strong ethical demand of holiness in 1ld Testament #srael meant living lives of
integrity$ *ustice and com!assion in every area A including !ersonal$ family$ social$ economic and
national life The most com!rehensive single teGt that articulates this ethical dimension of
holiness in #srael is Leviticus 4B
Leviticus 4B is the finest commentary +e have on EGodus 4B.> 47ou shall !e hol-, for 9
a. hol-6 (Lev 4B.6) The o!ening verse eG!resses God=s fundamental demand #t could be
translated more colloDuially$ E8ou must be a different !eo!le$ because 83'3 is a different
GodF 83'3 is utterly uniDue and distinct as God 83'3 is not sim!ly one of the gods of the
nations$ and not even like them
For #srael to be holy$ then$ meant that they +ere to be a distinctive community among the
nations 1r to be more !recise$ #srael +as to be E83'3JlikeF$ rather than like the nations They
+ere to do as 83'3 does$ not as the nations do (Lev 4@.9 A :) 3oliness for #srael meant
reflection on earth of the transcendent holiness of 83'3 himself
So +hat did this reflective holiness mean for #srael5 'hat +ould it mean for them$ in
their historical and cultural circumstances$ to be holy in a +ay that +ould reflect the holiness of
83'35 'hat content might +e eG!ect to be sus!ended under the stark headline of Leviticus
4B.6$ E8ou shall be holyMF5
"erha!s +e +ould eG!ect a list of religious rituals ;ut +e find fe+ EreligiousF la+s in
this cha!ter The bulk of the Leviticus 4B sho+s us that the kind of holiness that reflects God=s
o+n holiness is thoroughl- practical, social and $er- do/n3to3earth Sim!ly listing its contents
highlights this dominant note
3oliness in Leviticus 4B involves.
res!ect +ithin the family and community (vv 9a$ 96)
eGclusive loyalty to 83'3 as GodK !ro!er treatment of sacrifices (vv :$ < A @)
economic generosity in agriculture (vv B A 4C)
observing the commandments regarding social relationshi!s (vv 44 A 46)
economic *ustice in em!loyment rights (v 49)
social com!assion to the disabled (v 4:)
*udicial integrity in the legal system (vv 46$ 4<)
neighbourly attitudes and behaviourK loving one=s neighbour as oneself (vv 4> A 4@)
!reserving the symbolic tokens of religious distinctiveness (v 4B)
seGual integrity (vv 6C A 66$ 6B)
re*ection of !ractices connected +ith idolatrous or occult religion (vv 6> A 94)
no illJtreatment of ethnic minorities$ but rather racial eDuality before the la+ and !ractical
love for the alien as for oneself (vv 99 A 9:)
commercial honesty in all trading transactions (vv 9< A 9>)
And all through the cha!ter runs the refrain. E# am the L1/(F$ as if to say$ E7our Duality
of life must reflect .- character This is +hat # reDuire of -ou because this is +hat reflects .e
This is +hat # myself +ould doF
That$ then$ +as +hat it +ould look like for #srael to be different from the nations 0ot *ust
that they +orshi!ed a different God from their gods$ but that they actually lived and behaved
differently in every dimension of !ersonal and social life
The call to distinctiveness is heard strongly also in the 0e+ Testament "erha!s the
sim!lest and clearest eGam!le is %esus= telling his disci!les that they +ere to be salt and light
8ou are the salt of the earth ;ut if the salt loses its saltiness$ ho+ can it be made salty
again5 #t is no longer good for anything$ eGce!t to be thro+n out and tram!led underfoot
8ou are the light of the +orld A city on a hill cannot be hidden 0either do !eo!le light a
lam! and !ut it under a bo+l #nstead they !ut it on its stand$ and it gives light to everyone in the
house #n the same +ay$ let your light shine before others$ that they may see your good deeds and
glorify your Father in heaven ()att <.49 A 4>)
Salt and light are distinctive$ !enetrating$ transforming A utterly contrasting to corru!tion
and darkness That is +hat &hristians are called to be$ as #srael +as called to be holy 1nce again$
then$ +e find that an essential !art of the mission of God=s !eo!le is nothing other than to be
+hat they are A by living out the holiness of God in !ractical everyday living )ission is not
something that ha!!ens +hen you go some+here else #t starts in your o+n home and
neighbourhood That is +here +e are called to be holy
;ut once again +e ask the Duestion$ 3o+5 3o+ are +e to be such a holy !eo!le5
And that brings us back to our teGt$ this time to verse <a E0o+ if you obey me fully and
kee! my covenantMF (EG 4B.<a) )!edience is the key to being !riestly and holy
Co;enant *bedience
#n the 1ld Testament conteGt$ of course$ EGodus 4B.<a means obedience to the la+ of
God that follo+s immediately (in the (ecalogue and ;ook of the &ovenant) That la+ comes in
the conteGt of the covenantJmaking ceremony of EGodus 6: (in +hich the #sraelites did indeed
undertake to do all that the Lord commanded them$ +ith some irony in vie+ of the history that
follo+ed)
;ut at this !oint it is vital that +e remember again the dou!le context of grace that +e
established in our first t+o ma*or sections A the grace of God=s !ast act of salvation and the grace
of God=s concern for all the nations That is the vitally im!ortant conteGt in +hich obedience is
called for 'e are called to obedience because of +hat God has already done and because of +hat
God +ants to do in and through us
)ost of all$ +e should read verses < and > carefully and notice that obedience is not made
a condition of salvation That is$ God did not say$ E#f you obey me and kee! my covenant$ # +ill
save you and you +ill be my !eo!leF 3e already had saved them and they already +ere his
!eo!le 0o$ obedience to the covenant +as not a condition of sal$ation$ but a condition of their
.ission
1nly through covenant obedience and community holiness could #srael claim or fulfill
the identity and role here offered to them The mission of !riesthood among the nations +as
covenantal$ and like the covenant itself$ its fulfillment and en*oyment +ere inse!arable from
ethical obedience God +as saying$ E#f you live in this +ay$ you can fulfill this roleF #n other
+ords$ for #srael (as also for us)$ obedience +as a matter of grace and res!onse
'hat +e have in these verses is the grace of obedience$ res!onding to the grace of
salvation and living in the grace of mission 1bedience$ here as throughout the ;ible$ is
ultimately for the sake of God=s !ur!ose of bringing salvation and blessing to the +orld of
nations
There is no biblical mission +ithout biblical holiness
$,MMA&1
(ho are /e and /hat are /e here for0 Those are the Duestions +e started +ith The
ans+er from the teGts +e have studied in this cha!ter should no+ be clear
Like 1ld Testament #srael$ +e are !eo!le +ho have eG!erienced !ast grace A God=s
historical acts of redem!tion$ at the eGodus and su!remely$ of course$ at the cross
Like 1ld Testament #srael$ +e are !eo!le +hom God +ants to use for the mission that is
driven for+ard by his future grace A bringing !eo!le of all nations in the +hole earth into that
multinational family of those +ho kno+ him$ love him and +orshi! him alone
Like 1ld Testament #srael$ +e are !eo!le +ho are called to live in res!onse to that grace$
+ith lives that re!resent God to the +orld and that sho+ the difference bet+een the holiness of
the living God$ seen es!ecially in the face of %esus &hrist$ and the degraded ugliness and
im!otence of all the false gods that surround us
#n other +ords$ +e are eGactly as "eter describes us$ +ith the same identity$ the same
mission$ and the same ethical res!onsibility
8ou are a chosen !eo!le$ a royal !riesthood$ a holy nation$ God=s s!ecial !ossession$ that
you may declare the !raises of him +ho called you out of darkness into his +onderful light 1nce
you +ere not a !eo!le$ but no+ you are the !eo!le of GodK once you had not received mercy$ but
no+ you have received mercy
(ear friends$ # urge you$ as foreigners and eGiles$ to abstain from sinful desires$ +hich
+ar against your soul Live such good lives among the !agans that$ though they accuse you of
doing +rong$ they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us (4 "eter 6.B
A 46)
"eter a!!lies EGodus 4B.: A > directly to &hristians. E8ou=ve had your eGodus eG!erience
Hout of darknessI$F he says E8ou=ve tasted God=s grace and mercy 8ou are his !recious$
treasured !ossession$ his very o+n !eo!le 0o+ then$ live by that story Live out that identity
And live +ith such attractive obedience of Ogood lives= that !eo!le +ill be attracted to the God
you +orshi!$ and +hatever they say about you$ they +ill come to glorify himF
&%L%2A)T -,%$T'*)$
4 ELive such good lives among the nations$F said "eter$ echoing EGodus 4B.: A > 'hat
does that mean in your conteGt5 And ho+ can +e avoid sliding into "harisaism or legalism5
6 This cha!ter has stressed ethical obedience$ and yet the key +ord throughout has been
EgraceF (id this sur!rise you5 3o+ +ould you no+ eG!ress and live by the t+in truths that$ on
the one hand$ grace comes before the res!onse of obedience$ and yet$ on the other hand$
obedience as a necessary res!onse is inse!arable from grace received by faith5
9 3o+ does the summary of holiness in Leviticus 4B inform ho+ the mission is to be
accom!lished5 'hich items in the list of instructions in that cha!ter do you find most
challenging and relevant to your o+n conteGt5

CHAPT%& :
P%*PL% H* ATT&ACT *TH%&$ T* G*+
'f # +ere to !ro!ose that the mission of God=s !eo!le is cos.etic$ # +ould be o!en to
serious misunderstanding As the +ord is used today$ it has come to mean something merely
eGternal and su!erficial$ something *ust to make you look good$ !olishing your image
;ut the original meaning of the +ord$ and the Greek from +hich it comes (kos.eo)$ is to
adorn something or someone so that they are seen to be beautiful and attractive That is the sense
that "aul means +hen he tells &hristian slaves to behave +ell so that they can thereby make the
teaching about God=s salvation attractive This assumes that slaves +ant their masters to be
saved$ and so "aul says$ E3ere=s a +ay to make it more likely to ha!!enF
Teach slaves to be sub*ect to their masters in everything$ to try to !lease them$ not to talk
back to them$ and not to steal from them$ but to sho+ that they can be fully trusted$ so that in
every +ay the- /ill .ake the teaching a!out God our Sa$ior attracti$e& (Titus 6.B A 4C$ italics
addedK lit Eso that they may adorn Hkos.osinI the teachingF)
'e have thought a lot in the !receding cha!ters about the ethical dimension of the
mission of God=s !eo!le 'e are to be a !eo!le committed to blessing others (ch :)$ +alking in
the +ay of the Lord$ doing righteousness and *ustice (ch <)$ +orking for holistic redem!tive
blessing for the o!!ressed (ch >)$ and re!resenting God by living lives of !ractical holiness in
the midst of the +orld (ch ?)
This does not$ of course$ eGclude the im!ortance of verbal +itness$ the message +e have
to !roclaim 'e +ill come to that soon enough (in ch 4C) ;ut so far +e have been follo+ing the
;ible=s o+n em!hasis on the kind of !eo!le God=s !eo!le are meant to be rather than the kind of
things they are meant to say All of this !ractical demand$ +e have seen$ is !art of the mission
that God has for us as his !eo!le in the +orld
;ut +hy5
'ell$ one big reason is that such Duality of life is attractive Actually$ in another sense$ it
also re!els !eo!le and leads to !ersecution and suffering$ but that=s a theme for another cha!ter
(ch 49) 1ur main !oint in this cha!ter is to eG!lore through a variety of teGts the theme that
God=s !eo!le are to live in such a +ay that they become attractors A not attractors to themselves$
but to the God they +orshi!
God !e gracious to us and !less us H"salm >?.4I #f only Aaron=s blessing +ould come
trueN #f only God +ere s!ecially to bless them$ and the light of 3is smile +ere to be u!on them
and +ith them al+aysN Surely then the nations +ould see for themselves5 Then the nations +ould
have visual !roof of the eGistence$ activity and grace of God5 Then the nations +ould come to
kno+ 3is +ay and 3is salvationM
The same !rinci!le o!erates today 0onJ&hristian !eo!le are +atching us 'e claim to
kno+$ to love and to follo+ %esus &hrist 'e say that he is our Saviour$ our Lord and our Friend
E'hat difference does he make to those &hristians5F the +orld asks searchingly E'here is their
God5F #t may be said +ithout fear of contradiction that the greatest hindrance to evangelism in
the +orld today is the failure of the church to su!!ly evidence in her o+n life and +ork of the
saving !o+er of God /ightly may +e !ray for ourselves that +e may have God=s blessing and
mercy and the light of his countenance A not that +e may then mono!olize 3is grace and bask in
the sunshine of 3is favour$ but that others may see in us 3is blessing and 3is beauty$ and be
dra+n to 3im through us
John Stott
4
God longs to dra+ !eo!le to himself God seeks the lost$ invites the stranger to come on
home ;ut a !rimary means that he does so is by living in the midst of his o+n !eo!le in such a
+ay that they attract others
0o+ this can ha!!en in various +ays$ and our selection of teGts +ill illustrate that
variety ;ut +hat all these teGts +ill sho+ is that !art of the mission of God=s !eo!le is to have
God so much at the centre of +ho they are and +hat they do$ that there is a centri!etal force$
God=s o+n gravitational !ull$ that dra+s !eo!le into the s!here of his blessing
)issional magnetism is our theme in this cha!ter
ATT&ACT')G C,&'*$'T1 8 +%,T%&*)*M1 57< 8 :
3
(euteronomy !resents )oses as a !reacher$ keen to motivate the #sraelites$ +ho +ere on
the verge of crossing into &anaan$ to be loyal to God +hen they get there by kee!ing his
covenant la+ The book has a great variety of +hat are called Emotive clausesF for obedience
)ost of these motivations a!!eal either to #srael=s o+n benefit (Efor our goodF)$ or to some
feature of God=s activity (in blessing or in !unishment) that #srael needs to take into account
3ere in (euteronomy : +e encounter a motivation that is remarkable in its +ider
!ers!ective #t !uts #srael=s obedience on a +ide o!en stage and invites them to envisage /hat
the nations /ill think as they observe the national life of the !eo!le +hose God is 83'3
See$ # have taught you decrees and la+s as the L1/( my God commanded me$ so that
you may follo+ them in the land you are entering to take !ossession of it 1bserve them
carefully$ for this +ill sho+ your +isdom and understanding to the nations$ +ho +ill hear about
all these decrees and say$ ESurely this great nation is a +ise and understanding !eo!leF 'hat
other nation is so great as to have their gods near them the +ay the L1/( our God is near us
+henever +e !ray to him5 And +hat other nation is so great as to have such righteous decrees
and la+s as this body of la+s # am setting before you today5 ((eut :.< A @)
*pen to Be $een
1ld Testament #srael lived on a very !ublic stage All that ha!!ened in their history +as
o!en to the observation and reaction of the surrounding nations A as in any vibrant international
community such as the ancient 0ear East certainly +as At one level$ this +as *ust a fact of
geogra!hy$ living as they did on the land bridge bet+een three continents (Africa$ Asia and
Euro!e)$ at the crossroads of great !o+ers to the +est and east$ and surrounded by other smaller
nations like themselves ;ut at a theological level it +as even more significant As God=s
!riesthood among the nations$ they +ere even more Eon dis!layF in relation to all that ha!!ened
bet+een them and God
This visibility to the nations could be !ositive or negative #n this !assage it is ho!ed that
it should be !ositive ;ut more realistically (euteronomy foresa+ that the nations +ould be
shocked by the severity of God=s *udgment on #srael +hen they abandoned his +ays and fell into
idolatry ((eut 6@.9?K 6B.66 A 6@) Either +ay$ faithful or unfaithful$ the !eo!le of God +ere an
o!en book to the +orld
The nations are !ortrayed as taking an interest in the !henomenon of #srael as a society$
+ith all the social$ economic$ legal$ !olitical and religious dimensions of the Torah And that
social system +ill lead the nations to the conclusion that #srael as a !eo!le Dualifies as a Egreat
nationF$
9
to be deemed E+ise and understandingF
;ut +hat +ould such a re!utation be based on5 First (v ?)$ it is based on the nearness of
God to his !eo!le Second (v @)$ it is based on the righteousness of the Torah #srael +ould have
an intimacy +ith God and a Duality of social *ustice that no other nation could match These
+ould be the inner facts that +ould !roduce the eGternal re!utation As far as the nations could
see$ the thing that +as different about #srael +as sim!ly the +isdom of their social system The
inner reality +as the !resence of God and the *ustice of God=s Torah
The key !oint +as so.ething had to !e seen by those beyond the limits of God=s !eo!le
That in itself is a missional !ers!ective #nvisibility is not much hel! in mission 1f course
mission means bearing a message (as +e +ill see in due course) ;ut those +ho bear the message
must themselves be transformed by it #t is not enough to be heard onlyK +e must be seen as +ell
*pen to Co"parison
The force of the t+o rhetorical Duestions in verses ? and @ is to in$ite co.parison& ;ut
)oses has no fear that anything +ill invalidate the claim he is making for God and #srael=s la+
0o nation has such a God or such a social system$ he claims
There +as a gathering of the Lausanne &ommittee on 'orld Evangelization at "attaya$
Thailand$ in 4B@C$ under the title$ E3o+ Shall They 3ear5F A comment +ent around among
those committed to the church=s role in issues of *ustice and com!assion alongside evangelistic
!roclamation$ suggesting that the conference also needed to ask$ E'hat (o They See5F The need
to be seen to be different +as eG!ressed in the final statement$ ho+ever$ in a call for 9ntegrit- 8 a
concern for Ethe character and conduct of the message bearer 1ur +itness loses credibility +hen
+e contradict it by our life or lifestyle 1ur light +ill shine only +hen others can see our good
+orks ()att <.4>) #n a +ord$ if +e are to s!eak of %esus +ith integrity$ +e have to resemble
himF
:
0o+ this bold claim for #srael=s social uniDueness +as being made on a cro+ded stage
There +ere !lenty of other claimants for admirable systems of la+ in the +orld of that day #srael
itself kne+ of the ancient and acclaimed legal traditions of )eso!otamia$ like the &ode of
3ammurabi #n fact they had borro+ed and ada!ted some of them 8et this claim for 1ld
Testament la+ is advanced. E8ou +on=t find anything better than thisF
1ld Testament la+ eG!licitly invites A even +elcomes A !ublic ins!ection and
com!arison ;ut the eG!ected result of such com!arison is that #srael=s la+ +ill be found
su!erior in +isdom and *ustice This is a monumental claim #t grants to the nations and to the
readers of this teGt$ including ourselves$ the liberty to analyze 1ld Testament la+ in com!arison
+ith other social systems$ ancient and modern$ and to evaluate its claims
#ndeed$ the humaneness and *ustice of #srael=s overall social and legal system have been
favorably commented on by many scholars +ho have looked at it in great detail in com!arison
+ith other ancient codes of la+ in the contem!orary +orld of 1ld Testament times And even as
&hristians +e still go on finding the social relevance of 1ld Testament la+ today
*pen to Challenge
The !oint is$ then$ that if 9srael +ould live as God intended$ the nations +ould notice
The missional challenge$ therefore$ as +e have seen in earlier cha!ters$ is that the ethical Duality
of life of the !eo!le of God (their obedience to the la+$ in this conteGt) is a vital factor in the
attraction of the nations to the living God A even if only at first out of curiosity
;ut the challenge then becomes$ of course$ /ould God=s !eo!le live in that +ay5 Sadly
+e kno+ from the rest of the story that #srael failed lamentably in this role 0ot only did they not
sho+ the nations +hat righteous la+s God had given them$ but they failed even to live by the
standards of the nations themselves A according to Ezekiel (see Ezek <.< A ?)
The same challenge still faces God=s !eo!le today 1ur mission is$ to say the least$ to
make those around us curious about the God +e +orshi! and the lives +e live ;ut notice that it
is the second (our lives) that leads to the first (curiosity about God)
After all$ +hat +ould the nations actually see5 The nearness of God is by definition
invisible 'hat$ then$ +ould be $isi!le5 1nly the !ractical evidence of the kind of society that
+as built on God=s righteous la+s The +orld +ill be interested in our claims about God (and
ho+ near he is +hen +e !ray to him) only +hen it sees the visible evidence of a very different
+ay of living
1r$ to !ut it the other +ay round$ the +orld +ill see no reason to !ay any attention to our
claims about our invisible God if it sees no visible difference bet+een the lives of those +ho
make such claims and those +ho don=t
ATT&ACT')G $%%0%&$ 8 . 0')G$ :75. 8 54= 9@ 8 9.
The great day had come #t had taken seven years to build$ but no+ it +as com!lete
Solomon=s tem!le +as at last a s!lendid reality$ and no+ it must be dedicated to the Lord so that
he could be invited to allo+ at least his name to d+ell there First 7ings @ records the
celebrations attending the arrival of the ark of the covenant$ follo+ed by Solomon=s great !rayers
of dedication and his eGhortation to the !eo!le
#n many +ays this is the climaG of the reigns of (avid and Solomon This +ould be the
!lace that re!laced the tabernacle in the +ilderness and the sanctuary at Shiloh This +ould be
the !lace that symbolized the !resence of the living God in the midst of his !eo!le$ the !lace
+here they could come before him in +orshi! and !rayer$ and for the cleansing and rectifying
+ork of the sacrifices and ministry of the !riests This building +ould generate a theology and an
out!ouring of the +orshi!ing !oetry of affection and ho!e in the follo+ing centuries #t +ould be
the heartbeat of #srael=s uniDue faith in 83'3 their God
So +hat +ould Solomon=s !rayer eG!ress on this momentous occasion A the dedication of
the tem!le5
The God ho 0eeps His Pro"ises H;;. .5 8 3.E
Solomon begins +here so many of the !rayers of the ;ible begin$ by ackno+ledging
something of the character of God for +hich he is to be !raised #n this case$ Solomon focuses on
ho+ God had ke!t the !romise he made to (avid that one of his sons +ould succeed him as king
and +ould build the tem!le for 83'3 At first he records that as a kind of testimony$ or !ublic
affirmation (vv 4: A 64)
;ut then Solomon goes on$ as he starts addressing God directly in !rayer$ to turn this
truth about God into a feature of the uniDueness of 83'3 the God of #srael #n the language of
(euteronomy (cf (eut :.9<$ 9B)$ he affirms$
L1/($ the God of #srael$ there is no God like you in heaven above or on earth belo+ A
you +ho kee! your covenant of love +ith your servants +ho continue +holeheartedly in your
+ay (4 7ings @.69)
1f course$ in this conteGt$ Solomon has in mind !articularly God=s faithfulness to his
covenant +ith (avid$ but his +ords have +ider resonance #f +e could have got alongside
Solomon in the banDuet after+ard and asked him for further eGam!les of God=s Ekee!ing his
covenant of loveF$ he +ould undoubtedly have !ointed back to the covenant at Sinai$ and above
all to the covenant +ith Abraham
Three elements of God=s !romise to Abraham had been s!ectacularly fulfilled by the time
of Solomon=s reign$ and the account of the reign of his father (avid had highlighted them #srael
had become a great nation$ as God !romised God had abundantly !lessed them$ as their friends
and even enemies recognized And God had given them security in the land he had !romised
them
;ut then$ as +e=ve been remembering re!eatedly$ the !romise to Abraham included God=s
!romise that the blessing of Abraham +ould be a blessing ultimately shared +ith all nations A in
some as yet unforeseeable +ay 'ould that +ider !ers!ective of God=s covenant !romise find a
!lace in Solomon=s !rayer5 /emarkably$ yes
The *utsider ho $eeFs Gods Blessing H;;. 5. 8 54E
Solomon=s !rayer lists a number of situations in +hich #sraelites might need to come to
the tem!le and !ray for God=s hel!. in dis!utes$ after defeat in battle$ in drought$ famine$ disease$
or siege And in each case he asks that God +ould hear their !rayer and res!ond
;ut then come the +ords$ EAs for the foreigner Hthe +ord is generic singularI$ +ho does
not belong to your !eo!leMF 'e might eG!ect something like this to follo+. E(rive him out and
kee! him far from your clean and holy sanctuaryF ;ut no Solomon=s reDuest on behalf of the
foreigner is most sur!rising 'ell$ it is sur!rising because of the false assum!tions +e often bring
to the 1ld Testament$ but !erha!s not so sur!rising after +e have +orked through the last fe+
cha!ters of this book
As for the foreigners +ho do not belong to your !eo!le #srael but have come from a
distant land because of your name A for they +ill hear of your great name and your mighty hand
and your outstretched arm A +hen they come and !ray to+ard this tem!le$ then hear from
heaven$ your d+elling !lace (o +hatever the foreigners ask of you$ so that all the !eo!les of the
earth may kno+ your name and fear you$ as do your o+n !eo!le #srael$ and may kno+ that this
house # have built bears your 0ame (4 7ings @.:4 A :9)
There is an amazing o!enness$ com!assion and vision in this !rayer 1ne commentator
goes so far as to say (though # think #saiah +ould disagree) that this is E!ossibly the most
marvelously universalistic !assage in the 1ld TestamentF
<
3ere$ at the most focused !oint of
#srael=s sense of uniDue !articularity in relation to God$ the very ste!s of the tem!le itself$
Solomon=s !rayer antici!ates the nations being blessed by the God of #srael and the fame of their
God s!reading far and +ide
1ur short teGt is note+orthy for its assum!tions$ its content and its motivation
The Assu"ptions
#n asking +hat he does$ Solomon makes some assum!tions that are significant in
themselves from a missiological !oint of vie+ 3e assu.es that !eo!le of other lands +ill hear of
the re!utation of 83'3 the God of #srael (Eyour great nameF) 3e assu.es that !eo!le from
afar +ill be attracted to come and +orshi! #srael=s God for themselves and seek ans+ers to
!rayer from that God 3e assu.es that #srael=s God can and +ill hear the !rayers of such
foreigners and +ill actually +ant to ans+er them
These assum!tions !roved true in biblical history A!art from the fact that %erusalem +as
a cosmo!olitan city from the days of Solomon$ +ith many foreigners there for commercial or
!olitical reasons +ho +ere doubtless curious to +itness +hat +ent on in Solomon=s ne+ tem!le
(the 2ueen of Sheba being only the most celebrated of Solomon=s tourists)$ +e have 1ld
Testament stories of individuals attracted to #srael=s God (such as /uth or 0aaman) And then
later there +as the +ides!read !henomenon of grou!s of soJcalled EGodJfearersF scattered
around the firstJcentury +orld$ attached to %e+ish synagogues These +ere Gentiles +ho +ere
attracted to the God of the %e+s and came to +orshi! him A !eo!le like the /oman centurion in
Luke ?.4 A <$ &ornelius in Acts 4C$ or those +ho heard "aul gladly in Acts 49.4>$ :> A :@
'hen +e think about the mission of God=s !eo!le$ such assum!tions need to encourage
us too The living God +hom +e +orshi! can dra+ !eo!le from the ends of the earth to himself
God attracts +orshi! and !rayer A even from those +ho do not yet fully kno+ him in all his
biblical revelation And God hears and ans+ers the !rayers of those +ho do not yet belong to his
covenant !eo!le #f that +ere not so$ Solomon could not have !rayed in this +ay A +ithout fear
of rebuke or contradiction
The Duestion is$ do +e see it as !art of our mission to be the living face of that
attractiveness of God$ dra+ing !eo!le to come and find him for themselves5 That is a challenge
+e +ill return to belo+
The Content
'hat Solomon actually asked God to do is no less sur!rising #sraelites kne+ that God
heard and ans+ered !rayer #ndeed it +as a mark of their distinctiveness$ as +e sa+ above ((eut
:.?) ;ut at no time in the 1ld Testament era did God ever !romise in Duite so many +ords to do
for #srael /hate$er the- .ight ask of hi.& 'hen %esus s!oke in this +ay to his disci!les$ there
+as something ne+ and fresh about his !romise !recisely for that reason (%ohn 4<.?K 4>.6:)
8et here Solomon asks this very thing$ long before %esus$ but for !eo!le +ho did not even
belong to #srael Solomon asks God to do for foreigners +hat God had not even guaranteed to do
for #srael And +ho kno+s +hat foreigners might askN 'ho +ould control the Duestion boG5 #t is
an utterly o!enJended !rayer to an utterly o!enJhanded God
The Moti;ation
And +hy should God ans+er Solomon=s !rayer5 #t is one of the features of 1ld
Testament !rayers (often found in the "salms) that !eo!le like to suggest to God a fe+ reasons
+hy it +ould be in God=s o+n best interests to ste! u! and deliver +hat +as being asked for A
*ust in case the !rayer might a!!ear a bit selfish$ you understand #n this case$ Solomon !ro!oses
that if God ans+ers his !rayer by ans+ering the foreigners" !rayers$ then God"s o/n reputation
+ill s!read even further A +hich is the reason +hy !eo!le +ould come to the tem!le in the first
!lace
Solomon the entre!reneur s!ots a multi!lication o!!ortunity God should not be content
+ith *ust a fe+ foreigners even from distant lands$ +hen there +as limitless sco!e for eG!ansion
until Eall the peoples of the earth .a- kno/ -our na.eF #sn=t that +hat God had !romised
Abraham$ after all5
#s this a missionary !rayer$ or +hat5 0ot that #=m suggesting Solomon +as a
EmissionaryF in our sense of the +ord 3is marital arrangements +ould have disDualified him
+ith any mission selection board ;ut the sco!e of the vision that motivated his !rayer here is
outstandingly missional in its im!lications 3e +ants the +hole +orld to kno+ the name of the
one true living God
And is the mission of God=s !eo!le any less than that5 1r for any lesser reason than that5
Surely the greatest motivation for our mission has to be that the name of the Lord$ +hich
for us means the name of the Lord %esus &hrist$ should be kno+n to the ends of the earthK that he
should be the one to +hom !eo!le come in !rayer and from +hom they receive the blessings of
ans+ered !rayer$ es!ecially !rayer for forgiveness and salvation
;ut if that is our motivation$ then our attitudes and !ractice need to match it Sadly$ #srael
did not al+ays match in !ractice the o!en s!irit of Solomon=s !rayer here$ but became negative$
hostile and eGclusive to+ards foreigners Some think that books like /uth and %onah +ere
+ritten$ at least in !art$ to combat such attitudes and reveal the heart of God more clearly
Like+ise$ it is not al+ays easy for us to acce!t God=s acce!tance of outsiders Even %esus got
into trouble in his hometo+n for suggesting such a thing$ +ith biblical !recedents (Luke :.69 A
9C)
"erha!s +e need reminding that all of us start out as EoutsidersF$ +ho have been brought
near and +elcomed by God$ as "aul told the so!histicated Gentile believers in E!hesus (E!h
6.44 A 49) Then +e need to look for +ays in +hich +e can do for others +hat God has done for
us$ in dra+ing others into his magnetic field rather than re!elling them still further
The People ho 0eep Gods Co""ands H;;. 9@ 8 9.E
And that is +here +e come back$ as +e so often do$ to the ethical res!onse that is needed
if the +orld is to see God=s attractiveness
Solomon finished his !rayer and then addressed the #sraelites once more 3e re!eats +hat
he has said about God$ and then he urges the !eo!le to +alk in his +ays$ for the same remarkably
missional reason$
so that all the !eo!les of the earth may kno+ that the L1/( is God and that there is no
other And may your hearts be fully committed to the L1/( our God$ to live by his decrees and
obey his commands$ as at this time (4 7ings @.>C A >4)
#f only +hat Solomon urged on his !eo!le had remained true of Solomon himself Sadly$
as +e kno+$ it did not$ and the accumulated social and economic o!!ression of his later reign in
the end cost his son /ehoboam more than half his kingdom in the great rebellion under
%eroboam ;ut the record stands against him in advance$ out of his o+n mouth as it +ere
The combination of mission (v >C) and ethics (v >4) is clear A as clear as in Genesis
4@.4B #f the +orld is to kno+ +ho God is$ then the character of the living God must be seen in
the behaviour of his living !eo!le 1nly as +e reflect the character and +ays of God can +e
attract others to +ant to kno+ him$ to come to !ray to him
God /ill kee! his !romises$ and he has been doing so since long before Solomon
1utsiders /ill seek God=s blessing$ and all around us they are doing so even no+ The Duestion is
+hether +e might miss out on the eGcitement and *oy of sharing in God=s attraction by failing to
have hearts that are fully committed to the Lord God in !ractical daily living according to his
+ays and standards For our mission begins as +e seek to live in that +ay A a +ay that enables
God to attract outsiders to himself
ATT&ACT')G A+M'&AT'*) 8 J%&%M'AH .47. 8 ..
#t +as sho!!ing day again for %eremiah 0ot to the !otter=s sho! this time (ch 4@)$ but to
the tailor=s 3e needed a ne+ sash$ and God told him +hat kind to buy
Thus the L1/( said to me$ EGo and buy yourself a linen +aistband$ and !ut it around
your +aist$ but do not !ut it in +aterF So # bought the +aistband in accordance +ith the +ord of
the L1/( and !ut it around my +aist (%er 49.4 A 6$ 0AS;)
The +ord EbeltF in T0#- does not really describe the !iece of clothing in Duestion #t
+ould have been a sizeable !iece of cloth$ +orn around the +aist and loins$ over the lo+er
garment
>
#n s!arkling fresh +hite linen$ it +ould have been a very attractive !iece of sartorial
elegance$ and !robably rather out of character for %eremiah 'alking round %erusalem +ith that
on +ould have attracted attention$ and !erha!s some grudging admiration
;ut then God told him to go and bury it in the soil by a river A +hich he dutifully did$
doubtless +ith reluctanceN )onths later he is told to go and dig it u! again$ and to nobody=s
sur!rise$ the !iece of cloth$ once so decorative$ has become a soiled$ rotten rag$ Eruined and
com!letely uselessF 3e +asn=t going to be seen around the city +earing that A though !robably
the message he no+ had to give meant that he carried it around and sho+ed the disgusting thing
to the !eo!le +ho had once admired him +hen it +as !ristine (vv 9 A @)
And the !oint +as5
EThese +icked !eo!le$ +ho refuse to listen to my +ords$ +ho follo+ the stubbornness of
their hearts and go after other gods to serve and +orshi! them$ +ill be like this belt A com!letely
uselessN For as a belt is bound around the +aist$ so # bound the +hole house of #srael and the
+hole house of %udah to me$F declares the L1/($ Eto be my !eo!le for my reno+n and !raise
and honor ;ut they have not listenedF (%er 49.4C A 44)
The imagery is striking God com!ares his covenant +ith #srael to a man binding a !iece
of clothing around himself
God /ants to /ear his peopleL
;ut the imagery goes further This is not *ust underclothing or factory overalls This is
clothing +orn for sho+ God uses three +ords here A reno/n, praise and honor A that come
together as a tri!let in another verse$ about #srael itself This is God=s covenantal !ur!ose for
#srael.
3e HGodI has declared that he +ill set you H#sraelI in praise, fa.e and honor high above
all the nations he has made and that you +ill be a !eo!le holy to the L1/( your God$ as he
!romised ((eut 6>.4B)
'hen my +ife !uts on a beautiful ne+ dress$ # may +ell say ho+ nice the dress looks$
but my !raise is really for her$ +hose beauty the dress has enhanced even more #f # !raise the
dress$ it is really her that # am !raising So$ if the nations come to !raise #srael$ it is 83'3 +ho
is really the one being !raised #srael is sim!ly the decorative clothing that God is +earing to
dis!lay his o+n glory and beauty
#n that teGt$ the fame is for #srael$ but it is clear that the ultimate beneficiary is God
himself 'hatever levels of reno+n$ !raise and honour may come #srael=s +ay among the nations
is actually for 83'3$ the God +ho chose them as his covenant !eo!le and +ants to look good
+earing them in !ublic$ as it +ere The imagery of %eremiah=s acted !arable in %eremiah 49
eG!resses this +ell The bright ne+ +aistband +as beautiful in itself$ but the !oint of +earing it
+as to bring !leasure and !raise to the +earer
This !uts another interesting !ers!ective on election God had chosen #srael$ yes ;ut he
had done so as a !erson might choose a !articular !iece of clothing for a s!ecial occasion #t is
not so much a !rivilege for the !iece of clothing in being chosen as the !ur!ose behind it A to
make the +earer look good 'hen # choose one !articular shirt rather than another$ the !oint is
not to !rivilege that shirt above all others$ but because that is the one in +hich # +ill look best for
the !ur!ose for +hich # +ill +ear it Like+ise$ in choosing to +ear #srael$ God had a +ider
agenda$ namely$ the eGaltation of his o+n name among the nations through +hat he +ould
ultimately accom!lish$ Edressed +ithF #srael
And it +as that +ider !ur!ose of God that the #sraelites +ere frustrating by their
disobedience They had become as corru!t as a ne+ +aistband that has lain in +et soil for many
months A to return to %eremiah=s gra!hic actedJout !arable God sim!ly couldn=t +ear them
anymore Far from bringing him !raise and honour$ they brought him shame and disgrace
?
3o+
could God attract admirers dressed in the filthy rags of such !eo!le5 Their rottenness +ould
bring him into contem!t
For that reason$ if God=s !ur!ose for the nations +ere to !roceed$ God +ould have to deal
+ith #srael first And so it is significant that the neGt time +e come across that little tri!let of
+ords$ it is in a !romise A the !romise that God +ill once again make his !eo!le fit to bring him
admiration and !raise
# +ill cleanse them from all the sin they have committed against me and +ill forgive all
their sins of rebellion against me Then this city Hthe city of %erusalem$ standing for the !eo!le of
GodI +ill bring me reno/n, Ao-, praise and honor before all the nations on earth that hear of all
the good things # do for it$ and they +ill be in a+e and +ill tremble at the abundant !ros!erity
and !eace # !rovide for it (%er 99.@ A BK italics addedK E*oyF is added to the original three$
Ereno+nQname$ !raise and gloryQhonorF)
Thus +e have to ask$ ho+ does our mission as God=s !eo!le fit this meta!hor5 Are +e
living in such a +ay that the God +e claim to +orshi! attracts admiration from those around5 1r
does God look at us and think$ E# can=t be seen +earing !eo!le like thatNF
EAttracting admirationF # ho!e it is clear that the admiration is for God, not for us ;ut it
still has to be said that if there is fundamentally nothing in the least admirable about the lives of
&hristians individually$ or the collective +itness of the church$ then there is small ho!e of the
+orld finding anything to admire in the God +e re!resent$ the God +ho +ants to !ut us on like a
dress suit or a !arty go+n
ATT&ACT')G *&$H'P 8 '$A'AH 9@
#saiah >C is a cha!ter that begins (vv 4 A 9) and ends (vv 4B A 6C) in light And it is a
!o+erfully attractive light$ for it +elcomes home not *ust a +eary traveler$ but the nations of the
+orld #t is a rich cha!ter that s!eaks of God=s intentions for his o+n !eo!le and the universal
im!lications for the +orld as a +hole The overall thrust of this !assage is that +hen God comes
to redeem his !eo!le$ the nations +ill come to +orshi! God$ and the +orld +ill come to kno+
!eace and *ustice
# used to live at All 0ations &hristian &ollege in a house on cam!us that +as set in Duite
thick +oodland Every time # +ould return home at night from some *ourney$ my heart +ould
Duicken as # drove round the bend from +hich # could see the lights of my home t+inkling
through the trees$ telling me that my +ife and family +ere at home and a +elcome a+aited me
there Light is attractive #t dra+s you in out of the darkness Ask any moth Thankfully$ the
missional light of God attracts !eo!le out of darkness to a destiny very different from moths
So #saiah >C has a strongly missional message in connecting the light of God himself$ the
light of God=s !eo!le in the +orld$ and the light that the +orld +ill come to live and +alk in
This is missional light #t is the light of God attracting the +orshi! of the +orld
God 's Co"ing to His People H;;. . 8 3E
#n order to a!!reciate the scale and sco!e of this great cha!ter of #saiah$ +e need to ste!
back a bit and recall the flo+ of the book of #saiah to this !oint
#n cha!ters 4 A 9B the book highlights God=s demand for righteousness$ #srael=s utter
failure to sho+ it$ and the resultant *udgment of God that ended in eGile
#n cha!ters :C A << +e are a+estruck at the great act of God=s redem!tion and restoration
of his !eo!le$ !ortrayed as a ne+ eGodus$ !romising to bring them back from eGile in ;abylon
From cha!ter <> on +e find that even after the return from eGile$ the !eo!le of #srael are
still living in a state of sin and failure The climaG of that situation is reached in the tragic
descri!tion of the !eo!le by the !ro!het in <B.46 A 4<
For our offenses are many in your sight$
and our sins testify against us
1ur offenses are ever +ith us$
and +e ackno+ledge our iniDuities.
rebellion and treachery against the L1/($
turning our backs on our God$
inciting revolt and o!!ression$
uttering lies our hearts have conceived
So *ustice is driven back$
and righteousness stands at a distanceK
truth has stumbled in the streets$
honesty cannot enter
Truth is no+here to be found$
and +hoever shuns evil becomes a !rey (#sa <B.46 A 4<a)
So +hat !ossible ho!e can there be5 1nly in God 1nly if God himself acts decisively in
righteousness$ to *udge and to save And that is eGactly +hat God says he +ill do in <B.4<b A 6C
EThe /edeemer +ill come to Lion$
to those in %acob +ho re!ent of their sins$F
declares the L1/( (#sa <B.6C)
God +ill come and bring redem!tion to a !eo!le +ho certainly don=t deserve it$ but +ho
are +illing to re!ent and receive it
That$ then$ is +hat #sa >C.4 announces A the arrival at last of God himself #n the
!ro!het=s vision$ God has come$ the light has da+ned$ the sun has risen$ and the glory of God
himself is being shared +ith his !eo!le #srael
Arise$ shine$ for your light has come$
and the glory of the L1/( rises u!on you
;ut the o!!osite of light is darkness$ so if God has come as the light of revelation and
redem!tion to 9srael$ then the rest of the /orld must still be in the darkness of ignorance of sin
;ut in their !resent state$ #srael needs to remember that they +ere at that time in darkness too$ as
they +ere all too a+are +hen they faced u! to reality
So *ustice is far from us$
and righteousness does not reach us
'e look for light$ but all is darknessK
for brightness$ but +e +alk in dee! shado+s
Like the blind +e gro!e along the +all$
feeling our +ay like !eo!le +ithout eyes
At midday +e stumble as if it +ere t+ilightK
among the strong$ +e are like the dead (#sa <B.B A 4C)
#srael +as no better than the Gentile nations around them There is no differenceK all have
sinned$ as "aul +ould later !ut it (/om 9.66 A 69)
So$ then$ the only ho!e for 9srael and for the /orld is that God +ould come as redeemer
and saviour$ bringing light out of darkness for both alike And that is eGactly +hat the !ro!het
envisages.
See$ darkness covers the earth
and thick darkness is over the !eo!les$
but the L1/( rises u!on you
and his glory a!!ears over you (#sa >C.6)
0o+ as &hristians$ of course$ +e read this teGt in the light of the coming of the Lord
%esus &hrist #ndeed this is one of the 1ld Testament teGts commonly read at &hristmas$ and even
more at E!i!hany (the revelation of &hrist to the Gentiles$ +ith the coming of the )agi)
#n %esus of 0azareth$ God himself came to be the saviour of his !eo!le EThe arm of the
L1/(F has been revealed (#sa <4.<$ BK <6.4CK <9.4K <B.4>) in the !erson of God=s servant and
Son EToday$F said %esus$ Duoting a !assage only a short distance from our teGt$ Ethis scri!ture
has been fulfilled in your hearingF (Luke :.64$ Duoting #sa >4.4 A 9)
This$ to remind ourselves of cha!ter 6$ is the story This +as #srael=s story This is our
story The story of the mission of God and of God=s !eo!le to the end of the +orld #t is the story
of God=s !romised coming$ bringing the light of salvation
The orld 's Co"ing to God H;;. 4 8 .9E
;ut then the !ro!het goes on to the neGt logical thing #f God has come to save his
!eo!le$ the nations /ill co.e to this sa$ing God& For +hen the light goes on in #srael$ those still
in darkness +ill be attracted to come to the light$ that is$ to the saving +ork of God accom!lished
in #srael
0ations +ill come to your light$
and kings to the brightness of your da+n (#sa >C.9)
This echoes t+o earlier !ro!hecies in #saiah. the nations flo+ing u! to the mountain of
the Lord (#sa 6.4 A <)$ and the light da+ning on those +ho sit in darkness (#sa B.6) ;ut here it
is filled out in three +ays 'hen the nations come to God=s light$ they +ill come bringing #srael=s
children$ bringing gifts$ and bringing +orshi!
Co"ing !ith 'sraels Children fro" the )ations H;;. 5= ?aE
/emember$ #srael had eG!erienced eGile and scattering among the nations$ so the !ro!het
!ictures the nations bringing their children (the neGt generation) back home A indeed$ so many
there +ill be hardly room for them (#sa :B.4B A 66)
;ut in +ider 1ld Testament !ers!ective$ /ho /ill these children of 9srael !e$ returning to
Lion5 0ot *ust ethnic #sraelites$ but !eo!le of all nations$ as God had !romised Abraham So
"salm @?$ for eGam!le$ sees !eo!le of many nations registered as nativeJborn citizens of Lion
And this ingathering of the nations ha!!ens$ of course$ in the 0e+ Testament as the gos!el goes
out to the nations and gathers them through faith in %esus into the family of Abraham (Gal 9.6>
A 6@)
Co"ing !ith the Gifts of the )ations H;;. <= ?a= ..E
The !ro!het !ictures nations from all !oints of the com!ass bringing their most !recious
+ealth in gratitude to God for the salvation that has come to them A from north and +est (the sea
trade of "hoenicia$ v <)K from south and east ()idia and Arabia$ vv > A ?)K and from the ends of
the earth (the HAtlantic5I islands beyond Tarshish A !robably S!ain$ v B) #t +as this vision that
the )agi symbolized +hen they brought their gifts to %esus$ !rototy!ical of the gifts of all
nations "aul may have seen his collection among the Gentiles as also symbolizing the fulfilling
of this !ro!hecy (/om 4<.6< A 6B)
The +ealth of the +hole +orld ultimately belongs to God and +ill one day beautify the
!lace of God=s d+elling +ith his redeemed !eo!le So beyond the *udgment and !urging of the
nations lies the !ros!ect of the redem!tion (not the obliteration) of all that human civilization$
culture$ +ork and trade +ill have !roduced #t +ill be brought as cleansed gifts into the city of
God /evelation builds #saiah=s imagery into its o+n vision of the same thing (/ev 64.69 A 6?)
Co"ing !ith the orship of the )ations H;;. 9= A= ?b= .4E
'e need to read those verses seeing the em!hasis on +orshi!ing God, the God of #srael
The nations are coming not to flatter 9srael$ or to enrich #srael$ or to be enslaved by #srael The
language could sound a bit that +ay$ but +e should remember the conteGt A long years of eGile$
o!!ression and suffering That +ill all be turned u!side do+n$ the !ro!het says ;ut the main
!oint is this. since it is the God of #srael +ho has brought salvation and light to the nations$ it
+ill be this same God of #srael to +hom the +orld +ill come in !raise and +orshi!
And above all$ the result +ill be that the +hole +orld +ill kno+ +ho the living God is A
+hich is the goal of all God=s mission
Then you +ill kno+ that #$ the L1/($ am your Savior$
your /edeemer$ the )ighty 1ne of %acob (#sa >C.4>b)
So$ +hen the light of salvation da+ns as it did +hen %esus came$ the !ro!het=s vision is
that the nations +ill be attracted to that light as a great multinational community bringing their
!raise and +orshi! to the living God And that is eGactly +hat has been ha!!ening for t+o
thousand years since "entecost$ through the mission of God=s !eo!le to the ends of the earth
Peace 's Co"ing to the orld H;;. .A 8 33E
;ut the vision is not Duite over$ and indeed$ there is an element of it that lies ahead of us
yet #f God has come to redeem his !eo!le$ and if the nations are coming to God$ then
transformation is coming to the +orld As in the visions of #saiah B$ 44 and 96$ +e hear +hat it
+ill be like +hen God comes to reign #t is a glorious !icture of !eace +ith *ustice (>C.4?b)$ of
the end of violence and +ar (v 4@)$ of the beautifying !resence of God (vv 4B A 6C)$ and of the
moral goodness of God=s !eo!le (v 64)
This is a !icture of ne+ creation reality$ +hich$ as +e kno+$ is not yet As God says in
#saiah >C.66$ Ein its time # +ill do this s+iftlyF That is the assurance +ith +hich +e +ait in faith
and ho!e
There is an intriguing sense in +hich #saiah >C covers all the horizons of the 0e+
Testament.
Merses ; 8 * lead us to the Gos!els$ &hristmas and Easter. God has come$ the light has
da+ned$ salvation has been accom!lished in &hrist
Merses G 8 ;N lead us to Acts and the e!istles$ the mission of the church$ the gos!el
reaching out to bring light to all nations$ attracting them to come in out of the darkness$ and
bringing their +orshi! to the living$ saving God
Merses ;< 8 ** lead us to /evelation 64 A 66$ the end of the !resent +orld order of
+ickedness$ violence and in*ustice$ and the ne+ creation of !erfect !eace and righteousness
;ut +here does this leave us here and no+5 'hat does this tell us about our mission as
the !eo!le of God5 'e are to shine as God=s light to the nations
'e go back to the very start and listen to the first verse again (#sa >C.4) #t is not *ust a
!rediction$ but a su..ons A 42riseL ShineL6 God=s !eo!le are to shine +ith the light of God$ to
live out the attractiveness of God=s saving light$ in lives that are being transformed in the !resent
God has brought the lightK +e are to do the shining 'e often sing$ EShine$ %esus$ ShineF #
sometimes hear a voice from heaven muttering$ EShine yourselves$ +hy don=t you5F
The light +ith +hich +e are to shine is not *ust the light of a verbal !roclamation of the
gos!el (though it includes that as +e +ill see)$ but the light of demonstrated *ustice and
com!assion A as #saiah <@.@ A 4C had made very clear
#f you do a+ay +ith the yoke of o!!ression$
+ith the !ointing finger and malicious talk$
and if you s!end yourselves in behalf of the hungry
and satisfy the needs of the o!!ressed$
then -our light /ill rise in the darkness,
and your night +ill become like the noonday (#sa <@.B A 4CK italics added)
That=s +hat it means to be !eo!le +ho attract others to the +orshi! of God That=s !art of
the mission of God=s !eo!le
ATT&ACT')G APP&*2AL
From #saiah >C it is but a short ste! to the 0e+ Testament There too +e see that !art of
the mission of God=s !eo!le is to live in such a +ay that they are attractive to the outside +orld
and dra+ others to find him
E8ou$F said %esus one day to a bunch of scruffy and !robably rather astonished disci!les$
Eyou are the light of the +orldF #magine the sur!rise of such a statement to !eo!le +ho kne+
scri!tures like #saiah <@ and >C very +ell A not to mention +hat God had said to his Servant +ho
+ould embody the mission of #srael itself A
# +ill also make you a light for the nations$
that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth (#sa :B.>)
Then %esus +ent on to eG!lain eGactly +hat he meant by being such light 3ere is as
missional a statement as any.
8ou are the light of the +orld A city on a hill cannot be hidden 0either do !eo!le light a
lam! and !ut it under a bo+l #nstead they !ut it on its stand$ and it gives light to everyone in the
house #n the same +ay$ let your light shine before others$ that they may see your good deeds and
glorify your Father in heaven ()att <.4: A 4>)
(isci!les of &hrist are to shine +ith a light that is visible and attractive$ and the light
consists of Egood deedsF And the Duality of that ethical light is to be such that it attracts !eo!le
ultimately to God himself$ so that he is glorified #t is all the same dynamic that +e have
observed in the 1ld Testament !assages above And it is the same dynamic that "eter$ +ho heard
that teaching from %esus$ !assed on in his o+n letter (4 "eter 6.46)
0o+ in the same cha!ter$ of course$ %esus has +arned his disci!les that if they live the
life of God=s kingdom$ they +ill also suffer !ersecution ;ut alongside that reality of !ersecution
+e must also set this teaching about the missional attractiveness of shining in the +orld +ith
ethical &hristlikeness
The church in Acts +as !ersecuted$ certainly ;ut Luke records that it also attracted
a!!roval and favour in some Duarters And he makes that !oint s!ecifically after commenting on
the Duality of its social and economic life #n caring for one another and ensuring that there +ere
no needy !eo!le among them$ the early believers demonstrated a ne+ Duality of living that +as
a!!ealing And it +as that Duality of life that reinforced the evangelistic !reaching of the
a!ostles$ so that !eo!le *oined the church in great numbers
'e are sent into the +orld$ like %esus$ to serve For this is the natural eG!ression of our
love for our neighbours 'e love 'e go 'e serve And in this +e have (or should have) no
ulterior motive True$ the gos!el lacks visibility if +e merely !reach it$ and lacks credibility if +e
+ho !reach it are interested only in souls and have no concern about the +elfare of !eo!le=s
bodies$ situations and communities 8et the reason for our acce!tance of social res!onsibility is
not !rimarily in order to give the gos!el either a visibility or a credibility it +ould other+ise lack$
but rather sim!le uncom!licated com!assion Love has no need to *ustify itself #t merely
eG!resses itself in service +henever it sees need
John Stott
@
All the believers +ere together and had everything in common They sold !ro!erty and
!ossessions to give to anyone +ho had need Every day they continued to meet together in the
tem!le courts They broke bread in their homes and ate together +ith glad and sincere hearts$
!raising God and enAo-ing the fa$or of all the people And the Lord added to their number daily
those +ho +ere being saved (Acts 6.:: A :?K italics added)
"aul also sa+ &hristian behaviour as a shining light in a dark +orld$ !ossibly having in
mind +hat (aniel had said about +ise believers leading many to righteousness ((an 46.9).
(o everything +ithout grumbling or arguing$ so that you may become blameless and
!ure$ Echildren of God +ithout fault in a +ar!ed and crooked generationF Then -ou /ill shine
a.ong the. like stars in the sky as you hold firmly to the +ord of life ("hil 6.4: A 4>K italics
added)
"eter +as not suggesting that &hristian +ives of unbelieving husbands should be
unattracti$e +hen he told them not to let their beauty be a matter of hairstyle and *e+elry
/ather$ he +anted their beauty (and he assures them they are beautiful) to shine through their
character and behaviour$ so that they may E+inF their husbands to faith in &hrist (4 "eter 9.4 A
:) That +ould be their most im!ortant attractiveness
$,MMA&1
;ut let=s finish the cha!ter +here +e began$ +ith slaves and the remarkable !o+er they
had$ according to "aul$ to a!!ly some cosmetic a!!eal to the doctrine of salvation (Titus 6.B A
4C) 'hat a remarkable !rivilegeN The evangelistic +ork of the church +as teaching the +orld
about a saviour God A not the /oman em!eror (+ho claimed eGactly those titles)$ but %esus$ the
crucified )essiah of #srael 'hat a *okeN The +hole thing +as ridiculous to so!histicated Greek
citizens$ until they noticed the change that had come over their slaves (many of +hom +ere
converted in early &hristianity) #f sla$es +ere transformed in their behaviour$ there could be
something a!!ealing in this teaching after all
Thus$ "aul goes on to a general eGhortation to all &hristians to live in +ays that res!ond
to the saving grace of God$ as +e live bet+een t+o Ee!i!haniesF A bet+een &hrist=s first
Ea!!earingF for salvation$ and his second Ea!!earingF in glory
For the grace of God has a!!eared that offers salvation to all !eo!le #t teaches us to say
E0oF to ungodliness and +orldly !assions$ and to live selfJcontrolled$ u!right and godly lives in
this !resent age$ +hile +e +ait for the blessed ho!e A the a!!earing of the glory of our great God
and Savior$ %esus &hrist$ +ho gave himself for us to redeem us from all +ickedness and to !urify
for himself a !eo!le that are his very o+n$ eager to do /hat is good& (Titus 6.44 A 4:K italics
added)
;ut could it +ork5 (o good +orks have sufficiently transforming and attracting !o+er$ as
%esus$ Luke$ "aul and "eter tell us5 (o they really contribute to$ let alone constitute$ mission5
3ere is the o!inion of %ohn (ickson
3umanly s!eaking$ no one +ould have thought it !ossible to bring the nations to the
+orshi! of God through sim!le good deeds 3o+ on earth could Egood deedsF change a realm as
mighty as the /oman Em!ire$ let alone the +hole +orld5 As unlikely as it may have sounded at
the time$ %esus= call to be the light of the +orld +as taken seriously by his disci!les They
devoted themselves to Duite heroic acts of godliness They loved their enemies$ !rayed for their
!ersecutors and cared for the !oor +herever they found them
'e kno+ that the %erusalem church set u! a large daily food roster for the destitute
among them A no fe+er than seven &hristian leaders +ere assigned to the management of the
!rogram (Acts >.4 A ?) The a!ostle "aul$ !erha!s the greatest missionaryQevangelist ever$ +as
utterly devoted to these kinds of good deeds #n res!onse to a famine that ravaged "alestine
bet+een A( :> A :@ "aul conducted his o+n decadeJlong international aid !rogram earmarked
for !overtyJstricken "alestinians 'herever he +ent$ he asked the Gentile churches to contribute
+hatever they could to the !oor in %erusalem
&hristian Egood deedsF continued long after the 0e+ Testament era 'e kno+$ for
instance$ that by A( 6<C the &hristian community in /ome +as su!!orting 4$<CC destitute
!eo!le every day All around the )editerranean churches +ere setting u! food !rograms$
hos!itals and or!hanages These +ere available to believers and unbelievers alike This +as an
innovation 3istorians often !oint to ancient #srael as the first society to introduce a
com!rehensive +elfare system that cared for the !oor and marginalised +ithin the community
&hristians inherited this tradition but o!ened it u! to %e+ and Gentile$ believer and unbeliever$
alike
And the result of all this5 'ell$ +ithin t+o and a half centuries &hristians had gone from
being a small band of several hundred "alestinian %e+s to the greatest social force in +orld
history #n fact$ the influence of &hristian good +orks +as so great in the fourth century that
Em!eror %ulian (A( 994 A 9>9) became fearful that &hristianity might take over the +orld
forever by the stealth of good +orks
B
Sadly$ Em!eror %ulian=s fears have !roved unfounded ;ut +hat if he=d been right5
&%L%2A)T -,%$T'*)$
4 Someone has said that +hereas God +anted the life of his !eo!le to arouse Duestions$
the church today only arouses sus!icion 'hat kind of Duestions do you think !eo!le are asking
as they +atch your life$ or the life of your church5
6 'ho are the EoutsidersF in relation to your community5 #n +hat +ays do you think
they are Eseeking GodF$ consciously or other+ise5 'hat does Solomon=s !rayer teach us about
ho+ +e should !ray for them and live in relation to them5
9 #n +hat +ay does the image of God E+earingF #srael as a garment affect your
understanding of the im!ortance of covenant faithfulness as a &hristian5
: %esus !robably had #saiah <@ A >C in mind +hen he described his disci!les as Ethe light
of the +orldF and told them to Elet their light shineF /ead #saiah <@ (as a +hole$ but notice vv @
and 4C) and reflect on the radical nature of +hat that means today

CHAPT%& :B
')T%&L,+% 8 PA,$% (*& TH*,GHT
e have reached the half +ay !oint in our *ourney through this book$ so this seems a
suitable s!ot to take a break and survey the road +e have traveled$ remember the scenery +e
have vie+ed$ and get ready for the road ahead
'e have taken the title The Mission of God"s 1eople as asking t+o fundamental Duestions
about ourselves$ E'ho are +e and +hat are +e here for5F So far$ the main em!hasis +e have
found in a +ide range of teGts that talk about God=s !eo!le is that they are created and called to
li$e in certain +ays in their relationshi! to God$ to the +orld and to others
'hat have +e learned so far5
'e started in cha!ter 6 by recognizing ho+ im!ortant it is to read the +hole ;ible as the
story of the mission of God$ from creation to ne+ creation$ and to see that +e eGist as God=s
!eo!le +ithin that great story$ to serve God=s !ur!ose in creation itself and in the midst of the
nations #t is not so much that God has a mission for his church as that God has a church for his
mission 'e eGist to serve God=s mission That=s +hy it is so im!ortant to kno+ +hat that
mission is$ from the +hole of the ;ible he has given to us
Then in cha!ter 9 +e !aid attention to the +ay the ;ible begins and ends A +ith creation
itself Even as God=s !eo!le +e remain human beings$ mandated to serve and care for the earth
in +hich he has !ut us That is a !art of our mission that derives from our humanity itself ;ut it
!oints on+ard also to+ards the redem!tion of all things 'e have not been saved out of creation$
but rather creation itself +ill be redeemed along /ith us&
From our eG!loration of God=s covenant +ith Abraham in cha!ter :$ +e kno+ that the
chief agent of God=s mission is the !eo!le of God #n order to bring blessing to all nations$ God
created the !eo!le of Abraham$ and in &hrist +e belong to that !eo!le The reason for our
eGistence and the mission entrusted to us is the same in !rinci!le for us as &hristians as it +as for
1ld Testament #srael
From Genesis 4@.4B +e learned in cha!ter < that God=s reDuirement of the !eo!le of
Abraham (+hich includes all +ho are in &hrist) is that they should kee! the +ay of the Lord by
doing righteousness and *ustice$ in order for God to kee! his !romise of blessing the nations
3o+ +e live (ethics) is the connector bet+een our election and our !artici!ation in God=s
mission
From the story of the eGodus itself in cha!ter >$ +e understand more com!rehensively
God=s idea of redem!tion$ and +e should not lose those broad dimensions +hen +e see God the
redeemer accom!lishing our total liberation through the cross and resurrection of &hrist Those
+hom God redeemed are then called to reflect his action and the motivation behind it$ in living
redem!tively in the +orld in the +ay +e behave to others
From EGodus 4B and Leviticus 4B$ +e sa+ in cha!ter ? that #srael=s identit- (to be a
!riestly kingdom) constituted a .ission (to bless the nations by bringing God to them and
bringing them to God) That remains the mission of God=s !eo!le in &hrist$ to be the living !roof
of the living God And #srael=s .ission demanded an ethic (to be a holy nation$ ie$ to be
fundamentally different from the surrounding nations) The same demand underlies our mission
'e are called to be different There is no !i!lical .ission /ithout !i!lical ethics
Living in +ays that reflect God=s o+n character should make God=s !eo!le as attractive
as God himself is So +e eG!lored in cha!ter @ a number of !laces in the ;ible +here God=s
!eo!le have the task of attracting others to God$ to find his blessing and salvation The most
!o+erful meta!hor for this is light$ +hich is used both to signify the *oyful good ne+s of the
salvation that God brings +hen he comes$ and to !icture the +orldJtransforming Duality of the
lives and deeds of those +ho come to that light and live by it
So it should be abundantly clear by no+ that the mission of God=s !eo!le in the ;ible is
to !e the !eo!le +hom God created us to be and to do the things that God calls us to do 'e have
a life to live$ and if +e are not living as God=s !eo!le$ there is not much !oint saying anything
3o+ever$ +e are$ of course$ also called to s!eak u! and to s!eak out There is a message
to be communicated There is a +ord to be heard There is truth to be kno+n and !assed on
There is good ne+s to be sharedN
And so +e come to the second half of the book$ +here that becomes one of our key
themes 'e +ill eG!lore the great missional themes of Ebearing +itnessF (cha!ter 4C) and of
E!roclaiming the gos!elF (cha!ter 44)$ and discover (!erha!s to our sur!rise) that both of them
originated in the 1ld Testament (that=s the value of doing ;iblical Theology for Life) "eo!le in
the ;ible +ere EsentF to do both of those tasks$ along +ith a +ide range of other EmissionsF A
+hether they +ere sent directly by God or sent by the church
Since the +ord .ission comes from the Latin +ord for EsendingF$ +e +ill trace this
theme too (cha!ter 46) ;ut in case +e still imagine that mission is only for missionaries (!eo!le
literally sent out across cultural boundaries)$ +e +ill think also of the mission of all (ie$ most of
us) +ho live and +ork in the arena of ordinary !ublic life and +ork (cha!ter 49) Finally$ in this
!art of the book$ +e +ill remind ourselves that the goal of all mission is the glory of GodK thus$
in cha!ter 4: +e +ill see ho+ !raise and !rayer are also missional actions of God=s !eo!le
Foundational to all of these dimensions of our mission$ ho+ever$ is that +e must kno+
the God of +hom +e s!eak$ and +e must be totally committed to nonnegotiable loyalty to him
This$ +e +ill see in our neGt cha!ter$ +as reDuired of 1ld Testament #srael$ and trium!hantly
demonstrated in the a!ostles= courageous testimony to the uniDueness of the Lord %esus &hrist

CHAPT%& ?
P%*PL% H* 0)* TH% *)% L'2')G G*+ A)+
$A2'*,&
0no+ing God is one of the most !ervasive themes in biblical theology "eo!le have even
been kno+n to +rite +hole books on it
4
;ut one might be tem!ted to ask +hat it has to do +ith
the mission of God=s !eo!le 7no+ing God seems to have more to do +ith !ersonal devotion and
s!iritual eG!erience than +ith mission ;ut +hen +e think like that$ it *ust sho+s ho+ far +e
have individualized and !rivatized our &hristian faith$ and ho+ much +e need the corrective of
biblical theology A es!ecially biblical theology that is a!!lied to the mission of God=s !eo!le
#n the ;ible$ it is true that kno+ing God +as a dee!ly !ersonal eG!erience$ but it +as
never merely !rivate and it +as never merely s!iritual &oming to kno+ God could be
eGhilarating or devastating$ de!ending on the state of your life +hen the encounter takes !lace
'hen a +hole community +as called to kno+ God$ as 1ld Testament #srael +as$ it +as a
com!rehensive social agenda$ not *ust a badge of nominal national religion
And most of all$ kno+ing God +as a res!onsibility #t generated an agenda$ a mission
The thing about all biblical eG!erience of God is that it never stays merely EintransitiveF
(something that ha!!ens to you and stays there) #t al+ays has a EtransitiveF dynamic (it has to
affect somebody or something else) 'e have seen this in some of our earlier cha!ters #f God
blesses you$ it is so you can bless others #f God redeems you$ it is so you can demonstrate
redem!tive grace to others #f God loves you$ feeds and clothes you$ then you should go and do
like+ise for others #f God brings you into the light of salvation$ it is so you can shine +ith a
light that attracts others to the same !lace #f you en*oy God=s forgiveness$ then make sure you
forgive others And so on
#n this sense$ all our biblical theology is$ or should be$ missional ;iblical theology is$ by
definition$ Etheology for lifeF
Like+ise$ then$ to kno+ God is to be challenged to make God kno+n #t is to be entrusted
+ith kno+ledge that God +ants to be shared That is +hat makes it missional For behind all our
mission stands the unshakeable determination of God to be kno+n throughout his +hole creation
as the living God God=s +ill to be kno+n is +hat makes our mission not only im!erative but
also !ossible
6
All our missional efforts to make God kno+n must be set +ithin the !rior frame+ork of
God=s o+n +ill to be kno+n 'e are seeking to accom!lish +hat God himself +ills to ha!!en
This is both humbling and reassuring #t is humbling inasmuch as it reminds us that all our efforts
+ould be in vain but for God=s determination to be kno+n 'e are neither the initiators of the
mission of making God kno+n to the nations nor does it lie in our !o+er to decide ho+ the task
+ill be fully accom!lished or +hen it may be deemed to be com!lete ;ut it is also reassuring
For +e kno+ that behind all our fumbling efforts and inadeDuate communication stands the
su!reme +ill of the living God$ reaching out in loving selfJrevelation$ incredibly +illing to o!en
blind eyes and reveal his glory through the treasures of the gos!el delivered in the clay !ots of
his +itnesses
%hristopher (right
9
So in this cha!ter +e +ill look at t+o teGts in +hich those +ho had come to kno+ God$
or to kno+ something uniDue and eGciting about God$ +ere confronted +ith the challenge of that
kno+ledge and the missional im!lications of being ste+ards of it 'e +ill also diverge from our
!ractice so far of looking at an 1ld Testament teGt first and then moving to the 0e+ Testament
This time +e +ill move back and for+ard bet+een our t+o teGts$ seeing the connections and
resonances bet+een them and building our biblical theology from both together
1ur t+o teGts are Acts :.4 A 66 and (euteronomy :.96 A 9B #t +ould be hel!ful to read
both teGts through one after the other and then kee! them o!en 0o+ +ould be good
CHALL%)G')G C*)T%>T$
'e might ask +hat the t+o teGts have in common$ +ith each other or +ith the mission of
God=s !eo!le A then or no+ Ans+er. the conteGt in both cases +as one of conflict and challenge
There +as a clash of ideas$ of +orldvie+s$ of religious zeal
#n Acts$ the conflict +as bet+een those$ on the one hand$ +ho claimed that %esus of
0azareth +as )essiah and that even though he had been crucified only +eeks earlier$ he +as
no+ risen and eGalted Lord$ and those$ on the other hand$ +ho re*ected any such idea as
dangerous nonsense
#n (euteronomy the conflict +as bet+een the faith of #srael in 83'3 as their uniDue
covenant God and Lord and the !olytheistic religion and culture of &anaan that lay ahead of
them
#n both cases$ the s!eakers in the teGts refer to uniDue events that have been +itnessed
and that lead to certain conclusions about God A things that are to be kno+n and made kno+n
And in both cases claims are made$ +hether about %esus or about the God of #srael$ that are
!resented as nonnegotiable in content and universal in significance
#n today=s +orld$ the conteGt of our mission is *ust as challenging The &hristian faith is
reDuired to eG!ress its identity and its distinctiveness in the face of all kinds of rival claims and
loyalties A +hether those of other religious faiths$ or of resurgent atheism
As in the days of the a!ostles$ there are many today +ho do not acce!t that %esus is the
only saviour and Lord There are even more +ho have never even heard of %esus$ let alone been
able to make such a decision about his claims And as in the days of (euteronomy$ the !eo!le of
God live surrounded by multi!le cultures that manifest all the idolatries that human beings are
ca!able of The sheer seductive !o+er of the +orld around us makes loyalty to the one living
God an enormous challenge Like the #sraelites of old$ +e do not even recognize the syncretism
+e easily fall into$ or ho+ easy it is sim!ly to E+orshi! the gods of the !eo!le aroundF
# +ish no+ that # had taken it to the checkout$ !aid for it$ and then stam!ed on it before
leaving the bookstore of the &hristian church +here # sa+ it #t horrified me as a !iece of
blas!hemous syncretism #t +as a small statue of a cross +ra!!ed in the American flag 'hat
+ere its manufacturers thinking5 'hat message +as any !urchaser su!!osed to read into it5 #t
seemed to say$ E8ou can have the cross of %esus$ and all your sins forgiven$ and have it +ra!!ed
in !atriotism too 8ou don=t even need to think that the cross might cut across the very thing your
!atriotism idolizes$ or that the cross +as +here the !atriots of %esus= day !ut traitors and
terroristsF
1r +as it saying$ E%esus died for AmericansF That=s true$ but did he not also die for
!eo!le of all nations$ of all flags and none5 #n other +ords$ even the most charitable
inter!retation of such symbolism +as confusing That=s syncretism. miGing the su!!osed
+orshi! of the living God of the ;ible +ith all kinds of other loves and loyalties #t is not
something that ha!!ens only in foreign countries +ith Eother religionsF
#n such conteGts$ +e are commanded to ackno+ledge +hat +e kno+ and +hom +e kno+$
and to bear +itness to both That is +hat makes kno+ing God$ and for us$ kno+ing the Lord
%esus &hrist$ the !rofoundly missional reality that it is
Acts 8 e;e $een a Man &aised
#n Acts 9$ Luke tells us the story of ho+ a man$ +ho had been cri!!led for life and
survived on the alms of +orshi!ers at the tem!le$ +as healed by "eter and %ohn in the name of
%esus Taking immediate evangelistic advantage of the cro+d=s amazement$ "eter deflects all
credit from %ohn and himself and eG!lains that %esus of 0azareth (none other than the one they
had crucified some +eeks earlier) +as in fact the )essiah God had !romised to their ancestors
;ut God had no+ vindicated him by raising him from the dead$ thus kee!ing his !romise to
Abraham The healing of the cri!!le +as a sign!ost to +hat God could no+ do for them
s!iritually Even as #sraelites$ the blessing of Abraham could come to them only through
re!entance and faith in %esus
:
Acts : describes the shock+ave this sent through the %e+ish religious and !olitical
authorities$ +ho +ere certain they had dealt +ith that troublemaker from 0azareth +ith brutal
but effective finality So they call "eter and %ohn to account for their actions$ +hich gives "eter a
second o!!ortunity to !reach the gos!el of salvation in %esus &hrist (to +hich +e=ll return)
;ut the one thing the authorities could not do +as to deny the evidence of their o+n eyes
and of the +hole citizenry of %erusalem The guy they=d all !assed at the gate for years +as
running and lea!ing around in the streets$ and here he +as no+ standing (a !osture he hadn=t
achieved all his life) in the courtN
Since they could see the man +ho had been healed standing there +ith "eter and %ohn$
there +as nothing they could say So they ordered them to +ithdra+ from the Sanhedrin and then
conferred together E O'hat are +e going to do +ith these men5= they asked OEveryone living in
%erusalem kno+s they have !erformed a notable sign$ and /e cannot den- it" 6 (Acts :.4>K italics
added)
0o+$ +hat is significant in the narrative is that "eter !roclaims the resurrection of %esus
on eGactly the same basis as the healing of the cri!!le A namely$ a factual +itness to it as an
undeniable event For "eter$ the fact that %esus +as risen +as as much a matter of eye+itness
testimony as the fact that the man +as healed. E8ou killed the author of life$ but God raised him
from the dead (e are /itnesses of thisF (Acts 9.4<K cf :.6$ B A 4CK italics added)
E8ou=ve seen a man healed of disease$ and you can=t deny it$F say "eter and %ohn
E'e=ve seen a man raised fro. the dead$ and +e can=t deny that eitherF EAs for us$ +e cannot
hel! s!eaking about +hat +e have seen and heardF (Acts :.6C)
<
#t is im!ortant to remember that the +hole of our &hristian faith is based on !ublicly
testified +itness of historical eG!erience$ not on religious s!eculation or theorizing$ ho+ever
s!iritual The gos!el is good ne/s about something that has ha!!enedK it is not a good idea or
good advice 'e +ill come back to the E+hole ;ibleF content and dynamic of the gos!el as good
ne+s in cha!ter 44
+euterono"y 8 1ou;e $een God in Action
(euteronomy !resents )oses addressing the !eo!le of #srael on the verge of entering the
land of !romise$ and reminding them of the +itnessed events of their history.
Ask no+ about the former days$ long before your time$ from the day God created human
beings on the earthK ask from one end of the heavens to the other 3as anything so great as this
ever ha!!ened$ or has anything like it ever been heard of5 3as any other !eo!le heard the voice
of God s!eaking out of fire$ as you have$ and lived5 3as any god ever tried to take for himself
one nation out of another nation$ by testings$ by signs and +onders$ by +ar$ by a mighty hand
and an outstretched arm$ or by great and a+esome deeds$ like all the things the L1/( your God
did for you in Egy!t !efore -our $er- e-es0
>
((eut :.96 A 9:K italics added)
A research !ro*ect of truly cosmic scale is imagined in verse 96$ encom!assing the +hole
of human history hitherto and the +hole of universal s!ace Such is )oses= confidence that the
Duestions he is about to !ose in verses 99 and 9: +ill find no ans+er )oses refers to both the
Sinai theo!hany and the eGodus deliverance$ and his claim is that nothing like them has ever
ha!!ened 'hat God did in the events of the eGodus and Sinai +as un!recedented (God had
never done such a thing at any other time) and un!aralleled (God had never done such a thing
any+here else for any other nation)
)oses is insisting$ then$ that #srael=s eG!erience is utterly uniDue 83'3 has s!oken to
#srael in a +ay no other !eo!le have eG!erienced (cf "s 4:?.4B A 6C)$ and 83'3 has redeemed
#srael in a +ay that no other !eo!le have ever kno+n as yet (cf Amos 9.4 A 6)
The t+o events )oses refers to are$ of course$ the foundations of #srael=s status as God=s
redeemed and covenant !eo!le They are events of salvation and revelation combined
$al;ation
The eGodus +as the greatest undeniable eG!erience of all 'hereas they had once been
slaves in Egy!t$ they +ere no+ a free !eo!le on the edge of the "romised Land 'hatever they
no+ kne+ about 83'3 as a God mighty to save they kne+ on the basis of this fact
&e;elation
Sinai had been the over+helming eG!erience of God=s selfJrevelation At Sinai 83'3
had revealed his name$ his !ersonal character$ his moral demands$ and his covenant commitment
All this +as a matter of record$ and there +as a rather im!ortant goldJcovered boG being carried
around by the Levites +ith stone tablets inside it A the ark of the covenant A !hysical evidence
and !roof of +hat had trans!ired on that a+esome occasion
So then$ !oth our teGts a!!eal to facts$ to !ublicly +itnessed eG!eriences$ to undeniable
events$ as the basis for the claims and challenge that follo+ 'hat the disci!les no+ kno+ about
%esus$ +hat the #sraelites no+ kno+ about 83'3$ had all arisen out of historical eG!erience
'hen +e talk$ then$ about !art of the mission of God=s !eo!le being to share +hat they
kno+ about God$ it is not some kind of esoteric or s!eculative o!inion about God$ or the results
of some !rolonged s!iritual !ilgrimage$ or the fruit of eons of religious reflection 'hatever +e
kno+$ +e kno+ on the basis of things that have ha!!ened and the understanding of them that is
given to us in Scri!ture
The gos!el +e share is good ne+s about real events There is a EhavingJha!!enedJnessF
at the core of the gos!el There is a story to tell$ about real !eo!le$ and above all about the real
!erson$ %esus of 0azareth
This is one reason +hy confidence in the ;ible is also so im!ortant For that is +here +e
have the recorded testimony of those +ho eG!erienced these events firsthand "eter and %ohn
could s!eak about E+hat +e have seen and heardF$ because they +ere there 'e can=t s!eak in
eGactly the same +ay So +e de!end on their testimony$ and that testimony is in the ;ible A and
indeed that +as the very reason +hy %ohn says he +rote his gos!el (%ohn 6C.9C A 94K 64.6:)
,)C*MP&*M'$')G CLA'M$
;oth our teGts move on from the undeniable historical event that underlies each of them
to an uncom!romising claim that is then made in unambiguous language The eG!ression Ethere
is no otherMF is another feature that both teGts have in common And as it turns out$ although
the teGts are se!arated by centuries$ in terms of biblical theology it is ultimately said about the
same !erson
+euterono"y 8 )o *ther God
The great rhetorical Duestions of )oses that had affirmed the uniDueness of #srael=s
eG!erience in (euteronomy :.99 A 9: +ere not for nostalgia or feelJgood comfort They had a
clear message There +as something #srael must em!hatically no+ kno+$ in the sense that they
must actively ackno+ledge it and build it into their hearts and lives.
8ou +ere sho+n these things so that -ou .ight kno/ that the L1/( is GodK besides him
there is no other& ((eut :.9<K italics added)
2ckno/ledge Hlit$ Ekno+NFI and take to heart this day that the L1/( is God in heaven
above and on the earth belo+ There is no other ((eut :.9BK italics added)
All that #srael had so uniDuely eG!erienced +as so that they +ould learn something
utterly vital A the identit- of the living God 83'3$ and 83'3 alone$ is God$ and there is no
other any+here else in the universe This is the theological freight that the rhetorical rolling stock
is carrying
;ecause #srael alone had eG!erienced the uniDue acts of God=s redem!tion (eGodus) and
God=s revelation (Sinai)$ #srael had a kno+ledge of God that +as corres!ondingly uniDue. E7ou
Hthe !ronoun is em!haticI +ere sho+n these things so that -ou might kno+F #n a +orld of
nations that did not kno+ 83'3 as God$ #srael +as no+ the one nation that had been entrusted
+ith that essential kno+ledge
1ld Testament #srael kne+ God as no other nation did$ because they had eG!erienced God
in +ays that no other nation had at that time
0o+$ although the language of Eno other godF immediately tells us that +e are here in the
realm of +hat is often called E1ld Testament monotheismF$ it is im!ortant to see clearly that the
teGt is not merely affirming monotheism in itself )oses does not say$ E8ou +ere sho+n these
things so that you +ould kno+ that there is only one GodF The Duestion +as not merely one of
arith.etic (ho+ many gods are there5)$ but of identit- (+ho truly is the living God5) )erely
believing that there is only one God is fine$ but it gets you no further than the demons$ as %ames
+ould say (%as 6.4B)
The true and living God is the God +ho is revealed as 83'3$ through the narrative *ust
eG!erienced EThese thingsF (the events of eGodus and Sinai) sho+ God$ as 83'3$ to be the
God of com!assion and *ustice$ the God of salvation and revelation$ the God +ho had redeemed
#srael by his grace and no+ calls them to love and serve him eGclusively The story sho+s$ then$
not *ust +ho really is God$ but +hat God is really like #t reveals not only his eGistence and
identity$ but also his character This God is like this$ in a +ay that no other god is 3o+ do you
kno+5 ;ecause of +hat this God (and no other) has done in your !ublicly +itnessed history
The thrust of these verses in (euteronomy : is filled out in many other 1ld Testament
!assages$ +here +e find a combination of the assertion that 83'3 is inco.para!le (there is no
other god like him)$ and the assertion that 83'3 is uni5ue (there is actually no other god beside
him at all$ in the sense of his transcendent deity) For the sake of our biblical theology$ and also
in order to feel the full im!act of +hat "eter and %ohn calmly claimed for %esus in Acts :$ it is
+orth !ausing to read the follo+ing teGts and let their staggering claims sink in
)oses states the uniDueness of 83'3 by sim!ly asking the Duestion E'ho is like you5F
'ho among the gods
is like you$ 1 L1/(5
'ho is like you A
ma*estic in holiness$
a+esome in glory$
+orking +onders5 (EG 4<.44)
Else+here in the 1ld Testament the same rhetorical Duestion is asked to eG!ress +onder
and admiration for 83'3 as the God like no other 83'3 is beyond all com!arison (Enone
like himQyouF).
in kee!ing !romises and fulfilling his +ord (6 Sam ?.66)
in !o+er and +isdom$ es!ecially as seen in creation (%er 4C.> A ?$ 44 A 46)
in the heavenly assembly ("s @B.> A @)
in ruling over the nations (%er :B.4BK <C.::)
in !ardoning sin and forgiving transgression ()ic ?.4@)
in saving !o+er on behalf of his !eo!le (#sa >:.:)
And because there is none like 83'3$ all nations +ill eventually come and /orship hi.
as the only true God ("s @>.@ A B) There is already$ therefore$ a missional dimension of this
great truth 'hat +e +ill see "eter and %ohn affirming about %esus +as already being said about
83'3 centuries earlier and +ith the same missional relevance
3ere (in 83'3$ in %esus) is the only source of salvation and the only focus of +orshi! A
for all the nations of the +orld
;ut the 1ld Testament goes beyond saying merely that 83'3 is not like any other god
#n the end$ the sim!le reason +hy 83'3 is incom!arable is that there is nothing in reality to
com!are him +ith 83'3 stands in a class of his o+n 3e is not *ust one of a generic category A
EgodsF 3e alone occu!ies the !lace of transcendent deity A as the God
?
#n addition to (euteronomy :.9< and 9B$ this truth is affirmed in various other !laces$
and of course it underlies all the +orshi! and !ro!hecy of #srael
There is no one holy like the L1/(K there is no one besides youK there is no /ock like
our God (4 Sam 6.6)
S S S
So that all the !eo!les of the earth may kno+ that the L1/( is God and that there is no
other (4 7ings @.>C)
S S S
# am the L1/($ and there is no otherK a!art from me there is no God (#sa :<.<$ >$ 4@)
S S S
Then you +ill kno+ that # am in #srael$ that # am the L1/( your God$ and that there is
no other (%oel 6.6?)
Acts 8 )o *ther $a;iour
#f )oses eGhorts #srael about +hat they must Ekno/F on the foundation of +hat they have
eG!erienced of God=s miraculous !o+er$ then "eter does eGactly the same$ in the same +ords
/egarding the miracle of the healing$ Luke +rites.
3ere H"salm B>I +e arrive at the fundamental eDuation of mission$ the driving force
behind all our efforts to bring the ne+s of the one true Lord to our friends and neighbours. #f
there is one Lord to +hom all !eo!le belong and o+e their allegiance$ the !eo!le of that Lord
must !romote this reality every+here )onotheism and mission are intimately related The
eGistence of *ust one God makes our mission to the many essential
John >ickson
@
Then "eter$ filled +ith the 3oly S!irit$ said to them. E/ulers and elders of the !eo!leN #f
+e are being called to account today for an act of kindness sho+n to a man +ho +as lame and
are being asked ho+ he +as healed$ then kno/ this, you and all the !eo!le of #srael. #t is by the
name of %esus &hrist of 0azareth$ +hom you crucified but +hom God raised from the dead$ that
this man stands before you healedF (Acts :.@ A 4CK italics added)
From that he goes on to dra+ his great evangelistic conclusion.
ESalvation is found in no one else$ for there is no other na.e given under heaven by
+hich +e must be savedF (Acts :.46K italics added)
This is a famous verse and rightly so ;ut +hat makes it so astonishing is that 1eter /as
talking a!out Jesus For of course$ if Ethe nameF he meant had been the name of 7'('$ Acts
:.46 could easily have been a verse from the 1ld Testament %ust read the verse again +ithout
thinking of the story in +hich it is set (on=t you think you could as easily be reading #saiah5 #n
fact$ it is almost !recisely +hat #saiah did say about 83'3 (or rather$ +hat 83'3 says about
himself through #saiah).
There is no God a!art from me$
a righteous God and a SaviorK
there is none but me
Turn to me and be saved$
all you ends of the earthK
for # am God$ and there is no other (#sa :<.64 A 66)
Every one of "eter=s *udges in the Sanhedrin +ould have agreed +ith "eter=s statement if
that had been +hat he meant. EThere is no other name under heaven by +hich +e can be saved
than the name of 83'3 the God of #sraelF
EAbsolutely 0o Duestion about that 'e all kno+ the Scri!tures "reach it$ fishermanF
;ut of course$ the shock and offence of "eter=s affirmation is that he +as not talking
about 83'3 1r +as he5 3e +as talking about %esus of 0azareth ;ut "eter kne+ his Scri!tures
too$ and he could not have used such language as Acts :.46 +ithout fully kno+ing +hat he +as
doing 3e +as taking truths that he and everybody in the room believed about 7'('$ and
calmly a!!lying them to Jesus& Jesus no+ occu!ies the !lace of being the uniDue saviour of all
E%esusF is no+ the name that carries the same uniDue$ divine$ saving !o+er as the name of Ethe
L1/( God of hostsF
"eter had made similar claims already #n his message on the day of "entecost he had
affirmed$ EGod has made this %esus$ +hom you crucified$ both Lord and )essiahF (Acts 6.9>)
And "aul later took 1ld Testament teGts about 83'3 and a!!lied them to %esus #n 4
&orinthians @.: A >$ he builds %esus &hrist into the most monotheistic of all 1ld Testament teGts
A the She.a of (euteronomy >.: And in "hili!!ians 6.B A 44$ he !robably Duotes an early
&hristian hymn in +hich +ords originally s!oken by 83'3 about himself (in #sa :<.69) +ere
calmly sung about %esus$ as the one to +hom Eevery knee should bo+Mand every tongue
ackno+ledge that %esus is Lord$ to the glory of God the FatherF
,)+'2'+%+ L*1ALT1
So then$ !utting our t+o main teGts together$ +e find that the 1ld Testament affirms the
uniDueness of #srael=s historical eG!erience as the foundation for #srael coming to kno+ +ho the
living God is$ and to kno+ 83'3 as the uniDue and universal God that he is And in the same
+ay$ using the same kind of language$ the 0e+ Testament affirms that %esus of 0azareth is the
one +ho embodied both the uniDueness of #srael (+hom he embodied as )essiah) and the
uniDueness of 8ah+eh (+hom he incarnated as Lord) This is +hat +e are called on to kno+ and
to make kno+n
)onotheism remains the essential basis for mission The su!reme reason +hy God
Edesires all .en to be saved and come to the kno+ledge of the HsameI truthF is that Ethere is one
God and there is one mediator bet+een God and men$ the man %esus &hrist$ +ho gave himself as
a ransom for allMF (4 Tim 6.: A >) The logic of this !assage rests on the relation bet+een Eall
menF and Eone GodF 1ur +arrant for seeking the allegiance of Eall menF is that there is only
Eone GodF$ and only Eone mediatorF bet+een him and them 'ithout the unity of God and the
uniDueness of &hrist there could be no &hristian mission
John Stott
B
This is the kno+ledge to +hich +e are called to be loyal A holding fast to it for ourselves
and making it kno+n to others +ithout com!romise 1ur mission is an inevitable refleG from the
truth of biblical monotheism A the uniDueness of 83'3 in the 1ld Testament and the
uniDueness of %esus in the 0e+ Testament (s!eaking$ of course$ of one and the same divine
reality)
There is$ then$ an uncom!romising claim at the heart of biblical !roclamation and
+itness ;ut it is not a claim about &hristians or about &hristianity as a religion 'hen +e go out
into the +orld affirming that %esus is Lord and &hrist and Saviour$ it is not some arrogant claim
about oursel$es or +hat +onderful religion +e have #t is sim!ly our acce!tance of the testimony
of both the 1ld and 0e+ Testaments about the one true living God$ and about ho+$ and +here$
and through +hom this one God has acted to bring salvation to us and the +hole +orld And that
testimony$ in both Testaments$ is founded on historical events and a historical !erson
For those +ho have come to share the undeniable eG!erience of God=s salvation and
revelation$ +ith its uncom!romising eG!licit claim about God and %esus$ there follo+s naturally
an undivided loyalty to the Lord himself This is found in both teGts +e have been eGamining
And it is a loyalty that fuels the mission of God=s !eo!le For the kno+ledge that there is no
other God and no other name leaves no other choice than to make him kno+n
Acts 8 e Cannot Help $peaFing
0otice the reason %esus gives for getting involved in this mission #t is made clear by the
allJim!ortant EthereforeF. EAll authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me Therefore
go and make disci!lesMF ()att 6@.4@ A 4B) The reference to Eheaven and earthF obviously
recalls Genesis 4.4 and refers to every !art of creation The one true God has given universal
authority to the one true Lord$ and for this reason +e are to make disci!les throughout the +orld
At the risk of sounding like a scratched &($ let me re!eat the mission eDuation. if there is one
Lord to +hom all !eo!le belong and o+e their allegiance$ the !eo!le of that Lord must !romote
this reality every+here
'e !romote God=s glory to the ends of the earth not !rinci!ally because of any human
need but fundamentally because of God=sQ&hrist=s uniDue +orthiness as the Lord of heaven and
earth "romoting the gos!el to the +orld is more than a rescue mission (though it is certainly that
as +ell)K it is a reality mission #t is our !lea to all to ackno+ledge that they belong to one Lord
John >ickson
4C
#t is not sur!rising that the religious authorities told "eter and %ohn to be Duiet about
%esus For if +hat they +ere saying +as true$ it changed everything in their +orld #t meant the
end of the +hole system on +hich their !o+er and status rested
;ut "eter and %ohn +ould not betray or deny the truth of +hat they had eG!erienced And
so they make their ma*estic re!ly. E'hich is right in God=s eyes. to listen to you$ or to him5 8ou
be the *udgesN As for us$ +e cannot hel! s!eaking about +hat +e have seen and heardF (Acts
:.4B A 6C)
#f &hrist has been crucified for us$ if &hrist has been raised from the dead$ if God +as in
&hrist reconciling the +orld to himself$ then such +orldJchanging realities cannot be silenced
Either %esus is the only saviour and Lord$ or he is not And if he is$ then$ +ith "eter and
%ohn +e are called to stand u! for him +ith total loyalty and un+avering +itness
+euterono"y 8 C1ou $hall Lo;e the L*&+ 1our GodD
The great truths of (euteronomy :$ +hich #srael +as to Ekno+ and take to heartF$ are
combined in the clinching affirmation and command of (euteronomy >.: A <. the Shema.
3ear$ 1 #srael. The L1/( our God$ the L1/( is one Love the L1/( your God +ith all
your heart and +ith all your soul and +ith all your strength
Such love is a total commitment of intellect$ +ill$ emotions$ and energy 1ne Lord$ one
love$ one loyalty A that is the challenge of (euteronomy 1ne Lord$ one name$ one saviour A that
is the challenge of Acts
$,MMA&1
The biblical gos!el$ then$ announces to us the story of undeniable eG!eriences of uniDue
events$ culminating in the life$ death$ and resurrection of %esus of 0azareth #t goes on to make
the uncom!romising claim that in these events the living God has acted to save humanity and
redeem his +hole creation$ and that there is no other God or source of such salvation #t therefore
claims the undivided loyalty of the hearts$ minds$ and lives of those +ho kno+ these things
'hat else is the mission of God than bearing +itness to such cosmic realities5 That is
+here +e must go neGt in the follo+ing cha!ter
&%L%2A)T -,%$T'*)$
4 E,ndivided loyaltyF 'hat are the things in your cultural conteGt that threaten your
loyalty to the one true living God and the uniDueness of %esus &hrist5 'hat do you no+
recognize as subtle forms of syncretism5
6 This cha!ter calls for a robust refusal to renounce the claims of &hrist$ even under
threats 'hat are the !ressures A cultural$ secular$ or religious A that could tem!t you to do that5
3o+ do the teGts studied in this cha!ter hel! you resist5
9 3o+ do you hold together the challenge of this cha!ter to be loyal to the uniDueness of
&hrist in the face of other religions$ +ith the call in earlier cha!ters to be !eo!le of blessing$ love
and com!assion to all !eo!le$ including those of other faiths5 #n conteGts of religious !lurality$
ho+ can +e simultaneously sustain love for !eo!le along +ith loyalty to the truth5

CHAPT%& .@
P%*PL% H* B%A& 'T)%$$ T* TH% L'2')G G*+
At lastNF you might be thinking E'hy have +e had to +ait so long before getting to a
cha!ter that tackles the fundamental task of mission A !reaching the gos!el5 Surely the real
mission of God=s !eo!le is to get out there and s!read the 'ord$ +itness$ evangelize$ tell !eo!le
about %esus and ho+ to get savedF
1ur mission most certainly includes that$ and this cha!ter +ill sho+ the im!ortant !lace
such s!oken testimony has in the ;ible ;ut not even the Great &ommission itself focuses solely
or !rimarily on the procla.ation task EGo and make disci!les of all nations$F said %esus$
immediately eG!laining +hat such disci!ling included$ Eba!tizing themMand teaching the. to
obey everything # have commanded youF ()att 6@.4B A 6CK italics added)
#t takes disci!les to make disci!les$ and %esus had s!ent three years teaching his disci!les
+hat it meant to be one #t involved !ractical and do+nJtoJearth lessons on life$ attitudes$
behaviour$ trust$ forgiveness$ love$ generosity$ obedience to %esus$ and countercultural actions
to+ard others This +as +hat it meant to live in the kingdom of God A no+
#n short$ you had to li$e under the reign of God if you +anted to go preach about the
reign of God
The same thing is noticeable in "aul=s church !lanting and nurturing strategy "aul=s o+n
!assion +as !reaching the gos!el (and +e +ill look at that in detail in cha!ter 44)$ but there is
com!aratively little in his letters to the churches he founded about their task of !reaching the
gos!el to outsiders in evangelistic mission This is not at all to suggest that "aul did not +ant
them to do thatK it is clear that "aul eG!ected his churches to be hubs of evangelistic +itness
/ather$ "aul also kne+ that the gos!el message needed to be embodied in !eo!le +hose o+n
lives +ere radically changed by it So all "aul=s teaching about ho+ believers ought to live +as
not *ust Ethe ethical bit at the end$F but a fundamental !art of the transformative +ork of the
gos!el itself Gos!el +itness had to flo+ from gos!el transformation
&oming back to the order of this book$ ho+ever. # have been trying to follo+ the ;ible=s
o+n order in ans+ering the Duestions$ (hat are /e here for as !elie$ers0 (hat is the .ission of
God"s people0 And as +e have traced the Duestion along the ;ible=s o+n story line so far$ +e
have found a rich list of ans+ers.
'e are here as human beings to care for God=s creation
'e are chosen in Abraham to be a !eo!le though +hom God=s blessing reaches all
nations
'e are called to +alk in the +ays of God$ in *ustice and righteousness$ in a corru!t +orld
'e are to live out the dynamic of our o+n redem!tion in our com!assionate treatment of
others
'e are to re!resent God to the +orld and dra+ the +orld to God
'e are to be !eo!le +hose lives demonstrate the character of God and attract others to
come to faith in him
And above all$ +e are to kno+ the living God and be uncom!romisingly loyal to the Lord
%esus &hrist in our +orshi! and +itness
Ah$ at last$ /itnessN 8es indeed For$ as +e !ointed out in the last cha!ter$ those +ho
kno+ God are reDuired to make God kno+n And that reDuires the medium of +ords as +ell as
deeds There are things to be saidK there are stories to be toldK there are affirmations and truth
claims$ +arnings and challenges$ announcements and a!!eals
And so +e come in this cha!ter and the neGt one to consider this verbal dimension of the
mission of God=s !eo!le 'e +ill do so by considering t+o ma*or terms that the ;ible uses for
such +ordJfocused mission. !earing /itness (ch 4C) and announcing good ne/s (ch 44)& And as
before$ +e +ill launch our study from careful eGamination of 1ld Testament teGts that have
ma*or echoes in the 0e+
E'e=re not all called to be evangelists$ but +e are all called to be +itnessesF That=s
something # heard often as a young &hristian The !oint of it +as that although some &hristians
are s!ecially gifted for evangelistic ministry$ not all are (as "aul says in E!h :.44$ and by
im!lication$ 4 &or 46.6B A 9C) 3o+ever$ even those of us +ho are not called to be evangelists
are all called to be faithful +itnesses to the Lord %esus &hrist and to be +illing to s!eak u! for
him +hen o!!ortunities arise
The instructions of %esus to his disci!les on the )ount of Ascension !rovided initial
su!!ort for this understanding. E8ou +ill be my +itnesses in %erusalem$ and in all %udea and
Samaria$ and to the ends of the earthF (Acts 4.@) Like its com!anion verse in Luke 6:.:@$ this
!robably refers !rimarily to the s!ecial !lace of the original disci!lesQa!ostles as e-e/itnesses of
the life$ death and resurrection of %esus himself
4
3o+ever$ # +as taught (rightly # think) that even though the a!ostolic +itness had a
uniDue function in authenticating 0e+ Testament &hristianity$ +itnessing to &hrist +as
something that +ent beyond the a!ostles All follo+ing generations of believers +ere enlisted in
the ongoing task of bearing +itness to the same Lord %esus &hrist$ in +hom they had come to
believe through the a!ostolic +itness 'e +ould have Duoted 6 Timothy 4.@ to su!!ort that$ and
of course (being +ellJtaught youngsters) +e kne+ that the +ord for EmartyrsF in /evelation is
the same as E+itnessesF (so it might get a bit rough)
'hat # didn=t learn in those young days +as the connection (+hich # believe +as
intentional) bet+een the +ords of Jesus to his disci!les on both occasions in Luke 6: and Acts 4
and the +ords of 7'(' to #srael in the book of #saiah (#sa :9.4C$ 46K ::.@) ;ut doing biblical
theology for life enables us to s!ot that connection immediately and dra+ out its im!lications for
our +itnessing mission For after all$ +hat else +as %esus doing according to Luke (Luke 6:.6?$
:< A :?) but biblical theology for life A the ongoing life of his disci!les for all generations to
come5
Let=s take our minds back$ then$ from the resurrection of the )essiah to the +orld of the
book of #saiah and study a key teGt in +hich the conce!t of God=s !eo!le as his +itnesses is
found$ namely$ #saiah :9.@ A 49.
Lead out those +ho have eyes but are blind$
+ho have ears but are deaf
All the nations gather together
and the !eo!les assemble
'hich of their gods foretold this
and !roclaimed to us the former things5
Let them bring in their +itnesses to !rove they +ere right$
so that others may hear and say$ E#t is trueF
E7ou are .- /itnesses$F declares the L1/($
Eand my servant +hom # have chosen$
so that you may kno+ and believe me
and understand that # am he
;efore me no god +as formed$
nor +ill there be one after me
#$ even #$ am the L1/($
and a!art from me there is no savior
# have revealed and saved and !roclaimed A
#$ and not some foreign god among you
7ou are .- /itnesses$F declares the L1/($ Ethat # am God
8es$ and from ancient days # am he
0o one can deliver out of my hand
'hen # act$ +ho can reverse it5F (#sa :9.@ A 49$ my italics)
'e must !ut these +ords into their historical conteGt
A +*,BL% P&*BL%M (*& G*+
The story of 1ld Testament #srael had reached its lo+est ever !oint A the eGile in
;abylon After centuries of recurring generations of rebellion against 83'3$ disloyalty to the
covenant bet+een God and #srael$ disobedience to God=s la+s$ and disregard for the +arnings of
!ro!het after !ro!het$ God=s !atience had come to an end #n the trauma of <@? ;&$ the
;abylonians had ca!tured and destroyed %erusalem$ burnt 83'3=s tem!le$ and carried off the
bulk of the #sraelite !o!ulation into eGile in ;abylon
T+o generations had !assed #t seemed that all ho!e had gone ;ut these +ords in the
central !ortion of #saiah (chs :C A << es!ecially) address the eGiles +ith a message of amazing
grace 83'3 is on the move again ;abylon=s time is almost over There +ill be a ne+ eGodus
as God once again delivers his !eo!le from slavery$ and God=s mission to bring blessing to the
+hole +orld through these descendants of Abraham +ill move for+ard to its great climaG
3o+ever$ there are t+o great !roblems that stand in the +ay of God=s great !lan
The 'gnorance of the )ations
All through these cha!ters$ 83'3 engages in a running argument +ith the nations and
their gods According to the cultural assum!tions of the day$ the gods of big and !o+erful nations
+ere bigger and more !o+erful than the gods of the little nations they defeated The natural
assum!tion$ therefore$ +as that if ;abylon had defeated and ca!tured 9srael$ then 7'(' the
God of #srael +as like+ise defeated and defunct
0ot at all$ says the !ro!het 83'3 is the onl- sovereign living God$ and he has been as
much in control of the events that led to the eGile as he +ould be in bringing it to an end The
gods of the nations are nonentities$ +ith illusions of !o+er and grandeur created by their
+orshi!ers$ but ultimately !o+erless to do anything good or ill$ let alone to act in sovereign
salvation$ as 83'3 +as about to (#sa :4.64 A 6:)
0o+$ +e kno+ that the God of Abraham +ills to bring blessing to all nations And these
cha!ters rise to great heights in their antici!ation of all humanity (lit$ Eall fleshF) coming to see
the glory of God (#sa :C.<)$ kno+ing God (:<.>)$ and being saved by God (:<.66) ;ut the
nations= blind devotion to their nonJgods stands in the +ay of that (::.B A 6C) There is an
ignorance (::.4@) that has to be !enetrated The gods need to be radically unmasked and
dethroned and those +hose o!!ressive !o+er rests on them need to be brought lo+ (#sa :> and
:?) The nations need to see and hear the truth ;ut ho+ can they5
That is +here #srael comes in$ for it had from the start been God=s intention that through
#srael he +ould make himself kno+n to the nations$ for their blessing and salvation That$ indeed$
+as +hy he had chosen and called #srael to be his servant (#sa :4.@ A 4C)$ a servant +hose
mission +ould include being Ea light to the GentilesF A ie$ the nations (#sa :6.>K :B.>b)
;ut that solution$ +hich +as nothing less than the longJterm mission of God ever since
his !romise to Abraham$ seemed to have run into the sand And that +as God=s second big
!roblem. #srael itself seemed no better than the nations
The Blindness of 'srael
#saiah :6$ the immediate !relude to the +ords of our teGt in this section$ !resents a
terrible !aradoG Look carefully at the shar! contrast bet+een the o!ening section (vv 4 A B)$ and
the closing section (vv 4@ A 6<) The Servant of 83'3$ +ho is to embody the identity and
mission of #srael (#sa :4.@)$ is described in :6.4 A B +ith a +onderful mission of *ustice$
com!assion$ enlightenment and liberation ;ut the actual servant of 83'3 at that time$ namely
historical #srael in eGile$ is blind and deafN
#saiah :6.4@ A 6< !ortrays the terrible reality. #srael +as in eGile$ E!lundered and lootedF$
because of God=s *udgment on them for their disobedience God had given them !lenty to see (all
the great acts of !ast salvation)$ but they +ere +illfully blind God had given them !lenty to hear
(all his great revealed teaching and covenant la+)$ but they +ere +illfully deaf There is a strong
echo here of #saiah=s call vision in #saiah >.B A 49 All the !reaching of the !reeGilic !ro!hets had
gone unheeded$ and even in eGile their condition seemed unchanged
Any ho!e for the nations$ then$ +ould have to de!end not on 9srael"s natural ca!acity to
res!ond and obey$ but on a miracle of God=s grace and transforming$ healing !o+er ;ut such a
miracle +as indeed +hat +as antici!ated +hen God himself +ould return and do his great ne+
thing in saving !o+er.
EMyour God +ill come$
he +ill come +ith vengeanceK
+ith divine retribution
he +ill come to save youF
Then +ill the eyes of the blind be o!ened
and the ears of the deaf unsto!!ed (#sa 9<.: A <)
And that seems to be eGactly +hat ha!!ens neGt God summons the blind and deaf into
court (#sa :9.@) A as /itnessesN
A +*,BL% &*L% (*& '$&A%L
For$ indeed$ it is a court scene that is envisaged in #saiah :9.@ A 49 (as several times
already in these cha!ters) #t is the meta!hor by +hich the !ro!het !ortrays the reality that there
is a conflict bet+een 83'3 and the gods of the nations
A great assembly of nations is !ictured in verse B These nations had their many gods
;ut ho+ can the court decide +hich god is ErealF or Ein the rightF5 83'3 chooses his !itch$
and it is the same as in the earlier court case in #saiah :4.64 A 6:$ namely$ the ability to !redict
the future$ inter!ret the !ast and eG!lain the !resent in sovereign detail and across the centuries
So the other gods are invited to bring in their +itnesses$ if they have any$ to give
evidence of their !o+er to do the same and so E!rove they +ere rightF (:9.BK lit$ E*ustify
themselvesF) The +itnesses for the gods of the nations are the nations themselves$ but they have
nothing to say$ because of course$ the gods they +ill defend are Eless than nothingF (#sa :4.6:)
So +ho +ill s!eak for 83'3$ then$ in this great international court of nations and
alleged gods5 'ho +ill testify to his reality and !o+er5 The shock of the neGt +ord is stunning
83'3 turns to the !eo!le +hom he has *ust described as blind and deaf$ and says$
47ouL6 Hthe +ord is em!hatically !laced firstI$ Eyou are .- +itnessesF (:9.4C)
My itnesses
0o+ being a +itness +as a serious matter in 1ld Testament #srael A great deal is said
about the res!onsibility of it #t +as actually regarded as a sin to fail to s!eak u! and testify about
any matter that you had seen or heard if it +as a matter before a court (Lev <.4) The duties of
+itnesses +ere solemnly laid out (EG 69.4 A 9) 'itnesses must take !rimary res!onsibility for
the eGecution of the court=s verdict ((eut 4?.?)$ and !er*ury could cost you your life ((eut
4B.4> A 64) A t+o la+s that +ould stam! out frivolous false accusations To bear false +itness
+as among the most serious covenant offences A !rohibited in the ninth commandment (EG
6C.4>) And false +itness +as among the things that God hates most ("rov >.4B)
;ut even a!art from la+ court cases$ +itnesses +ere most im!ortant to establish the truth
of statements or claims$ so that such claims could never be called into dis!ute (eg$ /uth :.B A
44K %er 96.4C A 46) Earlier in #saiah$ the !ro!het himself had used +itnesses +ho could later
verify the truth of +hen the !ro!hetically significant naming of his son had taken !lace$ and +ho
+ould testify to his message in the time of its later fulfillment (#sa @.4 A 6$ 4> A 4@)
So God is here summoning #srael as a nation to eGercise$ in the international court of
nations and gods$ a res!onsibility that +as dee!ly and reverently rooted in their o+n social
culture A the task of bearing +itness
There is not only shock here$ but !rofound irony For one of the main reasons that #srael
had been eGiled under God=s *udgment +as !recisely their collective social failure to u!hold the
standards of *ustice in court that their o+n covenant la+ called for #nstead$ their *udicial system
had become a !layground for lying +itnesses A so much so that Amos raged that Ethere are those
+ho hate the one +ho re!roves in court and detest the one +ho tells the truthF (Amos <.4C)
And no+ 83'3 calls the descendants of such liars to be his +itnesses5 The miracle of
mercy is matched only by the risk that God takes in relying on such !eo!le ;ut there is no "lan
;$ because of the other thing that is said here about #srael in #saiah :9.4C
My $er;ant
EMand my servant +hom # have chosenF The middle !hrase of #saiah :9.4C deliberately
echoes +hat God had said about #srael in :4.@ A 4C All the content of those verses is here
reaffirmed #srael as God=s servant had been chosen in Abraham$ and God +as not going back on
all the !romises and commitments of that !ast So this re!etition of the key +ord EservantF
em!hasizes that$ in s!ite of all the negative reality described in :6.4@ A 6<$ God=s original
commission remains
#srael is God=s servant for God=s !ur!ose for God=s future for God=s glory God=s mission
goes on So #srael=s mission has to go on too
The mission of God=s !eo!le is not a matter of ho+ great +e are at doing things for God$
but a matter of ho+ !atient and !ersistent God is in doing things through us
The striking !arallelism in #saiah :9.4C$ ho+ever$ means that being God=s servant and
being God=s +itness are no+ integrated 1r to !ut it another +ay$ the reason that God had chosen
and called #srael to be his ser$ants +as in order that they should be his /itnesses
'itnessing to the truth about 83'3 as the one true living God is at the heart of the role
and mission of the servant A al+ays +as and still is
And that servant is God=s !eo!le A #sraelQ%acob$ descendants of Abraham The mission of
God=s !eo!le$ then$ according to this !assage$ is to be +itnesses for the living God in a +orld of
com!eting claims by multi!le gods That +itnessing function is at the heart of their election 'e
have been chosen in order to be +itnessing servants of the living God
Servanthood eGercised through +itnessing$ the thrust of #saiah :9.4C$ ho+ever$ not only
gives content to the role of servant$ it also describes the 5ualit- of the +itnessing 'itness to
83'3 is to be given$ not by those +ho +ield im!erial !o+er and claim his backing (not$ in
other +ords$ like ;abylon or &yrus)$ but by the gentle$ noncoercive nature of the servant$ so
counterJculturally described in #saiah :6.6 A 9 To acce!t the role of God=s servant$ then$
necessarily involves bearing +itness to him And the task of bearing +itness must be done in the
s!irit of servanthood A as servants of God$ of God=s !eo!le$ and of the +orld that +aits for God
This +as a combination that the a!ostle "aul sa+ clearly and demonstrated in his o+n
mission and ministry #n fact$ he records that these +ere the very t+o +ords that %esus used to
summarize the mission that lay ahead of him E0o+ get u! and stand on your feet # have
a!!eared to you to a!!oint you as a ser$ant and as a /itness of +hat you have seen and +ill see
of meF (Acts 6>.4>$ italics added) The relevance of both +ords to our o+n !ractice of mission
needs to be radical and !enetrating$ and it !oints to+ards something +e need to discuss further in
!art 9
TH% +*,BL% P,&P*$% *( B%A&')G 'T)%$$
So #srael is summoned as the servant of God to give their +itness on God=s behalf ;ut
the !aradoGes continue 1ne might have thought that the !ur!ose of bearing +itness +ould be to
convince the nations of the truth about 83'3 as God True$ but there is a !rior !ur!ose
&estoring Trust in God
The /itnesses the.sel$es need to be convinced$ and the act of bearing +itness +ill
generate such conviction in the +itnesses.
so that -ou may ackno+ledge and trust in me
and understand that # am he (#sa :9.4CK my translation)
The three verbs in the sentence are im!ortant and have many echoes in the book of
#saiah God=s com!laint against #srael +as !recisely that they had failed to ackno/ledge him$
+hether in the gifts of his grace (#sa :6.6C A 64) or in the eG!erience of his !unishment (:6.69 A
6<) From the start the !ro!het has been reminding #srael$ +ith some sur!rise$ of things they
ought to have kno/n but needed to be told afresh (:C.64$ 6@) And throughout the book$ #srael=s
failure to trust in God +as a ma*or source of grief to God and his !ro!het (?.BK 9C.4 A <$ 4< A 4@K
94.4 A 9) Their lack of understanding of God made even the dumbest beasts look +ise (4.9)
Such failure$ ho+ever$ +as eGactly +hat the ministry of #saiah had antici!ated #n the
enigmatic seDuel to #saiah=s call vision in #saiah >$ God had !ointed out that the !eo!le +ere in
such an advanced state of rebellion that the !resence of a !ro!het in their midst +ould only serve
to underline their refusal to ackno+ledge or understand (the same verbs of #sa :9.4C are used in
>.B A 4C) That state +ould continue through the terrible destructive *udgment of eGile (>.44 A
46)
;ut no+$ says God in #saiah :9.4C$ a ne+ thing is ha!!ening There is a ne+ da+n and a
rene+ed summons to #srael They are recalled to their original mission of being +itnesses to
83'3$ and in that task they +ill themselves be restored to recognize their God$ to !ut their trust
in him$ and to understand him God calls them back to their task as a +ay of calling them back to
himself
The thrust of this verse is that the !o+er of testimony lies not only in +hat it does in the
hearts of those +ho hear it$ but also in +hat it does for the faith of the one +ho gives it The task
of convincing others reinforces the convictions of the +itness
%stablishing the Truth about God
'hat$ then$ is the substance of the testimony that God=s !eo!le must bear before the
nations5 Three key truths are embedded in the great claims that 83'3 makes in #saiah :9.4Cb$
44 and 46 )ake sure these verses are o!en in front of you as you read on
H#saiah !ortraysI 8h+h intending %acobJ#srael to function as +itnesses to the +orld That
is for the +orld=s sake$ so that it may see the truth$ for 8h+h=s sake$ so that 8h+h=s uniDue deity
may be ackno+ledged$ but also for %acobJ#srael=s sake$ so that they may be convinced through
their o+n being chosen to +itness "aradoGically$ they are not convinced so that they may
+itness They are chosen to +itness$ so that they may be convinced
John Goldinga-
6
That 1HH Alone 's the Transcendent= %ternal God
E# am heF (v 4C) A E# am GodF (v 46) This is the great affirmation of 1ld Testament
monotheism. not *ust the abstract conce!tion that there is only one deity$ but that 83'3 alone is
Ethe GodF 3e is eternal$ for there +as no god before him$ nor one to come after him The
eG!ression E;efore me no god +as formedF is ironic$ for it ackno+ledges the fact that in the
surrounding culture of ;abylon gods +ere indeed EformedF A that is$ constructed
0ot only +as this obviously the case +ith the idols and statues of the gods$ but of their
very origin as gods Ancient mythologies are rich in stories of the origins of the gods in one +ay
or another 83'3=s !oint is doubleJedged$ then 3e alone is unformed EFormF is a verb that
can only have 83'3 as its sub*ect (as in the creation narrative and creation !salms re!eatedly)$
never as its ob*ect ;ut also$ before all other gods +ere formed (human constructs that they are)$
83'3 +as there A God before all gods
That 1HH Alone 's 'n $o;ereign Control of History
The assertion of #saiah :9.B A that it +as 83'3 alone +ho had inter!reted the !ast and
!roclaimed the future A is re!eated in verse 46$ but +ith the added em!hasis that no strange god
in their midst had given such historic revelation to #srael The seDuence$ Erevealed and saved and
!roclaimedF$ reflects the great !aradigmatic narrative of #srael=s salvation A the eGodus ;ack
then$ God first revealed +hat he intended to doK then he did itK then he inter!reted$ eG!lained and
taught his !eo!le on the foundation of both his faithfulness to his !romise and his actual saving
fulfillment of it 1nly the God +ho is actually in control of events from beginning to end could
claim such com!rehensive mastery of history and its meaning The story is God=s story because
it is the story he is +riting The author controls the story
That 1HH Alone 's $a;iour
The saving !o+er of 83'3 +as already !roven$ of course$ in the !ast history of #srael$
but could it be trusted for the future$ in the +ake of the a!!arent defeat of <@? ;& and the eGile5
The future lies as much in the sole saving !o+er of 83'3 as the !ast That is +hy the
affirmation Ea!art from me there is no saviorF follo+s immediately on the claim$ Enor +ill there
be any HgodI after meF
God has insisted that #srael has +itnessed the evidence that he alone is God 'hat had
that evidence been5 The !romise to make Abraham a great nationK the !romise to deliver his
descendants from Egy!tK the !romise to give them the land of &anaanK the !romise to make the
dynasty of (avid secure on the throne of %erusalem$ and so on 'hat had the fulfillment of those
!romises reDuired again and again5 (eliverance$ often over im!ossible odds #n the !rocess of
demonstrating his character as 8ah+eh to his !eo!le$ he had demonstrated to them over and over
his inclination and his ca!acity to save 'hat #srael had +itnessed and could not esca!e +as the
realization that E8ah+ehF meant ESaviorF$ and that as 8ah+eh +as the only God$ he +as the
only Savior #n the first !art of his book$ #saiah had demonstrated that God alone can be trusted$
that all other resources$ es!ecially the nations$ +ould fail 0o+ he is sho+ing that +hen +e have
refused to trust and have rea!ed the logical results of our false de!endencies$ God alone can
save
John #& )s/alt
9
#n other +ords$ it is not a Duestion of ho!ing that some other god +ill come along after
83'3 to rescue #srael (or anybody) out of the mess that their sin has landed them in 0o$ the
God +hose righteousness !ut them in eGile is the same (and only) God +ho +ill deliver them
from it There is no other saving God$ for there is no other God$ !eriod This truth that #srael
needed to learn a!!lied eDually to all nations$ +hom the !ro!het +ill shortly invite to turn
around$ abandon the false gods that cannot save$ and turn to the only God +ho can A and +ill
(#sa :<.6C A 66)
These$ then$ are the great truths about 83'3 to +hich #srael is to testify Actually$ they
are the greatest truths in the universe 'hat is more im!ortant than the identity$ sovereignty and
saving !o+er of the living God5
And yet A in the greatest !aradoG of all A this God entrusts such vast cosmic truth into the
mouths of human +itnesses A +itnesses +hose untrust+orthiness he had endured for a thousand
years There is incredible vulnerability and risk here A not in relation to God=s o+n self or
survival$ but in the great !ro*ect of making these truths kno+n to the +orld
3o+ +ill the nations come to kno+ the living$ revealing$ saving God$ the one +ho is
their creator$ sovereign$ *udge and saviour5 E7ou are .- /itnesses$F says God$ to a community of
the s!iritually blind and deaf$ languishing in eGile 1nly the miraculous$ lifeJgiving and
transforming !o+er of God=s S!irit could ever give such !eo!le any ho!e of a future at all$ let
alone a rene+ed calling to be God=s chosen servant and +itness ;ut that is eGactly +hat God
!romised (#sa :6.4K ::.9) And +hen the S!irit came$ it +ould be nothing short of a resurrection$
a resurrection into the assured kno+ledge of God (Ezek 9?.4 A 4:)
TH% +*,BL% &*L% *( 'T)%$$%$ ') TH% )% T%$TAM%)T
E7ou /ill !e .- /itnesses$F said the resurrected %esus to an eDually un!romising grou! of
!eo!le$ +hose fla+s and failings he had lived +ith for three years and suffered most !ainfully at
his death 1ne of the !eo!le %esus had chosen as a +itness had denied any kno+ledge of him at
allN The rest had *ust run for cover And yet they had been chosen and called by &hrist for this
very !ur!ose$ to fulfill the servant role of #srael$ to be a light to the nations that God=s salvation
should go to the ends of the earth And that +as an election for mission that %esus +ould not
rescind$ *ust as God had not rescinded his election of #srael because of their failure /ather$ as in
the 1ld Testament$ %esus reinforced it +ith the matching !romise of the gift and !o+er of God=s
S!irit to em!o+er them for it (Luke 6:.:BK Acts 4.@)
For +hat greater truths are there in the universe than the identity$ sovereignty and saving
!o+er of the Lord %esus &hrist5
There on the )ount of Ascension$ %esus calmly assumed the 83'3 !osition in +ords
dra+n straight from (euteronomy :.9B. EAll authority in heaven and on earth has been given to
me Therefore goMF #t is as if %esus says to them$
7ou kno+ +ho # am no+K -ou kno+ my identity as the one +ho has come (as 83'3
said he +ould come) and has accom!lished all that only 83'3 could accom!lish 7ou kno+
that # am 3e And you are +itnesses to the events that demonstrate these things A my life$ death
and resurrection
So ho+ +ill all the nations +hom God has !romised to bless ever since Abraham come to
the saving kno+ledge of these truths about me5 8ou are .- +itnesses 8ou stand in the !lace of
#srael bearing +itness to 83'3$ bearing +itness to the one +ho embodies 83'3$ as sovereign
and saviour
So as the 0e+ Testament develo!s the rich 1ld Testament theme of God=s !eo!le as
83'3=s +itnesses$ it does so in t+o +ays$ both of +hich remain crucially im!ortant for our
o+n mission as God=s !eo!le today
*riginal %ye!itnesses of the Historical Jesus
E8ou are +itnesses of these things$F said %esus (Luke 6:.:@)
'hat things5
:
The events that had *ust been described A the coming of the )essiah$ his suffering$ death
and resurrection 1ne of the !rime !rivileges and res!onsibilities of a!ostleshi! +as eGactly this
A to have kno+n %esus of 0azareth in his earthly life and ministry and to have been a +itness of
his death and resurrection So +hen the disci!les needed to re!lace %udas #scariot after the
resurrection$ they +ere Duite eG!licit that candidates for selection needed to have this minimum
Dualification.
Mit is necessary to choose one of the men +ho have been +ith us the +hole time the
Lord %esus +ent in and out among us$ beginning from %ohn=s ba!tism to the time +hen %esus +as
taken u! from us For one of these must become a +itness +ith us of his resurrection (Acts 4.64
A 66)
And in cha!ter B +e sa+ ho+ vital this !ersonal eye+itness testimony +as in the early
!reaching of the a!ostles They refer to it again and again.
8ou killed the author of life$ but God raised him from the dead 'e are +itnesses of this
(Acts 9.4<)
S S S
As for us$ +e cannot hel! s!eaking about +hat +e have seen and heard (Acts :.6C)
<
The same "eter and %ohn$ +ho !resented their credentials as eye+itnesses at the start of
their life of a!ostolic ministry$ never lost the +onder of that !rivilege "eter describes himself not
merely as Ea fello+ elderF (+hich s!eaks of +hat he shared +ith his readers) but also as Ea
+itness of &hrist=s sufferingsF (+hich distinguished him from them as an a!ostle$ +ithout stating
it as a matter of rankK 4 "eter <.4K cf also 6 "eter 4.4> A 4@) %ohn em!hasizes the visual$ audible
and tangible nature of his testimony to &hrist.
That +hich +as from the beginning$ +hich +e have heard$ +hich +e have seen +ith our
eyes$ +hich +e have looked at and our hands have touched A this +e !roclaim concerning the
'ord of life The life a!!earedK +e have seen it and testify to it$ and +e !roclaim to you the
eternal life$ +hich +as +ith the Father and has a!!eared to us 'e !roclaim to you +hat +e have
seen and heard (4 %ohn 4.4 A 9)
'ell$ +e might think$ this +as clearly im!ortant to those first gos!el missionaries of
%esus &hrist The- could stand u! and say$ E'e +ere there 'e kne+ him 'e sa+ him die 'e
sa+ him raised to life by God 'e are +itnesses of these thingsF ;ut /e can=t say that So +hat
relevance has this !oint got to the mission of God=s !eo!le today5
#t is vitally im!ortant$ for +here did all that eye+itness testimony about %esus end u!5 #n
the ;ible$ of courseN #n the 0e+ Testament documents that trace their origin and their
authenticity back to those first eye+itnesses And since all our +itnessing to the gos!el is
founded on the ;ible$ it is vital that +e should be able to have confidence in the trust+orthiness
of those documents
#ndeed +e can have such confidence Luke tells us that he did his research carefully and
checked those eye+itness sources$ !recisely so that +e can have confidence in the certainty of
+hat +e believe.
)any have undertaken to dra+ u! an account of the things that have been fulfilled among
us$ *ust as they +ere handed do+n to us by those /ho fro. the first /ere e-e/itnesses and
servants of the +ord 'ith this in mind$ since # myself have carefully investigated everything
from the beginning$ # too decided to +rite an orderly account for you$ most eGcellent Theo!hilus$
so that you may kno+ the certaint- of the things -ou ha$e !een taught& (Luke 4.4 A :K italics
added)
'hat +as true for Luke +as doubtless true of the others +ho com!iled +hat +e no+ hold
in our hands in the 0e+ Testament #ndeed$ /ichard ;auckham has argued +ith enormous
scholarly research and conviction that the im!act of contem!orary eye+itness testimony on the
documents of the 0e+ Testament is far greater than many imagine &ertainly he eG!lodes the
!o!ular caricature that all the stories about the life and sayings of %esus +ere embroidered by
years of freeJflo+ing oral imaginings before they +ere ever +ritten do+n
>
All our +itness to the Lord %esus &hrist and the saving !o+er of the gos!el is de!endent
on the trust+orthiness of the ;ible The Scri!tures !oint to him #ndeed %esus himself used the
language of +itness to s!eak of the Scri!tures that +e no+ call the 1ld Testament. E8ou study
the Scri!tures diligently because you think that in them you !ossess eternal life These are the
very Scri!tures that testify about meF (%ohn <.9B) The 1ld Testament bore its +itness to the one
+ho came to fulfill God=s !romise The 0e+ Testament bears +itness to him through those +ho
+ere$ as "eter !ut it$ E+itnesses +hom God had already chosen A by us +ho ate and drank +ith
him after he rose from the deadF (Acts 4C.:4)
The mission of God=s !eo!le$ then$ is a +itnessing mission A bearing +itness to the Lord
%esus &hrist ;ut all our +itnessing is authenticated by the +itness of those +ho +ere God=s o+n
chosen eye+itnesses And their testimony is in our hands A God=s 'ord through their +ords A
our ;ible
*ngoing Testi"ony to the Gospel of Christ
So the first +itnesses +ere those +ho had seen and heard the earthly %esus 3o+ever$ as
%esus !ointed out to Thomas$ Eblessed are those +ho have not seen and yet have believedF (%ohn
6C.6B) %esus !rayed not for his first disci!les alone$ but for Ethose +ho +ill believe in me
through their messageF (4?.6C) So %esus clearly envisaged that the +itnessing +ork of his
community +ould continue beyond the first generation of eye+itnesses$ to the ongoing
testimony of those +ho +ould come to faith Faith comes through hearing the testimony of those
+ho have seen and heardK but faith also demands to be !assed on through continuous testimony
%esus had also +arned his disci!les that they +ould face !ersecution and arrest by
religious and !olitical authorities$ but this +ould !rovide them +ith all the more o!!ortunities to
testify about %esus in the !ublic arena 1r rather$ it +ould be one of the +ays through +hich the
3oly S!irit +ould bear +itness to %esus through the +ords of his follo+ers on trial #ndeed it
+ould be one means by +hich the gos!el +ould s!read to all nations ()ark 49.B A 44K cf also
)att 4C.4? A 6CK Luke 64.46 A 4<) So$ %esus clearly envisaged this as an ongoing +itness by the
community of believers beyond the immediate lifetime of his first eye+itness disci!les
The ministry of the a!ostle "aul falls some+hat into both categories 3e kne+ +ell that
he had not been among the original disci!les of %esus during his earthly ministry$ nor had he been
there at the cross or on the day of resurrection So his inclusion among the original band of
a!ostles had to be endorsed by his !ersonal$ direct and over+helming encounter +ith the risen
&hrist on the road to (amascus 3e sa+ that event as authenticating his a!ostleshi! alongside
those +ho had been there +hen it ha!!ened
;ut "aul +as also conscious of his duty to testify to %esus That is ho+ he describes the
commission he received at conversion (Acts 66.4: A 4<K 6>.4>) and ho+ he summed u! his life=s
ambition. E# consider my life +orth nothing to meK my only aim is to finish the race and
com!lete the task the Lord %esus has given me A the task of testifying
?
to the good ne+s of God=s
graceF (Acts 6C.6:)
%ohn is fond of the conce!t of bearing +itness 3is +hole gos!el is +ritten as the
testimony of one +ho +as there at the cross and the em!ty tomb and +ho bears +itness so that
others may come to believe (%ohn 4B.9<K 6C.@K 64.6:) 3e em!hasizes the role of %ohn the
;a!tist in bearing +itness to the identity of %esus as the )essiah (%ohn 4.? A @$ 4<$ 4B$ 96$ 9:)
And he !ortrays %esus engaged in !rolonged debate +ith %e+ish leaders over the range of
testimony to his identity (%ohn$ his Father$ his +orks$ the Scri!tures$ himself)
%ohn also !rovides t+o E+itnessF !assages that !rovide a model and an encouragement A
the Samaritan +oman and the 3oly S!irit
#t is often said that the Samaritan +oman at the +ell in %ohn : +as the first evangelist
And this is all the more amazing in that she seemed to suffer tri!le disDualification for such a
role A being a foreigner$ a +oman (+hose testimony +as not counted valid in %e+ish courts at
that time)$ and someone +ith serious moral and social Duestions hanging over her domestic
circumstances
@
;ut she did +hat any +itness should do A nothing more nor less She +ent and
told her to+n about %esus And the !o+er of her testimony became a selfJre!licating evangelistic
force #t seems clear that %ohn intends this as a model for all +ho come to faith.
)any of the Samaritans from that to+n believed in him !ecause of the /o.an"s
testi.on-$ E3e told me everything # ever didF So +hen the Samaritans came to him$ they urged
him to stay +ith them$ and he stayed t+o days And because of his +ords many more became
believers
They said to the +oman$ E'e no longer believe *ust because of +hat you saidK no+ +e
have heard for ourselves$ and +e kno+ that this man really is the Savior of the +orldF (%ohn
:.9B A :6K italics added)
%esus stands on trial$ not no+ before "ontius "ilate$ but at the bar of +orld o!inion The
E+orldF$ +hich in biblical language means secular$ godless$ nonJ&hristian society$ is in the role
of *udge The +orld is *udging %esus continuously$ !assing its various verdicts u!on 3im The
devil accuses 3im +ith many ugly lies and musters his false +itnesses by the hundred The 3oly
S!irit is the 1arakletos$ the counsel for the defence$ and 3e calls us to be +itnesses to
substantiate 3is case &hristian !reachers are !rivileged to testify to and for %esus &hrist$
defending 3im$ commending 3im$ bringing before the court evidence +ith they must hear and
consider before they return their verdict
3o+ is the &hristian to react +hen faced +ith the o!!osition of the +orld5 3e is certainly
not to retaliate 0or is he to lick his +ounds in selfJ!ity 0or is he to +ithdra+ into safe and
sheltered seclusion a+ay from the disagreeable enmity of the +orld 0o$ he is bravely to bear
+itness to %esus &hrist before the +orld in the !o+er of the 3oly S!irit 3ere is the +orld A
sometimes indifferent and a!athetic on the surface but underneath actively aggressive and
rebellious 3o+ are they to hear$ to understand$ to re!ent and to believe5 3o+ are they to be
brought to give sentence in favour of the %esus +ho stands on trial before them5 The ans+er is.
through our testimony #t is because of the unbelieving +orld=s o!!osition to &hrist that the
&hurch=s +itness to &hrist is needed
John Stott
B
%ohn=s second E+itnessF !assage$ +ith eDually strong evangelistic intention$ is his record
of the +ords of %esus about the role of the 3oly S!irit.
'hen the Advocate comes$ +hom # +ill send to you from the Father A the S!irit of truth
+ho goes out from the Father A he +ill testify about me And you also must testify$ for you have
been +ith me from the beginning (%ohn 4<.6> A 6?)
The immediate surrounding conteGt of this is the +arning that %esus gives about the
+orld=s hatred and !ersecution of his follo+ers So the atmos!here is dark +ith conflict and
accusation As in #saiah$ the meta!horical background is a court$ only this time it is %esus himself
in the dock %esus is maligned$ attacked$ hated 'ho +ill stand u! for him5 'ho +ill s!eak in his
defence5 The 3oly S!irit +ill$ claims %esus$ for that is his !rimary task A to testify to %esus
#n the neGt cha!ter$ %esus +ill !ortray the 3oly S!irit in the role of !rosecuting counsel$
+ith the +orld in the dock$ being convicted of its guilt and sin before the righteous *udgment of
God (%ohn 4>.@ A 44) ;ut here in %ohn 4<$ his brief is to bear +itness to %esus through the
/itness of his disciples& 1nce again +e see that the !rimary reference is to those +ho +ere
eye+itnesses of %esus= earthly life (E+ith me from the beginningF)$ but there is no doubt that
such testifying to the truth about %esus$ in the !o+er of the 3oly S!irit$ is the ongoing !rivilege
and res!onsibility of all his faithful follo+ers through the generations
$,MMA&1
#n cha!ter B +e sa+ ho+ !art of the mission of God=s !eo!le is to give undivided loyalty
to the God +e kno+ in &hrist as Lord and Saviour "art of that loyalty includes being +illing$
like the a!ostles$ to stand u! for him in o!en court$ as it +ere #n this cha!ter +e have eG!lored
+hat that means through the biblical category of bearing +itness %esus lays this res!onsibility on
his disci!les$ but he dre+ the idea and its content from his Scri!tures A our 1ld Testament
#n a +orld +here the nations of humanity have constructed gods for themselves and do
not kno+ the living God$ God=s !eo!le are summoned to bear +itness to his uniDueness$
sovereignty and saving +ork That is a fundamental reason for our election and !art of the
meaning of being God=s servants ;ut the task of bearing +itness is not only for the benefit of
those +ho do not yet kno+ God$ it also strengthens the faith and understanding of the +itnesses
themselves
The mission of God=s !eo!le$ then$ includes verbal testimony$ standing u! to s!eak the
truth about +ho is truly God and about +hat God has done through the Lord %esus &hrist to bring
salvation to the nations The task of being a Eservant and a +itnessF continues to define our
mission as much as it did for #srael$ for "aul$ and for all those +hose testimony has even
included martyrdom Ebecause of the +ord of God and the testimony of %esusF (/ev 4.B)
The content of our testimony is above all good ne+s And that leads us in the neGt cha!ter
to ask +hat that good ne+s is and +hat it means to be a messenger of it
&%L%2A)T -,%$T'*)$
4 'hat does the eG!ression Egiving your testimonyF bring to mind5 3o+ does the
!o!ular !ractice relate to +hat the ;ible means about Ebearing +itnessF5 3o+ can +e resist the
tendency to make Eour testimonyF be mostly about us$ rather than about the great truths of God
in &hrist5
6 &an you !oint to +ays in +hich the task of +itnessing has resulted in strengthening
your o+n &hristian faith and understanding5
9 &ourts sometimes s!eak of someone as Ea credible +itnessF (or not$ as the case may
be) 'hat constitutes a Ecredible +itnessF for &hrist5

CHAPT%& ..
P%*PL% H* P&*CLA'M TH% G*$P%L *( CH&'$T
E$angelis., e$angelists, e$angelical, e$angelistic, e$angelization 8 +ords that are at
home in many &hristians= vocabulary$ but very much misunderstood and abused in the +orld at
large
'e are Egos!el !eo!leF$ +e like to say$ and sharing the gos!el in all !ossible +ays is of
the essence of the mission of God=s !eo!le And most of us are a+are that the old English +ord
Egos!elF means Egood ne+sF$ +hich is also the core of all the EevangelJF +ords in Greek in the
0e+ Testament
EGos!elF is one of those +ords that is so basic$ so fundamental to &hristian life that it can
be taken for granted #t can become the term for *ust about anything at all in the &hristian faith
EGos!elF can become so full of the meaning 9 +ant to !ut into it that it can be em!tied of
meaning altogether Like the +ord EloveF in !o!ular music$ Egos!elF can mean everything and
nothing at the same time #=ve heard !eo!le describe congregations as Egos!el churchesF$ and
ministers as Egos!el menF$ +hen all they really mean is E;ibleJbasedF$ or E+e like themF
John >ickson
4
The mission of God=s !eo!le is to bring good ne+s to a +orld +here !ad ne+s is
de!ressingly endemic
0o+ +e could immediately launch into a survey of the use of the Ee$angel3F root in the
0e+ Testament$ +here it occurs about one hundred times as a verb and a noun$ and build a
convincing enough !ortrait of our evangelistic mandate and method there 3o+ever$ +e are
doing biblical theology for life$ and so +e +ill follo+ our established !ractice hitherto and ste!
back first to the 1ld Testament And there are t+o good reasons for doing that
The first reason is that "aul tells us that the gos!el is Ein accordance +ith the Scri!turesF
(4 &or 4<.4 A :)K that is to say$ the gos!el message of the death and resurrection of %esus is to be
understood in the light of the 1ld Testament "aul can even say that the gos!el +as preached in
the 1ld Testament The Scri!ture$ he says$ E!reJevangelized AbrahamF A +hen God !romised
him that all nations +ould be blessed through him (Gal 9.@)
The biblical gos!el begins in Genesis$ not in )atthe+ That certainly !uts Ethe gos!elF
into our frame+ork of biblical theology
The second reason is that it seems !robable that the 0e+ Testament $oca!ular- of gos!el
and evangelism actually has its roots in the 1ld Testament$ s!ecifically in the book of #saiah (and
some !salms$ as +e +ill see) The Egos!elF +ords go back$ in fact$ to the good ne+s that came to
the eGiles in ;abylon
G**+ )%$ (*& TH% %>'L%$
As +e sa+ in cha!ter 4C$ +e need to go back to that time in #srael=s history +hen the
unthinkable had ha!!ened A the eGile$ +ith the loss of land$ city$ tem!le and ho!e Then$ if ever$
#srael needed to hear some good ne+s And that is +hat they did hear in the soaring +ords
recorded in #saiah :C A <<
Four times in those cha!ters +e hear about Egood ne+sF on its +ay &heck them out$
since they are the origin of our gos!el language. #saiah :C.BK :4.6?K <6.?K and >4.4 #n each case$
the 3ebre+ +ord is !aOar$ and in three cases the Greek translators in Se!tuagint teGts chose to
use the verb euangelizo.ai And this$ of course$ is the +ord that entered into the 0e+ Testament
usage$ es!ecially +hen those teGts +ere Duoted by %esus or the a!ostles The good ne+s that the
!ro!het looked for+ard to has actually arrived +ith the coming of %esus So the language of
Egood ne+sF or Egos!elF uses the Se!tuagint verb from the 1ld Testament Scri!tures and gives
us the +hole range of EevangelJF +ords in the 0e+ Testament
aOar means to bring or announce good ne+s #t +as common enough in everyday life in
1ld Testament #srael "robably the most eGciting and revealing use of it is in 6 Samuel 4@.4B A
96 A the story of ho+ the ne+s of %oab=s victory over Absalom +as brought to (avid A good
ne+s that +as ruined for (avid by the death of Absalom himself
6
The !artici!le$ .
e
!aOOer$ then
meant somebody +ho announces such good ne+s$ a messenger of good ne+s (as distinct from
the ordinary +ord for messengers in general A .al@k)
And it is eGactly such a messenger of good ne+s +hom +e meet in the o!ening verse of
the !assage that +ill lay the foundation for our study in this cha!ter$ #saiah <6.?$ a verse that +as
much Duoted in the ho!es of the %e+ish !eo!le around the time of %esus and also in the 0e+
Testament A eGce!t that in the 0e+ Testament it is no longer a ho!e for the future but a glad
celebration of an event that had arrived at last
9
3o+ beautiful on the mountains
are the feet of the one +ho brings good ne+s$
+ho !roclaims !eace$
+ho brings good tidings$
+ho !roclaims salvation$
+ho says to Lion$
E8our God reignsNF
ListenN 8our +atchmen lift u! their voicesK
together they shout for *oy
'hen the L1/( returns to Lion$
they +ill see it +ith their o+n eyes
;urst into songs of *oy together$
you ruins of %erusalem$
for the L1/( has comforted his !eo!le$
he has redeemed %erusalem
The L1/( +ill lay bare his holy arm
in the sight of all the nations$
and all the ends of the earth +ill see
the salvation of our God
(#sa <6.? A 4CK my translation in v ?K the messenger is singular in 3ebre+)
:
Feet can be not a !retty sight %eremiah had once imagined /achel +atching her children
trudging !ast her tomb as ca!tives The contrasting vision here is of feet bringing good ne+s$ a
!oint im!licit in the fact that they are lovely The !eo!le had sinned +ith their feet ("rov 4.4>)$
had been !unished +ith feet (%er 49.4>)$ but no+ are comforted +ith feet
John Goldinga-
<
So +e return to the eGiles in ;abylon This cha!ter$ #saiah <6$ has begun by summoning
Lion to +ake u! and believe that the bad days of its desolation and ca!tivity are coming to an
end And in verse ?$ the !ro!het calls on the eGiles (and us$ his later readers) to eGercise our
imagination 'e see ourselves back in the ruins of %erusalem$ anGiously gazing out to+ard the
East$ +here the eGiles +ere languishing in ca!tivity$ +aiting every day for ne+s that God has
+on the victory he had !romised$ that the eGiles are coming home
At last$ in verse ?$ +e see the running feet of a messenger s!eeding across the mountain
ranges to the east$ to+ard %erusalem A single running messenger +ill mean good ne+s of a
victory rather than the straggling remains of a defeated army lim!ing home And so it !roves
The messenger=s good ne+s consists of three +ords in verse ? that could be !resented in
Duotation marks as the +ords he gas!s out as he runs nearer. E#t=s !eaceNF E#t=s goodNF E'e=re
savedNF until at last he reaches the city itself and calls out to those +ithin$ E8our God reignsNF
God &eigns H'sa. <37AE
This is the key message$ and it is the truth that eG!lains all the other three items in the
messenger=s good ne+s For +hat does it mean to say that 83'3$ the Lord God of #srael$
reigns5 'hat does the good ne+s of the kingdom of God bring +ith it5 Everything the
messenger has said$ but +ith all their additional 1ld Testament resonance
'hat does God=s rule entail5 #t entails a condition +here all things are in their !ro!er
relation to each other$ +ith nothing left hanging$ incom!lete or unfulfilled (peace, ?alo.)K it
entails a condition +here creation !ur!oses are realized (good, to!)K it entails a condition of
freedom from every bondage$ but !articularly the bondage resultant from sin (sal$ation, -e?u@h)
'here God reigns$ these follo+ 1f course$ this is eGactly congruent +ith +hat the &hristian
faith considers its good ne+s (euangelion) to be This is the content that &hrist instructed his
disci!les to !reach from village to village ()att 4C.4 A ?). that +hich #sa <6.? A 4C had s!oken
of +as no+ !resent and at hand &hristianity understood itself to be about +hat #saiah +as about$
declaring the good ne+s of the universal rule of God in the +orld$ +ith concomitant !eace$ good$
and salvation
John )s/alt
?
The &eign of God Means C$halo"D
#t +ill be a reign of !eace #t +ill mean the end of the violence and conflict$ and all the
brokenness and shattering that +ar brings God=s reign +ill bring +holeness and fullness of life$
+hen all things are as God intended them to be$ +hen +e are at !eace +ith God$ +ith ourselves
and +ith the +orld
This +as an 1ld Testament longing and vision
>
that of course eG!ressed a literal desire
for the end of actual !hysical +arfare ;ut it +ent dee!er to the levels of restored !eace and
harmony in all relationshi!s$ and in that sense the image of the messenger +ho E!roclaims
!eaceF took dee! root in %e+ish ho!es and informed 0e+ Testament understanding of the +ork
of &hrist$ as +e +ill see (Acts 4C.9>K E!h 6.4?)
The &eign of God Means CGoodD
'hen God acts in the +ay the !ro!het has been saying$ it +ill be good ne+s for the
+hole creation$ for it +ill be restored to +hat God said +hen he first created it. E#t is very goodF
'hen God reigns over all creation and over all humanity$ it +ill be good$ for God is good
The &eign of God Means C$al;ationD
The victory of God means the ending of all that holds !eo!le in slavery #t +ill be the
great rescue$ deliverance A from the literal ca!tivity of the #sraelite eGiles to all forms of
o!!ression$ addiction and bondage The reign of God breaks the chains of evil$ sin and Satan and
removes the ultimate dangers of *udgment and death Salvation is an incredibly rich and com!leG
+ord throughout the ;ible #t +as the distinctive$ defining character of 83'3 in the 1ld
Testament and the !ersonal name of %esus in the 0e+
@
So +hen God reigns$ there +ill be !eace$ life +ill be good and +e +ill be saved This is
the summary content of the EevangelF borne by the beautiful feet of the Lord=s messenger This is
gos!el truth
God &eturns H'sa. <37:E
#n verse @ the single voice of the running messenger is *oined by an ensemble of
+atchmen These are the imaginary sentries on the broken do+n +alls of %erusalem They no+
*oin together in a great chorus of *oy 'hy5 ;ecause they can no+ see beyond and behind the
messenger and +hat they see is 83'3 himself
The Lord is on his +ay homeN And so the God +ho reigns is the God +ho returns God is
coming back to his city A coming back to$ and coming back +ith$ his o+n !eo!le
'hen 0ebuchadnezzar destroyed %erusalem and took its !eo!le into ca!tivity$ the eGiles
+ere not the only ones to leave the city #n a sense$ God himself had de!arted as +ell Ezekiel$ in
the terrible vision that +as !robably the lo+est !oint of his +hole ministry (second only to the
death of his +ife)$ had +itnessed the glory of 83'3 leaving the tem!le and moving a+ay$
deserting the city (Ezek @ A 44) God had left the building 'ould he ever come back5
Already #saiah has given the ans+er in #saiah :C.9 God is on the move A so get the roads
ready #n fact$ this has already been heralded as Egood ne+s to LionF (#sa :C.B) 0o+ the
+atchmen in %erusalem are singing because they see him on his +ayN God is returning to LionN
As indeed he did$ +hen the eGiles returned in <9@ ;&$ +ith the !ermission and
s!onsorshi! of the ne+ king on the block$ &yrus of "ersia The city +as inhabited again The
tem!le +as rebuilt 'orshi! +as restored
3e +ould return to Lion again$ in a more significant +ay$ +hen the Lord entered his
tem!le on the first "alm Sunday
And he +ill do yet again$ +hen the Lord returns to claim the +hole creation as his tem!le
and to d+ell +ith his redeemed humanity forever ;ut our biblical theology is running ahead of
us That=s +hat ha!!ens +hen you see these resonances and connections +ithin the ;ible
God &edee"s H'sa. <37? 8 .@E
This song is infectious From the gas!ed gos!el of the single running messenger (v ?)$ it
has s!read to the small choir of sentries (v @) ;ut no+ the ruins of %erusalem are given
!ersonified voice to sing of their o+n redem!tion (v B)$ and in verse 4C it +ill have ri!!led out
to the ends of the earth And the theme of the song remains the same A the Lord God himself$
+ho not only reigns and returns$ but also redeems
'hat does it mean5 %o.fort and rede.ption
#t means being comforted and liberated The t+o +ords that describe +hat God has done
for his !eo!le (note that the !arallelism makes it clear that E%erusalemF is not *ust the city itself$
but stands for Ethe !eo!leF A the redeemed !eo!le of God) are re!etitions of !hrases that the
!ro!het has used most em!hatically already and filled +ith rich meaning The o!ening +ords of
#saiah :C double u! Ecomfort$ comfort my !eo!leF$ and eG!and it +ith Es!eak tenderlyF$ +hich is
literally$ Es!eak to the heartF &omfort brings relief to !ain and grief$ bereavement and sorro+
The eGiles have suffered their great loss and trauma long enough God is !ouring in his comfort
(#sa :B.49K <4.9)
;ut comfort by itself can be im!otent A mere +ords$ as +e say So the second +ord is
crucial God has redee.ed his !eo!le Again$ this is a +ord (ga@l) already used several times
(#sa :4.4:K :9.4$ 4:K ::.66$ 6:K :@.4?$ 6C) #t comes from the +orld of #srael=s economic life$ as
+e sa+ in some detail in cha!ter > 'e sa+ there that the +ord EredeemF in #srael s!oke of the
commitment of a family member to stand u! and cham!ion other members of the family +ho
+ere in some situation of loss$ danger or threat #t im!lied decisive$ !o+erful action$ !ayment of
+hatever cost +as needed (literally or in the sense of effort)$ and the achievement of liberty$
release or restoration
This is the term and the role that 83'3 a!!lies to himself re!eatedly on behalf of #srael
A es!ecially in these cha!ters of #saiah #t is an eGodusJflavoured +ord$ since its earliest use in a
theological sense +ith 83'3 as the sub*ect comes in God=s declaration of intent to EredeemF
#srael out of Egy!t (EG >.> A @)$ and in )oses= celebration of that event in song (EG 4<.49) The
return from eGile +ill be eGodus reloaded A God=s redeeming his !eo!le out of ca!tivity
3o+ +ill it be accom!lished5 ;y the Eholy armF of the Lord -erse 4C hints at ho+ God
+ill accom!lish this great redem!tive +ork EThe L1/( +ill lay bare his holy armF 'e
recognize this immediately as an anthro!omor!hic meta!hor 8ou roll u! your sleeves for
vigorous +ork 1r the imagery may come from the battlefield$ as a soldier thro+s off his cloak$
baring his right arm for combat +ith the enemy
8es$ but actually +e have met Ethe arm of the L1/(F before in this !ro!hecy$ and there
are other flavours to the meta!hor
#n #saiah :C.4C A 44$ the arm of the Lord is a combination of sovereign !o+er combined
+ith tender com!assion A the com!assion of a she!herd +ho takes u! struggling lambs in his
arm and carries them close to his heart
#n #saiah <4.B$ the arm of the Lord is identified +ith 83'3 himself in his great
demonstration of saving !o+er in bringing the #sraelites out of Egy!t and through the sea
#n #saiah <4.<$ ho+ever$ the arm of the Lord is described in eGactly the same terms as had
been used for the servant of the Lord in :6.4 A :$ +hich suggests that God +ill accom!lish his
redeeming +ork through that servantK the servant +ill be the !ersonified arm of the Lord
#n #saiah <9.4$ the soJcalled fourth Servant Song that follo+s immediately on our teGt$
this im!ression is strengthened as the arm of the Lord is identified +ith that servant +ho +ould
live a life of re*ection and die a death of horrendous in*ustice A but ultimately be vindicated and
glorified by God The Servant is the arm of the Lord
So it is a rich !icture$ then The good ne+s is that God +ill act and +ill accom!lish
redem!tion for his !eo!le #n one sense$ he +ill do so unaided$ acting solely by the !o+er of his
o+n arm$ as at the eGodus And yet$ +e are led to eG!ect that the arm of the Lord +ill be
embodied in the servant +hose calling$ ministry$ suffering and victory so fill these cha!ters
'ho +ill benefit5 All the nations
From a single runner to the ends of the earth$ the good ne+s s!reads -erse 4C does +hat
this !ro!het does so characteristically A that is$ he o!ens u! the !romise of God from being a
+ord directly for his o+n historical !eo!le (1ld Testament #srael in eGile) into a +ord that has
universal sco!e and !o+er -erse 4C takes a +ord intended to bring ho!e to the eGiles$ centuries
before &hrist$ and turns it into a !romise of salvation to the +orld$ Duoting verbatim as he does
from "salm B@.9
0o +onder it is described as Egos!elF This is good ne/s for the /orld$ not *ust for #srael
#srael=s gos!el is gos!el for all nations A as it +as al+ays intended to be (a !oint that "aul +ill
build into the very essence of the gos!el he !reached to the Gentiles)
0o+ since +e are thinking of #saiah <6.? A 4C !articularly as a EgospelF declaration
(because of its use of the verb !aOar and its influence on the gos!el vocabulary of the 0e+
Testament$ through the LTT euangelizo.ai)$ it is +orth !ointing to "salm B>$ +here the same
language is used Strikingly$ it is em!loyed +ith the same universal intent A !roclaiming the
good ne+s about 83'3 and all his +orks to the nations
B
Sing to the L1/( a ne+ songK
sing to the L1/($ all the earth
Sing to the L1/($ !raise his nameK
proclai. his salvation day after day
(eclare his glory among the nations$
his marvelous deeds among all !eo!les ("s B>.4 A 9K italics added)
E"roclaimF is !aOar$ and the LTT translates it as euangelizesthe 8 Eproclai. this as good
ne/s6& The message of 83'3=s name$ salvation$ glory and marvelous deeds constitutes good
ne+s$ a gospel .essage that the nations need to hear "salm B> goes on to eG!ose the futility of
the idolatry of the nations and to invite them to abandon their nonJgods and *oin in the +orshi!
of the only living God$ in the beauty of his holiness
And +hat is the content of this Ene+ songF that is to be sung among the nations5 0othing
less than the same truth +e find in our #saiah teGt A E83'3 reignsF ("s B>.4C) And if 83'3
reigns$ then the old order of the +orld is turned u!side do+n$ transforming the +hole creation
into a !lace of reliability$ righteousness and re*oicing ("s B>.4C A 49)
Gos!el truth$ then$ is generated in the !ro!hets and !salms of #srael That is +hat +e have
found so far
The good ne+s of the kingdom of God that is to go out to the ends of the earth$ to bring
comfort and *oy to all nations$ is the good ne+s of the living God +ho reigns$ +ho returns to his
rightful inheritance$ and +ho redeems the +hole +orld And all of these things God +ill
accom!lish through his mighty arm A his Arm (his Servant)$ outstretched in gentle com!assion$
outstretched in suffering love$ and outstretched in cosmic victory
The gos!el is on its +ay
G**+ )%$ ') J%$,$
EGo tell it on the mountain that %esus &hrist is born$F sings a !o!ular &hristmas song$
dra+ing its imagery from the messenger on the mountain in our teGt and in #saiah :C.B And its
instinct is right For beyond the horizon of the eGiles +as the horizon of that greater arrival of
God among his !eo!le in the !erson of %esus of 0azareth And all three !arts of the gos!el
according to #saiah=s messenger in <6.? A 4C are even more gloriously good ne+s in &hrist
Jesus as and 's God &eigning
The first gos!el +ritten o!ens +ith Ethe beginning of the good ne+s HeuangelionPI about
%esus the )essiahF ()ark 4.4) and goes on to Duote from #saiah :C )ark sees %ohn the ;a!tist
as the initial herald bringing good ne+s$ but both )ark and %ohn Duickly make it clear that %ohn
+as not the one +ho fulfilled the !ro!hecies A they both !oint to %esus in that role
Thus %esus$ +hen he begins his !ublic ministry$ functions as the messenger of good ne+s$
announcing that it has arrived The reign of God is beginning A +ith his arrival ()ark 4.4: A 4<)
Luke records that among the earliest acts of %esus +as to take u!on himself !recisely the
role of the anointed !reacher of good ne+s +hom +e find in #saiah *ust a fe+ cha!ters after our
teGt$ using the same verb (#sa >4.4 A 9)
H%esusI stood u! to read$ and the scroll of the !ro!het #saiah +as handed to him ,nrolling
it$ he found the !lace +here it is +ritten.
EThe S!irit of the Lord is on me$
because he has anointed me
to proclai. good ne/s
4C
to the !oor
3e has sent me to !roclaim freedom for the !risoners
and recovery of sight for the blind$
to set the o!!ressed free$
to !roclaim the year of the Lord=s favorF (Luke :.4> A 4BK italics added)
3o+ many years had that Scri!ture been read in that synagogue5 3o+ many times +ould
the local rabbi have encouraged the !eo!le to go on !raying and trusting for the day +hen the
one of +hom it s!oke +ould come and do those things5 )ay he come soon$ 1 LordN ;ring us
this good ne+s in our lifetime "erha!s tomorro+M
Then one Sabbath morning$ the local car!enter=s son shocked the +hole to+n +ith the
electric +ord$ EToda-NF 0o more +aiting 'hat you have ho!ed and longed for all these years is
here$ in the one standing before you The !ro!hetic voice of the ancient teGt has become the
living voice of the one no+ reading it to you EToday this scri!ture is fulfilled in -our hearingF
(Luke :.64K italics added)
And the things the teGt s!oke of +ere eGactly the things that %esus !ointed to as evidence
that the kingdom of God had indeed come God +as reigning in and through %esus$ through his
+ords and his +orks. E#f # drive out demons by the finger of God$ then the kingdom of God has
come u!on youF (Luke 44.6C) 'hen %ohn the ;a!tist +ondered if !erha!s he had backed the
+rong messiah$ %esus !ointed to the same things$ this time su!!orted by yet another teGt of #saiah
(#sa 9<.< A >)$ but adding the significant +ords$ Eand the good ne+s is !roclaimed to the !oorF
(lit$ Eand the !oor are being Oe$angelized= FK )att 44.: A <)
And that reign of God$ inaugurated by %esus and indeed embodied in him$ continues to
+ork +ithin human history in the +ays that %esus said it +ould A like seed gro+ing$ like yeast
rising$ like fish being caught The kingdom of God is at +ork in and through the lives of those
+ho have EenteredF it$ that is$ in +hose lives God is reigning through re!entance and faith in
&hrist$ in those +ho are committed to the +ays of %esus &hrist by submitting to him as Lord$ in
those +ho seek first the kingdom of God and his *ustice$ in those +ho hunger and thirst for
*ustice
#n short$ the reign of God is found among those +ho understand their mission$ to make
peace$ to do good$ and to !roclaim God=s sal$ation For those are the things$ as #saiah=s gos!el
messenger called out$ that constitute the good ne+s that Eour God reignsF The gos!el is good
ne/s a!out God, as a foundation for all that makes it good ne/s for us&
At the heart of the gos!el message (in the 1ld and 0e+ Testaments) is the idea of God=s
rule as king$ in other +ords$ his kingdom 'hen the first &hristians !roclaimed this gos!el of the
kingdom$ they +ere not co!ying the Egos!elF of the /oman kingdomK they +ere eG!osing it as a
fraud #t +as God$ not any human king$ +ho ruled over all This is the central theme of the
&hristian gos!elM
'hat is the single most im!ortant idea driving our mission to the +orld5MThe ans+er
has to do +ith monotheism (one God) or$ more correctly$ &hristological monotheism A the
lordshi! of the one true God through his )essiahMTo !ut it in sim!le and !ractical terms$ the
goal of gos!el !reaching A and of gos!el !romoting A is to hel! our neighbours realise and
submit to God=s kingshi! or lordshi! over their lives
H3o+everI the &hristian gos!el does not *ust announce the conce!t EGod reignsFK it
outlines eGactly ho+ that reign has been revealed to the +orldMthe core content of the gos!el is
the +ork of God=s anointed king$ %esus Through his birth$ miracles$ teaching$ death and
resurrection God=s kingdom has been manifested (and +ill be consummated u!on his return)
Telling the Egos!elF$ then$ involves recounting the deeds of the )essiah %esus
John >ickson
44
The gos!el$ then$ is fundamentally good ne+s of the reign of God #t +as the good ne+s
for +hich #srael had +aited for centuries They kne+ /hat the kingdom of God +ould meanK the
Duestion +as$ /hen +ould it arrive5 %esus announced the good ne+s. E#t has comeNF
#t is also the good ne+s for +hich the +orld is +aiting still EAnd this gos!el of the
kingdom +ill be !reached in the +hole +orld as a testimony to all nations$ and then the end +ill
comeF ()att 6:.4:)
Jesus as and 's God &eturning
1ur teGt from #saiah +as not the only !lace in the 1ld Testament +here God !romised to
come$ or to come back #t is a theme found in several !laces$ !articularly in the !osteGilic !eriod
+hen there +as the feeling that$ although the tem!le had been rebuilt$ God himself had never
really brought the eGile to a true end by returning to his tem!le and kee!ing all the great
!ro!hetic !romises ;ut he +ould do so$ and +ould send a messenger to !re!are the +ay for his
return (Lech B.BK )al 9.4K :.<)
%esus himself identified %ohn the ;a!tist as the one +ho fulfilled that role of the Eli*ah to
come ()att 44.4:) ;ut since Eli*ah +as to come before 83'3 himself arrived$ and if %ohn
+as Eli*ah$ +ho then +as %esus (+ho everybody kne+ had come after %ohn)5 The day of the
Lord had arrived$ for the Lord himself +as here in the !erson of %esus
As a result$ in a dramatic and totally deliberate !iece of !ro!hetic theatre$ %esus came into
Lion riding on a donkey 3aving +alked from Galilee he had no need to ride the last fe+
hundred yards #t +as as clear as he could make it for all +ho had eyes to see and kne+ their
Scri!tures The king +as coming home$ bringing God=s righteousness and salvation
;ut +hat does it mean for the. # thought$ as # !re!ared my sermon on #saiah <6.? A 4C
and took the teGt for a +alk (as # often do) # +as +alking on Tottenham &ourt /oad$ near my
home$ and # thought$ E'hat about these !eo!le on the streets of London in their thousands5
'hat does it mean for them that %esus is the reigning Lord of history$ the returning king of
creation$ and the redeemer and saviour of the +orld5F
And the ans+er seemed to bounce back off the +alls of the buildings. 2!solutel- nothing&
0othing at all 3o+ can it mean anything if they don=t kno+ about it$ if they have never heard
about %esus$ if nobody has ever told them5
And then my teGt itself seemed to bounce off the +alls also$ only this time through the
+ords of "aul$ +ho Duoted #saiah <6.? in the midst of a similar list of Duestions
For there is no difference bet+een %e+ and Gentile A the same Lord is Lord of all and
richly blesses all +ho call on him$ for$ EEveryone +ho calls on the name of the Lord +ill be
savedF
3o+$ then$ can they call on the one they have not believed in5 And ho+ can they believe
in the one of +hom they have not heard5 And ho+ can they hear +ithout someone !reaching to
them5 And ho+ can anyone !reach unless they are sent5 As it is +ritten. E3o+ beautiful are the
feet of those +ho bring good ne+sNF (/om 4C.46 A 4<)
Actually$ there is nothing very beautiful about feet The only thing that makes feet
beautiful is +hen they are +earing the running shoes of the gos!el (E!h >.4<) Then they are
feet that belong to !eo!le +ho are +illing to
EGo$ tell it on the mountainF A the mountain of human arrogance$ that %esus &hrist is born
and is reigningK
EGo$ tell it on the mountainF A the mountain of human des!air$ that %esus &hrist is born
and is returningK
EGo tell it on the mountainF A the mountain of human bondage$ that %esus &hrist is born$
and is redeemer$ saviour and Lord
%hristopher (right
46
So the horizon of our teGt stretches first to the return of the Lord to %erusalem +ith the
eGiles$ but then to the return of the Lord in the !erson of %esus &hrist in his first coming And of
course the rest of the 0e+ Testament !oints to a further horizon +hen Ethis same %esus$ +ho has
been taken from you into heaven$ +ill come back in the same +ay you have seen him go into
heavenF (Acts 4.44)
The gos!el is good ne+s of the God +ho came$ +ho came back as he first !romised$ and
+ho +ill come again$ bringing both *udgment for those +ho re*ect him and salvation for those
+ho heed his call to re!ent and believe the good ne+s
Jesus as and 's God &edee"ing
The name %esus means EsalvationF$ or E83'3 is salvationF And the gos!els festoon the
story of %esus= birth and ministry +ith scri!tural Duotations to sho+ the full significance of that
3e +as indeed Ethe one +ho +as going to redeem #sraelF (Luke 6:.64)$ though the t+o on the
road to Emmaus thought such ho!es had been dashed at &alvary +hen in fact they had been
fulfilled there
For at ;ethlehem Ethe arm of the LordF +as rolling u! his sleeves for &alvary Finally he
+ent to &alvary$ and the arm of the Lord +as indeed stretched out there$ stretched out on the
cross for the redem!tion of the +orld
;ut God raised him from the dead$ delivering his decisive E0oF to death and his decisive
E8esF to %esus$ E8esF to creation$ and E8esF to all those for +hom the risen &hrist is the
firstfruits from the dead #n &hrist$ E+e have redem!tion$ the forgiveness of sinsF (&ol 4.4:)
#n other +ords$ the gos!el of #saiah=s messenger becomes the gos!el of &hrist$ +hich is
also of course$ as "aul said *ust as easily$ the gos!el of God
49
#n &hrist the good ne+s of #saiah is
realized
%esus &hrist is the reigning$ returning$ redeeming God God has ke!t his !romise
G**+ )%$ (*& PA,L
3o+ then did "aul think and s!eak of the gos!el5
3o+ did he notN #t is almost im!ossible to summarize concisely the rich$ vibrant$
dynamic +ays in +hich "aul uses the term Egos!elF in a variety of conteGts ;ut at least in
attem!ting to do so +e may rid ourselves of oversim!listic$ soundJbite definitions that fail to do
him *ustice And +e +ill certainly have a better foundation for +hat +e understand to be the
mission of God=s !eo!le for the sake of the gos!el
#n search of an ans+er to this Duestion$ # read through all of "aul=s letters$ noting every
use of the +ord Egos!elF )y broad analysis of this suggests that "aul uses Ethe gos!elF as
shorthand for at least the follo+ing siG things
The Gospel 's the $tory of Jesus in the Light of the $criptures
First$ the gos!el for "aul is above all else the historical facts about %esus of 0azareth
through +hom God has accom!lished salvation The gos!el is an account of the events of %esus=
death and resurrection$ understood in the light of the Scri!tures of the 1ld Testament The good
ne+s is +hat God !romised in Scri!ture and then com!leted in %esus
"aul tells us that he EreceivedF this A that is to say$ it +as not an idea original to him$ but
rather$ he entered into an understanding of the significance of the life$ death and resurrection of
%esus of 0azareth that had already been articulated +ithin the earliest community of %esus=
follo+ers$ though he claimed that he Ereceived itF$ not secondhand$ as it +ere$ from them$ but by
direct revelation from God$ and later confirmed by his meetings +ith the believers in %erusalem.
0o+$ brothers and sisters$ # +ant to remind you of the gos!el # !reached to you$ +hich
you received and on +hich you have taken your stand ;y this gos!el you are saved$ if you hold
firmly to the +ord # !reached to you 1ther+ise$ you have believed in vain
For +hat # received # !assed on to you as of first im!ortance. that &hrist died for our sins
according to the Scri!tures$ that he +as buried$ that he +as raised on the third day according to
the Scri!turesM(4 &or 4<.4 A :K cf also Gal 4.44 A 6.4C)
'hat "aul means by Eaccording the Scri!turesF is summarized in the o!ening verses of
his letter to the /omans$ making it clear that for "aul Ethe gos!elF +as essentially the scri!tural
(ie$ 1ld Testament) identity$ narrative and accom!lishment of %esus (/om 4.6 A :K cf 6 Tim
6.@)
;asically$ in line +ith all that +e have seen from our 1ld Testament survey$ "aul in effect
declares his gos!el as saying.
The God of #srael$ +ho is the only true and living God$ has been faithful to his covenant
!romise$ originally made to Abraham and then am!lified and testified all through the La+ and
the "ro!hets (/om 9.64) #n and through the )essiah %esus of 0azareth$ God has decisively
acted to deal +ith the !roblems of human sin and division (Gen 9 and 44) Through the death
and resurrection of %esus$ according to the Scri!tures$ God has borne our sin and defeated its
conseDuences A enmity and death And in &hrist=s eGaltation to God=s right hand (the !lace of
government)$ the reign of God is no+ active in the +orld$ so that +e no+ live under the kingshi!
of &hrist$ not of &aesar %esus$ the )essiah of #srael$ is Lord$ God and Saviour of the +orld So
turn from your futile idols to the living God +ho alone can save you$ re!ent of your sins and
believe in %esus
The gos!el for "aul$ then$ is rooted in Scri!ture and sha!ed by the kingdom of God #t is
constituted by the accom!lishment of %esus as )essiah in fulfilling the first and embodying the
second The good ne+s is that the reign of God$ !romised and defined in the Scri!tures$ has no+
come through the !erson and +ork of %esus the )essiah This is seen not only in "aul=s letters$
but also in the +ay Luke ends the book of Acts$ describing "aul=s ongoing gos!el ministry as one
of !roclaiming the kingdom of God by teaching about the Lord %esus &hrist (Acts 6@.69$ 9C A
94)
The Gospel 's a )e! &edee"ed Hu"anity= a $ingle (a"ily of God
And +here +as he doing that$ Luke5 #n /omeN The very heart of the em!ire$ the !lace
from +hich almost all the nations of the kno+n +orld +ere ruled And there in the seat of the
most !o+erful kingdom of this +orld$ "aul +as cheerfully teaching about Eanother king$ one
called %esusF (Acts 4?.?) For indeed$ the good ne+s about %esus +as a universal message for all
the nations That too$ as +e have seen so clearly$ had dee! 1ld Testament roots God=s !lan$
announced to Abraham$ had al+ays been to bring blessing through #srael to all the nations of the
+orld ;ut the great !roblem had been A ho+5 3o+ could all the nations of the /orld enter the
s!here of God=s blessing through 9srael5
The nations$ it +ould seem$ +ere utterly outside and alienated from the heartlands of
God=s family God had entered into covenant +ith 9srael$ had redeemed them$ had given them his
la+$ had given them !romise and ho!e$ had stoo!ed to make his d+elling !lace among them The
nations$ by contrast$ could be accurately described by "aul as follo+s.
Therefore$ remember that formerly you +ho are Gentiles by birth and called
EuncircumcisedF by those +ho call themselves Ethe circumcisionF (+hich is done in the body by
human hands) A remember that at that time you +ere se!arate from &hrist$ eGcluded from
citizenshi! in #srael and foreigners to the covenants of the !romise$ +ithout ho!e and +ithout
God in the +orld (E!h 6.44 A 46)
;ut this dismal status of ho!eless alienation +as !recisely +hat the gos!el had brought to
an end for those of any nation +ho !ut their faith in %esus &hrist and his blood.
;ut no+ in &hrist %esus you HGentilesI +ho once +ere far a+ay have been brought near
by the blood of &hrist
For he himself is our !eace$ +ho has made the t+o H%e+ and GentileI one and has
destroyed the barrier$ the dividing +all of hostility$ by setting aside in his flesh the la+ +ith its
commands and regulations 3is !ur!ose +as to create in himself one ne/ hu.anit- out of the
t+o$ thus making !eace$ and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross$ by
+hich he !ut to death their hostility 3e came and !reached !eace Hlit Eevangelized !eaceF A
Duoting #sa <6.?I to you +ho +ere far a+ay and !eace to those +ho +ere near For through him
+e both have access to the Father by one S!irit (E!h 6.49 A 4@K my italics and additions)
#t is im!ortant to see ho+ this E!eacemakingF +ork of the cross A reconciling %e+s and
Gentiles and creating one ne+ humanity A is not Aust a !-3product of the gos!el$ but is at the
heart of the gos!el itself (E!h 9.>) "aul includes it in the +ork of the cross #n other +ords$
"aul is not merely saying that no+ that lots of individual sinners of different nations have got
saved and are on their +ay to heaven$ they really ought to try to get on +ith each other in the
meantime 3e is saying that the creation of a ne+ humanity is the good ne+s that &hrist came to
accom!lish E"eaceF is !art of the good ne+s A eGactly as #sa <6.? announced And "aul says
that %esus is our !eace$ .ade !eace$ and preached !eace (+hich must in conteGt refer to the
a!ostolic !reaching of &hrist)
God has only one family (/om 9.6BK :K Gal 9.6> A 6BK and !ossibly E!h 9.4:) #n the
1ld Testament !eriod$ it had been ethnic #srael alone$ Ethe houseQfamily of #sraelF ;ut from no+
on$ because of the +ork of &hrist$ that one single family includes !eo!le from all nations A *ust
as God had !romised And that is gos!el A good ne+s for the nations
So the gos!el$ then$ is Ethe !o+er of God that brings salvation to e$er-one +ho believes.
first to the %e+$ then to the GentileF (/om 4.4>K italics added$ reflecting$ # think$ "aul=s
em!hasis) And "aul can then fill out that saving !o+er of the gos!el in multi!le +ays that are
familiar to us ;y God=s grace$ through the death and resurrection of %esus$ believers are assured
of Eevery s!iritual blessing in &hristF (E!h 4.9)
(e are AustifiedQ that is$ +e receive here and no+ advance declaration by God of the
verdict of his court on the day of *udgment$ that +e are included among those +hom he +ill
declare righteous on account of our faith in %esus and his obedience unto death
(e are sa$edQ that is$ +e are delivered from the +rath to come$ rescued from the anger of
God against all +ickedness and rebellion
(e are reconciled: that is$ the enmity bet+een us and God has been removed$ because
God himself bore our sins in the !erson of his o+n Son on the cross
(e are forgi$enQ that is$ God chooses to EcarryF (the 3ebre+ +ord usually translated
EforgiveF) our sins$ rather than re!ay them to us$ because they have been EcarriedF by %esus on
the cross They +ill never be held against us
(e are redee.edQ that is$ God has achieved our liberation from all the bondage of sin$ as
he rescued the #sraelites out of Egy!t$ through the sacrificial blood of &hrist
(e are adoptedQ that is$ God includes us among his children$ or more s!ecifically$ treats
us as firstborn sons (+hether male or female)$ and thus as his heirs$ sharing in the inheritance
that belongs to &hrist
(e are .ade ali$eK that is$ from the death of sin +e are given ne+ life$ the resurrection
life of &hrist himself
(e ha$e the SpiritK that is$ the !romise that God made to #srael$ that +ould bring about
their rene+al and EresurrectionF and obedience (as$ eg$ in Ezek 9?)$ is no+ !oured out in us$
bearing the fruit of transformed lives
The Gospel 's a Message to Be Co""unicated to the hole orld
Such com!rehensively transforming good ne+s cannot be concealedN #ndeed the very
nature of Egos!elF is that it is good ne+s that sim!ly has to be announced$ as +e sa+ from its
biblical roots in #saiah <6.? The gos!el$ therefore$ must be heard as E+ord of truthF (E!h 4.49K
&ol 4.<$ 69)$ and on being heard$ it needs to be received and believed for +hat it is (4 Thess
6.49) This message is to be !reached to all nations$ for$ as +e have seen$ all nations are in vie+
in the sco!e of +hat God has done in &hrist in fulfillment of his !romise to Abraham
EThe +ork of the gos!elF ("hil 6.66)$ then$ seems to refer !rimarily to this task of
making the good ne+s kno+n by all means of communication !ossible and at +hatever cost
There is an intrinsically verbal dimension to the gos!el #t is a story that needs to be told in order
that its truth and significance may be understood
#n "aul=s selfJunderstanding$ his encounter +ith %esus on the road to (amascus +as not
merely a conversion but even more a commissioning to !reach the gos!el to the nations 3e
refers to this in his o+n re!orts of the event (Acts 66.4: A 4<K 6>.4> A 4@K cf Gal 4.4< A 4>K
6.?) 3is early letters give abundant evidence of the !assion and commitment that drove "aul in
this !reaching mission$ backed u! by manual +ork and costly suffering #t +as a +holeJlife thing
(Gal :.49 A 4:K 4 Thess 6.@ A B)
"aul clearly also had a geogra!hical !ers!ective on +hat it meant to !reach the gos!el to
the nations 3is fascinating descri!tion of his missionary +ork u! to the !oint of +riting his
letter to the /omans indicates that he felt he had com!leted the task of !reaching the gos!el in
the northeastern Duadrant of the )editerranean basin$ and he +as !lanning to head farther +est
(and !ossibly to com!lete the Ecircle of nationsF by returning via 0orth Africa5) 'hatever his
eGact intentions$ "aul sa+ the +ork of the gos!el as a constant Egoing beyondF$ to !laces and
!eo!les as yet unreached by the kno+ledge of &hrist (/om 4<.4B A 64K Duoting again from a
favourite teGt$ #saiah <6)
The Gospel 's %thical Transfor"ation
EBepent and believe the gos!el$F said %esus ()ark 4.4<) /adical change of life goes
along +ith faith in the good ne+s They cannot be se!arated 'hen the !eo!le asked %ohn the
;a!tist +hat he meant by re!entance$ he +as ruthlessly !ractical (Luke 9.? A 4:)
"aul agrees The gos!el involves !utting off the filthy clothes of the old humanity and
!utting on the clothes that bear the aroma of &hristlikeness #n fact$ "aul uses eGactly the same
+ords$ Ene+ humanityF (kainos anthropos)$ both for the union of %e+ and Gentile in God=s
single ne+ multinational family$ accom!lished through the cross (E!h 6.4<)$ and for the ne+
+ay of life that this community is to demonstrate (E!h :.6:)
4:
#t is not the case that one is Egos!elF and the other is EethicsF This common +ay of
summarizing the t+o EhalvesF of E!hesians is vulnerable to misunderstanding A as if one can
se!arate the doctrinal believing !art of the gos!el from the ethical living !art of the gos!el ;oth
are intrinsic to the gos!el itself$ for the second Ene+ humanityF is described as Ecreated to be like
God in true righteousness and holinessF$ +hich is the +ork of the gos!el of grace (cf E!h 6.4C)
The gos!el s!eaks of a salvation that is !- grace and unto good /orks& Grace comes first and is
received by faith And faith demonstrates its eGistence through obedience
So "aul=s missionary goal +as not evangelism only$ in the sense of communicating a
message for mental assent /ather$ his aim +as nothing short of ethical transformation among
those +ho received that message and res!onded to it by faith 3is shorthand for this comes in the
striking !hrase +ith +hich he begins and ends his letter to the /omans A Ethe obedience of faith
for the sake of his H&hrist=sI name among all the nationsF (/om 4.<K 4>.6>K ES-)
4The o!edience of faith6& #t is a remarkable single genitive eG!ression A Efaith=s
obedienceF A +hich unfortunately many translations s!lit a!art into t+o distinct verbs (Eto
believe and obeyF)$ +hich allo+s the !ossibility that one might adeDuately do the first +hile
failing to do the second "aul=s !oint is more radical and actually essentially the same as +e find
in %ames 6 #t is the obedience that !roves the reality of the faith
Although +e cannot be saved by good +orks$ +e also cannot be saved +ithout them
Good +orks are not the +ay of salvation$ but its !ro!er and necessary evidence A faith +hich
does not eG!ress itself in +orks is dead
John Stott
4<
&om!are it +ith an eG!ression like Ethe breath of lifeF 3o+ do you kno+ there is any
life in somebody5 &heck if they=re breathingN 0o breath$ no life 0o obedience$ no faith Faith
+ithout +orks$ as %ames +ould say$ is as dead as a body +ithout breath Feel the breath and
re*oice that they=re alive See the obedience and re*oice that they=re believers
That is eGactly ho+ "aul vie+ed the !ractical res!onse of the &orinthian believers in
giving money for the needs of %erusalem believers #t +as a !roof of genuine faith The gos!el
had been truly confessed because the gos!el +as being sacrificially obeyed (6 &or B.46 A 49)
#t is actually striking ho+ many times "aul s!eaks of Eo!e-ing the gospelF$ not *ust
believing it #n fact such obedience to God +as the +ork of &hrist himself$ in and through "aul=s
holistic ministry of +ords$ +orks and +onders And the &hristians in /ome +ere themselves
among those +hose obedience brought him *oy (/om 4<.4@ A 4BK 4>.4B)
&onversely$ the +rath of God rests not merely on unJ!elie$ers in an intellectual sense$ but
on disJo!e-ers 8 those +ho Edo not obey the gos!el of our Lord %esusF (6 Thess 4.@) Their
double condemnation is the negative mirroring of the gos!el=s double demand of faith and
obedience. Eall +ill be condemned +ho have not !elie$ed the truth but have delighted in
/ickednessF (6 Thess 6.46K italics added)
This understanding of the gos!el as intrinsically ethical$ a matter of obedience not *ust
belief$ is shared by "eter (Acts <.96K 4 "eter :.4?)$ %ames (%as 6.4: A 6>)$ %ohn (4 %ohn 6.9K 9.64
A 6:K <.4 A 9)$ and the +riter to the 3ebre+s (3eb <.B)$ and of course it goes back to %esus
himself (eg$ )att ?.64 A 6?K 6@.6CK Luke 44.6@K %ohn 4:.69 A 6:) #t +ould be +orth !ausing to
read all these !assages And +hen you have finished reading through them$ is it still !ossible to
say that the gos!el is only a matter of saying a !rayer of faith5
Given the clear teaching of %esus$ "aul$ and other 0e+ Testament authors$ ho+ can one
account for the Gos!elJEthics dichotomy characterizing much &hristianity5
3o+ can it be that in churches around the +orld the 0icene &reed or its eDuivalent is
recited regularly and re!eatedly$ +hile no recurring allusion is made to the Sermon on the
)ount$ the core of our Lord=s teaching5 3o+ could men and +omen be sent into eGile$ thro+n
into !rison$ tortured on the rack$ burned at the stake or other+ise sub*ected to agonizing deaths
sim!ly for holding doctrinal o!inions at variance +ith those !referred in the centers of !o+er5
3o+$ similarly$ could E&hristiansF be characterized chiefly by insatiable greed for the gold and
silver of others$ by murder$ genocide$ and the theft of entire continents in the name of &hrist in
!ursuit of that idolatrous obsession5 And ho+ could it be that all this +as carried out at the
behest and +ith the hearty blessing of E&hristianF leaders5 3o+ did it come about that those +ho
identified themselves as &hristians could devote such !rodigious thought to +ho %esus /as in the
Godhead$ reverencing him in the Eucharist$ and yet give such scarce heed to +hat he actually
said they should do5 3o+ has it become customary for evangelicals to say ELord$ LordF and
ignore the Lord=s +ill for the everyday lives of his follo+ers ()att ?.64)5
Jonathan onk
4>
So then$ +hile "aul=s +hole understanding of the gos!el is that salvation is entirely the
+ork of God=s grace received only through faith in &hrist$ not the achievement of our +orks$ he
is eDually adamant that the +hole !oint of grace being at +ork in us is to !roduce the fruit of
lives that have been transformed A transformed negatively in renouncing evil and !ositively in
tirelessly doing good (E!h 6.@ A 4C) "aul sees the ethical transformation that the gos!el
accom!lishes as the +ork of God=s grace A grace that is at +ork since &hrist=s first coming and
grace that sha!es us to live ethically in the eschatological light of his second coming (Titus 6.44
A 4:)
"aul=s em!hasis in these matters accords !recisely$ of course$ +ith +hat +e sa+ in our
earlier cha!ters on the 1ld Testament The saving grace of God=s +ork for #srael (in election and
redem!tion) +as to be received +ithin the covenantal frame+ork of grateful obedience and
reflected in the res!onse of ethical living
The gos!el that is intrinsically verbal is *ust as intrinsically ethical These things are as
integral as life and breath
There is no gos!el +here there is no change
The Gospel 's Truth to Be +efended
Good ne+s can also be bad ne+s for those +hose vested interests are threatened by it
There is$ therefore$ a battle to be fought to make sure that the truth of the gos!el is !reserved$
clarified and defended against denials$ distortions and betrayals
The fact that the gos!el of &hrist is for all !eo!le$ and not *ust the !rivilege of one ethnic
community$ threatens those +ho stake their claim on belonging to the Eright !eo!leF
The fact that the gos!el is utterly the gift of God=s grace offends those +ho take !ride in
their o+n achievements
The fact that the gos!el locates the glorious salvation of the living God in the !erson of
one +ho lived in obscurity and died in eGcruciating shame is a laughingstock to those +ho +ant
their salvation to come from a more re!utable religious em!orium
The fact that the gos!el summons !eo!le to re!entance and a radically changed !ersonal
and social ethic riles those +ho +ant the benefits of the gos!el but resist its demands
So there is a !olemical dimension to the gos!el The gos!el confronts things that
contradict it or !eo!le +ho deny or re*ect it #t eGists in eG!licit contrast and conflict +ith other
+orldvie+s and ultimate commitments that !eo!le have So to be a servant of the gos!el
necessarily involves costly struggle and s!iritual battle (6 &or 4C.: A <)
"aul eG!erienced this from his earliest missionary days and reflects on it in Galatians$
+here the !hrase Ethe truth of the gos!elF comes t+ice (Gal 6.<$ 4:K cf 4.> A B) "erceiving that
the truth of the gos!el +as at stake could transform +hat might seem to us a relatively minor
thing (+hom you +ould or +ould not eat +ith$ as +hen "eter under !ressure +ent back to eating
only +ith %e+s) into the trigger for a ma*or defence and eG!lanation of the meaning of
*ustification by faith$ rather than by +orks of the la+ #f the truth of the gos!el +as that in &hrist
there +as neither %e+ nor Gentile$ but one single family of faith in the )essiah$ then to act in a
+ay that erected again the barrier of the la+ bet+een them$ by refusing to eat +ith Gentiles$ +as
to deny the gos!el$ not *ust to offend other believers "eter needed (not for the first time in his
life) to be rebuked
'hat "aul took as a mandate for himself ("hil 4.?)$ he urged on believers as a challenge
for their behaviour as +ell as their +itness ("hil 4.6?) 3e commended t+o of the +omen in
"hili!!i$ among his fello+ +orkers there$ for having contended at his side for the cause of the
gos!el ("hil :.9) A even if they needed no+ to be hel!ed to agree +ith each other Timothy
needed similar encouragement (6 Tim 4.@) The gos!el calls for courageous defence
0o+ +ho is to be the messenger5
The first and fundamental ans+er to this Duestion is EGod himselfF The gos!el is God=s
gos!el 3e conceived it 3e gave it its content 3e !ublishes it The fact that he has committed to
us both Ethe ministry of reconciliationF and Ethe message of reconciliationF (4 &or <.4@ A 4B)
does not alter this 3e acted Ethrough &hristF to achieve the reconciliation and no+ acts Ethrough
usF to announce it ;ut he still remains himself both reconciler and !reacher
3e has used other and more eGalted agencies through +hom to !ublish salvation before
!artially delegating the +ork to the church A!art from 1ld Testament !ro!hets$ the first herald
of the gos!el +as an angel$ and the first announcement of it +as accom!anied by a dis!lay of the
glory of the Lord and greeted by the +orshi! of the heavenly host
0eGt$ God sent his Son$ +ho +as himself both the messenger and the message For God
sent a E+ordMto #srael$ !reaching good ne+s of !eace by %esus &hristF (Acts 4C.9>) So %esus
not only Emade !eaceF bet+een God and man$ %e+ and Gentile$ but also E!reached !eaceF (E!h
6.4: A 4?) 3e +ent about "alestine announcing the good ne+s of the kingdom
0eGt$ God sent his S!irit to bear +itness to &hrist (%ohn 4<.6>) So the Father himself
+itnesses to the Son through the S!irit And only no+ does he give the church a !rivileged share
in the testimony. Eand you also +ill bear +itnessF (%ohn 4<.6?$ lit) #t is essential to remember
these humbling truths The chief evangelist is God the Father$ and he !roclaimed the evangel
through his angel$ his Son and his S!irit before he entrusted any !art of the task to men This +as
the order The church comes at the bottom of the list And the church=s +itness +ill al+ays be
subordinate to the S!irit=s
John Stott
4@
The Gospel 's the Po!er of God Transfor"ing the ,ni;erse
Finally$ the gos!el is the !o+er of God at +ork in history and creation For "aul this +as
something to marvel at and celebrate The gos!el seemed to have a life of its o+n$ such that "aul
could !ersonify it as being at +ork$ active$ s!reading and bearing fruit all over the +orld (&ol
4.>) The great !aradoG of the cross A something shameful and absurd to %e+ and Greek A +as
nothing to be ashamed of$ for it +as the saving !o+er of God (/om 4.4>) that +as transforming
history and redeeming creation
#n fact$ +e could have started our survey of "aul=s understanding of the gos!el here rather
than ending +ith it Such is "aul=s cosmic gras! of the mind and !lan of God that he can hold all
things from creation to ne+ creation +ithin the sco!e of the gos!el And the reason he can do
that is$ of course$ because fundamentally the gos!el is &hrist himself
&hrist is not only the messenger of good ne+s (as !er #sa <6.?)K &hrist is the good ne+s$
in the sense that the gos!el !roclaims that %esus of 0azareth is the )essiah A king and saviour A
in fulfillment of the !romises of God in all Scri!ture since Genesis
Thus$ in +hat is arguably "aul=s most eloDuent summary of the identity of &hrist and the
sco!e of the gos!el$ he !roclaims that all things in the universe have been created by &hrist$ are
being sustained by &hrist$ and +ill be reconciled to God by &hrist through the blood of his cross
That is the breathtakingly universal sco!e of the reign of God through &hrist And that$ says
"aul$ is the gos!el (&ol 4.4< A 69 A read and relish this great !assage againN)
And only after the survey of the cosmic significance of &hrist$ his church$ and his cross
does "aul move to the !ersonal reconciliation of believers The &hristians in &olossae could stay
firm in their faith and ho!e (v 69)$ because their salvation +as bound u! +ithin a gos!el agenda
that +as cosmic in sco!e$ s!anning all of s!ace and time 0o +onder "aul says that it is being
!roclaimed Ein all creation under heavenF (v 69)
4?
The sco!e of the gos!el=s !o+er should be the eGtent of the gos!el=s !roclamation A it is
good ne+s for all creation
$,MMA&1
'e must leave some !ractical reflections until our final cha!ter$ but # ho!e this survey of
"aul=s understanding of the gos!el hel!s to dee!en and enrich your understanding of +hat it
means to say that the mission of God=s !eo!le is to !roclaim the gos!el 'hat is the gos!el$ then$
for "aul5
#t is historical and also ecclesialK that is$ includes facts of history a!out &hrist and the
reality of a ne+ humanity in &hrist
#t is faith and obedience
#t is a message that must be heard and a life that must be seen
#t is !ersonal and cosmic
#t is above all Ethe gos!el of GodF A the grace of God$ the !romise of God$ the
faithfulness of God$ the salvation of God$ the Son of God$ the !eo!le of God$ and the glory of
God
And in urging us to understand all these dimensions$ "aul +ould direct us continually
back to +hat he kne+ sim!ly as Ethe Scri!turesF A our 1ld Testament$ for it +as Ein accordance
+ith the Scri!turesF that %esus died and rose again for our salvation And it +as from there that
the 0e+ Testament dra+s the very +ord Egos!elF$ as +e sa+ earlier in this cha!ter
1ur +hole gos!el$ then$ must be dra+n from the dee! +ell of the +hole ;ible$ and our
mission must be integrated accordingly around its great resonant narrative of saving grace$ its
transforming demand for$ and !romise of$ covenantal obedience$ and its vibrant ho!e and vision
of a ne+ creation in +hich righteousness d+ells$ for God +ill d+ell there +ith his redeemed
humanity from every nation
1ne final effect of dra+ing our understanding of the gos!el from the +hole ;ible is that
it generates a more humble and sober assessment of our o+n missional role as !roclaimers of the
gos!el 'e are neither the first nor the only agency of gos!el !roclamation So let us neither (at
one eGtreme) neglect our evangelistic res!onsibility by forgetting the vital im!ortance that God
!laces on the +itnessing role of the church as God=s !eo!le$ nor (at the other eGtreme) inflate our
evangelistic egocentricity by imagining that God has no other means of communicating his good
ne+s
&%L%2A)T -,%$T'*)$
4 #n +hat +ays has this cha!ter eG!anded your understanding of the biblical gos!el5
'hat difference +ill that make to the +ay you eG!ress it and share it5
6 'hich elements of the gos!el$ as the +ord is used by "aul$ do you feel are most
neglected in today=s church5 'hat can you do to bring them back into focus5
9 #f the essence of the gos!el is Egood ne+sF$ ho+ can it be heard in your community as
truly good ne+s5

CHAPT%& .3
P%*PL% H* $%)+ A)+ A&% $%)T
EEveryone +ho calls on the name of the Lord +ill be savedF
3o+$ then$ can they call on the one they have not believed in5 And ho+ can they believe
in the one of +hom they have not heard5 And ho+ can they hear +ithout someone !reaching to
them5 2nd ho/ can an-one preach unless the- are sent0 As it is +ritten. E3o+ beautiful are the
feet of those +ho bring good ne+sNF (/om 4C.49 A 4<K italics added)
This +onderful !iece of airtight rhetorical logic is the !erfect connector bet+een the
!revious cha!ter and this one #n cha!ter 44 +e sa+ ho+ #saiah=s great vision of a messenger
bringing good ne+s of the reign of God A !roclaiming !eace$ goodness and salvation (#sa <6.?$
Duoted here by "aul) A flo+s for+ard into the 0e+ Testament !reaching of the gos!el of &hrist A
both in vocabulary and in content And +e argued that an essential !art of the mission of God=s
!eo!le is to fulfill the role of that messenger$ to be the bearers and the embodiment of the good
ne+s 1ur mission is to be gos!el !eo!le
;ut in everyday life +e don=t believe every message or messenger that crosses our !ath
'e +ant to kno+ +here it comes from 'e ask for an #( 'e try to verify the source of the
information #n our mediaJsaturated and mediaJmani!ulated age$ +e are used to hearing
Eunconfirmed re!ortsF$ !assed on from Eunnamed sources close to the governmentF$ and +e are
rightly sce!tical ;ut if someone comes to the micro!hone as an official s!okes!erson$
authorized to make a statement on behalf of the "resident or "rime )inister$ +e trust that
+hatever he or she says has been a!!roved by$ and carries the authority of$ the !erson
re!resented They have been sent to deliver a message on behalf of the one +e +ant to hear and
(in an ideal +orld) +ould like to trust
That is the dynamic of "aul=s argument here
"eo!le need to be saved (both %e+s and Gentiles$ as "aul has been arguing hitherto) That
is !ossible only through %esus &hrist "eo!le must therefore call on him for salvation$ as God had
already !romised #srael (significantly Ethe LordF of "aul=s Duotation from %oel 6.96 +as 83'3$
but no+ clearly means %esus) ;ut to call on him$ they must believe in him And to believe in
him$ they must hear him (That=s actually +hat "aul says$ not *ust Ehear of or about himF$ but
Ehear hi.F) And ho+ can they hear &hrist5 Through someone +ho EheraldsF on his behalf ;ut
a herald has to be authorized and sent by the one +hose message he bears A that is$ &hrist
himself Thus$ as "aul concludes$ saving faith comes through hearing$ and +hat is heard is
actually Ethe +ord of &hristF (v 4?)
So &hrist is there at both ends of the !rocess 3e is the o!Aect of saving faith A the one on
+hom +e must call for salvation ;ut he is also the su!Aect$ +ho sends the authorized
messengers +ith the good ne+s by +hich +e can be saved &hrist=s sending is the first link in the
chain of &hrist=s saving
"aul=s meaning is that +hen any nation is favoured +ith the !reaching of the Gos!el$ it is
a !ledge and !roof of divine love There is no !reacher of the Gos!el +ho has not been raised u!
by God in 3is s!ecial !rovidence #t is certain$ therefore$ that God Hie$ God himself$ not *ust the
!reacherI visits that nation in +hich the Gos!el is !roclaimedMThe Gos!el does not fall from
the clouds like rain$ by accident$ but is brought by the hands of men to +here God has sent it
John %al$in
4
The +hole +ork of salvation is from God from beginning to end$ and it includes God=s
!ur!oseful sending of messengers +ith the good ne+s that salvation is available through &hrist
The em!hasis of the final verb$ Eunless they are sentF$ is on the intentionality of God in this
"eo!le do not get saved by accident or at random$ but by a !rocess that begins +ith the
authorizing$ commissioning$ sending action of the saving God
"aul=s Duotation of #saiah <6.? here should not be seen as merely a conveniently vivid
image thro+n in to illustrate a !oint already made #t is a deliberate climaG to his argument
"aul=s !oint is this. the fact that !eo!le are no+ being EsentF to E!reachF so that others may
EhearF$ EbelieveF$ EcallF and Ebe savedF is in itself a fulfillment of !recisely this !ro!hetic
Scri!ture that +as already regarded as messianic in his day
Something that fulfills Scri!ture is de facto authorized by the God of the Scri!tures
Sending and !reaching$ therefore$ are activities that have God=s a!!roval and biblical +arrant
They are$ to coin a !hrase$ !art of the story$ +ritten into it by the author of the story The mission
of God reDuires the realities of sending and being sent as !art of the mission of God=s !eo!le
'hat$ then$ is the nature of sending and being sent5 1nce again$ in order to do our
biblical theology for life thoroughly$ +e must start +ith some significant use of EsendingF
language in the 1ld Testament before returning to the 0e+ There is actually a rather rich seam
of biblical theology around the conce!t of EsendingF in the +hole ;ible for us to mine in relation
to the mission of God=s !eo!le
*L+ T%$TAM%)T $%)+')G$
The 3ebre+ verb ?alah means to send$ and it is used +ith as broad a range of ordinary
meanings as the English +ord All kinds of !eo!le and things are sent for all kinds of reasons
;ut +hat +e are looking for in !articular are cases +here God sends$ and +here there is a clear
theological dimension to the action$ its !ur!ose and its results 'e are seeking to discern +here
God sends human beings as agents of his mission in the +orld$ and +hat range of things he sends
!eo!le to do
;roadly s!eaking$ having surveyed the range of 1ld Testament teGts that refer to God
sending$ it seems to me that t+o main ob*ectives stand out 'hen God sends !eo!le$ it is most
often either to act as agents of his deliverance and salvation$ or to declare a message that
somebody needs to hear (+hether they +ant to or not) Sometimes God sends somebody like
)oses to do both
#n other +ords$ God=s sending is closely connected to t+o of the great actions of God in
and for 1ld Testament #srael A salvation and revelation And$ to !ut it bluntly$ it is only because
God sent deliverers of his !eo!le and because God sent s!eakers of his 'ord that +e have the
Scri!tures at all$ including their story of God=s salvation and their communication of God=s
revelation #f God +ere not a sending God$ the ;ible +ould be a very different book indeed
Let=s look at a fe+ famous eGam!les
$ent to $a;e Joseph
The first significant descri!tion of a !erson being sent by God is found in the mouth of
%ose!h in Genesis :< #t comes at the *a+Jdro!!ing moment +hen he discloses his identity to his
brothers$ +ho had sold him into slavery in Egy!t years before and !robably assumed he +as long
dead
Then %ose!h said to his brothers$ E&ome close to meF 'hen they had done so$ he said$ E#
am your brother %ose!h$ the one you sold into Egy!tN And no+$ do not be distressed and do not
be angry +ith yourselves for selling me here$ because it +as to save lives that God sent .e ahead
of you For t+o years no+ there has been famine in the land$ and for the neGt five years there
+ill be no !lo+ing and rea!ing ;ut God sent .e ahead of you to !reserve for you a remnant on
earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance
So then$ it +as not -ou /ho sent .e here, !ut GodF (Gen :<.: A @K italics and bold
addedK cf "s 4C<.4?)
The tri!le re!etition of EGod sentF em!hatically eG!resses the same theology that brings
the book of Genesis to a close$ once more in the mouth of %ose!h$ namely$ the sovereignty of
God overruling and +orking through the actions (including evil actions) of men and +omen
(Gen <C.6C) ;ut eDually em!hatic is the eG!ress !ur!ose of this sending A Eto save livesF
(Esaving of many livesFK <C.6C)
God sends because God saves
'hat makes this interesting also is that a set of circumstances in +hich a !erson is
entirely the !assive victim of other people"s +icked actions can be described as EGod sendingF
%ose!h +as hardly a volunteer missionary 8et he inter!reted his remarkable life=s *ourney as
divine sending$ in retros!ect The same !ers!ective occurs at the other end of #srael=s story +hen
the #sraelites +ere carried off into eGile by 0ebuchadnezzar=s army$ +reaking its vicious hatred
on %erusalem and its rebel citizens
;ut ho+ does God inter!ret that5 The eGiles$ says God$ are those +hom God carried into
eGile (%er 6B.:$ ?$ 4:)$ indeed$ those +hom God had sent there (%er 6B.6C) Granted the eGile
+as a sending under *udgment$ but it +as also a sending that could lead to a sur!rising mission
for the +elfare of the city of ;abylon (%er 6B.?K see ch 49 belo+) A similar reflection a!!lies to
the early believers in %erusalem #t +as by being scattered under !ersecution that God effectively
EsentF them beyond the boundaries of %udea and %udaism
Moses
The event that in <@? ;& took !lace in %erusalem A the defeat and ca!tivity of its
!eo!le$ the destruction of the city and ultimately of the tem!le too A from the stand!oint of +orld
history +as little more than the so ordinary fate of many other small centers of government as
they +ere subsumed under the authority of greater !o+ers ;ut in actual fact it +as something
Duite different$ for through #srael the 7ing of kings +as !re!aring the +ay by +hich his !eo!le
+ould be more than conDuerors and the +orld come to share in this victory
Bichard B& >e Bidder
6
'ith considerable irony$ the biblical narrative that has sho+n us %ose!h sent by God to
save his brothers by getting them do/n into Egy!t goes on to sho+ us )oses$ sent by God to
save his !eo!le by getting them up out of Egy!t %ose!h saved his !eo!le from death by famine
)oses saved them from death by genocide
1n this occasion there is nothing !assive or only retros!ective about the sending of
)oses #t is entirely u!front from the start$ uncomfortably so for )oses$ +ho in classic
missionary funk begged God to send somebody else instead (EG :.49) The language of sending
!ermeates the narrative of EGodus 9 and is linked at one end to God=s com!assion and at the
other end to God=s identity as the covenantJkee!ing God /ead EGodus 9.4C A 4< and take note
of the number of times the verb EsendF occurs and the reasons given for it
God sends because God saves because God !romised This +as a commission that )oses
relied u!on (EG ?.4>)$ though early on he Duestioned its effectiveness (<.66) "art of )oses=
legendary humility and selfJdefence lay in ackno+ledging that all he had said and done +as the
result of God=s sending$ not his o+n claims (0um 4>.6@) #n fact$ )oses could eliminate himself
from the narrative altogether and attribute the great eGodus deliverance to God=s having sent an
angel (0um 6C.4>) A +hich +as !robably not ho+ )iriam +ould have described her kid
brother 1ld and 0e+ Testament teGts agree that )oses +as no selfJa!!ointed leader$ or elected
cham!ion$ or fortuitously available su!erJhero )oses +as sent by God And he +as sent to
accom!lish God=s salvation
9
'hat )oses did$ therefore$ God did That is of the essence of the
sending relationshi!
Judges
The *udges +ere also men and +omen +ho acted to bring God=s deliverance to #srael
The more common language in that book is that Ethe L1/( raised up *udgesF (%udg 6.4>)$ but
the !ur!ose is the same A Eto saveF Thus$ in the formulaic descri!tion of 1thniel$ the first *udge$
he is Eraised u!F$ he EsavedF the #sraelites from o!!ression$ and he +as em!o+ered by the S!irit
of 83'3 A another feature of divine sending that +e +ill notice later
3o+ever$ the language of sending is used of Gideon$ +ith a !ur!ose (deliverance) and a
!romise (E# +ill be +ith youF) that strongly echo the sending of )oses (%udg >.4:)
A $a;iour to Co"e
Getting the #sraelites out of Egy!t +as the +ork of a saviour A )oses ;ut +hat if the
Egy!tians themselves +ere to turn to God and cry out under the afflictions of his *udgment5 #n
one of the most breathtaking eschatological visions in the ;ible$ #saiah envisages eGactly that A a
day +hen Egy!t (doubtless standing as re!resentative of all nations) +ill turn to God At that
time$ in the midst of a teGt that is loaded +ith reminders of the eGodus A only +ith the Egy!tians
as the ones in need of deliverance A God !romises.
'hen they Hthe Egy!tiansI cry out to the L1/( because of their o!!ressors$ he /ill send
the. a sa$ior and defender, and he +ill rescue them So the L1/( +ill make himself kno+n to
the Egy!tians$ and in that day they +ill ackno+ledge the L1/( (#sa 4B.6C A 64K italics added)
The savior foreseen here$ of course$ is none other than the Lord %esus &hrist$ the one
+hom God sent to seek and to save the lost
$ent to $peaF
)essengers$ by their very nature$ are sent And messengers s!eak on behalf of the one
+ho sends them #n the ancient +orld$ +ithout the mass media +e take for granted$ the normal
means of disseminating a message +as by oral !roclamation The role of heralds and
ambassadors +as of great social and !olitical im!ortance #t is +ithin this cultural conteGt that
the !ro!hets of #srael functioned$ and they claimed to speak for 83'3 because they had been
sent !- 83'3$ +ith his authority
Moses
Though$ as +e have seen$ God=s ma*or !ur!ose in sending )oses +as for the deliverance
of his !eo!le$ he +as also sent +ith the task of communicating God=s revelation A a task for
+hich he felt illJeDui!!ed and needed God=s reassurance as +ell as Aaron=s assistance (EG :.4C
A 4?) So )oses +as also a !ro!het #ndeed he +as the model !ro!het God !romised that in the
generations after )oses= death$ God +ould raise u! Ea !ro!het like )osesF$ +ho +ould carry
God=s authority and s!eak God=s +ords ((eut 4@.4? A 6C) At one level$ this is a generic singular
(like Ethe kingF$ or Ethe +ido+F)$ referring to the +hole line of !ro!hets +ho +ould bring God=s
+ord to #srael ;ut it +as also understood as a !ro!hecy that +as fulfilled fully in %esus$ the one
+ho$ like )oses$ +as the agent of both God=s salvation and revelation (Acts ?.9? A +hich reads
EsendF for Eraise u!F)
'saiah
)any a missionary sermon has been !reached on #saiah=s famous +ords$ E3ere am #
Send meF )any a missionary traces their calling to the moment they echoed those +ords before
the Lord 3o+ever$ # think +e get the scene of #saiah=s call and sending rather out of !ers!ective
if +e !ut #saiah himself centre stage$ as if he +ere the main focus of attention$ the heroic
missionary volunteer
0o$ the +hole !ortrayal in #saiah >.4 A ? u! to this moment has been of the
over+helming$ to+ering altitude of the throne of God #saiah has gone to +orshi! in the tem!le
+hen he is a+esomely confronted +ith the reality of the God of #srael and his transcendent
holiness That strikes him do+n in terrified consciousness of his o+n sin #saiah >.< is a
remarkable confession$ since it follo+s the cha!ters in +hich #saiah has roasted the !eo!le
around him for their sins 0o+ in a burst of intense selfJconsciousness he recognizes that he is no
better than those he has condemned The humility of that moment and the cleansing of his mouth
that follo+s it (vv > A ?) are vital constituents in his sending
#t is from that !osture that #saiah then overhears +hat is going on around the throne of
God For this is the command and control centre of the universe This is the seat of government
of human history$ and the government is at +ork There is a +orld to run$ strategies to be
!lanned$ decisions being made$ and messages to be sent This is God in control$ God at the
centre$ God on mission$ God getting on +ith God=s business And in the midst of it #saiah hears a
Duestion$ E/ight 'ho +ill deliver this one5 'hom shall +e send on this mission5F And #saiah
raises a hand off the floor from the outer edges of the scene$ EEGcuse meM8es over hereM#=m
available$ you could send me if you likeMF
#saiah is not the centre of the !ictureK God=s throne still is
'hat is ha!!ening here is a recentering of #saiah=s life and ministry to God$ God=s
agenda and God=s 'ord A +hich the rest of his book +ill sho+ to be mysterious and !aradoGical$
but ultimately embracing not only his o+n generation but all future ones$ and not only #srael but
the +hole +orld ;ut for #saiah himself$ the eG!erience has been one of being a+esomely
confronted +ith God=s reality$ then terrifyingly conscious of his o+n sin$ and then radically
recentered on God=s mission 1nly then$ as a humbled$ cleansed$ recentered sinner$ is he ready to
be sent 1nly then does God say$ EGoMF
Jere"iah
%eremiah also felt the touch of God on his mouth$ but in his case not to cleanse it but to
fill it +ith the +ords of God himself (%er 4.B) #f #saiah needed God=s touch because he felt his
o+n sinfulness$ %eremiah needs it because he feels his o+n youthful inadeDuacy God=s
eG!lanation of the gesture Duotes eGactly from +hat he !romised to )oses$ E# have !ut my +ords
in your mouthF (cf (eut 4@.4@)$ indicating that %eremiah stands in that authentic line of
!ro!hets +hom God +ould raise u!
#t also indicates clearly the nature of the ins!iration of Scri!ture The +ords %eremiah
s!oke are his o+n +ords A hammered out in his o+n heart (and bones) A and distinct from the
+ords of an Amos or an Ezekiel ;ut at a dee!er level$ they are the +ords of God That$ of
course$ is the essence of being a s!okes!erson or herald The +ords of the herald are assumed to
be the +ords of his king That=s +hat he has been sent for
%eremiah uses the language of God=s sending more than any other !ro!het$ !erha!s
because the moment of his commissioning is so frighteningly o!enJended God says to him
(literally). ETo +homever (or +herever) # send you$ you shall goK and +hatever # command you$
you shall s!eakF (%er 4.?) So his mission and his message +ill alike be unlimited 3e +ill have
no free choice of audience and no free choice of message And as it turns out$ God sends him to
!laces in +hich he faces hostility and danger and gives him +ords that are inter!reted as rank
treason by the government and blas!hemy by the religious authorities #t +as a lonely$
dangerous$ desolate sending that +as %eremiah=s Sometimes it +as the only thing he could
a!!eal to in order to save his o+n life (%er 6>.4<)
Any missional hermeneutic of the book of %eremiah needs to !ay attention to the
missional cost to the messenger
%eremiah +as surrounded by false !ro!hets 1f course$ that is a term +e can no+ a!!ly
retros!ectively The reality on the ground must have been confusing Someone like 3ananiah did
not +ear a la!elJbadge reading$ 4'ananiah: Jalse 1rophet6& 8et %eremiah kne+$ and ruthlessly
condemned the fact that many +ere s!eaking in the name of 83'3 +ho had never stood in his
!resence or been sent by 83'3 (%er 4:.4<K 69.64K 6@.B$ 4<K 6B.B) Such +as a serious crime
+orthy of death according to (euteronomy 49.4 A <$ +hich 3ananiah=s signal death illustrated
(%er 6@.4< A 4?)
Even more troubling than the false !ro!hets$ unsent by God$ to +hom the !eo!le did
listen$ +as the long line of true !ro!hets$ sent by God$ to +hom the !eo!le refused to listen This
bothered %eremiah greatly (%er ?.6< A 6>K 6<.:K 6>.<K 9<.4<) #t bothered %esus even more #n
fact$ %esus turned it into a !arable !ortraying the +hole history of #srael as their re*ection of all
those servantsQ!ro!hets +hom God had sent A climaGing of course in their antici!ated re*ection
of himself$ God=s o+n Son ()ark 46.4 A 46)
The lesson of %esus$ %eremiah$ and most of the !ro!hets$ then$ is clearly that the mere fact
of being sent by God is no guarantee of !o!ular acce!tance or a!!arent success for the human
messenger +ho gets sent They can usually eG!ect the o!!osite (%er 4.4? A 4BK Ezek 6.9 A >K 9.:
A B) And yet$ although there is great grief and anger (human and divine) in res!onse to that$
there is no ultimate des!air
For in the end$ +hat God sends +ill achieve God=s !ur!ose For it is God$ not the
.essenger$ +ho is in control of outcomes That great ho!e is grounded in t+o other things that
the 1ld Testament refers to as being sent by God A God=s S!irit and God=s 'ord
$pirit and ord
The S!irit of 83'3 has a ma*or role in the 1ld Testament A much more than many
!eo!le imagine$ es!ecially those +hose mental connection bet+een the 3oly S!irit and mission
is governed entirely by the day of "entecost and the book of Acts 'e have been looking at
!eo!le +hom God sent in relation to his +ork of salvation and of revelation The S!irit is
eG!licitly connected to both
:
1nly once in the 1ld Testament$ ho+ever$ is God said to EsendF his S!irit$ and that is in
relation to the lifeJgiving !o+er of God +ithin the +hole created order ("s 4C:.9C) Ezekiel
comes close to that language +hen he is told to !ro!hesy to the breathQs!irit of God to bring
resurrection life to God=s !eo!le #t is %esus$ s!ecifically the risen %esus$ +ho commands the
S!irit$ breathes the S!irit$ and sends the S!irit to em!o+er his disci!les for mission (Luke 6:.:BK
%ohn 6C.64 A 66K Acts 4.@)
)issionaries come and missionaries go$ and they may or may not achieve +hat they +ere
sent for The 'ord of God$ ho+ever$ +hich is sent by God through those +hom he commissions
to s!eak it$ has no such uncertainty
God=s +ord is the !erfect missionary$ bearing fruit entirely as God !lans 3ere is God=s
!ur!oseful sending$ accom!lishing God=s ultimate desire
As the rain and the sno+
come do+n from heaven$
and do not return to it
+ithout +atering the earth
and making it bud and flourish$
so that it yields seed for the so+er and bread for the eater$
so is .- /ord that goes out from my mouth.
#t +ill not return to me em!ty$
but +ill accom!lish +hat # desire
and achieve the purpose for /hich 9 sent it (#sa <<.4C A 44K italics added)
So the 1ld Testament segment of our *ourney of biblical theology on the theme of
EsendingF has given us three main things to consider
$ending for $al;ation and &e;elation
First$ God can send anybody on a mission$ but most freDuently it is to be an agent of his
deliverance$ or to be the mouth!iece for his message$ or both God=s sending is an integral !art of
God=s saving and God=s s!eaking A of God=s salvation and God=s revelation
0o+ since +e kno+ that the mission of God is ultimately the redem!tion of his +hole
creation and the eGtension of the kno+ledge of his glory to the ends of the earth$ the fact that
God chooses human agents to send and to use in accom!lishing that mission is of great
significance The mission of God=s !eo!le must include !roviding a reservoir of those +hom
God can send in su!!ort of that overarching ob*ective To belong to God=s !eo!le is$ therefore$ at
the very least to be available to be sent
$ending !ith Authority
Second$ the !erson +ho is sent embodies the !resence and authority of the !erson +ho
sends This +as true even of ordinary human sending To treat messengers +ith res!ect or +ith
humiliation +as effectively to honour or shame the !erson +ho sent them The +ay you
res!onded to messengers +as taken as your res!onse to their sender and treated accordingly (4
Sam 6<.9B A :4K contrast 6 Sam 4C.4 A <)
Similarly$ then$ to re*ect the authority of )oses (0um 46.@)$ or the ministry of Samuel (4
Sam @.?)$ +as to re*ect the Lord himself %esus affirmed the same thing about ho+ !eo!le
res!onded to himself as the one sent by his Father (%ohn <.69)$ and about ho+ !eo!le +ould
res!ond to his disci!les as the ones sent by %esus ()att 4C.:C A :4K %ohn 49.4>$ 6CK 4<.4@ A 64)
$ending and $uffering
Third$ being chosen by God to be sent may seem to carry great honour and res!onsibility$
but the more !ressing reality +as that it normally also involved suffering$ re*ection$ !ersecution
and sometimes death God=s mission in$ol$ed a host of sentJones$ deliverers and messengers$ but
ultimately the accom!lishment of God=s mission did not depend on such human agents$ but on
the sovereign !o+er of God himself$ though his S!irit and his 'ord
The only eGce!tion to that last sentence +as the one +ho actually embodied all three of
the above !oints A the Servant of the Lord For he certainly is !ortrayed as the agent of God=s
salvation and revelationK he embodies the !resence and authority of God himselfK and he suffers
re*ection$ violence and death ;ut above all$ he /ill accom!lish the mission of God and be
eGalted for so doing (#sa :6.4$ :K <9.4C)
From there$ it is but a short ste! to the 0e+ Testament
TH% $%)+')G G*+
Sending$ in fact$ is an activity of all three "ersons of the Trinity There is a missional
dynamic +ithin God himself in relation to the +orld And in line +ith +hat +e have seen in the
1ld Testament$ it relates !rimarily to salvation and revelation
The (ather as $ender7 *f the $on and the $pirit
%esus did not *ust arriveK he +as sent #t is one of the most noticeable dimensions of his
selfJconsciousness A the driving a+areness that he had been sent by his Father to do his +ill #t is
certainly one of the dominant motifs in %ohn=s !resentation of %esus A!!roGimately forty times
in %ohn=s gos!el +e read about %esus being sent A +hether from the evangelist or from %esus=
o+n li!s (eg$ %ohn 9.4?$ 9:. :.9:K chs < A @ !assimK 44.:6K 4?.4@K cf also 4 %ohn :.B$ 4:)
#ndeed$ coming to believe that %esus is the one +hom God sent is !art of %ohn=s eG!ress !ur!ose
for his readers$ for in believing that$ they +ill come to salvation and eternal life
The Syno!tics use the +ord less$ but it is not absent (eg$ )att 4<.6:K Luke :.4@$ :9 U
)ark 4.9@K and cf Acts 9.6C for the eG!ectation that God +ould send %esus back as reigning
)essiah) "aul *oins the chorus of conviction that the coming of the )essiah %esus +as no
accident$ but the +ellJtimed sending of the Son by the Father (/om @.9K Gal :.:) And the
+riter to the 3ebre+s could even s!eak of %esus as Eour a!ostleF (3eb 9.4)$ em!hasizing that he
+as sent and a!!ointed by God like )oses$ only greater
Since God sends his S!irit in the 1ld Testament$ it is not sur!rising that God the Father is
said to do the same in the 0e+ (%ohn 4:.4>$ 6>K 4<.6>)$ or that %esus +ill do it according to the
Father=s !romise (Luke 6:.:B)
The $on as $ender7 *f the $pirit and the Apostles
%esus sends the S!irit +ith s!ecific missional tasks related to salvation and revelation
(%ohn 4<.6>K 4>.? A 4<K 6C.66 A 69)
And %esus also$ of course$ sends his disci!les 3e sent them t+ice on missions during his
earthly lifetime$ and then$ after his resurrection$ in the various forms of the Great &ommission
0oticeably$ it is %ohn +ho records that %esus models his sending of the disci!les on his o+n
sending by the Father A something he has em!hasized so re!eatedly throughout the gos!el (%ohn
6C.64)
The Holy $pirit as $ender7 *f Jesus and the Apostles
The 3oly S!irit is involved in the sending of %esus #t is never Duite eG!ressed in the form
that the S!irit EsentF %esus$ but certainly %esus is sent +ith$ or in the !o+er of$ the S!irit 3is
mission is !recisely one that is laid on him by the anointing of the S!irit (Luke :.4@ A 4B)$ and
Luke stresses at several !oints that all %esus did +as by the filling or leading of the S!irit 3e
further records "eter as telling the same thing to &ornelius (Acts 4C.9@) "aul sees the
instrumentality of the S!irit in the resurrection of %esus (/om 4.:)$ +hile 3ebre+s connects Ethe
eternal S!iritF +ith &hrist=s selfJoffering in sacrificial death (3eb <.4:)
)oreover$ the 3oly S!irit$ along +ith %esus$ is the sender of the a!ostles #t +as the 3oly
S!irit +ho eG!ressly chose and named the first missionaries from Antioch and sent them on their
+ay (Acts 49.4 A :) And it +as the 3oly S!irit +ho guided their *ourneys$ sometimes by
!revention as much as direction (Acts 4>.> A ?)
There is$ therefore$ a marvelous interlocking net+ork of sending in the 0e+ Testament
!resentation of God=s involvement in the mission of %esus and the church God the Son is sent by
God the Father and God the S!irit God the S!irit is sent by God the Son and God the Father The
a!ostles are sent by God the Son and God the S!irit 1nly God the Father is the unsent sender
3e sends the Son and the S!irit$ but he himself is never EsentF
The mission of God=s !eo!le$ then$ is not some eGternal structure built by the church
itself A a !rogram or a strategy devised by an institution Sending in mission is a !artici!ation in
the life of God The mission of God=s !eo!le$ in this dimension of sending and being sent$ is to
be caught u! +ithin the dynamic sending and being sent that God the 3oly Trinity has done and
continues to do for the salvation of the +orld and the revelation of his truth
AP*$TL%$
The T!el;e
The very +ord Ea!ostlesF means Esent onesF T+o Greek +ords could be used for
sending$ pe.po$ and apostello$ and both are found in the 0e+ Testament$ +ith little difference
3o+ever$ +hen a!!lied to the original t+elve disci!les +hom %esus called to himself$ the noun
form$ apostolos$ did acDuire s!ecial significance in relation to that grou! (even though$ as +e
+ill see in a moment$ it could be used more loosely as +ell)
;eing sent +as of the essence of a!ostleshi!$ though the sending +as conceived more as
commissioning or authorizing for a task than as necessaril- involving geogra!hical travel The
disci!les +ere a!ostles in %erusalem itself before some of them engaged in itinerant ministry
And some of those +ho became itinerant !reachers (like "hili!) +ere not necessarily a!ostles
The (irst +isciples
The gos!el accounts of the calling of the original t+elve are revealing and +orth !ausing
to read in full for +hat they say about %esus= intentions in this decisive action ()att 4C.4 A 6$ <K
)ark 9.49 A 4<K Luke >.46 A 49)
)atthe+ 4C sho+s clearly that the ministry of the a!ostles is a continuation of the +ork
of %esus himself Their message is an eGact re!eat of the +ords of %ohn the ;a!tist and %esus A
Ethe kingdom of heaven is nearF (?) Their healing ministry is also a continuation of the
miraculous healings that %esus had already !erformed They +ere to heal the sick$ raise the dead$
cleanse those +ith le!rosy and drive out demonsM%esus is !re!aring the ground for the !ostJ
ascension !eriod of history +hen his task of mission +ill be entrusted to his follo+ers That
mission +ill be at his command$ under his authority$ but he +ill !ass on to his disci!les the baton
of active res!onsibility
Martin Golds.ith
<
'hat do +e learn5 %esus chose t+elve The number is undoubtedly significant$ reflecting
the t+elve tribes of #srael These a!ostles +ill be the nucleus of #srael in the )essiah$ embodying
the role and the mission of #srael that +e have seen throughout this book
They +ere disci!les +ho became a!ostles$ but they remained disci!les (as they are still
referred to in )att 6@ at the moment of the Great &ommission) That is$ it +as only as humble
follo+ers of$ and learners from$ %esus their Lord and )aster that they +ere to function as
a!ostles
They +ere chosen and called by %esus$ not selfJa!!ointed or elected by the rest of the
disci!les (of +hom$ in a general sense$ +e kno+ there +ere many) 'hatever their authority and
function and ministry may be$ it derives from &hrist alone
They +ere to E!e /ith hi.6& That is$ they +ould sim!ly s!end time +ith %esus$ learning
from him$ being trained by him$ understanding his identity and mission$ bearing the cost of
radical disci!leshi!$ +itnessing his life and teaching$ his death and above all his resurrection
This in itself made this grou! of t+elve uniDue$ so much so that +hen %udas dro!!ed out$ the
criteria they set for +hoever should re!lace him included the same elements A he had to have
been a +itness of %esus from the days of %ohn the ;a!tist to the resurrection (Acts 4.64 A 66)
They +ere authoritatively to replicate and extend the .inistr- of Jesus hi.self& 3e sent
them out 3e gave them authority And +ith that authority they +ere to do as he +as doing A
!reaching the good ne+s of the kingdom of God$ driving out demons and healing the sick 'hat
the a!ostles said and did$ %esus +as saying and doing through them
)atthe+ !refaces his account of the sending out of the T+elve +ith a summary account
of all that Jesus +as doing ()att B.9< A 9>)$ before telling the disci!les to !ray that God +ould
send out +orkers$ and then commissioning them to be the ans+er to their o+n !rayer by doing
eGactly the same things as %esus did That is +hy Luke can describe his first volume as an
account of Eall that %esus began to do and to teachF$ the im!lication being that the second
volume$ +hat +e call the Acts of the A!ostles$ +as +hat Jesus continued to do and to teach
through these authorized agents
The Apostle Paul
'ith the eGce!tion of being a com!anion of %esus before the crucifiGion$ all the above
!oints are highlighted by the calling and sending of Saul of Tarsus as the a!ostle "aul 3e +as
granted a s!ecial encounter +ith the risen &hrist and could describe himself as a +itness of the
resurrection 3e kne+ that he had been sent by &hrist into the mission that occu!ied the rest of
his life And he claimed$ +ithout boasting$ that his authority to !reach the gos!el$ confirmed +ith
+orks of !o+er$ healing and driving out demons$ came from &hrist alone (see Acts 66.4: A 64K
6>.4< A 4@K /om 4.4K Gal 4.4$ 4< A 4> A interestingly$ "aul !laces his calling before his birth$
like %eremiah)
"aul also reflects the other a!ostles in the early cha!ters of Acts in his singleJminded
commitment to !reaching the gos!el (+ith accom!anying E+orks and +ondersF) 3e counted his
life +orth nothing a!art from being able to Ecom!lete the task the Lord %esus has given me A the
task of testifying to the good ne+s of God=s graceF (Acts 6C.6:) 3is E!riestly dutyF +as
E!roclaiming the gos!el of GodF (/om 4<.4> A 64)
"aul=s +hole life$ in other +ords$ +as dedicated to being a living fulfillment of #saiah
<6.?$ in being a messenger of the good ne+s of the kingdom of God to the nations (Acts 6C.6<)
That=s +hat it meant to be an a!ostle$ on a !ar +ith "eter and the others (Gal 6.@ A 4C)
Apostolic Priorities
'e find the same em!hasis on the crucial im!ortance of communicating the message in
early Acts The a!ostles could not hel! s!eaking about +hat they had seen and heard (Acts :.6C)$
and their determination to !reach the gos!el survived !rohibitions and threats (:.4@$ 64)$
im!risonment (<.4? A :6)$ martyrdom and !ersecution (>.@ A @.:) There is no doubt that the task
of !roclaiming the message of the gos!el of %esus &hrist +as the !ersistently to! !riority for the
a!ostles$ though that did not eGclude other key tasks that +ere integral to the gos!el$ as +e +ill
see in a moment
This a!ostolic !riority of !reaching also survived the gro+ing com!leGity of the %esus
movement and its need for !ractical and logistical organization Acts >.4 A ? is +ellJkno+n as the
moment +hen the a!ostles !reserved their o+n !rime res!onsibility of bearing +itness to &hrist
through !reaching the +ord from being s+allo+ed u! in the tasks of social care and the tensions
of ethnic discrimination that +ere surfacing as the community gre+
The a!ostles= res!onse sho+s great +isdom in recognizing the !riority of +hat the- as
a!ostles had been called and sent by &hrist to do$ +hile ensuring that other necessary tasks +ere
entrusted to godly and com!etent !eo!le The relevance of this !assage for mission$ ho+ever$
needs careful handling
#t is surely deliberate that the +ork of the T+elve and the +ork of the Seven are alike
called diakonia (4$ :)$ EministryF or EserviceF The former is Eministry of the +ordF (:) or
!astoral +ork$ the latter Ethe ministry of tablesF (6) or social +ork 0either ministry is su!erior
to the other 1n the contrary$ both are &hristian ministries$ that is$ +ays of serving God and his
!eo!le ;oth reDuire s!iritual !eo!le$ Efull of the S!iritF$ to eGercise them And both can be fullJ
time &hristian ministries The only difference bet+een them lies in the form the ministry takes$
reDuiring different gifts and different callings
John Stott
>
The +ords of the a!ostles in Acts >.6 can be easily misused ESo the T+elve gathered all
the disci!les together and said$ O#t +ould not be right for us to neglect Hthe ministry ofI the +ord
of God in order to +ait on tables= F #t can be made to sound as if the a!ostles regarded the task
of serving food at tables to +ido+s as something beneath them The T0#- gives this im!ression
by inserting Ethe ministry ofF (+hich is not in the Greek) in front of Ethe +ord of GodF$ by
obscuring the fact that +hat +as ha!!ening at the tables +as also EservingQministeringF$ and by
translating the verb diakonein (+hich is in the Greek) merely as Eto +ait onF The im!ression$
then$ is that it is much more im!ortant to be a !reacher (EministerF) than a +aiter
3o+ever$ the serving or ministering term (diakonia$ diakonein) is used !oth for +hat +as
being done in the !rovision of food for the needy (in Acts >.6) and for the !reaching of the +ord
(Eministry of the +ordF in v :) They +ere !oth ministries of the church$ and they +ere !oth
im!ortant enough to need to be done by !eo!le filled +ith the 3oly S!irit (v 9) The a!ostles=
!oint +as sim!ly that distribution of food to the needy +as not +hat the-, the T/el$e$ had been
!rimarily called and sent to do (even if it had been !art of their training +ith %esus) #t must be
done$ ho+ever$ and it must be done by !eo!le selected and a!!ointed for that ministry
So it is a distortion of this teGt to use it to suggest that the !reaching of the 'ord has
!rimacy and !riority for the church as a /hole in its .ission$ as over against all forms of social
or com!assionate service for the needy Luke is careful to distinguish Ethe T+elveF from Eall the
disci!lesF in verse 6$ and to record that they said$ Eit +ould not be right for usF$ +hich means
that they +ere talking about the fundamental ministry !riority for the.sel$es as %hrist"s
co..issioned apostles$ not +hat +as an overriding !riority for the +hole body of disci!les
Luke has already made it clear that the social and economic concern of the church for the
needy +as itself connected to the teaching of the a!ostles$ and that the ra!id gro+th of the church
+as the result of !oth the teaching and evangelism of the a!ostles and the Duality of love and
care +ithin the community of %esusJfollo+ers (Acts 6.:6 A :?K :.96 A 9<)
Furthermore$ +hile the ministry of the 'ord continued to be the urgent !riority for the
a!ostles$ the Eministry at tablesF became the !riority for those a!!ointed to that task as their
ministry 3o+ever$ +e can also see that such !riorities +ere not mutually eGclusive Those +ho
ministered at tables could also !reach and evangelize (like Ste!hen and "hili!) And those +ho
+ere a!ostles could also carry relief to the needy (Acts 44.6? A 6BK cf "aul=s im!ortant
collection for the !oor in %erusalem$ /om 4<.6< A 99K 4 &or 4>.4 A :K 6 &or @ A B) #ndeed$
remembering the !oor +as a criterion of acce!tance into the fello+shi! of the a!ostles (Gal 6.B
A 4C)
For "aul$ care for the !oor cannot be !itted against Egos!el ministryF The return to %udea
to deliver the collection takes !riority over "aul=s visit to /ome As he eG!lains to the /omans
(/om 4<)$ this visit +as to be the great launch of gos!el ministry in the +estern half of the
Em!ire all the +ay to S!ain 'e do not kno+ if "aul achieved this mission$ but +e do kno+ that
he delivered the collection The collection /as so $ital that its deli$er- /as at that .o.ent a
.ore urgent .atter for 1aul than his desire to e$angelize and plant churches on the .issionar-
frontier&
Jason 'ood
?
#t is remarkable$ actually$ ho+ little attention is given to "aul=s collection for the !oor in
%erusalem in standard +orks on "aul=s theology or his mission 8et it occu!ied years of his life$
and he refers to it in three of his largest letters$ giving t+o +hole cha!ters to it in 6 &orinthians
%ason 3ood$ +ho s!eaks of E"aul=s great !assion for the !oorF$ !oints out that E"aul=s collection
and other teaching on !ossessions and generosity occu!y more s!ace in his letters than his
teaching on *ustification by faith 8et "auline scholars and contem!orary church leaders often
fail to give the collection the attention it deservesF
3ood goes on to make a !oint that should be noted by those +ho allege that the only
legitimate !riority for the a!ostles (and their evangelistic successors) +as !roclamation and
church !lanting At the end of /omans$ "aul postpones his !lan to engage in such ministry in the
+estern )editerranean in order to give !riority at that moment to the delivery of the collection to
the !oor in %erusalem Far from regarding this as an interru!tion or neglect of Egos!el ministryF$
"aul actually sa+ it as a crucial demonstration of the gos!el at +ork
Apostles7 The *thers
So there +ere t+elve a!ostles 1r +ere there5
,ndoubtedly the original T+elve had a uniDue status and role +ithin the early church
They +ere the source of authoritative +itness to the life$ death and resurrection of %esus$ and so
it +as vital that their voice$ and later the +ritings of some of them$ should be heard and should
be decisive They !layed a foundational role in the %erusalem church$ being freDuently mentioned
by Luke as the leaders there$ even +hen !ersecution scattered many believers else+here and
even as the mission ary movement got under+ay from other centres like Antioch (Acts <.6? A 96K
@.4$ 4:K B.6?K 44.4K 4<.4 A >$ 66K 4>.:)
;ut then +e hear about Duite a number of other !eo!le +ho are also described as
Ea!ostlesF in the more general sense of !eo!le +ho +ere sent to do various tasks 3ere is a list of
!laces +here a!ostles are mentioned +ho +ere not among the original$ authoritative T+elveJ
!lusJ"aul
4 &or 4<.? Paul says that Jesus appeared to Call the apostlesD after his
resurrection. But he has #ust listed Peter and the T!el;e in ;erse <= so
this !ould see" to refer to a !ider group of people !ith so"e Find of
apostolic "inistry. Acts 4:.4: Barnabas is called an apostle along !ith
Paul= probably in the sense of a co""issioned C"issionaryD. Barnabas=
though an i"portant figure in the early church= !as not a"ong the
T!el;e. But he !as appointed= co""issioned and sent by the church at
Antioch. 6 &or @.69 Paul has been describing the role of Titus as his o!n
trusted representati;e in the "atter of ad"inistering the financial gift
that the churches in Greece !ere "aFing to the church in Jerusale"
H:7.9 8 35E. But there !ere others !ho acco"panied Titus= !ho" Paul
describes literally as Capostles of the churchesD= !hich is usually
translated Crepresentati;esD or C"essengersD. They also ha;e Pauls
appro;al as Can honor to ChristD. "hil 6.6< Paul speaFs !ar"ly of
%paphroditus as C"y brother= coB!orFer and fello! soldier= !ho is also
your "essenger Ilit.= your apostleJ= !ho" you sent to taFe care of "y
needs.D This is al"ost identical to the role of Titus. %paphroditus had
been sent by the church at Philippi= as their representati;e and
"essenger= !ith financial support for Pauls "issionary !orF. /om 4>.?
Andronicus and Junia= probably a husband and !ife= are greeted by
Paul as Coutstanding a"ong the apostlesD. This al"ost certainly "eans
that he sa! the" as outstanding apostles the"sel;es= rather than that
they !ere regarded as outstanding by the apostles Hor "erely C!ellB
Fno!n to the apostlesD= %$2E. e are not told !hat their apostleship
in;ol;ed= but they "ay ha;e had an itinerant e;angelistic or church
teaching function= si"ilar to Priscilla and AKuila= !ho had ser;ed Call
the churches of the GentilesD H.974 8 5E. Perhaps Philologus and Julia H;.
.<E !ere another such husband and !ife tea"= but !e dont Fno!. 4
&or 46.6@ A 6BK E!h :.44 Paul includes apostles along !ith prophets=
pastors= teachers= e;angelists= healers= ad"inistrators= etc. in the
"inistry gifts that God has gi;en to his church. Perhaps he is referring
to the uniKue and nonreplaceable status of the T!el;e= the foundation
pillars of the church. But in ;ie! of the breadth and plurality and
di;ersity of the other "inistries= he "ay !ell be referring to the !ider
apostolic H"issionaryE role= especially in planting and nurturing
churches in the first place. MA&0$ *( M'$$'*) $%)+')G A)+
$,PP*&T')G CH,&CH%$
The 0e+ Testament tells us not only about individuals like those above A individuals +ho
traveled in all directions on various missions #t also gives us several eGam!les of churches that
+ere remarkable in mission There +as of course the Emother churchF in Jerusale.$ +here the
!o+er of the a!ostles= !reaching combined +ith the s!iritual fello+shi!$ social community and
economic com!assion of the first believers led to such remarkable gro+th ;ut %erusalem did not
remain the only centre for the s!read of the church
2ntioch becomes the hub for mission to the north and +est And the foundation for that
missionary eG!ansion is eDually clear. it +as a church that +as /ell3.ixed ethnically (and so
already o!en to the international vision and !o+er of the gos!el)$ /ell3taught by "aul and
;arnabas (and so understanding the E+hole counsel of GodF such as "aul +ould later teach the
church in E!hesus)$ and /ell3led by !eo!le +ho +ere themselves o!en to the 3oly S!irit and
eGercising gifts of !ro!hecy$ teaching and discernment (Acts 44.4B A 6>K 49.4 A 9)
Then the church in 1hilippi$ the first foothold of the gos!el in Euro!e$ becomes the
su!!ort centre for "aul=s missionary +ork further south "aul s!eaks +armly also of the radiating
message of the gos!el that +as going out from the nearby church in Thessalonica (4 Thess 4.? A
@)$ but only the "hili!!ian &hristians$ he says$ had entered into !artnershi! (koinonia) in the
gos!el +ith him by sending financial su!!ort again and again The letter to the "hili!!ians +e
have in our ;ible is essentially a Ethank youF letter and recei!t for one such generous gift at the
hands of their Ea!ostleF$ E!a!hroditus ("hil :.4: A 6C)
Third John 8 +ouble (aithfulness
There is$ ho+ever$ another rather neglected eGam!le of a mission sending and su!!orting
church$ tucked in at the end of the ;ible A the community to +hom the letter of 9 %ohn +as
addressed
)ost !robably this +as one of the churches in or near E!hesus$ someho+ associated +ith
%ohn EThe elderF$ +ho +rites the letter$ may be one of %ohn=s disci!les$ but since his name is
attached to the letter$ +e +ill sim!ly refer to the author as %ohn There seem to have been
!roblems and divisions in the church (+hen +ere there ever not5) %ohn has sent messengers$
Ethe brothersF$ but they have met +ith a miGed rece!tion Some like Gaius have +elcomed and
su!!orted them (vv 4 A @) 1thers like (iotre!hes had obstructed and evicted them (vv B A 4C)
'hat %ohn says to Gaius is informative and sets us a model for +hat a mission sending and
su!!orting church is like
%ohn commends Gaius for his faithfulness in t+o areas. faithfulness to the truth (vv 9 A
:)$ and faithfulness to the !rothers and sisters (vv < A @) ;oth are essential for churches
committed to mission
(aithfulness to the Truth
Faithfulness to the truth is a shorthand eG!ression (understandable$ since the author is
a!!arently short of !a!er and ink$ v 49)$ but from the rest of %ohn=s +ritings +e kno+ +hat it
+ould have included.
the truth of the incarnation (that %esus +as truly God in human flesh)
the truth of %esus= messiahshi! (that he fulfilled the 1ld Testament story and !romise)
the truth of the cross and %esus= atoning death for our sins
the truth of his bodily resurrection
the truth of his uniDueness as saviour and Lord
All of these are !art of the essential truth of the gos!el Gaius believed it$ lived it$
E+alked in itF$ and su!!orted those +ho did the same 0aturally$ therefore$ he and those in the
church +ho thought and lived like him su!!orted the mission of those +ho came and +ent in the
name of &hrist
For mission is the inevitable overflo+ of +holehearted commitment to the truth %ust as
the church at Antioch su!!orted mission after the faithful teaching of "aul and ;arnabas$ so the
church of 9 %ohn su!!orted mission on the foundation of the faithful E+alking in the truthF of
Gaius
)issionJsending churches are truthJ+alking churches Sadly$ the o!!osite is also the case
(aithfulness to the Missionaries
E(ear friend$F +rites %ohn to Gaius$ Eyou are faithful in +hat you are doing for the
brothers and sisters$ even though they are strangers to youF (v <) The T0#- is right to add Eand
sistersF$ since the Greek adelphoi +as a generic term that included men and +omen Some
translations say Ethe friendsF or Eour colleaguesF ;ut +ho +ere they5
)ost likely these +ere the kind of itinerant missionaries +e have seen in the table above$
!eo!le engaged in traveling ministries of evangelism$ church !lanting$ and all that follo+ed on
from that. liaising bet+een the local churches$ teaching$ building structures of local leadershi!$
net+orking$ carrying letters and ne+s$ sharing resources$ bringing Duestions and taking back
ans+ers$ correcting false teaching$ encouraging !erseverance #n the life of "aul +e find many
such men and +omen +ho traveled for such !ur!oses A notably !eo!le like A!ollos$ "hoebe$
"riscilla and ADuila$ Timothy and Titus (eg$ /om 4>.4 A 6K 4 &or 9.>K E!h >.64 A 66K 4 Thess
9.6K Tit 4.<K 6 Tim :.46)
So 9 %ohn is$ in our terms$ talking about the relationshi! bet+een a local church and
traveling missionaries Fundamentally$ %ohn describes it as a relationshi! of EloveF (v >a) ;ut it
+as a love that took !ractical form$ in three distinct +ays. sending$ going$ and su!!orting
$ending H4 John 9E
E8ou +ill do +ell to send them on their +ay in a manner +orthy of God$F +rites %ohn to
Gaius and his church members #t is a challenging res!onsibility ESend them on their +ayF
meant more than +aving goodJbye The verb prope.po is almost a technical term else+here in
the 0e+ Testament for making all the necessary arrangements and !rovision for someone=s
*ourney (Acts 4<.9K 64.<K /om 4<.6:K 4 &or 4>.>$ 4C A 44K 6 &or 4.4>K Titus 9.49) #t +ould
include !roviding food$ money for fares or overnight accommodation$ !erha!s com!anions for
safety$ and letters of introduction or commendation for those at the other end
# once s!oke from 9 %ohn > to the full staff of All 0ations &hristian &ollege at our
meeting before the start of the academic year # em!hasized that although +e +ere a training and
not a sending institution$ there +as a sense in +hich the challenge of this verse a!!lied to all our
+ork on behalf of the students +hile they +ere +ith us A +hether teaching$ cooking$ cleaning$
handling their money$ maintaining the college$ !rinting handouts or +hatever #t all needed to be
done Ein a manner +orthy of GodF for the sake of those +e +ere sending on
# +as delighted the neGt day to see that my secretary had !rinted the teGt out on a small
card and stuck it at the to! of her com!uter screen. E8ou +ill do +ell to send them on their +ay
in a manner +orthy of GodF The message had got through
)oreover$ %ohn says$ all these things should be done for missionaries Ein a manner
+orthy of GodF That means$ in such a +ay that one can look u! to God and eG!ect his a!!roval
1r$ in such a +ay as +e +ould do it if it +ere %esus himself +hom +e +ere sending on his +ay
'hat +ould +e not do for him5 'ould such a !ers!ective and such an ideal not transform the
+ay +e make !rovision for the sending out of mission !artners$ +hether as churches or as
mission agencies5
Third %ohn > should be +ritten as a motto on the +alls$ desk calendars$ or com!uter
screens of all those +ith res!onsibility for the sending of !eo!le in mission$ in churches or
mission agencies$ or in training institutions
Going H4 John AE
%ohn turns from those +ho send to those +ho go$ and he makes t+o !oints about them
First$ they are not tourists They go out Efor the sake of the 0ameF A by +hich$ of course$
he can only mean the name of the Lord %esus &hrist %ust as in the 1ld Testament the name of
83'3 +as the !o+er and authority +ith +hich victories +ere +on$ !riests blessed$ and
!ro!hets s!oke$ so in the 0e+ Testament the name of %esus means his !resence$ !o+er and
authority
)issionaries go out into the +orld for the sake of the name of &hrist That is$ +ith
&hrist=s authority$ +ith &hrist=s !resence$ for &hrist=s glory
Second$ they are not commercial travelers$ living by +hat they can sell$ including their
o+n skill as orators The firstJcentury )editerranean +orld +as a+ash +ith itinerant lecturers A
some+hat like the televangelists of their day$ com!eting for the !o!ular ear and !urse "aul had
to distinguish himself from such charlatans (6 &or 6.4?) %ohn reminds the church that these
&hristian missionaries had no financial su!!ort from secular sources Their going out +as an act
of faith in God=s !eo!le as +ell as loyalty to God=s name
$upporting H4 John :E
%ohn=s conclusion follo+s em!hatically E'e ought therefore to sho+ hos!itality to such
!eo!le so that +e may +ork together for the truthF E'e oughtF is +eakK it +ould be better
translated. E+e are obliged toF$ E+e o+e it to themF
The grace of giving is a s!iritual gift (/om 46.@) )any of God=s gifts are both
generously besto+ed in some measure on all believers and given in s!ecial measure to some For
eGam!le$ all &hristians are called to share the gos!el +ith others$ but some have the gift of an
evangelist All &hristians are called to eGercise !astoral care for others$ but some are called to be
!astors %ust so$ all &hristians are called to be generous$ but some are given the !articular Egift of
givingF Those entrusted +ith significant financial resources have a s!ecial res!onsibility to be
good ste+ards of those resources
John Stott
@
&hristian fello+shi!s have a duty to su!!ort those +ho are sent out in the name of &hrist
"aul argues this strongly in 4 &orinthians B$ +ith a range of arguments from common humanity$
1ld Testament eGam!les and the teaching of %esus &hurches that do not adeDuately !rovide for
the needs of mission !artners may talk about ho+ +onderfully their missionaries are Eliving by
faithF That is hy!ocritical if the church itself is living in disobedience to the !lain command of
the 0e+ Testament For such financial !rovision is indeed$ as "aul eG!ressed it$ a matter of
Eobedience to the gos!el of &hristF (6 &or B.46 A 4:)
Su!!orting includes generosity in giving$ and that is undoubtedly a ma*or !art of the
mission of God=s !eo!le #t is$ as "aul gratefully said to the &hristians at "hili!!i$ a matter of
Efello+shi! in the gos!elF
Then$ finally$ %ohn brings his +hole tight argument around full circle +ith the final
!hrase. Eso that +e may +ork together for the truthF #t is not that the- (the missionaries) are
+orking for the truth$ +hile /e (the su!!orters) !ay the bills #t is that all of us$ the sent and the
senders$ are +orking together for the truth That is the res!onsibility and the !rivilege of
&hristian mission
$,MMA&1
The mission of God=s !eo!le$ then$ calls them to !artici!ate in a long and rich tradition of
sending and being sent that originates +ithin God the 3oly Trinity The God of the ;ible is the
sending God A even +ithin the relationshi!s of Father$ Son and 3oly S!irit
That dynamic sending flo+s first through many eGam!les of !eo!le +hom God sent in
and to 1ld Testament #srael$ as agents of salvation and messengers of revelation To be sent by
God$ for +hatever !ur!ose$ meant bearing the authority of God (eg$ in achieving deliverance or
in s!eaking in his name)$ but it also freDuently involved suffering and re*ection
The long story of God=s sending reaches its climaG in the one +hom God sent into the
+orld so that the +orld through him should be saved %esus embodies all the dimensions of 1ld
Testament sendings$ but +ith the su!reme distinction that he finally and com!letely
accom!lished the !ur!ose for +hich he +as sent$ as +e hear from his !rayer in %ohn 4? and his
climactic cry$ E#t is finishedNF
From %esus$ then$ flo+s the mission of the church until he comes again 3is final +ords
to his disci!les and action form a sending$ a commission$ a mandate Those +ho are disci!les of
%esus today are to be like the disci!les of %esus in the Gos!els A called to be +ith him and to go
in his name to do his +ork$ to the ends of the earth and until the end of the +orld
&hurches$ then$ are to be communities around the +orld$ !lanted$ nurtured and connected
through ministries of sending$ going and su!!orting A for the sake of the name of &hrist and the
truth of the gos!el
'here are +e sent5 #nto the +orld$ said %esus$ *ust as the Father had sent him into the
+orld So +e are to be Ein the +orldF$ and yet in another sense +e do not belong to the +orld
3o+ are +e to carry on our mission +ithin the +orld=s !ublic arena +ithout being s+allo+ed u!
by the +orld itself5 'e turn to that in our neGt cha!ter
&%L%2A)T -,%$T'*)$
4 #n +hat senses do you think of yourself as EsentF by God A not necessarily in
geogra!hical or !hysical terms$ but as living under his orders and doing his +ill5
6 3o+ +ould you distinguish bet+een the T+elve a!ostles in their uniDue status and
role$ and the +ider !icture of a!ostles (Esent onesF) that the 0e+ Testament sho+s us5 Are there
a!ostles today5 #f so$ +hat should they be$ and +hat should they not be5
9 3o+ does your church measure u! to the !icture of missional church as !ortrayed in 9
%ohn5 Think !articularly of the t+in challenge of Efaithfulness to the truthF and Efaithfulness to
the brothers and sisters (in mission)F
: #f your church is involved in sending !eo!le out in mission$ +hat difference +ould it
make if you consciously aimed to Esend them on their +ay in a manner +orthy of GodF (9 %ohn
>)5

CHAPT%& .4
P%*PL% H* L'2% A)+ *&0 ') TH% P,BL'C $-,A&%
e ended the last cha!ter thinking about those +ho are sent and received as itinerant
&hristian missionaries A those +ho travel across borders for the sake of the name of &hrist and
are su!!orted by the giving and hos!itality of &hristian churches ;ut the mission of God=s
!eo!le is far too big to be left only to missionaries (*ust as the ministry of the church is far too
big to be left to those +e commonly call EministersF)
The great ma*ority of believers do not get sent out as traveling missionaries in the
traditional sense$ and this seems to have been as true in the 0e+ Testament church as today
)ost &hristians live in the ordinary everyday +orld$ +orking$ making a living$ raising families$
!aying taGes$ contributing to society and culture$ getting along$ doing their bit #n +hat sense$ if
any$ is the life of believers in that realm A +hat +e +ill call the !ublic sDuare A !art of the
mission of God=s !eo!le5 (oes such routine ordinary life have any !ur!ose other than to give us
o!!ortunities to bear +itness to our faith and to earn enough money to have some to s!are to give
to missionaries and Ereal missionF5
That is the Duestion +e +ill think about in this cha!ter A the mission of God=s !eo!le in
the !ublic sDuare # am using that eG!ression in its broadest sense Another term might be Ethe
market!laceF$ again in a +ide sense A not *ust Ethe marketF as a !urely economic or financial
mechanism$ but the +hole +orld of human coo!erative effort in !roductive !ro*ects and creative
activity. +ork$ trade$ !rofessions$ la+$ industry$ agriculture$ engineering$ education$ medicine$
media$ !olitics and government A even leisure$ s!ort$ art and entertainment
The 1ld Testament +ord for all this +as Ethe gateF A the !ublic sDuare in every to+n or
village +here !eo!le met and did their business together$ of +hatever kind This is the +orld of
human social engagement and activity$ +here most of us s!end most of our time
G*+ A)+ TH% P,BL'C $-,A&%
#s God interested in the !ublic sDuare5 )any &hristians seem to o!erate on the everyday
assum!tion that God is not 1r at least$ they assume that God is not interested in the +orld of
everyday +ork for its o+n sake$ as distinct from being interested in it as a conteGt for
evangelism God$ it +ould seem$ cares about the church and its affairs$ about missions and
missionaries$ about getting !eo!le to heaven$ but not about ho+ society and its !ublic !laces are
conducted on earth
The result of such dichotomized thinking is an eDually dichotomized &hristian life #n
fact it is a dichotomy that gives many &hristians a great deal of inner discomfort caused by the
glaring disconnect bet+een +hat they think God most +ants and +hat they most have to do
)any of us invest most of the available time that matters (our +orking lives) in a !lace and a
task that +e have been led to believe does not really matter much to God A the soJcalled secular
+orld of +ork A +hile struggling to find o!!ortunities to give some leftover time to the only
thing +e are told does matter to God A evangelism
4
8et the ;ible clearly and com!rehensively$ in both Testaments$ !ortrays God as intensely
interested in the !ublic arena of human social and economic life A interested$ involved$ in charge$
and full of !lans for it
Let=s think of some key assertions that the ;ible makes about God=s involvement +ith the
human market!lace #n each case +e +ill think of some Duestions that these assertions raise for
&hristians +ho live and +ork there This +ill then give us a biblical !latform for thinking about
the mission of God=s !eo!le in that conteGt$ both in terms of our engagement in the !ublic sDuare
and also of our confrontation +ith the antiJGod forces at +ork +ithin it
'hat$ then$ does the ;ible say about God and the !ublic sDuare$ the +orld of all human
+ork in all its amazing diversity5
God Created 't
'ork is God=s idea Genesis 4 A 6 give us our first !icture of the biblical God as a +orker
A thinking$ choosing$ !lanning$ eGecuting$ evaluating So +hen God decided to create humankind
in the image and likeness of God$ +hat else could humans be but +orkers$ reflecting in their
+orking lives something of the nature of God5
S!ecifically$ God laid on human beings the task of ruling the earth (Gen 4)$ and of
serving and kee!ing it (Gen 6)$ +hich +e eG!lored in cha!ter 9 This enormous task reDuired not
only the com!lementarity and mutual hel! of our maleJfemale gender identities$ but also im!lies
some other fundamental economic and ecological dimensions to human life God has given us a
!lanet +ith vast diversity of resources scattered all over its surface Some !laces have lots of
fertile soil 1ther !laces have vast mineral de!osits There is$ therefore$ a natural necessity for
trade and eGchange bet+een grou!s living in different !laces in order to meet common needs
That task in turn necessitates economic relationshi!s$ and so there is the need for fairness
and *ustice throughout the social and economic realm There must be *ustice both in the sharing
of the ra+ resources +ith +hich +e +ork$ and in the distribution of the !roducts of our +ork
The biblical +itness is that all of this great human economic endeavour is an essential !art of
God=s !ur!ose for human life on earth 'ork matters because it +as God=s intention for us #t
+as +hat God had in mind +hen he made us #t is our !art in his creation As +e sa+ in cha!ter
9$ it is !art of our mission as humans
The first Duestion +e need to ask those +ho seek to follo+ %esus in the market!lace is.
(o you see your +ork as nothing more than a necessary evil$ or only as the conteGt for
evangelistic o!!ortunities5 1r do you see it as a means of glorifying God through !artici!ating in
his !ur!oses for creation and therefore having intrinsic value5 3o+ do you relate +hat you do in
your daily +ork to the ;ible=s teaching about human res!onsibility in creation and society5
'ork$ then$ is not the result of Ethe curseF 1f course$ all +ork is no+ affected in myriad
detrimental +ays by our fallenness ;ut +ork itself is of the essence of our human nature 'e
+ere created to be +orkers$ like God$ the +orker This has been called the Ecultural mandateF
All that +e are and do in the !ublic s!here of +ork$ +hether at the level of individual *obs$ or of
the family$ or of +hole communities$ right u! to +hole cultures and civilizations over historical
time$ is connected to our createdness and is therefore of interest to our &reator The !ublic sDuare
and market!lace are$ of course$ !olluted and distorted by our sinfulness ;ut then that is true of
all s!heres of human eGistence 1ur fallenness is not a reason to eGcuse ourselves from the
!ublic arena$ any more than the fact that sickness and death are ultimately the results of sin is a
reason for &hristians not to become doctors or conduct funerals
God Audits 't
'e are all familiar +ith the function of an auditor The auditor !rovides inde!endent$
im!artial and ob*ective scrutiny of a com!any=s activities and claims The auditor has access to
all documents and evidence To the auditor all books are o!ened and all decisions made kno+nK
from him no secrets are hidden That$ at least$ is the theory
According to the ;ible$ God is the inde!endent *udge of all that goes on in the !ublic
sDuare The 1ld Testament s!eaks re!eatedly of 83'3 as the God +ho sees and kno+s and
evaluates This is true in the most universal sense and !ertains to every individual ("s 99.49 A
4<)
;ut it is s!ecifically true of the !ublic sDuare #srael +as reminded re!eatedly that God
calls for *ustice Ein the gateF$ +hich is$ in contem!orary terms$ the market!lace$ the !ublic arena
Amos !robably sur!rised his listeners by insisting that God +as actually more interested in +hat
ha!!ened Ein the gateF than in the sanctuary (Amos <.46 A 4<)
Furthermore$ God hears the kind of talk that +ould go on either in the hidden !laces of
the greedy heart$ or in the confidence of a business deal Amos$ again$ !ictures the divine auditor
listening to the muttered dark intentions of the corru!t business !eo!le of his day (Amos @.: A ?)
And to those +ho think that God is confined to his tem!le and sees only +hat goes on in
religious observance comes the shock that he has been +atching +hat goes on the rest of the
+eek in !ublic (%er ?.B A 44)
God is the auditor A the inde!endent ins!ector of all that ha!!ens in the !ublic arena
'hat God therefore demands$ as any auditor should$ is com!lete integrity and trans!arency This
is the standard that is eG!ected of human *udges in their eGercise of !ublic office The case of
Samuel is revealing$ as he defends his !ublic record and calls God as +itness A as his divine
auditor (4 Sam 46.4 A <)
The second Duestion +e need to ask of all those +ho seek to follo+ %esus in the
market!lace is this. 'here$ in all your activity$ is the deliberate ackno+ledgment of$ and
submission to$ the divine auditor5 #n +hat +ay does accountability to God im!inge on your
everyday +ork5
God Go;erns 't
'e often s!eak of Emarket forcesF and of the +hole realm of business and !olitics as if
they +ere all inde!endent$ as Ea la+ unto themselvesF EThe )arketF (often +ith a ca!ital )) is
ob*ectified and given a kind of divine$ autonomous !o+er At any rate$ at a !ersonal level$ +e
feel +e are at the mercy of forces beyond our individual control$ forces determined by millions
of other !eo!le=s choices 1r in some cases$ as the financial crisis of 6CC@ A 6CCB demonstrated$
millions of !eo!le seemed to be at the mercy of the +ild and irres!onsible choices of a fe+$
+hich eDually a!!eared to thro+ the +hole E)arketF out of control and into !anic
The ;ible has a more subtle vie+ 8es$ human !ublic life is made u! of human choices$
for +hich human beings are res!onsible So in that sense$ all that ha!!ens in the market!lace is a
matter of human action$ choice and moral res!onsibility 8et at the same time$ the ;ible !uts it
all under God=s sovereign government ;y stressing the first (human choices) as +ell as the
second (God=s ultimate control)$ the ;ible avoids sliding into fatalism or determinism #t affirms
both sides of the !aradoG. humans are morally res!onsible for our choices and actions and their
!ublic conseDuencesK yet God retains sovereign control over final outcomes and destinies
)any ;ible stories illustrate this The story of %ose!h oscillates bet+een the s!here of the
family and the !ublic arena at the highest level of state !o+er %ose!h is involved in !olitical$
*udicial$ agricultural$ economic and foreign affairs All the actors in the stories are res!onsible for
their o+n motives$ +ords and deeds A +hether good or evil ;ut the !ers!ective of the author of
Genesis$ through the +ords of %ose!h$ is crystal clear (even though it enshrines a tantalizing
mystery).
;ut %ose!h said to them$ E(on=t be afraid Am # in the !lace of God5 8ou intended to
harm me$ but God intended it for good to accom!lish +hat is no+ being done$ the saving of
many livesF (Gen <C.4B A 6C)
)oving to !ro!hetic teGts$ it is significant that +hen !ro!hets turn their attention to the
great em!ires of their day$ they affirm 83'3=s government as much over the. as over his
covenant !eo!le #srael Furthermore$ all their !ublic +orks are included$ the market!lace as
much as the military
The third Duestion +e have to ask of those +ho follo+ %esus in the market!lace is. 3o+
do you !erceive the governance of God in the market!lace (+hich is another +ay of seeking the
kingdom of God and his *ustice)$ and +hat difference does it make +hen you do5 #s it really the
case that E3eaven rulesF on Sundays$ but The )arket rules from )onday to Friday (+ith
Saturdays as a day off for gods and humans)5
#saiah 4B.4 A 4< !uts the +hole of Egy!t under God=s *udgment$ including its religion$
irrigation$ agriculture$ fisheries$ teGtile industry$ !oliticians and universities
Ezekiel 6> A 6@ is a sustained lament for the great trading city of Tyre$ +hile chs 6B A 96
!our similar doom on the great im!erial culture of Egy!t #n both cases$ the !ublic market!lace
of economic and !olitical !o+er is the focus of God=s sovereign activity
(aniel : !ortrays the arrogance of 0ebuchadnezzar gloating over his city. E#s not this the
great ;abylon # have built as the royal residence$ by my mighty !o+er and for the glory of my
ma*esty5F ((an :.9C) ;ut the verdict of God is that his +hole building !ro*ect has been borne
on the backs of the !oor and o!!ressed$ as (aniel !oints out. ETherefore$ 8our )a*esty$ be
!leased to acce!t my advice. /enounce your sins by doing +hat is right$ and your +ickedness by
being kind to the o!!ressed #t may be that then your !ros!erity +ill continueF ((an :.6?)
The lesson 0ebuchadnezzar had to learn is the one +e are !ressing here. God governs the
!ublic sDuare$ along +ith all else 1r$ in (aniel=s more gra!hic +ords$ E3eaven rulesMthe )ost
3igh is sovereign over the kingdoms of men and gives them to anyone he +ishesF ((an :.6>$
96)
God &edee"s 't
A common &hristian assum!tion is that all that ha!!ens here on earth is nothing more
than tem!orary and transient 3uman history is nothing more than the vestibule for eternity$ so it
doesn=t really matter very much To this negative com!arison is added the idea$ dra+n from a
mistaken inter!retation of the language of 6 "eter 6$ that +e are headed for total obliteration of
the +hole earth and indeed of all the !hysical creation 'ith such a !ros!ect$ +hat eternal value
can !ossibly attach to the +ork +e do in the local or globalized !ublic sDuare here and no+5
6
;ut the ;ible !resents a different !ros!ect God !lans to redeem all that he has made
(because Ehe has com!assion on all he has madeF$ "s 4:<.B)$ and included +ithin that +ill be
the redem!tion of all that /e have made +ith +hat God first made A that is$ our use of creation
+ithin the great cultural mandate 1f course$ all that +e have done has been tainted and t+isted
by our sinful$ fallen human nature And all that flo+s from that evil source +ill have to be !urged
and !urified by God ;ut that is eGactly the !icture +e have in both 1ld and 0e+ Testaments #t
is a vision of redem!tion$ not of obliterationK of the restoration and rene+al of creation$ not its
re!lacement +ith something else
1f course the ;ible !resents the !ublic sDuare$ human life lived in society and the
market!lace$ as riddled +ith sin$ corru!tion$ greed$ in*ustice and violence That can be seen at
local and global dimensions$ from shar! !ractices at the market stall or corner sho!$ to the
massive distortions and ineDuities of international trade As &hristians$ +e need a radical
understanding of sin in its !ublic dimensions$ and +e need to see !art of our mission as being
called to confront that !ro!hetically in the name of &hrist (as +e +ill discuss belo+) ;ut for
God$ the corru!tion of the !ublic sDuare is not a reason to va!orize it$ but to !urge and redeem it
#saiah ><.4? A 6< is a glorious !ortrayal of the ne+ creation A a ne+ heavens and a ne+
earth #t looks for+ard to human life that is no longer sub*ect to +eariness and decay$ in +hich
there +ill be fulfillment in family and +ork$ in +hich the curses of frustration and in*ustice +ill
be gone forever$ in +hich there +ill be close and *oyful fello+shi! +ith God$ and in +hich there
+ill be environmental harmony and safety The +hole of life A !ersonal life$ family life$ !ublic
life$ animal life A +ill be redeemed and restored to GodJglorifying !roductiveness and humanJ
fulfilling en*oyment
The 0e+ Testament carries this vision for+ard in the light of the redem!tion achieved by
&hrist through the cross$ and es!ecially in the light of the resurrection "aul com!rehensively and
re!eatedly includes Eall thingsF not only in +hat God created through &hrist$ but +hat he !lans
to redee. through &hrist #t is clear in this teGt that Eall thingsF means the +hole created order in
both descri!tions of the +ork of &hrist (&ol 4.4> A 6C) ;ecause of that !lan of cosmic
redem!tion$ the +hole of creation can look for+ard to the future as a time of liberation and
freedom from frustration (/om @.4B A 64)
Even the teGt that is often used to s!eak of the destruction of the cosmos (+hen in fact$ in
my vie+$ it is actually !ortraying redem!tive !urging)$
9
immediately goes on to the eG!ectation
of a *usticeJfilled ne+ creation (6 "eter 9.49)
And the final vision of the +hole ;ible is not of our esca!ing from the +orld to some
ethereal !aradise$ but rather of God coming do+n to live +ith us once again in a !urged and
restored creation$ in +hich all the fruit of human civilization +ill be brought into the city of God
(/ev 64.6: A 6?$ building on #sa >C)
The Es!lendourF$ EgloryF and EhonourF of kings and nations is the combined !roduct of
generations of human beings +hose lives and efforts +ill have generated the vast store of human
cultures and civilizations #n other +ords$ +hat +ill be brought into the great city of God in the
ne+ creation +ill be the vast accumulated out!ut of human +ork through the ages All this +ill
be !urged$ redeemed and laid at the feet of &hrist$ for the enhancement of the life of eternity in
the ne+ creation
(oes that not transform our !ers!ective on a )onday morning5
3ere is +hat # +rote on this to!ic else+here.
All that has enriched and honoured the life of all nations in all history +ill be brought in
to enrich the ne+ creation The ne+ creation +ill not be a blank !age$ as if God +ill sim!ly
crum!le u! the +hole of human historical life in this creation and toss it in the cosmic bin$ and
then hand us a ne+ sheet to start all over again The ne+ creation +ill start +ith the
unimaginable reservoir of all that human civilization has accom!lished in the old creation A but
!urged$ cleansed$ disinfected$ sanctified and blessed And +e shall have eternity to en*oy it and
to build u!on it in +ays +e cannot dream of no+ as +e +ill eGercise the !o+ers of creativity of
our redeemed humanity
# don=t understand ho/ God +ill enable the +ealth of human civilization to be redeemed
and brought cleansed into the city of God in the ne+ creation$ as the ;ible says he +illM;ut #
kno+ # +ill be there in the glory of a resurrection body$ as the !erson # am and have been A but
redeemed$ rid of all sin$ and raring to go So # believe there +ill be some com!arable resurrection
glory for all that humans have accom!lished in fulfilment of the creation mandate A redeemed
but real
Ancient kings served as the !rimary authorities over the broad !atterns of the cultural
lives of their nations And +hen they stood over against other nations$ they +ere the !earers$ the
representati$es$ of their res!ective cultures To assemble kings together$ then$ +as in an
im!ortant sense to assemble their national cultures together The king of a given nation could
bear$ singly$ a farJreaching authority that is today divided among many different kinds of leaders.
the ca!tains of industryK the molders of !ublic o!inion in art$ entertainment$ and seGualityK
educational leadersK re!resentatives of family interestsK and so on That is +hy #saiah and %ohn
link the entrance of the kings into the &ity +ith the gatheringJin of the E+ealth of nationsF
Bichard J& Mou/
:
'e lament the Elost civilizationsF of !ast millennia$ civilizations +e can only !artially
reconstruct from archaeological remains or in e!ic movies ;ut if +e take /evelation 64
seriously$ they are not ElostF forever The kings and nations +ho +ill bring their glory into the
city of God +ill !resumably not be limited only to those +ho ha!!en to be alive in the generation
of &hrist=s return 'ho can tell +hat nations +ill have risen or fallen$ or +hat civilizations +ill
have become ElostF by then A like the lost civilizations of !revious millennia5 0o A the !romise
s!ans all ages$ all continents$ and all generations in human history The !rayer of the "salmist
+ill one day be ans+ered A for all history !ast$ !resent and future$
)ay all the kings of the earth !raise you$ L1/($
+hen they hear +hat you have decreed
)ay they sing of the +ays of the L1/($
for the glory of the L1/( is great ("s 49@.: A <)
Think of the !ros!ectN All human culture$ language$ literature$ art$ music$ science$
business$ s!ort$ technological achievement A actual and !otential A all available to us 2ll of it
/ith the poison of e$il and sin sucked out of it fore$er& All of it glorifying God All of it under his
loving and a!!roving smile All of it for us to en*oy +ith God and indeed being en*oyed by God
And all eternity for us to eG!lore it$ understand it$ a!!reciate it$ and eG!and it
<
All human history$ +hich takes !lace in the !ublic sDuare of human !ublic interaction$
+ill be redeemed and fulfilled in the ne+ creation$ not *ust abandoned or destroyed All human
!roductive +ork$ then$ has its o+n value and eternal significance$ not *ust because of our
understanding of creation and the mandate it laid u!on us$ but also because of the ne+ creation
and the eschatological ho!e it sets before us 'ith such a ho!e$ +e can heartily follo+ "aul=s
eGhortation. EAl+ays give yourselves fully to the +ork of the Lord$ because you kno+ that your
labor in the Lord is not in vainF (4 &or 4<.<@)K +e kno+ that Ethe +ork of the LordF does not
mean *ust EreligiousF +ork$ but any +ork done Eas unto the LordF$ including even the manual
labour of slaves (&ol 9.66 A 6:)
So a fourth Duestion arises for the follo+er of %esus in the market!lace. #n +hat +ays is
your daily labour transformed by the kno+ledge that it is all contributing to that +hich God +ill
one day redeem and include +ithin his ne+ creation5
#f that$ then$ is God=s vie+ of the !ublic life and +ork of the market!lace$ +hat ought to
be the attitude$ role and mission of God=s !eo!le in that s!here5
'e have to res!ond at t+o levels 1n the one hand$ +e are called to constructi$e
engage.ent in the +orld A because it is God=s +orld$ created$ loved$ valued and redeemed by
him ;ut on the other hand$ +e are called to courageous confrontation +ith the +orld A because
it is a +orld in rebellion against God$ the !layground of other gods$ standing under God=s
condemnation and ultimate *udgment
The challenge of the mission of God=s !eo!le is to live +ith the constant tension of doing
!oth /ith e5ual !i!lical con$iction #t is essentially the challenge of being Ein the +orld but not
of itF Fortunately the ;ible$ as al+ays$ comes to our aid by giving us !lenty of eGam!les of +hat
that means
M'$$'*)AL %)GAG%M%)T ') TH% P,BL'C $-,A&%
God=s !eo!le are called to engagement in the created +orld The ;ible teaches us various
+ays in +hich engagement by believers in the EsecularF !ublic sDuare is entirely consistent +ith
God=s calling and God=s mission for his !eo!le
Positioned to $er;e the $tate
There are some things that might give a !erson an advantage for seeking high !olitical
office There are others that +e could not !ossibly recommend ;eing trafficked as a slave to a
foreign country and re!orted EmissingJ!resumedJdeadF back home5 0ot a good start ;eing
taken !risoner by an invader and ending u! +ith other children as !art of a des!ised ethnic
minority in an enemy land5 ,nlikely And +hat about *oining the abducted seGJslaves of an
oriental des!ot5 3ardly
%ust so$ ho+ever$ begin the stories of Joseph$ >aniel and Esther$ and they all ended u!
serving at to! levels in !agan im!erial governments and !roving that even in such !ositions they
could serve God and God=s !eo!le The contrast bet+een the beginnings of their stories and the
!ositions they later found themselves in !oints to one common factor A the hand of God 0one of
them chose the !ost they occu!ied$ but certainly %ose!h and (aniel both ackno+ledged that it
+as God +ho !ut them there for a !ur!ose So +hat do +e learn from them5
Jirst$ the- accepted the realities of the !ublic s!here they became !art of$ in s!ite of all
its ambiguity (aniel and his three friends acce!ted a massive degree of cultural ad*ustment
before they reached a line that they +ould not cross ((an 4) They acce!ted ;abylonian names$
;abylonian education in the ;abylonian language$ and entered ;abylonian em!loyment %ose!h
obviously learned the language of Egy!t so fluently that his o+n brothers did not kno+ he +as
not a native (Gen :6.69) Esther$ though she had little choice in the matter other than martyrdom
for refusal$ acce!ted a cultural !ractice that must have been !rofoundly distasteful$ and +ith
)ordecai=s hel! came to see it as an o!!ortunity to save lives
Secondl-$ the- /orked constructi$el- and conscientiousl- for the government and for
social benefit Even (aniel=s !olitical enemies could not fault him on this score.
Mthe administrators and the satra!s tried to find grounds for charges against (aniel in his
conduct of government affairs$ but they +ere unable to do so They could find no corru!tion in
him$ because he +as trust+orthy and neither corru!t nor negligent ((an >.:)
1ne can imagine that life for ordinary ;abylonians +as better +hen (aniel +as in charge
of civic affairs #n the case of %ose!h$ +e kno+ that many Egy!tian lives +ere saved by his +ise
administration$ before any of his o+n family +ere saved from the famine (Gen :4) Esther=s
achievements +ere for her o+n !eo!le$ of course$ but the !rinci!le of using office for good ends
is clear
Third$ the- preser$ed their integrit- For %ose!h it +as his moral integrity$ though the
trust of his em!loyer +as also a key factor (Gen 9B.? A 4C) For (aniel and his friends$ it +as
their loyalty to their covenant God and refusal to cede such total loyalty to the king (such as
eating from his table !robably signified) that +as their sticking !oint Later it came to more overt
matters of idolatry$ but again their integrity stood firm
#n the 0e+ Testament$ the evidence for believers in !olitical service is thinner$ but if one
can build an argument by inference$ it seems likely that since "aul can s!eak of the /oman
governing authorities as EGod=s servantsF$ using +ords other+ise used for &hristian ministry
(diakonos t+ice in /om 49.: and leitourgos in v >)$ he +ould not have disallo+ed &hristians
from serving in !olitical office "olitical and *udicial service can both be service of God Erastus
is a good eGam!le of this$ as +e +ill see in a moment
Co""anded to Pray for the Go;ern"ent
#n the neGt cha!ter +e +ill consider !rayer as a dimension of the mission of God=s
!eo!le$ but it is fitting at this !oint to mention that God=s !eo!le in both Testaments are
commanded to !ray for the state +here they are$ not *ust for other believers$ +hether #sraelites or
&hristians
The first eGam!le comes from that shocking letter of %eremiah to the eGiles in ;abylon
#n +riting about the ministry of the state Hin /om 49.: A >I$ "aul t+ice uses the very
same +ord +hich he has used else+here of the ministers of the churchM>iakonia is a generic
term +hich can embrace a +ide variety of ministries Those +ho serve the state as legislators$
civil servants$ magistrates$ !olice$ social +orkers or taGJcollectors are *ust as much Eministers of
GodF as those +ho serve the church as !astors$ teachers$ evangelists or administrators
John Stott
>
Also$ seek the !eace and !ros!erity H?alo.I of the city to +hich # have carried you into
eGile "ray to the L1/( for it$ because if it !ros!ers$ you too +ill !ros!er Hlit$ Oin its ?alo. is
?alo. for you=I (%er 6B.?)
#t +as !robably hard enough for the eGiles to imagine that it +as even !ossible to !ray to
83'3 in ;abylon$ let alone that they should !ray to him for ;abylon They kne+ eGactly +hat
they +anted for ;abylon ("s 49?.@ A B)$ and they kne+ +hose ?alo. they should be !raying for
("s 466.>)
;ut E0o$F says %eremiah E1nce you=ve acce!ted that you are there because God has !ut
you there (and thus sto! thinking of yourselves in transit and become residentsK vv : A >)$ you
have an ongoing .ission A the Abrahamic mission of being a blessing to the nations And that
includes !raying for them A as Abraham !rayed for Sodom and GomorrahF
#=ve no !roof at all$ but # like to think that (aniel +as among those +ho heard this letter
of %eremiah and did +hat it said.
?
E(aniel +as a man of !rayerK daily he !rayed three timesF
(another song remembered from my childhoodK cf (an >.4C) 'ho +as at the to! of his !rayer
list5 0ebuchadnezzar$ +ould you believe5 3o+ else can you eG!lain the fact that +hen (aniel
heard that 0ebuchadnezzar (the man +ho had destroyed his city and slaughtered his countrymen)
+as for the cho!$ he did not gloat$ but +as so u!set he struggled even to tell the king the truth
;ut he did tell him$ along +ith some careful advice as to ho+ he could avoid his fate ((an :.4B
A 6?) 'here did such concern for the archenemy of his !eo!le come from$ if not from !rayer5
#t=s hard to go on hating somebody (let alone !raying the ending of "s 49?)$ if you=re !raying for
them every day
The 0e+ Testament counter!art to this command s!ecifies !rayer for all forms of
governing authorities$ +hich in "aul=s day +ould have been almost entirely unbelieving$ !agan
men and +omen (+ith a fe+ eGce!tions like Erastus$ as +e +ill see belo+)
# urge$ then$ first of all$ that !etitions$ !rayers$ intercession and thanksgiving be made for
everyone A for kings and all those in authority$ that +e may live !eaceful and Duiet lives in all
godliness and holiness This is good$ and !leases God our Savior$ +ho +ants all !eo!le to be
saved and to come to a kno+ledge of the truth (4 Tim 6.4 A :)
From a missional !oint of vie+$ +e should notice ho+ seamlessly "aul moves from such
!rayer for !olitical authorities to the saving !o+er and s!read of the gos!el
Co""anded to $eeF the elfare of the City
/eturning to %eremiah=s letter to the eGiles$ that first !hrase demands a closer look. ESeek
the ?alo. of the city to +hich # have carried youF (%er 6B.?a) Ralo.$ as is +ell kno+n$ is a
+onderfully broad +ord #t goes beyond !eace as the absence of conflict or +ar$ to allJaround
+elfare or +ellJbeing #t s!eaks of +holeness of life and the kind of !ros!ering that the 1ld
Testament included in the blessing of God as the fruit of covenant faithfulness
'hile teaching !astorsJinJtraining in #ndia$ # took a grou! to different churches in "une
each Sunday and then asked them to reflect on their observations later$ back in class 'e
com!ared the !rayer times #n one church in the Anglican tradition$ the !rayers +ere mainly
formal and liturgical$ to the !oint$ and not very !rolonged #n a charismatic fello+shi!$ the
!rayers +ere loud$ s!ontaneous$ and very long 3o+ever$ it +as noticeable that in the first case$
the !rayers covered the +orld$ and named the leaders in state and national governments$ +hereas
in the second$ the !rayers +ere almost entirely in+ardJfocused on the church members
themselves # !ointed out that in relation to 4 Timothy 6$ one church avoided any Elifting u! of
holy handsF (v @)$ but they did at least obey vv 4 A 6$ +hereas the other church had hands lifted
u! till our arms ached$ but no !rayer Efor kings and those in authorityF 'hich +as being more
EbiblicalF5
#t really is remarkable that %eremiah urges the eGiles to seek such blessing for their
;abylonian neighbours
E;ut they are our enemiesNF
ESo +hat5 "ray for them Seek their +elfareF
#t is a short ste! from this amazing instruction that %eremiah gave the eGiles to the eDually
*a+Jdro!!ing mission that %esus lays on his disci!les. ELove your enemies and !ray for those
+ho !ersecute youF ()att <.::)
#t must have been such advice that created the freedom that (aniel and his friends felt to
settle do+n in ;abylon and acce!t *obs in its government service And their !osition in such
office +as clearly not E*ust a *obF 0or are +e told that it +as some form of EtentJmakingF to
hel! them earn a living +hile they held ;ible studies in the office or evangelistic meetings in
their homes For all # kno+$ they may have done that A they made no secret of their faith$ as the
rest of the stories sho+
"aul did not normally mention the !resent$ secular occu!ations of the other &hristians
+ho are mentioned in his letters #n doing so in the case of Erastus$ he +as able to !rovide an
eGam!le for his readers of the role that the +ellJtoJdo &hristian could undertake in seeking the
+elfare of the city The filling of this !ublic office by Erastus +as an out+orking of the role of
the &hristian as a civic benefactor referred to in /omans 49.9 A : and 4 "eter 6.4: A 4< 3e +as
engaging in the timeJconsuming office of aedile during the year in +hich the letter to the
/omans +as +rittenMErastus +as a &hristian of substantial means$ active in t+o s!heres After
he Eministered to "aulF in E!hesus as !art of the a!ostolic team$ he +as sent into )acedonia to
the churches 3e subseDuently engaged in civic duties in &orinthMThe office undertaken then by
Erastus in &orinth for the year demanded commitment and accountability for it +as no sinecure
as the duties sho+
#f this is correct$ then there +as no dichotomy in the thinking of the early church bet+een
gos!elQchurch ministry and seeking the +elfare of &orinth as benefactors This conclusionM
a!!ears to find confirmation in the !erson of ErastusM"aul +rote in such a +ay as to im!ly that
the secular and s!iritual +elfare of the city +ere t+o sides of a single coin and not se!arate
s!heres The combination of these activities in this !rominent &hristian citizen may never have
been !erceived by him as incom!atible or autonomous entities for &hristians ;oth roles +ere
concerned +ith the +elfare of those +ho lived in the city They +ere +hat "aul sa+ as an
imitation of the ministry of &hrist +ho$ in Acts 4C.9@$ +as recorded as Ehaving gone about
HundertakingI benefactions or doing good +orksF
ruce (inter
@
;ut +hat the teGt em!hasizes is that they +ere firstJclass students$ model citizens and
hardJ+orking civil servants$ and they +ere distinguished for trust+orthiness and integrity Even
the king recognized that his o+n interests +ere being served by such !eo!le The E+elfare of the
cityF +as +hat they !ursued$ as %eremiah said they should And in doing so for a lifetime$
o!!ortunities to bear +itness to the God they served$ and to his moral demands$ *udgment and
mercy$ came along at key !oints A one in each of the first siG cha!ters in fact
&oming to the 0e+ Testament$ there is one !erson +ho !robably held high civic office
and +as also a &hristian believer A and that is Erastus
Erastus +as one of "aul=s hel!ers in his churchJ!lanting ministry (Acts 4B.66)$ but +hen
"aul +rote his letter to /ome from &orinth$ Erastus is included in the closing greetings$ +here he
describes himself as Ethe city=s director of !ublic +orksF (/om 4>.69) The !hrase strongly
suggests that Erastus held the !ost of aedile in this im!ortant /oman city$ a !olitical office in the
/oman administration that carried ma*or res!onsibilities$ reDuiring considerable !ersonal +ealth
and a strong civic generosity
Serving God and serving the community in !ublic office +ere by no means incom!atible
#n fact$ such !ublic service and benefaction +ere !art of +hat "aul strongly encouraged
&hristians to engage in$ through his re!eated em!hasis that they should Edo goodF A a single verb
(agathopoein) that had eGactly that technical meaning in the /oman em!ire. !ublic service as a
civic benefactor
Co""anded to %arn a Li;ing by *rdinary orF
#t seems that some !eo!le in the churches "aul !lanted had come to the vie+ that
ordinary +ork +as no longer of any value$ and so they became lazy$ and then s!iritualized their
idleness +ith fervid eG!ectations of &hrist=s return "aul shared their convictions about &hrist=s
return$ but not their +orkJshy o!ting out of normal human res!onsibilities.
)ake it your ambition to lead a Duiet life. 8ou should mind your o+n business and +ork
+ith your hands$ *ust as +e told you$ so that your daily life may +in the res!ect of outsiders and
so that you +ill not be de!endent on anybodyM'arn those +ho are idle (4 Thess :.44 A 46K
<.4: )
"aul had no hesitation in a!!ealing to his o+n eGam!le in this regard$ as one +ho had
su!!orted himself from his o+n labour in the market!lace "aul=s lengthy eGhortation in 6
Thessalonians 9.> A 49 is +orth reading in full A it clearly addresses an issue that "aul felt
strongly about &hristians should be diligent +orkers
# +as leading a Langham "reaching seminar in Argentina 1ver breakfast # +as chatting
+ith the main organizer of the event A the leader of the national movement # commended three
men in !articular +ho +ere hel!ing to lead and teach during the seminar A all of them
Argentinian &hristians in secular !rofessions$ but committed to ;ible teaching )y friend
immediately said$ E8es$ they are good !reachers$ but that=s not all They are good husbands$ good
fathers$ and good citizensF # asked her +hy she included the last item E;ecause$F she said$
Ethey are committed to staying here in Argentina$ not trying to get to the ,nited States They are
honest$ they +ork hard and they !ay their taGes They are a blessing to our countryF That=s
authentic$ biblical$ Abrahamic$ "auline$ integral mission in the !ublic sDuare #t blessed my heart
"aul=s freDuent eGhortations to Edo goodF should not be construed merely as Ebeing
niceF As +e mentioned above$ the term also carried a common social connotation of !ublic
service and benefaction
B
&hristians should be among those +ho bring the greatest !ublic good to
the !ublic arena and thereby commend the biblical gos!el
&hristians are to be good citizens and good +orkers$ and there!- to be good +itnesses
'ork is still a creational good #t is good to +ork$ and it is good to do good by +orking All this
is !art of the mission of God=s !eo!le too
And in the letters of "aul$ one does not get the im!ression that ne+ converts +ere
eG!ected to leave the occu!ations they had in the secular +orld and go out as missionaries A
though obviously a fe+ did 1n the contrary$ "aul seems to envisage most of them still there$
+orking and earning$ !aying their taGes (/om 49.> A @)$ and doing good in the community 1ne
imagines the "hili!!ian *ailer back at his !ost$ Lydia carrying on her teGtile business$ and Erastus
someho+ combining his ministry as Emayor of &orinthF +ith hel!ing "aul=s ministry too
Such !eo!le had a missional engagement in the !ublic sDuare$ living out the gos!el there
Their kind is needed *ust as much in the t+entyJfirst A as in the firstJcentury +orld
M'$$'*)AL C*)(&*)TAT'*) ') TH% P,BL'C $-,A&%
Living out the gos!el$ ho+ever$ +hile it has to be done in engagement +ith the +orld$
inevitably brings conflict +ith the +orld$ and the !ublic sDuare is the arena for that
confrontation The mission of God=s !eo!le involves ste!!ing into that confrontation +ith our
eyes o!en$ our heads engaged$ and our s!iritual armour in !lace
e Are Called to Be +ifferent
So +e are to be engaged in the !ublic sDuare$ the local and global market!lace ;ut +e
are to do so as saints in the market!lace 'e are those +ho are called to be holy$ +hich means
different or distinctive #n cha!ter ? +e eG!lored in some de!th the theme of distinctiveness in
biblical theology$ starting out from the initial call to #srael to be different from the cultures of
Egy!t or &anaan.
8ou must not do as they do in Egy!t$ +here you used to live$ and you must not do as they
do in the land of &anaan$ +here # am bringing you (o not follo+ their !ractices 8ou must obey
my la+s and be careful to follo+ my decrees # am the L1/( your God 7ee! my decrees and
la+s$ for the man +ho obeys them +ill live by them # am the L1/( (Lev 4@.9 A <)
And +e sa+ that this essential distinctiveness is +hat holiness actually meant for #srael #t
+as grounded in the holiness (ie$ the distinctive otherness) of 83'3$ and it +as to be +orked
out ethically in everyday$ ordinary$ social life A the !ublic sDuare A as much as the !rivate home
Leviticus 4B$ beginning +ith the demand that #srael should be holy as the Lord their God is holy$
goes on to articulate a +hole range of conteGts in +hich that holy difference is to be seen A
conteGts that include !ersonal$ familial$ social$ *udicial$ agricultural and commercial realms
The distinctiveness of God=s !eo!le in the ;ible is not merely religious (+e ha!!en to
+orshi! a different god from most other !eo!le)$ but ethical (+e are called to live by different
standards) And this includes !ublic as +ell as !rivate morality$ though they cannot really be
se!arated
The t+in sayings of %esus about being EsaltF and ElightF in the +orld ()att <.49 A 4>)
are still crucial insights into +hat it means to have missional involvement in the +orld
4C
A strong contrast is im!lied #f disci!les are to be salt and light$ then the +orld must be
corru!t and dark The +hole !oint of the meta!hors de!ends on this contrast %esus com!ares the
+orld to meat or fish that$ left to itself$ +ill very Duickly become !utrid The !rimary use of salt
in his day +as to !reserve meat or fish by soaking it in brine$ or rubbing salt thoroughly into it
And %esus com!ares the +orld to a room in a house after the sun goes do+n #t gets dark Lam!s
have to be lit to avoid damage and danger So$ the +orld in +hich +e live A the !ublic sDuare A is
a corru!t and dark !lace #n this sense salt and light are both .issional (they are used for a
!ur!ose) and confrontational (they challenge decay and darkness$ and transform both)
#f a !iece of meat goes rotten$ it=s no use blaming the meat That=s +hat ha!!ens +hen
meat is left out on its o+n The Duestion to ask is$ 'here is the salt5 #f a house gets dark at night$
it=s no use blaming the house That=s +hat ha!!ens +hen the sun goes do+n The Duestion to ask
is$ 'here is the light5 #f society becomes more corru!t and dark$ it=s no use blaming society
That=s +hat fallen human nature does$ left unchecked and unchallenged The Duestion to ask is$
'here are the &hristians5 'here are the saints +ho +ill actually live as saints A God=s different
!eo!le$ God=s counterculture A in the !ublic sDuare5 'here are those +ho see their mission as
God=s !eo!le to live and +ork and +itness in the market!lace$ and !ay the cost of doing so5
)oral integrity is essential to &hristian distinctiveness$ +hich in turn is essential to
&hristian mission in the !ublic arena #ntegrity means that there is no dichotomy bet+een our
!rivate and !ublic EfaceFK bet+een the sacred and the secular in our livesK bet+een the !erson #
am at +ork and the !erson # am in churchK bet+een +hat +e say and +hat +e doK bet+een +hat
+e claim to believe and +hat +e actually !ractice This is a ma*or challenge to all believers +ho
live and +ork in the nonJ&hristian +orld$ and it raises endless ethical dilemmas and often
+renching difficulties of conscience #t is indeed a battlefield A internally and eGternally ;ut it is
a struggle that cannot be avoided if +e are to function +ith any effectiveness at all as salt and
light in society
e Are Called to &esist 'dolatry
;ut +hy are &hristians called to be ethically distinctive in the !ublic sDuare5 The ans+er
is that +e have a different vie+ of the +orld itself 'e dance to a different tune$ march to a
different beat 1r to return to cha!ter 6$ +e are living in a different story
'e see the +orld as the creation of the one single transcendent God of the ;ible$ and thus
+e re*ect the seductive gods +ho cro+d the !ublic arena today as much as they did in the
Athenian agora in "aul=s day #n fact$ +e see the +orld from t+o !ers!ectives$ both biblical$ but
sometimes difficult to hold together (though that is +hat +e are seeking to do in this cha!ter)
1n the one hand$ +e vie+ the +orld in the light of &ol 4.4< A 69 This is the +orld
created by &hrist$ sustained by &hrist$ redeemed by &hrist #t is God=s +orld$ &hrist=s
inheritance$ and our home #t is +here God has !ut us to live for his glory$ to +itness to his
identity$ to engage in the care of creation and +hatever !roductive +ork enhances the +orld and
!leases God And so +e live in this +orld by the biblical story revie+ed in cha!ter 6$ +hich sets
the +hole of human life$ +ork$ ambitions and achievement +ithin the conteGt of God=s creation$
redem!tion and future !lans The !ublic sDuare is !art of this +orld$ and +e engage in it under
God and for God
;ut on the other hand$
+e kno+ that +e are children of God$ and that the +hole +orld is under the control of the
evil one 'e kno+ also that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding$ so that +e
may kno+ him +ho is true And +e are in him +ho is true by being in his Son %esus &hrist 3e is
the true God and eternal life
(ear children$ kee! yourselves from idols (4 %ohn <.4B A 64)
This is the +orld as %ohn commonly sees it A the +orld of human and satanic rebellion
against God$ the +orld that hates God$ hates &hrist and hates God=s !eo!le$ and +ould kill all
three if it could (and in the case of %esus$ thought that it had) And the !ublic sDuare is !art of this
+orld too and dis!lays all its ugliness A the ugliness of human sin and of demonic evil and the
unholy combination of both in the gods and idols that usur! the !lace of the one living God This
is the +orld +e are not to love$ because its sinful cravings dra+ us a+ay from our love for God
and into fundamental idolatry (4 %ohn 6.4< A 4?)
That is +hy %ohn$ having assured us that in &hrist +e kno+ the living and true God and
that Ethe reason the Son of God a!!eared +as to destroy the devil=s +orkF (4 %ohn 9.@)$
concludes +ith his +arning to stay a+ay from idols For idols are all around us$ not least in the
!ublic sDuare$ the market!lace$ the +orld of +ork
'ork is a creational good$ but the ;ible is +ell a+are of the tem!tation to turn +ork into
an idol A +hen +e live for +hat +e can do and achieve$ and then derive our identity and
fulfillment from that This is even more so +hen +ork is driven by greed "aul eDuates
covetousness +ith idolatry. break the tenth commandment and you break the first (&ol 9.<K cf
(eut @$ es! vv 4? A 4@)
The idolatries of career$ status and success are all connected to one of the most dominant
gods of the !ublic sDuare (in the 'est at least$ and +herever it eGtends its cultural tentacles) A
consumerism 1ther idols abound$ of course$ +hich +e cannot analyze in de!th here A idols of
ethnic su!eriority$ national !ride and !atriotism$ individual freedom$ military security$ health and
longevity$ beauty$ celebrity Some of these idols inhabit the media or state !ro!aganda$ others
!ermeate the +orld of advertising$ many *ust +alk around unnoticed and unchallenged in the
assum!tions and conversations that fill the !ublic arena 6:Q? Their !o+er is all the greater at that
level
44
To live for God in the +orld of the gods is inevitably to face conflict The mission of
God=s !eo!le in the !ublic sDuare is$ therefore$ a calling to unremitting s!iritual +arfare And the
first act of that +arfare is to recognize the enemy A that there even is an enemy The trouble is
that &hristians are children of their culture too A +herever that culture may be A and may be
blissfully una+are of the eGtent to +hich the !ublic sDuare they inhabit daily is infested +ith
s!iritual realities that are o!!osed to God and the gos!el
(iscerning the gods of the !ublic sDuare is a first crucial$ missional task ;eing eDui!!ed
to resist them is the neGt
#t is significant that "aul=s classic eG!osition of s!iritual +arfare comes immediately after
his instructions about &hristians living in marriage$ family and the +ork!lace #n all these
realms$ there is a battle to be fought if +e are to be able Eto standF (rather than sink or s+im +ith
the tide)$ and to fulfill our role as messengers of the Egos!el of !eaceF (E!h >.4<$ echoing #sa
<6.?) #t is in the +hole of life$ including the !ublic sDuare$ that Eour struggle Hlit$ Eour +restling
matchFI is not against flesh and blood$ but against the rulers$ against the authorities$ against the
!o+ers of this dark +orld and against the s!iritual forces of evil in the heavenly realmsF (E!h
>.46)
This is not the !lace for detailed analysis of Erulers$ authorities and !o+ersF$ and there
are !lenty of other resources on them
46
"ersonally$ # re*ect t+o o!!osite eGtremes. those +ho
EdemythologizeF them as sim!ly a ci!her for human structures$ !olitical !o+ers$ economic
forces$ or social conventionsK and those +ho vie+ them as eGclusively s!iritual$ demonic beings$
+ith no connection to the +orld of !olitical or economic !o+ers and forces #t seems to me that
both as!ects are biblically valid
There is a reality of satanic and demonic !resence and +ork +ithin the +orld$ and it
o!erates in and through human agency This is es!ecially true in collective human arrangements
+here it seems that some structures or forces take on Ea life of their o+nF$ greater than the sum
of human +ills involved
#t is in the !ublic arena +here such combined s!iritual and human !o+er is at +ork that
&hristians are called to live and +ork$ to recognize and resist the idolatry that surrounds them$
and to stand against it$ offering a +itness and a sign!ost to the good ne+s of the kingdom of God
through +hich$ by the !o+er of the cross (see ch >)$ those idolatrous !o+ers have been defeated
e Are Called to $uffer
'arfare causes suffering$ s!iritual +arfare being no eGce!tion Those +ho take u! the
mission of God=s !eo!le by sim!ly living$ +orking and +itnessing in the !ublic sDuare so
dominated by the gods of this +orld$ +ho choose to live by the distinctive ethical standards that
flo+ from their biblical +orldvie+$ +ho confess %esus as Lord$ and not &aesar or )ammon A
such !eo!le +ill suffer in one +ay or another
The biblical material relating to the suffering of God=s !eo!le A individually and
collectively A is too vast even to do nothing more than list relevant !assages 'hat is
unavoidably clear is that suffering is an integral !art of the lives of multitudes in the ;ible +ho
+ere faithful to God=s calling and their mission # say this because there is a distorted !o!ular
theology that deems suffering to be a sign of lack of faith or the result some disobedience The
friends of %ob are alive and +ell and vocal in some forms of !ros!erity teaching and evangelical
!iety 1f course God=s !eo!le suffered +hen they sinned$ but many suffered for being faithful
%esus +arned us that it +ould be so$ and$ in another of those *a+Jdro!!ing
!ronouncements of his$ told his disci!les to re*oice about it$ since they could look back for good
biblical !recedents and look for+ard to the a!!roval of God.
;lessed are you +hen !eo!le insult you$ !ersecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil
against you because of me /e*oice and be glad$ because great is your re+ard in heaven$ for in
the same +ay they !ersecuted the !ro!hets +ho +ere before you ()att <.44 A 46)
Acts records that suffering reared u! Duickly among the early believers$ but they did
eGactly +hat %esus said by re*oicing in the !rivilege and continuing to +itness (Acts <.:C A :6)
From those early days$ the story records that the !ersecution ke!t on getting +orse$ +hile the
church ke!t on gro+ing A t+o facts that +e are doubtless meant to see as integrally related
For "aul$ the eG!ectation of suffering +as built into his commissioning (Acts B.4>)$ and
since he had been one of those inflicting it on the believers$ he kne+ +hat +ould be coming his
+ay A as it did ;ut it +as more than *ust an incidental sideeffect of his missional calling in a
hostile +orld For "aul$ it seems$ his suffering +as actually !art of the !roof of the validity of his
a!ostleshi! and of the truth of the gos!el he !reached 3is !aradoGical claims in 6 &orinthians 44
A 46 climaG in his famous +ords$ Efor &hrist=s sake$ # delight in +eaknesses$ in insults$ in
hardshi!s$ in !ersecutions$ in difficulties For +hen # am +eak$ then # am strongF (46.4C) These
claims are not masochism or bravado$ but authenticating testimony to the !o+er of the gos!el
"eter$ +ho had kno+n a thing or t+o about suffering for %esus$ +rites more about this
theme than any other in his letter The thrust of his +ords of encouragement in 4 "eter to those
+ho +ere suffering for their faith can be summed u! in three !hrases. no surprise (:.46)$ no
retaliation (6.64 A 66)$ and no gi$ing up (9.49 A 4?K :.4B) Above all$ his readers should be
ins!ired by the eGam!le of the Lord %esus &hrist$ for +hose sake they +ere suffering
The kind of suffering that "aul and "eter refer to certainly took !lace in the !ublic arena$
but /evelation makes it even more !lain that the global market!lace +ill be among the !rime
conteGts for the battle bet+een God and the idolatrous$ bestial forces that o!!ose God and God=s
!eo!le The notorious +ord about the Enumber of the beastF in /evelation 49.4> A 4@ is not an
a!ocaly!tic nightmare involving tattoos$ bar codes or credit card numbers$ but a chilling
eG!osure of the kind of eGclusion from the market!lace that can be eG!ected for those +ho refuse
to bo+ do+n to the idolatry that controls it
The glue that united "aul=s thought and life +ith the message he !reached and the
mission he conducted +as his suffering as an a!ostle of %esus &hrist "aul=s suffering +as the
vehicle through +hich the saving !o+er of God$ climactically revealed in &hrist$ +as being
made kno+n in the +orld To re*ect the suffering "aul +as therefore to re*ect &hristK to identify
+ith "aul in his suffering +as a sure sign that one +as being saved by the EfoolishnessF and
EstumblingJblockF of the cross
Scott 'afe.ann
49
The !lace of suffering in service and of !assion in mission is hardly ever taught today
;ut the greatest single secret of evangelistic or missionary effectiveness is the +illingness to
suffer and die #t may be a death to !o!ularity (by faithfully !reaching the un!o!ular biblical
gos!el)$ or to !ride (by the use of modest methods in reliance on the 3oly S!irit)$ or to racial and
national !re*udice (by identification +ith another culture)$ or to material comfort (by ado!ting a
sim!ler lifestyle) ;ut the servant must suffer if he is to bring light to the nations$ and the seed
must die if it is to multi!ly
John Stott
4:
;ut there is a dimension to all this that is not usually !ointed out )any books on mission
+arn about the necessary suffering of God=s !eo!le that is inevitable for those +ho are faithful to
their confession of &hrist "ersecution and martyrdom are the stuff of mission history and
mission eG!erience to this day The neglected element is the suffering of God
The mission of God=s !eo!le is our !artici!ation in the mission of God So the suffering
of God=s !eo!le in mission is a !artici!ation in the suffering of God in mission And the mission
of God is God=s determination$ through the +hole biblical narrative$ to bring about the
redem!tion of his +hole creation from the ravages of sin and evil For God$ that involved the
long trek through the centuries of #srael=s faithlessness and rebellion A bearing it$ *udging it$
mending it Then it led to the ultimate suffering A +hen God in &hrist bore the sin of the +orld
on the cross Since then$ God has suffered +ith his !eo!le as they have borne the cost of being
messengers of his kingdom to the ends of the earth
Finally +e note that God$ in order to enable a ne+ creation +hich transcends the !resent
order of suffering and death$ engages in such a giving of self that only one of the shar!est of
human !ains kno+n can adeDuately !ortray +hat is involved for God ;ut such an event is not
thought of solely in terms of the internal life of God God=s suffering is the heavenly counter!art
to the suffering of the earthly servant of God The suffering servant takes u!on himself the
suffering of God and does +hat is finally necessary for the forces of evil in this +orld to be
overcome. suffering unto death
Terence Jrethei.
4<
Else+here # have +ritten the !hrase$ Ethe cross +as the unavoidable cost of the mission
of GodF Given$ then$ that the one +ho bore the cross told us to take u! our o+n crosses to
follo+ him$ there is an unavoidable cost for those +ho identify themselves +ith the suffering
mission of the suffering God A a cost that +ill one day be vindicated +ith the final victory of the
one +ho$ Efor the *oy set before him endured the cross$ scorning its shame$ and sat do+n at the
right hand of the throne of God &onsider him +ho endured such o!!osition from sinners$ so that
you +ill not gro+ +eary and lose heartF (3eb 46.6 A 9)
C*)CL,$'*) 8 A P%&$*)AL M%$$AG% T* CH&'$T'A)$ ') TH%
P,BL'C $-,A&%
This has been the hardest cha!ter in the book to +rite A es!ecially the last section on
suffering The first t+o main sections of the cha!ter seem straightfor+ardly biblical to me God
created the +orld of +ork and social engagement and he remains !assionately interested and
involved in it And the ;ible describes many !eo!le +ho served God !recisely by serving in
!ublic offices of all kinds 'e can learn much from their eGam!les
3o+ever$ +hen it comes to the +arfare and suffering !art A it is not easy to +rite on
something one kno+s nothing about For the honest reality is that$ like many &hristians in the
relatively friendly 'est$ # cannot s!eak out of any significant eG!erience of having suffered for
my faith And yet # kno+ that as # sit in !rivacy and comfort looking out to sea as # +rite these
+ords$ # have sisters and brothers across that sea and all over the +orld +ho at this moment are
being harassed$ beaten$ falsely accused$ im!risoned and o!!ressed in every conceivable +ay
because of their faith in &hrist The language of 3ebre+s 44.9< A 9@ still a!!lies
# get emails from friends in countries +here churches are burned$ !astors beheaded$ and
the lives of ordinary believers turned to destitution and misery And sometimes # +ee! about it$
and often # !ray for them ;ut # kno+ nothing of +hat that is like$ other than in my imagination
Some +ho read this book may +ell live in such circumstances$ and all # can do is hold
out a hand through this book to embrace you +ith love and !rayer )ay the Lord comfort and
strengthen you and kee! you faithful to himself
;ut then also$ # kno+ that in my o+n country and other !arts of the E&hristianF 'est$ the
tide is turning relentlessly against &hristian !rofession of faith in the !ublic sDuare "eo!le lose
their *obs for even offering to !ray +ith a !atient or for mentioning God in the +ork!lace The
irony is that they are the ones +ho get accused of harassment and hatredN )ean+hile$ &hristians
in so many !rofessions are faced +ith constant ethical dilemmas that have no easy or obvious
solutions Finding Ethe &hristian thing to doF can be dee!ly disturbing and stressful
So once again$ my heart goes out to believers at the shar! end of living as &hristians in
the secular +orld
# have to say that$ on this !articular to!ic$ # feel that # s!eak as a co+ard$ for my o+n
+orking life is not s!ent in the secular market!lace # had a fe+ years as a school teacher before
moving into ordained !astoral ministry and then into theological education and &hristian
organizational leadershi! for the rest of my life 'ho am # to talk about these things5
;ut # have enormous and sincere admiration and great concern for all you &hristians +ho
do engage every day in the +ork!laces of the +orld
8ou set forth every morning into that !ublic sDuare that is both the +orld of God=s
creation and the +orld of Satan=s usur!ed (and tem!orary) dominion A as +ell as the +orld of
your !artici!ation in God=s mission
8ou are the (aniels of the !resent +orld A or at least$ you can and you should be
8ou are the disci!les of +hom %esus said that you are Ein the +orldF but not Eof the
+orldF
8ou live and +ork in the +orld=s !ublic sDuare$ but you take your ultimate goals and
values in life from another source A the kingdom of God
8ou are the salt and light of the +orld
'hat +ould the +orld be like if all the millions of &hristians +ho do earn their living in
the !ublic sDuare +ere to take seriously +hat %esus meant by being salt and light5
8our daily +ork matters because it matters to God #t has its o+n intrinsic value and
+orth #f it contributes in any +ay to the needs of society$ the service of others$ the ste+ardshi!
of the earth=s resources$ then it has some !lace in God=s !lans for this creation and in the ne+
creation And if you do it conscientiously as a disci!le of %esus$ bearing +itness to him$ being
al+ays ready to give an ans+er to those +ho enDuire about your faith$ and being +illing to suffer
for &hrist if called to A then he +ill enable your life to bear fruit in +ays you may never be a+are
of 8ou are engaged in the mission of God=s !eo!le
)ay God strengthen you and may your tribe increase
&%L%2A)T -,%$T'*)$
4 Go back to the Duestions in the sidebars of the first section of this cha!ter and revie+
ho+ you +ould no+ ans+er them 'hat difference it +ill make as you go back to your +ork
neGt +eek5
6 #n +hat +ays has the range of biblical material +e have surveyed in this cha!ter about
believers +ho served in !ublic office affected your vie+ of &hristian life in the secular +orld5
9 (id you eG!ect a book on mission to have a cha!ter about ordinary +ork in the
everyday +orld5 3aving no+ read it$ do you think it +as right to include it5 #n +hat +ays has it
im!acted your conce!tion of +hat the mission of God=s !eo!le includes5
: E#f everything is mission$ then nothing is missionF 3aving read this cha!ter$ ho+
+ould you no+ res!ond biblically to this E!utJdo+nF5
< 3o+ +ill you seek to be more discerning about the realities of satanic evil and s!iritual
+arfare in the !ublic arena +here you s!end your +orking life5
> 'hat could your church be doing to address such issues more biblically and to su!!ort
those +ho struggle and suffer in the !ublic arena because of their faith or their ethical stance5

CHAPT%& .5
P%*PL% H* P&A'$% A)+ P&A1
EMissions eGists because +orshi! doesn=tF These striking +ords in the o!ening
!aragra!h of %ohn "i!er=s book Let the #ations !e Glad lead us dramatically into the final
cha!ter of our survey of biblical themes 2uite rightly "i!er !oints out that the ultimate reason
for the church=s eGistence is to glorify God by +orshi!ing and en*oying him for all eternity And
because the +orld is still full of !eo!le +ho are not +orshi!ing and en*oying the living God$ the
mission of the church is to bring them into the fold of those +ho do There is a selfJevident truth
about this$ and it needs to be endorsed here before +e go any further
*&$H'P A$ TH% G*AL *( M'$$'*)
The goal of all our mission is the +orshi! and glory of the one true living God That=s
because the goal of all human life is to love$ +orshi!$ glorify and en*oy God That is +here our
o+n dee!est fulfillment and flourishing lie The satisfaction of our ultimate human !otential as
creatures made in the image of God is com!letely at one +ith the +orshi! and glory of God
)issions is not the ultimate goal of the church 'orshi! is )issions eGists because
+orshi! doesn=t 'orshi! is ultimate$ not missions$ because God is ultimate$ not man 'hen this
age is over$ and the countless millions of the redeemed fall on their faces before the throne of
God$ missions +ill be no more #t is a tem!orary necessity ;ut +orshi! abides forever 'orshi!
is$ therefore$ the fuel and the goal of missions
John 1iper
4
To !ut it another +ay$ +e are most fully ourselves as human beings +hen +e are in a
relationshi! +ith God in +hich God is glorified in and through our en*oyment of that
relationshi! That is +hy the biblical !ictures of life in the ne+ creation can combine so
seamlessly descri!tions of human life in its richest !erfection and the +orshi! of God in all his
s!lendour$ for each +ill be !art of the substance of the other (#sa ><.4? A 6<K /ev 64 A 66) The
.ission of God$ therefore$ is that dynamic divine love that drives God to seek the ultimate +ellJ
being and blessing of human beings by bringing them into a relationshi! +ith himself in +hich
they love$ +orshi!$ and glorify him$ and find their greatest *oy in doing so So also the .ission of
God"s people is to be agents of that redem!tive love of God 'e live to bring others to +orshi!
and glorify the living God$ for that is +here they +ill find their greatest and eternal fulfillment
and *oy For that reason$ +e should see evangelism not as something +e are im!osing on others
but as the best thing +e could ever do for them in the long run
That is ho+ "aul sa+ the ultimate goal of his o+n mission A and not only his o+n$ but
indeed$ the mission of %esus &hrist At the end of his letter to the /omans$ "aul sums u! his
+hole argument in the book and relates it to his o+n life=s +ork God=s great mission$ as he had
said in the o!ening verses of the letter$ is to bring all nations to faith=s obedience (/om 4.<)
That is$ in fulfillment of his !romise to Abraham and through the +ork of the Lord %esus &hrist$
God is bringing !eo!le of all nations into that !lace of redem!tive blessing that is constituted (as
it +as for Abraham) by trusting in God and demonstrating that trust through obedient living The
gos!el is the message that makes that !ossible and the !o+er that accom!lishes it
3aving stated this at the outset of the letter$ "aul returns to it at the end (/om 4>.6>)$
6

but +ith am!lified em!hasis on ho+ this +ork of the gos!el in bringing all nations to the
obedience of faith is ultimately for the glory of God and a matter of *oy for the nations #t is
+orth hearing "aul=s o+n eGcitement in !iling u! 1ld Testament Scri!tures in su!!ort of this
great !ros!ect$ and in seeing ho+ he links the selfJsacrificing servanthood of the )essiah %esus
and his o+n missionary a!ostleshi! in accom!lishing it ;ear in mind as you read this !assage
that Ethe GentilesF are Ethe nationsF A it is the same +ord in Greek A ta ethne& The variation in
translation in most English versions can obscure this im!ortant !oint in "aul=s theology and
!ractice of mission "aul sa+ his mission in thoroughly Abrahamic terms. blessing to all nations
on earth 'hat could be more *oyJgenerating than that5
For # tell you that &hrist has become a servant of the %e+s on behalf of God=s truth$ so
that the !romises made to the !atriarchs might be confirmed and$ moreover$ that the Gentiles
HnationsI might glorify God for his mercy As it is +ritten.
ETherefore # +ill !raise you among the Gentiles HnationsIK
# +ill sing the !raises of your nameF
9
Again$ it says$
E/e*oice$ you Gentiles HnationsI$ +ith his !eo!leF
:
And again$
E"raise the Lord$ all you Gentiles HnationsIK
let all the !eo!les eGtol himF
<
And again$ #saiah says$
EThe /oot of %esse +ill s!ring u!$
one +ho +ill arise to rule over the nationsK
in him the Gentiles HnationsI +ill ho!eF
>
M# have +ritten you Duite boldly on some !oints to remind you of them again$ because
of the grace God gave me to be a minister of &hrist %esus to the Gentiles HnationsI 3e gave me
the !riestly duty of !roclaiming the gos!el of God$ so that the Gentiles HnationsI might become
an offering acce!table to God$ sanctified by the 3oly S!irit
#f God desires every knee to bo+ to %esus and every tongue to confess him$ so should +e
'e should be E*ealousF (as Scri!ture sometimes !uts it) for the honour of his name A troubled
+hen it remains unkno+n$ hurt +hen it is ignored$ indignant +hen it is blas!hemed$ and all the
time anGious and determined that it shall be given the honour and glory +hich are due to it The
highest of all missionary motives is neither obedience to the Great &ommission (im!ortant as
that is)$ nor love for sinners +ho are alienated and !erishing (strong as that incentive is$
es!ecially +hen +e contem!late the +rath of God) but rather zeal A burning and !assionate zeal
A for the glory of %esus &hristM;efore this su!reme goal of the &hristian mission$ all un+orthy
motives +ither and die
John Stott
?
Therefore # glory in &hrist %esus in my service to God # +ill not venture to s!eak of
anything eGce!t +hat &hrist has accom!lished through me in leading the Gentiles HnationsI to
obey God by +hat # have said and done A by the !o+er of signs and +onders$ through the !o+er
of the S!irit of God (/om 4<.@ A 46$ 4< A 4BK my insertions in italics)
S S S
0o+ to him +ho is able to establish you in accordance +ith my gos!el$ the message #
!roclaim about %esus &hrist$ in kee!ing +ith the revelation of the mystery hidden for long ages
!ast$ but no+ revealed and made kno+n through the !ro!hetic +ritings by the command of the
eternal God$ so that all the Gentiles HnationsI might come to faith and obedience A to the only
+ise God be glory forever through %esus &hristN Amen (/om 4>.6< A 6?K my insertions in
italics)
The great final vision of the ;ible in /evelation goes further still$ in seeing not only all
the nations of humanity united in !raising God$ but every creature in the +hole creation bringing
glory to God
Then # heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea$
and all that is in them$ saying.
ETo him +ho sits on the throne and to the Lamb
be !raise and honor and glory and !o+er$
for ever and everNF (/ev <.49)
#t is not enough$ ho+ever$ to recognize that +orshi! is the ultimate goal of .ission$ in the
sense of bringing all nations to glorify God by +orshi!ing$ trusting and obeying him through the
gos!el of %esus &hrist 'e also need to see ho+ +orshi! is !art of the .eans of .ission&
0o+ there is an obvious !ragmatic reason for this that +e can mention first Those +hose
reason for eGistence on earth is to bring others to !raise the living God and !ray to him need to
be doing so themselves or their +hole mission is a hy!ocritical im!ossibility 3o+ever$ a more
!rofound reason is that$ since glorifying God and en*oying him forever +ill be the *oyful
!rivilege of the redeemed humanity in the ne+ creation for all eternity$ to engage in such !raise
and !rayer here and no+ is an act of antici!ation$ a sign!ost to+ard the future And +hen +e do
it boldly and affirmatively$ +e invite others not only into the !resent eG!erience of +orshi!$ but
also into the future glory of a redeemed eternity
The very nature of God$ God=s ma*esty and goodness$ evoke adoration and gratitude
Such a res!onse serves to honour God /hile proclai.ing to all /ho hear that this 7'(' God is
/orth- of one"s lo$e and fidelit- 3ence !raise is not only devotion but also testimony$ both an
eGalting of God and a procla.ation that seeks to dra/ others into the /orship of God& (italics
added)
Sa.uel E& alentine
@
So let us trace *ust a fe+ themes in our biblical theology +here !raise and !rayer can be
seen to have missional dimensions
M'$$'*)AL P&A'$%
Created for Praise
Throughout this book +e have been finding ans+ers to the Duestion$ EFor +hat do God=s
!eo!le eGist5F Thinking of God=s !eo!le in 1ld Testament terms$ +e have seen the crucial
im!ortance of God=s !romise to Abraham that$ through him and his descendants$ all nations on
earth +ould find blessing 1ld Testament #srael$ then$ +as created for the sake of the blessing of
all nations of humanity #srael +as the nation that eGisted for the sake of other nations
1ther teGts$ ho+ever$ !resent a different divine !ur!ose in the creation of #srael.
Meveryone +ho is called by my name$
+hom # created for .- glor-,
+hom # formed and made (#sa :9.?K italics added)
Mmy !eo!le$ my chosen$
the !eo!le # formed for .-self
that they may !roclaim .- praise (#sa :9.6Cb A 64K italics added)
S S S
EFor as a belt is bound around the +aist$ so # bound the +hole house of #srael and the
+hole house of %udah to me$F declares the L1/($ Eto be my !eo!le for .- reno/n and praise
and honor&F (%er 49.44K italics added)
These teGts affirm that God created #srael for the sake of his o+n glory$ to bring him
!raise So is there a contradiction here5 'as #srael created for the sake of the nations or for the
sake of God=s glory and !raise5
The ans+er$ of course$ is A both For as +e have seen$ God=s ultimate !ur!ose for the
blessing of the nations is that they should come to kno+ and glorify him as their greatest good
Thus #srael=s eGistence for that global !ur!ose is bound u! +ith the reDuirement that they
themselves should be a !eo!le +ho embody that kno+ledge and +orshi!
This is most succinctly seen in "salm 4CC$ +hich !uts the fact that #srael is a !eo!le
created by and belonging to God (v 9) right in the middle of the summons to +orshi! and !raise
him that is found on either side (vv 6 and :) This is$ indeed$ universalized horizontally to Eall
the earthF (v 4) and vertically to Eall generationsF (v <) #n other +ords$ #srael=s eGistence as a
!eo!le created for the !raise of God (vv 6 A :) is bound u! +ith the glory of God that fills all
s!ace and all history (vv 4 and <)
The mission of God=s !eo!le$ then$ is derived from the fact that they +ere created to
bring !raise and glory to God and to bring the nations of the +orld into the same orchestra of
doGology
&edee"ed for Praise
The language of creation and redem!tion blends together rather seamlessly$ of course A
es!ecially in #saiah$ +here #srael is both created and redeemed by God 'hen +e come to the
0e+ Testament$ the redeeming +ork of God is linked to the res!onsibility of bringing !raise and
glory to God in t+o key teGts from "aul and "eter
%phesians .74 8 .5
#n this most amazing !assage (+hich is incredibly one +hole sentence in Greek)$ "aul
uses the !hrase Ethe praise of his glor-F three times$ in verses > (+ith the addition of Eof his
graceF)$ 46 and 4:
#n verse >$ "aul is s!eaking of the love of God that chose us from all eternity to belong to
him Efor the !raise of the glory of 3is graceF (0AS;)
#n verse 46 he is almost certainly s!eaking about 1ld Testament #srael A the nation from
+hom came the first !eo!le to kno+ about and !ut their faith in the )essiah %esus They had
been called Eto be for the !raise of his gloryF (echoing 1ld Testament teGts such as those referred
to above)
And then in verse 4: he summarizes the +hole +ork of salvation$ +hich no+ includes
Gentiles as +ell as %e+s (Eyou alsoFK v 49)$ as being Eto the !raise of his gloryF
This tri!le em!hasis sho+s ho+ dee!ly "aul had drunk from the +ell of 1ld Testament
ecclesiology A #srael=s selfJunderstanding of their identity and role as the !eo!le of God #srael
had been created and redeemed to bring !raise and glory to the living God$ and +hatever +as
true of the. +as inevitably true for %hristians 8 those from all nations +ho +ere no+ being
brought into the covenant !eo!le of God through %esus &hrist
#n this +ay$ the /orshiping life of God=s !eo!le and their .issional function of eGtending
that +orshi! among the nations (such as the cosmo!olitan$ multiethnic communities of E!hesus)
+ere integral to each other
The glory of God is the revelation of God$ and the glory of his grace is his selfJdisclosure
as a gracious God To live to the !raise of the glory of his grace is both to +orshi! him ourselves
by our +ords and deeds as the gracious God he is$ and to cause others to see and praise hi. too
This +as God=s +ill for #srael in 1ld Testament days (#sa :9.64K %er 49.44)$ and it is also his
!ur!ose for his !eo!le today (italics added)
John Stott
B
. Peter 37? 8 .3
"eter makes the same !oint by a different route and +ith even more echoes of the 1ld
Testament Earlier in the cha!ter he had com!ared the !eo!le of God in &hrist both to the 1ld
Testament tem!le (as Eliving stonesF$ *ust as "aul had done in E!h 6.64 A 66)$ and also to the
!riests +ho offered sacrifices there (4 "eter 6.<) ;ut +hat are those Es!iritual sacrificesF that
&hristian believers$ God=s Eroyal !riesthoodF (v B)$ no+ to offer5 They are the +orshi! and
!raise that they EdeclareF as !art of the Egood livesF that they live in the midst of the nations 'e
need to !ut the t+o side by side to see ho+ integral they are (sadly many ;ible translations !ut a
!aragra!h division or ne+ heading before verse 44$ obscuring the urgent flo+ of "eter=s !oint)
;ut you are a chosen !eo!le$ a royal !riesthood$ a holy nation$ God=s s!ecial !ossession$
that you may declare the !raises of him +ho called you out of darkness into his +onderful
lightM
MLive such good lives among the !agans Hthe nationsI that$ though they accuse you of
doing +rong$ they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us (4 "eter 6.B$
46K my insertion in italics)
"eter=s thought is so saturated +ith the Scri!tures that almost every !hrase he +rites has
one or more echoes of 1ld Testament teGts The !ur!ose of being God=s !eo!le eG!ressed in v B
A Ethat you may declare the !raises of him +ho called you out of darkness into his +onderful
lightF A clearly has an eGodus allusion in the second half &hristians too have had their taste of
God=s redem!tion (Eout ofMintoF)
;ut the first half of the !hrase$ Ethat you may declare the !raisesF$ !robably has t+o
s!ecific 1ld Testament teGts in mind (this is ;iblical Theology for Life in actionN)
9saiah SG:*; (Duoted above) The +ord "eter uses$ translated E!raisesF (aretas=$ is the
same as the LTT version of #saiah :9.64 A Ethat they may !roclaim my !raiseF #t is not the
commonest +ord for E!raiseF in either Testament$ and in fact it occurs in the !lural like this only
four times in the 1ld Testament A all of them in #saiah (#sa :6.@$ 46K :9.64K >9.?) #t is clear that
it refers to !raise$ not as general affirmations of nice things about God$ but s!ecifically as
celebrating his great acts of salvation and mercy And #saiah$ like "eter$ envisages such !raise as
the res!onsibility of God=s !eo!le /ith the clear intention of dra/ing other people to do the
sa.e (in #sa :6.46$ ELet the.D!roclaim his !raiseF refers to foreign nations) This is missional
!raise
1sal. ,:;S& The +ord "eter uses$ translated EdeclareF (exangello)$ is the same as the
LTT version of "salm B.4:$ Ethat # may declare your !raisesMF (v 4< in LTT) This term refers
to the declaration of mighty acts of God (+hether his historic acts of redem!tion for #srael as a
+hole$ or !ersonal acts on behalf of the +orshi!er)$ in the conteGt of !ublic +orshi! 'herever
this +ord is used in the "salms$ it has this sense of !ublic declaration of +hat God has done$ as
an act of !raise and re*oicing ("ss ?4.4<K ?9.6@K ?B.49K 4C?.66)
So it seems certain then that "eter is making a double !oint here
First$ he insists that *ust as &hristians inherit the identity and titles of 1ld Testament
#srael (a chosen$ !riestly$ holy !eo!le belonging to God)$ so also they inherit the !ur!ose of
#srael=s creation and redem!tion (to declare the !raise of God and bring glory to him)
;ut second$ he insists that the !ur!ose of such declarative !raise is not a !rivate affair
bet+een God and the +orshi!ers$ but it s!ills out into the !ublic arena as one of the means by
+hich God dra+s the nations to himself #t is in$ other +ords$ !art of +hat it means to fulfill the
Abrahamic commission of being God=s !eo!le for the sake of the rest of the nations coming to
en*oy God=s blessing
The !raise of God=s !eo!le is missional The mission of God=s !eo!le includes doGology
There is an evangelistic !o+er in !ublic +orshi! that declares the !raise of God$ +hich
cannot merely be eDuated +ith !ersonal evangelism$ but certainly com!lements it %ohn (ickson
makes the !oint very effectively.
The theme of !romoting the gos!el looms large in the middle cha!ters of 4 "eter #n 6.46
the a!ostle urges believers to live such good lives that their !agan neighbours +ould end u!
giving glory to God (com!are )atthe+ <.4: A 4>) #n 9.4 "eter drives this !oint home by urging
+ives to +in their unbelieving husbands to faith through godly conduct Then$ *ust a fe+
!aragra!hs later in 9.4<$ he calls on us Eto give an ans+er to everyone +ho asks you to give the
reason for the ho!e that you haveF (a statement +e=ll eG!lore in the neGt cha!ter) Given the
missionary thrust of these cha!ters it seems likely that "eter is thinking of some kind of
evangelism in the +ords of 4 "eter 6.B. Edeclare the !raises of him +ho called you out of
darknessF
;ut +hat ty!e of evangelism is "eter talking about5 # once assumed (and taught) that the
a!ostle +as talking about personal evangelism # inter!reted the !hrase Edeclare the !raisesF to
mean something like tell the gos!el to your friends and family # no+ think that +as !robably a
bit hasty The eG!ression Edeclare the !raisesFMcomes straight out of the 1ld Testament=s
descri!tion of #srael=s !ublic !raise$ +ith its creeds$ !rayers and everJ!resent !salmJsinging
'hen +e remember that the biblical %udaism of "eter=s day already thought of its !ublic
!raise as beneficial to outsiders$ it seems far more likely that the a!ostle is talking in 4 "eter 6.B
not so much about conversational evangelism but about the evangelism that goes on +hen God=s
!eo!le gather to celebrate in +ord and song the saving +onders of the LordM"eter=s +ords are
strongly evangelistic +ithout actually having anything to do +ith +hat +e call !ersonal
evangelismM
(eclaring God=s !raises together A in our readings$ creeds$ !reaching$ !salms$ hymns and
s!iritual songs A is one of our central acts of +orshi! as the !eo!le of GodM1ne reason for the
central im!ortance of !raise is God=s sheer +orthinessK +e need no other reason for vie+ing
!raise as a high and holy activity ;ut$ given the strong mission theme in 4 "eter$ combined +ith
the eDually strong %e+ish biblical tradition of doGological evangelism$ +e are !robably right to
detect a secondary reason for the great im!ortance of !ublic !raise Through it$ +e announce
God=s mercy and !o+er to those +ho overhear us$ +ho have not yet been called out of darkness
into his +onderful light
44
'orshi! involves +itness The factor +hich unites them is the name of God For +hat is
+orshi! but to Eglory in 3is holy nameF$ to E!raiseF$ EblessF$ or Estand in a+e ofF it5 And +hat
is +itness but to E!roclaim the name of the LordF to others5 These eG!ressions are found in the
"salter$ and it is in the "salms that the !ro!er combination of +orshi! and +itness is most clearly
and commonly foundM'orshi! is E+orthJshi!F$ an ackno+ledgement of the +orth of Almighty
GodM#t is therefore im!ossible for me to +orshi! God and yet not care t+o cents +hether
anybody else +orshi!s 3im tooM'orshi! +hich does not beget +itness is hy!ocrisy 'e cannot
acclaim the +orth of God if +e have no desire to !roclaim it
John Stott
4C
itnessing through Praise
So +e +ere created to bring glory to God our creator 'e are redee.ed to declare the
!raises of God our redeemer And +hat makes both missional is that +e are to do all this in the
midst of the nations +ho do not yet kno+ God as creator and redeemer 'orshi! and +itness are
closely intert+ined
That is eGactly the thrust of "salm B> A +hich # regard as one of the most richly missional
songs in the +hole ;ible #ts o!ening three verses are a remarkable call to !raise$ addressed to
Eall the earthF$ but clearly intended to be sung (initially at least) by those +ho have eG!erienced
the great realities of +hich it s!eaks.
Sing to the L1/( a ne+ songK
sing to the L1/($ all the earth
Sing to the L1/($ !raise his nameK
!roclaim his salvation day after day
(eclare his glory among the nations$
his marvelous deeds among all !eo!les ("s B>.4 A 9)
ELet=s sing a ne+ songNF cries the song+riter
ESure$ +hat are the lyrics5F +e res!ond
ELet=s sing about the na.e of 83'3$ the sal$ation of 83'3$ the glor- of 83'3 and
the .ar$elous deeds of 83'3F
E;ut those are the old songsNF +e !rotest EThose are the +ords of all our great songs
since #srael +as redeemed from Egy!t$ learned the name of 83'3 at Sinai$ sa+ his glory in the
tabernacle$ and eG!erienced re!eated acts of salvation at his hand 'hat makes this a ne+ song5F
E#t may be an old song for us$F our !salmist re!lies$ undeterred$ Ebut it +ill be a ne+ song
Oamong the nations=$ Oamong all !eo!les=F
That seems to be the thrust of this great summons The celebratory +orshi! of #srael +ill
constitute a +itness to the nations The old songs of #srael become the ne+ song of the nations
;ut ho+ +ere the nations to hear$ +e might +onder5 'e do not usually think of the
#sraelites of the 1ld Testament engaged in crossJcultural missionary evangelism 0o$ indeed
Even %onah only fits that descri!tion in a reluctant +ay ;ut there +ere at least t+o +ays in
+hich the nations +ere eG!osed to the +itnessing +orshi! of #sraelites
First$ %erusalem itself +as a cosmo!olitan city from the days of Solomon on$ +ith !eo!le
from many of the surrounding nations coming and going A in trading$ cultural and !olitical
activities )any of them +ould have visited the tem!le and eG!erienced the +orshi! of 83'3$
the God of #sraelites Solomon envisaged !recisely that in his !rayer of dedication of the tem!le
(4 7ings @.:4 A :9) The 2ueen of Sheba$ the mother of all tourists$ is the most illustrious
eGam!le (4 7ings 4C)
Second$ from the eGile on$ there +ere substantial numbers of %e+s living in the
communities of the dias!ora$ throughout )eso!otamia and the eastern )editerranean lands
46

And +e kno+ that the faith$ +orshi! and Scri!tures of the %e+s +ere a talking !oint among other
!eo!les$ many of +hom +ere attracted and became +hat the 0e+ Testament describes as EGodJ
fearersF
%ohn (ickson$ again$ +ho has thoroughly researched %e+ish !ractice during those
centuries$ !oints out ho+ the +orshi! of #srael had a missional dimension$ long before the 0e+
Testament church embarked on the task of itinerant evangelistic mission #ndeed$ it is clear that
"aul made effective use of this !eri!hery of Godfearing Gentiles in the synagogues he routinely
visited in the course of his missionary +ork.
1ne can hardly conceive of more !rovidentially su!!lied means for the &hristian mission
to reach the Gentile community Hthan the %e+ish dias!oraI 'herever the community of &hrist
+ent it found at hand the tools needed to reach the nations. a !eo!le living under covenant
!romise and res!onsible election$ and the Scri!tures$ God=s revelation to all menM'hat 1ld
Testament #srael and the nations could not kno+$ until someone +ould tell them$ +as the
eGceedingly good ne+s of the fulfillment of God=s covenant in &hrist
Bichard B& >e Bidder
49
#t may sur!rise you to kno+ that many %e+s in the !eriod bet+een the 1ld and 0e+
Testaments took seriously the idea of !ublic +orshi! as an act of mission They kne+ full +ell
that the collective !raise of God in the synagogue or the tem!le +as one of God=s +ays of
convincing Gentiles to bo+ their knee to the Lord #n some cases the %e+s had great success 'e
kno+ that numerous synagogues in the first century attracted great cro+ds of !agans +anting to
kno+ more about the God of the %e+sM
From the !salm singing of ancient #srael to the synagogue services of %esus= day$ !ublic
!raise of the true God +as believed to serve a missionary function This +as not the !ur!ose of
the gatherings A # am not suggesting these +ere %e+ish Eseeker servicesF A but it +as considered
an im!ortant byJ!roduct of the cor!orate !raise of God
4:
"erha!s this gives us some insight into +hy it +as that the conversion of the continent of
Euro!e began in a !rison +hen t+o %e+s (+ho had been Eseverely floggedF) E+ere !raying and
singing hymns to God and the other !risoners +ere listening to themF (Acts 4>.6<)K and +hy the
same a!ostle "aul +as sure that if the church in &orinth +ould +orshi! God aright$ any
unbeliever +ho came into their meeting +ould Efall do+n and +orshi! God$ eGclaiming$ OGod is
really among you= F (4 &or 4:.6<)
That=s missional !raise
M'$$'*)AL P&A1%&
Prayer as a MarF of +istinction fro" the )ations
#srael +as intended to be a visible model to the nations As +e sa+ in cha!ter @$ this +as
a significant motivating factor for kee!ing God=s la+ and living in the +ay he !rovided for them
#n (euteronomy :.> A @$ )oses !uts the +orshi! of #srael alongside the social *ustice of their
society as distinguishing markers that should arouse the curiosity and admiration of the nations.
This crucial !lace of !rayer reaffirms the great goal of God to u!hold and dis!lay his
glory for the en*oyment of the redeemed from all the nationsMThe missionary !ur!ose of God is
as invincible as the fact that he is God 3e +ill achieve his !ur!ose by creating +hiteJhot
+orshi!ers from every !eo!le$ tongue$ tribe and nation (/ev <.BK ?.B) And he +ill be engaged to
do it through !rayer Therefore$ it is almost im!ossible to overem!hasize the a+esome !lace of
!rayer in the !ur!oses of God for the +orld
John 1iper
4<
1bserve them HGod"s la/sI carefully$ for this +ill sho+ your +isdom and understanding
to the nations$ +ho +ill hear about all these decrees and say$ ESurely this great nation is a +ise
and understanding !eo!leF 'hat other nation is so great as to have their gods near them the +ay
the L1/( our God is near us +henever +e !ray to him5 And +hat other nation is so great as to
have such righteous decrees and la+s as this body of la+s # am setting before you today5 ((eut
:.> A @)
So the !rayer life of #srael +as intended to be missional #t +as a demonstration of the
nearness of God )oses is not suggesting that #srael should !ray in order to be seen and admired
by others (in conflict +ith the instructions of %esus to the contrary)$ but that the normal eGercise
of their relationshi! +ith God in !rayer should form one !art of that +itness to the reality of the
living God for +hich they +ere created
Prayer for the Blessing of the )ations
#t seems a long time since +e +ere having lunch +ith Abraham and his three guests in
Genesis 4@ (see ch <) 'e !aid close attention to verse 4B$ +here God links his missional
!ur!ose for blessing all nations to his election of Abraham and the ethical contrast bet+een
Abraham=s future community and the +orld characterized by Sodom Abraham +as told to teach
his o+n household$ but the first thing he did in the +ake of God=s revelation of his !lans to him
+as to !ray for the city
Abraham=s intercession for Sodom is a remarkable !assage (Gen 4@.66 A 99) #t !rovides
yet another +ay in +hich Abraham +as a model for his descendants A !hysical and s!iritual
7no+ing that Sodom stood in the blast !ath of God=s *udgment did not make him turn a+ay$ but
made him turn to !rayer )oses and (aniel +ere among those +ho follo+ed his eGam!le on
behalf of #srael in similar !light (EG 96 A 9:K (an B) #ntercessory !rayer for the nations is an
essential !art of mission to the nations
The #sraelites kne+ they could !ray any+here$ for God +as every+here$ as (avid kne+
to his comfort ("s 49B)$ and %onah !roved in !ossibly the strangest !lace !rayer has ever been
offered (%onah 6.4) ;ut above all they !rayed in the tem!le because it +as$ by God=s intention$
Ea house of !rayerF 'e kno+ it also$ of course$ as the !lace of sacrifice ;ut it is a remarkable
fact that on the great occasion of its dedication by Solomon$ not a +ord is said about sacrifices in
Solomon=s s!eeches on that day (though sacrifices +ere offered)$ but a great deal is said about
!rayer
#n fact$ Solomon=s !rayer at the dedication of the tem!le is a !rayer about !rayerN 3e
envisages a variety of situations in +hich #srael +ould !articularly !ray to God in the tem!le$ or
Eto+ardF it A situations in +hich Solomon then asks God to hear and ans+er their !rayers (4
7ings @.66 A <9)
;ut then$ as +e sa+ in cha!ter @$ Solomon eGtends the focus of his !rayer to the !eo!le
of other nations$ +ho +ill also turn u! at the tem!le to !ray As +e said above$ %erusalem +as a
cosmo!olitan city$ full of foreigners for all kinds of reasons 'hat if they decide to bring their
reDuests to 83'3 the God of #srael5
E(o +hatever the foreigners ask of you$F !rays Solomon A asking God to do for
foreigners +hat God had never !romised in such terms to do for #srael #t is a remarkable !rayer
for God to hear and ans+er the !rayers of the nations$ and the reason Solomon suggests to
su!!ort the reDuest goes right to God=s missional heart$ Eso that all the !eo!les of the earth may
kno+ your name and fear you$ as do your o+n !eo!le #sraelF (4 7ings @.:9) 3ere is the
Abrahamic commission translated into missional !rayer Solomon !rays for the nations$ that they
+ill !ray to 83'3 God$ and !rays to God that he +ill ans+er them$ for his o+n name=s sake
This is surely one of the most missional moments in the 1ld Testament A at least until +e come
to this neGt one
#n %eremiah 6B$ %eremiah is not !raying but +riting a letter in +hich he urges other !eo!le
to !ray #n fact$ he is +riting to #sraelites +ho are in one of the situations described by Solomon
in his !rayer A E'hen they sin against you A for there is no one +ho does not sin A and you
become angry +ith them and give them over to their enemies$ +ho take them ca!tive to their
o+n lands$ far a+ay or nearF (4 7ings @.:>) 8es$ #srael is in eGile in ;abylon And they
doubtless are !raying to God in des!eration for themselves and for some ho!e of future return
;ut that is not +hat %eremiah tells them to !ray for Amazingly he instructs them to !ray for
a!-lonN "ray for their enemiesN Seek their ?alo.
%eremiah 6B.? !rovides cha!ter and verse (eGce!t they didn=t have them at the timeN) for
the teaching of %esus. ELove your enemies$ do good to those +ho hate you$ bless those +ho curse
you$ pra- for those /ho .istreat -ouF (Luke >.6? A 6@K italics added)
As +e sa+ in cha!ter 49$ this instruction of %eremiah is !art of a strong biblical tradition
that the !eo!le of God eGist in the +orld to bring the blessing of God$ the !resence of God$ the
!o+er of God$ into the !ublic arena A even in the heart of enemy territory "rayer is one !o+erful
means of doing that
Solomon$ then$ !rays that foreigners +ill !ray to God for themselves +hile %eremiah asks
#srael to !ray to God for foreigners ;oth believed that God +ould ans+er such !rayer for the
glory of his name and for the ?alo. of both those +ho !ray and those +ho are !rayed for
That=s missional !rayer
Prayer as $ub;ersion of the 'dolatry of the )ations
# like to think$ as # said before$ that (aniel heard that letter from %eremiah +hen it +as
read to the first +ave of eGiles (for he and his young friends +ere among that first grou! of
eGiles) And # like to think that he took it seriously and included !rayer for ;abylon in his habit
of thriceJdaily !rayer # find such a con*ecture as at least a reasonable eG!lanation for his
a!!arent affection for 0ebuchadnezzar and desire to hel! him avoid God=s *udgment ((an :K see
ch 49)
3o+ever$ there is an even stronger element to the !rayer of (aniel in (aniel > #t
circumvents the idolatrous hu!ris of the king 8ou recall that (arius$ giving in to the flattery of
those in his government +ho sim!ly +anted to get (aniel out of the +ay so that his diligence and
integrity +ould not block their o+n corru!t ambitions$ !assed a decree that for a month
everybody in his kingdom should !ray to no god other than himself #t +as an absurd decree$
+hen you think about it First$ it claimed deity for the king himself A al+ays a dangerous !ro*ect
as +e have kno+n since "haraoh tried it in Egy!t
;ut second$ it is sym!tomatic of a diluted vie+ of +hat it means to be EgodF A as if any
other gods that ha!!ened to be around in the multiethnic religious !lurality of the "ersian em!ire
+ould !olitely have a moratorium on their o+n !rayerans+ering credentials for a fe+ +eeks and
allo+ all reDuests to be diverted to this u!start human king and +annabe god 8et$ for all its
absurdity$ it is ty!ical of the arrogance of state !o+er States like to !osture as the sole source of
all benefit to their citizens and to demand in return ultimate loyalty 'e may not Duite deify our
kings or !residents$ but +e easily turn !atriotism into a creed and alleged lack of it into a heresy
;ut +hat did (aniel do$ faced +ith this demand to ackno+ledge no god but the king he
+as other+ise serving so efficiently5 3e subverted it 3e +ent on !raying to the one +hom he
kne+ to be the only living God 'hether he kne+ it +ould get him into trouble or not$ he made
no effort to conceal it ((an >.4CK all he had to do$ after all$ +as close his +indo+sN)
For (arius +as not God The "ersian em!ire +as not God 1nly 83'3 +as God$ and
the act of !rayer +as an act that relativized and subverted all human !olitical authority
"rayer is to say$ EThere is a higher throneF "rayer a!!eals to a higher authority "rayer is$
in short$ a !olitical act #t affirms that all human !olitical !o+er is subordinate not ultimate$
relative not absolute A to be obeyed so long as it is consistent +ith obedience to the living God
(as it had clearly been so far for (aniel)$ but to be disobeyed +henever it !resumes to command
+hat God !rohibits or to !rohibit +hat God commands
The res!onse of (aniel is mirrored in the res!onse of the earliest follo+ers of %esus (not
yet even called E&hristiansF) +hen faced +ith the eG!licit command of the authorities to sto!
s!eaking about %esus They turn to !rayer And in their !rayer they robustly affirm the
sovereignty of God over heaven and earth and o$er all nations and their rulers$ and they !ray for
boldness to disobey the state in order to obey %esus (Acts :.69 A 94)
That=s missional !rayer too
Prayer and the orF of Mission
'hen +e turn to the 0e+ Testament$ +e find !rayer as the saturating medium of the
mission of %esus$ of the church in Acts$ and of "aul=s instructions to the churches in relation to
his o+n missionary +ork
Jesus
Fe+ things confirm and illustrate the incarnate humanity of the Son of God in the !erson
of %esus of 0azareth than his life of !rayer E# and the Father are one$F he could say$ and yet that
did not dissolve the reality of his human de!endence on his Father and the need for !rayer
3is earthly mission began at his ba!tism$ and it +as +hile he +as !raying that the
+onderfully Trinitarian moment of affirmation of his identity occurred (Luke 9.64) #f he +as
fasting in the +ilderness at the time of his struggle and testing there$ it is certain that he +as also
!raying The !ressure of his healing ministry did not drive out his times of !rayer ()ark 4.9<)
The choice of t+elve disci!les for their mission +as made after a night of !rayer (Luke >.46 A
4:) Their early missionary training +as carried out +ith %esus engaged in s!iritual +arfare on
their behalf (Luke 4C.4? A 64) "eter=s faith survived the colla!se of his courage because %esus
!rayed for him so that his mission could continue beyond his re!entance (Luke 66.94 A 96) 3is
last evening +ith the disci!les before his death included !rayer for them and for the church=s
ongoing mission to the +orld (%ohn 4?) Gethsemane +as above all else an agony of !rayer 0ot
even the cruelty of crucifiGion could sto! him !raying
'hy is !rayer so critical for mission5 H&olossians :.6 A :I !rovides the ans+er #n !rayer
+e lift the +ork of the gos!el above mere circumstances and into the hands of the 1ne +ho
governs everythingMHthe 1ne +ho can !rovideI an Eo!en doorF$ even though the current
messenger is locked u! Ein chainsF
John >ickson
4>
And of course$ %esus taught his disci!les to !ray ;ut although it +ould be instructive to
+ork through the Lord=s "rayer as a fundamentally missional !rayer$ +e can take note here of
+hat my colleague 3ugh "almer
4?
calls$ EThe other Lord=s "rayerF #n fact$ as he !oints out$ it is
the only other time in the Gos!els +hen %esus eG!licitly tells the disci!les /hat to !ray And it is
unmistakably missional A in conteGt and content
'hen he sa+ the cro+ds$ he had com!assion on them$ because they +ere harassed and
hel!less$ like shee! +ithout a she!herd Then he said to his disci!les$ EThe harvest is !lentiful
but the +orkers are fe+ Ask the Lord of the harvest$ therefore$ to send out +orkers into his
harvest fieldF ()att B.9> A 9@)
'hy$ asks 3ugh "almer$ do +e use the E1ur FatherF !rayer so regularly in &hristian
liturgy$ and this Eother Lord=s "rayerF so s!asmodically5 'hat might have been the story of
&hristian mission if this !rayer had become the one +e had memorized and re!eated (and meant)
do+n through the centuries5 1f course$ it=s a dangerous !rayer to !ray #t tends to become selfJ
ans+ering$ as the disci!les found For if they did do as %esus told them$ the very neGt thing that
ha!!ens is that they become the ans+er to their o+n !rayer as %esus sends them out ()att 4C)
Acts
#t +ould consume more s!ace than +e can afford to list all the instances of !rayer in the
book of Acts$ but it +ould make an instructive !ersonal study to go through the book taking note
of every occasion A noting es!ecially ho+ closely !rayer is bound u! +ith the mission of the
church A fe+ eGam!les give the flavour
Even before "entecost$ having been told by the risen &hrist that they +ere to be his
+itnesses to the ends of the earth$ the first res!onse of the disci!les +as to gather for !rayer
(Acts 4.46 A 4:) "rayer +as a fundamental ingredient of the gro+ing number of believers
(6.:6) #t +as their res!onse to o!!osition and !ersecution (:.69 A 94K 46.46)$ their first act in
situations of ne+ evangelism (@.4: A 4<) #t +as in the conteGt of +orshi!$ !rayer and fasting that
the church at Antioch +as led by the 3oly S!irit to initiate the first intentionally centrifugal
Gentile mission (49.4 A 9) "rayer +as the first evangelistic action on the soil of Euro!e (4>.49)$
and a miraculously effective one +hen combined +ith late night singing (49.6<)
Paul
"aul had unbounded faith in the !o+er of God and in the !o+er of the gos!el ;ut he also
kne+ the !o+er of !rayer And he kne+ that all three mysteriously +orked together in the
accom!lishment of God=s mission 3is o+n !ersonal survival de!ended on God=s deliverance A
Ehel!edF$ as he !ut it$ by the !rayers of others 'e all kno+ +hat it is to ask others to !ray for us
in times of trouble or danger$ but for "aul it +as !articularly focused on his desire to be delivered
in order that he could carry on his missionary task of !roclaiming the gos!el (6 &or 4.B A 44K
"hil 4.4B A 6>)
Even his !rayers for deliverance +ere connected to asking the churches to !ray for his
boldness in evangelistic !roclamation Again$ a moment to read the follo+ing three !rayers
+ould be a moment +ell s!ent (6 Thess 9.4 A 6K &ol :.6 A 9K E!h >.4@ A 6C)
There has been some debate as to +hy "aul=s instructions about !rayer do not s!ecifically
call for !rayer for e$angelistic mission more freDuently than this 'as it because "aul did not
eG!ect his churches to be engaged in evangelistic +itness5 That has been argued$ but decisively
refuted in my vie+
4@
)ore likely is the vie+ of ( A &arson that$ for "aul$ mission and !rayer
+ere both alike com!rehensive realities There should be all kinds of !rayer for all kinds of
mission
1ur tendency is to com!artmentalize the various tasks entrusted by God to the church as
a +hole$ and to label some of them as EmissionF and give other names to other things$ and then
to assign s!ecial !rayer to one or the other ;ut this does not reflect 0e+ Testament realities.
'e have tended to think of mission as a discrete !ro*ect (or as discrete !ro*ects)$ often of
a crossJcultural kind$ +ith the result that s!ecial !rayer for this isolable function is called for ;ut
a!art from the s!ecial calling on his o+n life as an a!ostle (indeed as the a!ostle to the Gentiles)$
"aul sees mission in holistic$ even cosmic terms The glory of God$ the reign of &hrist$ the
declaration of the mystery of the gos!el$ the conversion of men and +omen$ the gro+th and
edification of the church$ the defeat of cosmic !o+ers$ the !ursuit of holiness$ the !assion for
godly fello+shi! and unity in the church$ the unification of %e+s and Gentiles$ doing good to all$
but es!ecially to fello+ believers A these are all +oven into a seamless garment All the elements
are held together by a vision in +hich God is at the centre and %esus &hrist effects the changes
for his glory and his !eo!le=s good This means that thanksgiving and intercessory !rayer$ though
s+ee!ing in the range of to!ics touched$ are held together by a unified$ GodJcentred$ vision 1ur
more !iecemeal a!!roach looks for certain kinds of links +hich for the a!ostle are embedded in a
com!rehensive vision
4B
That is a fine statement of some key elements of the holistic mission of God=s !eo!le that
# have been arguing for throughout this book$ follo+ing the contours of the ;ible=s story line
"rayer accom!anies the +hole ;ible story A from the !rayer of Abraham for Sodom in Genesis
to the !rayers of the saints and martyrs in /evelation
Prayer as $piritual arfare
"rayer accom!anies the ;ible story !recisely because it is the story of +ar A the great
battle throughout history in +hich God relentlessly drives back the forces of evil and darkness$
decisively defeated them at the cross of &hrist$ and +ill utterly eliminate them at the climactic
end of the story This is a +ar +hose outcome is assured$ guaranteed by the very EGodnessF of
God God +ill have the victory
God has ordained !rayer to have a crucial !lace in the mission of the church The !ur!ose
of !rayer is to make clear to all the !artici!ants in this +ar that the victory belongs to the Lord
"rayer is God=s a!!ointed means of bringing grace to us and glory to himselfMThat is +hy the
missionary enter!rise advances by !rayer The chief end of God is to glorify God 3e +ill do this
in the sovereign trium!h of his missionary !ur!ose that the nations +orshi! him 3e +ill secure
this trium!h by entering into the +arfare and becoming the main combatant And he +ill make
that engagement !lain to all the !artici!ants through pra-er, because !rayer sho+s that the !o+er
is from the LordM
"rayer is the +alkieJtalkie of the church on the battlefield of the +orld in the service of
the 'ord #t is not a domestic intercom to increase the tem!oral comforts of the saintsM#t is for
those on active duty And in their hands it !roves the su!remacy of God in the !ursuit of the
nations 'hen mission moves for+ard by !rayer$ it magnifies the !o+er of God 'hen it moves
by human management$ it magnifies man
John 1iper
6C
S!iritual +arfare is not about naming territorial s!irits$ claiming the ground or binding
demons #t is all about the gos!el #t is to live a gos!el life$ to !reserve gos!el unity and to
!roclaim gos!el truth #t is to do this in the face of a hostile +orld$ a dece!tive enemy and our
o+n sinful natures And it is to !ray to a sovereign God for gos!el o!!ortunities Advance comes
through godliness$ unity$ !roclamation and !rayer
Ti.oth- %hester, on Ephesians N
64
"rayer is !artici!ation in that ultimate victory and in the struggle that leads to it For this
is the mission of God$ and the mission of God=s !eo!le is to be co+orkers +ith God in the field
that is God=s +orld #f the battle is the Lord=s$ then those +ho are involved in the battle need to
stay in constant intimate communication +ith their commander This is clear even in the ministry
of %esus$ +hich from beginning to end involved combat +ith the evil one and his demonic
minions And !rayer +as his most effective +ea!on A ours$ too
So it is not sur!rising then that "aul follo+s his instructions about !utting on the armour
of the Lord for s!iritual +arfare in E!hesians > +ith immediate reference to !rayer #n fact$
E!hesians >.4C A 6C is one of those amazing single sentences of "aul$ +hich begins +ith the
reminder that Eour struggle is not against flesh and blood$ but against the rulers$ against the
authorities$ against the !o+ers of this dark +orld and against the s!iritual forces of evil in the
heavenly realmsF$ but then does not sto! its list of instructions for combat readiness until +e are
told to E!ray in the S!irit on all occasions +ith all kinds of !rayers and reDuests 'ith this in
mind$ be alert and al+ays kee! on !raying for all the Lord=s !eo!leF
"rayer is as much !art of our armour and +ea!onry as truth$ righteousness$ faith and
salvation And such !rayer is essentially missional$ for it accom!anies the battle for the gos!el
"eter 1=;rien$ indeed$ refers to this great climaG of E!hesians as EThe "auline Great
&ommissionF.
1ur circumstances may be vastly different from "aul=sK our s!iritual gifts and
o!!ortunities may vary significantly from his ;ut +e are involved in the same s!iritual +arfare
as the a!ostle$ +e have the same in*unction laid u!on us to stand firm$ the same divine +ea!ons
available for us to use (es!ecially the essential s!iritual +ea!on of !rayer)$ and the same
defensive and offensive !ostures to ado!t 'e are to resist tem!tation and to devote our lives
energetically to s!reading the gos!el These are not o!tional eGtras They are musts and this is
+hy the a!ostle=s +ords about sharing the gos!el effectively in the !o+er of the S!irit +herever
+e find ourselves may be styled EThe "auline Great &ommissionF
66
$,MMA&1
"raise and !rayer A t+o of the most fundamental activities of the !eo!le of God$ t+o
things by +hich they are most identified$ and t+o things through +hich they engage in their
mission as God=s !eo!le A +hatever other activities such mission may also include$ as +e have
seen all through this book #n this cha!ter +e have observed as a theme of biblical theology that
!raise is +hat +e +ere created for and redeemed for$ and it is our missional task to share in
God=s +ill that all !eo!les and all creation should come to !raise and +orshi! him$ to find their
greatest *oy in glorifying him And +e have seen that !rayer +eaves its +ay through the +hole
;ible as a mark of God=s !eo!le$ undergirding their mission$ and in some circumstances even
constituting a dimension of their mission
Samuel ;alentine has a fine conclusion to his survey of the biblical theology of !rayer in
the 1ld Testament 3e argues that the role of the church$ as a Ehouse of !rayerF that has inherited
one of the !rime functions of the tem!le$ is Eto kee! the community and the +orld in GodF and
Eto kee! God in the community and the +orldF #f our mission is indeed to share in the mission
of the God +ho so loved the +orld that he gave his o+n Son to save it and ultimately to d+ell
again +ithin it$ then this is a challenging +ay to eG!ress the !ur!ose of !rayer ;alentine=s
closing +ords to the church are a fitting challenge +ith +hich to finish this cha!ter too.
'hat if +e do not eGercise our GodJgiven res!onsibility as a community of faith5 'hat if
+e do not !ray to kee! ourselves and our +orld in God5 'hat if +e do not !ray and fight to kee!
God in the +orld5 # submit that if +e do not$ either the church +ill become a den of robbers
+here thieves congregate to count their loot and hide out from God$ or it +ill become a shining$
s!lendid edifice$ !ointing to the heavens but counting for nothing on earth #n either case$ God is
anguished and the +orld is im!overished
# +as ready to res!ond$ but no one asked$ ready to be found$ but no one sought me
# said$ E3ere # am$ here # am$F to a nation that did not call on my name (#sa ><.4)
69
&%L%2A)T -,%$T'*)$
4 'hat changes (of understanding and of !ractice) might reading this cha!ter make in
your !ersonal !rayer life5
6 3o+ has your understanding of Emissional !rayerF eG!anded beyond regarding it as
E!raying for missionariesF (vital though that is)5
9 Are churches making a false dichotomy +hen they think of Edoing +orshi!F and
Edoing missionF5 'ithout transforming all our !ublic +orshi! into EseekerJsensitiveF mode$ ho+
should +e strengthen the missional dimension of our church=s !ublic +orshi! (again$ both in the
+ay +e understand it and the +ay +e do it)5

PA&T TH&%%
&%(L%CT')G *) &%L%2A)C%

CHAPT%& .<
TH% J*,&)%1 $* (A& A)+ TH% J*,&)%1 AH%A+
$o +hat5
At the end of any *ourney through biblical teGts +e have to ask that Duestion A es!ecially
+hen +e are engaged in biblical theology for life (though one +onders +hat other kind of
biblical theology is +orth engaging in) So in this final cha!ter +e try to gather u! some of the
threads of !art 6
'e have been asking throughout this book$ E'hat are God=s !eo!le on earth for5 'hat
does the ;ible tell us about +hat God eG!ects from his !eo!le5 For +hat !ur!ose or mission do
they eGist5F 'hat have +e discovered in ans+er to those Duestions5
*,& J*,&)%1 TH&*,GH TH% B'BL%
'e have seen that +e have a mission that is as broad as the earth$ for +hich +e are
commanded to care (ch 9)$ and as eGtensive as all the nations$ for +hom +e are to be the agents
of God=s blessing (ch :) 'e have seen that God=s longing to fulfill his !romise to Abraham that
all nations should indeed be blessed is bound u! +ith the !eo!le of Abraham (+hich no+
includes all those in &hrist) living in God=s +ay in righteousness and *ustice (ch <) 'e are
redeemed and called to live redem!tively in the +orld in +ays that mirror the com!rehensiveness
of God=s o+n act of redem!tion (ch >) 'e re!resent God to the +orld and are intended to be
those +ho attract the +orld to God by the Duality of transformed lives (chs ? A @) For all these
dimensions of our calling there is a radically ethical dimension to our mission 'e are to li$e our
mission As # say so often$ there is no biblical mission +ithout biblical ethics
'e then +ent on to see that our mission demands a fundamental loyalty to the truth of the
one living God$ +hom +e have come to kno+ through his great historical acts of revelation and
salvation$ climactically in &hrist (ch B) 'e are to kno+ and tell +hat +e have seen and heard of
+hat God has done Therefore the heart of our message$ the +ord that +e are to declare
alongside the +ay that +e live$ is fundamentally a matter of bearing +itness to the living God in
&hrist (ch 4C) 'e have incredibly good ne+s to share +hen +e survey the breadth of the
biblical gos!el and go out to tell the +orld that God +as in &hrist reconciling the +orld to
himself$ that through the cross and resurrection of %esus of 0azareth God=s kingdom has come
and %esus is Lord (ch 44)
Thus$ in our mission +e *oin the ranks of those all do+n through history +hom God has
sent to accom!lish many different as!ects of God=s o+n mission in the +orld Sending and being
sent are fundamental dimensions of the church=s life and mission (ch 46) ;ut the church that is
sent into the +orld is$ in another sense$ already in the +orld$ for all believers live +ithin the
!ublic arena of the society in +hich God has !laced them$ and the vast ma*ority of them +ork
and earn their living in the great market!lace of human social and economic interaction And so
+e must see our mission as something that ha!!ens in and for that !ublic +orld$ for it is the
!lace of God=s creation (though des!erately fallen) and of God=s ultimate redem!tion in the ne+
creation (ch 49)
Finally$ +e sa+ that the church has a more fundamental reason for eGistence$ a reason
that +ill last into all eternity beyond the redem!tion of our fallen +orld A and that is to live for
the +orshi! and !raise and glory of God and to bring !eo!le from all nations to the same goal
For our greatest human fulfillment is found in God=s being glorified in and through our
en*oyment of him "raise and !rayer$ therefore are not merely surrounding background music for
the real missional +ork "raise and !rayer are themselves missional actions and must be integral
to all else that God=s mission reDuires of us (ch 4:)
All of these as!ects of our ans+er to the fundamental Duestion about the mission of God=s
!eo!le drove us back+ard and for+ard +ithin the ;ible$ seeing again and again the strong
connections bet+een 1ld and 0e+ Testament teGts and themes Therefore$ right at the outset +e
em!hasized ho+ im!ortant it is for God=s !eo!le to kno+ their o+n story$ or rather to kno+
God=s story in +hich they are called to !artici!ate A the great biblical narrative from creation to
ne+ creation (ch 6)
So !erha!s the first Ereflection on relevanceF that is called for is to say that if$ as +e
suggested in cha!ter 4$ mission has to do +ith the +hole church taking the +hole gos!el to the
+hole +orld$ that means using the +hole ;ible #t sim!ly +ill not do to Duote a verse or t+o
from favourite EmissionaryF bits of the ;ible and call that a Ebiblical theology of missionF
# am sure that there is a lot more that could have been included in this book by +ay of
eG!loration of biblical teGts and themes relevant to the mission of God=s !eo!le 'e have not$ for
eGam!le$ been able to include discussion of the relevance of the 'isdom Literature$ though it has
much to teach us about living in God=s +orld 'e have had to be selective
;ut at least +e began in Genesis +ith God=s !ur!ose for us as the inhabitants of his
creation$ and +e ended in /evelation +ith the vision of God=s redeemed !eo!le *oining in the
!raise and +orshi! of every creature in God=s ne+ creation 'e have taken a glim!se at most of
the s!ectacular scenery of the ;ible on the +ay A AbrahamK )oses$ the eGodus and SinaiK the
kings$ !ro!hets and !salmists of #sraelK the life$ death and resurrection of %esusK the church in
ActsK the letters of "aul and of "eter$ %ames and %ohnK and the book of /evelation And in all of it
+e found rich nourishment for a biblical theology for life in relation to the mission of God=s
!eo!le
#f the basic argument of my earlier book$ The Mission of God$ +as that +e need to read
the +hole ;ible in all its !arts com!rehensively to discern and describe God"s great mission of
cosmic redem!tion$ then the argument of this book$ The Mission of God"s 1eople$ is that +e
like+ise need to read the +hole ;ible com!rehensively to discern and describe +hat the
im!lications are for us$ the people +hom God has loved$ chosen$ called$ redeemed$ sha!ed and
sent into the +orld in the name of &hrist
Every cha!ter could carry its o+n freight of reflections on the relevance of the biblical
teGts studied in it ;ut # +ill gather our final reflections around the same tri!le frame+ork as in
cha!ter 4 For the mission of God=s !eo!le is carried on in and for the /orldK it centres on the
gospel of GodK and it lays a demanding !rivilege on the church
TH% *&L+
At numerous !laces in our survey +e have considered the +orld in +hich our mission
takes !lace T+o areas call for more determined a!!lication from us
$er;ing Creation
#n cha!ter 9 +e laid the foundation for a biblical theology of creation and our
res!onsibility +ithin in it ;ut does that amount to a biblical theology of .ission in relation to
creation5 # believe it does Let=s first recall the distinction +e made in cha!ter 4 bet+een mission
and missions # +ould certainly argue that$ for all &hristians$ ecologically res!onsible behaviour
is right and good as !art of &hristian disci!leshi! to the Lord of the earth #n that sense it is !art
of our EmissionF in the +idest sense
;ut # +ould go further and argue that God calls some &hristians to ecological EmissionsF
as their !rimary field of ministry in God=s +orld %ust as medicine$ education$ community
develo!ment$ and many other forms of service are vie+ed as God=s calling on different !eo!le$
+hich they can !ut at his dis!osal as intentionally missional$ so there are many ecological
functions that &hristians can take u! as their s!ecific missional calling A scientific research$
habitat conservation$ !olitical advocacy$ etc The +ork of A /ocha #nternational has been a
!ioneering and !ro!hetic initiative in this
4
#n The Mission of God # set out some reasons +hy # believe that &hristians should regard
such callings to s!ecific tasks of creation care as among legitimate missional vocations #n order
to !ress the case for the relevance of this dimension of the mission of God=s !eo!le$ # Duote
selectively from that book here
Creation Care 's an ,rgent 'ssue in Todays orld
(oes this need to be re!eated5 1nly a +illful blindness +orse than any !roverbial
ostrich=s head in the sand can ignore the facts of environmental destruction and its accelerating
!ace The list is de!ressingly long.
the !ollution of the air$ the sea$ rivers$ lakes and great aDuifers
the destruction of rainforests and many other habitats$ +ith the terrible effect on
de!endent life forms
desertification and soil loss
the loss of s!ecies A of animals$ !lants$ birds and insects A and the huge reduction of
essential biodiversity on a !lanet that de!ends on it
the hunting of some s!ecies to eGtinction
the de!letion of the ozone layer
the increase of Egreenhouse gasesF and conseDuent global +arming
All this is a vast and interrelated im!ending catastro!he of loss and destruction$ affecting
the +hole !lanet and all its human and nonhuman inhabitants To be unconcerned about it is to
be either des!erately ignorant or irres!onsibly callous
#n the !ast$ &hristians have instinctively been concerned about great and urgent issues in
every generation$ and they rightly included them in their overall conce!t of mission calling and
!ractice These have included the evils of disease$ ignorance$ slavery and many other forms of
brutality and eG!loitation &hristians have taken u! the cause of +ido+s$ or!hans$ refugees$
!risoners$ the insane$ the hungry A and$ most recently$ have s+elled the numbers of those
committed to Emaking !overty historyF
Faced no+ +ith the horrific facts of the suffering of the earth itself$ +e must surely ask
ho+ God himself res!onds to such abuse of his creation and seek to align our mission ob*ectives
to include +hat matters to him #f$ as %esus tells us$ God cares about his creation to the level of
kno+ing +hen a s!arro+ falls to earth$ +hat kind of care is reDuired of us by the level of our
o+n kno+ledge5 Granted %esus made that !oint in order to com!are it +ith the even greater care
God has for his o+n children ;ut it +ould be an utter distortion of Scri!ture to argue that
because God cares for us .ore than for the s!arro+s$ +e need not care for s!arro+s at all$ or that
because +e are of greater value than they are$ they have no value at all
3o+ever$ our care for creation should not be merely a negative$ !rudential or !reventive
reaction to a gro+ing !roblem There is a much more !ositive reason for it
Creation Care (lo!s fro" Lo;e for the Creator and *bedience to His Co""and
ELove the L1/( your GodF is the first and greatest commandment 0o+ in human
eG!erience$ to love someone means that you care for +hat belongs to them To trash someone
else=s !ro!erty is incom!atible +ith any claim to love that other !erson 'e have seen ho+
em!hatically the ;ible affirms that the earth is God=s !ro!erty$ and more s!ecifically$ that it
belongs to &hrist$ +ho made it$ redeemed it and is heir to it To take good care of the earth$ for
&hrist=s sake$ is surely a fundamental dimension of the calling on all God=s !eo!le to love him #t
seems ineG!licable to me that there are some &hristians +ho claim to love and +orshi! God$ to
be disci!les of %esus$ and yet have no concern for the earth that bears his stam! of o+nershi!
They do not care about the abuse of the earth and indeed$ by their +asteful and overconsum!tive
lifestyles$ they contribute to it
E#f you love me$ kee! my commandmentsF (%ohn 4:.4<)$ said %esus$ echoing as he so
often did the !ractical ethical devotion of (euteronomy And the Lord=s commandments begin
+ith the fundamental creation mandate to care for the earth 1bedience to that command is as
much !art of our human mission and duty as any of the other duties and res!onsibilities built into
creation A such as the task of filling the earth$ engaging in the rhythm of !roductive +ork and
rest$ and marriage
;eing &hristian does not release us from being human 0or does a distinctively &hristian
mission negate our human mission$ for God holds us accountable as much for our humanity as
for our &hristianity As %hristian human beings$ therefore$ +e are doubly bound to see active
care for creation as a fundamental !art of +hat it means to love and obey God
Creation Care Tests *ur Moti;ation for Mission
1ur ultimate starting !oint and finishing !oint in our biblical theology of mission must be
the mission of God himself 'hat is Ethe +hole counsel of GodF5 'hat is the overarching
mission to +hich God has committed himself and the +hole out+orking of history5 #t is not only
the salvation of human beings$ but also the redem!tion of the +hole creation God is in the
business of establishing a ne+ creation through the transformation and rene+al of creation in a
manner analogous to the resurrection of his Son$ and as a habitation for the resurrection bodies of
his redeemed !eo!le
3olistic mission$ then$ is not truly holistic if it includes only human beings (even if it
includes them holisticallyN) and eGcludes the rest of the creation for +hose reconciliation &hrist
shed his blood (&ol 4.6C) Those &hristians +ho have res!onded to God=s call to serve him
through serving his nonhuman creatures in ecological !ro*ects are engaged in a s!ecialized form
of mission that has its rightful !lace +ithin the broad frame+ork of all that God=s mission has as
its goal Their motivation flo+s from an a+areness of God=s o+n heart for his creation and a
desire to res!ond to that #t is certainly not the case that &hristians involved in creation care have
no corres!onding care for human needs 1n the contrary$ it often seems to my observation that
&hristian tenderness to+ard the nonhuman creation am!lifies itself in concern for human needs
Creation Care %"bodies a Biblical Balance of Co"passion and Justice
'e must eGercise com!assion$ because to care for God=s creation is essentially an
unselfish form of love$ eGercised for the sake of creatures that cannot thank or re!ay you #t is a
form of truly biblical and godly altruism #n this res!ect$ it reflects the same Duality in the love of
God A not only in the sense that God loves human beings in s!ite of our unlovable enmity to+ard
him$ but also in the +ider sense that Ethe L1/( has com!assion Q is loving to+ard all that he
has .ade6 ("s 4:<.B$ 49$ 4?K my translation and italics)
Again$ %esus used God=s loving care for birds and adornment of grasses and flo+ers as a
model for his even greater love for his human children #f God cares +ith such minute
com!assion for his nonhuman creation$ ho+ much more should those +ho +ish to emulate him5
# have been !articularly moved in +itnessing the com!assionate care that is unselfconsciously
!ractised by A /ocha staff as they handle every bird in their ringing !rogramme #t is a +arm$
caring$ and in my o!inion genuinely &hristlike attitude to+ards these tiny s!ecimens of God=s
creation
'e must eGercise *ustice$ because environmental action is a form of defending the +eak
against the strong$ the defenceless against the !o+erful$ the violated against the attacker$ the
voiceless against the stridency of the greedy These too are features of the character of God as
eG!ressed in his eGercise of *ustice "salm 4:< includes God=s !rovision for all his creatures in its
definition of his righteousness as +ell as his love ("s 4:<.49 A 4?) #n fact$ it !laces God=s care
for creation in !recise !arallel +ith his liberating and vindicating acts of *ustice for his !eo!le A
thus bringing the creational and redem!tive traditions of the 1ld Testament together in beautiful
harmony
So it is not sur!rising$ then$ that +hen the 1ld Testament comes to define the marks of a
righteous person$ it does not sto! at a !ractical concern for !oor and needy hu.ans (though that
is$ of course$ the dominant note) #t is true that Ethe righteous care about *ustice for the !oorF
("rov 6B.?) ;ut the sage also makes the +armhearted observation that Ethe righteous care for
the needs of their ani.alsF (46.4C) ;iblical mission is as holistic as biblical righteousness
6
$er;ing $ociety
'e have seen the strong biblical evidence for God=s interest in human society at every
level A !olitical$ economic$ legal$ familial$ and the like #n cha!ter : +e noted that the conce!t of
Eblessing the nationsF is broad$ since the biblical understanding of blessing is rich and diverse
'ho can count the number of +ays that &hristians can be a blessing to the nations5 And
+hat difference +ould it make to every &hristian=s sense of intimate !ersonal involvement in the
mission of God=s !eo!le if they could see every day of ordinary +ork and involvement in society
as an o!!ortunity to Ebe a blessingF$ to Eseek the +elfare of the cityF +here God has !laced
them5 'hat damage have +e done to the mission of God by restricting mission to !aid
!rofessional ministers and missionaries5 #t seems to me that the gos!el that should be shared on
our li!s +ill be more abundant and more effective if it flo+s from a life that is resonating +ith
gos!el blessing in all the ordinariness of everyday &hristian living in the midst of the +orld
And in cha!ter 49 es!ecially +e sa+ that God clearly eG!ects his !eo!le to be engaged in
the !ublic arena$ the market!lace of the +orld #f this too is !art of our biblical mission as God=s
!eo!le$ the church needs to take it more seriously$ in at least t+o !ractical and relevant +ays
The Prophetic TasF
'e are called to the role of the !ro!het$ not *ust of the cha!lain That is$ the church=s role
is not sim!ly to !ut a veneer of uncritical blessing on +hatever social or economic (or military)
enter!rises take !lace in the !ublic arena That +as one of the massive distortions that
&hristendom generated
The !eo!le of God are called to maintain a critical distance and to s!eak on behalf of the
inde!endent (ivine Auditor This does not mean +e ado!t a !osture of elevated su!eriority$ for
+e kno+ our o+n sinfulness ;ut it does mean +e must offer the voice of evaluation$ of critiDue
or a!!roval$ according to the standards +e learn in God=s o+n revelation 'e are to renounce
evil and hold fast to +hat is goodK that calls for minds and hearts attuned to recognize the
difference
The church collectively can still !erform this !ro!hetic function in the !ublic sDuare$
though it +ill also al+ays suffer for doing so A sometimes from the coo!ted cha!lains of the
market!lace themselves 'e need to recover the voice of biblical engagement +ith all that goes
on around us and the courage needed to go +ith it 'herever &hristians enter !rofessions that do
give them !ublic voice A in !olitics$ *ournalism$ broadcasting and other media A they need to be
su!!orted and encouraged by the church to understand the frontJline missional nature of their
calling
The Pastoral TasF
#t is also the function of the church to su!!ort those +ho live their lives daily as saints in
the market!lace "aul tells us that God has given to his church !astors and teachers Eto eDui! the
saints for +orks of serviceF (E!h :.46) # believe that E+orks of serviceF here does not *ust mean
&hristian activity (ie$ churchJbased ministry or evangelism)$ but all and any form of service
+ithin society as a +hole$ including the church
This church sends out 4$<CC missionaries every +eek Some of them are even serving
overseas
'ugh 1al.er, Bector of 2ll Souls %hurch, Langha. 1lace, London
This turns right u!side do+n one of the commonest misconce!tions that sadly still
!ermeates the church and cri!!les its effectiveness ;elieve it or not$ God did not invent the
church to su!!ort the clergy /ather$ God gave !astors and teachers to the church in order to
eDui! the saints
"eo!le don=t go to church on Sundays to su!!ort their !astors in their ministry The
!astor goes to church on Sunday to su!!ort the !eo!le in their ministry And their ministry$ the
ministry that really counts as mission$ is out3side the +alls of the church$ in the +orld$ being salt
and light in the market!lace
Every church should have a !rominent notice over the inside of the door that !eo!le use
to leave the church$ E8ou are no+ entering the mission fieldF
The challenge to those of us +ho are !astors (and those +ho train !astors)$ therefore$ is.
Are +e mobilizing$ training and su!!orting our !eo!le for mission A not (only) by
sending some overseas as EmissionariesF$ but seeing the +hole church as engaged in mission in
the +orld every +orking day of their lives5
Are +e hel!ing ordinary +orking &hristians to understand the +orld they live and +ork
in$ or *ust dangling before them the !ros!ect of a better +orld +hen they die5
Are +e teaching our !eo!le +hat the ;ible teaches about res!onsible citizenshi!5
Are +e encouraging believers to Eseek the +elfare of the cityF +here God has !ut them5
Are +e building a biblical +orldvie+ for sustaining &hristian ethical +itness5
Are +e hel!ing +orking &hristians to +restle +ith the ethical issues they face in the
+ork!lace$ encouraging faithfulness$ integrity$ courage and !erseverance5
Are +e caring sym!athetically for those +ho get bruised and crushed in their daily
conflict +ith a hostile +orld$ if that is +hat they face in their +ork5
#n order to eGercise such su!!ortive ministry$ +e ourselves$ +ho are !astors and teachers
in the church$ need to kno+ the !roblems and tem!tations our !eo!le face in the +orld 'e need
to kee! u!JtoJdate +ith the realities of the market!lace and not live in an isolated s!iritual bubble
of only religious activity
'e also need to kee! abreast of develo!ments in missional understanding and !ractice
such as is re!resented by the gro+ing movement that goes under the gen eral !hrase$ E;usiness
as )issionF This is the recognition that EtentJmakingF need not be only a means of selfJsu!!ort
for the ErealF *ob of doing evangelism$ nor a some+hat !hony cover for getting access to
countries other+ise closed to &hristian +itness /ather$ it is the conviction that engaging in
legitimate business is intrinsically valuable for the sake of society$ for human +elfare$ for
!ositive social and s!iritual ends There is a missional dimension to conducting sound business in
God=s +orld for God=s sake
9
# remember +ith sadness the time # s!oke to a conference of graduate &hristians in #ndia
A all of them !rofessional ElayF !eo!le #n the conteGt of teaching about 1ld Testament ethics$
+e +ere discussing the multi!le com!leG !roblems of ethics and conscience that face #ndian
&hristians daily A from bribery and corru!tion to eG!loitation and violence # asked if they +ere
able to talk such things over +ith their !astors There +as hollo+ laughter E1ur !astors never
talk$ or think$ or !reach about such things$F they said ESome of them are involved in that kind of
thing themselves any+ayF
TH% G*$P%L
&eco;ering the holeness of the Gospel
# ho!e that one of the effects of this book +ill have been to lift u! our eyes to see the
glorious richness of the gos!el of God The ;ible brings us the most amazing good ne+s that
s!eaks to and can transform every area of human life that is touched by sin (+hich means$ every
area of human life there is) The trouble is that +e have tended to concentrate on one or another
as!ect of the biblical good ne+s$ to the detriment of others 'hat God has *oined together$ +e
have !ut asunder Then +e struggle to articulate ho+ they are ErelatedF +hen +e should never
have se!arated them in the first !lace
Let=s remind ourselves of some of the great E+holesF that +e have noted in our survey
The gos!el integrates the follo+ing$ though sadly +e so often tend to !olarize them
'ndi;idual and Cos"ic
'e have tended to se!arate the individual from the cosmic and cor!orate dimensions of
the gos!el$ and then +e tend to !rioritize the first That is$ +e !ut individual salvation and
!ersonal evangelism at the centre of all our efforts (and$ of course$ !ersonal evangelism is an
essential !art of our commitment) ;ut "aul=s order of the gos!el message in E!hesians and in
&olossians 4.4< A 6> is creation (all things in heaven and earth$ created by &hrist$ sustained by
&hrist and redeemed by &hrist)K then$ church (+ith &hrist as head)K and then individual Gentile
!elie$ers A Eand you alsoF
2ll of this$ says "aul$ has been Ereconciled through the blood of &hrist shed on the crossF
So +e are not saved out of creation$ but as part of creation that God has redeemed through
&hrist The church is not *ust a container for souls until they get to heaven$ but the living
demonstration of the unity that is God=s intention for the +hole creation
The bad result of breaking u! this E+holeF is that &hristians +ho are evangelized by
truncated versions of the biblical gos!el have little interest in the +orld$ the !ublic sDuare$ God=s
!lan for society and the nations$ and even less understanding of God=s intention for creation
itself The scale of our mission efforts$ therefore$ is in danger of being a lot smaller than the
sco!e of the mission of God
Belie;ing and Li;ing
'e have tended to se!arate believing the gos!el from living out the gos!el And then +e
tend to !rioritize the first That is$ +e seem to think that there can be a !elief of faith se!arate
from the life of faithK that !eo!le can be saved by something that goes on in their heads +ithout
+orrying too much about +hat ha!!ens in their lives So long as they have !rayed the right
!rayer and believed the right doctrine$ nothing else ultimately matters$ or at least$ +hatever
ha!!ens neGt is secondary and distinct
8et in the ;ible$ as +e have seen re!eatedly in this book$ faith and obedience are
inse!arable 0o+ of course$ it is im!ortant to stress that +e are saved only by the +ork of &hrist
and through our faith in him$ and not by or because of our good +orks ;ut the faith by +hich +e
are savingly united to &hrist inevitably demonstrates its eGistence and authenticity in obedience
"aul actually defines his missionary life=s +ork as bringing about Ethe o!edience of faithD
among all the nationsF (/om 4.<K 4<.4@K 4>.6> ES-) That is a doublet that echoes Abraham$
%esus$ "aul and %ames 8ou can=t obey God=s 'ord unless you believe it ;ut you can=t claim to
believe God=s 'ord unless you are obeying it Faith +ithout +orks is dead
The bad result of breaking u! this E+holeF is that all over the +orld there are !eo!le +ho
call themselves believers and evangelicals$ but +hose actual lives are indistinguishable from the
culture around them A +hether in terms of moral standards$ social and !olitical !re*udices and
actual behaviour They are$ in the biblical sense$ a EscandalF A a stumbling block that hinders
others from considering the claims of &hrist
Procla"ation and +e"onstration
The gos!el is good ne+s that needs to be heard and to be seen #t needs +ords and deeds
)essage and !roof 'e have tended to se!arate these and to !rioritize the first 'e s!eak most
easily of mission as Epreaching the gos!elF ;ut though that is absolutely vital (for good ne+s
sim!ly has to !e communicated +ith +ords)$ it is not the +hole biblical !icture of ho+ the
gos!el is communicated
"eter summarizes the ministry of %esus as !oth telling the message that God sent to #srael
A the good ne+s of !eace A and that$ anointed and em!o+ered by the 3oly S!irit$ Ehe +ent
around doing goodF (Acts 4C.9> A 9@)
The same combination is found in "aul=s o+n !ractice. in /omans 4< he reflects on his
+hole missionary +ork and s!eaks of E+hat &hrist has accom!lished through me in leading the
nations to o!e- God by +hat # have said and done A by the !o+er of signs and +onders$ through
the po/er of the Spirit of GodF (/om 4<.4@ A 4B$ italics added) 'ords$ +orks$ and +onders$ as
some have said
The 2.it- Joundation is a &hinese &hristian develo!ment organization Along +ith
many other &hristians they have been active in relief and reconstruction after the devastating
earthDuake in Sichuan !rovince "astor Gu 8umei and her husband +ere among the first to hel!
in their to+n
E)any !eo!le didn=t kno+ the church before the earthDuake$F says "astor Gu 'hen
members of the congregation took !art in the relief efforts +herever they +ere able to hel!$
distributing candles$ lighters or mosDuito re!ellants$ the church became better kno+n among
!eo!le in )ianzhu ESocial +ork and God=s love made !eo!le realise that there is a church$F says
"astor Gu
The congregation has gro+n at least fivefold since that time 0o+$ the church conducts
s!ecial leadershi! courses for staff at the thirteen ne+ !reaching !oints of the congregation
:
The bad result of breaking u! this E+holeF is that our evangelistic efforts are sometimes
derided by the +orld because !eo!le discern the hy!ocrisy of those +ho talk a lot but +hose
lives don=t su!!ort +hat they say Lack of integrity in this area has been identified by various
researches as the ma*or obstacle to the acce!tance of the message of the gos!el
# have been saying above that many of us tend to !rioritize the first of the t+o !oles of
each !air ;ut of course$ there are those +ho !rioritize at the o!!osite !ole They stress the
im!ortance of the social dimension of the church$ the need for radical social ethics and for a form
of &hristian !resence in society that should be a force for *ustice$ even if the name of &hrist is
not evangelistically !roclaimedK moreover$ they are !assionately concerned for the relief of
!overty and suffering among the neediest of the +orld$ but they are markedly less interested in
!eo!le coming to faith in the Lord %esus &hrist and being added to his church
'hatever else might be said about such thinking or !ractice$ it certainly is not Eholistic
(or +holistic) missionF A even though that term is sometimes ina!!ro!riately a!!lied to conce!ts
of mission that stress social and economic action Social action +ith no evangelistic interest is as
nonholistic as is evangelism +ith no social concern To be concerned for the !oor and hungry but
not concerned for !eo!le hearing the good ne+s of %esus is not even to follo+ the eGam!le of
%esus$ let alone Eholistic missionF
;ut +hy do +e have to go on !olarizing around this artificially created dichotomy +hen
the ;ible gives us abundant +arrant for holding the t+o together in integrated unity5
CPri"acy/D
This issue +as a source of some division in the Lausanne movement in the decade after
the first Lausanne &ongress of 4B?: %ohn Stott convened a consultation to think it through
theologically A the &onsultation on the /elationshi! bet+een Evangelism and Social
/es!onsibility (&/ES/) A in Grand /a!ids in 4B@6 There +ere$ and still are$ those +ho insist
that +ithin our commitment to holistic mission$ evangelism needs to be seen as having !rimacy #
think that the +ay the &/ES/ re!ort res!onded to this and articulated +hat is meant by such
!rimacy +ith careful Dualifications is still most hel!ful$ even if$ as # +ould argue$ it +as
attem!ting to EreconcileF t+o things +hich should never have been se!arated in the first !lace
The +hole document is +orth studying carefully$ but the follo+ing eGtract addresses the nub of
this issue
<
The concluding sentences of this eGtract sho+ that the drafters +ere a+are that$ in
.issional practice$ the distinction is hardly$ if ever$ a real one.
To !roclaim %esus as Lord and Saviour (evangelism) has social im!lications$ since it
summons !eo!le to re!ent of social as +ell as !ersonal sins$ and to live a ne+ life of
righteousness and !eace in the ne+ society +hich challenges the old
To give food to the hungry (social res!onsibility) has evangelistic im!lications$ since
good +orks of love$ if done in the name of &hrist$ are a demonstration and commendation of the
gos!el
#t has been said$ therefore$ that evangelism$ even +hen it does not have a !rimarily social
intention$ nevertheless has a social dimension$ +hile social res!onsibility$ even +hen it does not
have a !rimarily evangelistic intention$ nevertheless has an evangelistic dimension
Thus$ evangelism and social res!onsibility$ +hile distinct from one another$ are integrally
related in our !roclamation of and obedience to the gos!el The !artnershi! is$ in reality$ a
marriage
This brings us to the Duestion +hether the !artnershi! bet+een evangelism and social
res!onsibility is eDual or uneDualK that is$ +hether they are of identical im!ortance or +hether
one takes !recedence over the other The Lausanne &ovenant affirms that Ein the church=s
mission of sacrificial service evangelism is !rimaryF ("aragra!h >) Although some of us have
felt uncomfortable about this !hrase$ lest by it +e should be breaking the !artnershi!$ yet +e are
able to endorse and eG!lain it in t+o +ays$ in addition to the !articular situations and callings
already mentioned
First$ evangelism has a certain !riority 'e are not referring to an invariable tem!oral
!riority$ because in some situations a social ministry +ill take !recedence$ but to a logical one
The very fact of &hristian social res!onsibility !resu!!oses socially res!onsible &hristians$ and it
can only be by evangelism and disci!ling that they have become such #f social activity is a
conseDuence and aim of evangelism (as +e have asserted)$ then evangelism must !recede it #n
addition$ social !rogress is being hindered in some countries by the !revailing religious cultureK
only evangelism can change this
Secondly$ evangelism relates to !eo!le=s eternal destiny$ and in bringing them Good
0e+s of salvation$ &hristians are doing +hat nobody else can do Seldom if ever should +e have
to choose bet+een satisfying !hysical hunger and s!iritual hunger$ or bet+een healing bodies
and saving souls$ since an authentic love for our neighbour +ill lead us to serve him or her as a
+hole !erson 0evertheless$ if +e must choose$ then +e have to say that the su!reme and
ultimate
>
need of all humankind is the saving grace of %esus &hrist$ and that therefore a !erson=s
eternal$ s!iritual salvation is of greater im!ortance than his or her tem!oral and material +ellJ
being (cf 6 &or :.4> A 4@) As the Thailand Statement eG!ressed it$ Eof all the tragic needs of
human beings none is greater than their alienation from their &reator and the terrible reality of
eternal death for those +ho refuse to re!ent and believeF 8et this fact must not make us
indifferent to the degradations of human !overty and o!!ression
The choice, /e !elie$e, is largel- conceptual& 9n practice, as in the pu!lic .inistr- of
Jesus, the t/o are insepara!le$ at least in o!en societies /ather than com!eting +ith each other$
they mutually su!!ort and strengthen each other in an u!+ard s!iral of increased concern for
both
?
Evangelical &hristians like to stress the im!ortance of a life of daily devotion to God$ in
+hich ;ible reading and !rayer are fundamental 0o+$ reading the ;ible and !raying are distinct
activities ;ut have you ever heard evangelicals arguing$ conferencing$ dividing$ !ublishing and
cam!aigning in su!!ort of one or the other having E!rimacyF in the life of &hristian
disci!leshi!5 The very Duestion. E;ible reading or !rayer A +hich has !rimacy5F makes little
sense in real life ;oth are vital ;oth are biblical ;oth are integral to a living relationshi! +ith
God 'hy cannot +e ado!t the same integrated understanding of mission5
E#ntegral missionF is the currently !referred term for this understanding$ and # find myself
biblically !ersuaded of its truth and validity #f mission is a living$ dynamic reality$ +e need
organic analogies for all that it encom!asses "erha!s breathing and drinking !rovide such an
analogy Again A they are different activities$ but they are both utterly necessary for an integrated
living human body #t makes no sense in !ractice to talk of either one as having E!rimacyF$ for if
you neglect either$ you +ill die
Some suggest that EcentralityF rather than E!rimacyF might be a better +ord for
evangelism +ithin mission This a!!lies the model of a +heel A +heel is an integrated ob*ect
that necessarily must have both a hub at the centre (connected to an aGle and an engine)$ and a
rim (connected to the road) 'ithout a rim$ a hub is *ust a rotating aGle end 'ithout a hub$ a rim
is *ust a hoo!$ s!inning any+here and soon falling over A hub and a rim are distinct things$ but
unless they are integrally +orking together$ neither constitutes a +heel #f evangelism is like the
hub$ connected to the engine of the gos!el !o+er of God$ then it also takes the living
demonstration of the gos!el in &hristians= engagement +ith the +orld to give the hub connection
and traction +ith the conteGt A the road
#ntegral mission is the !roclamation and demonstration of the gos!el #t is not sim!ly that
evangelism and social involvement are to be done alongside each other /ather$ in integral
mission our !roclamation has social conseDuences as +e call !eo!le to love and re!entance in all
areas of life And our social involvement has evangelistic conseDuences as +e bear +itness to the
transforming grace of %esus &hrist #f +e ignore the +orld +e betray the +ord of God that sends
us out to serve the +orld #f +e ignore the +ord of God +e have nothing to bring to the +orld
%ustice and *ustification by faith$ +orshi! and !olitical action$ the s!iritual and the material$
!ersonal change and structural change belong together As in the life of %esus$ being$ doing and
saying are at the heart of our integral task
The Micah >eclaration on 9ntegral Mission
@
&eco;ering *ur Hu"ility as $er;ants of the Gospel
The mission of God=s !eo!le is to be gos!el !eo!le A understanding the +ord gos!el in
all its +holeness as +e have *ust outlined ;ut gos!el !eo!le are$ by definition$ humble !eo!le #t
is the gos!el that is great and glorious 'e are sim!ly its obedient servants 1r$ to use some of
the other meta!hors that +e find in the ;ible$ +e are ste+ards of the gos!el (+e do not o+n it)K
+e are +itnesses to the gos!el (+e did not invent it)
1r as "aul more vividly !ut it$ the gos!el is the treasure$ and +e are nothing more than
the clay !ots in +hich it is ke!t (6 &or :.?) &lay !ots +ere the commonest form of carrying
anything in the biblical +orld They +ere the su!ermarket carrier bags of their day That=s a
humble enough descri!tion for our missional role$ !erha!s. carrier bags for the gos!el
0o+ of course # have not forgotten +hat # said in cha!ter 4 about the danger of imagining
the church as only a delivery mechanism$ +ith no concern for the Duality of life of the
messenger )y !oint is sim!ly this. gos!el ministry has to be done in selfJeffacing humility or it
is a denial of the gos!el itself
T+o +ays in +hich this suggests relevant a!!lication come to mind A one relatively
minor$ the other deadly serious
hose Testi"ony and to ho"/
#n cha!ter 4C +e eG!lored the biblical theme of +itness 'e marveled at the fact that God
called #srael$ even in their state of a!!arent !aralysis and failure (deaf and blind)$ to be +itnesses
to himself as the living God Their +itness +as certainly not to themselves$ but to him Like+ise$
in the 0e+ Testament$ %esus tells the disci!les$ E8ou +ill be .- +itnessesF The +hole !oint of
testimony in the ;ible is not so much the !erson +ho does the testifying (ho+ever interesting
their story)$ but the !erson to +hom$ or on +hose behalf$ the testimony is borne$ or the events
about +hich testimony is being given
So +hat then should it mean +hen +e Egive our testimonyF5 A tradition has gro+n u! in
evangelical circles that EtestimonyF is all about +hat # have eG!erienced Evangelism training
includes E!re!aring your testimonyF A +hich is telling your o+n story of ho+ you became a
&hristian
0o+ # do not for a moment +ant to belittle this !ractice There is !lenty of biblical
su!!ort (es!ecially in the "salms) for !ublic declaration of the good things God has done for me
(though even there the stress is on EGod has doneF than on EmeF) ;ut our reflection on the teGts
+e studied in cha!ter 4C +ould encourage us to make sure that our EtestimonyF has a more
ob*ective element$ of bearing +itness to God$ to the Lord %esus &hrist$ to the truth of the biblical
story of redem!tion$ +ith its +arning of *udgment and its ho!e of glory 1ther+ise Etestimony
timeF can degenerate into a subtle form of selfJadvertisement$ into something that is the
antithesis of the gos!el that is su!!osedly being commended Gos!el humility should dictate
other+ise
'hen !eo!le hear our EtestimonyF$ do they go a+ay thinking$ E'hat a +onderful story
that !erson hasN 'hat incredible eG!eriencesNF5 1r do they gas! in amazement at the +onder of
God$ the beauty of %esus and the glory of the gos!el5
Prostituted Gospel
"aul shar!ly distinguished himself from those +ho +ould E!eddle the +ord of God for
!rofitF (6 &or 6.4?) A that is$ those +ho used the !reaching or evangelizing ministry as a means
of making money for themselves The ancient Greek +orld +as a+ash +ith traveling lecturers
+ho com!eted in selling their !hiloso!hies to cro+ds for entertainment$ and some of +hom
became famous and rich They +ere the televangelists of their day "aul refused to be like them
Sadly$ they have their counter!arts today in some of the !urveyors of E!ros!erity gos!elF
teachings For such !eo!le the gos!el has become a mani!ulated !roduct$ !ackaged and
marketed to a!!eal to the consumer=s needs and +ants$ and !um!ed out through highly charged
media of communication$ to the enormous enrichment of the salesmen
0o+$ # am +ell a+are that there is a valid reality of biblical !ros!erity that includes
material blessing # kno+ that E!ros!erityF teachers take seriously the !romises of the ;ible and
the !o+er of God to overcome all that is evil in the s!iritual realms # kno+ that God is still the
miracleJ+orking God of the ;ible # kno+ that$ in their +ritings$ some of these teachers
em!hasize hard +ork and the need to overcome the challenges of !overty and lack of
o!!ortunity # kno+ that the teaching thrives in !laces +here such !overty is endemic and offers
some form of ho!e of a +ay out of a situation that in itself is grievous to God and a shame on the
human community$ including the church
'elcome every a!ostle on arriving$ as if he +ere the Lord ;ut he must not stay beyond
one day #n case of necessity$ ho+ever$ the neGt day too #f he stays three days$ he is a false
!ro!het 1n de!arting$ an a!ostle must not acce!t anything save sufficient food to carry him till
his neGt lodging 9f he asks for .one-, he is a false prophetD
Everyone +ho comes to you in the name of the Lord must be +elcomed After+ard$
+hen you have tested him$ you +ill find out about him$ for you have insight into right and
+rong #f he is a traveler +ho arrives$ hel! him all you can ;ut he must not stay +ith you more
than t+o days$ or$ if necessary$ three #f he +ants to settle +ith you and is an artisan$ he must
+ork for his living #f$ ho+ever$ he has no trade$ use your *udgment in taking ste!s for him to
live +ith you as a &hristian +ithout being idle 9f he refuses to do this, he is trading on %hrist&
7ou .ust !e on -our guard against such people
The >idache ;;:S 8 N and ;*:; 8 T :italics added=
B
;ut still
There is no doubt that +hat fuels a great deal of !ros!erity teaching is greed A lot of the
!reaching and +riting a!!eals to that inordinate desire for material +ealth that the ;ible
constantly +arns us against A from the tenth commandment$ to the +arning of %esus and the
condemnation of "aul And the most blatantly obvious result of the teaching is that those +ho
engage in it are the ones +ho end u! +ith most of the !ros!erity
;ut can a Egos!elF that asks for (often aggressively demands) money be remotely
consistent +ith the gos!el of the 0e+ Testament$ +here such !ractice is uncom!romisingly
condemned5 And can a lifestyle of affluence$ gluttony$ eGtravagant eG!enditure on cars and
!rivate *et !lanes reflect in any +ay at all the face of the Son of )an$ the suffering Servant$ the
crucified &hrist5
A Egos!elF that sells its blessings is no different from the scandal of indulgences in the
!reJ/eformation church$ by +hich !eo!le +ere told they could buy themselves early release
from the !ains of !urgatory 0o+ !eo!le are deceived into buying themselves ho!edJfor release
from obstacles in this life
#ndeed$ a Egos!elF that sells an-thing is a !rostituted gos!el$ a denial of the suf fering
grace of the cross
)y Ereflection on relevanceF at this !oint is really a !assionate longing that the church of
the t+entyJfirst century +ould name this heresy for +hat it is and re*ect it as having any !art in
the mission of God=s !eo!le
4C
&eco;ering *ur Confidence in the Gospel
;eing humble about oneself as a servant of the gos!el does not im!ly being uncertain or
diffident about the gos!el itself 1n the contrary$ the greatest *oy of the servant is to !oint to the
s!lendour of his or her master Like+ise the greatest !rivilege of the servant of the gos!el is to
eGalt the glorious gos!el of God for all its +orth$ in all the rich +holeness of its breadth and
height and de!th
Fe+ things are more essential to the mission of God=s !eo!le than that +e recover our
confidence in the gos!el
The Truth of the Gospel
'e need to reaffirm our conviction of the truth of the gos!el and build our +hole lives
u!on it This has al+ays been a battle in a +orld of com!eting truth claims A religious or
antireligious #t is even more of a battle in a +orld of !ostmodern denial of the very !ossibility of
truth "ostmodernism is essentially a stance of disbelief in any grand narrative #t is a great
believer in stories 8 the multi!licity of stories +ith +hich every historical culture decorates its
float in the great carnival of human !lurality and relativity ;ut no Story claiming universal truth
+ill be allo+ed to +ander unchallenged around the festivities
#n such a +orld$ +e still go out on our mission of declaring that the ;ible tells the Stor-$
the grand narrative that makes sense of life$ the universe$ and everything And that story
ultimately is good ne+s A it is gos!el A for it tells the bad ne+s as it really is$ and it declares
+hat God and God alone has done for the redem!tion of all our bad stories and their one
terrifyingly bad ending #t tells us that God so loved the +orld that he gave his only Son$ that
God +as in &hrist reconciling the +orld to himself$ that the cross and resurrection of %esus of
0azareth have inaugurated a ne+ creation$ and that the kingdoms of this +orld +ill become the
kingdom of our God and of his &hrist
The ,niKueness of the Gospel
'e need to reaffirm our conviction of the uni5ueness of the gos!el$ for it is the message
of the one uniDue living God$ and the one uniDue human !erson in +hom that God has lived and
died and risen again This +as scandalous +hen it +as first !roclaimed in the religious !luralism
of the firstJcentury +orld$ and it is no less scandalous in the !luralism of the t+entyJfirst century
;ut the relevance of our biblical theology$ es!ecially in cha!ter B$ is that +e must affirm
the uniDueness of &hrist and the salvation that is in him alone on the broad$ firm foundation of
the +hole ;ible and the story it tells of the one God and his !lan$ since Abraham$ to bring
blessing to all nations and redem!tion to creation
"rovided it is this %esus$ fulfilling this story$ achieving the redem!tion of this God$ our
affirmation of the uniDueness of %esus +ill stand firm &hrist is not uniDue because +e say so or
merely because he is better than the religious com!etition 3e is uniDue because in him alone the
biblical God accom!lished his biblically revealed !lan for the biblically defined redem!tion of
our biblically diagnosed +orld +ithin his biblically valued creation
The Po!er of the Gospel
Furthermore$ +e need to reaffirm our conviction of the po/er of the gos!el This +as
"aul=s great boast 3e +as nothing in himself$ but he could see and pro$e that the gos!el +as the
!o+er of God$ for he could !oint to the transfor.ed lives of !eo!le from every racial$ social and
religious background And so can +e
Sadly$ ho+ever$ +e can also !oint to lives that claim the benefits of the gos!el but give
no evidence of its transforming !o+er A and that leads to our final area of reflection
TH% CH,&CH
'hat reflections can +e offer from our biblical theology of the mission of God=s !eo!le
in relation to those !eo!le themselves5 #t is all too easy to talk about mission as a task$ as a
!ro*ect$ as an ideal$ as a strategy$ as a +hole range of accom!lishments ;ut if our *ourney in the
central cha!ters of this book has taught us anything it is that the !eo!le +hom God has called
into !artnershi! +ith himself in his great redem!tive mission need to take a look at themselves
They need the constant challenge that comes from the enormous !rivilege it is to be called by
God=s name and entrusted +ith God=s mission
&epent and &eturn
The first recorded command of %esus +as not EGoF$ but E/e!entF #n this res!ect$ he
*oined the ranks of the great 1ld Testament !ro!hets$ for that +as their unanimous message to
God=s !eo!le across all the centuries of their eGistence 'e have seen ho+ some of the most
!rofound missional !assages in the 1ld Testament come in conteGts of the eG!osure of #srael=s
failure and the call for radical re!entance
So it must be for the church 'e cannot go forth in mission to the +orld +ithout
attending to ourselves This is not to suggest that +e have to +ait until +e are !erfect before +e
engage in mission There never +ould have been any mission A 1ld or 0e+ Testament A if that
had been the case #t means that !art of our missional res!onsibility has to include facing u! to
the failings and shortcomings of the church itself A !recisely because they are such a damning
hindrance to God=s mission through us
To start analysing the contem!orary failings of the church +ould be to start a +hole ne+
book$ and there are !lenty that do it +ell enough ;ut surely they must include at least the
follo+ing shameful realities that ruin our +itness to the +orld$ deface the likeness of &hrist and
deny the gos!el of his transforming grace.
the scandal of a tiny fraction of the global body of &hrist living in a level of affluence
that is unimaginable to the vast ma*ority of believers +ho eG!erience the daily grinding struggle
of !overty
the scandal of multi!le fractures +ithin the church$ along the same lines that divide the
rest of fallen humanity A divisions of ethnicity$ tribe$ colour and casteK the violence$ in*ustice$
o!!ression and cruelty that go on /ithin and !et/een &hristian communities in some !arts of the
+orld
the scandal of obsession +ith status$ greed and !o+er A +hich can be seen in every
corner of the global church The teaching of %esus on servanthood$ on first and last$ on the least
and the greatest in the kingdom of God$ is routinely ignored by those +ho most loudly claim to
lead God=s flock
the scandal of ideological ca!tivity$ through +hich churches sim!ly absorb the
dominating cultural and national +orldvie+$ and then decorate it +ith a veneer of !iety and
advocate it +ith as much !assion and !re*udice as any !agan !atriot
the scandal of false teaching$ both in relation to the most central truths of God=s
revelation in Scri!ture$ and in relation to ethical issues in +hich some !ortions of the church
seem more determined to reflect the +orld than to be governed by the ;ible
All these and many more deface the image of &hrist and deny the !urging and
transforming !o+er of the gos!el of God=s grace All of them mirror the same scandals in
!rinci!le that +e find condemned in the ;ible There can be no res!onse to such things other
than re!entance And there can be no effective mission that does not include such re!entance as a
constant state of mind and heart$ for the old idols and scandals Duickly sli! back into !lace even
after they have been driven out once
And then +e need to return to the +ay of the Lord$ for as +e have seen strongly in
cha!ters <$ ? and @ that unless God=s !eo!le +alk in God=s +ay$ there is no visible mission to the
nations The need for the church to be a Econtrast societyF$ a community that attracts the +orld to
God by the sheer$ sur!rising !o+er of missional holiness$ remains one of the greatest challenges
that a biblical theology of the mission of God=s !eo!le lays before the church
Go and MaFe +isciples
As +e re!ent and return to the +ay of the Lord$ +e hear again the enduring +ords of his
Great &ommission that direct us on that +ay #t is not$ as # have tried to sho+$ the first great
commissionK # !ut God=s call and !romise to Abraham in that boG ;ut as the final +ords of the
risen Lord to his disci!les$ it eGercises enormous leverage in the task of +orld mission
The version of the Great &ommission at the end of )atthe+=s gos!el tends to have !ride
of !lace #t has certainly functioned as a driving teGt in the modern missionary movement
,nfortunately it has not al+ays been read for all its content
The idea of church as contrastJsociety does not mean contradiction of the rest of society
for the sake of contradiction Still less does the church as contrastJsociety mean des!ising the
rest of society due to elitist thought The only thing meant is contrast on !ehalf of others and for
the sake of the others$ the contrast function that is unsur!assably eG!ressed in the images of Esalt
of the earthF$ Elight of the +orldF$ and Ecity on a hillF ()att <.49 A 4:) 1recisel- !ecause the
church does not exist for itself, !ut co.pletel- and exclusi$el- for the /orld, it is necessar- that
the church not !eco.e the /orld, that it retain its o/n countenance& #f the church loses its o+n
contours$ if it lets its light be eGtinguished and its salt become tasteless$ then it can no longer
transform the rest of society 0either missionary activity nor social engagement$ no matter ho+
strenuous$ hel!s anymoreM
'hat makes the church the divine contrastJsociety is not selfJacDuired holiness$ nor
cram!ed efforts and moral achievements$ but the saving deed of God$ +ho *ustifies the godless$
acce!ts failures and reconciles himself +ith the guilty 1nly in this gift of reconciliationMdoes
+hat is here termed contrastJsociety flourish
Gerhard Lohfink
44
#n another of those sad dichotomies to add to the list above$ the Great &ommission has
sometimes been !ortrayed eGclusively as an evangelistic mandate to go and !reach the gos!el
every+here$ +hen actually the single and central im!erative verb in the teGt is Emake disci!lesF
0o+ of course$ making disci!les reDuires evangelism$ and the first added instruction$ or ste! in
the !rocess of making disci!les$ is Eba!tizing themF ;a!tism !resu!!oses the !reaching of the
gos!el and a res!onse to it of re!entance and faith in the Lord %esus &hrist ;ut the second added
instruction A Great &ommission Line Three$ as +e might call it A is Eteaching them to obey all
that # have commanded youF And such teaching is of the essence of disci!ling
;asically$ the 0e+ Testament +as +ritten by disci!les$ for disci!les$ to make disci!les
8et our em!hasis has often been on getting decisions$ claiming converts$ making &hristians
Actually the +ord &hristian occurs three times in the 0e+ Testament$ +hereas the +ord
Edisci!leF occurs 6>B times
The Great &ommission$ along +ith all the !ractice of the 0e+ Testament church$ tells us
that there is .ission !e-ond e$angelis.& "aul clearly believed this 3ad he sto!!ed being a
EmissionaryF +hen he s!ent three years teaching the church in E!hesus the +hole counsel of
God5 3e affirmed the mission of A!ollos (a crossJcultural missionary if ever there +as.
converted in Africa$ instructed in Asia$ and sent to Euro!e)$ +hich +as a teaching mission (Acts
4@.6: A 6?)$ and "aul refused to allo+ that either +as more im!ortant than the other A the one
+ho !lanted or the one +ho +atered (4 &or 9.< A B)
Evangelism and teachingQdisci!ling are together integral and essential !arts of our
mission "aul told Timothy to Edo the +ork of an evangelistF$ and also to teach sound doctrine$
and to mentor others to teach others also And he did not im!ly that one +as more im!ortant than
the other. they +ere all essential !arts of the mission entrusted to Timothy For "aul$ mission
included church nurture as much as church !lanting
From his practice of residential missions (at &orinth and E!hesus) and nurture of
churches (4 Thess 6.4C A 46)$ from his priorities (4 Thess 6.4? A 9.49K 6 &or 6.46 A 49K 4C.49 A
4>)$ and from his description of his assign.ent (&ol 4.6: A 6.?K /om 4.4 A 4<K 4<.4: A 4>)$ in
relation to admonition and teaching believers to bring them to full maturity in &hrist$ it is clear
that the nurture of e.erging churches is understood by "aul to be an integral feature of his
missionary taskM"roclaiming the gos!el meant for "aul not sim!ly an initial !reaching or +ith it
the rea!ing of convertsK it included also a +hole range of nurture and strengthening activities
+hich led to the firm establishment of congregations
1eter T& )"rien
46
The bad result of se!arating evangelism from disci!leshi! and !rioritizing the first is
shallo+ness$ immaturity and vulnerability to false teaching$ church gro+th +ithout de!th and
ra!id +ithering a+ay (as %esus +arned in the !arable of the so+erK )att 49.6C A 66)
'e should not treat the Great &ommission as a ticking clock$ *ust +aiting for the last
!eo!le grou! to EhearF the gos!el before the Lord is$ as it +ere$ !ermitted to return That kind of
thinking has transformed it into a E*ob to com!leteF$ Ean unfinished taskF ;ut +ith its command
to disci!les to make disci!les$ it is a selfJre!licating mandate that +e +ill never Ecom!leteF A not
in the sense that +e can never reach all the nations (+e can and +e should)$ but in the sense that
the making of disci!les$ and the redisci!ling of those +ho have formerly been evangelized$ are
tasks that go on through multi!le lives and generations
To the %nds of the %arth
The Great &ommission is not a timetable for the end of the +orld ;ut it is certainly a
tra*ectory to the ends of the earth E)ake disci!les of all the nations$F said %esus As Lord of
heaven and earth$ %esus +as more a+are of the sheer scale of that conce!t A Eall the nationsF A
than any of his disci!les could have been From 1ld and 0e+ Testament teGts +e kno+ that God
+ill not be satisfied until the ends of the earth have heard the good ne+s of his great +ork of
redem!tion and %esus has disci!les among all !eo!les
So our (almost) final reflection on relevance has to be the continued im!ortance and
urgency of the task of making it !ossible for that to be the case A that men and +omen in all
!eo!les around the +orld should have the o!!ortunity to hear the gos!el of our Lord %esus &hrist
in a +ay they can understand$ and to res!ond to it in re!entance$ faith and obedience
For a book that is !ublished in 6C4C$ it is surely another scandal to add to the list above
that the !ro!ortion of the human race that +ould call themselves &hristians by any meaning of
that +ord is hardly changed from +hat it +as in 4B4C (a!!roGimately oneJthird) This means that
although the church has gro+n !henomenally in the !ast century and taken root in more nations
than even eGisted in 4B4C$ there are still millions of individuals and thousands of !eo!les +ho
have never yet even heard the name of the Lord %esus &hrist and the good ne+s of +hat God has
done through his cross and resurrection for the salvation of the +orld )illions still +ait for any
!ortion of the 'ord of God to eGist in their mother tongue
So the challenge remains of !eo!les as yet unreached by any form of gos!el message$ of
languages +ith no !ortion of the ;ible in them yet$ of millions of oral communicators +ho need
to hear the 'ord in a form that does not rely on the +ritten 'ord$ of !eo!les +hose only
eG!osure to the &hristian message has come along +ith horrendous violence done to them by
nations they have been told are E&hristianF$ or +ith a lurid immorality that they cannot hel! but
associate +ith the same 'estern cultures
E8e shall receive !o+er$ +hen the 3oly S!irit is come u!on you. and ye shall be my
+itnessesF Although the final victory is not yet revealed$ the gift of the S!irit is the sign of its
coming$ or our sharing in 3im is a foretaste of the !o+ers of the age to come The S!irit is given
us in order that +e may be +itnesses$ for 3e is the !rimary +itness to &hrist$ bringing the +orld
no+ under the *udgment +hich is the final *udgment$ granting signs of the hidden victory$ and
giving to the human +ords of &hrist=s messengers the !o+er of God 3imself ;y the S!irit$ men
of all nations and tongues are brought to ackno+ledge the mighty +orks of God in &hristMit is
the S!irit +ho gives &hrist=s !eo!le the +ord to s!eak +hen they are brought before kings and
governors for 3is sake #t is the S!irit +ho grants signs and +onders to accom!any the ministry
of the a!ostles$ as that of %esus 3imself #t is by the S!irit that the +ords of the Gos!el !reaching
come +ith !o+er to the hearers A !o+er to be the actual instrument of God=s election (4 Thess
4.: A <) The gift of the S!irit$ itself the sign and foretaste of the age to come$ is the means by
+hich the &hurch is enabled to lead this !resent age to its consummation$ by bringing the Gos!el
to all nations
Lesslie #e/!igin
49
The missional challenge of reaching the ends of the earth +ith the gos!el$ so that the
+hole earth may be filled +ith the kno+ledge of the glory of God$ faces us still +ith all its
diversity and com!leGity The evangelization of the +orld$ in the fullest sense of both the +ords
in that !hrase$ remains as urgent a !riority for the church as it +as +hen %esus laid it as a
mandate on his disci!les before his ascension
The earth$ of course$ is a globe that has no EendsF From a missional !ers!ective$ the
Eends of the earthF are as likely to be found in your o+n street as far across the sea The
missional task of the church$ in sending and being sent$ in fulfilling the three functions of 9 %ohn
> A @ A sending$ going and su!!orting A is as necessary for local as for international mission
(or the Glory of God
#t is striking that three of the accounts of the Great &ommission are framed in +orshi!
()att 6@.4?K Luke 6:.<6K %ohn 6C.6@) And that is +here +e must dra+ this book to a close$ *ust
as +e finished !art 6 by seeing !raise and !rayer as integral to the mission of God=s !eo!le
A missional !eo!le must be a +orshi!ing !eo!le$ or +hat is their mission for5 )ission is$
in the +ords of "salm B>$ a matter of singing the ne+ song of the Lord A the ne+ song that
celebrates the Lord=s name$ salvation$ glory and mighty deeds A and then inviting the nations to
*oin in
;ut +orshi! does one other thing #t reminds us constantly of our de!endence on the God
+hose mission +e serve And that means that the mission of God=s !eo!le must be carried on in
the !o+er of God=s S!irit
And so +e finish +ith a note of +orshi! A in the form of a hymn that does not so much
address God as address the church of God$ reminding us of the manyJfaceted mission that God
has entrusted to us
#t +ould be a fascinating eGercise to +ork slo+ly through this +onderful hymn$ +ritten
by a ;ritish missionary$ and to make a note of all the echoes and allusions to s!ecific biblical
teGts that it contains Though clearly triggered by 4 "eter 6.B A 46$ it follo+s "eter in dra+ing its
themes and challenges from all over the ;ible A +hich makes it a fitting end to this book$ +hich
has sought to do the same
3ere is the mission of God=s !eo!le A in song
&hurch of God$ elect and glorious$ holy nation$ chosen raceK &alled as God=s o+n s!ecial
!eo!le$ royal !riests and heirs of grace$ 7no+ the !ur!ose of your calling$ sho+ to all his mighty
deedsK Tell of love +hich kno+s no limits$ grace +hich meets all human needs
God has called you out of darkness into his most marvellous lightK ;rought his truth to
life +ithin you$ turned your blindness into sight Let your light so shine around you that God=s
name is glorifiedK And all find fresh ho!e and !ur!ose in &hrist %esus crucified
1nce you +ere an alien !eo!le$ strangers to God=s heart of loveK ;ut he brought you
home in mercy$ citizens of heaven above Let his love flo+ out to others$ let them feel a Father=s
careK That they too may kno+ his +elcome and his countless blessings share
&hurch of God$ elect and holy$ be the !eo!le he intendsK Strong in faith and s+ift to
ans+er each command your master sendsK /oyal !riests fulfil your calling through your sacrifice
and !rayerK Give your lives in *oyful service A sing his !raise$ his love declare
V %ames E Seddon (4B4< A 4B@95) To be sung to the tune Lux Eoi
4:

Praise
'hat a marvelous author &hris 'right isN 3ere you get the distilled insight of someone
+ho kno+s mission and kno+s the Scri!turesWand because he is an 1ld Testament s!ecialist$ he
gives that ma*or !art of the Scri!tures the !rominence it deserves$ even (es!ecially5) +hen +e
are thinking about a sub*ect such as mission that might seem to belong to the 0e+ Testament
And he doesn=t confine himself to scri!tural themes but enables us to get inside lots of !articular
Scri!tures$ all in easily manageable chunks 'hat do theology and mission have to do +ith each
other5 This book !o+erfully ans+ers the Duestion
W%130 G1L(#0GA8$ (avid Allan 3ubbard "rofessor of 1ld Testament$ Fuller
Theological Seminary
This is the first volume in a ne+ series on biblical theology #t is eGtraordinarily readable$
+ritten by a !reacher +ho kno+s ho+ to communicate sim!ly$ clearly$ and fascinatingly #t is
refreshingly adventurous$ as it eG!lores the theme of mission in biblical !assages +here you
might not have eG!ected to find it #t is eGcitingly controversial in discussing such matters as the
relation of care for the !lanet to evangelism$ but al+ays in an irenic manner #t is also remarkably
!ractical$ being concerned +ith the theological under!inning for the church=s action in the +orld
#t is sur!risingly relevant$ concerned as it is +ith the central story of God=s mission to the +orld
as the tem!late that must sha!e the +ork of the church #t is outstandingly do+nJtoJearth in
sho+ing ho+ our daily lives must be out+orkings of our missionary calling #t is thus eminently
commendable both for its o+n sake and also as setting a high standard for the other volumes to
follo+ in this series
W# 31'A/( )A/S3ALL$ Emeritus "rofessor of 0e+ Testament$ ,niversity of
Aberdeen
The Mission of God"s 1eople is more than a biblical theology #t is a *ourney through the
call God has given to his !eo!le to im!act the +orld in the +ay God desires Lausanne made
famous the dictum$ The /hole church is to take the /hole gospel to the /hole /orld 'right
gives us the +hole ;ible +ith a +hole theology for the +hole task of mission tied to creation$
redem!tion$ and ne+ creation The !oint. +e should kno+ +here +e are going and +hy This
book brings us there very nicely$ fully using both Testaments$ and even gives us Duestions to
reflect u!on in order to move us to action 'ell done
W(A//ELL L ;1&7$ /esearch "rofessor of 0e+ Testament Studies$ (allas
Theological Seminary
#f &hris 'right=s Mission of God"s 1eople is a harbinger of things to come in
Londervan=s ne+ series$ ;iblical Theology for Life$ +e are in for a treat As the first in this
series$ this volume not only serves as a delightful seDuel and com!lement to his highly acclaimed
The Mission of God$ but it has also !ut his holistic inter!retation of the Scri!tures into the hands
of lay!eo!le This is biblical theology at its best For too long biblical scholars$ theologians$ and
!astors have driven a +edge bet+een the 3ebre+ ;ible and the &hristian 0e+ Testament by
focusing on the discontinuities 'right has sho+n us another +ay Through his com!rehensive
reading of the +hole ;ible$ he offers a robust !ortrayal of #srael=s mission and our o+n %ust as
#srael +as called and sent out into the +orld to give +itness to the grace of Ethe L1/(F
(8ah+eh)$ so +e are Ethe !eo!le +hom God has loved$ chosen$ redeemed$ sha!ed and sent into
the +orld in the name of &hristF (! :99) Thank you$ &hris$ for sho+ing us that God=s election is
not about usK it is about the +orld )ay this +ork ins!ire hischurch to greater faithfulness in
giving verbal +itness to God=s redem!tive grace for the cosmos$ but also to greater ethical
faithfulness as +e embody his grace in the microcosms in +hich +e live
W(A0#EL # ;L1&7$ Gunther 3 7noedler "rofessor of 1ld Testament$ 'heaton
&ollege Graduate School
3o+ do +e hel! the &hristian community stand u! for the faith in daily conversation and
!romote the gos!el +ith the +hole of life5 The most !o!ular method$ though the least effective$
is sim!ly to EcommandF our !eo!le to s!eak more boldly and live more zealously &hris 'right
sho+s another +ay$ and # think it=s the only +ay to enthuse our !eo!le to give their all to God=s
mission 3e tells us the story$ from Genesis to /evelation$ of God=s !assion to fill the earth and
to bless the nations$ and he tells it in such a +ay that none of us$ +hether &hristian leader or ne+
believer$ could fail to sense the eGcitement$ gravity$ and !rivilege of being involved in the
mission of God=s !eo!le
W%130 (#&7S10$ (irector$ &entre for "ublic &hristianityK Senior /esearch Fello+$
(e!artment of Ancient 3istory$ )acDuarie ,niversity
Follo+ing his landmark book$ The Mission of God$ &hristo!her 'right sho+s in The
Mission of God"s 1eople that grounding missions !ractice in the !rior action and !lan of God
does not render the church static or !assive #n this masterful survey$ 'right demonstrates
decisively +hat ha!!ens +hen the +hole church starts reading the +hole ;ible and reflecting the
full sco!e of God=s good ne+s in all our life and +itness in the +orld This is the longJa+aited
road ma! that moves missions from the !ractice of a fe+ elite !rofessionals to the faithful
+itness of all of God=s children #f +ant to hel! your church become a missional church$ # cannot
think of a better !lace to begin that *ourney than this book # assure you$ you +ill discover afresh
+ho you are in &hrist and +hat you are here forN
WT#)1T38 & TE00E0T$ "resident and "rofessor of 'orld &hristianity$ Asbury
Theological Seminary
A +onderfully kaleidosco!ic biblical overvie+ of the !rivileged role afforded to all of
God=s !eo!le in fulfilling the )issio (ei in the +orld &hris 'right demonstrates that the theme
of the mission of God and his !eo!le is a !rominent and unmistakable thread running through the
elaborate ta!estry of the +hole of Scri!ture #n so doing$ he !rovides a ringing affirmation that it
is the res!onsibility of the +hole church to bear +itness to &hrist and his kingdom in every area
of the +orld geogra!hically$ as +ell as in every s!here of society
WL#0(SA8 ;/1'0$ #nternational (irector$ Lausanne )ovement for 'orld
Evangelization

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The Mission of God"s 1eople
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4 )ission of the church 6 )issions 9 &hurch +ork # Title
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4 &hristo!her % 3 'right$ The Mission of God: Unlocking the i!le"s Grand #arrati$e
((o+ners Grove$ #L. #-"$ and 0ottingham. #-"$ 6CC?)

4 %ohn Stott$ The %onte.porar- %hristian: 2n Urgent 1lea for >ou!le Listening
(Leicester. #-"$ 4BB6)$ 99<
6 'right$ The Mission of God$ >6
9 The Lausanne &ovenant +as the !roduct of the first Lausanne &ongress on 'orld
Evangelization$ convened by ;illy Graham in 4B?: The &ovenant +as drafted by a grou! led by
%ohn Stott #t can be read in full at. htt!.QQ+++lausanneorgQcovenant The !hrase Duoted above
comes from "aragra!h >
: #t +as used by the 'orld &ouncil of &hurches in its 0e+ (elhi re!ort in 4B>4$ and
even before that in the Lambeth &onference re!ort of 4B<@
< Lesslie 0e+bigin$ The 'ousehold of God: Lectures on the #ature of the %hurch
(London$ S&)$ 4B<9)$ Gi
> #t first occurs in Gen :@.4> (0/S-)$ but then eG!lodes into !rominence in EGodus
(>.@K 4<.49)
4 0 T 'right$ The #e/ Testa.ent and the 1eople of God (&hristian 1rigins and the
2uestion of God 4K London. S"&7K )innea!olis. Fortress$ 4BB6)$ 9>4
6 #bid$ 9>C
9 "hili! Greenslade$ 2 1assion for God"s Stor-: >isco$ering 7our 1lace in God"s
Strategic 1lan (&arlisle. "aternoster$ 6CC6)$ :6 A :9
: %ohn Stott$ EThe ;ible in 'orld Evangelization$F in 1erspecti$es on the (orld
%hristian Mo$e.ent (ed / ( 'inter and S & 3a+thorneK "asadena. 'illiam &arey Library$
4B@4)$ : (italics added)
< %ohn Stott$ Through the i!le through the 7ear: >ail- Beflections fro. Genesis to
Be$elation (1Gford. &andle ;ooks$ 6CC>)$ 99:
> See footnote 4 in the "reface
4 (ave ;ookless$ 1lanet/ise: >are to %are for God"s (orld (0ottingham. #-"$ 6CC@)$
6< This book is an eGcellent short survey of the +hole ;ible=s teaching on creation and its
im!lications for our &hristian disci!leshi!$ +orshi!$ lifestyle and mission
6 )uch fuller discussion of the biblical foundation for ecological ethics and mission is
available in &hristo!her % 3 'right$ )ld Testa.ent Ethics for the 1eople of God (Leicester.
#-"$ and (o+ners Grove. #-"$ 6CC:)$ 4C9 A :<K and idem$ The Mission of God$ 9B? A :6C
9 )ichael E 'ittmer$ 'ea$en 9s a 1lace on Earth: (h- E$er-thing 7ou >o Matters to
God (Grand /a!ids. Londervan$ 6CC:)$ @9 'ittmer=s book is an eGcellent survey of key biblical
themes$ from creation to ne+ creation$ that underlie the broad argument of this book
: 3u+ S!anner$ ETyrants$ Ste+ards A or %ust 7ings5F in 2ni.als on the 2genda:
Wuestions a!out 2ni.als for Theolog- and Ethics :eds Linzey Andre+ and (orothy 8amamotoK
London. S&)$ 4BB@)$ 666
< ;ookless$ 1lanet/ise$ 49>
> )ichael S 0orthcott$ The En$iron.ent and %hristian Ethics (&ambridge. &ambridge
,niversity "ress$ 4BB>)$ 4@C A @4
? #n the soJcalled Elonger endingF of )ark=s gos!el$ %esus told his disci!les to Ego into all
the +orld and !reach the good ne+s to all creationF ()ark 4>.4<) This may not have been in the
original teGt that left the hands of )ark$ but it certainly reflects a truly biblical insight The
gos!el of the death and resurrection of %esus is indeed good ne+s for the +hole creation$ as the
author of "salm B> +ould doubtless have agreed
@ See 'ittmer$ 'ea$en 9s a 1lace on Earth$ 6C4 A 9

4 For a much fuller study of this theme of the election of Abraham and its im!lications
for mission$ see the t+o cha!ters devoted to it in The Mission of God$ chs > and ? Some of the
sections that follo+ in this cha!ter dra+ eGtensively on that survey
6 /ichard ;auckham$ i!le and Mission: %hristian Mission in a 1ost.odern (orld
(&arlisle. "aternosterK Grand /a!ids. ;aker Academic$ 6CC9)$ 9: A 9>
9 EA Statement on the "ros!erity Gos!elF$ by the Africa &ha!ter of the Lausanne
Theology 'orking Grou!$ !aragra!h 6 (italics in original) The +hole statement can be read at
///&lausanne&orgIall3docu.entsIa3state.ent3on3the3prosperit-3gospel&ht.l&
: The form of the 3ebre+ verb is kno+n as E0i!hal$F +hich can be refleGive or !assive
Translations vary$ therefore$ bet+een Eby you the nations +ill bless themselvesF (refleGive) or
Ethrough you the nations +ill be blessedF (!assive) The meaning of the former is that the nations
+ould see in Abraham and his !eo!le such a signal demonstration of God=s blessing that they
+ould use Abraham or #srael as a model for blessing one another. E)ay you be blessed like
AbrahamF #n this case$ Eyou +ill be a blessingF (at the end of verse 6) means that Abraham
+ould become the name on !eo!le=s li!s +hen they uttered blessings This is certainly !ossible
and fits +ith other cases of such !ractice (eg$ Gen :@.6CK /uth :.44 A 46K "s ?6.4?K Lech
@.49) 3o+ever$ the ancient translations$ including the Greek Se!tuagint (LTT)$ and the a!ostle
"aul (Gal 9.@) all render it +ith the !assive sense #n any case$ if the sense is refleGive (Eall the
nations +ill bless themselves !- -ouF)$ then it im!lies that the nations have come to kno+ about
Abraham and Abraham=s God and seek blessing from that source God !romises to bless such
!eo!le in the first line of Gen 46.9$ so ultimately a refleGive sense comes to include and im!ly
the !assive$ E+ill be blessedF
< ;auckham$ i!le and Mission, 99
> The doctrine of *ustification is the sub*ect of considerable recent controversy$ bet+een
!ro!onents and o!!onents of the soJcalled E0e+ "ers!ectiveF on "aul # do not +ish to enter that
discussion here$ but it is clear to me that for "aul$ +hat God has accom!lished through the death
and resurrection of the )essiah$ %esus$ constitutes God=s fulfillment of his !romise to Abraham$
such that the inclusion of !eo!le from all nations in the blessings !reviously en*oyed only by 1ld
Testament #srael is at the heart of "aul=s understanding of the gos!el
? / ' L )oberly$ E&hrist as the 7ey to Scri!ture. Genesis 66 /econsidered$F 'e
S/ore an )ath: i!lical The.es fro. Genesis ;* 8 T+ (eds / S 3ess et alK &arlisle.
"aternoster and Grand /a!ids. ;aker$ 4BB:)$ 4>4
4 %ohn &alvin$ Genesis (The &ross+ay &lassic &ommentariesK 'heaton$ #L. &ross+ay$
6CC4)$ 4??
6 The eG!osition of Gen 4@.4B that follo+s is abbreviated from a much fuller discussion
of it in Mission of God$ 9<@ A >B ,sed and Duoted +ith !ermission
9 See /ichard 0elson ;oyce$ The %r- to God in the )ld Testa.ent (Atlanta. Scholars
"ress$ 4B@@)
: "hili! Esler (EThe Sodom Tradition in /omans 4.4@ A 96F$ i!lical Theolog- ulletin
9: H6CC:I. : A 4>) suggests that this catalogue of vice and evil that characterized Sodom had
sha!ed the %e+ish mind in relation to sin and *udgment and +as +ellJkno+n to "aul
< A much fuller analysis and discussion of these terms$ +ith relevant bibliogra!hy$ can be
found in my )ld Testa.ent Ethics for the 1eople of God$ 6<9 A @C
> The eG!ression of !ur!ose is em!hatic$ since the clauses are not merely *oined (as they
might easily be in 3ebre+) by the ubiDuitous con*unction /
e
$ but by the !ur!osive con*unction$
le.@an, +hich means$ Ein order thatMF or Efor this !ur!ose thatMF

4 'ith the single eGce!tion of Gen :@.4>$ +here %acob recalls God=s !rotection
throughout his life
6 0 T 'right$ Jesus and the Mictor- of God (London. S"&7$ 4BB>)$ <<? A <B
9 For detailed discussion of Leviticus 6<$ its various !rovisions$ and +ider conteGt in 1ld
Testament economics and &hristian ethics$ see &hristo!her % 3 'right$ God"s 1eople in God"s
Land: Ja.il-, Land and 1ropert- in the )ld Testa.ent (Grand /a!ids. Eerdmans and &arlisle.
"aternoster$ 4BBC)K and )ld Testa.ent Ethics for the 1eople of God$ 4:> A @4
: 'right$ The Mission of God$ 6?4 A ?6
< #bid$ 6?< A ?>
> There is no s!ace here to discuss these fla+ed alternatives$ but # have eG!lored them
and their im!act on &hristian mission thinking and !ractice in The Mission of God$ 6<9 A @C
? /ichard "atterson and )ichael Travers$ E&ontours of the EGodus )otif in %esus=
Earthly )inistry$F (est.inster Theological Journal >> (6CC:). 6< A 6? (also :> A :?) This
article has a fine and com!rehensive summary of the eGodus theme in both 1ld and 0e+
Testaments
@ The !hrases !ro!erly ca!ture the biblical em!hasis that thanksgiving is both a
command +e are to obey (Eour dutyF) and a !leasure +e are to en*oy (Eour *oyF)
B For fuller analysis of these economic measures in 1ld Testament #srael$ see my )ld
Testa.ent Ethics for the 1eople of God$ 4:> A 644$ and God"s 1eople in God"s Land, and the
bibliogra!hy cited in both books
4C #neG!licably$ the 0#- and T0#-$ +hich so often use different English +ords for the
same 3ebre+ or Greek$ thus obscuring im!ortant verbal connections in the original$ here choose
to use the same English +ord$ Esins$F +here the teGt deliberately uses different +ords$ thus
obscuring an im!ortant verbal distinction in the original
44 Tim &hester$ Good #e/s to the 1oor: Sharing the Gospel through Social 9n$ol$e.ent
(Leicester. #-"$ 6CC:)$ B> A B?
46 # have discussed such a holistic understanding of mission$ +ith !articular reference to
the eGodus and also the *ubilee$ in The Mission of God$ 6>< A 969
49 /ene "adilla$ EThe ;iblical ;asis for Social Ethics$F Transfor.ing the (orld0 The
Gospel and Social Besponsi!ilit- (eds %amie A Grant and (e+i A 3ughesK 0ottingham. #-"$
6CCB)$ 4@? A 6C: (es! 4B4)
4: 'right$ Mission of God$ 94: A 4>
4< &hester$ Good #e/s to the 1oor$ B?

4 Terence E Fretheim$ Exodus (#nter!retation. A ;ible &ommentary for Teaching and
"reachingK Louisville. %ohn 7noG$ 4BB4)$ 6CB
6 This +as a highly influential teGt$ not only +ithin the 1ld Testament$ but for %e+ish
!eo!le in their dias!ora among the nations after the eGile #t inculcated a conviction that they had
an ethical mandate that +ould be attractive to nonJ%e+ish !eo!les$ and that this +as !art of their
EmissionF For a full discussion of this conce!t in !ostJ1T %udaism$ see %ohn " (ickson$
Mission3%o..it.ent in 2ncient Judais. and in the 1auline %o..unities: The Shape, Extent
and ackground of Earl- %hristian Mission (',0T 64<BK TYbingen. )ohr Siebeck$ 6CC9)$ <4
A >C
9 %ohn # (urham$ Exodus ('ord ;ible &ommentaryK 'aco$ TT. 'ord$ 4B@?)$ 6>9
: %ohn Goldingay$ )ld Testa.ent Theolog-: Molu.e )ne: 9srael"s Gospel ((o+ners
Grove$ #L. #-"$ 6CC9)$ 9?:
< Fuller eGegesis and discussion of the !oints in the follo+ing section may be found in
The Mission of God$ ch 44$ EThe Life of God=s )issional "eo!leF$ 9>B A ?<
> (urham$ Exodus$ 6>9

4 %ohn Stott$ Ja$ourite 1sal.s (London. &andle ;ooks$ 4B@@)$ >@K commenting on
"salm >?
6 A much fuller discussion of the +hole of (euteronomy :$ from +hich the section belo+
is ada!ted$ +ill be found in The Mission of God$ 9?@ A @C
9 The T0#- some+hat distorts the meaning +ith its translation E+hat other nation is so
great as to haveMF The teGt actually says$ E+hat other great nation hasM5F The !oint is not that
no other nation is greater than #srael /ather$ the teGt assumes that #srael is a great nation like the
others$ but then defines that greatness in sur!rising terms A not military might$ nor geogra!hical
or numerical size$ but rather their greatness lies in the nearness of the living God in !rayer and
the social *ustice of their constitution and la+s
: EThe Thailand Statement$F Making %hrist Xno/n: 'istoric Mission >ocu.ents fro.
the Lausanne Mo$e.ent ;,<S 8 ;,E, (ed %ohn StottK Grand /a!ids. Eerdmans$ 4BB>)$ 4>C A >4
< Simon % (e-ries$ 9 Xings ('ord ;iblical &ommentaryK 'aco$ TT. 'ord$ 4B@<)$ 46>
> #t is a rather rare +ord ( zor ) and in some !laces it may refer to an undergarment
+ra!!ed around the loins ;ut the im!lication of verse 44$ +here #srael is com!ared to such a
!iece of clothing as something for Ereno+n and !raise and honourF$ suggests that in this conteGt
it is an outer sash that is meant A similar meta!horical use is #sa 44.<$ +here God !uts on
righteousness as a belt and Efaithfulness the sash ( zor ) round his +aistF
? This is +hat Ezekiel means in Ezekiel 9> +hen he s!eaks of #srael E!rofaning the name
of 83'3F A ie$ Ebringing 83'3 into disre!uteF
@ %ohn Stott$ %hristian Mission in the Modern (orld (London. Falcon$ 4B?<)$ 9C
B %ohn (ickson$ The est Xept Secret of %hristian Mission: 1ro.oting the Gospel /ith
More Than )ur Lips (Grand /a!ids. Londervan$ 6C4C)$ B6 A B9

4 The classic$ of course$ is % # "acker$ Xno/ing God ((o+ners Grove$ #L. #-"$ 4B?B)
See also &hristo!her % 3 'right$ Xno/ing Jesus through the )ld Testa.ent (1Gford. )onarch$
and (o+ners Grove$ #L. #-"$ 4BB6)K idem$ Xno/ing the 'ol- Spirit through the )ld Testa.ent
(1Gford. )onarch$ and (o+ners Grove$ #L. #-"$ 6CC>)K and idem$ Xno/ing God the Jather
through the )ld Testa.ent (1Gford. )onarch$ and (o+ners Grove$ #L. #-"$ 6CC?)
6 This determination of the one living God that he should be kno+n throughout his +hole
creation is a key driver for biblical mission # have discussed it in greater de!th in The Mission of
God, ?< A 49<
9 #bid$ 46B A 9C
: Acts 9.6< A 6> is an im!ortant teGt in the veGed Duestion of +ho the descendants of
Abraham are today "eter makes the key !oint that the !romised blessing of Abraham comes
even to the ethnic #sraelites (his o+n fello+ %e+s) only through re!entance and faith in %esus
"hysical descent from Abraham in itself does not release the !romiseK rather$ submission to %esus
does
< "erha!s this +as %ohn s!eaking$ rather than "eter at this moment$ since E+hat +e have
seen and heardF is ty!ical of %ohannine testimony (4 %ohn 4.4$ 9)
> Strictly s!eaking$ of course$ it had not ha!!ened before the eyes of those +hom )oses
+as addressing (eGce!t if they had been young children at the time)$ since this +as the
generation after the one that had come out of Egy!t ;ut the 1ld Testament sees the generations
united together in historical memory$ and +hat had been +itnessed by their !arents +as no+ held
u! as !ublicly testified events for them to reflect u!on
? For further discussion of the Duestion of +hether Ethe godsF in the 1ld Testament +ere
regarded as something$ or nothing$ and in +hat senses$ see the much fuller analysis in Mission of
God$ ?< A 4C:$ 49> A BC
@ (ickson$ est Xept Secret$ 94
B %ohn Stott$ )ur Guilt- Silence (London. 3odder and Stoughton$ 4B>?)$ 69
4C (ickson$ est Xept Secret$ 9: A 9<

4 That is ho+ it is used in the first half of Acts See Acts 4.66K 6.96K 9.4<K :.99K <.96K
4C.9B A :4K 49.94
6 %ohn Goldingay$ The Message of 9saiah S+ 8 TT: 2 Literar-3Theological %o..entar-
(London$ 0e+ 8ork. TZT &lark$ 6CC<)$ 6C4
9 %ohn 0 1s+alt$ The ook of 9saiah: %hapters S+ 8 NN (0e+ #nternational &ommentary
on the 1ld TestamentK Grand /a!ids. Eerdmans$ 4BB@)$ 4:@
: As %esus innocently asked the t+o disci!les on the road to Emmaus$ in +hat must be
one of the most richly ironic A even comic A lines in the ;ible. %esus$ +ho had been the very
focal !oint of all that had ha!!ened in %erusalem that +eekend$ !retends that he doesn=t even
kno+ +hat they are talking about E'hat things5F indeedN (Luke 6:.4B)
< See also. Acts 4.66K 6.96K :.99K <.96K 4C.9B A :4K 49.94
> /ichard ;auckham$ Jesus and the E-e/itnesses: The Gospels as E-e/itness Testi.on-
(Grand /a!ids. Eerdmans$ 6CC@)
? ETestifyingF is an alternative English translation for Ebearing +itnessF Similar +ords
are used +ith little difference in Greek (.art-reo and dia.art-ro.ai)
@ She is often blamed for the fact that she had had five husbands and +as living +ith
someone +ho +as not her o+n husband #t +as no +ay for a +oman to live$ of course$ and she
+ould have suffered considerable social stigma ;ut in the culture of the day and its divorce
!ractices$ it is likely that this +as *ust as much a case of serial abuse by unfaithful men as a case
of serial !romiscuity by a loose +oman
B %ohn Stott$ The 1reacher"s 1ortrait (Grand /a!ids. Eerdmans$ 4B>4)$ >4 A >9 This
book is describing the +ork and character of !reachers$ of course$ using five biblical images ;ut
+hat it says about EA 'itnessF in cha!ter 9 a!!lies to all &hristians #t is +ell +orth reading for
its com!rehensive survey of the 0e+ Testament term and its shar! relevance to this as!ect of our
&hristian mission
4 (ickson$ The est Xept Secret$ 444 A 46
6 1ther eGam!les of ordinary use of !aOar, bringing good ne+s$ include. 4 Sam 94.BK 6
7ings ?.B A a verse +hich has given rise to the saying that evangelism is a matter of one beggar
telling other beggars +here to find bread An interesting case comes in "s >@.44$ +hich seems to
s!eak of a great victory$ achieved by God=s decisive +ord$ being broadcast by those +ho
!roclaim the good ne+s of it #n fact the Ecom!any of those +ho !roclaimed itF is the fe.inine
!lural of .
e
!aOOer, suggesting the !icture of ha!!y +omen telling the good ne+s of the victory
after the battle had been fought and +on by their men folk (cf ES-) This is a finer !oint of
grammar that seems to have eluded the earnest leader of a ;rethren assembly # used to attend as
an undergraduate 3e liked to use the verse in the translation of the ;ook of &ommon "rayer$
EThe Lord gave the +ordK great +as the com!any of the !reachers$F as +arrant for the !lurality
of s!eakers in their meetings 3e might have been shocked to learn that the E!reachersF in the
teGt +ere +omen ;ut neither he nor # at that time kne+ 3ebre+
9 For a full discussion of the influence of this teGt in !ostJ1T %udaism and on "aul=s
understanding of the gos!el$ see %ohn " (ickson$ Mission3%o..it.ent in 2ncient Judais. and
in the 1auline %o..unities$ 4<9 A ??&
: &f the earlier use of the same imagery in 0ahum 4.4<$ +here the message is one of the
victory of God over the Assyrians (0ineveh)
< Goldingay$ The Message of 9saiah$ :<6
> &f "s :>.B A 4CK #sa B.< A ?
? 1s+alt$ The ook of 9saiah %hapters S+ 8 NN$ 9>@
@ For a survey of the breadth of the biblical understanding of salvation$ see &hristo!her %
3 'right$ Sal$ation elongs to )ur God (0ottingham. #-"$ and (o+ners Grove$ #L. #-"$
6CC?)
B )any !salms use other verbs$ but have the same theme of universal !roclamation to the
nations of the +orks of 83'3$ or celebration of 83'3 in the midst of the nations$ or
invitation to all nations to !raise 83'3K $ eg$ "ss B.44 (+here it is linked to God=s *udgment
on all nations)K 66.6? A 6@K :?.@ A BK :B.4K <?.B A 4CK >>.@K >?K >@.96K @?K B@.6K BB.6 A 9K4C6.64
A 66K 4C<.4 A 6K 4C@.9K 44?K 46>.6K 49@.: A <K 4:@.44 The remarkable Duantity of this material
that brings the nations into the orbit of the !raises of #srael is +orth far more attention than it
usually gets (sadly$ even here all it gets is a footnote ;ut you can com!ensate by reading
carefully through that list of references and absorbing their staggeringly universal sco!e) For a
more inJde!th analysis of it in relation to the +ider 1ld Testament theology of the nations and
God=s mission to them$ see 'right$ Mission of God$ :<: A <CC
4C The +ord is !aOar in the 3ebre+ originalK euangelisasthai in Luke=s Greek$ follo+ing
the LTT
44 (ickson$ est Xept Secret$ 44: A 4<
46 &hristo!her % 3 'right$ The God 9 >on"t Understand: Beflections on Tough
Wuestions of Jaith (Grand /a!ids. Londervan$ 6CC@)$ 4@C A @4
49 "aul s!eaks of Ethe gos!el of GodF seven times$ and Ethe gos!el of &hristF ten times
4: A fact that even the ES- obscures by translating the former as Ene+ man$F and the
latter as Ene+ selfF
4< %ohn Stott$ %hrist the %ontro$ersialist (London. Tyndale$ 4B?C)$ 46? Stott +ould
acce!t$ of course$ as doubtless "aul +ould have too$ that there are circumstances +here a !erson
may turn to &hrist in re!entance and faith and be saved +hen no !ossibility eGists for that faith to
issue in good +orks A the !enitent thief on the cross being the clearest eGam!le ;ut such an
eGce!tional case does not invalidate the integration of faith and obedience that +e see in
E!hesians
4> %onathan ;onk$ EThe Gos!el and EthicsF (a !a!er given at a meeting of the Lausanne
Theology 'orking Grou! on EThe 'hole Gos!elF)$ E$angelical Be$ie/ of Theolog- 99.4
(6CCB). <<
4? # think Ein all creationF is !referable to Eto every creatureF as a translation of en pasei
ktisei&
4@ Stott$ )ur Guilt- Silence$ <?

4 %ohn &alvin$ The Epistles of 1aul the 2postle to the Bo.ans and to the Thessalonians
(trans /oss )ackenzieK Grand /a!ids. Eerdmans$ and &arlisle. "aternoster$ 4B>C)$ 694
6 /ichard / (e /idder$ >iscipling the #ations (Grand /a!ids. ;aker$ 4B?4)$ ??
9 See %osh 6:.<K 4 Sam 46.@K "s 4C<.6>K #sa >9.46K Acts ?.9<
: For a broad survey of the role of the S!irit of God in the 1ld Testament$ see 'right$
Xno/ing the 'ol- Spirit Through the )ld Testa.ent&
< )artin Goldsmith$ Matthe/ and Mission: The Gospel through Je/ish E-es (&arlisle.
"aternoster$ 6CC4)$ B6 A B9
> %ohn Stott$ The Message of 2cts (The ;ible S!eaks TodayK Leicester. #-" and (o+ners
Grove$ #L. #-"$ 4BBC)$ 466 See also %ohn Stott$ The Li$ing %hurch: %on$ictions of a Lifelong
1astor (0ottingham$ #-"$ and (o+ners Grove #L. #-"$ 6CC?)$ ch :$ E)inistry. The T+elve and
the SevenF
? %ason 3ood$ ETheology in Action. "aul and &hristian Social &areF$ Transfor.ing the
(orld: The Gospel and Social Besponsi!ilit- (eds %amie A Grant and (e+i A 3ughes$
0ottingham. A!ollos$ 6CCB)$ 46B A :> 2uotation taken from ! 49:K italics original
@ %ohn Stott$ The Li$ing %hurch: %on$ictions of a Lifelong 1astor$ 466

4 (arrel &osden$ The 'ea$enl- Good of Earthl- (ork (London. "aternoster$ and
"eabody$ )A. 3endrickson$ 6CC>) !rovides an eGcellent critiDue of this dichotomized and$
frankly$ unbiblical vie+!oint$ and a fine theology of +ork in the !rocess
6 (arrel &osden$ The 'ea$enl- Good of Earthl- (ork$ is !articularly hel!ful on this
theme of the eternal significance of human +ork accom!lished in time See also )ichael E
'ittmer$ 'ea$en 9s a 1lace on EarthK 0 T 'right$ Surprised !- 'ope: Bethinking 'ea$en, the
Besurrection, and the Mission of the %hurch (London. S"&7$ 6CC<)
9 #n 6 "eter 9$ the EdestructionF referred to in v 46 must be read in the light of the
EdestructionF (same +ord) by the flood in vv > A ? 'hat +as destroyed in the flood +as not the
!lanet itself$ but the E+orldF of human +ickedness and rebellion Similarly$ the final
EdestructionF +ill not be an obliteration of the +hole creation$ but a !urging *udgment that
removes all +ickedness$ evil and o!!osition to God from creation forever
: /ichard % )ou+$ (hen the Xings %o.e Marching 9n: 9saiah and the #e/ Jerusale.
(Grand /a!ids. Eerdmans$ 4B@9)$ 6>
< 'right$ The God 9 >on"t Understand$ 6C6 A 9
> %ohn Stott$ The Message of Bo.ans (The ;ible S!eaks TodayK Leicester. #-"$ and
(o+ners Grove$ #L. #-"$ 4BB:)$ 9:9 A ::
? 'e do kno+ that he +as familiar +ith the Scri!tures of %eremiah ((an B.6)$ so he may
have got hold of a co!y of his letter
@ ;ruce ' 'inter$ Seek the (elfare of the %it-: %hristians as enefactors and %itizens
(Grand /a!ids and &arlisle. Eerdmans and "aternoster$ 4BB:)$ 4B< A B?
B ;ruce 'inter (Seek the (elfare of the %it-) develo!s this theme in great de!th$ utilizing
+ide background su!!orting evidence from the Greek and /oman +orld of "aul=s day
4C # o+e the !oints belo+ to having heard %ohn Stott !reach from this teGt on many
occasions 3is rich eG!osition can be savoured in %ohn / ' Stott$ The Message of the Ser.on
on the Mount (The ;ible S!eaks TodayK Leicester$ #-"$ and (o+ners Grove$ #L. #-"$ 4B?@)$ <? A
>@ See also %ohn Stott$ The Li$ing %hurch$ cha!ter @$ E#m!act. Salt and LightF$ 49? A <6
44 # have tried to offer a more eGtensive biblical analysis of idolatry in relation to mission
A its varieties$ causes$ results$ and the +ays in +hich God=s !eo!le res!ond to it A in The Mission
of God, 49> A BC
46 The trilogy of 'alter 'ink is a classic survey$ though many criticize him for an over
EdemythologizedF inter!retation. #a.ing the 1o/ers: The Language of 1o/er in the #e/
Testa.ent ("hiladel!hia. Fortress$ 4B@:)K Un.asking the 1o/ers: The 9n$isi!le Jorces That
>eter.ine 'u.an Existence ("hiladel!hia. Fortress$ 4B@>)K Engaging the 1o/ers: >iscern.ent
and Besistance in a (orld of >o.ination ()innea!olis. Fortress$ 4BB6) A shorter and more
biblically conservative a!!roach is &linton Arnold$ 1o/ers of >arkness: 2 Thoughtful, i!lical
Look at an Urgent %hallenge Jacing the %hurch (Leicester. #-"$ and (o+ners Grove$ #L. #-"$
4BB6) See also 0igel G 'right$ 2 Theolog- of the >ark Side: 1utting the 1o/er of E$il in 9ts
1lace (&arlisle. "aternoster$ 6CC9)
49 Scott 3afemann$ EThe /ole of Suffering in the )ission of "aul$F The Gospel to the
#ations: 1erspecti$es on 1aul"s Mission, "eter ;olt and )ark Thom!son (Leicester. A!ollos$
and (o+ners Grove$ #L. #-"$ 6CCC)$ 494 A :> (es! 4:C)
4: %ohn Stott$ The %ross of %hrist (Leicester. #-"$ and (o+ners Grove$ #L. #-"$ 4B@>)$
966
4< Terence E Fretheim$ The Suffering of God: 2n )ld Testa.ent 1erspecti$e
("hiladel!hia. Fortress$ 4B@:)$ 4:@ This is a !rofound and moving book$ almost unrivaled in the
+ay it handles this neglected sub*ect$ rich in scri!tural eG!osition Fretheim eG!lores ho+ God
suffers !ecause of his !eo!le (in their re*ection of him)K suffers /ith his !eo!le (in their suffering
under God=s o+n *udgment)K and suffers for his !eo!le (in achieving their salvation) #n all these
dimensions$ the suffering of the !ro!hets +as a mysterious entering into$ and sharing$ the
suffering of God=s o+n self

4 %ohn "i!er$ Let the #ations e Glad: The Supre.ac- of God in Missions (rev edK
Grand /a!ids. ;aker$ and Leicester. #-"$ 6CC9)$ 4?
6 0otice ho+ /om 4.4 A < and 4>.6< A 6? use matching !hrases in a +ay that must be
deliberate
9 6 Sam 66.<C
: "s 4@.:B
< (eut 96.:9
> #sa 44.4C
? Stott$ The Message of Bo.ans$ <9
@ Samuel E ;alentine$ 1ra-er in the 'e!re/ i!le: The >ra.a of >i$ine3'u.an
>ialogue ()innea!olis. Augsburg Fortress$ 4BB9)$ 4BB
B %ohn Stott$ The Message of Ephesians: God"s #e/ Societ- (The ;ible S!eaks TodayK
Leicester. #-"$ and (o+ners Grove$ #L. #-"$ 4B?B)$ <C
4C Stott$ )ur Guilt- Silence, 6? A 6@
44 (ickson$ est Xept Secret$ 4>C A >4$ 4>9
46 #n fact the eGtent of the %e+ish dias!ora +as far +ider than that There is evidence for
settlements of %e+s$ and the acce!tance of %e+ish faith among indigenous !eo!les$ in &hina$
#ndia$ Arabia and 8emen$ through northeastern Africa$ right across 0orth Africa$ and the furthest
eGtent of Euro!e under the /oman em!ire There is eDually no doubt that in many of these
!laces$ the !rior eGistence of significant %e+ish communities !rovided a !latform for the earliest
arrival of &hristianity (as +e see in the +ork of "aul in the 0e+ Testament) A detailed survey of
this can be read in (e /idder$ >iscipling the #ations$ <@ A @? For a thorough survey of the
im!act of the %e+ish dias!ora$ and es!ecially of their synagogue +orshi!$ in bringing Gentiles to
conversion and faith in the God of #srael$ see %ohn " (ickson$ Mission3%o..it.ent in 2ncient
Judais. and in the 1auline %o..unities, ?: A @<$ and for the influence of this on "aul=s mission
!ractice and eG!ectation$ ibid$ 6B9 A 9C6
49 (e /idder$ >iscipling the #ations$ @?
4: (ickson$ est Xept Secret$ 4<@ A <B
4< "i!er$ Let the #ations e Glad$ >9
4> (ickson$ The est Xept Secret$ ?9
4? /ector of All Souls &hurch$ Langham "lace$ London$
4@ A finely argued refutation of the vie+ that "aul did not !articularly eG!ect his
churches to engage in evangelism (from the shortage of eG!licit instructions to do so) is !rovided
by "eter T 1=;rien$ Gospel and Mission in the (ritings of 1aul (Grand /a!ids. ;aker$ 4BB9K
&arlisle. "aternoster$ 4BB<)
4B ( A &arson$ E"aul=s )ission and "rayer$F in The Gospel to the #ations: 1erspecti$es
on 1aul"s Mission, "eter ;old and )ark Thom!son$ eds ((o+ners Grove. #-"$ and Leicester.
A!ollos$ 6CCC)$ 4?< A @: (es! 4@6)
6C "i!er$ Let the #ations e Glad$ <?$ <B$ >? (his italics)
64 Timothy &hester$ The Message of 1ra-er (The ;ible S!eaks TodayK Leicester$ #-"$
and (o+ners Grove$ #L. #-"$ 6CC9)$ 694
66 1=;rien$ Gospel and Mission$ 46<
69 ;alentine$ 1ra-er in the 'e!re/ i!le$ 6B<

4 See +++arochaorg
6 'right$ The Mission of God$ selections from :46 A 6C
9 See the eGcellent book by )ark /ussell$ The Missional Entrepreneur: 1rinciples and
1ractices for usiness as Mission (;irmingham$ AL. 0e+ 3o!e$ 6C4C) See also the E;usiness
as )ission )anifestoF from the Lausanne )ovement$ available at +++lausanneorgQallJ
documentsQmanifestohtml$ and the Lausanne 1ccasional "a!er 0o :C$ Marketplace Ministr-$
+hich can be do+nloaded at +++lausanneorgQ6CC:forumQdocumentshtml
: 2.it- #e/sletter (A!ril A %une$ 6CCB)$ ?
< E$angelis. and Social Besponsi!ilit-: 2n E$angelical %o..it.ent #t can be
do+nloaded as Lausanne 1ccasional "a!er 0o 64$ at. +++lausanneorgQallJdocumentsQlo! A
64html
> This truth led me to say$ in The Mission of God$ that # !refer to s!eak of Ethe ultimacy
of evangelismF rather than its !rimacy A not because it is the last thing +e should do$ but because
it is the one thing$ of all the things that +e rightly and biblically do$ that addresses the Elast
enemyF A death See Mission of God$ :9B A :4
? E$angelis. and Social Besponsi!ilit- (my italics at the end)
@ The +hole document can be read at. +++micahnet+orkorgQenQintegralJ
missionQmicahJdeclaration
B The >idache +as a secondJcentury manual of church teaching and disci!line #n The
Li!rar- of %hristian %lassics$ -ol 4$ Earl- %hristian Jathers (trans and ed &yril &
/ichardsonK London. S&)$ 4B<9)$ 4?> A ??
4C A concise and !o+erful critiDue of "ros!erity teaching has recently been !roduced by
a grou! of African theologians$ convened by the Lausanne Theology 'orking Grou! #t can be
read at. +++ christianitytodaycomQctQ6CCBQdecember+ebJonlyQgcJ!ros!eritystatementhtml
44 Gerhard Lohfink$ Jesus and %o..unit-: The Social >i.ension of %hristian Jaith
(London. S"&7$ 4B@<)$ 4:> A :?K as Duoted in Eckhard Schnabel$ Earl- %hristian Mission, -ol
6, 1aul and the Earl- %hurch ((o+ners Grove$ #L. #-"$ and Leicester. #-" and A!ollos$ 6CC:)$
4<?? A ?@
46 1=;rien$ Gospel and Mission$ :6 A :9
49 0e+bigin$ 'ousehold of God, 49@
4: 'ords. %ames E SeddonK V 4B@6 The %ubilate Grou! (Admin 3o!e "ublishing
&om!any$ &arol Stream$ #L >C4@@) All rights reserved ,sed by !ermission