God and the Public Square

Exam Overview

• The exam focuses on course content from Weeks 4 and 5, with some overlap from Week 3
• There will be 50 questions including multiple choice, true-false, and matching questions

God and the Public Square

• Chris Wright argues against separating spiritual life from the public square
• God cares about the public square

God's Involvement in the Public Square

• God created work and revealed it in scripture (Gen 1-2)
• Humans were tasked with ruling (Gen 1) and serving and keeping (Gen 2)
• God provided a planet with diverse resources, necessitating trade and exchange
• The economic relationships require fairness and justice in resource sharing and product distribution

Importance of Work

• Human economic endeavor is essential to God's purpose for human life
• Work is part of God's intention for humans and their role in creation
• Work is not a result of the curse, but it is essential to human nature and tied to a "cultural mandate"
• Activities in the public sphere (jobs, families, communities, cultures, civilizations) relate to the Creator

God as Judge

• God is the independent judge in the public square, as seen in the Old Testament (OT) with YHWH who sees, knows, and evaluates, according to Psalm 33:13-15
• Israel was reminded God calls for justice in the marketplace/public arena

Biblical Examples of God's Judgement

• Amos insisted God was more interested in events "in the gate" than in the sanctuary, Amos 5:12-15
• Amos depicts God listening to corrupt business people's intentions, Amos 8:4-7
• Jeremiah 7:9-11 states that God watches public actions

Perception of Governance

• "Market forces"/business/politics are often viewed independent of God
• People feel at the mercy of forces beyond their control

Scripture's View

• Events in the marketplace depend on human action, choice, and moral responsibility and fall under God's sovereign government
• The Bible avoids fatalism/determinism by stressing both human choices and God's control
• Humans are morally responsible, and God retains control over outcomes

Examples of Governance

• Joseph's story demonstrates God's control over family and public affairs, according to Genesis 50:19-20
• Isaiah 19:1-15 places Egypt under God's judgment, including its various sectors
• Ezekiel 26-28 laments Tyre, and Ezekiel 29-32 condemns Egypt, focusing on the marketplace

Daniel's Example

• Daniel 4 portrays Nebuchadnezzar's arrogance over Babylon
• God's verdict is the project was built on the backs of the poor and oppressed
• Daniel advises to renounce sins and be kind to the oppressed, referencing Daniel 4:27

Redemption in the Marketplace

• Activity matters because God plans to redeem all creation, according to Psalm 145:9
• God has compassion on all creation and redeems our use of creation within the cultural mandate

Old Testament and New Testament Vision

• There is a vision of redemption, not obliteration; restoration and renewal, not replacement
• Christians should radically understand sin in public dimensions and confront it prophetically

Biblical Texts

• Isaiah 65:17-25 describes the new creation with fulfilled life, fellowship with God, and environmental harmony
• Colossians 1:16-20 includes "all things" in creation and redemption through Christ

Attitude and Mission

• God's people should have constructive engagement in the world
• They should also have courageous confrontation due to the world's rebellion and judgement
• God's people should balance both

Missional Confrontation in the Public Square

Called to be Different

• People are called to be holy and distinctive in the marketplace
• Initial call to Israel was to be different from Egypt and Canaan, referring to Leviticus 18:3-5
• Jesus spoke about being "salt" and "light", according to Matthew 5:13-16.
• Moral integrity is essential in public mission

Resisting Idolatry

• The world is the creation of one God and to reject seductive gods
• Paul equates covetousness (greed) with idolatry, referring to career, status, and success
• Discerning and resisting the gods of the public square is crucial

Called to Suffer

• Warfare causes suffering; those living, working, and witnessing according to biblical standards will suffer
• Examples include Jesus' warnings (Matthew 5:11-12) and Acts recording suffering and rejoicing, Acts 5:40-42
• Paul delighted in weaknesses (2 Corinthians 11-12), and Peter urged to not be surprised, retaliate, or give up.

Missional Prayer

Prayer as Distinction

• Deuteronomy 4:6-8, Moses puts Israel's worship alongside social justice
• Israel's prayer life demonstrated God's nearness
• Prayer demonstrates The reality of the living God.

Blessing the Nations

• Abraham taught to teach his household
• Abraham prayed for Sodom after God gave his judgements
• David knew his comfort(Psalm 139)

Subverting Idolatry

• Daniel's story with Nebuchadnezzar and Prayer appeals to God
• Prayer a political act and affirms the sovereignty of God .

Mission and Work

• Prayer found in: Jesus' time, Acts and among Paul
• Paul also asked others to pray for him that he will preach the gospel boldly

Spiritual Warfare

• There must be constant intimate communication with commander in chief
• Paul follows putting on armour for spiritual warfare in Ephesians with prayer to the Lord.

Challenges Facing Pastors

• People go to church on Sunday to support the people in their ministry which is outside
• The challenges those pastors that they train people to engage in the world
• Challenge to to understand the world, or just dangling the prospect of a better world when they die
• Challenge to teaching peoples to be responsible

Concerns for Gentiles

• Jesus' concerns included the Samaritan woman (John 4) and the Centurion's servant (Luke 7)
• The centurion acknowledged faith that was seen better then those in Israel
• Commission was reinformed when Paul reinforced (Mark 16:15-16, Luke 25:46-40, Matt 28:18-30, Acts 1:8)

Joseph's Genealogy

• Includes 2 non-Jewish gentiles woman Rahab and Ruth
• Has no preference in Gods Kingdon

Apostolic Function

• Task of preaching is defined a s Preaching in the gospel
• Planting churches where it is not known and to Express Jesus Christ through their socials

Significance of Pentecost

• Historical part of saga, guarantees Jesus' ministry can continue
• Nature and mission depends on its The continuing ministry of Christ
• Pentecost historical with Death and resurrection

Theological Intent of Acts

• Act's teachings are that Luke hoped know the exact truth that they have been taught (Act 1:1)
• Wrote that God did both teachings (Act 1:1)

Empowerment Motif

• The spirit is empowered to to be the witness to the gospel of Jesus,
• First: Was Immediate spirit to share the Gospel
• Second; A dynamic prophetic community
• Third: A Vigorous continuous to share the Gospel.

Unique Lesson

• 10:44-47 Was witness from doors be opened to the Gentiles
• Those that received them they receive Spirit of Gospel.
• Those are a Two-fold message: Gentiles can revice and through empowerment to become participates
• A unique is that they became ful

Redemptive Structure

• To going the ones to do not hear
• Coming to they desire God's name and to reach out.

Modality and Sodality Needed

• Churches
• Churches need to mission to establish churches

Modern Era's Missions

• First Era's
• A time of Personified by William Carey
• It was time and Age of enquiry to convert the Heathen. _ Era was foucused primarily along cost al areas

Second Era's

Created that they were looking at inland region from J.Hudson and Taylor.

• Created Faith mission
• Rise of women saw

Third Era's

• Focus of people where they come (cultural speaking).
• A point Where Cam Townsend and Ralph Winter realised to reach and make Indvidually or in people.

Asia Missions

• Earliest ural missions were travelling the Silk road in China.
• 7Th century Chinese priest.
• Priest had the first solid missions.

Four Drivers

• The Spirits had the most influence.
• Holiness ways people love where important (J.Wesley says).

Points from the India sermon

• Where Ivan says Massive Human culture
• Shock Quake, you cultures with the youth of india
• And a large shift.

Distance

• Scale helps understanding of different cultural
• Missionaries come to reach out
• Reach those and can not reach their .

Major Blocks

Those inclues

• Ethno and Religious groups.
• Non religious are not.
• affinity
• Ethnolinguistic peoples.

Histroy

• What has the history made that does not the effect.

Fast grows to the World

• Global and continues that to be 2B past 2050
• In Asia the area to show that there as been those area's to combine Asia and India.

World

• World Christians 95% in west

What the Wind

• 10.40 Window.

Era of Mission

• Respond for people to reach the lost.
• To make those E13 effort
• 2 efforts of for what Christ effort that they need that and have.