God and the Public Square & God's View of Work

• There will be 50 questions on the exam including multiple choice, true-false, and matching

Chris Wright: God and the Public Square

• Wright argues against the dichotomizing of spiritual life and the public square
• Wright posits that God is concerned about the public square

God's View of Work

• Work is God's idea as revealed in Genesis 1-2
• God is depicted as a worker: thinking, choosing, planning, executing, and evaluating
• God laid work on humans beings
• Humans have the task of ruling per Genesis 1
• Humans have the responsibility of serving and keeping per Genesis 2
• Work is not a result of the curse
• Work itself is the essence of human nature, also known as the Cultural Mandate
• The view of work as revealed in Scripture underscores a biblical framework
• Work is not merely a means to an end, but as an intrinsic part of God's creative purpose for humanity and an arena for God's mission to unfold

Key Points on God's View of Work

• God's Interest in the Public Square
• Creation Mandate
• The Mission in the Marketplace
• Challenges and Idolatry in Work
• Suffering and Mission
• Eternal Perspective on Work

God's Role in the Public Square

• God is the independent judge of all in the public square
• The Old Testament speaks of YHWH as God who sees, knows, and evaluates as highlighted in Psalm 33:13-15
• Israel was reminded repeatedly that God calls for justice “in the gate,” which is the marketplace/public arena
• Amos insists that God was more interested in what happened "in the gate" than in the sanctuary as per Amos 5:12-15
• Amos pictures the divine auditor listening to the muttered dark intentions of the corrupt business people as per Amos 8:4-7 and Jeremiah 7:9-11
• God watches what goes on the rest of the week in public
• Samuel defends his public record and calls God as his witness as his divine auditor as highlighted in 1 Samuel 12:1-5

Discerning God's Governance

• "Market forces"/the whole realm of business/politics are often perceived as independent of God
• People may feel "at the mercy of forces beyond control"
• The Bible says that everything in the marketplace is a matter of human action, choice, and responsibility
• The Bible puts everything under God's sovereign government
• The Bible affirms both human choices and God's ultimate control

Biblical Illustration

• Genesis 50:19-20, Joseph says, "You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives."
• Isaiah 19:1-15, the whole of Egypt is under God's judgement, inc. religion, irrigation, agriculture, fisheries, textile, politics, universities
• Ezekiel 26-28/29-32, Lament for Tyre / Egypt: public marketplace of economic and political power is the focus of God's sovereign activity

Nebuchadnezzar Example

• Daniel 4:30, arrogance of Nebuchadnezzar: "... great Babylon... by my mighty power for the glory of my majesty."
• God's Verdict: “borne on the backs of the poor and oppressed as per Daniel 4:26, 32.
• Nebuchadnezzar needed to learn that God governs the public square, along with all else.
• “Heaven rules ... the Most High is sovereign over the kingdoms of men and gives them to anyone he wishes".

Why God Redeems the Marketplace

• God plans to redeem all that he has made because he has compassion on all he has made (Ps 145:9)
• The redemption of all that has been made with what God first made–our use of creation within the great cultural mandate is included within that
• The picture of OT and NT is a vision of redemption
• The picture is not of obliteration, but of the restoration and renewal of creation, not its replacement with something else
• For God, the corruption of the public square is not a reason to vaporize it but to purge and redeem it
• Isaiah 65:17-25 describes a glorious portrayal of the new creation, which consists of new heavens and a new earth
• The final vision of the whole Bible is not of escaping from the world to some ethereal paradise
• God comes down to live with people again in a purged and restored creation
• All the fruit of human civilization will be brought into the city of God as per Rev 21:24-27, and built on Isaiah 60
• The attitude, role, and mission of God's people in the public sphere should be constructive engagement and courageous confrontation
• Constructive engagement is needed because God created, loves, and values the world
• Courageous confrontation is needed because the world is in rebellion, standing under God's judgement
• The challenge of the mission of God's people consists of living with the constant tension of doing both with equal biblical conviction

Missional Confrontation

• Called to be different
• Called to be holy or distinctive

Examples of Being Different

• Israel to be different from the cultures of Egypt or Canaan as per Leviticus 18:3 – 5 & 19
• Jesus about being “salt” and “light” in the world as per Matthew 5:13–16
• Moral integrity is essential to Christian mission in the public arena
• Integrity means that there is no dichotomy between our private and public “face"

Called to Resist Idolatry

• A different view of the world exists
• The world is seen as the creation of the one single transcendent God of the Bible
• Reject seductive gods who crowd the public arena

Examples Resisting Idolatry

• Paul equates covetousness (greed) with idolatry:
  • The idolatries of career, status and success are all connected to one of the most dominant gods of the public square
• Other idols include ethic superiority, national pride and patriotism, individual freedom, military security, health and longevity, beauty, and celebrity
• Discerning the gods of the public square is a first crucial, missional task
• Being equipped to resist them is the next.
• Paul's classic exposition of spiritual warfare comes immediately after his instructions about Christians living in marriage, family and the workplace
• There is a battle to be fought in all realms if we are to be able “to stand”and to fulfill our role as messengers of the “gospel of peace” as per Ephesians 6:15 and Isaiah 52:7
• The struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms per Ephesians 6:12

Called to Suffer

• Warfare causes suffering
• Biblical material relates to the suffering of God's people – individually and collectively
• Suffering is an integral part of the lives of multitudes in the Bible

Examples of Suffering

• Jesus warned that there would be suffering, and to rejoice about it, as recorded in Matthew 5:11–12
• Acts did exactly what Jesus said by rejoicing in the privilege and continuing to witness as per Acts 5:40 – 42
• Paul, in 2 Corinthians 11–12, writes "for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties
• For when I am weak, then I am strong" (12:10)
• Peter says that those who were suffering for their faith can expect: no surprise (2 Cor 4:12), no retaliation (2:21–22), and no giving up (3:13–17; 4:19)

Wright's Missional Prayer

• Prayer as a Mark of Distinction from the Nations
• Prayer for the Blessing of the Nations
• Prayer as Subversion of the Idolatry of the Nations
• Prayer and the Work of Mission
• Prayer as Spiritual Warfare

Challenges Facing Pastors

• Mobilizing the Congregation:

  • Are congregations being mobilized, trained and supported for mission?

• Training for Mission:

  • Are ordinary working Christians benig helped to understand the world they live and work in?
  • Are people being thought what the Bible teaches about responsible citizenship?

• Supporting Mission in the Marketplace:

  • Are believers being encouraged to “seek the welfare of the city" where God has put them?

• Building a Biblical Worldview:

  • Is a biblical worldview being built for sustaining Christian ethical witness?

• Addressing Ethical Issues:

  • Are working Christians being helped to wrestle with the ethical issues they face in the workplace?
  • Are Christians being encouraged to demonstrate faithfulness, integrity, courage and perseverance?

• Caring for the Bruised and Crushed:

  • Are people sympathetically caring for those who get bruised and crushed in their daily conflict with a hostile world?
  • Is that care being given regardless of what people face in their work?

• Keeping Abreast of Missional Understanding and Practice:

  • Pastors need to stay informed about developments in missional understanding and practice
  • This includes the recognition of legitimate business and professional work as intrinsically valuable for society and the kingdom of God

Jesus and Gentiles

• Jesus demonstrated concern for the nations of the world
• Examples include the Samaritan woman (John 4) and The Centurion's servant (Luke 7)
• Broadening His ministry and design of God to includes non-Jewish people
• All nations will hear good news of one true God

Finishing the Task

• Reinforcing the breadth of the commission (Mark 16:15-16, Luke 25:40-46, Matt 28:18-30, Acts 1:8)
• The Task involves all nations
• Includes Matthew 24:14, 28:19-20 and John 20:19-22, 30-31 and Acts 1:6-8

Joseph's Genealogy

• Matthew begins his Gospel with the genealogy of Jesus (Matthew 1:1-17), tracing Jesus' lineage from Abraham through David to Joseph, the husband of Mary, of whom Jesus was born
• This genealogy is not just a historical record; it is a theological statement that highlights several key aspects of God's redemptive plan
• Among the names listed in the genealogy, there are 2 non-Jewish Gentile women Rahab and Ruth
• Jesus is born from these women and shows that God has no preference in including non-Jewish people in His Kingdom
• God wants ALL to be redeemed.

Fulfillment of Promises

• Abraham and David
• Matthew's genealogy underscores the fulfillment of God's promises to Abraham and David
• By including Abraham at the start, Matthew highlights God's promise to make Abraham a great nation and bless all the families of the earth through his offspring (Genesis 12:3)
• The reference to David reflects the promise that the Messiah, who would establish God's kingdom forever, would come from David's lineage (2 Samuel 7:12-16)

Inclusion of the Gentiles

• Rahab & Ruth
• The genealogy includes several non-Israelites, such as Rahab and Ruth
• Their inclusion emphasizes that God's plan of salvation extends beyond the Jewish people to Gentiles as well
• This reflects the universal scope of Jesus' mission to bring salvation to all peoples, fulfilling the prophecy that all nations would be blessed through Abraham's seed (Galatians 3:8)

Grace and Redemption

• Tamar, Rahab & David:
• The presence of individuals with morally complex stories, such as Tamar, Rahab, and David (with his sin involving Bathsheba, referred to as "Uriah's wife" in the genealogy), showcases God's grace and the theme of redemption
• Despite human sinfulness and failure, God accomplishes His redemptive purposes, offering hope and forgiveness through Jesus Christ

Jesus' Rightful Claim

• Jesus as the Messiah - Rightful claim to throne of David
• The genealogy establishes Jesus' legal right to the throne of David, affirming His identity as the Messiah
• Matthew's Gospel frequently emphasizes Jesus as the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies concerning the Messiah
• The genealogy serves as an opening statement of Jesus' rightful claim to this title

God's Sovereignty

• God's Sovereignty Over History
• The genealogy demonstrates God's sovereign control over history, weaving together diverse and unexpected elements into His redemptive plan
• Every name in the genealogy represents a story that played a part in leading to the birth of Jesus, showing that God works through history to bring about His purposes
• In summary, the genealogy of Joseph's family in Matthew's Gospel is a profound testimony to God's redemptive plan for all peoples
• It reveals the fulfillment of ancient promises, the inclusivity of God's salvation plan, the grace available through Jesus Christ, Jesus' identity as the promised Messiah, and God's sovereignty over human history to accomplish His redemptive purposes

Apostolic Function

• The task of preaching the Gospel where it has not been heard
• Planting the church where it does not exist and leading people in the obedience of faith
• People will express Jesus Christ in their social world and participate in God's global mission

Pentecost Significance

• God's mission of redemption continues intact by the coming of the Spirit at Pentecost to empower the Church as visible witness sent to proclaim God's good news in Jesus Christ (Acts 1:8)
• The Pentecost is the Historical part of the redemptive part of saga
• It guarantees that Jesus' ministry can continue today the same way as recorded in the Bible just as He is present in this world today
• The nature and mission of the Church are dependent upon its bearing witness to the continuing ministry of Christ by the empowering of the Holy Spirit
• Pentecost as a historical part of the redemptive saga is critical, per Ray Anderson
• The clearest picture of God's missional intent is seen in the life and ministry of Jesus Christ-His death and resurrection (Eph 1:18-22)
• It empowers people to be visible witness

Theological Intent of Acts

• Luke wrote so that his readers might know the “exact truth about the things they had been taught (Luke 1:4)
• Luke wrote emphasis on not only the “doings,” but also the “teachings” of Jesus and the early church (Acts 1:1)
• In his former book (Book of Luke), Theophilus, Luke wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach as per Acts 1:1

Texts Luke uses to demonstrate empowerment

• First Jerusalem Outpouring as per Acts 2:1-4

  • The immediate Spirit-empowered witness in the city (vv. 5-36),
  • A great harvest of souls (vv. 37-41),
  • The birthing of a dynamic prophetic community (vv. 42-46)
  • Vigorous ongoing witness (v. 47)
  • Luke introduced this episode that illustrates his empowerment- witness motif introduced in Acts 1:8

• Second Jerusalem Outpouring as per Acts 4:31

  • There was an immediate and powerful witness,
  • It was a second key example of Luke's empowerment-witness motif

• Samaritan Outpouring as per Acts 8:14-17

  • As a result of persecution, the church in Jerusalem was scattered.
  • The apostles in Jerusalem sent Peter and John to pray with the new believers to receive the Holy Spirit.
  • As a result of these believers receiving the Spirit, a new center of missionary outreach was born, and the gospel continued to spread to the region and beyond (Acts 8:40; 9:31)

• Damascus Outpouring as per Acts 9:15-17

  • Saul of Tarsus (later to become Paul the apostle) was filled with the Spirit (9:1
  • Luke notes that Paul “immediately...began to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues” of Damascus (vv. 20-22).
  • This shows that Saul's conversion to empowerment to proclaim the gospel

• Caesarean Outpouring as per Acts 10:44-47

  • Bore witness to the church in Jerusalem that the door of salvation had been opened to the Gentiles.
  • Served to empower the newly-birthed Caesarean church for its own Spirit-empowered mission
  • Peter going to Cornelius in Caesarea shows that Peter is going to have a constant battle with preferring Jewish believers over Gentiles believers, to understand Messiah is for all nations

Antiochian Outpouring

• The powerful move of the Spirit in the church in Antioch resulted in the launching of Barnabas into their first missionary journey
• This special move of the Holy Spirit is there to reemphasize the Spirit's role and directing the missionary enterprise of the early church
• Antioch is church that was established because the people are scattered

Ephesian Outpouring

• The Ephesian church is empowered for witness, and the gospel spreads quickly throughout the province of Asia
• Paul is preaching in Ephesus and responds with a different strategy

Caesarean Outpouring in Detail

• Bore witness to the church in Jerusalem that the door of salvation had been opened to the Gentiles
• Served to empower the newly-birthed Caesarean church for its own Spirit-empowered missional witness
• Two-fold message: gentiles can receive the gospel and, through the empowering of the Holy Spirit, Gentiles become full participants in the mission of God to proclaim the gospel to the nations.

Four Redemptive Structures

• Believers go to Unbelievers to Spread Gospel

  • Involves individuals or groups intentionally moving to another location to spread the Gospel

• Involuntary going

  • Occurs when individuals are forced into situations where they end up spreading the Gospel

• Unbelievers come to Believers for Gospel

  • Involves individuals from outside the faith community coming to the believers, often out of curiosity or need, and hearing the Gospel

• Involuntary coming

  • Refers to outsiders who, without their active choice, are brought into contact with the Christian community and hear the Gospel

Structures for God's Redemptive Plan

• Both modality and sodality are necessary: - God's redemptive plan encompasses both the building up of the church and expansion of the kingdom through missions - Together, modality and sodality present a holistic witness to the kingdom of God - Having both structures ensures a balance between inward growth and outward mission
• Modality: inclusive, nurture oriented, fellowship focused - family synagogue, church
  • Focus is to build up and nurture
• Sodality: second decision-mission focused- rabbinical missional initiatives, apostolic monastic orders, mission societies
  • In Acts 13 we see church in Antioch but there is prayer meeting so God is calling them all to go evangelize

Preventative Measures

• Adaptability prevents the church from becoming either too inward-focused or too dispersed in its efforts to reach out
• Different contexts and phases in the life of the church may require a shift in emphasis between modality and sodality
• The flexibility to move between these focuses allows the church to respond to the Holy Spirit's leading and the changing needs of the world

First Era of Missions

• Modern Eras of Missions
• First era personified by William Carey-
• He's the person most commonly associated with this era and is often regarded as the "father of modern missions
• Carey was a British Christian missionary, Particular Baptist minister, translator, social reformer, and cultural anthropologist who served in India for 41 years
• Response to hyper-Reformed theology and the rejection of monastic orders
• Wrote a pamphlet “ An Enquiry into the Obligation of Christians to use Means for Heathen"
• His pamphlet made a biblical mandate and an acknowledgement of accessible information
• During this time focus was on first interaction with coastal local as they first reach that place
• Independent efforts that Denominations assume control of when success ensues
• The American initiative begins with a prayer meeting and takes six years to actualize (1806 - 1812)

Second Era of Missions

• Personified by J Hudson Taylor, an English missionary to China who founded the China Inland Mission (CIM) in 1865.
• A pivotal figure most associated with initiating significant changes in missionary strategies and practices who emphasized reaching parts of China that were previously inaccessible
• Focus shifted to Inland/interior regions
• Created faith missions
• Saw the rise of single woman missionaries and the Student Volunteer Movement.
• Student group's motto was The world for Christ in our generation i.e. 15

Third Era of Missions

• The Third Era of Missions
• Puts its geographical focus moves to people group perspective (Sociological perspective)
• Personified by Cam Townsend and Ralph Winter, key figures were who emphasized the importance of translating the Bible into people's heart languages and focusing on unreached people groups

Key Questions

• Both leaders wanted to answer:
  • How do people come to Christ, as individuals or in people movements? (Acts 16:31), and
  • What drives Conversion Dynamics: Is it the exploration of how individuals and groups come to faith?
• There was an understanding that Christianity is no longer Western and certainly doesn't reflect the accusation it is a
• Donald McGavran made key contributions as he realised that when key member of clan make decision for Jesus, the clan also make the same decision

Early Missionary Activity

• Some Examples of Early Missionary Activity in Asia:
  • From the era before 1000 AD we have fragments of psalters and lectionaries in multiple lectionaries in multiple languages
  • Franciscan Italian priests as early as 1294
  • Jesuit priests gained the first solid foothold, Matteo Ricci, in 16th century

Drivers of Expansion

• Principal Drivers of the expansion of Christianity: - They key Driver is the Age of the Spirit → Power of God has come
  • The Pentecostal and Charismatic movements significantly contributed to the growth of Christianity worldwide, with “Age of the Spirit"
• It means The Pentecostal and Charismatic movements significantly contributed to the growth of Christianity worldwide
• Ways people live their life (John Wesley) Sanctification
  • Focus on subsequent spiritual experiences connected to focused and empowered service, believe in doctrine of subsequent spiritual experience(deeper life), pursuit of God and be part of Missionary (empowerment) with an emphasis on the importance of the trinity
  • , emphasized personal sanctification, purity, and a deeper spiritual life among Christians. These movements encouraged believers to live lives that were distinctly Christ-like and devoted to God

Prediction

• Some key Predictions
  • Harvard theologian, Harvey Cox, predicted in 1553 that the spirituality of the 21st century would be decidedly Pentecostal/Charismatic
• Also Statistician Todd Johnstone observes that there will be 1.2 billion “renewalists" globally by 2050, making them the largest Protestant group of Christians globally

Bible Translation

• Drivers for Bible Translation were: - Luther wanted to place in the language of the people became the source of literacy and thus human empowerment/agency Literacy - Half the world lacks a Bible in their own language

Trends

• There were 7 trends according to Doctor Ivan Satyavrata:
  • Massive human migration, deterritorialization of culture, culture shock and religion quake, the shifting center of Christianity, the rise of global poverty as a threat to human life, and the explosion of information and technology
• They mean that Not where should we go but "WHO" should we go to?

E Scale

• It is the tool to measure The cultural distance between the evangelist and the potential hearers
• (E-1) → Culturally close to spread the gospel
• (E-2) --> Speak the same language but cross cultural
• (E-3) --> Don't speak the same language and need interpreter

Key Facts

• A missionary is one who is doing E2-E3 evangelism, or is culturally different from the context they come from
• Not all evangelists are missionaries
• The tasks include: -Regular missions -to spread to their own -Frontier missions with establish a P-1 church to help the community

Tools

• Major Statistical Tools for Missions were:
  • the UPG which is a people group within which there is no indigenous community of believing Christians able to evangelize the people group
    • and, reached groups - Capable of evangelizing and establishing the church itself with no outside help

Cultural Stats

-Non religious - affinity