Theology of Mission (Summarised Exam Guide 1).docx

**Detailed notes: [[LINK]](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1zH6f8IzpxPyJaEHyuRsdUkUkYr_EfKFfn8KDqHuBEhM/edit)** 1. **Define missional hermeneutic** - It is hearing the scriptures as an authoritative guide to God's mission in the world so that communities of faith can participate full...

**Detailed notes: [[LINK]](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1zH6f8IzpxPyJaEHyuRsdUkUkYr_EfKFfn8KDqHuBEhM/edit)** 1. **Define missional hermeneutic** - It is hearing the scriptures as an authoritative guide to God's mission in the world so that communities of faith can participate fully in God's mission 2. **Why is missional hermeneutics a helpful framework?** - We are a part of a grand narrative of redemption - It gives symmetry to our study of the Bible - We need not get lost in the difficult-to-understand narratives and teachings 3. **What is the Missional Direction of the biblical story of redemption** - Creation (Gen 1-2): - The creation of heaven and earth with humankind as the pinnacle of God's creation - Fall (Gen 3-11) - The story of the fundamental problem of the world - Creation is shattered by human sinfulness, which permeates every crevice of created order - God's holiness and His love are seen in the Babel story that results in initial steps towards redemption - Israel as the initial form of the People of God (Gen 12:1-3) - The emergence of a comprehensive picture of a redeemed community - A holy community to serve the nations - Psalms: prayer/ worship for God's people - Wisdom: reflection on the human condition - Prophet: Reminders and global focus - Jesus Messiah Redeemer - Jesus came to announce His rule over the world - The church as a complete form of the people of God - The church is a community sent for eternal purposes - New Creation (Rev 20-21) - A culmination of the story of redemption in a full countering of the effects of human sinfulness that have plagued all creation 4. **The difference between mission and missions** - **Mission:** All God is doing in His purpose for creation and all God calls us to as we cooperate with His purposes - **Missions:** Activities God's people engage in as we partake in God's mission 5. **The character of God, not the need of our world, shapes the redemptive mission of God** - Mission arises from the heart of God - It is not because "these people are sinful and I need to come up with a plan to save them" 6. **Connection between Deuteronomy 7:6 & Exodus 19:4-6 and 1 Peter 2:9-10** - **Deu & Exo:** God has embodied His mission in a community (the people of God), and He has chosen them as His special people - **1 Pet:** Peter used the same language in Deu and Exo to say that God has called the Christians out as His special people and holy nation 7. **Scriptures used by Chris Wright on caring for Creation** - **Gen 2:15** Man was created to be servants of creation (tend the garden) - **Ps 148** All creation is God's work - **Ps 96:10, Isa 65:17, Rom 8:18-25, Rev 21** Redemption includes all of creation - **Ps 108:5, Isa 42:6, Acts 1:8, Phi 2:10-11** The whole world is God's creation 8. **What is the Great Reminder (Mt 28:19-20)** - The bible conveys a single redemptive saga with diverse stories - The establishment of Abraham and his family demonstrates mandate that those who are blessed in a relationship with God will bless others - God's people had already been doing this in the old testament, but the redemptive saga reveals the character of God in its most complete form 9. **Entry point of God's plan of redemption** - **Gen 10-11:** The table of Nations - Post Noah, there became more complex societies, and they decided that they did not need God anymore. They build the tower of Babel - **Gen 12:** Election of Abrahan's family as the people who would represent God, and blessed to be a blessing - Understanding was heightened in tragedy: Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Isaiah, Daniel were prophets who sharpened the focus of God's desire to bless the nations 10. **OT verses showing God is the redeemer of nations** - **Isaiah 2:1-4:** God's house shall be established and "all nations shall flow to it" - **Micah 4:1-4** "people shall flow to it" 11. **Connect the stories of Rahab, Ruth, Jonah to God's redemptive plan** - **Missionary Motif:** The prophets are relentless in their reminder that Israel's unique calling as a nation is not to privilege. - **Rahab:** God's love for Rahab who was forsaken by her own people - **Ruth:** Ruth was an ethnic outsider chosen into His community - **Jonah:** God is loving and merciful and will forgive and save those who come to Him in repentance. It is negative a case study of the missionary mandate and how exclusive God's people had now understood their missionary mandate! 12. **Holy People & kingdom of priests** - **Holy People:** Set apart for distinct purposes - different from the nations and unique in God's sight. The visible outcomes of holiness is revealed in **Lev 1**9 through moral and ceremonial laws - **Priestly:** Living lives that visibly demonstrate the nature of God in loving God and loving people 13. **Scriptures in Deuteronomy on how one is to love God and our neighbours** - **Deu 6:4** Love God first - **Deu 16:19-20, Deu 15:1-11** Live in justice - **Deu 23:10-11** Live in equity with the land - **Deu 23:19-20** Live in equity with fiscal resources 14. **How does the "blessed to be a blessing" pattern in Genesis 12:1-2 extend throughout the bible?** - God's work started with Abraham, transforming into a large family, then to Israel, then through Christ, a multinational community of believers from every nation 15. **Strategic focus of Jesus** - **Mt 10:5-6:** Jesus and the Jewish people (12 sent out to Jews only) - **Luke 10:** Jesus sent disciples ahead to every city and place Jesus was going (70 sent out) - **Mark 10:35-45:** The breadth of Jesus' focus (He came to give his life a ransom for many) 16. **Jesus' ministry to Samaritan woman (John 4) and Centurion (Luke 7) revealed His concern for Gentiles** - The breadth of the commission was reinforced - His earthly ministry includes non-Jewish, and He is broadening His ministry and design of God - All nations will hear the good news of one true God 17. **The mission has a church** - The church is to be a people of God that bears witness to the Good News and the Kingdom of God has come to the present - It proclaims the redeeming work of Jesus and its power to transform humankind and bring influence on culture - The clearest picture of God's people is a church 18. **Why is Pentecost so critical to empowering the continuation of God's redemptive mission** - 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 the Gospel - Pentecost empowers us to be **visible witnesses** 19. **Missiological Emphasis of Acts** - Luke's theology and historiography are missiological, how the first century church advanced the church - Luke is repeated interested in the Gentile nations, the *ethne* (Gk) - **Historical intent:** to have a clear understanding of the beginning of the church - **Theological intent:** emphasise the teachings of Jesus, not just His doing - **Evangelistic intent:** nature and importance of salvation - **Pastoral intent:** to encourage and strengthen the Christians by assuring them that they can triumph over opposition and persecution - **Apologetic intent:** Lengthy trial episodes, asking Roman authorities to stop persecuting them - **Chief purpose:** missiological 20. **Common denominator & distinction across the 7 outpourings of the Holy Spirit** - **Empowerment-witness motif:** empowerment of Holy Spirit to be a witness of the Gospel of Jesus 1. **First Jerusalem Outpowering (Acts 2:1-4):** introduce empowerment-witness motif 2. **Second Jerusalem Outpouring (Acts 4:31):** After Peter & John were arrested, disciples prayed for boldness. Second key example of empowerment-witness motif 3. **Samaritan Outpouring (Acts 8:14-17):** Disciples were scattered as a result of persecution. Peter and John sent to pray for the new believers to receive the Holy Spirit. As a result, it became a new centre of missionary outreach 4. **Damascus Outpouring (Acts 9:15-17):** Ananias prayed for Saul to be filled with the Holy Spirit. He immediately began to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues 5. **Caesarean Outpouring (Acts 10:44-47):** Holy Spirit fell on Gentiles, it was a Spirit-empowered missional witness. Gentiles also become full participants in the mission of God to proclaim the gospel 6. **Antiochian Outpouring (Acts 13:1-4):** Launch Paul and Barnabas into their first missionary journey. Spirit directs the missionary enterprise of the early church 7. **Ephesian Outpouring (Acts 19:1-7):** Entire ephesian church empowered for witness, and the gospel is spread to Asia 21. **The biblical gospel** - The biblical gospel announces to us the story of the undeniable experiences of unique events, culminating in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth - **Uncompromising Claims:** in these events, the living God has acted to save humanity and redeem His creation, and there is no other God or source of such salvation - **Undivided Loyalty:** it requires the undivided loyalty of the hearts, minds, and lives of people who know these things 22. **What is the mission of God's people?** - We are here as human beings to care for God's creation - We are chosen in Abraham to be a people through whom God's blessing reaches all nations - We are called to walk in the ways of God, in justice and righteousness, in a corrupt world - We are to live out the dynamic of our own redemption and compassionate treatment of others - We are to represent God to the world and draw the world to God - We are to be people whose lives demonstrate the character of God and attract others to come in faith with HIm - We are to know the living God and be uncompromisingly loyal to the Lord Jesus Christ in our worship and witness 23. **Describe Paul's statement "Every spiritual blessing"** - By God's grace, through the death and resurrection of Jesus, believers are assured of every spiritual blessing in Christ - **Justified** - declared righteous on the basis of our faith in Jesus - **Saved** - delivered from the wrath of God - **Reconciled** - enmity between God and humankind has been removed - **Forgiven** - our sins carried by Jesus on the cross, never to be held against us - **Redeemed** - liberated from the bondage of sins, the effects of living life by our own rules - **Adopted** - treated as firstborn heirs - **Made alive** - resurrection of Christ in us - **Sealed with the Spirit** - a guarantee of legitimacy 24. **Sending going and supporting church** - **Mission-sending churches** are truth-walking churches - **Faithfulness** toward the missionaries are shown in practical ways - **Sending** (3 John 6): *Propempo* (Gk) Make all necessary arrangements and provision for someone's journey - **Going** (3 John 7): Missionaries are sent for the sake of Jesus in faith and loyalty to God's name - **Supporting** (3 John 8): The grace of giving is a spiritual gift. Christian fellowships have a duty to support those who are sent out in the name of Jesus