Top Banner
Scripture as a Tool of God’s Mission Michael Goheen, Vancouver
41

Scripture as a Tool of Gods Mission Michael Goheen, Vancouver.

Mar 26, 2015

Download

Documents

Jasmine Baker
Welcome message from author
This document is posted to help you gain knowledge. Please leave a comment to let me know what you think about it! Share it to your friends and learn new things together.
Transcript
Page 1: Scripture as a Tool of Gods Mission Michael Goheen, Vancouver.

Scripture as a Tool of God’s Mission

Michael Goheen, Vancouver

Page 2: Scripture as a Tool of Gods Mission Michael Goheen, Vancouver.

The Bible is the Word of God,

the record and tool of his redeeming work.

It is the Word of truth, breath of God,

fully reliable

in leading us to know God

and to walk with Jesus

Christ in new life. - Our World Belongs to God, 32

Page 3: Scripture as a Tool of Gods Mission Michael Goheen, Vancouver.

Scripture after Enlightenment

• Conveying true theological or ethical information

• Divine self-communication

• Record of God’s revelation

• Devotional manual

Page 4: Scripture as a Tool of Gods Mission Michael Goheen, Vancouver.

Tool of God’s Mission

• What role does Scripture play in the accomplishment of God’s mission to restore creation and human life?

• What role does Scripture play in shaping and forming a people to be a channel of blessing to nations?

• Does not just record God’s work but takes an active part to actualise and bring about God’s purpose.

Page 5: Scripture as a Tool of Gods Mission Michael Goheen, Vancouver.

God’s “self-revelation is always to be understood within the category of God’s mission to the world, God’s saving sovereignty let loose through Jesus and the Spirit and aimed at the healing and renewal of the creation.”

- N.T. Wright

Page 6: Scripture as a Tool of Gods Mission Michael Goheen, Vancouver.

“The apostolic writings . . . were not simply about the coming of God’s Kingdom into all the world; they were, and were designed to be, part of the means whereby that happened . . .”

- N.T. Wright

Page 7: Scripture as a Tool of Gods Mission Michael Goheen, Vancouver.

Basic Overview

• Old Testament Scriptures

• Work of Jesus Christ

• Apostolic proclamation

• New Testament Scriptures

Page 8: Scripture as a Tool of Gods Mission Michael Goheen, Vancouver.

The Last Word: Beyond the Bible Wards to a New Understanding of the Authority of Scripture (N.T. Wright): Ch. 2-4

Page 9: Scripture as a Tool of Gods Mission Michael Goheen, Vancouver.

Old Testament Scriptures

“. . . a full account of the role of scripture within the life of Israel would appear as a function of Israel’s election by God for the sake of the world. Through scripture, God was equipping his people to serve his purposes. Equipping . . . is inadequate shorthand for the multiple tasks scripture accomplished.”

- N.T. Wright

Page 10: Scripture as a Tool of Gods Mission Michael Goheen, Vancouver.

Various Old Testament ‘Tools’

• Law ordered national, ethical, liturgical life

• Wisdom helped shape daily conduct in conformity to God’s creational order

Page 11: Scripture as a Tool of Gods Mission Michael Goheen, Vancouver.

Example: Ecclesiastes

“I denied myself nothing my eyes desired; I refused my heart no pleasure. My heart took delight in all my work, and this was the reward for all my labour. Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun (Eccl. 2.10-11).

Page 12: Scripture as a Tool of Gods Mission Michael Goheen, Vancouver.

Conclusion of the matter

Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil (Eccl. 12.13-14).

Page 13: Scripture as a Tool of Gods Mission Michael Goheen, Vancouver.

Various Old Testament ‘Tools’

• Law ordered national, ethical, liturgical life• Wisdom helped shape daily conduct in

conformity to God’s creational order• Prophets called them back to vocation with

warning and promise• Psalms brought all of Israel’s life into God’s

presence in worship and prayer to nourish covenant faithfulness

• Historical books continued to tell the story of Israel at different points reminding Israel of and calling them to their missional place in the story.

Page 14: Scripture as a Tool of Gods Mission Michael Goheen, Vancouver.

Example: Chronicles

• Discouragement

• History retold for a new situation

• Material from Kings cut and new material added

• Goal: Encourage Israel to faithfulness

Page 15: Scripture as a Tool of Gods Mission Michael Goheen, Vancouver.

Structure of Chronicles

• Genealogies: Israel a link in God’s plan (1 Chr. 1-9)

• Picture of ideal Israel (1 Chr. 9 - 2 Chr. 10)

Page 16: Scripture as a Tool of Gods Mission Michael Goheen, Vancouver.

Picture of Ideal Israel

• All Israel united

• Around a faithful king

• Around temple

Page 17: Scripture as a Tool of Gods Mission Michael Goheen, Vancouver.

Purpose of Picture

• Encourage to present faithfulness

• Encourage to future hope

Page 18: Scripture as a Tool of Gods Mission Michael Goheen, Vancouver.

Structure of Chronicles

• Genealogies: Israel a link in God’s plan (1 Chr. 1-9)

• Picture of ideal Israel (1 Chr. 9 - 2 Chr. 10)

• God’s immediate faithfulness to covenant (2 Chr. 10-36)

Page 19: Scripture as a Tool of Gods Mission Michael Goheen, Vancouver.

Major Concerns of Chronicler• Israel is part of God’s plan

• Israel’s future is tied to covenant- keeping king

• Temple: God is present with Israel

• Covenant relation continues: God’s immediate response

• Call for repentance/whole-hearted commitment

Page 20: Scripture as a Tool of Gods Mission Michael Goheen, Vancouver.

Scripture as Tool of God’s Mission

• Old Testament Scriptures as a tool of God’s mission

• Jesus fulfills the purpose of the Old Testament Scriptures

Page 21: Scripture as a Tool of Gods Mission Michael Goheen, Vancouver.

For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful humanity to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in human flesh, in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit (Rom. 8:3-4).

Page 22: Scripture as a Tool of Gods Mission Michael Goheen, Vancouver.

. . . nor does his word dwell in you. You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me and yet you refuse to come to me to have life. (John 5.38-40)

Page 23: Scripture as a Tool of Gods Mission Michael Goheen, Vancouver.

Fulfillment of Old Testament Scriptures

The “work which God had done through scripture in the Old Testament is done by Jesus in his public career, his death and resurrection, and his sending of the Spirit. ... Jesus thus does, climactically and decisively, what scripture had in a sense been trying to do: bring God’s fresh Kingdom order to God’s people and thence to the world.”

- N.T. Wright

Page 24: Scripture as a Tool of Gods Mission Michael Goheen, Vancouver.

Scripture as Tool of God’s Mission

• Old Testament Scriptures as a tool of God’s mission

• Jesus fulfills the purpose of the Old Testament Scriptures

• Apostolic gospel as God’s transforming power

Page 25: Scripture as a Tool of Gods Mission Michael Goheen, Vancouver.

Apostolic gospel

• Apostolic teaching, gospel, word of God• “It was the story of Jesus (particularly

his death and resurrection), told as the climax of the story of God and Israel and thus offering itself as both the true story of the world and the foundation and energizing force for the church’s mission” (N.T. Wright).

Page 26: Scripture as a Tool of Gods Mission Michael Goheen, Vancouver.

Gospel . . .

• Calls into existence missional community

• Shapes them into a faithful and attractive community

• Is the “power of God unto salvation” (Rom. 1.16; 1 Cor.1.18, 2.4-5; 1 Thess. 1.5; cf. Matt. 13.1ff.)

• Is Christ coming to us clothed in the words of the gospel

• Is an instrument of Spirit to transform God’s people

Page 27: Scripture as a Tool of Gods Mission Michael Goheen, Vancouver.

Summary

“As it is proclaimed and taught, the apostolic gospel as God’s powerful word calls into existence a missional community, shapes that community to be a faithful people, and worked through them to draw others to faith.”

Page 28: Scripture as a Tool of Gods Mission Michael Goheen, Vancouver.

Scripture as Tool of God’s Mission

• Old Testament Scriptures as a tool of God’s mission

• Jesus fulfills the purpose of the Old Testament Scriptures

• Apostolic gospel as God’s transforming power

• New Testament Scriptures: Literary expression of apostolic gospel

Page 29: Scripture as a Tool of Gods Mission Michael Goheen, Vancouver.

New Testament books “carried the same power, the same authority in action, that had characterized the initial preaching of the word.” (N.T. Wright)

Page 30: Scripture as a Tool of Gods Mission Michael Goheen, Vancouver.

New Testament authors . . .

• were conscious of their divine authority (1 Thess. 2.13)

• were empowered by the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 2.10)

• committed their preaching and teaching to written form

• wrote books to form, equip, and renew the church for mission in the world

Page 31: Scripture as a Tool of Gods Mission Michael Goheen, Vancouver.

Summary

“The New Testament authors believed themselves to be authorized teachers, who, by the guidance and power of the Spirit, wrote books and letters to sustain, energize, shape, judge, and renew the church.”

Page 32: Scripture as a Tool of Gods Mission Michael Goheen, Vancouver.

Apostolic preaching in literary expression

• Apostolic preaching takes literary form

• Gospels: Tells story of Jesus contextualised for particular audience

Page 33: Scripture as a Tool of Gods Mission Michael Goheen, Vancouver.

Gospels

• Narrate good news of Jesus

• Different as bring good news to different audiences and situations

• Select, arrange, interpret, emphasize different events

• Matthew’s audience: Jewish Christians

• Q: Who are we?

Page 34: Scripture as a Tool of Gods Mission Michael Goheen, Vancouver.

Structure of Matthew

• 1:1-4:16: Jesus introduced as Messiah

• 4:17-9:35: Jesus’ ministry to Jews• 9:36-16:12: Rejection of Jesus’

claims by Jews• 16:13-23:39: Parting of Jesus with

Jews• 24:1-end: Death, Resurrection,

Mission mandate to make known all embracing Lordship of Jesus

Page 35: Scripture as a Tool of Gods Mission Michael Goheen, Vancouver.

Five Teaching Sections in Matthew

• 5-7: How Kingdom citizens should live

• 10: How to engage in Kingdom mission

• 13: What the Kingdom is like

• 18: Life in the Kingdom - obedience, mercy, forgiveness

• 24, 25: History and coming of Kingdom

Page 36: Scripture as a Tool of Gods Mission Michael Goheen, Vancouver.

Matthew shaping community

• Church is eschatological Israel– Gathered by Jesus as lost sheep– Unbelieving Israel broken off

• Mission to make known all-embracing authority of Jesus Christ

• Instructed on how to live as new Israel

Page 37: Scripture as a Tool of Gods Mission Michael Goheen, Vancouver.

Apostolic preaching in literary expression

• Apostolic preaching takes literary form

• Gospels: Tells story of Jesus contextualised for particular audience

• Letters: Unfolds missional implications of gospel for churches

Page 38: Scripture as a Tool of Gods Mission Michael Goheen, Vancouver.

Imagery and Goal

• Scriptural books as tools in hands of sculptor

• Jesus coming to us clothed in the words of Scripture

• Instruments of Spirit’s power

• Goal: Shape God’s people to be a sign and preview of coming kingdom

Page 39: Scripture as a Tool of Gods Mission Michael Goheen, Vancouver.

My goal?

• Confidence in Scriptures as living and powerful

• Desire to handle various ‘tools’ aright

Page 40: Scripture as a Tool of Gods Mission Michael Goheen, Vancouver.

Mean for us today?

• Time in Scriptures

• New attitude toward preaching (cf. Acts 2.42)

• Pursue growing skill in handling these tools (for self and others)

• Commitment to obedience as necessary starting point (John 7.17)

Page 41: Scripture as a Tool of Gods Mission Michael Goheen, Vancouver.

Caging the power of gospel

“The gospel is like a caged lion. It doesn’t need to be defended, just released.” (Martin Luther)

Is gospel caged by misunderstanding of nature of Scriptural authority?

Is the gospel caged by a mishandling of the Scriptures?

Is the gospel caged by neglect?