Joshva Raja SOCMS 1

Mission and BibleMission and Bible

SOCMS PresentationSOCMS Presentation

October 2006October 2006

Session 2Session 2

Joshva Raja SOCMS 2

Role of the Bible in MissionRole of the Bible in Mission

Mission involves God, Gospel, God’s Mission involves God, Gospel, God’s people, Listeners, Missionaries, Message, people, Listeners, Missionaries, Message, Medium/Methods, Contexts/History, TextsMedium/Methods, Contexts/History, Texts

Bible – God’s Word, history of people of Bible – God’s Word, history of people of God – Missionary in Nature?God – Missionary in Nature?

Consider only New Testament in other Consider only New Testament in other contexts! Why the Whole Bible?contexts! Why the Whole Bible?

inspired word of God, rich experience of inspired word of God, rich experience of his people, unique source of churches his people, unique source of churches reflection – not fixed literary proof of Godreflection – not fixed literary proof of God

Joshva Raja SOCMSJoshva Raja SOCMS 33

Missio DeiMissio DeiGod’s MissionGod’s Mission

Where are you Adam? Caring Mission - Gen 1Where are you Adam? Caring Mission - Gen 1 Let my People Go! Liberative Mission - ExodusLet my People Go! Liberative Mission - Exodus I am the Lord. You shall not murder! Normative I am the Lord. You shall not murder! Normative

mission – Deuteronomy mission – Deuteronomy Redeem My people! Redemptive mission -JudgesRedeem My people! Redemptive mission -Judges You are the man! Prophetic Mission – KingsYou are the man! Prophetic Mission – Kings Repent! Proclaiming Mission - JonahRepent! Proclaiming Mission - Jonah Will the bones be alive? Restoring Mission -IsaiahWill the bones be alive? Restoring Mission -Isaiah

4Joshva Raja SOCMS

Mission of GodMission of God Listening God – Listening God –

opposite viewsopposite views God of silenceGod of silence Forgiving GodForgiving God Angry GodAngry God Powerful GodPowerful God Speaking GodSpeaking God Seeing GodSeeing God Dynamic GodDynamic God

Accepts audience

Breaks the barriers on his own

Use people’s language

Go to the margins

Corrects mistakes

Changes nature for audience

Space for other views

Struggles for relationship

Joshva Raja SOCMS 5

Old Testament and MissionOld Testament and Mission

Dialectic between Centripetal (Inward) Dialectic between Centripetal (Inward) and Centrifugal (outward)and Centrifugal (outward)

God’s election – Deep Solidarity with God’s election – Deep Solidarity with non-elect nations – chosen ones and non-elect nations – chosen ones and relationship with othersrelationship with others

Secular History – exodus from Egypt Secular History – exodus from Egypt and Non-Israelite celebrations – harvest and Non-Israelite celebrations – harvest festivals became absorbed into rituals… festivals became absorbed into rituals…

Self identity and corruption exceeded Self identity and corruption exceeded and prophetic voices came in…and prophetic voices came in…

Joshva Raja SOCMS 6

God and Mission in OTGod and Mission in OT

God as Saviour before as Creator?God as Saviour before as Creator? Concern for contact, relationship and Concern for contact, relationship and

understanding with all beingsunderstanding with all beings Special concern for the poor and the Special concern for the poor and the

defencelessdefenceless Covenant with the chosen people of GodCovenant with the chosen people of God Care for alien and foreigner in the land Care for alien and foreigner in the land

of Judeaof Judea Demanded an attitude of humble Demanded an attitude of humble

sharingsharing

Joshva Raja SOCMS 7

Mission in the Old TestamentMission in the Old Testament Creation story – Story of the fall Creation story – Story of the fall Babel Tower – Not Uniformity rather Babel Tower – Not Uniformity rather

unity in diversityunity in diversity Selection of Kings – removal of Selection of Kings – removal of

theocracytheocracy Changing of contexts and values –Changing of contexts and values –

critical and appreciationcritical and appreciation Words used in relation to mission in OT Words used in relation to mission in OT

= Reform, redeem, restore, reconcile, = Reform, redeem, restore, reconcile, reformulate, rebuild, restructure, return, reformulate, rebuild, restructure, return, reorient, resurrect…reorient, resurrect…

Joshva Raja SOCMS 8

Key concepts of Mission in OTKey concepts of Mission in OT

Reign of God and His will to save Reign of God and His will to save HumanityHumanity

Past Narratives (history) as faith Past Narratives (history) as faith sources and revealingsources and revealing

The creation and creature – arena of The creation and creature – arena of revelation and salvationrevelation and salvation

Religious experience as witnessing Religious experience as witnessing missionmission

Relationship as God’s Initiative and Relationship as God’s Initiative and Motivation for MissionMotivation for Mission

Joshva Raja SOCMS 9

Mission and the New TestamentMission and the New Testament

Major resource personalities are Major resource personalities are Jesus, Paul, John and othersJesus, Paul, John and others

Four Gospels not one; historical Four Gospels not one; historical reliability; Jesus of History and Christ reliability; Jesus of History and Christ of Faith – early Christians influenceof Faith – early Christians influence

Listening to the past and speaking to Listening to the past and speaking to the present and future - Discovering the present and future - Discovering variety of Jesuses – variety of Jesuses – revolutionary/right wing/founder of revolutionary/right wing/founder of modern businessmodern business

Joshva Raja SOCMS 10

Mission in the New TestamentMission in the New Testament

Construction of Historical Jesus in the four Construction of Historical Jesus in the four Gospels – Evangelists/Communities used Gospels – Evangelists/Communities used creative and responsible freedom in creative and responsible freedom in retaining and adopting Jesus’ traditionsretaining and adopting Jesus’ traditions

Listen to the Past in order to speak to the Listen to the Past in order to speak to the present and futurepresent and future

Gaps and Connections – historical gaps – Gaps and Connections – historical gaps – marginal communities find similaritiesmarginal communities find similarities

Joshva Raja SOCMS 11

Not Form, Redaction nor social rather Not Form, Redaction nor social rather critical hermeneutics – Not looking critical hermeneutics – Not looking for an Objective statement of reality for an Objective statement of reality out there rather interpreted realityout there rather interpreted reality

Correspondence between the self Correspondence between the self definition of early Christians and definition of early Christians and todaystodays

Self definition of Early Christians lead Self definition of Early Christians lead to self definition of Jesusto self definition of Jesus

Jesus and Israel – Greek and Roman Jesus and Israel – Greek and Roman influence – Jewish Proselytes and God influence – Jewish Proselytes and God fearers – Qumran to evangelize Jewsfearers – Qumran to evangelize Jews

Joshva Raja SOCMS 12

Q/LogiaQ/Logia

Mission statement only to IsraelMission statement only to Israel Gentiles Mt 3:9; Mt 12:41Gentiles Mt 3:9; Mt 12:41 Warning to the privileges of Jews –Mt Warning to the privileges of Jews –Mt

8:10; Mt 15:28; Mt 8:11-13; Mt 21:318:10; Mt 15:28; Mt 8:11-13; Mt 21:31 Gentile Mission is post-Easter Gentile Mission is post-Easter

discovery – Jesus himself laid the discovery – Jesus himself laid the foundation for Gentile Missionfoundation for Gentile Mission

Joshva Raja SOCMS 13

For JesusFor Jesus

For Jesus God’s reign as the expression of For Jesus God’s reign as the expression of God caring authority over the whole of God caring authority over the whole of life life

Reign of God as past, present and future.Reign of God as past, present and future. Not the Law but God reign mattersNot the Law but God reign matters Not rules and rituals but people mattersNot rules and rituals but people matters

Joshva Raja SOCMS 14

Missio Jesus Missio Jesus

Incarnation Model (Salt)Incarnation Model (Salt) Healing Model (Physician)Healing Model (Physician) Preaching Model (Stones)Preaching Model (Stones) Demonstration Model (Water)Demonstration Model (Water) Transfiguration Model (Light)Transfiguration Model (Light) Resurrection (Wheat)Resurrection (Wheat) Crusification (Wine)Crusification (Wine)

Joshva Raja SOCMS 15

……there is only one foundation.there is only one foundation.

Joshva Raja SOCMS 16

Early Church and MissionEarly Church and Mission

Early Christians part of Jewish or separate Early Christians part of Jewish or separate community? Gentile Christians to be community? Gentile Christians to be circumcised?circumcised?

Hebrew or Greek speaking Jewish self-Hebrew or Greek speaking Jewish self-understandingunderstanding

Between end time and not yet – Between end time and not yet – eschatological self-understandingeschatological self-understanding

Mission replaced by the expectation of the Mission replaced by the expectation of the end and mission itself an eschatological end and mission itself an eschatological eventevent

Pharisees and SynagoguePharisees and Synagogue

Joshva Raja SOCMS 17

Post Jesus Post Jesus

Apostolic model (sent)Apostolic model (sent) Martyrdom model (die)Martyrdom model (die) Social service model (share)Social service model (share) Church model (relate)Church model (relate) Letter model (command)Letter model (command) Spiritual model (fill)Spiritual model (fill) Witness model (live)Witness model (live)

Joshva Raja SOCMS 18

Jesus and Early Church practices Jesus and Early Church practices

Christian mission involves the person of Christian mission involves the person of Jesus himselfJesus himself

Early Christian Mission was political, Early Christian Mission was political, revolutionary and subversiverevolutionary and subversive

Inter-alia new relationship between Jews, Inter-alia new relationship between Jews, Gentiles, men and women…Gentiles, men and women…

Marana Tha (our Lord come) – Lived in Marana Tha (our Lord come) – Lived in hope and not yet fulfilled – not utopians hope and not yet fulfilled – not utopians nor to establish the reign nor to establish the reign

Martyria witness with the blood of Jesus Martyria witness with the blood of Jesus and followersand followers

Joshva Raja SOCMS 19

Paul and MissionPaul and Mission

Context of Paul’s MissionContext of Paul’s Mission

Wandering preachersWandering preachers Greek Speaking Jewish ChristiansGreek Speaking Jewish Christians Judaizing Christian MissionariesJudaizing Christian Missionaries Divisions and CommunitiesDivisions and Communities Persecution of ChristiansPersecution of Christians

Joshva Raja SOCMS 20

Mission strategiesMission strategies

1. to preach Jesus where not yet 1. to preach Jesus where not yet preached Rom 15:23preached Rom 15:23

2. A Sense of Urgency - being in Christ2. A Sense of Urgency - being in Christ3. Cooperative and Community based 3. Cooperative and Community based

missionmission4. Mission as function of the Church4. Mission as function of the Church5. Self-confidence and self-consciousness5. Self-confidence and self-consciousness6. A sense of concern to bring people to 6. A sense of concern to bring people to

Christ – a sense of responsibility to Christ – a sense of responsibility to Gentiles – a sense of gratitude and Gentiles – a sense of gratitude and privilege to proclaimprivilege to proclaim

Joshva Raja SOCMS 21

Paul Missionary paradigmPaul Missionary paradigm

The church as a new Community The church as a new Community (Eph 2:15)(Eph 2:15)

Mission to Jews (Rom 9-11)Mission to Jews (Rom 9-11) Mission in God’s imminent Triumph Mission in God’s imminent Triumph Mission and Transformation of Mission and Transformation of

SocietySociety Mission in WeaknessMission in Weakness Mission with aims and goalsMission with aims and goals