michael goheen

23
Michael Goheen Geneva Chair of Worldview and Religious Studies Trinity Western University Reading [and Preaching] the Bible to Equip the Church for Mission

Upload: kamana

Post on 24-Feb-2016

70 views

Category:

Documents


1 download

DESCRIPTION

Michael Goheen. Geneva Chair of Worldview and Religious Studies Trinity Western University. Reading [and Preaching] the Bible to Equip the Church for Mission. Three preliminary and foundational comments. The Bible tells the true story of the world - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

TRANSCRIPT

Page 1: Michael Goheen

Michael GoheenGeneva Chair of Worldview and Religious StudiesTrinity Western University

Reading [and Preaching] the Bible to Equip the Church for Mission

Page 2: Michael Goheen

Three preliminary and foundational comments• The Bible tells the true story of the

world

The whole point of Christianity is that it offers a story which is the story of he whole world. It is public truth.

- N.T. Wright

Page 3: Michael Goheen

True meaning of history and meaning of human life

The way we understand human life depends on what conception we have of the human story. What is the real story of which my life story is a part?

-Lesslie Newbigin

Page 4: Michael Goheen

Narrating the world as it really is

To accept the authority of this story is to enter it and to inhabit it. It is to live in the world as the world is portrayed in this story.

- Richard Bauckham

Page 5: Michael Goheen

Three preliminary and foundational comments• The Bible tells the true story of the

world• Mission is a central theme of the

biblical story

Page 6: Michael Goheen

Centrality of mission in biblical story

“Mission is . . . a major key that unlocks the whole grand narrative of the canon of Scripture.” (Chris Wright)

Missionary consciousness: A people for the sake of the world

Missionary encounter with culture: A contrast people shaped by a different story

Page 7: Michael Goheen

Three preliminary and foundational comments• The Bible tells the true story of the

world• Mission is a central theme of the

biblical story• Biblical authority must be

understood within the context of mission

Page 8: Michael Goheen

Mission and biblical authorityGod’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 9: Michael Goheen

Scripture as tool of God’s missionThe Bible is the Word of God,the record and tool of his redeeming work.

- Contemporary Testimony, Our World Belongs to God, 32

Page 10: Michael Goheen

Tool of God’s mission

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 11: Michael Goheen

Reading the Old Testament to equip the church for mission

• God equips his people to serve his mission in the world

• ‘Equip’: Various genres function as multiple tools to accomplish purpose

Page 12: Michael Goheen

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 13: Michael Goheen

Reading the New Testament to equip the church for mission• Jesus fulfils the purpose of Old

Testament Scriptures

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. (Rom 8.3)

Page 14: Michael Goheen

Reading the New Testament to equip the church for mission• Jesus fulfils the purpose of Old

Testament Scriptures• Apostolic proclamation of gospel makes

Christ present in his transforming power

Page 15: Michael Goheen

Apostolic proclamation of the gospel . . .• . . . 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.)

• . . . calls into existence missional community• . . . shapes them into a faithful and attractive

community• . . . is Christ coming to us clothed in the words of

the gospel• . . . is an instrument of Spirit to transform God’s

people

Page 16: Michael Goheen

Reading the New Testament to equip the church for mission• Jesus fulfils the purpose of Old

Testament Scriptures• Apostolic proclamation of gospel makes

Christ present in his transforming power• New Testament Scriptures: Literary

expression of apostolic gospel

Page 17: Michael Goheen

The New Testament authors . . .

• . . . committed their preaching and teaching to written form

• . . . make Christ present in transforming power

Page 18: Michael Goheen

Christ clothed in gospel

“For Holy Scripture is the garment which our Lord Christ has put on and in which He lets Himself be seen and found.” (Martin Luther)

“This, then, is the true knowledge of Christ, if we receive him as he is offered by the Father: namely, clothed with his gospel.” (John Calvin)

Page 19: Michael Goheen

The New Testament authors . . .

• . . . committed their preaching and teaching to written form

• . . . make Christ present in transforming power

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

Page 20: Michael Goheen

Instruments to form communities for missional vocation

The writings that became the canonic New Testament all functioned basically as instruments for the continuing formation of these communities for the faithful fulfillment of their missional vocation.

- Darrell Guder

Page 21: Michael Goheen

And so the proper question to ask . . .‘How did this written testimony form and equip God’s people for their missional vocation then, and how does it do so today?’ All the resources of historical, critical, and literary research on the biblical testimony can and must contribute to the church’s formation by illumining all the dimensions of this fundamental question.

- Darrell Guder explicating David Bosch

Page 22: Michael Goheen

New Testament authority

• Gospels: Tells story of Jesus contextualised for particular community to shape their missional identity

• Letters: Unfolds missional implications of gospel for churches

Page 23: Michael Goheen

Last word

Mission is not just one of the many things the Bible talks about, but undergirds, shapes, and produces the text so that to read the Bible in a non-missional way is to misread it and misunderstand what God is saying.