The Bible provides vital theological truth that shapes a person’s understanding of humanity and cities. God’s Word reveals that all people are fallen and hopeless apart from Christ, that Jesus died to save people from God’s wrath and unite them to Himself by grace through faith, and that one day He will return to establish His kingdom on earth. This foundation shows that the greatest enemy is sin, the greatest need is salvation, and the greatest hope is Jesus Christ.
God wants to speak - He speaks through His Word
Several examples will demonstrate that New Testament world-wide missions were based on Old Testament foundations. For instance, in Acts 13:46-49, Paul and Barnabas, having been rejected by the Jews in Antioch, explain their decision to preach to the Gentiles in the future by citing Isaiah 49:6 (Acts 13:47) “For so hath the Lord commanded us, saying, I have set thee to be light of the Gentiles, that thou shouldest be for salvation unto the ends of the earth.”
James uses Amos 9:11-12 in his closing speech at the Apostolic Council to justify Paul’s right to preach the Gospel to the Gentiles (Acts 15:13-2; Isa. 61:4; Ps. 22:27-28; Zech. 8:22). He believes the Church to be the “tabernacle of David that is fallen,” which will join the remnant of Judah with the heathen Gentiles.
Peter combines the Great Commission with a reference to the Old Testament as an argument for his preaching the Gospel to Cornelius. “And he commanded us to preach unto the people, and to testify that it is he which was ordained of God to be the Judge of quick and dead. To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins” (Acts 10:42-43).
The Bible was used as a mine from which “missionary texts” could be extracted. Most of the Bible, especially the Old Testament, was undoubtedly “particularistic” and therefore hardly usable as a foundation for a world-wide mission. If, however, we searched carefully and persistently among the rocks and rubble we would find small nuggets of real gold-stories of pagans such a Ruth and Naaman, who accepted the faith of Israel, “universalistic” expressions in the Psalms and in Deutero-Isaiah, encounters between Jesus and non-Jews, such as the Roman centurion, etc. Sometimes there are no such clearly visible nuggets of gold, then the ore would have to be melted carefully and the invisible gold meticulously extracted for it via the elaborate processes of exegesis.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Leaving your perspective matters...