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 PrintableVersion The Mission of GodIf you’re not doing outreach…THE MISSION OF GOD This is a great book in every sense. Here is no proof-texting or special pleading for missionary work, but the presentation of the biblical message of a God who is bringing the whole world to know and worship him. Wright has attempted to demonstrate that a hermeneutic for understanding the whole Bible is to view it as an account of the mission of God. This means that it should be read not just by those who have an interest in mission, but by all who want to engage with Scripture. His first part works out the basis for this hermeneutic. A useful feature throughout the book is summaries in short points of what he has argued. Part 2 sets the theme of the whole book as he sets out in three chapters the biblical teaching on the God of Mission — who makes himself known to Israel, in Jesus Christ and in confronting idolatry. Wright is excellent in handling the biblical material, especially in demonstrating the unity of the whole and the many OT echoes in the NT. It is clear that the God revealed throughout Scripture is carrying out his mission of salvation. Part 3 turns to the people of mission looking first at God’s election of Abraham and his seed. He demonstrates that the particularity of election is for the blessing of all nations and that the commissioning of Abraham in Genesis 12 is echoed throughout Scripture leading to Christ. He sees a lack of an understanding of this flow of the biblical story as one factor in the shallowness and vulnerability of much world church growth. He presents the Exodus and Jubilee as models of what God is doing in redeeming and restoring fallen humanity with the centrality of the cross. From these paradigms he argues for holistic mission and the role of the people of God as a manifestation of the presence of God in the world. He establishes clearly that the salvation of the nations was the purpose of the election of Israel. The holiness of his people is a vital element in the mission of God. The third part develops this further as he looks at the Arena of Mission. He argues that ecological concerns should be part of the mission of the church as is the restoration of the image of God in the whole of humanity. We are left with the question not of where God fits into our lives, but where our lives are to fit into God’s mission. This book presents a great picture of the message of the whole of Scripture. In particular, his expositions of OT passages are food for the soul. Its comprehensiveness makes this a must-read for all those in Christian ministry and especially mission leaders. There are places where we may want to argue with Wright’s emphases, but it is exciting to have another mission book that focuses on God in Scripture and not on human pragmatics. There aren’t many points where Chris nods, but he is not right that Bathsheba was a Hittite (p.512)! Ray Porter, © Evangelicals Now - December 2007 |
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