1. Scripture as a Tool of God’s Mission
Michael Goheen, Vancouver

2. 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

3. Scripture after Enlightenment
Conveying true theological or ethical information
Divine self-communication
Record of God’s revelation
Devotional manual

4. 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.

5. 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

6. “The apostolic writings
“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

7. Basic Overview Old Testament Scriptures Work of Jesus Christ
Apostolic proclamation
New Testament Scriptures

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

9. 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

10. Various Old Testament ‘Tools’
Law ordered national, ethical, liturgical life
Wisdom helped shape daily conduct in conformity to God’s creational order

11. 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 ).

12. 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 ).

13. 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.

14. Example: Chronicles Discouragement History retold for a new situation
Material from Kings cut and new material added
Goal: Encourage Israel to faithfulness

15. Structure of Chronicles
Genealogies: Israel a link in God’s plan (1 Chr. 1-9)
Picture of ideal Israel (1 Chr Chr. 10)

16. Picture of Ideal Israel
All Israel united
Around a faithful king
Around temple

17. Purpose of Picture Encourage to present faithfulness
Encourage to future hope

18. Structure of Chronicles
Genealogies: Israel a link in God’s plan (1 Chr. 1-9)
Picture of ideal Israel (1 Chr Chr. 10)
God’s immediate faithfulness to covenant (2 Chr )

19. 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

20. 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

21. 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).

22. nor does his word dwell in you
. . . 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 )

23. 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

24. 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

25. 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).

26. 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

27. 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.”

28. 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

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

30. 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

31. 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.”

32. Apostolic preaching in literary expression
Apostolic preaching takes literary form
Gospels: Tells story of Jesus contextualised for particular audience

33. 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?

34. 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

35. 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

36. 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

37. 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

38. 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

39. My goal? Confidence in Scriptures as living and powerful
Desire to handle various ‘tools’ aright

40. 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)

41. 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?