...Theology of Missions Paper GLST 500: Liberty University Spring 2016 Introduction Theology of missions is one of the most significant and enduring aspects of the Christian faith. The theology of missions is about witnessing and bringing the word of Christ to others and is a foundational aspect of individual religious works as well as the works of fellowships, worshippers, and the whole of Christianity. "Mission [is] 'looking beyond', being involved in God's worldwide adventure with people from many culture" [1]. As exciting as the ideal sounds the importance of mission is foundational in a changing context of faith, as more and more people step away from traditional religious worship and multiculturalism and ecumenical ideals stress transition in the faith [2]. Thus, through this paper, I will discuss the relevance of missions within the Old Testament and the New Testament, how the nature of God relates to missions, some key themes of the theology of missions and how mission theology relates to missionary, church leaders and lay people not in fulltime ministry. Old Testament and New Testament “The mission of God lies behind the whole of the Old Testament as well as the New Testament and the particular task which we call missions today” [3]. In the Old Testament, God is a sending or missionary God. In Mark 16:15-16 (NIV), God said, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved…”. Just as Saul did, in 1 Samuel...
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...THEOLOGY OF MISSIONS PAPER INTRODUCTION At the beginning of time, the pinnacle of God’s creation was man. From man God created woman, and they were sinless and called “very good.” Adam and Eve’s purpose was to have dominion over the earth and to multiply. They were given the ability to choose to follow God’s plan or their own lusts, which is a test they failed. Sin entered the world because of their failure to obey God, Adam and Eve were no longer considered pure, resulting in their separation from God. The sin curse exists today in every human because people are the seed of Adam. Separation from His creation is not what God wants. His utmost desire is for humanity to spend eternity with Him. This desire to pour out grace and mercy was demonstrated through the miraculous work of Jesus Christ on the cross, which provided redemption and restoration for sin. God’s will is for all of humanity to know this wonderful news, and it is the Christian’s responsibility to share it as stated throughout scripture. Once Christ returns, there will be no more sin and suffering. Instead Christ love will fill the earth and those who have submitted their lives to Christ will experience His joy and peace. According to John 3:17 it is God’s will for all to experience this, He wishes for none to perish. Therefore, God’s people are to preach the Gospel to all the nations until He returns. OLD TESTEMENT TEXT AS RELATED TO MISSION Some Christians disregard the Old Testament believing it is not relevant...
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...LIBERTY UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF DIVINITY Theology of Missions Submitted to Edward L. Smither, PhD In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the completion of GLST 500-D09 Global Studies Survey By Shaun Podunavac April 10, 2016 Table of Contents Chapter 1-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------3 Chapter 2-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------4 Chapter 3-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------6 Chapter 4-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------7 Chapter 5-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------8 Bibliography--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------10 Chapter 1. Scripture and Missions Throughout the Holy Bible, there have been a plethora of references to the mission of the church. The role of missions throughout the evolution of the Christian faith has been an integral aspect of its spread throughout the nations. Before the Messiah came to Earth so save us from our sins, God anointed several of his people to spread His word to the masses. Those that may not know of the wonders of God could be reached through the continued role of missions for God. The call of Abram is a fundamental...
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...UNIVERSITY BAPTIST THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY Theology of Missions Submitted to Dr. Jeff Brawner, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the completion of the course GLST 500 – D08 Global Studies Survey By Boyd Ouden November 29, 2015 Contents Old Testament and New Testament Texts Related to Missions 3 How God Relates to the Mission field 5 Themes and Patterns of Mission Theology 5 Understanding God through Suffering 5 Evangelizing in the Midst of Suffering 5 Testimonials through Suffering 5 Saving lives through suffering 5 Purpose of Suffering 6 Conclusion 8 Bibliography 10 Old Testament and New Testament Texts Related to Missions As we look at the theology of missions we must start with the Word of God. “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and loo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. Amen.” (Matt 28:19-20) This is “The Great Commission” from the Bible calling man to the mission arena. While we see evidence of the mission filed throughout the Old Testament it is in the New Testament where the call and instructions and encouragement come to light. The first scripture that addressed the mission mandate was Genesis 12:1-4 when God told Abraham to father a nation. This became the basis for mission work in the Old and New Testament. The...
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...SEMINARY Submitted to Dr. David Campbell Summer 2014 GLST 500-D07 LUO Theology of Missions by Bryan Fletcher July 13, 2014 Table of Contents Introduction…………………………………………………………………….. 1 Old and New Testament Missions....................................................................... 1 Nature of God in Missions................................................................................... 5 Mission Theology………..……………………………………………………... 5 Key Themes of Mission Theology………...…………………………………… 6 Conclusion……………………………………………………………………… 7 Bibliography…………………………………………………………………….. 8 Introduction Missions are something we hear about all the time. Whether it is in Church or on the radio, we as Christians know how important Missions are to furthering the Kingdom of God. Some are much more involved than others, but it is something we all should have at the forefront of our thoughts and prayers. Whether you are called to go into mission work yourself or to just support it financially or through prayer, we all play a significant part in fulfilling the great commission. The scriptures have plenty to say about missions and this paper will just touch on the surface of what the theology of missions is all about. Old & New Testament Missions We see that starting in Genesis, missions have remained the same throughout history. God is the one who first established missions: He speaks, He acts, and He sends. Thousands of years before Jesus’ incarnation...
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...Liberty Theological Seminary Theology of Missions A Paper Submitted To Dr. Edward Smither In Partial Fulfillment of The Requirements for the Course GLST 500 Submitted By David A Barton April 8, 2012 Table of Contents Introduction 2 Old Testament 2 New Testament 3 The Nature of God and Missio Dei 3 Mission Theology and Christology 4 Mission Theology and Ecclesiology 5 Motifs: Jesus and the Holy Spirit 6 Mission Theology and the Missionary 7 Mission Theology and the Church Leader 8 Mission Theology and the Lay Person 8 Bibliography 9 Introduction Mission is something that we are all called to do to some degree. Mission is echoed throughout the Old Testament and exemplified in the New Testament. It is a literal manifestation of the nature and character of God. All of theology demands the need for the Great Commission and the work of the Missionary. There are many motifs that are inherent in Mission Theology that determine how the work is done. Finally, how does this practically relate to the missionary, the leaders of the local church, and finally, the layperson who may never leave his or her own culture or country? Missions are for all believers, even if the only thing one ever does is pray. Old Testament In Genesis 12:1-3 one reads,” The Lord had said to Abram, “Leave your country, your people and your father’s household and go to the land I will show you. “I will make you a great...
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...Theology of Missions Letina Gouge GLST 500 September 12, 2015 Table of Contents Old Testament Relations to Missions……………………………………………………………..3 God’s Relationship to Missions…………………………………………………………………...5 Mission Relation to Other Aspects of Theology………………………………………………….6 Mission Theology…………………………………………………………………………………6 Conclusion………………………………………………………………………………………...7 Bibliography………………………………………………………………………………………8 Old Testament Relations to Missions In the Old Testament we read about Jonah and he has a whole book about him and titled by his name. Jonah was a minister. This book is about a mission partaken by Jonah. Jonah’s mission was to bring God’s warning of impending judgement to the pagan world, but he refused to go to Nineveh and brings the pagan sailors on the ship he is sailing on with him into jeopardy. The sailors on the ship Jonah was traveling on came from various regions and worshipped pagan gods. The captain and his crew decided to cast lots to find the person who was causing all the trouble and Jonah was exposed by God. Ironically, Jonah is willing to jump into the sea to save the pagan sailors yet has trouble with God wanting to save the people in Nineveh. The sailors realize that the God of Israel is in control at that moment. God caused the storm and He calmed the storm. Again, irony here is that Jonah is showing no fear to God and yet the pagan sailors are in fear of God. Jonah did...
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...LIBERTY UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF DIVINITY Theology of Mission Submitted to Dr. Alan Outhouse, In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the completion of RTCH 500 Research, Writing, and Ministry Preparation By Cheleka M. Garrett September 10, 2015 Contents Introduction ……………………………………………………………………………….. 1 Theology of Mission ………………………………………………………………………. Old Testament Missions …………………………………………………………... New Testament Missions …………………………………………………………. God’s Nature in Missions …………………………………………………………………. Relating Mission Theology to Individuals…………………………………………………. Church Leaders ……………………………………………………………………. Lay Members ………………………………………………………………………. Conclusion …………………………………………………………………………………. Bibliography ………………………………………………………………………………. ii Introduction Many Christians wonder why God would leave them on such a horrible place full of danger, strive and envy. Christians believe that God uses them on earth by his holy power to gather and encourage those that are lost. This is done by the message that Christ gave to the kingdom. 1 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Christians no matter the race or gender must know that God reigns and that God is the only one who can give favor, peace, love and joy through faith in his son Jesus Christ...
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...THEOLOGY OF MISSIONS PAPER Jonathan Hudgins GLST 500 September 8, 2013 CONTENTS INTRODUCTION 1 OLD TESTAMENT MISSIONS.....................................................................................................2 NEWTESTAMENT MISSIONS.....................................................................................................4 NATURE OF GOD AND MISSSIONS..........................................................................................5 MISSIONS AND THEOLOGY......................................................................................................6 MOTIFS OF MISSION THEOLOGY............................................................................................8 CONCLUSION............................................................................................................................... 9 BIBLIOGRAPHY 11 INTRODUCTION There is evidence from the beginning of the Biblical text starting in Genesis, to the conclusion of the text with Revelation that God desires for man to fulfill His call for missions. The story of missions begins with around four thousand years ago when God calls Abraham. The Scriptures offer a clear explanation of the original calling of Abraham. God commands Abraham, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you.” (Genesis 12:1 ESV) Genesis 12:1-3 signifies an assurance whose completion extends throughout the Scriptures, it is the original representation...
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...UNIVERSITY BAPTIST THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY Theology of Missions Submitted To Dr. Augusto Rodríguez In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Completion Of GLST 500-D05 global studies survey By Clarence Hudson November 8, 2014 Contents Introduction 1 Old Testament and New Testament Texts Related to Mission 2 The Nature of God Relates to Mission 5 Mission Theology Relates to Other Aspects of Theology 6 Key Themes and Motifs of Mission Theology 8 Mission Theology Related to the Missionary, Church Leaders and Lay People 10 Conclusion 11 Bibliography) 12 Introduction “Mission is what we do.” It describes the specific task of making disciples of all the nations. It also includes your neighbor, church, employment, relatives, friends, across town, or in different states. Mission is not just one of a list of things that the Bible happens to talk about, it is somewhat more urgent than some. Mission is, “what it’s all about. With that said, this paper will visit the Old and New Testament in relations to missions, how the nature of God is reflected in missions, how mission theology relates to other aspects of theology, key motifs found in missions theology, as well as how missions relates to missionaries, church leaders and lay people. Old Testament and New Testament Texts Related to Mission In the beginning God created heaven and the earth. (Genesis 1:1KJV) He was on a mission to form the world and when he created mankind...
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...Introduction to Pastoral Theology (P7101B) Assessment 2 – Class Presentation DEFINITION OF MISSIO DEI What is ‘missio dei’? It is a Latin theological term, which literally means ‘the mission (or the sending) of God’. Although the concept is as old as the Bible itself, the theology of missio dei originated in an essay written by noted theologian Karl Barth in 1932. It did not gain wide acceptance until 1952, when it was presented at the Willingen Conference of the International Missionary Council Meeting. Throughout history, God has been working towards the restoration of His creation – this is the essence of missio dei. God has been calling on His people, from within and beyond the church, to take part in this ongoing mission to build His Kingdom on earth. David Bosch in ‘Transforming Mission’, defines missio dei as: “God the Father sending the Son, God the Father and the Son sending the Spirit, and the Father, Son and Holy Spirit sending the church into the world”. He goes on to state that, “Mission is not primarily an activity of the church, but an attribute of God. God is a missionary God. Mission is thereby seen as a movement from God to the world; the church is viewed as an instrument for that mission. There is church because there is mission, not vice versa. To participate in mission is to participate in the movement of God’s love toward people, since God is a fountain of sending...
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...missiology? It must be stressed early in this piece of work that the topic of missiology has been a much discussed concept. Even in theological colleges, administrators find it difficult to departmentalize it. Some colleges have regarded it as course under the ministry department while others saw it as one under the theology department. Others have gone beyond to see it as department on its own. This uncertainty if I may put it, speaks of missiology as an interdisciplinary subject that needs great attention in dealing with it. This piece of work attempts to research into the competing definitions of missiology at the same time draw basic elements that any missiological models. My choice of these questions is primarily based on the notion that any definition of missiology should also reflect the basic elements of the missiological model. Missiology is the academic discipline or science which researches, records and applies data relating to the biblical origin, history (including the use of documentary materials), anthropological principles, techniques and the theological base of the Christian mission (Tippet 1987, xiii). If this as Tippet puts it, then the theology, methodology and data bank as a church are particularly directed towards: 1. The processes by which the Christian message is communicated, 2. The encounters brought about by its proclamation to non-Christians, 3. The planting of the church and organization of congregations, the incorporation of converts into...
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...This essay will define the theological methodology embodying the Wesleyan Quadrilateral and some key components of how comprehensible his argument that evangelical theology is the ‘drama of gospelizing’. Included are some key areas where the Wesleyan Quadrilateral mirrors to a great extent many similarities of Birds theology and some differences. WESLEYAN QUADRILATERAL The term ‘Wesleyan Quadrilateral’ devised by Albert Outler in the 1960’s, with its fourfold reference, is a good deal more refined and ‘preserves the primacy of Scripture, profits from the wisdom of tradition, accepts the disciplines of critical reason and its stress on the Christian experience of grace, and gives it a pragmatic experience.’ These four sources lead a believer to be a worshiper and to serve God with maturity. (After all, worship is the ultimate goal of God’s Mission.) Primarily, Scripture serves as the primary source for theological reflection and is the foundation and centrepiece for the other three sources. Secondly, Tradition is considered as an experience of the witness of development and growth of faith through the nations and various cultures but notwithstanding the writings of the early church fathers. Wesley also maintained that right reason and interpretation would never result in inconsistency. Oden supports this statement, adding, until one has a right mind set and understanding is attained divine matters cannot be apprehended. Yong and Wesley agree in part on the basic Spirit grounding...
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...Africa cursed?: A vision for the radical transformation of an ailing continent. Place of publication: Nairobi, Kenya: Publisher: WordAlive Publishers. Year of publication: 2009 2.) Manasseh Kwame Dakwa Bediako – Ghanaian theologian Manasseh Kwame Dakwa Bediako was born on 7 July 1945 in Ghana. He was the son of a police inspector and the grandson of a Presbyterian catechist and evangelist. Kwame Bediako was an outstanding African theologian of his generation. He was an ardent promoter of Bible translation into African languages. He was a man of towering intellect, but he didn’t use it to crush others, but to build them up and encourage them. After a serious illness he died on 10 June 2008. Publication. Author: Bedieko, K. Book Title: Theology and identity: The impact of culture upon Christian thought in the second century and in modern Africa. Publisher: Oxford: Regnum Books. Year of publication: (1992). 3.) Bosch, David Jacobus - South African theologian David Jacobus Bosch was born into an Afrikaner home on December 13, 1929, near the town of Kuruman in the Cape Province of South Africa. Bosch was a theologian trained in the classic, European tradition. His facility in languages (he was conversant in Afrikaans, English, German, Dutch, French, and Xhosa) enabled him to act as a bridge builder between...
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...REVIEW FOR THEOLOGY IN THE CONTEXT OF WORLD CHRISTIANITY: HOW THE GLOBAL CHURCH IS INFLUENCING THE WAY WE THINK ABOUT AND DISCUSS THEOLOGY Name: Course: Professor’s Name: Date: Timothy C. Tennent, an American theologian, is Professor of World Missions and Indian Studies and the current president of Asbury Theological Seminary. Dr. Tennent and wife, Julie Myers, reside in Ipswich, Massachusetts, with their two children, Jonathan, and Bethany. Tennent (born on September 24, 1959) did his college education B.A. from Oral Roberts University, quickly followed by a Masters’ degree from Princeton Theological Seminary. He later did a Doctorate of Philosophy degree from the University of Edinburgh's in Scotland, where his dissertation was on Brahmabandhab Upadhyay, an Indian theologian. His teaching career started at Toccoa Falls College. At Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, Massachusetts, he served as professor of world missions and Indian studies. He was elected to his current office as president of Asbury Seminary in 2009. He still a visiting professor at the Luther New Jr. Theological College of Dehradun, India. He authored "Building Christianity on Indian Foundations" together with "Christianity at the Religious Roundtable". He has also published items in the series “Encountering Mission” and “Invitation to Theological Studies.” In November 2009, Tennent had signed an ecumenical statement differing categorically with rules and laws permitting abortion, same-sex marriage...
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