Tuesday, June 28, 2005
Newbigin, L.(1988) Mission in Christ's Way: A Gift, a Command, an Assurance.
Newbigin, L.(1988) Mission in Christ's Way: A Gift, a Command, an Assurance. Library of Christian Stewardship
According to the 4th gospel, Jesus sent his disciples out on their mission with the words: “As the father sent me so I send you” (Jn 20:21). This must determine the way we think about and carry out the mission; it must be founded and modelled upon his. We are not authorised to do it any other way. Pp 1
When the message of the kingdom of God is separated from the name of Jesus two distortions follow, and these are in fact the source of deep divisions in the life of the church today. On one hand, there is the preaching of the name of Jesus simply as the one who brings a religious experience of personal salvation without involving one in costly actions at the points in public life where the power of Satan is contracting the rule of God and bringing men and women under the power of evil. Such preaching of cheap grace, of a supposed personal salvation that does not go the way of the cross, of an inward comfort without commitment to costly Action for the doing of God’s will in the world – this kind of evangelistic preaching is a distortion of the gospel. A preaching of personal salvation that does not lead the hearers to challenge the monstrous injustices of our society is not mission in Christ’s way. It is peddling cheap grace.
On the other hand, when the message of the kingdom is separated from the name of Jesus, the action of the church in respect of the evils in society becomes a mere ideological crusade… pp9
In the mission of Jesus we see that there is both the presence of the kingdom and also the proclamation of the kingdom. Jesus himself is the presence of the Kingdom; but Jesus also preaches the kingdom. It is present, but it has to be preached. But if it is not present, then the preaching is empty words.
Pp10
So words without deeds are empty, but deeds without words are dumb. It is stupid to set them against each other. It is, for example, stupid to say “The one thing that matters is to go everywhere and preach the gospel; all other activities such as schools and hospitals and programmes for social action are at best auxiliary and at worst irrelevant …. Why should people believe our preaching if there is nothing happening to authenticate them?
Pp11
Our preaching is mere empty words if it does not have behind it a costly engagement with …all the powers that rob men and women of their humanity…But equally our programmes for teaching, healing, feeding the hungry, caring for the sick and action for justice and freedom are futile if they do not point beyond themselves to a reality greater than they – to the great healer, the great liberator, the one who is himself the living bread. Pp 12
Johannes Blauw (the missionary nature of the church) contrast between the centripetal missiology of the OT and the centifugal missiology of the NT
Pp18
It is a stiking fact that in all his letters to the churches Paul never urges on them the duty of evangelism… mission in other wordss is gospel an d not law; it is the overflow of a great gift, not the carrying of a great burden. It is the fulfilment of a promise: “you shall be my witness, when the Holy Spirit comes upon you.” Pp21
In the context of authentic mission the futility of the quarrel between evangelism and social action becomes obvious. Preaching that does not challenge the cruelty and greed and wanton lust of our society is not preaching the kingdom…but equally a merely politoical programme is on a road that leads nowhere. Pp 27
Great Commission - Taken in isolation from jo 20:19-23; acts 1:6-8; mk 1:14-18 it could be seen to validate a sort of triumphalist style of economic expansion of the European powers … an expansion with which missions were (inevitably) so much connected. It is indeed necessary that we should take it along with the other texts. If we take it alone…then mission becomes part of the law rather than an expression of the gospel pp 32
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According to the 4th gospel, Jesus sent his disciples out on their mission with the words: “As the father sent me so I send you” (Jn 20:21). This must determine the way we think about and carry out the mission; it must be founded and modelled upon his. We are not authorised to do it any other way. Pp 1
When the message of the kingdom of God is separated from the name of Jesus two distortions follow, and these are in fact the source of deep divisions in the life of the church today. On one hand, there is the preaching of the name of Jesus simply as the one who brings a religious experience of personal salvation without involving one in costly actions at the points in public life where the power of Satan is contracting the rule of God and bringing men and women under the power of evil. Such preaching of cheap grace, of a supposed personal salvation that does not go the way of the cross, of an inward comfort without commitment to costly Action for the doing of God’s will in the world – this kind of evangelistic preaching is a distortion of the gospel. A preaching of personal salvation that does not lead the hearers to challenge the monstrous injustices of our society is not mission in Christ’s way. It is peddling cheap grace.
On the other hand, when the message of the kingdom is separated from the name of Jesus, the action of the church in respect of the evils in society becomes a mere ideological crusade… pp9
In the mission of Jesus we see that there is both the presence of the kingdom and also the proclamation of the kingdom. Jesus himself is the presence of the Kingdom; but Jesus also preaches the kingdom. It is present, but it has to be preached. But if it is not present, then the preaching is empty words.
Pp10
So words without deeds are empty, but deeds without words are dumb. It is stupid to set them against each other. It is, for example, stupid to say “The one thing that matters is to go everywhere and preach the gospel; all other activities such as schools and hospitals and programmes for social action are at best auxiliary and at worst irrelevant …. Why should people believe our preaching if there is nothing happening to authenticate them?
Pp11
Our preaching is mere empty words if it does not have behind it a costly engagement with …all the powers that rob men and women of their humanity…But equally our programmes for teaching, healing, feeding the hungry, caring for the sick and action for justice and freedom are futile if they do not point beyond themselves to a reality greater than they – to the great healer, the great liberator, the one who is himself the living bread. Pp 12
Johannes Blauw (the missionary nature of the church) contrast between the centripetal missiology of the OT and the centifugal missiology of the NT
Pp18
It is a stiking fact that in all his letters to the churches Paul never urges on them the duty of evangelism… mission in other wordss is gospel an d not law; it is the overflow of a great gift, not the carrying of a great burden. It is the fulfilment of a promise: “you shall be my witness, when the Holy Spirit comes upon you.” Pp21
In the context of authentic mission the futility of the quarrel between evangelism and social action becomes obvious. Preaching that does not challenge the cruelty and greed and wanton lust of our society is not preaching the kingdom…but equally a merely politoical programme is on a road that leads nowhere. Pp 27
Great Commission - Taken in isolation from jo 20:19-23; acts 1:6-8; mk 1:14-18 it could be seen to validate a sort of triumphalist style of economic expansion of the European powers … an expansion with which missions were (inevitably) so much connected. It is indeed necessary that we should take it along with the other texts. If we take it alone…then mission becomes part of the law rather than an expression of the gospel pp 32
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