Subject Area

Religion, Theology/Religious Education

Abstract

I observed that Taiwanese Christian preaching today is missing a comprehensive reading of the Biblical narrative from the perspective of God’s salvation, and the same problem was also found in the Western world. This detachment of the Old Testament context from the Great Commission in the New Testament directly impacts the teaching, preaching, proclaiming, and witnessing of ministry. For the benefit of both pastors and congregations this dissertation demonstrates the whole Bible reveals God’s missional origin through his word and good will for human creatures and creation. The story is full of God’s redemptive, universal mission through the life, death and resurrection of Christ, who fulfills the new creation. When we read the texts in light of the gospel purpose that points to Christ, every drama of the Bible renders to us this God with a coherent missional purpose from creation to a new creation with Christians as “witnesses of these things” (Luke 24:44-48)[1].

This dissertation takes the form of a Bible study that can be used as a framework for training both pastors and lay leaders to read the texts of the Bible story in light of the gospel purpose through the following: creation, humanity, Israel, Jesus of Nazareth, and the calling of the church for the Great Commission. This study will provide a systematic basis for understanding the integrity of the Bible. Furthermore it offers a perspective that allows Christians to join in God’s mission rather than feeling guilty about their failure to do mission. Lastly it refocuses attention on God, what God does, and God’s promise rather than on human failure. All these will ultimately lead to sound doctrinal preaching, missional mindedness of the church, and commitment to the Great Commission in theology and practice.

[1] “that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled." Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, and said to them, "Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. (Luke 24:44-48 ESV)

Degree Date

Fall 11-21-2022

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

D.Min.

Department

Ministry

Advisor

Dr. Robert A. Hunt

Second Advisor

Dr. Ruben Habito

Notes

preaching and teaching, shepherding, mission, discipleship, biblical interpretation.

Number of Pages

186

Format

.pdf

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 4.0 License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 4.0 License

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