Story of the Bible Lecture Two

1. Story of the BibleLecture Two Michael Goheen IDIS 102, TWU

2. Uniqueness of Bible “I can’t understand why you missionaries present the Bible to us in India as another book of religion. It is not a book of religion—and anyway we have plenty of books of religion in India already. We don’t need any more! I find in your Bible a unique interpretation of universal history, the history of the whole creation and the history of the human race. And therefore a unique interpretation of the human person as a responsible actor in history. That is unique. There is nothing else in the whole religious literature of the world to put alongside of it (Badrinath, Hindu Scholar)

3. Scripture as Six Act Drama • Act One: God Establishes His Kingdom (Creation) • Act Two: Rebellion in the Kingdom (Fall) • Act Three: God Chooses Israel (Restoration Initiated) • Act Four: The Coming of King Jesus (Restoration Accomplished) • Act Five: Spreading the News of the King (Church’s Mission) • Act Six: Return of the King (Restoration Completed)

4. Act One: God Establishes His Kingdom (Creation) • In the beginning, God . . . • King’s decree gives form to creation • Human beings as climax of creation • Related to God, each other, non-human creation • Joyful task • Very good

5. Act Two: Rebellion in the Kingdom (Fall) • ‘Don’t eat from the tree’ • Treasonous act of rebellion • Poisons: • All of human life • All of creation

6. Act Three: God Chooses Israel (Restoration Initiated) • Blueprint: God’s plan for restoration (Gen. 12.1-3) • Two parts: • Make Abraham a great nation • Bless all nations, creation through them

7. Act Three: God Chooses Israel (Restoration Initiated) • Two scenes in Act Three • Scene One: God forms a people (Genesis, Exodus, Numbers) • Scene Two: God places them on the land (Joshua, Judges, Samuel, Kings)

8. Act Three, Scene One: God Forms a People • Genesis: God’s faithfulness to the early fathers (Abraham, Isaac, Jacob) • Exodus: God forms his people • A mighty act of liberation • Israel’s task (Ex. 19.3-6) • Numbers: God prepares his people for task • Boot camp: Learning to trust and obey • Failure and punishment • Next generation ready!

9. Act three, scene two: Light on the land • Attractive model of God’s creational intention • Joshua: God gives them the gift of the land • God’s gift • Israel’s commitment at Shechem • Judges: Failure to be a light • Succumb to Canaanite idolatry • God’s faithfulness: Raises up deliverer • Cry for a king

10. Act three, scene two: Light on the land • Samuel: God gives Israel a king • Saul: Wrong kind of king • David: Right kind of king • Kings: Failure of kings and Israel • Solomon’s good start and bad finish • 39 kings, about 8 faithful! • Even Elijah and Elisha can’t stop the slide • Judgment: Scattered and exiled

11. Miserable end to Act 3 • Only two tribes left in exile for 70 years • The end? • Ezra-Nehemiah: God returns small group to land • Old Testament prophets: Hope

12. Old Testament Prophets • One third of Old Testament • Message: • Repent: ‘Return to your task and be faithful’ • ‘God has not given up on his plan. He will: • ‘Make this whole world his kingdom again’ • ‘He will do it through a faithful king’ • ‘He will do it by the power of His Spirit’

13. Interlude • Old Testament ends c.400 B.C. • 400 years until Jesus comes • Growing fervour for coming kingdom • Differing views of king and kingdom • Kingdom story waiting for an ending

14. Act Four: The Coming of King Jesus (Restoration Accomplished) • Jesus announces the good news of the kingdom (Mark 1.15-16) Good news! God is now acting in power and love through me [Jesus] and the Spirit to restore all the life of humankind and the whole creation to again live under his gracious, peaceful, and just rule. • Already here, not yet arrived

15. Prophetic Expectation Spirit Messiah Knowledge of God Love Joy Justice Sin Death Evil Satan OLD AGE AGE TO COME

16. New Testament Fulfillment Powers of sin death evil Satan Power of Spirit’s renewing work OLD AGE AGE TO COME

17. Jesus makes known kingdom in his life • God’s power to heal and restore evident in his mighty works • The way of life in the kingdom is evident in his life • He challenges injustice and becomes a friend to the marginalised • His parables explain the kingdom • He gathers a community • He teaches them how to live like him

18. Jesus accomplishes the kingdom in his death • Cross: Roman instrument of humiliation and torture that says “We’re in charge; don’t fool with us!” • Cross: Failed Messiah? • No! The power and wisdom and love of God to defeat sin and accomplish the restoration of God’s good creation! (cf. I Cor 1.18-2.5)

20. Resurrection: Jesus inaugurates kingdom • Jewish expectation: All raised at end of history • Jesus: One raised in middle of history—mean? • Firstfruits: Jesus first part of harvest • Rest of harvest: We raised from dead

21. Has the end-time kingdom come? Q: “ Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?” (Acts 1.6) A: “No, but you will receive the Holy Spirit and be my witnesses until I do complete my kingdom restoration.” (Acts 1.7-8 paraphrase)

22. Act Five: Spreading the News of the King: The Church’s Mission • Expectation of end, yet whole new era opening up in God’s story • Our place in the story! • “As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” (John 20.21) • Make known kingdom in life, deeds, and words

23. Pentecost: God’s people receive the life of the kingdom • Spirit promised in Old Testament prophets to restore humanity and creation • God’s people given the Spirit • Foretaste of kingdom • Previews of kingdom

24. Church’s Task • Take up Israel’s call to model God’s original creational purposes • Continue the mission of Jesus to make the kingdom of God known

25. Act five in rest of New Testament • Story begins in Acts • Moves from Jerusalem throughout Roman empire • Planting churches to be ‘previews’ of God’s kingdom • New Testament: Letters to nurture these churches to be faithful ‘previews’ • Book of Acts ends on open note: Invitation • Continue to ends of earth until Christ’s return

26. Our place in the story The Spirit thrusts God’s people into worldwide mission. He impels young and old, men and women,to go next door and far away into science and art, media and marketplace with the good news of God’s grace. . . . (CT, 32)

27. Our place in the story Following the apostles, the church is sent– sent with the gospel of the kingdom to make disciples of all nations, to feed the hungry, to proclaim the assurance that in the name of Christ there is forgiveness of sin and new life for all who repent and believe– To tell the news that our world belongs to God. In a world estranged from God, where millions face confusing choices, this mission is central to our being, for we announce the one name that saves. (CT, 44)

28. Our place in the story The rule of Jesus Christ covers the whole world. To follow this Lord is to serve him everywhere, without fitting in, as lights in the darkness, as salt in a spoiling world. (CT, 45)

29. Sacred/Secular Dualism

30. Clash of Kingdoms Antithesis

31. Church’s Mission: Living and announcing Christ’s rightful claim • Abraham Kuyper: “There is not a square inch of the entire domain of human life of which Christ the Sovereign does not say ‘That is mine!’ ” • C.S. Lewis: “There is no neutral ground in the universe: every square inch, every split second, is claimed by God and counterclaimed by Satan.”

32. Act Six: Return of the King (Restoration Completed) • Goal throughout whole story: Restore whole creation and human life • Jesus will return • Dead will be raised • Judge sin, Satan, and unrepentant sinners • Restore whole earth

33. End of the story • Not souls living in spiritualized heaven up there • But resurrected bodies living on new earth here

34. Mistaken Notion Very often people have come to the New Testament with the presumption that ‘going to heaven when you die’ is the implicit point of it all. . . . They acquire that viewpoint from somewhere, but not from the New Testament. - N. T. Wright

35. The End of the StoryRevelation 21.1-5 • First heaven/earth (old order of things) passed away • New Jerusalem comes down out of heaven • Loud voice: “Now the dwelling of God is with men” • Sin and its effects are removed • “I am making everything new”