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What is the Mission of the Church?: Making sense of social justice, Shalom and the Great Commission
Addressing mission, evangelism, and social justice, two pastors draw readers to the Bible s teaching on some contentious matters. Social justice and mission are hot topics there's a wonderful resurgence of motivated Christians passionate about spreading the gospel and caring for the needs of others. But in our zeal to get sharing and serving, many are unclear on gospel and mission. Yes, we are called to spend ourselves for the sake of others, but what is the church s unique priority as it engages the world? DeYoung and Gilbert write to help Christians articulate and live out their views on the mission of the church in ways that are theologically faithful, exegetically careful, and personally sustainable. Looking at the Bible s teaching on evangelism, social justice, and shalom, they explore the what, why, and how of the church s mission. From defining mission , to examining key passages on social justice and their application, to setting our efforts in the context of God s rule, DeYoung and Gilbert bring a wise, studied perspective to the missional conversation. Readers in all spheres of ministry will grow in their understanding of the mission of the church and gain a renewed sense of urgency for Jesus call to preach the Word and make disciples.
283 pages, Audiobook
First published September 1, 2011
172 people are currently reading
1771 people want to read
About the author
Kevin DeYoung
113 books1,237 followersKevin DeYoung is the Senior Pastor at University Reformed Church (RCA) in East Lansing, Michigan, right across the street from Michigan State University.
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March 15, 2014
I wanted to like it, alas. I tried.
The book reminded of this wonderful, troubling short story Jesus once told about a homeless hitchhiker who was walking along the road, was waylaid by robbers and left for dead on the gravel shoulder.
A Reformed Christian pastor happened by and decided to write an theologically correct exegesis of what the Old and New Testament had to say about his predicament. Soon another pastor, Baptist this time, passed by, and, seeing the disarray of social injustice, the flagrant misunderstandings of shalom and the kingdom--not to mention the new heavens and new earth, decided to collaborate with the first Christian pastor to survey the relevant literature, to discern and declaim any suspect interpretation, and to ensure orthodox understandings for the church.
Meanwhile, across the pond, a former Anglican bishop and New Testament scholar wrote a few pages to remind them that Jesus actually told a whole drama of 5 (not 4) Acts; and an Old Testament clergyman and scholar, another Anglican unfortunately, chimed in with a short pamphlet observing that the whole of scripture is on the mission of God. They couldn't both be right, could they?
And while they all spoke thus together concerning these things which were about to be accomplished among them, a young punk from Portland saw the homeless, battered and bruised, and now actually dead hitchhiker and called the coroner. He contacted next of kin, prepared a brief memorial service, and paid the funeral expenses with his own credit card.
Now the immortal question at the end: which of the men shared the gospel with the homeless dying man?
But Jesus told that story a long time ago, and I may have misremembered some of the details.
The book reminded of this wonderful, troubling short story Jesus once told about a homeless hitchhiker who was walking along the road, was waylaid by robbers and left for dead on the gravel shoulder.
A Reformed Christian pastor happened by and decided to write an theologically correct exegesis of what the Old and New Testament had to say about his predicament. Soon another pastor, Baptist this time, passed by, and, seeing the disarray of social injustice, the flagrant misunderstandings of shalom and the kingdom--not to mention the new heavens and new earth, decided to collaborate with the first Christian pastor to survey the relevant literature, to discern and declaim any suspect interpretation, and to ensure orthodox understandings for the church.
Meanwhile, across the pond, a former Anglican bishop and New Testament scholar wrote a few pages to remind them that Jesus actually told a whole drama of 5 (not 4) Acts; and an Old Testament clergyman and scholar, another Anglican unfortunately, chimed in with a short pamphlet observing that the whole of scripture is on the mission of God. They couldn't both be right, could they?
And while they all spoke thus together concerning these things which were about to be accomplished among them, a young punk from Portland saw the homeless, battered and bruised, and now actually dead hitchhiker and called the coroner. He contacted next of kin, prepared a brief memorial service, and paid the funeral expenses with his own credit card.
Now the immortal question at the end: which of the men shared the gospel with the homeless dying man?
But Jesus told that story a long time ago, and I may have misremembered some of the details.
September 19, 2011
Kevin DeYoung and Greg Gilbert are both pastors. They preach on a weekly basis in towns with universities and passionate young people who don’t want to waste their life but want to be on mission. And there’s the elusive word: mission. Slick like water in our hands, the word gives way to countless definitions and usages, agendas and abuses, leaving many Christians and churches confused about their mission. Answering the question of what the church ought to be doing is controversial. Enter DeYoung and Gilbert.
Careful Work of Definition
DeYoung and Gilbert do the difficult work of defining the mission of the church, supporting their view by answering objections with reasonable responses to difficult social and economic concerns. They argue that the mission of the church can be found in the Great Commission passages: “[T]o go into the world and make disciples by declaring the gospel of Jesus Christ in the power of the Spirit and gathering these disciples into churches, that they might worship the Lord and obey his commands now and in eternity to the glory of God the Father.”
However, the authors do not say the church should ignore social justice. Rather, they are concerned that the newfound missional zeal can put hard and fast oughts on churches where there should be “an inviting can.”
Finishing the definitional spadework, the authors spend a good portion of the book pinning the discussion of the church’s mission in the context of the (1) entire narrative of the Bible, (2) definition of the gospel, and (3) an “already/not yet” understanding of the kingdom. None of these chapters give any surprises.
However, the chapter on the definition of the gospel does make some helpful clarifications. The casual observer of debates over the gospel’s definition may assume that Gilbert, based on his book What Is the Gospel?, defines the gospel in terms of the question, “What is the message a person must believe in order to be saved?” (what the authors call a “zoom lens perspective”). But they also explain in this new volume what they call a “wide-angle” perspective of the gospel that includes the entire good news of Christianity, which is about “all the great blessings that flow from that, including God’s purpose to remake the world.” All the great news of Christianity (wide lens), according to DeYoung and Gilbert, flow from the message of repentance and faith in the atoning cross of Christ (zoom lens). That center must hold. Without it, the greater blessings of the new creation are not ours to have.
Now to Everything Controversial
Throughout the book, the authors are very careful to make their conclusions from the Bible. But after several chapters of groundwork, they come to the classic “social justice” texts and give them the ol’ “they don’t say what you think they say” treatment.
It’s important to point out that the authors are working in an historical-redemptive framework, based upon their chapter on the narrative of the Bible. When these texts are understood in their canonical place, application for forced redistribution programs or disparaging the disparity between rich and poor seem superficial.
For example, Leviticus 25 (the Year of Jubilee) is a popular passage for social-justice advocates. When we understand the passage in redemptive history and the closer context of Leviticus, a few things caution us against using the text for radical social applications: (1) We are not in an agrarian society. (2) Our property is not allocated by God, particularly assigned for specific tribes of Israel. (3) Our economy is not a fixed pie of wealth where the rich get rich on the backs of the poor, but rather in our modern economy, wealth can be created. (4) We are not under the Mosaic Law and aren’t promised a miraculous harvest on the sixth year. And finally, (5) most of us our not Jews, and the distinction of foreigner and Israelite was very important to Leviticus 25.
Even so, the authors do not want us to undersell what the Bible says about the poor and social justice. Put very aptly, they write, “To be a Christian, then, is to receive God’s good gifts and enjoy them the most, need them the least, and give them away most freely.”
DeYoung and Gilbert's treatment of the new heavens and new earth offers a particularly important caution. They are concerned that “there are a number of people who have argued that we as Christians at least have a hand in the creation of the new heavens and new earth—that we partner with God in his mission to restore the cosmos.” This is at best confusing and at worst dangerous. The new heavens and new earth is God’s gift, through the gospel, and we simply receive it. It is “in all its parts . . . for us, and not in the least by us.”
An Important Proposal
DeYoung and Gilbert make some significant and practical proposals for the local church and their social involvement. I’ll mention one of them. They propose a “moral proximity” principle, which helps churches understand who we are not only in obligation to help by way of proximity, but also who are we morally obligated to help. The key word, of course, is obligated. While AIDS work is good, is a church a “gospel-less” church if it does not engage in it? The authors are right to say no, but the principle is not meant to “make us more cavalier to the poor. [I]t should free us from unnecessary guilt and make us more caring toward those who count on us most.”
This may be one of the more helpful portions of the book for local churches concerned not only with global troubles but also their community concerns. How they decide to use their resources can be difficult, and this principle is a good one to help them decide.
But What About Discipleship?
In these rough-and-tumble debates over the mission of the church, DeYoung and Gilbert are on the side of the angels, I believe. They make clear but not simplistic conclusions about difficult issues while keeping their fingers in the biblical text. Their conclusions will not be popular with everyone, but those who want to refute them must be as biblically and theologically sophisticated. That won’t be an easy task.
But with some caution, I’d suggest we not make such a sharp distinction between acts of public justice and the mission of the church. DeYoung and Gilbert are very clear that works of justice are not somehow sub-Christian, but “tasks like disciple making, proclamation, church planting, and church establishment constitute the mission of the church.” And they go on to emphasize, “We as Christians should be marked by a posture of love and generosity toward our neighbors, and that includes everyone, according to Jesus, from our best friends to our worst enemies.”
So if having a posture of generosity for all people and a desire for justice in our communities (though never perfect until Christ returns) are marks of being a born-again Christian, then shouldn’t equipping believers to demonstrate these marks with wisdom and care be a part of our discipleship and, therefore, within our larger understanding of the church’s mission?
Yes, with bold font and yellow highlighter, I agree with DeYoung and Gilbert that central to the church’s mission is the Great Commission. And we need to keep the main thing the main thing. But just as the authors argue for a zoom and wide lens understanding of the gospel, can we not do the same thing with the mission of the church? With the proclamation of God’s Word the center of the church's mission, can we not say the wide lens mission includes equipping Christians to have wisdom and understanding when laboring for justice?
Nevertheless, I want to put both arms around DeYoung and Gilbert’s thesis and hug it. It’s the most clearly biblical treatment on the subject I know of. They are clear and gracious towards their opponents, putting them in the best light possible and sympathizing with difficult questions. I hope they get the widest of hearings and that more people think they’re right than wrong.
originally posted here: http://thegospelcoalition.org/book-re...
Careful Work of Definition
DeYoung and Gilbert do the difficult work of defining the mission of the church, supporting their view by answering objections with reasonable responses to difficult social and economic concerns. They argue that the mission of the church can be found in the Great Commission passages: “[T]o go into the world and make disciples by declaring the gospel of Jesus Christ in the power of the Spirit and gathering these disciples into churches, that they might worship the Lord and obey his commands now and in eternity to the glory of God the Father.”
However, the authors do not say the church should ignore social justice. Rather, they are concerned that the newfound missional zeal can put hard and fast oughts on churches where there should be “an inviting can.”
Finishing the definitional spadework, the authors spend a good portion of the book pinning the discussion of the church’s mission in the context of the (1) entire narrative of the Bible, (2) definition of the gospel, and (3) an “already/not yet” understanding of the kingdom. None of these chapters give any surprises.
However, the chapter on the definition of the gospel does make some helpful clarifications. The casual observer of debates over the gospel’s definition may assume that Gilbert, based on his book What Is the Gospel?, defines the gospel in terms of the question, “What is the message a person must believe in order to be saved?” (what the authors call a “zoom lens perspective”). But they also explain in this new volume what they call a “wide-angle” perspective of the gospel that includes the entire good news of Christianity, which is about “all the great blessings that flow from that, including God’s purpose to remake the world.” All the great news of Christianity (wide lens), according to DeYoung and Gilbert, flow from the message of repentance and faith in the atoning cross of Christ (zoom lens). That center must hold. Without it, the greater blessings of the new creation are not ours to have.
Now to Everything Controversial
Throughout the book, the authors are very careful to make their conclusions from the Bible. But after several chapters of groundwork, they come to the classic “social justice” texts and give them the ol’ “they don’t say what you think they say” treatment.
It’s important to point out that the authors are working in an historical-redemptive framework, based upon their chapter on the narrative of the Bible. When these texts are understood in their canonical place, application for forced redistribution programs or disparaging the disparity between rich and poor seem superficial.
For example, Leviticus 25 (the Year of Jubilee) is a popular passage for social-justice advocates. When we understand the passage in redemptive history and the closer context of Leviticus, a few things caution us against using the text for radical social applications: (1) We are not in an agrarian society. (2) Our property is not allocated by God, particularly assigned for specific tribes of Israel. (3) Our economy is not a fixed pie of wealth where the rich get rich on the backs of the poor, but rather in our modern economy, wealth can be created. (4) We are not under the Mosaic Law and aren’t promised a miraculous harvest on the sixth year. And finally, (5) most of us our not Jews, and the distinction of foreigner and Israelite was very important to Leviticus 25.
Even so, the authors do not want us to undersell what the Bible says about the poor and social justice. Put very aptly, they write, “To be a Christian, then, is to receive God’s good gifts and enjoy them the most, need them the least, and give them away most freely.”
DeYoung and Gilbert's treatment of the new heavens and new earth offers a particularly important caution. They are concerned that “there are a number of people who have argued that we as Christians at least have a hand in the creation of the new heavens and new earth—that we partner with God in his mission to restore the cosmos.” This is at best confusing and at worst dangerous. The new heavens and new earth is God’s gift, through the gospel, and we simply receive it. It is “in all its parts . . . for us, and not in the least by us.”
An Important Proposal
DeYoung and Gilbert make some significant and practical proposals for the local church and their social involvement. I’ll mention one of them. They propose a “moral proximity” principle, which helps churches understand who we are not only in obligation to help by way of proximity, but also who are we morally obligated to help. The key word, of course, is obligated. While AIDS work is good, is a church a “gospel-less” church if it does not engage in it? The authors are right to say no, but the principle is not meant to “make us more cavalier to the poor. [I]t should free us from unnecessary guilt and make us more caring toward those who count on us most.”
This may be one of the more helpful portions of the book for local churches concerned not only with global troubles but also their community concerns. How they decide to use their resources can be difficult, and this principle is a good one to help them decide.
But What About Discipleship?
In these rough-and-tumble debates over the mission of the church, DeYoung and Gilbert are on the side of the angels, I believe. They make clear but not simplistic conclusions about difficult issues while keeping their fingers in the biblical text. Their conclusions will not be popular with everyone, but those who want to refute them must be as biblically and theologically sophisticated. That won’t be an easy task.
But with some caution, I’d suggest we not make such a sharp distinction between acts of public justice and the mission of the church. DeYoung and Gilbert are very clear that works of justice are not somehow sub-Christian, but “tasks like disciple making, proclamation, church planting, and church establishment constitute the mission of the church.” And they go on to emphasize, “We as Christians should be marked by a posture of love and generosity toward our neighbors, and that includes everyone, according to Jesus, from our best friends to our worst enemies.”
So if having a posture of generosity for all people and a desire for justice in our communities (though never perfect until Christ returns) are marks of being a born-again Christian, then shouldn’t equipping believers to demonstrate these marks with wisdom and care be a part of our discipleship and, therefore, within our larger understanding of the church’s mission?
Yes, with bold font and yellow highlighter, I agree with DeYoung and Gilbert that central to the church’s mission is the Great Commission. And we need to keep the main thing the main thing. But just as the authors argue for a zoom and wide lens understanding of the gospel, can we not do the same thing with the mission of the church? With the proclamation of God’s Word the center of the church's mission, can we not say the wide lens mission includes equipping Christians to have wisdom and understanding when laboring for justice?
Nevertheless, I want to put both arms around DeYoung and Gilbert’s thesis and hug it. It’s the most clearly biblical treatment on the subject I know of. They are clear and gracious towards their opponents, putting them in the best light possible and sympathizing with difficult questions. I hope they get the widest of hearings and that more people think they’re right than wrong.
originally posted here: http://thegospelcoalition.org/book-re...
November 28, 2012
The main point of this book is to address what exactly is and (more importantly) what is not the mission of the church. They are concerned that evangelicals are getting too swept up in fighting poverty and social injustice and have forgotten our mission is discipleship. I think I understand their heart to make sure we keep the proclamation of the gospel the main thing in the church and not making social justice or helping the poor our primary calling. This is the strength of the book - word ministry is a non-negotiable and ought to be at the heart of all we do. As a conservative Presbyterian pastor I say amen. However, I do think there is some unbiblical narrowing of what the Bible calls us to be and do in the world.
Perhaps a better way to say it is that the authors end up disconnecting word and deed ministry and at times pits them against each other when there is no need to do so. There were a lot of frustrating false dichotomies running through the book - sacred vs. secular, spiritual vs. physical, word vs. deed, faith vs. works, private piety vs. public justice. Sure, Matthew calls us to make disciples of all nations but that includes obeying all that Jesus taught - including the church MUST be salt and light and not do away with one letter of the Torah (which calls us to protect the rights of the poor and the immigrant, etc.). So the book is not successful because their thesis that our mission is to make disciples full stop does not acknowledge that making disciples by definition requires putting God’s Word into practice. They acknowledge a place for good works in the life of a believer but do not connect them to our discipleship or our mission.
The Bible from the beginning shows us that God's people are called by God for the sake of the world and that one of the main ways we bear witness to God is by being a holy people (Genesis 18:19). The OT sets the trajectory for the mission of God's people that continues into the NT and much of this has been understood well for the first time in the past generation of evangelicals like Christopher Wright. The authors dismiss much of this gain in my opinion. In fact I think they misread Wright and Stott at times. Stott and Wright affirm the primacy of the Word, so they are really quibbling with those who abuse Stott and Wright and in wanting to guard the primacy of the Word they end up with a reductionistic mission.
Their doctrine of creation and its connection to our redemption is also a weak spot in the book. Our redemption is returning us to properly functioning humans again and this is a huge component of any faithful witness. No one would dispute that our primary problem in the Bible is our alienation from God, but the Bible also says a lot about our alienation from one another and from the creation. We can’t say that our salvation has nothing to do with reconciliation with others and with a restored ruling over the creation.
The book is to its credit focused on working through Scriptural texts. However, there are some ridiculous statements such as "God's old covenant people are never exhorted to engage in intentional cross-cultural mission" and "there is not a single example of Jesus going into a town with the stated purpose of healing or casting out demons." They want to affirm the importance of “demonstration” as well as “declaration” but their treatment texts that connect demonstration to our mission they undermine because some have abused them. However, the abuse does not negate their proper use, and I’m concerned their handling of such texts will lead many to deemphasize the importance of good works in witnessing to a community.
The fallacy of the excluded middle runs through the book as well. They pit their view against an extreme view that very few actually hold and leave out addressing the middle positions. I think many “missional” types reading the book would find themselves saying quite often, “that’s not what I believe” or “that’s not a fair summary of my view”. Perhaps some have changed God's mission into saving whales and poverty programs and forgotten evangelism. Well, there is a middle position that keeps proclamation and evangelism central while also seeing a life lived in obedience to serve others even outside the body as a nonnegotiable to our mission (Titus and 1 Peter make this strong connection in the NT as do many other texts in the OT and NT).
I see their heart and I understand their intention - to rein in some evangelicals who are a little too "missional" in the sense that the central mission loses focus on discipleship and specifically evangelism. However, I do not think this book will succeed with the intention, unfortunately. I think any of these types will be further pushed away by the unfairness of their statements about "missionals" (for example, missionals basically don't carefully read the Bible!). The more likely outcome of the book is that those who are too comfortable in their churches will use this book to justify staying comfortable and not reach out to their neighbors with word or deed. This is not their intention, and in a sense it is not their fault. I think it is their fault for not discerning what most conservative churches need (which is of course their primary audience and they know that!).
I would recommend this review by Ed Stetzer, he can say it way better than I can: http://thegospelcoalition.org/themeli...
I would also recommend this wonderful sermon by Dr. Brian Fikkert (prof. at Covenant College) on primacy of the Word but also the necessary marriage between word and deed in our calling to the world. Also, he's tall: http://www.hopeingod.org/sermon/how-h...
Perhaps a better way to say it is that the authors end up disconnecting word and deed ministry and at times pits them against each other when there is no need to do so. There were a lot of frustrating false dichotomies running through the book - sacred vs. secular, spiritual vs. physical, word vs. deed, faith vs. works, private piety vs. public justice. Sure, Matthew calls us to make disciples of all nations but that includes obeying all that Jesus taught - including the church MUST be salt and light and not do away with one letter of the Torah (which calls us to protect the rights of the poor and the immigrant, etc.). So the book is not successful because their thesis that our mission is to make disciples full stop does not acknowledge that making disciples by definition requires putting God’s Word into practice. They acknowledge a place for good works in the life of a believer but do not connect them to our discipleship or our mission.
The Bible from the beginning shows us that God's people are called by God for the sake of the world and that one of the main ways we bear witness to God is by being a holy people (Genesis 18:19). The OT sets the trajectory for the mission of God's people that continues into the NT and much of this has been understood well for the first time in the past generation of evangelicals like Christopher Wright. The authors dismiss much of this gain in my opinion. In fact I think they misread Wright and Stott at times. Stott and Wright affirm the primacy of the Word, so they are really quibbling with those who abuse Stott and Wright and in wanting to guard the primacy of the Word they end up with a reductionistic mission.
Their doctrine of creation and its connection to our redemption is also a weak spot in the book. Our redemption is returning us to properly functioning humans again and this is a huge component of any faithful witness. No one would dispute that our primary problem in the Bible is our alienation from God, but the Bible also says a lot about our alienation from one another and from the creation. We can’t say that our salvation has nothing to do with reconciliation with others and with a restored ruling over the creation.
The book is to its credit focused on working through Scriptural texts. However, there are some ridiculous statements such as "God's old covenant people are never exhorted to engage in intentional cross-cultural mission" and "there is not a single example of Jesus going into a town with the stated purpose of healing or casting out demons." They want to affirm the importance of “demonstration” as well as “declaration” but their treatment texts that connect demonstration to our mission they undermine because some have abused them. However, the abuse does not negate their proper use, and I’m concerned their handling of such texts will lead many to deemphasize the importance of good works in witnessing to a community.
The fallacy of the excluded middle runs through the book as well. They pit their view against an extreme view that very few actually hold and leave out addressing the middle positions. I think many “missional” types reading the book would find themselves saying quite often, “that’s not what I believe” or “that’s not a fair summary of my view”. Perhaps some have changed God's mission into saving whales and poverty programs and forgotten evangelism. Well, there is a middle position that keeps proclamation and evangelism central while also seeing a life lived in obedience to serve others even outside the body as a nonnegotiable to our mission (Titus and 1 Peter make this strong connection in the NT as do many other texts in the OT and NT).
I see their heart and I understand their intention - to rein in some evangelicals who are a little too "missional" in the sense that the central mission loses focus on discipleship and specifically evangelism. However, I do not think this book will succeed with the intention, unfortunately. I think any of these types will be further pushed away by the unfairness of their statements about "missionals" (for example, missionals basically don't carefully read the Bible!). The more likely outcome of the book is that those who are too comfortable in their churches will use this book to justify staying comfortable and not reach out to their neighbors with word or deed. This is not their intention, and in a sense it is not their fault. I think it is their fault for not discerning what most conservative churches need (which is of course their primary audience and they know that!).
I would recommend this review by Ed Stetzer, he can say it way better than I can: http://thegospelcoalition.org/themeli...
I would also recommend this wonderful sermon by Dr. Brian Fikkert (prof. at Covenant College) on primacy of the Word but also the necessary marriage between word and deed in our calling to the world. Also, he's tall: http://www.hopeingod.org/sermon/how-h...
April 30, 2021
I appreciate the attempt to avoid both a social gospel as well as an anemic gospel that has no effect on society. But even in the balancing act, the effort to avoid appearing too transformational makes their description of the gospel sound like the church is mostly spiritual, and there's a lot of emphasis on how we don't really participate in God's mission to restore all of creation. As someone else observed, "faithful presence" people might talk about changing the world, but they seem to whisper under their breath, "But not too much." They don't mind admitting to an inaugurated eschatology, but they're still pretty big on the spirituality of the church. Unfortunately, the book's response to social justice comes at the expense of a watered down creation mandate.
Re: the Emeth issue (Ch. 4), see here and here.
Re: the Emeth issue (Ch. 4), see here and here.
July 9, 2024
Excellent biblical work on the true mission of the church, contrasting Jesus’s specific plan for the Christian congregation with the broader work of Christians. Prioritizes proclaiming the good news and making disciples, as does the New Testament.
October 20, 2016
Very light, easy and conversational style (always appreciated!).
The authors argue that the church's mission is essentially to make disciples. They say God's mission and the church's mission aren't exactly the same. God is the redeemer, the church isn't. Instead they are representatives, witnessing to God's redemptive work in Christ.
Their stuff on Jesus' mission statements is gold. Jesus says, I came to preach, call sinners and lay down my life as a ransom for many.
Worthy of a read, especially for all those (eg pastors, ministry leaders) looking at the many needs in the world and trying to figure out what on earth the church should be focusing on.
The authors argue that the church's mission is essentially to make disciples. They say God's mission and the church's mission aren't exactly the same. God is the redeemer, the church isn't. Instead they are representatives, witnessing to God's redemptive work in Christ.
Their stuff on Jesus' mission statements is gold. Jesus says, I came to preach, call sinners and lay down my life as a ransom for many.
Worthy of a read, especially for all those (eg pastors, ministry leaders) looking at the many needs in the world and trying to figure out what on earth the church should be focusing on.
August 6, 2020
Reread with Men's study. A good book to wrestle with.
June 13, 2025
Strong emphasis on reading Scripture in its immediate and broader context. I imagine the points in this book will be challenging for many, but it was a solid exegesis. I do appreciate this methodical approach to theological topics, which carefully establish definitions first so that the reasoning that follows is fully traceable. I was hoping that the book would focus more on what the mission of the church is, when it spend the bulk of the time describing what it is not (not that they should have minimized the latter—I simply would have liked more of the former). I was also expecting more discussion on the global Church. Nevertheless, the technicallys of teaching the Word are indeed important, and I believe these two pastors address the nooks and crannies of social justice vs. the ordained mission of the church well. Would recommend this book for other Christians to read.
June 26, 2019
Mixed feelings. A helpful reminder of the primacy of ‘making disciples’ as the church’s mission, and some helpful corrections which I found personally challenging. However, an overly simplistic treatment of the subject which at points, in an attempt to simplify, dumbs down. In particular, fails to define ‘making disciples’, and ignores biblical themes of work, creativity, union and participation, which as categories make a huge difference in understanding the relationship between the cultural mandate, good works and evangelism.
I would instead recommend Keller’s Center Church for a more precise use of terms & language, and Chester’s Good News For The Poor for a nuanced argument more suited to a UK context.
I would instead recommend Keller’s Center Church for a more precise use of terms & language, and Chester’s Good News For The Poor for a nuanced argument more suited to a UK context.
April 18, 2025
A great book.
The authors look to answer the question “what is the mission of the church” primarily through exegesis. Then direct and appropriate application of that exegesis. This is a biblical book with helpful (and needed) perspective on what we in the church ought to do.
The authors look to answer the question “what is the mission of the church” primarily through exegesis. Then direct and appropriate application of that exegesis. This is a biblical book with helpful (and needed) perspective on what we in the church ought to do.
April 12, 2024
I have been looking for a book like this for 5 years. It is so clear and so helpful.
April 10, 2025
One of the best books on the gospel and discipleship I’ve read. Excellent biblical clarity on justice and God’s mission for the church. Highly recommend. “Keep the main thing the main thing”.
November 23, 2020
A correct, conservative, and careful answer to a question being made much more complicated than it ever should have been
May 1, 2024
Excellent, worthy to be read by all in ministry.
June 21, 2023
Solid. I'm 100% on the same page.
April 15, 2023
I think this is one of the best books I have ever read. Humbled me like few others have. There’s a lot to be said about wealth and equity and stuff in this book. It drew me in and had me very interested. Would 100% recommend it to any Christian! Thanks @Jay for the book!
June 23, 2018
I appreciated this book, especially being involved in a church with many younger working adults and college students in highly liberal surroundings.
The book essentially focuses on the fact that "social justice" isn't the main goal of the church; it's discipleship. And though it doesn't discourage social justice, it's a subtle distinction that must be kept for the church to remain the church and not to become some non-profit humanitarian aid organization. I appreciate this emphasis because I don't think it's necessarily very popular, nor is it easy to fight the tide or argue against guilt-motivated statements like, "God told us to love the nations. Why don't you have a heart for ______ (insert remote country here)?" On the other hand, we can make excuses that since it's the main goal, we don't have to do it.
In sum, discipleship is a higher goal that subsumes social justice, and that focus allows us to have a sense of priority when it comes to making decisions for a local church especially when peoples' preferences are prone to shift and change over time.
The book also does a good job summarizing and reminding us of the centrality and importance of the Gospel, and it's very clearly written and does a good job addressing some of the most common confusions in our day and age. I will say it does get a little bit long in parts, but I suppose it's good to be thorough.
The book essentially focuses on the fact that "social justice" isn't the main goal of the church; it's discipleship. And though it doesn't discourage social justice, it's a subtle distinction that must be kept for the church to remain the church and not to become some non-profit humanitarian aid organization. I appreciate this emphasis because I don't think it's necessarily very popular, nor is it easy to fight the tide or argue against guilt-motivated statements like, "God told us to love the nations. Why don't you have a heart for ______ (insert remote country here)?" On the other hand, we can make excuses that since it's the main goal, we don't have to do it.
In sum, discipleship is a higher goal that subsumes social justice, and that focus allows us to have a sense of priority when it comes to making decisions for a local church especially when peoples' preferences are prone to shift and change over time.
The book also does a good job summarizing and reminding us of the centrality and importance of the Gospel, and it's very clearly written and does a good job addressing some of the most common confusions in our day and age. I will say it does get a little bit long in parts, but I suppose it's good to be thorough.
June 29, 2019
In essence, this book presents arguments about the Gospel being Jesus’ salvific work and not about caring for the poor and destitute. The latter is good, but it is not the Gospel. The mission of the church therefore is to preach the Gospel and not to solve the world‘s problems.
Seems an arguable point as it goes, but the authors then go off on tangents related to many of white evangelicalism’s sacred cows. For example, they assert that Paul was against Communism. Or they argue that free markets are better at the allocation of goods and services than a government agency. All fine to argue as an academic or political exercise, but this has nothing to do with the mission of the church and any biblical support for these points is weak at best.
In the final section, the authors chide (progressive?) Christians for “overemphasizing care to the poor”, arguing that this is not the church’s mission on Earth. However, the authors do note that care for the poor is important.
In the end, much of this book seems like unnecessary hair-splitting. Yes, the cross is central to salvation, and, yes, care of the poor and destitute is a crucial way that Christians love their neighbor, and, no, I don’t care about the authors‘ keenness to outargue some Christopher Wright book they read.
Seems an arguable point as it goes, but the authors then go off on tangents related to many of white evangelicalism’s sacred cows. For example, they assert that Paul was against Communism. Or they argue that free markets are better at the allocation of goods and services than a government agency. All fine to argue as an academic or political exercise, but this has nothing to do with the mission of the church and any biblical support for these points is weak at best.
In the final section, the authors chide (progressive?) Christians for “overemphasizing care to the poor”, arguing that this is not the church’s mission on Earth. However, the authors do note that care for the poor is important.
In the end, much of this book seems like unnecessary hair-splitting. Yes, the cross is central to salvation, and, yes, care of the poor and destitute is a crucial way that Christians love their neighbor, and, no, I don’t care about the authors‘ keenness to outargue some Christopher Wright book they read.
September 30, 2022
Disclaimer: I only listened to this one on Hoopla.
In this book, DeYoung and Gilbert jump into the midst of a few decade evangelical tornado in order to provide clarity and stability on what the Bible teaches is the mission of the church. The conclusion that they come to is simple and straightforward: the mission of the church is to “go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.” Sound familiar? It should.
The first half of the work is substantial bits of exegesis to show what the Bible actually teaches and to correct other assumptions that have entered many evangelicals mind. The second half and really the concluding part of the work is where the book really picks up steam as it consolidates the data points of Biblical study gleaned earlier. What is the most helpful part of the book is how it relates love for neighbor, social concerns, works of charity, and more with the purpose of the church. The result is a book that is ground in Scripture and is massively clarifying for those in the evangelical world.
In this book, DeYoung and Gilbert jump into the midst of a few decade evangelical tornado in order to provide clarity and stability on what the Bible teaches is the mission of the church. The conclusion that they come to is simple and straightforward: the mission of the church is to “go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.” Sound familiar? It should.
The first half of the work is substantial bits of exegesis to show what the Bible actually teaches and to correct other assumptions that have entered many evangelicals mind. The second half and really the concluding part of the work is where the book really picks up steam as it consolidates the data points of Biblical study gleaned earlier. What is the most helpful part of the book is how it relates love for neighbor, social concerns, works of charity, and more with the purpose of the church. The result is a book that is ground in Scripture and is massively clarifying for those in the evangelical world.
December 4, 2020
To me, DeYoung's greatest strengths are careful exegesis, thought, and definition. These strengths are obvious as he and Greg Gilbert tackle the topic of social justice.
Although published in 2011, this is a book for 2020. All of the elements of social justice as a fad are addressed: kingdom, Shalom, missional, cosmic renewal, "the gospel is more," etc. And yet, the baby is not discarded with the bathwater! DeYoung and Gilbert reassert the primary mission of the church as defined by the Great Commission: make disciples. And then, so helpfully, they explain the "really, really important" place of good deeds in the life of the Christian, and in the life of the church.
The Liberal-Fundamentalist battles of the early twentieth century are raging in the church again, and here is a book that holds us back from the heresy of liberalism and the social withdrawal of fundamentalism.
You should be reading book-length treatments of social justice, not Tweet or Post-length treatments, and this is probably the book-length treatment you should read.
Although published in 2011, this is a book for 2020. All of the elements of social justice as a fad are addressed: kingdom, Shalom, missional, cosmic renewal, "the gospel is more," etc. And yet, the baby is not discarded with the bathwater! DeYoung and Gilbert reassert the primary mission of the church as defined by the Great Commission: make disciples. And then, so helpfully, they explain the "really, really important" place of good deeds in the life of the Christian, and in the life of the church.
The Liberal-Fundamentalist battles of the early twentieth century are raging in the church again, and here is a book that holds us back from the heresy of liberalism and the social withdrawal of fundamentalism.
You should be reading book-length treatments of social justice, not Tweet or Post-length treatments, and this is probably the book-length treatment you should read.
June 17, 2022
While reading this book, for the most part I agreed with it all the way through. It didn't seem anything revolutionary from what I already believed and understood. The mission of the church is simple. It is to make disciples of Jesus Christ and teach them all that he has commanded. That is what I already believed. It isn't about social justice, or building the kingdom on earth, or having shalom. It is about caring for the suffering all people especially eternal suffering as John Piper says.
So, nearly all the book, I was really confused because this all seemed so straightforward to me until the very end. The authors end it with a story of a guy who wants to start a new church and change the world, and I saw about how this man passionate for Christ accidentally fell into a lot of these things that aren't the mission. The thing is I saw myself in him. I understood the entire book intellectually beforehand, but this book help understand this all practically.
So, nearly all the book, I was really confused because this all seemed so straightforward to me until the very end. The authors end it with a story of a guy who wants to start a new church and change the world, and I saw about how this man passionate for Christ accidentally fell into a lot of these things that aren't the mission. The thing is I saw myself in him. I understood the entire book intellectually beforehand, but this book help understand this all practically.
March 16, 2024
I really appreciate this one! It’s focused on helping believers keep the main thing the main thing. I think the authors could have better fleshed out how making disciples can result in solving more social justice issues. I’m thankful for the way they graciously express that a sole focus on solving social justice issues can be completely devoid of discipleship work. It’s essential we keep the great commission at the core of our churches and our lives.
March 14, 2019
A thorough but not “bogged down” look at where the church should live inside the mandates of making disciples, and caring “for the least of these.” Full of grace and scripture, I find this book to be a timely reminder of what God has created the church to do and to be, and conversely what it is NOT created to do and be.
October 26, 2019
Immensely practical, helpful and thought provoking. This book is a great reminder of how important it is for us to accurately define and focus on the purpose of the church. DeYoung and Gilbert really unpack their simple definition and explain how it differs from many church models and why that matters.
January 26, 2023
Very helpful book thinking through the church’s mission. If you struggle thinking about the church’s role in modern day social justice movements, this book is a must read. DeYoung and Gilbert describe the mission of the church as the call to declare the gospel of Christ, make disciples, and gather them in the context of the local church all through the Spirit’s help and for the glory of God.
October 3, 2021
I love a DeYoung book and this tag team with Gilbert is just top quality.
The overwhelming responsibility and guilt that comes from "everything wrong with the world is the church's mission" is quite frankly damaging. The thrust of this book is that "the great commission" is our mission as a church and I couldn't agree more.
First and foremost we are to preach the gospel and make disciples.
The overwhelming responsibility and guilt that comes from "everything wrong with the world is the church's mission" is quite frankly damaging. The thrust of this book is that "the great commission" is our mission as a church and I couldn't agree more.
First and foremost we are to preach the gospel and make disciples.
January 12, 2022
A good overview of modern society’s ailments, the purpose of the church, and the relationship between the two. While I will not agree with DeYoung on all points, we must keep the main thing the main thing.
August 8, 2022
Great book!
January 15, 2024
A solid, helpful book about the Church's mission. If I could give it 3.5 stars, I would!
June 12, 2024
Honestly, I felt like this book could have just been the final two chapters—which were really great! Or perhaps the book should have started with them. The rest was decent information, but felt written in response to a problem they didn’t give specific examples of until the very end.
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