The Mission of God: Unlocking the Bible's Grand Narrative

by Christopher J.H. Wright

Most Christians would agree that the Bible provides a basis for mission. But Christopher Wright boldly maintains that there is a missional basis for the Bible! The entire Bible is generated by and all about God's mission. In order to understand the Bible, we need a missional hermeneutic, an interpretive perspective in tune with this great missional theme. We need to see how the familiar bits and pieces fit into the grand narrative of Scripture. Beginning with the Old Testament and its groundwork for understanding who God is, what he has called his people to be and do, and how the nations fit into God's mission, Wright gives us a new hermeneutical perspective on Scripture. This perspective provides a solid and expansive basis for holistic mission. God's mission is to reclaim the world―including the created order―and God's people have a designated role to play.

Genres: Theology, Biblical Studies, Christian, Christianity, Religion, Nonfiction, Evangelism

582 pages, Paperback

First published October 23, 2006

About the author

Christopher J.H. Wright, (born 1947) is a Anglican clergyman and an Old Testament scholar. He is currently the director of Langham Partnership International. He was the principal of All Nations Christian College. He is an honorary member of the All Souls Church, Langham Place in London, UK.

Reviews

[Carmen Imes · Rating 5 out of 5]

I re-read this book in order to offer an endorsement of the second edition. I liked it just as much as I did in seminary over a decade ago. Such an honor to add my commendation!

"The Mission of God was one of the most important books I read in seminary. Returning to it has been such a joy! Christopher Wright is a master communicator whose expanded and clarified exposition is a true gift to our generation. His careful attention to the storyline of the Bible provides a rich feast of insight for pastors, seminary students, and laypeople committed to discovering how the whole Bible unfolds the mission of God and invites our participation in it as subjects of the Lord Jesus. I offer my hearty and unreserved recommendation!"

[Eric Chappell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review: Outstanding. This book is really an eye-opening piece of work. The whole Bible, all of Scripture is mission, i.e. God's mission to renew all things and he has brought us along on that mission as His people.

Introduction:

"...the whole Bible is itself a 'missional' phenomenon." (22)

"The Bible renders to us the story of God's mission through God's people in their engagement with God's world for the sake of the whole of God's creation. The Bible is the drama of this God of purpose engaged in the mission of achieving that purpose universally, embracing past, present and future, Israel and the nations, "life, the universe and everything," and with its center, focus, climax, and completion in Jesus Christ. Mission is not just one of a list of things that the Bible happens to talk about, only a bit more urgently than some. Mission is, in that much-abused phrase, "what it's all about" (22).

Mission--"Fundamentally, our Mission means our committed participation as God's people, at God's invitation and command, in God's own mission within the history of God's world for the redemption of God's creation" (22).

Defines Mission in a more general sense: a long-term purpose or goal that is achieved through proximate objectives and planned actions (23).

Missionary--Wright doesn't like using this term because of its connotations, i.e. the activity of sending and crosscultural communication of the gospel. In that sense, the OT does not have a missionary message.

Missional--in this sense, Israel was missional, i.e. they had an identity and role to God's ultimate intention of blessing the nations.

Structure:

1. Hermeneutical Concerns: The Bible and Mission

2. The God of Mission

3. The People of Mission

4. The Arena of Mission

Part 1: The Bible and Mission

In Luke 24, Jesus not only talks about the messianic thrust of the OT, but its missional thrust as well. "The proper way for disciples of the crucified and risen Jesus to read their Scriptures, is messianically and missionally" (30).

"We recognize that the christological focus of the Bible operates in many different ways . . . To speak of the Bible being "all about Christ" does not (or should not) mean that we try to find Jesus of Nazareth in every verse by some feat of imagination. Rather we mean that the person and work of Jesus become the central hermeneutical key by which we, as Christians, articulate the overall significance of these texts in both Testaments . . . The same is true of the missiological focus of the Bible. To say that the Bible is "all about mission" does not mean that we try to find something relevant to evangelism in every verse. We are referring to something deeper and wider in relation to the Bible as a whole" (31).

Chapter 1: Searching for a Missional Hermeneutic

Wright surveys the history of hermeneutics with regard to mission. His conclusion is that the steps towards a missiological reading of the Bible is so far unsatisfactory.

"...ever since the New Testament church... [we have] wrestled with the problems of multiple cultural contexts. And yet in the midst of them all it has sustained the conviction that there is an objective truth for all in the gospel that addresses and claims people in any context. . .Cultural plurality is nothing new for Christian mission. It is rather the very stuff of missional engagement and missiological reflection. We may be challenged by swimming in the postmodern pool, but we need not feel out of our depth there" (46).

Chapter 2: Shaping a Missional Hermeneutic

1. The Bible as the Product of God's Mission

a. A missional hermeneutic of the Bible begins with the Bible's very existence (48). Scripture is itself the product of and witness to the ultimate mission of God.

b. Block quote: "The very existence of the Bible is incontrovertible evidence of the God who refused to forsake his rebellious creation, who refused to give up, who was and is determined to redeem and restore fallen creation to his original design for it...The very existence of such a collection of writings testifies to a God who breaks through to human beings, who disclosed himself to them, who will not leave them unilluminated in their darkness, ... who takes the initiative in re-establishing broken relationships with us" (48) [Charles Taber, Missiology 11 (1983)]

c. The text is itself a product of mission in action. For example, most of Paul's letters were written in the heat of missionary efforts (49). "In short, a missional hermeneutic proceeds from the assumption that the whole Bible renders to us the story of God's mission through God's people in their engagement with God's world for the sake of the whole of God's creation" (51).

2. Biblical Authority and Mission

a. The Great Commission implies an imperative, a mandate. So it also presupposes an authority behind that imperative (51).

b. Often because of our view that Authority = Command (in a militaristic fashion), we do not perceive any missional authority in nonimperative texts because we conceive authority only in terms of commands (52). Interesting.

c. Re-think Authority. Authority is the predicate of reality, the source and boundary of freedom. Wright has three realities in mind: The reality of this God. The reality of this story (the worldview of the OT that answers the questions: where are we? who are we? what's gone wrong? what is the solution?). The reality of this people (54-56).

d. The Great Commission (preceded by the Great Communication): "all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me"--this is the reality behind the command, the indicative behind the imperative. The identity and the authority of Jesus of Nazareth, crucified and risen, is the cosmic indicative on which the mission imperative stands authorized" (60).

Further Reading: Graeme Goldsworthy, "The Great Indicative: An aspect of a biblical theology of mission," Reformed Theological Review 55 (1996).

e. Interpret the indicative and imperative in light of each other. A missional hermeneutic will not obsess with only the great mission imperatives or be tempted to impose one assumed priority over another (e.g. evangelism or social justice or liberation or ecclesiastical order as the only "real" mission).

3. The Biblical Theocentric Worldview and the Mission of God

a. The appropriateness of speaking of a "missional basis of the Bible" becomes apparent only when we shift our paradigm of mission from: 1. our human agency to the ultimate purpose of God Himself, 2. mission as "missions" that we undertake, to mission as that which God has been purposing and accomplishing from eternity to eternity, 3. an anthropocentric (or ecclesiocentric) conception to a radically theocentric worldview

b. A missional hermeneutic means that we seek to read any part of the Bible in light of [Wright precedes this with a more detailed explanation of each]:

i. God's purpose for his whole creation, including the redemption of humanity and the creation of the new heavens and new earth

ii. God's purpose for human life in general on the planet and of all the Bible teaches about human culture, relationships, ethics and behavior

iii. God's historical election of Israel, their identity and role in relation to the nations, and the demands he made on their worship, social ethics, and total value system

iv. the centrality of Jesus of Nazareth, his messianic identity and mission in relation to Israel and the nations, his cross and resurrection

v. God's calling of the church, the community of believing Jews and Gentiles who constitute the extended people of the Abraham covenant, to be the agent of God's blessing to the nations in the name and for the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ (67-68)

Part 2: The God of Mission

Texts that speak to YHWH as one, only God of all earth: Deut 10:14; 2 Kings 19:15; Jer 32:27; Is 54:5; Gen 18:25; Ps 47:7

"If YHWH alone is the one true living God who made Himself known in Israel and who wills to be known to the ends of the earth, then our mission can contemplate no lesser goal" (71).

Chapter 3: The Living God Makes Himself Known in Israel

God is known through what He does and says.

Exodus and Return from Exile are two examples par excellence of Israel coming to know their God

Knowing God through the Experience of God's Grace

1. The Exodus

A. God promises to do 3 things: Liberate from Egyptian yoke, enter into mutual covenant relationship, bring them to promised land of forefathers.

B. Israel will only "do" one thing: Exod 6:7--know YHWH. See also Deut 4:32-39. What 3 things did they know? That YHWH is Incomparable, Sovereign, and Unique (76).

1. Song of Moses (earliest poetic text in OT): (a) YHWH is incomparable, Who is like You? YHWH is clearly the most powerful God around, beyond comparison when it comes to conflict of wills. Later in OT similar themes emerge: keeping promises (2 Sam 7:22); in power and wisdom (Jer 10:6-7, 11-12); in heavenly assembly (Ps 89:6-8); in ruling nations (Jer 49:19; 50:44); in pardoning sin (Mic 7:18); in saving power (Isa 64:4). Missional Truth: Because there is none like Him, all nations will eventually come and worship Him as the only true God (Ps 86:8-9)--see chs 14 and 15. YHWH in class of His own.

(b) YHWH is king, Exod 15:18--reigning. Verb form entails: He has demonstrated that he is king, he is now reigning, and he will go on reigning without interruption. First significant time Kingdom of God mentioned! Unexpected kingship in that he exercises it on behalf of weak and oppressed (79), i.e. an ethnic minority undergoing economic exploitation, political oppression, and a state-sponsored campaign of terrorizing genocide. Deut 10:14-19 paradoxically puts God's universal reign beside his localized compassion. V. 14, 17 is doxology, v. 15, 18 is surprise, v. 16, 19 is ethical response (79).

(c) YHWH is unique--there is "no other." Does this imply the actual existence of other gods? Wright thinks that is an Enlightenment anachronistic reading of OT. Likes Bauckham's way of speaking of "YHWH's transcendent uniqueness" (81). The reason there is no other god like YHWH is because there is no other god, period.

2. The Return from Exile

A. YHWH sovereign over history:

1. In control of Israel: what is shocking is that a little defeated nation, scarcely a nation at all, to claim that its own deity was in charge would seem absurdly arrogant. They must be living in delusion and pathetic denial. Isa 41:22-23; 46:9-10

2. In control of all nations: rare in ANE to find other ancient gods claiming to get involved in history, politics, or fortunes of third parties, and when they do it is usually through agency of their own nation. YHWH can act without direct agency of Israel and against her interests (84-5). See Isa 41:2-4, 25; 44:28-45:6.

B. YHWH exercises sovereignty through his word (85):

C. YHWH acts for the sake of his name (87):

1. What motivated YHWH to bring people back from exile? Because leaving them permanently in exile would threaten his reputation. The name of YHWH was at stake in what God did against his own people, just as it was involve in all he did for them. See Moses' appeal to God after golden calf and after rebellion at Kadesh Barnea. See Ezek 36:22-23; Isa 43:25

2. Why did it matter that he should, in the process, demonstrate his claim to deity by his sovereign control of history? Name of God should be universally known. See Cyrus in Isa 45:5-6--nobody (but a few ancient historians) know Cyrus, but millions know YHWH.

D. YHWH's sovereignty extends over all creation: see Ps 33

E. YHWH's entrusts his uniqueness and universality to the witness of his people (90): it will be through Israel's witness that YHWH's powers of revelation and salvation and identity as sole God will be posted in public arena of world history. See Isa 43:9-12

1. Primary responsibility of witness is to KNOW. Therefore, Knowing God!

Knowing God through Exposure to His Judgment

1. Egypt: main plot is deliverance of Israel from oppression of Pharaoh. But subplot is massive power encounter between YHWH and Pharaoh and all his gods. Signaled by Exod 5:2--implication is link between knowing God and obeying Him. Pharaoh will not obey because he doesnt know. Recurring motif, "Then you will know..." in Exod 7-14.

A. What did Pharaoh come to know? See chart on p. 94

2. Israel in Exile (95): Good bit on Jeremiah 29 and the Abrahamic promise and divine irony of being sent to Babylon, the place where Abraham was called out from (99).

3. The nations under judgment (100): Ezekiel 38-39, Gog and Magog. Another example of God acting to extend knowledge of God. They will come to know: the holiness, greatness, and glory of God. Missional Truth (great application, 103).

Chapter 4: The Living God makes Himself known in Jesus Christ

Why doesn't NT just come out and say, 'Jesus is God?' Because 'theos' in Greek was too vague and ambiguous to give such a sentence any kind of clarity or specificity. Greeks and Romans, like contemporary Hindus, would balk at such sentence if 'god' is left undefined and anarthrous (105).

1. Jesus Shares the Identity of YHWH (106):

A. Prayer and Confession--two clear indications of any person's or community's understanding of content and object of faith.

1. Maranatha (O Lord, come)--Paul says in Aramaic and leaves untranslated, must have assumed his readers were familiar.

a. "The Maranatha invocation of 1 Corinthians 16:22, therefore, represents an old Palestinian formula of prayer, directed to the Lord Jesus. It is a plea for him to come in power and glory. Had these first believers only considered Jesus maran, as their rabbi, prayer would not have been directed to him" (107).

2. Kyrious Iesous (Jesus is Lord)

a. ho kyrios used to translate tetragrammaton, YHWH, in LXX. Used as the Greek rendering for the name of the God of Israel more than 1600x in LXX.

b. Good section on Philippians 2--By inserting name of Jesus where name of YHWH occurred in Isa 45, Christians: (i) gave to Jesus a God title, (ii) applied to Jesus a God text, (iii) anticipated for Jesus God worship

c. Missional implication? If the mission of the biblical God includes his will to make himself known in his true identity as YHWH, the living God of Israel's faith, then by identifying Jesus with YHWH, the NT sees Jesus as central to that self-revelatory dimension of God's mission" (109).

2. Jesus Performs the Functions of YHWH: YHWH in OT described as Creator, Ruler, Judge, and Savior--Jesus in NT described in same way

A. Creator

1. "Paul had the knack of bringing the most massive theological affirmations to bear upon the most mundane practical issues" (110). E.g. 1 Corinthians 8-10: 2 issues--(i) the status of idols (are they in any sense real?) and the state of the meat (is it somehow contaminated by having been sacrificed to an idol?). Paul tackles first in 1 Cor 8:4-6 and the second in 1 Cor 10:25-26.

2. Paul applies Shema to Jesus and then uses Psalm 24 to say that everything belongs to the Lord. Thus, the whole earth belongs to Jesus as Lord. Missional implication? "For if the whole earth belongs to Jesus, there is no corner of the earth to which we can go in mission that does not already belong to him. There is not an inch of the planet that belongs to any other god, whatever the appearances. A Christ-centered theology of divine ownership of the whole world is a major foundation for missional theology, practice and ultimate confidence" (112).

3. Good bit on the use of Psalm 110 in early church--NT joins lordship of Christ with sovereign gov't of the living God of the faith of Israel. That's what Jesus is doing in the premise of the Great Commission.

B. Judge

1. "Day of the Lord"

C. Savior

1. Saving is dominant activity of YHWH in OT.

2. Name: Jesus

3. "Salvation, in its fullest biblical sense, involves more than the forgiveness of sin--though that lies at the deepest core of it since sin is the deepest root of all the other dimensions of need and danger from which God alone can save us" (119).

3. Jesus Fulfills the Mission of YHWH (121)

A. God wills to be known through Jesus (see ch 3 on God's will to be known) (122)

B. The gospel carries the knowledge of God among the nations (123)

4. Biblical Monotheism and Mission: Why is biblical monotheism missional?

A. Biblical mission is driven by God's will to be known as God (126)

1. The exodus establishes a paradigmatic link between God's particular identity as the God of Israel and God's purpose of universal self-revelation to the nations (see Richard Bauckham, Bible and Mission). Later great acts of YHWH have same intention: crossing of Jordon, David's defeat of Goliath, God's covenant with David, God's answering prayer in Solomon's temple (1 kings 8:41-43, 60), God delivering Jerusalem from Assyrians (2 kings 19:19; Isa 37:20), God bringing back Israel from exile (Isa 45:6; Jer 33:9; Ezek 36:23). The whole history of Israel is intended to be the shop window for the knowledge of God in all the earth (127).

2. Mission is not the imposition of yet another religious bondage upon an already overburdened humanity. It is the sharing of the liberating knowledge of the one true living God.

3. The good of creation comes from humanity knowing the biblical God. Biblical mission necessarily requires biblical monotheism.

4. God's will to be known is the mainspring of our mission to make him known (129). God's will to be known precedes and undergirds all of the efforts of God's people in their mission of making him known. Thus, we are seeking to accomplish what God himself wills to happen. This is both humbling and reassuring. Humbling because our efforts would be in vain otherwise. Reassuring, because behind all our fumbles stands the supreme will of God.

B. Biblical monotheism involves constant christological struggle.

1. Christ-centered monotheism is just as difficult for NT church as YHWH-centered monotheism was tough for Israel. It is a constant battlefield. This is a reason why biblical monotheism is missional: it is a truth to which we are constantly called to bear witness.

C. Biblical monotheism generates praise

1. Book of Psalms title is tehillim (Hebrew), "praises" (132). Surprising since the largest single category of psalms are psalms of lament. Praise in OT was not about being happy and thankful, but about acknowledging the reality of the one living God in the whole of life, including tough times.

2. John Piper, Let the Nations be Glad--"missions is not the ultimate goal of the church. Worship is. Missions exist because worship doesn't." But we might also say that mission exists because praise does. The praise of the church is what energizes and characterizes it for mission, and also serves as the constant reminder we so much need, that all our mission flows as obedient response to and participation in the prior mission of God.

3. Psalm 96 structure (134)

a. This is a new song that remixes the old words, for it celebrates the old story of what God has done for his people (v. 1-3)

b. it is a new song that radically displaces the old gods whose former worshipers must now bring all their worship into the courts of the Lord (v. 4-9)

c. it is a new song that transforms the old world into the anticipated righteousness and rejoicing of the reign of the Lord (v. 10-13).

Chapter 5: The Living God Confronts Idolatry

1. Paradoxes of the Gods

A. Something or nothing? Interesting question about whether or not Israel believed the existence of other gods.

1. "The essence of Israelite monotheism lies in what it affirms dynamically about YHWH, not primarily in what it denies about other gods" (138).

2. Are other gods something or nothing? Paradoxically, they are both. They are nothing in relation to YHWH, they are something in relation to their worshipers (139).

B. Idolatry

1. Idols and gods as objects within creation

2. Idols and gods as demons

3. Idols are gods as the work of human hands

a. Uniquene

[Sonny · Rating 5 out of 5]

― “…it is not so much the case that God has a mission for his church in the world, but that God has a church for his mission in the world. Mission was not made for the church; the church was made for mission—God’s mission.”
― Christopher J.H. Wright, The Mission of God: Unlocking the Bible’s Grand Narrative

Dr. Christopher J. H. Wright is a missiologist and an Old Testament scholar. It is his contention that it is “not just that the Bible contains a number of texts which happen to provide a rationale for missionary endeavor, but that the whole Bible is itself a missional phenomenon.” In fact, he states that “mission is what the Bible is all about.” To support this thesis, Wright has produced a book weighing in at 535 pages plus indices.

― “It is God’s mission in relation to the nations, arguably more than any other single theme, that provides the key that unlocks the biblical grand narrative.”
― Christopher J.H. Wright, The Mission of God: Unlocking the Bible’s Grand Narrative

While most Christians recognize the missional content of the New Testament, Wright contends that the Old Testament is also relevant to Christian mission and ethics. The Mission of God is a master work describing the mission of God. It is evident that Wright has been thinking about this for a long time.

In the Introduction, Wright describes how his search for the “biblical basis for missions” became an exploration of “the missional basis of the Bible.” He contends that the Bible is fundamentally about mission: God’s mission. The book then explores the mission of God in four parts.

In Part I, “The Bible and Mission,” Christopher Wright offers a hermeneutic that sees the mission of God as a framework in which we can read the whole Bible. He sees the “mission of God” as not merely what has commonly been called “overseas missions.” So much missiology has been built upon one text: the passage found in Matthew 28:18–20 known as the Great Commission. Wright contends that everything that belongs to the overarching purpose of God constitutes his mission.

― “…the mission of God is ultimately to restore his whole creation to what it was intended to be—God’s creation, ruled over by redeemed humanity, giving glory and praise to its creator.”
― Christopher J.H. Wright, The Mission of God: Unlocking the Bible’s Grand Narrative

In Part II, “The God of Mission,” Wright describes the universal intentions of God’s election of Israel and the resulting implications for mission. While God revealed himself through a unique people in the Old Testament, his intentions in this were always universal. God’s universal intentions in electing Israel are fulfilled when God himself enters history in the person of Jesus Christ.

In Part III, “The People of Mission,” Wright examines the biblical covenants and the narrative of Scripture to demonstrate that the primary agent of the mission of God is the people of God. Rather than starting with the Great Commission or Pentecost, Wright begins with the Abrahamic covenant and God’s promise of great blessings to Abraham, his family, and “all the peoples of the earth.” He argues that this is “the single most important biblical tradition within a biblical theology of mission and a missional hermeneutic of the Bible.”

In Part IV, “The Arena of Mission,” Wright explores God’s intentions for the nations and the whole of creation. Since God’s mission encompasses the whole earth, not just humans, he contends that Christian mission should also include the environment.

Christopher J.H. Wright’s The Mission of God falls into a class of books that I love, i.e. God’s universal plan. Another excellent book I’ve read, G.K. Beale’s The Temple and the Church's Mission, in the “New Studies in Biblical Theology” series from InterVarsity Press also fits into this category. While this is not light reading, it is worth the time investment.

[Robert Murphy · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellently written book that has great explanatory value for all Christians. My only gripe with it is that it gave too much attention to idolatry at the beginning and too little attention to the theme of universalism in Isaiah.

[Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of exegesis, which makes the book both very dry and very good.

[Tommy Kiedis · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Is it possible, is it legitimate, is it helpful for Christians to read the whole Bible from the angle of mission? And what happens when they do?" The answers are, "Yes!" and "Reading the Scripture with that hermeneutic will shape a believer's entire worldview and consequently how he or she invests their days.

Christopher Wright unpacks in 550 pages what I attempted to summarize in two lines. While a scholar of Wright's stature certainly does not need my recommendation, I heartily recommend The Mission of God: Unlocking the Bible's Grand Narrative.

Wright takes the reader on a sweeping journey through the older testament to demonstrate the missional hermeneutic of Scripture (473). He notes,

The Bible renders and reveals to us the God whose creative and redemptive work is permeated from beginning to end with God's own great mission, his purposeful, sovereign intentionality (531).

Beautifully and convincingly, Wright also helps us to see that "Whatever Yahweh did among the nations was ultimately for the benefit of Israel, his covenant people. Yet on the other hand, what Yahweh did for Israel was ultimately for the benefit of the nations. . . . God's providential reign over the nations is related to his redemptive purpose for his people" (473).

I have been insisting throughout that our primary datum in biblical missiology must be the mission of God. And we have seen that the mission of God is strongly connected to God's will to be known by his whole creation. To that end he is at work on the whole stage of human history, not merely among the people he has chosen as the vehicle for his great redemptive agenda for the world. And even when we do focus, with the biblical texts themselves, on the story of God's dealing with his people, we must remember that God always acts among his own people with an eye on the watching nations. The nations are not just part of the incidental scenery of the narrative. They are the intended witnesses of the action. These things happen “before their eyes.” A response is therefore expected to what they witness. . . . God has basically the same intention with the nation as he had with Israel because both "will know that I am Yahweh" (473)

The majority of the pages of this massive tome are devoted to the mission of God as seen throughout the older testament. But Wright is not content to leave us there. He concludes his work considering, "God and the Nations in the New Testament." His conclusion:

I have to emphasize that Paul's picture is decidedly not Jews plus Gentiles, remaining forever distinct with separate means of covenant membership and access to God, but rather that through the cross God has destroyed the barrier between the two and created a new entity, so that both together and both alike have access to God through the same Spirit. . . . "And so all Israel will be saved," . . . The implication of the whole metaphor and its exposition is clear. There is ultimately one one people of God, and the only way to belong to it now, for Jews as much as for Gentiles, is through faith in the Messiah, Jesus of Nazareth (528).

The Mission of God comes to us in four parts:

Part 1: The Bible and Mission: Wright helps us shift our thinking about missions from an anthropomorphic approach (missionaries are people on a mission for God) to a heavenly vision that God himself is on a mission for us and includes us (his redeemed people) in that mission.

Part 2: Shaping A Missional Hermeneutic: God's driving will is that the whole world sees Him as "the one true living God to be known throughout his whole creation for who he truly is, the LORD God, YHWH, the Only One of Israel, incarnate in Jesus of Nazareth, crucified, risen, ascended and returning" (532).

Part 3: The People of Mission: Believers are the elect of God with a mission, "the vehicle of his goal of redemption" (532). He addresses our election, the scope of God's work on our behalf, the people to whom we belong, and the ethical demands of life in Christ, which is a beacon for the nations.

Part 4: The Arena of Mission: The scope of God's mission is universal, it encompasses all cultures and nations . . . so that one day people of every tribe, people, nation and language will sing his praise in the new creation" (532).

I am grateful for the definitions he provides:

Mission: Our committed participation as God's people, at God's initiation and command, in God's own mission within the history of God's world for the redemption of God's creation. Our mission flows from and participates in the mission of God (23).

Missionary: The words is uses as both a noun, referring to people who engage in mission, usually in a culture other than their own as those "being sent" (23), and an adjective, as in "the missionary mandate" or "a person of missionary zeal." Wright is clear about his dissatisfaction with this popular use as it has created caricatures of white Western churches among "natives" in far off countries. In his view, Israel was not mandated to send missionaries to the nations.

Missional: Missional is an adjective denoting something that is related to or characterized by mission, or has the qualities, attributes or dynamics of mission" (24).

Missiology and missiological: Missiology is the study of missions-- biblical, theological, historical, contemporary and practical. He uses missiological when a theological or reflective aspect is intended (25).

A few highlights:

1. Reading Scripture: The importance of reading the Scriptures in general and the Psalms in particular collectively so we do not "miss the opportunity to feel the overwhelming cumulative force of such a pervasive theme in Israel's amazing liturgical discourse" of the universal praise given to God for his missional achievement. Psalm 117; Romans 15:8-11; Psalm 145:10-12; Psalm 148:11. Creighton Marlowe has coined the term, "the music of missions" (484).

2. Diversity, Equity, Inclusion: There is much discussion about and effort toward a world that is marked by a greater degree of diversity, equity, and inclusion. This is a good thing, but a misdirected effort among Christians when they fail to view such in light of God's grand narrative. Identity and inclusion is the joyful possession of all who find life as a part of God's covenant family through Christ. It is this diverse people who fall down in worship, declaring not the wonder of their diversity, but the wonder of Christ. It is, however, the understanding of God's impartiality which should drive efforts toward inclusion and that refuses to exalt one ethnic group above another. It is God's gracious spirit of welcoming toward us that should act as an impetus for the same. Wright's exegesis helps clarify the meaning, the motivation, and the goal when it comes to diversity, equity, and inclusion.

3. Good exegesis provides a clearer rationale: In his book, Disappearing Church Mark Sayers, referencing sociologist Philip Rieff says we should view culture through three lenses: first, second, and third. The third culture defines itself against the second culture. In the case of the "Christian" second culture, the third culture wants the fruit of it without the Christ behind it. Wright demonstrates how Christianity provides the best rationale in this "post-Christian world" for caring for the poor and the planet while pursuing the justice the world longs for and the hope of a brighter day. It is a day for which the world longs, but only the Christian can guarantee. See Proverbs 12:10, 29:7; Psalm 145:9; Colossians 1:20

4. What's it all about . . . "God's mission is what fills the gap between the scattering of the nations in Genesis 11 and the healing of the nations in Revelation 22. It is God's mission in relation to the nations, arguably more than any other single theme, that provides the key that unlocks the biblical grand narrative" (455). Once we unlock that door and walk through it, we can never be the same. God's mission must become our mission. That truth will impact my Sunday . . . and every day!

Recommendation: I have a shortlist of books that are re-reads and an even shorter list that should be (for me) annual reads. I need to put The Mission of God on that list. It's long, but so good in that it clarifies a hermeneutic for reading God's Word that shapes my worldview and consequently clarifies my world, my work in it, and God's purpose behind it. I need that!

[Paul Fulcher · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fundamentally, our mission (if it is biblically informed and validated) means our committed participation as God's people, at God's invitation and command, in God's own mission, which the Bible reveals to us as God's sovereign purposefulness in Christ from all eternity for the flourishing and redemption of God's creation along with humanity redeemed from all nations in the whole earth. The church's mission flows from, participates in, and is dependent on the mission of God.

An impressive interpretation of the Bible from a missional perspective, and a 2025 update of Wright's original 2006 work.

The book takes a little while to get going - with commentary on challenges to his original work and the changes he has made as a result, as well as explaining his hermeneutic approach - but when it gets into its stride provides a powerful and well-articulated affirmation of God's purpose, with a particular focus on tracing this through from the Old Testament.

Thanks to the publisher via Netgalley for the ARC.

[Brett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wright argues convincingly that God's missionary heart is one of the big ideas (if not THE big idea) of the entire Bible. In fact, the character and nature of God are unique revealed in His heart for the nations. Wright explores this "grand narrative" in-depth in both the Old and New Testaments. The mission of God is central from Genesis to Revelation. Further, Wright demonstrates how the mission of God is intrinsically related to the people of God - our election, our redemption, our restoration, and the covenants. A must read for every pastor and church leader. A

[Jimmy Reagan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Christopher J. H. Wright is an author who never disappoints. Though he has written commentaries, theological works, and Bible studies, this book on the mission of God now available in paperback is likely his most influential. In fact, his specialty on the mission of God elevates all those other books that he has written, but this one is where he makes his grand case that the narrative of the Bible has mission as its overarching theme. You will likely agree when you take in what he has said.

This book succeeds on so many levels that you might debate where to put it on your shelves. There’s the obvious choice of your mission section, but then you may wonder if it should be among your Bible theology or even Bible survey sections. Finally, it could hold its head high among titles in your deeper theology section too. That is not to say the book is unfocused, but that its explanation of the broad sweep of the Bible gets the job done from all those various vantage points.

The book is divided into four parts: the Bible and mission, the God of mission, the people of mission, and the arena of mission. As you can see, that begins in championing mission as the proper hermeneutic, continues to see God’s hand in mission, followed by the final two parts looking at the Bible from beginning to end and seeing how it sticks without wavering to God on mission. At over 500 pages, it is never shallow nor possessing omissions while never bogging into minutia either.

I’ve always felt that Wright could hold his own with any scholar while outpacing most of them on spirituality. You will see that here. This book will be the top of its class on this subject for decades to come and no Bible student should be without it.

I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

[Etienne OMNES · Rating 3 out of 5]

The mission of God est un manuel fondateur de missiologie, qu'il sera difficile de dépasser avant longtemps, tant l'érudition, la densité et la qualité d'exégèse de Christopher J.H. Wright est importante.

Dans la partie 1, il décrit quelle méthode il va poursuivre pour construire sa missiologie.
Dans la partie 2, il décrit la doctrine de Dieu telle qu'elle est exposée dans la Bible, **selon ses aspects utiles pour définir la mission de l'Eglise**
Dans la partie 3 il décrit l'instrument de Dieu pour cette mission de réconcilier le monde: le peuple de Dieu. Après une étude de ce qu'est le peuple de Dieu dans la Bible, il explore la place, l'intensité et les implications de la mission de Dieu dans la vie de ce peuple.
Dans la partie 4, il explore "l'arène de mission": ce que cette vision missiologique change à notre éthique et notre vision du monde.

La thèse principale de Wright est que la Mission, loin d'être une activité humaine fondée sur une seule parole de Jésus Christ, est d'abord et avant tout le mouvement de Dieu pour se rassembler le peuple de Dieu afin de ramener à Dieu la création de Dieu. Il en ressort une vision très holistique qui est le meilleur de ce que peut représenter l'école néo-évangélique. Pour ma part, je ne peux rien dire après lui, sinon "d'accord".

Pour ce qui est du style, il faut le lire lentement et prévoir du temps: les arguments sont très serrés et l'aspect holistique du tout fait qu'il faut prendre le temps d'absorber ce qui est dit. Autrement, très bon livre sur le sujet de la missiologie, qui à lui seul en vaut 15 autres.

[Avery Amstutz · Rating 5 out of 5]

“The Bible renders to us the story of God's mission through God's people in their engagement with God's world for the sake of the whole of God's creation. The Bible is the drama of this God of purpose engaged in the mission of achieving that purpose universally, embracing past, present and future, Israel and the nations, "life, the universe and everything," and with its centre, focus, climax, and completion in Jesus Christ.”

Somehow I got through FBs Ministry Apprenticing program without reading this work…

This is a fantastic book exploring God’s mission and our place in it.

This should be required reading for every Christian under pains of excommunication.

10/10

[Jeff Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the most theologically formative books I’ve ever read.

[Jon Paul Gulledge · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mission of God is one of the best books I’ve ever read. It is paradigm shifting. Read this book.

[Kevin Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars. This book was an excellent overview of how the entire Bible can be read through the lens of God's mission. Though it took me just short of a year to read, it was well worth the time.

[Jared Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ecstatic truths kept sprouting out of the dry exegesis. I’ll be thinking about this book for a while. 10/10 recommend

[Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

Is the Bible all about mission? Can the whole Bible be understood under the rubric of God’s intention to make himself known to the whole world and draw the whole world to himself? We might speak of the biblical basis of marriage but not the marital basis of the Bible. Can we, however, do this with mission? That is the bold claim and case that Christopher Wright makes in his magnum opus.

From Creation to the Patriarchs to Israel to Jesus—the whole sweep of the biblical drama is to make God known to the earth he has made. Israel’s purpose is to be a channel of blessing to all the nations. He makes himself known through the Exodus, in exile and in the return from exile. The nations, all the nations, are always in God’s sights, anticipating the time when they will turn to him and worship him alone.

Insights abound throughout the book. Here’s just one example. For five hundred years Protestants have gone back and forth on the topic of predestination and all its implications. The effect for sensitive souls, however, can be to worry and wonder, "Am I one of the elect? Am I one of the chosen, or will I somehow fall outside the bounds of grace?" But when we look at what the Old Testament tells us about God’s understanding of and plans for his elect, much becomes clear.

There we see that the elect are God's people. And what is the purpose for which God's people were chosen? Not to be those who are exclusively saved but quite the opposite. They were elected to show God's blessing and make him known to the nations so they also could be received by God (Gen 12:1-3; Ex 9:16; 1 Sam 17:46; 1 Kings 8:41-43, 60-61; Ps 67:1-2; Isa 19:24-25; Jer 4:1-2). All his disciples are the chosen ones--chosen to make God known (pp. 262-64).

While this book is widely used as a college and seminary text, it is not too technical for the informed person in the pew who wants a big, grand sweep of what the Bible says God is doing in throughout time and around the world.

[BJ · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderfully well-nuanced and holistic book by this superb Old Testament scholar who places Jesus, the Messiah, crucified and risen as the "key to all of history"(535). Jesus is the center of history because in God's story Jesus "is the one who accomplished the mission of God for all creation" (ibid). Wright avoids commond reductionism in many evangelical circles and paints a robust theology of mission. The books greatness is not just in its great treatment of the theme of mission but in its treatment of demonstrating how the Old Testament is fulfilled by the New Testament. God's mission has always been the same and the Old Testament and New Testament do not show two missions of God to the world, but one mission of God to the world. The mission of God is cosmic, renewing all of creation; the mission of God is personal, saving sinners from death by the self-substitution of God in the work of His Son Jesus; the mission of God is multinational, God has chosen Israel not for the sake of ethnic Israel exclusively but for the sake of the world, making one new person, the Israel of God, from every tribe and tongue; the mission of God is God-centered, ultimately, God's mission is about Himself and doing all to the glory of His name and bringing all of creation into the praise of that glory; the mission of God is cross-centered, in that at the cross and resurrection of Jesus, God in the person of Jesus, crushed the devil, defeated death, and forgave sin. I cannot recommend this book highly enough. Christopher Wright has helped me, and I think he will help you, read the Bible in a more unified way and see the purpose of God for the world through clearer glasses.

[Jonathan Chase · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very helpful perspective on the broad scope and vast earthly implications of the mission of God. Wright shows that the Bible itself is the story of God's mission of redemption. He shows how this mission is far wider than merely the salvation of souls from hell, but involves the restoration of the entire creation and all of human society. In that regard, the book is faithful to Scripture, and it makes a solid case. However, the de-emphasis on the church at the center of the kingdom, and the reconciliation of sinners to God at the very center of salvation, is a serious weakness in this book. As an example, "hell" is only mentioned once in this entire book about God's mission for humanity—and that one occurrence of the word is found in a statement that hell exists for those who do not care for the poor. Clearly, Wright has missed the spiritual and judicial elements which exist right at the heart of God's mission. Yes, that mission includes the caring for the poor, and even the preservation of the environment, but right at its very heart is the reconciliation of lost and condemned sinners to the holy God.

The book also suffers from an overly heavy focus on political activism, not surprisingly of a leftist bent, as the means by which Christians today carry forward the mission of God. Economic inequality makes the list of the things that God's kingdom addresses, but not abortion, sexual perversion, or the various other sins of the cultural left. This book should therefore certainly not be considered the core text on God's mission, but can be read as a helpful supplemental text, if read with discernment and an open Bible.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really want to review this book. I want to because I'm so excited about it. But...I just can't even. It's out of my league. I will simply state that reading this book has significantly transformed the way I read the Bible, due to its broad and vast, yet deep and thorough look at God's great mission seen throughout all of scripture, together - as one "grand narrative". Even though it spans nearly 600 pages, I hope to read it again.

[Joel Lomman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like the smell of a freshly polished set of chainmail.

[Micah Sharp · Rating 5 out of 5]

The beginning of the work does significant work to establish a missionary hermeneutic. I especially appreciated Wright’s interaction with PostModern hermeneutics; some of the best I’ve seen. I think the fact that he wrote these chapters on hermeneutics with missions in mind allowed him to develop a more robust interpretative framework than the more abstract approaches I’ve seen before.

In part 2, the God of Mission he does an excellent biblical theology of Biblical Monotheism. He deftly sidesteps both the errant Enlightenment categories of Monotheism (which essentially amount to Deism) and the evolutionary hypothesis of Israelite religion. The first real misstep of the book comes in chapter 5: The Living God confronts Idolatry. While I do not fully subscribe to Heiser, Wright’s utter lack of acknowledgement of the Divine Counsel and the Sons of God was startling. His OT reading seems horribly sterilized to any supernatural activity outside that of Yahweh. For such a robust text on missions this obvious misreading of the Old Testament sadly leaves something to be desired in Wright’s overall missiology. This chapter alone reduces the cohesion and overall quality of the book as a thoroughly Biblical framework of Missions (and very nearly loses this book a while star in my mind, if not for the exceedingly quality of the remainder).

Part 3, the People of Mission, begins with a detailed exegetical exploration of Genesis 12:1-3 and parallel passages with later patriarchs. The paramount importance of this text is well detailed an explored down to minutia over prepositions (something I thoroughly enjoyed). This is followed up by a quality conversation on the both the universality and particularity of Israel’s election. Both of these explorations establish a firm Old Testament foundation for further missional theology, a great strength in Wright. Next, Wright’s exploration of the Exodus as the paradigm of Redemption and the Jubilee of Restoration are both insightful and convicting. His discussion on the Covenants was at once to be expected and helpful; one of the better BibTheo’s of Covenant I’ve read, and I think for the reason that it had missions in mind (much like his earlier discussion on hermeneutics). Finally, the chapter on Missions and Ethics was insightful but at times repetitive.

The fourth and final part moves onto the Arena of Mission. The first chapter here explores the importance of the earth as both the sphere of mission and object of mission. Wright presents an important ecological argument rooted primarily in a proper creational and eschatological framework to prove that the earth is Lord’s and so it is a part of our mission. I loved what he had to say in this chapter. The next chapter, reflecting upon human as the object and secondary actors in the Mission of God. The case study on AIDS (though in some ways feeling dated, or I am simply out of touch) was an excellent showcase of the complex problems raised by sin and death and the need for a holistic gospel mission to bring the solution to these. The 3rd chapter, an OT theology of the Nations, articulated the astounding hope of OT texts like Isaiah 19 while also showing the indefiniteness of the means and timing of this hope. Finally, Wright rounds out his impressive work with the NT mission to the Nations. He is abundantly patient in his exegesis as he takes 470 pages to arrive at a discussion of what most would think of as “missions”. While many of his points might of have been made without this “preface”, they are argued much more convincingly and with great impact because of the (OT) background established throughout. I will say however that these last chapters felt verily nearly redundant as he had already covered early every verse addressed here elsewhere in the text. While this may be burdensome to the reader who reads straight through, I think this will prove useful when using this as a reference work in the future. the text ends where it ought, the worship of all ethne directed at the One Who is infinitely worthy.

This book truly is a theology of Mission rather than a philosophy or methodology. While Wright does offer a well formulated, Biblical definition of mission his work seems to stand more as a preface to the conversation of Mission. He tackles most of the primary questions of an OT Theology and he is surprisingly more articulate for having an interest in mission than he would have been if he had approached these topics from a more neutral interest, theme, or location. This either a fact of hermeneutics or that he was caught the OT along the grain. Near the end of the book I think I have finally come to realize one of Wright’s main points: Mission is not so much something we do as it is something God is doing, and in which we graciously are invited to join. This is thoroughly a theology of Mission, not a philosophy or methodology. Form does indeed match function here. I approve.

[Bill Forgeard · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fantastic, paradigm setting, thought provoking, authoritative work of biblical theology. Christopher Wright says the unifying theme of the Bible is the mission of God in the world -- God making himself known. He unpacks this through 600-odd pages of reasonably dense theological/biblical argument, so not really an introductory level book. Took me 6 months to get through it. Heavily weighted towards discussion of the Old Testament, especially in drawing out themes which are usually taught from the New Testament. I enjoyed his balanced interaction with post-modern and emerging global approachs to the Bible. Fantastic chapter long surveys of 1. God's revelation of his character in the Old Testament and then 2. in Christ, as well as 3. the inclusion of the nations in God's mission in the Old Testament and also 4. in the New Testament. The base level application of Wright's way of understanding the Bible is to reaffirm that as we read and respond to the bible we should think first of God's mission and how we fit into it, rather than what our plans are and how God fits into them.

Here's the extended review of parts one and two I wrote for my OT class:

**************************

The Mission of God is a comprehensive and convincing argument for Christopher Wright’s view that the grand narrative and unifying theme of the Bible is the mission of God in the world. The Bible, he says, is not primarily about our mission, but about God’s mission. Mission, then, is not primarily what we do but what God does. Wright is quite forceful as he argues for this foundational point – his book is not content to be a biblical theology of mission as merely one theme among many, but rather an argument for a missional reading of the Bible from start to finish (p17).

Wright is primarily an Old Testament scholar, and thus whilst the book is certainly biblical in it’s scope, he unapologetically focuses more on the Old Testament than the New in developing his arguments. This is refreshing and enlightening. Being quite academic in tone and quite imposing in length, The Mission of God is not a particularly accessible book for those unused to reading theology. Because Wright often refers back to foundational terms and concepts established early in the book and develops his arguments in depth, the book required significant concentration and was quite demanding to read. Yet it was also rewarding and encouraging with a healthy number of “light bulb moments” along the way.

In Part One, Wright establishes his argument for a “missional hermeneutic” – not simply to establish a biblical basis for mission, which has often been done, but rather to “demonstrate that a strong theology of the mission of God provides a fruitful hermeneutical framework within which to read the whole bible” (p26). Of particular interest is his examination of the challenge to historical western reformation theology as the increasingly global church begins to interact with the Bible from within many different cultures (p38-41). Rather than surrendering to a post-modern pluralism in response, Wright argues that a better understanding of the Bible as the record of God’s mission to all people provides a unifying, unchanging central theme which is accessible to every culture.

The remainder of the book applies this hermeneutic to three pillars of the Christian worldview – Part Two concerns the God of Mission, Part Three the People of Mission and Part Four the Arena of Mission (the world). Given the length of the book, I have only reviewed Parts One and Two.

Part Two examines the mission of God to make himself known to the world. This is one of the most memorable and pithy ideas from the book – the Bible, in essence, is simply God making himself known. Firstly, God makes himself known through the people of Israel (chapter 3). In particular, Wright traces God’s progressive revelation of himself -- incomparable, sovereign and unique -- through his people’s experience of his grace and exposure to his judgement, both in the exodus and the exile. Secondly, building on this foundational Old Testament picture, God makes himself known in Jesus Christ (chapter 4). Wright outlines the systematic identification of Jesus with the God of the Old Testament, taking on the roles of God and fulfilling the mission of God. Chapter 5 is a thorough examination of the biblical alternative to worshipping the one true God – Idolatry. This chapter warned against superficial and uninformed identification of ‘modern day idols’, while helpfully suggesting the biblical markers of and responses to idols or false gods that humans are inclined to create and worship.

I’ve greatly enjoyed the book thus far! In relation to my own Christian journey, The Mission of God has continued to build my own understanding of the Bible as a single entity. The Bible plays a massive role in my life as a Christian and a pastor, so to gain insight into its overall identity and the unifying themes will bear fruit each time I read the Bible personally and teach the Bible corporately. The Bible, in all its diversity, is simply God making Himself known to humanity. My life and ministry, then, is defined first by God’s mission in the world, not by my personal mission in response to him.

Wright relies heavily on the Old Testament in developing much of his argument. This has also grown my appreciation for the unity of the Bible, as he demonstrates clearly in the Old Testament various themes I was mainly familiar with from the New Testament. For example, he outlines the basic Old Testament worldview, answering the questions “where are we?”, “who are we?”, “what’s gone wrong?” and “what’s the solution?” (p55). This was a ‘light bulb moment’ of clarity for me, realising anew that the worldview of the New Testament is absolutely identical with that of the Old, having only the final layer of revelation to complete an already existing picture.

The most significant application of The Mission of God to the contemporary church is in broadening our definition of mission in our changing global culture. Wright takes issue with a simplistic definition of mission which relies heavily on familiar proof texts, most classically the Great Commission of Matthew 28:18-20 (p35), and a focus on a military style response of obedience to this command (p52). At the same time, he warns against the pendulum swinging too far in the other direction by overemphasising, for example, justice and liberation at the expenses of evangelistic mission (p40). Instead of singling out particular aspects of mission, leading to imbalance, Wright argues that the Bible as a picture of the overarching mission of God in the world provides a broad and healthy basis for understanding our own role within his mission. Quoting another author, he summarises “it is not so much that God has a mission for his church in the world, but that God has a church for his mission in the world” (p62). This is helpful, given movements within the church to become more ‘missional’, to respond and adapt to postmodernism. Wright carefully defines the term ‘missional’ (p24) in light of God’s mission rather than ours, and looks toward a positive way of incorporating the challenges of postmodernism without abandoning core biblical truth.

Reading The Mission of God by Christopher Wright has challenged and stretched me theologically, both in the topics he addresses and the depth with which he addresses them. I’m convinced by his argument for the Mission of God being the unifying theme of the Bible and the central motivation of the life and mission of Christians. I’m looking forward to continuing to think along these lines and to seeing the fruit of this God-centred outlook on life and mission in my own Christian walk and ministry.

[Jonathan García · Rating 5 out of 5]

Para entender el plan grandioso de Dios habrá que ir paso a paso. Este libro te conduce por los hitos principales y más significativos de la Biblia. El pueblo de Dios es insertado en la Misión de Dios, con todas las implicaciones que conlleva. Con todas las figuras y símbolos necesarios, Dios deja claro como es que esto va caminando a la largo de la Historia.

No está escrito en un lenguaje tan sencillo. Cuesta seguir si es que no estamos habituados a lecturas teológica. No obstante, con la lectura misma serás capacitado para ello. No es una lectura corta y con frases rimbombantes que puedas publicar en redes. El argumento es sólido pero va lento, y los desesperados no podrán llegar al final.

Para mí, es uno de los mejores libros que delinean las doctrinas principales de las Escrituras, como por ejemplo, la elección, el pacto y la redención. Pero no será, en ningún modo, una teología sistemática que podrás ir a la página tal y revisar un concepto; esto es lo que lo que lo hace valioso y único, porque promueve el pensamiento y conclusión propia.

Si quieres saber a profundidad qué es la iglesia y para que estamos aquí, este será el libro que pueda cambiarte.

[Adam Jarvis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant. Outstanding. One of, if not the best, book on missions I’ve ever read. This book gives an incredible perspective of how God is working through the entire Bible, in his love and justice, to bring all people to himself. It’s worldview-shifting. My only “negative” would be that it’s length (almost 600 pages) can be intimidating. If you don’t want to read the whole book, just read the introduction and the epilogue. Those are beautiful summaries of what is in the book.

My biggest takeaway is the perspective-shift he gives at the end. (In the epilogue). I shouldn’t be looking for how to apply God’s Word to my life, I should be looking to apply my life to God’s Word. Instead of asking what God’s plan is for my life, I should be asking how God designed my life to fit into his plan.

[Gage Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

This DENSE book created a renewed sense of reverence for the God that is renewing all creation, it inspired an urgency to evangelize, and it describes beautifully the narrative of God as He works to bring all creation, including humans, back to himself.

Wright often writes that most understand a Christological framework for the Bible but he provides a missiological framework that displays God’s Mission in the history of the world.

[Trevor Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was fantastic. I kept hearing Wright’s band mentioned in sermons at church, and definitely wanted to read him. I was surprised to find that I owned one of his books! I kept slowing down to read every time I picked this book up - it is that good. Particularly helpful were Wright’s sections on the Abrahamic Covenant, part two, and part three of this work. Read it. It will only do you good.

[Anna Warren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wright offers a comprehensive view of missions in the context of the Christian Biblical mission of God. Although a very in-depth overview of this theological issue, from my personal view, additional editing would have been appreciated. Since this book is not for those wanting an introduction to missional work, most prefacing could have been cut throughout the text.

Overall, I enjoyed the majority of my reading experience. Just be prepared to skim a bit.

[Jeremy Hendon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. This book is a masterpiece. It rightly helped shift my hermeneutical approach to Scripture. It also brings out the unity of the Scriptures and highlights God’s constancy and immutability.

[John Schomers · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book covered an absurd amount of ground. Was good

[Xavier Tan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wright traces a "missional hermeneutic" through the Bible, preferring this as a biblical foundation of mission rather than confining the mission of God to just the 'Great Commission' in Matthew 28:18-20. Wright explores what we mean by biblical authority, arguing that if mission is seen primarily as obedience to a command (i.e. restricted to imperatives), it leaves unanswered the question of what kind of authority is inherent to the many other genres in Scripture such as narrative, poetry, prophecy, song, lament, and visions (p 43). Wright thus argues that authority is "not just a list of positive commands; [it] includes legitimating permission to act." (p 43) Authority flows from reality – just as how gravity does not command things to fall, but simply asserts its authority by being the way things are, so too the biblical authority of mission flows from the reality it puts forward (p 44). Thus, the authority for mission flows from the whole Bible (not just Matthew 28) because in the biblical text, one encounters the reality of God, the reality of God's story, and the reality of God's people (pp 44-48).

Wright next expounds upon the identity of the God of Mission – beginning with God making Himself known in Israel through His acts such as creation, exodus, rule and kingship, judgment, and return from exile. Through the exodus, Israel learnt that YHWH is incomparable, sovereign, and unique (see the Song of Moses in Exodus 15). Through the return from exile, YHWH shows Himself to be sovereign over history (eg. using Babylon as His agent against Israel, then Cyrus as His agent against Babylon), sovereign over all creation (eg. Jeremiah 10:10-12, Isaiah 40:21), exercising sovereignty through His word, and the motivation for His action – for the sake of His name (eg. Ezekiel 36:16-38). God's motivation behind judgment is also so that it will be known that He is God (eg. the purpose of the plagues and the red sea crossing is so that the Egyptians and Israelites know that He is God and there is none like Him, see Exodus 7:5, 8:10, 8:22, 9:14, 14:18 etc.). Thus monotheism, more than a simple ontological claim of the existence of only one God, "is the affirmation of the transcendent uniqueness and universality of the YHWH, the Holy One of Israel. ... who has uniquely chosen, loved, and redeemed Israel[, but] is also the God of the whole world and all nations, for whose sake he has called Israel to be his servant and witness. His salvation and his judgment are for both Israel and the nations, for there is no other God." (p 93) And this living God YHWH makes Himself known in Jesus Christ, and this can be seen in Scripture's application of multiple traits that belong only to YHWH to Jesus, including affirming that before Him every knee will bow (Philippians 2:10-11, cf. Isaiah 45:21-24), showing Jesus performing the functions of YHWH such as being creator (eg. 1 Corinthians 8:4-6), ruler (eg. Acts 2:32-36), judge (eg. 2 Corinthians 5:10), and saviour (eg. Revelation 7:10). Thus biblical monotheism is missional – it is "the one true living God, known through his grace, his judgment, and above all his crucified and risen Messiah", "in Christ reconciling the world to himself", and who "has entrusted the mission and ministry of reconciliation to the people to whom Jesus said, echoing God's address to Israel (Is 43:10-12): "You will be my witnesses ... to the ends of the earth."" (p 125) I really liked how Wright elegantly connected the Old and New Testaments in this manner, showing how the Bible is one cohesive storyline by tracing the mission of God, in the span of two short chapters.

The last chapter in this section on the God of Mission concerns idolatry. Apart from outlining the Bible's critique of the absurdity of idolatry in comparison with the power and work of the living God, Wright also outlines how idols are shown to be (and critiqued as) demons (eg. 1 Corinthians 10:18-21) and the work of human hands (eg. 2 Kings 19:17-19) and therefore nothing (1 Corinthians 8:4-5) at the same time. This gives rise to a paradox – are such idols something or nothing? Some scholars opine that the acknowledgement of other gods demonstrates Israel's shift from polytheism to henotheism and then finally to monotheism, but Wright does not find this linear development convincing in light of the biblical data. Rather, the answer to whether idols are something or nothing is "Both. They are nothing in relation to YHWH; they are something in relation to their worshipers." (p 129) Nevertheless, Wright opines that idols as human construction "is the more significant theological truth and the more dangerous deception", as humans "creat[e] gods for ourselves... all the time and in great quantities", pointing to "The relative scarcity of texts connecting gods and idols to demons and the sheer abundance of texts describing them as human constructs" (p 151). When it comes to confronting idolatry, Wright sees four possible approaches in Scripture: tackling idolatry with theological argumentation (eg. Paul's epistles), confronting it with evangelistic engagement with worshippers of other gods, wrestling pastorally with issues within the church surrounding idolatry, and prophetic conflict to expose the futility of idolatry to the people of God (pp 167-177). Knowing when to use each approach requires discernment and wisdom (p 177). Ultimately, the thrust is to proclaim the universality and transcendence of YHWH and Jesus Christ while engaging the particular and local context in which idolatry is situated (p 178).

The next part concerns the People of Mission. Wright convincingly argues that Israel's election is not favouritism or anything close to it, but rather God always had the nations in mind, even from the calling of Abraham (see Genesis 12:3b, along with the command to Abraham to "be a blessing" in 12:2b). Wright spends a chapter unpacking Genesis 12:1-4 and what it means for Abraham and Israel to be a blessing to all nations. He then traces through the exodus, observing that Israel is to be a witness to the nations by reason of YHWH's blessing and their keeping of His commands (see eg. Deuteronomy 4:6, 26:19). This eye on the nations is maintained throughout the historical books, from knowledge of God going before Israel (Joshua 4:23-24) to David's proclamation that by his defeat of Goliath "the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel" (1 Samuel 17:46). Even after the fall of the united kingdom, this theme is maintained from Hezekiah's prayer (2 Kings 19:19) to the Psalms (eg. 22, 47, 67, 72, 145) and prophets (addressing Israel in exile, see eg. Isaiah 19:24-25). This universality then reaches its climax in the cross, as seen in the heavenly vision in Revelation (5:9-10). This is not as if Wright ignores the particularity of God's election – he recognises that Israel is indeed uniquely chosen by God. He simply reminds the reader that this election should be seen as purposeful in relation to God's intentions for all nations, and it fundamentally missional (p 256). Chapter 8 covers supersessionism (i.e. the view that the church has replaced Israel) – Wright argues against this view, arguing that God only has one people, beginning with the election of Israel, and Gentles are grafted in through Christ (Romans 11). Wright dedicates a whole chapter to developing his argument (and exploring other adjacent areas like what it means for "all Israel will be saved" (Romans 11:26) and the significance of Christ's incarnation – I do not cover them here for lack of space. Wright also traces "the covenant tradition in the biblical texts" (p 328), from Noah to Abraham, Sinai, David, and eventually culminating in the new covenant (pp 328-359), opining that these covenants are "both messianic (because they all lead ultimately to Christ) and missiological (because they lead to repentance and forgiveness being preached in the name of Christ to all nations)." (p 359) Covenant flows into ethics – from Paul's command to adorn the gospel (eg. Titus 2 and 3) to Peter's command to live good lives (1 Peter 2:9-10, flowing into chapters 2-4) to the commands in the gospels to love (John 13:35, 14:15) and of course, the famous Great Commission in Matthew 28. Human obedience "is connected to Israel's identity and mission within the universal mission of God for all nations" in the Old Testament, and the same is maintained in the New (p 396).

Wright also explores the question of how big is our gospel, or how big is our understanding of redemption, given that mission has to do with the redemptive work of God and our participation in it. He thus unpacks God's model of redemption from the exodus, observing at least four dimensions of the exodus: political, economic, social, and spiritual (pp 282-287), motivated by God's compassion for the oppressed and His covenant memory (pp 287-289). Thus while the exodus points forward to the deliverance from slavery to sin through the cross of Christ, Wright argues against viewing it as "the real meaning" of the exodus, as if all that "really" matters is the spiritual dimension (p 293). This view, Wright posits, is "not biblical enough" (p 295), as God delivered Israel "from the sin of those who oppressed them" (p 295), sin "is a power that affects every aspect of human life[,] resulting in injustice, violence, and immense suffering" (p 296), and a spiritualised interpretation and application of the exodus "dispenses with the socioeconomic and political dimensions" in "something akin to Platonic dualism" (i.e. "the assum[ption] that the material and historical realm is intrinsically inferior and transient, whereas only the spiritual and timeless is considered "really real."" (p 297) The implications for mission are thus that the pressing problems of human society are still of concern to God, and the living God of the Bible is "passionately concerned about social issues—political arrogance and abuse, economic exploitation, judicial corruption, the suffering of the poor and oppressed, the evils of brutality and bloodshed (pp 298-299)." Wright thus argues against social action without evangelism, as well as evangelism without social action (pp 304-308). Linked to this, the next chapter covers God's model of restoration by exploring the jubilee – its economic angle, social angle, and its future orientation pointing towards Jesus (pp 311-324). Wright also discusses what it means for mission to be integral, using the Lausanne Movement and the Cape Town Commitment as an example (p 422). I do not cover this fairly detailed chapter here for lack of space.

The last part concerns the Arena of Mission. Wright surveys multiple affirmations in Scripture that all the earth belongs to YHWH, and God is in the business of redeeming the whole creation. Wright thus argues that, in loving and obeying God and exercising our priestly and kingly role in relation to the earth, Christians are called to care for creation – which also shows God's compassion in response to the reality of sin, which infects all dimensions of the human condition (pp 444-450). The next chapter covers the imago dei – Wright surveys the implications of humans being created in God's image, including that all humans are addressable by God, accountable to God, have dignity and equality and are created for the mission of God and for relationship with God and each other (pp 456-463). However, sin affects every dimension of the human person. Mission must thus engage the wholeness of the earth and the wholeness of human existence and need (p 471). This is clear in the wisdom literature, which covers human concerns (eg. family life, marriage, friendship, working relations), while simultaneously critiquing the wisdom of the nations (see Job and Ecclesiastes). In the last two substantive chapters, Wright traces the relationship between God and the nations in the Old and New Testaments, once again balancing the uniqueness of Israel's distinct and holy calling and identity as God's elect and God's involvement with all nations, and tracing the theme to the cross. Wright summarises the missional line of reasoning like this (at p 528):

1. If the God of Israel is the God of the whole earth (which he is);
2. if all the nations (including Israel) stand under his wrath and judgment (which they do);
3. if it is nevertheless God's will that all nations on earth should come to know and worship him (which the Scriptures clearly teach);
4. if God had uniquely chosen Israel to be the means of bringing such blessing to all nations (which he did);
5. if the Messiah was expected to be the one who would embody and fulfill that mission of Israel, as the Servant of the Lord (which was expected, though in a variety of ways);
6. if Jesus of Nazareth, crucified and risen, is that Messiah, whose coming has inaugurated the reign of God and whose death and resurrection have dealt climactically with the evils of sin and death (of which his followers are now convinced);
7. then it is time for the nations to hear the good news of promised salvation and hope for the world! The gospel of God, the God of Israel, that his risen Son, Jesus, is the world's true king and savior must go to the ends of the earth! The Scriptures must be fulfilled!

Mission is more than just a task list or an obligation stemming from that one oft-cited verse in Matthew – it undergirds the whole Bible. I think Wright has done an excellent job in showing this, on top of showing how a missional hermeneutic should animate the whole life of all believers, not just the 'job' of missionaries. Highly recommended.