The Mission of God's People: A Biblical Theology of the Church's Mission

by Christopher J.H. Wright

What does the Bible say about God's purpose for us, the witness of the church, and our mission to spread the message of the gospel? Chris Wright's pioneering 2006 book, The Mission of God , revealed that the typical Christian understanding of "missions" encompasses only a small part of God's overarching mission for the world. God is relentlessly reclaiming the whole of creation for himself, and each of us fit into that big-picture plan. In The Mission of God's People , Wright argues that having a strong biblical theology that shapes our thinking and behavior must be in place before answering the call of the Great Commission. Wright first steps back and answers some of the biggest questions of God's story and our place within While answering these essential questions, Wright thoroughly details what the Old and New Testaments teach Christians about being God's people. He addresses questions of both ecclesiology (the theology of the church) and missiology (the practice and methodology of missions) with topics like "called to care for creation," "called to bless the nations," "sending and being sent, and "rejecting false gods." ____________ Part of the Biblical Theology for Life series, this practical and robust book will help you and your church ground your witness-bearing purpose and worship on the solid foundation of biblical understanding and reflection.

Genres: Theology, Christian, Biblical Studies, Nonfiction, Religion, School, Church

301 pages, Paperback

First published August 20, 2010

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

[Pig Rieke · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mixed review. Some parts of the book were really good especially the quotes he pulls. It was definitely edifying. The biggest problem was the weighting of the book: 1/4 of the Bible is not about ecological preservation. His ideas were Biblical and true; however, they should have been weighted more Biblically.

[Eric Chappell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review:

Introduction

Major question: What do theology and mission have to do with each other? We often think of theology as heady doctrine and mission as practical doing. Dangerous result of this kind of thinking is: theology proceeds without missional input or output, while mission proceeds without theological guidance or evaluation. "No theology without missional impact; no mission without theological foundations" (20).

Chapter 1: Who Are we and what are we here for?

A. Mission or Missions? What do you think of when you hear the word "mission?"

1. God's Sending

a. common notions of mission deal with sending or being sent. Derived from Latin root of word "mission."

b. Sent to do what? Many figures sent to do many things in biblical history. Is it mainly evangelistic activity?

2. God's Purpose

a. another use of word "mission" is sense of purpose, or goal-oriented, e.g. corporate mission, mission statement. So, we can ask what is the purpose/mission of God's people. What are we here for?

b. Whose mission is it? God has a mission: Acts 20:27, Eph 1:9-10. All our mission flows from prior mission of God.

c. Stott: "Mission arises from the heart of God himself, and it communicated from his heart to ours. Mission is the global outreach of the global people of a global God."

3. Singular and Plural

a. can include many different missions within category of mission, e.g. Science and then the sciences, Art and the arts, Sport and sports.

b. "But when I speak of missions, I am thinking of the multitude of activities that God's people can engage in, by means of which they participate in God's mission" (25). There are many kinds of missions. It is unseemly for one kind of mission to dismiss another out of a "superiority complex" or undervalue itself as not real mission out of an "inferiority complex" (26). Wright doesn't like statement: "If everything is mission, the nothing is mission," but thinks it more biblical to say, "If everything is mission . . . everything is mission" (26).

i. "Clearly, not everything is cross-cultural evangelistic mission, but everything a Christian and a Christian church is, says and does should be missional in its conscious participation in the mission of God in God's world" (26).

ii. "World evangelization requires the whole church to take the whole Gospel to the whole world" from Lausanne Covenant

B. The Whole World

1. The whole world as the goal of God's mission

a. what's the world coming to? we ask. whose mission are we on? whose agenda are we pursuing? will answer that fundamental question

2. The whole world and the scope of our mission

a. God's mission includes all of creation. Is a biblically legitimate missional concern for ecological care justified or just a contemporary obsession driven by world's agenda?

3. The whole world as the arena of our mission

a. where does 'missionary' work begin and end? the Mission field is everywhere, even your own street--wherever there is ignorance or rejection of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

C. The whole church

1. who are the people of God?

a. Essentially, what does a biblical theology of the OT contribute to our understanding of "Christian mission" (Wright suggests that Great Commission is church's mission), but I am not really clear about the distinction between christian mission, church mission, mission of people of God...?

2. what kind of people are we?

a. If our mission is to share the good news, then we must be good news people. It is not merely about getting the message out, but who we are as people. "If we preach a gospel of transformation, we need to show some evidence of what transformation looks like" (30).

b. should we include ethics in our understanding of mission? Does that lead to works righteousness, legalism? Gospel is something to be obeyed--"faith's obedience" (Rom 1).

3. what are the priorities and limits of our mission?

a. church's mission is proclamation and presence, words and works. Wright asks if proclamation is primary? Seems to suggest he doesn't think so.

D. The whole gospel

1. How big is your gospel? Wright wants to not reduce the gospel to individual sin problem to neglect of its cosmic scope.

2. No other Name

a. mission of God's people must start and finish with commitment to God whose mission we are called to share. That depends on KNOWING God.

Chapter 2: People who know the story they are part of

A. World Mission and the Bible Story

a. NT Wright quote (The NT and the People of God): World mission is the first and most obvious feature of early Christian praxis

b. The 'Great Commission' didn't come to early church in written form till later in 1st century--what explains missionary explosion and expansion? What compelled disciples to make the world their mission field?

1. Knowing the Story

a. The Jews knew the story they were in

b. 1st christian synod came into being because of the success of missions: Why didn't James just quote Jesus' Great Commission instead of Amos 9? This is why Paul starts with OT before telling story of Jesus in teaching at synagogue. This was true of Jesus too! He didn't just come up with Great Commission out of thin air. Jesus spent first resurrection day teaching the Scriptures!!! see Luke 24

2. Messiah and Mission

a. first post-resurrection lecture went through OT in order to make sense of the story so far

b. second lecture in evening goes through OT in order to make sense of the story from there on. Thus, 'what is written' governs not only messianic meaning of Scriptures, but also their missional significance. "The Old Testament tells the story that not only leads up to Jesus but one that also leads on to mission to the nations" (38). Scriptures led up to Messiah and on to mission to the nations.

B. Taking the Story as a Whole

a. "Just do it!"--Wright says, "Just Hold on!" Even Jesus taught his disciples for 3 years before saying Go!

b. Wright divides linear history: Creation, Fall, Redemption in History, New Creation

1. Creation: Who are we? Where are we? Bible doesn't begin at Gen 3 and end at Rev 20--its not just about sin and judgment.

2. Fall: Sin infects us Physically, Intellectually, Socially, Spiritually.

a. "God's mission is the final destruction of all that is evil from his whole creation" (41).

3. Redemption

a. God redeems within history from call of Abraham to return of Christ--"While every part of this great story has its particular contribution to the whole, we do need to see this whole section of the line as a fundamental unity-the single great saving act of God" (41). Wright seems to stress more continuity, than discontinuity between Israel and Church. Maybe primarily because he wants to avoid dispensationalism, see page 41.

b. Old Testament

i. Abraham: election explicitly for blessing of nations

ii. Exodus: prime OT act of redemption

iii. Sinai: Israel chosen to be God's reps and distinctive.

iv. Monarchy: Israel is more like nations

v. Prophets: insistence that God would keep promise to bless nations

vi. But if Israel failed, how would blessing come?

c. New Testament

a. Wright says incarnation of God in Christ bring 2 factors into theology of mission: inaugurated presence of Kingdom and the "incarnational model and principle" (42).

b. if we are radical with our theology of sin, why not be just as radical and comprehensive with understanding of how cross and resurrection destroys sin's effects? (43)

4. New Creation

a. "Our mission is nothing less (or more) than participating with God in this grand story until he brings it to its guaranteed climax" (44).

C. The Mission of God

1. God's mission is what spans the gap between the curse in Gen 3 and end of curse in Rev 22

2. ...is what brings humanity from being a cacophony of nations in Gen 11 to choir of nations united in worship of God in Rev 7

3. ...is "whole will of God" in Acts 20:27

Chapter 3: People who care for Creation

a. Wright argues that since Scripture begins and ends with creation and creation, that must say something about biblical theological understanding of mission. Wright thinks it sad that people who claim to be "biblical" in their mission overlook creation care since the Bible says a lot about creation, its a major theme.

A. Subdue and Rule; Serve and Keep: Genesis 1-2

a. We were humans before we were Christians, and we don't stop being humans after we become Christians. God will hold us accountable for our humanity as much as our Christianity. Human beings are people with mission.

1. Kings of Creation: Genesis 1:26-28

a. Exercising dominion is what being made in God's image enables and entitles us to do.

b. Wright talks about subduing and ruling over.

c. If humans are kings within creation, what kind of King is God? Psalm 145

i. "The image of God is not license for arrogant abuse, but a pattern that commits us to humble reflection of the character of God" (51).

2. Servants of Creation: Genesis 2:15

a. Wright looks at words "serve" and "work" the Garden.

b. Primary responsibility of kings in OT was act on behalf of the weak and powerless--Psalm 72, Prov 31:8-9. Biblical justice has special emphasis on concern for weak and defenseless. Wright thinks protecting the helpless has to do with the creation as well as human beings.

B. For God, For Us, Forever

1. God's Glory Is the Goal of Creation

a. The chief end of man, and ALL Creation, is to glorify God. Humans glorify God in uniquely human ways.

b. All creation praises God--Psalm 148, 150:6; 145:10, 21; 104:27-28

c. Michael Northcott, The Environment & Christian Ethics

d. When we care for creation, we share in its great purpose of giving glory to God. When we fail to do so, or when we participate in its destruction, pollution and wasting of creation, we are reducing even further creation's capacity to give glory to God (54).

2. Human life and creation are integrally bound together

a. Hebrew word for "man" is close to word for "ground" adam/adamah

b. The Earth provides for us

c. The Earth suffers with us: Hosea 4:1-3; Deut 28; Jer 4:23-26

i. A greedy humanity will lead to a suffering earth--and a suffering earth will lead to a suffering humanity.

3. God's Redemption includes Creation

a. We live on a cursed earth (Gen 3), but also a covenanted earth (Gen 9).

C. By Christ, For Christ, Through Christ

a. Is the salvation of sinners the limits of Christ's work? How does this affect our mission?

1. All things reconciled by the cross

a. Colossians 1:15-23--the gospel is for all creation

2. Good news for all creation

a. Wright suggests that Mark's 'longer ending' about preaching the gospel to all creation is biblically appropriate.

b. uses language of "signpost" to talk about our care for creation, signposts to the new creation (61)

c. "...our mission as created human beings is to care for the earth God created" (61). That mission is "intensified" for those who are redeemed. Christian's ecological mission has a creational and redemptive dimension.

Chapter 4: People Who are a Blessing to the Nations

A. The Obedience of Faith Among All Nations

1. Rom 1:5; 16:26--obedience of faith...among all nations.

a. Strong echoes of Abraham--who Paul, James, and Hebrews say is OT character par excellence of faith and obedience. 'All nations' goes back to God's promise to Abraham.

b. Wright says Paul was about the business of making "Abraham look-alikes" in all the nations (63).

c. God's promise to Abraham was the thing itself--the gospel. See Gal 3:8.

d. To be in Christ is to be in Abraham. What does that mean for mission? What does it mean to say that we are people chosen to bless the nations?

B. Abraham in the Bleak context of Genesis 1-11

1. Genesis 12 comes after Genesis 11. Genesis 4-11 is escalating crescendo of human sin marked by hints of God's grace. The great creation project is still moving forward, but limping under crippling weight of sin (65).

2. The cosmic ramifications of Gen 4-11 require a cosmic solution. Death itself must be defeated. What can God do next? Something only He could have thought of--an elderly, childless couple in land of Babel itself and decides to make them the launch pad of his whole mission of cosmic redemption.

C. Abraham and God's Surprise--Blessing to the Nations

a. Gen 12:1-3--bless and blessing is central theme. Barak occurs 5x in 3 verses.

b. What is meant by blessing? Context goes back to earlier portions of Genesis. Is it merely spiritual blessings (Eph 1:3)?

1. Blessing and the Goodness of Creation

a. in Gen 1, God's blessing pronounced 3x--blessed fish and birds, humanity, the Sabbath.

i. First two blessings are immediately followed by instruction to multiply and fill the seas and earth

ii. Third blessing followed by words of sanctification and rest that define Sabbath

b. Blessing constituted by fruitfulness, abundance, and fullness, and enjoying rest and harmonious relationship with God on other hand.

i. Blessing is both vertical (God is source, Gen 48:15-16) and horizontal (people who come into contact with God's blessed ones are blessed, Gen 30:27-20; 39:5; 47:7, 10; Laban, Potiphar, Pharaoh). Those who are blessed are called to be a blessing.

2. Blessing and Hope within History

a. Combining Gen 3-11 and Gen 12 together suggests that Story will involve both realities.

b. Israel was to be vehicle of God's mission of extending his blessing to the nations (How?)

c. Thus, we are to be people through whom the nations are blessed (how?)

3. Blessing, Salvation, and Obedience

a. Deuteronomy

b. "Obedience...is the means of living within the sphere of blessing and enjoying it..." (70).

c. Wright opposes Prosperity Theology

D. Abraham--God's Mission and Ours

1. God's Universal mission

a. Gen 10-11 focus on nations of humanity

b. God's purpose to all nations repeated 5x in Genesis (12:3; 18:18; 22:18; 26:4; 28:14).

2. God's Particular Means--One Nation

a. one nation chosen--but all nations are to be beneficiaries of that choice. The Story progresses to show that the one nation would be represented by One Man, Jesus, through whom God's redemptive blessing would go out to all nations.

3. Election for Mission

a. we usually talk about election in terms of doctrine of salvation, and then question arises-is it fair that God chose some and not others?

b. Wright argues that God puts election into action--by being blessed, Abraham should become the agent of blessing to others.

c. "Election of one is not the rejection of the rest, but ultimately for their benefit" (72). Ask about this.

4. Missional Church

a. Wright argues for imperatival command in Gen 12:2. Ask about this.

E. Echoes of Abraham in Biblical Theology

1.The Nations Drawn to Israel's Worship and Israel's Salvation

a. Psalms--where we see the universality of Israel's faith in relation to the nations.

i. Psalm 22:27-28; 47:9; 67; 72:17; 86:9; 87; 96; 102:15, 21-22; 117

b. Prophets

i. Isa 19:19-25; 45:22-23; 56:3-8; 60; Jer 4:1; Amos 9:11; Zech 2:10

2. Abraham in the Gospels

a. Matthew begins with Abraham and ends with all nations

b. Luke begins and ends on note of Scriptural fulfillment; also mentions Abraham 4x in Luke-Acts, in each story someone who was excluded is brought into saving blessing.

3. Abraham in Paul's Gospel

4. Mission Accomplished in Revelation

a. Rev 5:9-10; 7:9-10; 22:2

F. Abraham as a Model for our Mission

1. What is required of God's People? For Abraham it meant...

a. Leaving & Going: Obvious parallels to Matt 28. Wright thinks in God's first command to Abraham there is an anticipated dynamic that would eventually explode in centrifugal missional going to the ends of the earth

i. But the going need not necessarily be physical--we must become "other-worldly." Our mission in the world starts with a certain going out from the world. Not of this world.

b. Believing & Obeying:

i. I wouldn't really say things exactly like Wright here, but I think he is right (79-80).

Chapter 5: People who Walk in God's Way

A. God's Self-Reminder

1. Gen 18:9 intertwines God's choice of Abraham, His moral demnad on Abraham, and God's promise to Abraham--election, ethics, and mission.

2. Abraham's mission was to create a community of faith and obedience.

B. Sodom: a model of our world

1. Disobedience of the Nations

a. Sodom stands in Scripture as proverbial prototype of human wickedness and judgment of God that will fall on evildoers.

b. Biblical Theology of Sodom

i. "outcry" -- cruelty and oppression (18:20)

ii. sexual perversion (ch 19)

iii. Idolatry--Deut 29:23, Lam 4:6

iv. Isa 1:9-23--bloodshed, corruption, and injustice

v. Ezekiel 16--arrogance, affluence, callousness to needy--sounds like the West!

vi. Romans 1:18-32--Great exegesis!

2. Obedience among the Nations

a. Ethical obedience is part and parcel of election in Abraham

C. Abraham: A Model of God's Mission

1. Immediate Judgment: Ultimate Blessing

a. Judgment was immediate necessity, ultimate universal goal of blessing

2. A Promise for the World

D. 'The Way of the LORD': A Model for God's People

1. An Ethical Education--to be given to his household after him. Consists of two phrases to summarize the Abrahamic family curriculum

a. "The Way of the LORD"--to obey God's commands is to reflect God's character in human life.

i. Two pictures: (1) following someone else on a path, i.e. imitating them (2) setting off on path following instructions given you, like a map.

ii. Deut 10--love aliens, because you were one. This is imitating God--doing for others what God has already done for you.

b. Doing Righteousness and Justice

i. Possibly nearest English equivalent is "social justice" (90-91).

2. The Missional Logic

a. "Ethics is the purpose of election and the basis of mission" (93).

b. "There is no biblical mission without biblical ethics" (94).

E. Summary

1. A bad news church ethically has no good news to share--at least, it has, but its words are drowned out by life (95).

Chapter 9: People who Know that One Living God and Savior

A. Introduction

1. Knowing God is pervasive theme in biblical theology. It is merely private devotion and spiritual experience? Or have something to do with mission?

2. Knowing God was a responsibility. It generated an agenda, a misison.

3. Knowing God is never intransitive (something that happens to you and stays there) but always transitive dynamic (it has to affect somebody or something else). If God blesses you, bless others. God forgives you, forgive others. God loves, feeds, clothes you, do the same to others.

4. To know God is to be challenged to make God known.

5. Two texts: Acts 4:1-22 and Deut 4:32-39

B. Challenging Contexts

1. Acts and Deut are both challenging contexts--clash of ideas, worldviews, religious zeal.

2. Both texts appeal to facts, to publicly witnessed experiences, to undeniable events as the basis for the claims and challenge that follow.

3. The gospel is good news about real events. There is a "having-happened-ness" at the core of the gospel. A story about real people and a real person, Jesus.

C. Uncompromising Claims

1. "There is no other" important phrase in both. No other God (OT), no other Name (NT).

D. Undivided Loyalty

1. Acts--we cannot help but speak

2. Deut--you shall love the LORD your God will all...

3. What else is mission of God than bearing witness to such cosmic realities?

Chapter 10: People Who Bear Witness to the Living God

A. Introduction

1. Jesus taught his disciples for 3 years: "you had to live under the reign of God if you wanted to go preach about the reign of God" (163).

2. Paul's own passion was preaching the gospel, but there is comparatively little in his letters to the churches he founded about their task of preaching the gospel to outsiders in evangelistic mission. Doesn't mean he didnt want them doing it--rather, Paul knew the gospel message needed to be embodied in people whose own lives were radically changed by it. "Gospel witness had to flow from gospel transforma

[Norman Falk · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chris Wright does a great job at illuminating the broad scope of the Christian mission as it unfolds in the storyline of the Bible.

He is especially insightful at showing how mission is informed by the OT (something that often times gets overlooked).
From my encounters with NT Wright’s work, I was largely familiar with Chris Wright’s approach to NT passages and themes related to mission (there is enough overlap in their respective works that one may call them “the other Wright brothers we never knew”). But he is clearly a biblical theologian in his own right.

Here is what I still need to wrestle with more. I’m not entirely convinced that because Jesus will make all things new, it is our job now to begin (or continue) this restoration. The NT seems to focus on the remaking of a new humanity called thechurch, and not with making this world a better place.

That said, I really did enjoy the book. His clear, succinct and pedagogically sensitive writing style reminds me of John Stott’s writings, who was of course a big influence for Wright.

[Marshall Hess · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great survey of the biblical theme of the mission of God and his people. It really helped me refine my sense of the story of the Bible as a whole and generated a lot of personal inspiration for living in the church right now. I think it would also be a great book to use in a group study setting.
Another thing that it did for me is helped me see the priorities that Bible as a whole sets up. There are so many things that churches care about and that people put energy and passion into, but God has his own priorities, and we ought to know them and be grasped by them. Wright's view is so refreshing because he refutes the notion that strictly sharing the gospel absent any other engagements is some how to be preferred over the world of work and entering the market place of society. Rather, Christians are called to take the gospel into the whole world and be Jesus-people in all of the realms of human concern, including art, politics, business, farming, exploring, and on and on. But the fact that they are so committed to being Jesus' own people will cause them to transform or even sometimes reject the systems of worldly power in all of those realms. There is no contradiction between being holy and being fully engaged in the world. The tension is really only between being holy and not being holy, because holiness is for the sake of the world.
Further, this subject of priorities was helpful to me because the Bible read as a unified story with Jesus in the center is what helps us understand the priorities of God. It really isn't possible to go looking for proof-texts and come up with a very good sense of what God is really up to and really wants us to be up to with our lives and talents. We need somehow to grasp the whole story to see what is really important to God, and therefore what should be important to us.
I highly recommend the book, and the only reason it doesn't get five stars is because it is somewhat redundant in some places.

[Avery Amstutz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just reread this and decided it will need to be on my yearly reread list.

Most helpful thing I learned this time around was what being “missional” looks like biblically, not just for the missionaries across the world, but for everyone now.

Spoiler alert: it’s not super complex

[Grace Catherine Beckham · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wright outlines a practical, biblical theology of what it means to be God’s people and how to then live into a robust, all-permeating definition of mission. Wright begins the book by offering a definition of mission that, rather than being confined to the grounds of foreign soil and Matthew 28 evangelism, is committed to the story and redemption of all God has made and His own mission in which we share. The whole work is founded upon the premise that there is no biblical mission without biblical theology, and vice versa — that every church is inherently a missional body and there is no biblical mission without biblical ethics. Wright then offers a missional anthropology that begins in Genesis with God’s blessing to Abraham and extends to Revelation as the glory of the nations comes into the new creation. His approach addresses the implications of a whole life centered around such mission: our work, fellowship, theology, worship, prayer, ethics, and so forth.

Wright’s insistence on employing Scripture to characterize each dimension of what it means to be God’s people was a great strength of this book. Wright refuses to settle for false dichotomies or simple answers, instead seeking to consider all of the canon, covenantal history, contemporary challenges, and coming redemption in his cry for an effective and integral life of mission. I appreciated the questions he offered for consideration throughout and the inclusion of the “Reflecting on Relevance” section at the end of the book. These things aided the integration process. While the breadth of this book was a blessing and well-achieved, the density and founding assumptions of the book make it challenging to suggest for just anyone to read. I would be curious to see if Wright has a particular vision for inviting less-academic readers into the same conversations.

In connection to ministry/work, many of my students would likely ascribe to the more limited definition of missions which Wright challenges, rather than the more comprehensive mission that the book overall outlines. This material is immensely valuable to me in the work of connecting a life of discipleship to Jesus to every aspect of my students’ lives. To see every sector of life as missional and mattering to God, and ethics as the bridge from election to mission (rather than the genesis or telos of our embodied salvation) would be a paradigm shift.

A favorite quote:
“Election of one is not the rejection of the rest, but ultimately for their benefit. ... ‘Election’ in such a case is an instrumental choice of one for the sake of many. In the same way, God’s election of Israel is instrumental in God’s mission for all nations. Election needs to be seen as a doctrine of mission, not a calculus for the arithmetic of salvation. If we are to speak of being chosen, of being among God’s elect, it is to say that, like Abraham, we are chosen for the sake of God’s plan that the nations of the world come to enjoy the blessing of Abraham...” (72).

[Kate McNeal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really thorough explanation of the mission God has given his people from creation—>redemption in light of the biblical storyline. Felt a little academic and was definitely a haul to get through but accomplished its purpose well!

[Erin Dean · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good intro and expanding definition of mission. I appreciated that Wright did not merely define mission as going out to other nations, but as partnering with God’s mission that he started in creation and will finish in the new creation. Each chapter focused on a different section of old and New Testament to back up his definition of mission.

It’s definitely an overview and quick but weaves theology and missions together which I appreciated!

[Shaun Lee · Rating 2 out of 5]

The content is rather light and easy to read quickly through. I recognise that Chris Wright is one of the leading theologians in the field of missiology, but I found this title a tiresome to read and rather unengaging. Perhaps in trying to be accessible for a lay-level reading audience, the theological depth was compromised to a point that more advanced readers would not find it useful. When I read it 2-3 years as a bible school student, I found that I craved "deeper" theological reflections on the topic, and when I read it recently for the purposes of obtaining material for a research paper on the biblical theological perspective on missions, I too found it wanting. I cannot recommend this book and would recommend that you consult Walter Kaiser or Michael Goheen instead if you were exploring the theme of the biblical theology of the OT and church's mission respectively.

[David Rathel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This work serves as an abridgment of Wright's massive The Mission of God. It is written for lay audiences and anyone with an interest in theology will be able to read it with ease.

Wright's goal is to offer a Biblical theology of the mission of God's people that spans both Testaments. He succeeds in a stunning fashion, and you will find this book encouraging and challenging.

I don't know how else to say it: this is a book you don't want to miss!

[Jacob Hudgins · Rating 5 out of 5]

A splendid study of God’s vision for his people. Wright’s general contention is that “mission” and “evangelism” are far more holistic than we might expect.

Christians must be living the gospel before we can try to take it to others: “There is no biblical mission without biblical ethics”(94).

Mission involves regular work, including the “public square.” Loved this:

“If a piece of meat goes rotten, it’s no use blaming the meat. That’s what happens when meat is left out on its own. The question to ask is, Where is the salt? If a house gets dark at night, it’s no use blaming the house. That’s what happens when the sun goes down. The question to ask is, Where is the light? If society becomes more corrupt and dark, it’s no use blaming society. That’s what fallen human nature does, left unchecked and unchallenged. The question to ask is, Where are the Christians? Where are the saints who will actually live as saints—God’s different people, God’s counterculture—in the public square? Where are those who see their mission as God’s people to live and work and witness in the marketplace, and pay the cost of doing so?”(236).

Criticisms: I was a little surprised that in all of these categories, Wright didn’t spend much time discussing how the early church (particularly Jerusalem) practically did this. This seems a rich vein unexplored. Also, his applications about missions stray into some odd esoteric denominational issues that I’m not really a part of.

[Dakota Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Almost like reading a softened textbook, Wright has a gift in pointing us to the grand arc of God's story. It is in this arc, that we can see the paradoxy of God's faithfulness to us, created in His image (mere reflections, nonetheless), who consistently find ways to deny Him. Wright reminds us that it was God who first chose Abraham, not vice versa. Wright says in his college lecture series, “When the body has arisen and is in Heaven together, God will find Abraham and he will say to him, ‘I kept my promise. I said it would be all nations, and all nations it is.’” God has chosen his people and we should trust in that alone. Our mission as Christians is carrying out this promise to others; we (all nations and tribes and tongues) are living, physical evidence of the Abrahamic covenant. I hope that others will find this truth through my own worship of God, and be enticed by God’s glory and heaven’s present reality.

[Parker Friesen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this one for an ordination assignment.

Some thoughts:

He does a good job in the first few chapters of locating Christian mission within the great story of God's redemptive works. This isn't a book on evangelism, where the concern is on saving souls, but on evangelism as the good news of God's redeeming work within all creation of which humans are a part.

He also locates our mission as becoming a blessing - as per the Abrahamic covenant - and not about getting to heaven, and getting others to come with us.

His methodology of biblical theology can get a bit proof-texty, but he does a very good job of giving examples for his theological framework throughout the book.

The best chapter, in my opinion, was 13 on vocation and marketplace engagement. It was thoughtful, honest and humble, while being inspiring and powerful.

Overall, an enjoyable read and a good place to start for someone interested in missiology.

[Chris Duncan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wish I didn’t speed listen to this to get it done for class but awesome book about what missions looks like for the church. Loved how he traced mission all the way from Genesis through the whole Bible instead of only focusing on the great commission like so many people often do. Two great quotes he asks pastors:

Are we mobilizing and training our people for mission not only by sending some overseas as missionaries but seeing the whole church engaged in mission in the world every working day of their lives?

Are we helping Christians understand the world they live and work in or are we just dangling before them the prospect of a better world when they die?

[Kacie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Years ago Wright's book, The Mission of God, changed my life. This one is an easier read, but still not for a light reader. Wright speaks of God's grand story in the world and how His people join Him in it. Wright is determinedly a biblical theologian, intent on showing themes from the Old Testament and into the New. It is refreshing to read of justice, creation care, witness, worship, work, and other biblical themes woven together into a theology and vision for mission in the world. Not missions, but mission and purpose.

[Dawson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent content following the story of God's people through their original calling and purpose into the fulfillment of this calling today. I didn't love the format as constant side bars and quotations kept interrupting the flow of reading. Though this book aims to bring theology into real life, I still felt it could have been more practical in application. What examples could we see of these principles put into practice?

[Nderitu Pius · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful and surely a book that has a lot to explain about how we are called to be as GOD'S own. Consider this book and pick it up

[Adam Jarvis · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an amazing book that gives Christians a lot to think about as far as our responsibility concerning God’s mission on this earth.

[Ryan Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid overview of a biblical understanding of missional theology. Certainly had a very evangelical perspective on things but I appreciated it being rooted in the Old Testament.

[Kat Long · Rating 5 out of 5]

Favorite textbook of the semester! Soooo good.

[Josh Long · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's a question that is perpetually daunting for Christians: "What does Christian mission mean for me?"

Christopher Wright starts from the very beginning of the Bible, and works all the way through with his exegesis handy, working out the answer for us. With an exceptionally readable but scholarly tone, Wright really brings to life a biblical concept that has widley become narrow in scope and dry in practice. It was exciting to read how prominent mission is in the Old-Testament, as much as is it is in the New. The element of creation care was especially welcomed.

[Taylor Diehl · Rating 4 out of 5]

In The Mission of God’s People, Christopher Wright broadens our definition of mission by reminding us that God’s mission began, not at Pentecost, but in the garden. His wholistic view of scripture challenges us to look more closely at the narrative of the Bible and realize that God has been on mission all along, calling, equipping, and sending his people. The question then posed is “What does this mean for us?” And, that is primarily that Wright attempts to answer. Beginning with Adam and ending with the New Jerusalem, he takes us through the themes of the Bible that characterize the people of God, and it doesn’t take long to realize that mission involves much more than working people into spiritual conversion. Rather, the primary purpose of God’s mission all along has been the blessing of all the nations.

I was both enlightened and encouraged by this book, and the way he has organized the chapters by theme has helped me to think through each characteristic of God’s people in turn. I especially liked Wright’s focus on creation care and the role that we have as images of God, not only to each other, but to all of the earth. I was excited by the importance Wright gave to the issue and the way that he referenced scripture throughout his argument. Though it felt a bit repetitive at times, overall I found this book to be very helpful and think that it is deeply needed in the Church today.

[Jeff Elliott · Rating 4 out of 5]

Too many quotes to write here. This is a really solid book on the mission of evangelism. He covers all the bases in the Old and New Testaments using a solid framework and argument.

To summarize: (Basically the table of contents)
Ch. 1 Who are we are what are we here for?
The next chapters proceed to answer those questions
Ch. 2. People who know the story they are a part of
Ch. 3 People who care for creation
Ch. 4 People who are a blessing to the nations
Ch. 5 People who walk in God's way
Ch. 6 People who are redeemed for redemptive living
Ch. 7 People who represent God to the world
Ch. 8 People who attract others to God
Ch. 9 People who know the one living God and Saviour
Ch. 10 People who bear witness to the living God
Ch. 11 People who proclaim the gospel of Christ
Ch. 12 People who send and are sent
Ch. 13 People who live and work in the public square
Ch. 14 People who praise and pray

I would highly recommend this book as a textbook for any course on evangelism/mission.

I will be using it as part of a course on evangelism at our church and as a source for some messages from a missions series in the fall.

[Adam Shields · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short review: This was a very interesting book. I had no idea what it was when I started, but it is a follow up to Wright's 2007 Mission of God. In Mission of God Christopher Wright traces the bible (especially the Old Testament) to find what the mission of God is all about. In this book, Wright traces scriptures (especially the OT) to find how God has used his people (and his church) to accomplish his mission. The OT stuff is particularly useful. I am going to re-read this (listened to it on audio) soon. Just have to decide if I am going to read Mission of God before or after I re-read this.

My full review is on my blog at http://bookwi.se/mission-of-god-wright/

[Gabriel Jensen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Never read an author who quotes his own books more than Wright. I'm not sure if this is a book or a commercial for his other books.

All joking aside, this book provides some heavy challenges to our attitude towards most parts of our lives and how we can align them more closely to the way God calls his people to live—loving and caring for our neighbor, for creation, for people close to and far from our geography, and more. Lots of thought-provoking ideas that make you want to take action.

[Robert D. Cornwall · Rating 3 out of 5]

Written from an evangelical perspective, The Mission of God's People takes the reader from Genesis through Revelation, developing a biblical theology of mission, and a missional reading of scripture.

[Tim Woody · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great practical and engaging guide for missions. One of the best things about the book is its gearing toward the practical and the laity. The questions at the end make this a great book to use for a small group study.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Only read the chapters that were required for a class, so I didn't finish it.

[Caitlin Grammel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Practicals of mission for God. Very insightful. Main takeaways… God chooses people to bless other people not because those people are better. God wants to redeem all things.

[Bret James Stewart · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is potentially a life-changing book. Wright is a great author and speaker. He is a careful and diligent scholar, and I appreciate his opinions and views about Jesus and, in this book, the expanded view (the correct view--expanded in the sense that many make it too narrow) of God's mission for the church is a wake-up call many of us need. As a Christian Druid, I am particularly fond of his chapter about caring for the earth as part of God's mandate and its appropriate focus for mission.

The book itself is attractive, includes sidebar quotes that add interest as well as evidence for his views, and indices for both subjects and Bible verses. The book has a pleasant type font and is laid out in an aesthetically pleasing manner. A summary of the book follows. I heartily recommend this book to all Christians.

Summary

Wright’s goal for the book is to demonstrate that biblical theology and mission are interconnected. As he puts it, “there should be no theology that does not relate to the mission of the church…” and that all correct theology will have missional impact and serve as the foundation for that mission (20). Chapter 1 lays the foundation of the book, defining “mission” as the purpose of God for all of creation. The church has been created to help fulfill this mission via global outreach (24) to glorify the Lord.

Chapter 2 (35-47) emphasizes the need to read the entire Bible and recognize the entire story as the mission of God, stretching from the Creation to New Creation, and that the purpose of the church is to play a role in helping Him achieve it. Because the church has such an important role, it is important to understand the significance of the entirety of the mission. Chapter 3 (48-62) details the breadth of the mission from Creation to New Creation, expanding on this feature of God’s plan. The entire universe will be redeemed, including humans, of course, but not limited to humankind. The mandate to keep the earth was not revoked by the Fall, and creation will be redeemed along with us. Chapter 4 (63-81) explains how humankind, though not the exclusive agent of God’s mission, is nonetheless the chief instrument He uses to achieve His plan. The covenant with Abraham is enacted so that this people group can serve as a blessing to all nations. Christians, via their place in Christ, are a part of the seed of Abraham (see Matt. 3:9; Luke 13:16; Rom. 11:1), thereby continuing and expanding the mission of God’s people.

Chapter 5 (82-95) focuses upon how God’s people can maintain a proper relationship with the Almighty and ensure that His promise of blessing to all nations is fulfilled. The way of the Lord should be kept via the performance of righteousness and justice (see Gen. 18:19). This ethical dimension of lifestyle serves as the catalyst for our positive participation in God’s mission.

Chapter 6 (96-113) uses the exodus story of the Old Testament as an example of God’s view of redemption. Broadly speaking, this redemption covers all dimensions of God’s plan. More narrowly, the concept of redemption involves the complete liberation of the creation through the cross and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The redeemed are called to reflect both God’s actions and the impetus of His actions by living in a redemptive manner in our relationships with other people. This concept is expanded in Chapter 7 (114-127) wherein Wright goes on to point out, using Exodus 19 and Leviticus 19, that the identity of the people of God constitutes a mission to bless the nations by acting as evidence of God via lifestyle. The ethical lifestyle demonstrates God and His traits to the world and draws the world to the God of the people who are so radically different, in a good way, from the rest of (fallen) society.

Chapter 8 (128-147) continues the idea of drawing people to the Lord via lifestyle and redeemed status. Wright says, “the mission of God’s people in the Bible is to be the people whom God created us to be and to do the things that God calls us to do” (149). The task appointed requires an in-depth understanding of God and His attributes. Chapter 9 (151-162) describes how the biblical gospel should be known and shared by Christians. Jesus Christ is the focus of the biblical narrative, with His life, death, and resurrection being the culmination of the story. Fulfilling this mission involves witnessing, which is the focus of Chapter 10 (163-178). Bearing witness effectively is a sharing of the message in the context of a righteous lifestyle. Chapter 11 (179-200) deals with the proclamation of the gospel. Wright pushes beyond the narrow view of the gospel as a strictly New Testament theme, and argues for the expanded view of Paul that recognizes the gospel as originating in the Old Testament.
People were sent to both witness and proclaim. Thus, in Chapter 12 (201-221), Wright explores the theme of “sending.” Taking God’s revelation into the world and cooperating in His mission is the charge given to Christians. This is most often thought of as the work of professional missionaries, those with the gift of evangelism, and this is accurate. However, it is by no means limited to that, as Chapter 13 (222-243) demonstrates. Most Christians will serve as a witness to the world in the course of ordinary life and work; “ordinary” referring to the work of the majority of us who are not professional missionaries.

The goal of all missions is to bring glory to God. Part of this mission is for Christians to offer prayer and praise to God. This is the topic of Chapter 14 (244-261). These two activities are fundamental and serve as the identifying and engaging characteristics of the redeemed.

Wright closes in Chapter 15 (262-287) with a review of material covered in the book along with application for the contemporary Christian. He also has appended scriptural and subject indices for easy reference and completeness.