Toward a Missiological Reading of the Bible

In his book Unstoppable Force, Erwin McManus advocates a missiological reading of Scripture over against a mere theological reading. He writes:

A theological construct for interpretation finds success in the attainment of knowledge. The more you know, the more mature a Christian you are thought to be. And yet knowledge of the Bible does not guarantee application of the Bible. To know is not necessarily to do. When the construct applied to the Bible is missiological, you engage the Bible to discover the response required of your life. (p. 72)

McManus is definitely on to a strange phenomenon in our churches. We want to be entertained; we want to learn facts about the Bible; we want the preacher or teacher to feed us. But I wonder if we ever stop and ask ourselves, “What is it that the Bible wants to do to us?”

The title of this essay uses the word “missiological.” This is a word used primarily in the academic study of World Mission. Such a reading of the Bible typically involves highlighting biblical passages such as the Great Commission that explicitly focus on World Mission. I, however, want to borrow the word “missiological” and apply it in a more theological sense to an overarching approach to the Scriptures as a whole. I want to suggest that the aim of the Bible is to convert its hearers/readers to a new life in which God is honored and the good news is shared with the world. The biblical narrative thus is not merely about revealing facts about God and the ancient world, but about transforming and shaping a people who will impact the present and future. I am growing increasingly convinced that the future of the 21st century Church turns on its ability to rediscover its missional focus. If we want to reshape the Church from its current institutional morass into a missional movement, we need to elevate our use of the Bible from being merely a source of religious information into an invitation to a transformed life in which we embody God’s true purposes for our creation and existence.

Assumptions of a “missiological” Reading of Scripture

1) Christians need to be converted to this perspective. This necessitates a return to hearing the text as an invitation to a transforming community that exists for the sake of the world. This means that teaching and preaching in our churches can no longer focus on “self-help” topics such as “Ten Ways to Be a Better Parent,” “Four Ways to Achieve Success” or simple “moralizing” such as “Being Nice to Others.” I am convinced that we have raised entire generations in our churches who have never truly heard a biblical message on the Church as a Missional Community. We need to call Christians to a cause greater than their own piety or spiritual satisfaction.

2) The World remains vital. Too much of our God-talk focuses on heaven and securing our place there. Of course, the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ have opened up the future of God’s reign for all who believe. Yet, following Jesus Christ involves engaging the present world for Jesus Christ. This includes a passion for stewardship of the natural and animal kingdoms, working for justice and righteousness in society, and loving those around us in the name of Jesus Christ.

3) All people are lost. A missiological reading of the Bible takes seriously the biblical portrait of human sinfulness. We are not on some sentimental mission of justice to make nice people into even more well adjusted Christians. Instead we are on God’s mission to offer the good news of the possibility of true reconciliation and peace with our Creator. This is an invitation to a return to God’s original purposes in creating humanity in His Image.

4) The Old Testament focuses on God’s mission of preparing a missional community through whom all nations of the world will be blessed. Mission does not start with Jesus’ Great Commission in Mathew 28:16-20. It begins in Genesis. God created people to reflect his character to the world. When this original purpose was marred by sin, God calls Abraham to be the instrument of blessing for the world. With Abraham God creates a peculiar people who will form the national of Israel which will ultimately exist as the source of God’s true light to the world.

5) The New Testament announces the fulfillment of this Old Testament expectation with the coming of the embodiment of Israel, Jesus Christ. In the New Testament, the Church is sent out to the nations with a missional purpose. If the Old Testament helps us to understand the meaning of a holy community that exists for the world, the New Testament pushes us to see this holy community as an entity that engages and confronts the world with the news about Jesus Christ.

This is some of my current thinking. What am I missing here? What seems fuzzy?