10 Foundational Principles For Missions. Part one: Before The Foundation of the World (cross post)

In preparation for this blog “EV Mission talk” I am beginning a preliminary study that will look at the following 10 Biblical Foundational Principles for missions.

1.   Origins and Identity – God – Christ – Church – Missionary- what is missions? what is a missionary?

2. Biblical mandate – Biblical, Theological, Cultural: What did Jesus send us out to do?

3. Historical and cultural context – worldview drives values

4.Theological & Philosophical considerations and confusion: indigneous concepts, poverty, liberation,

    global partners.

5. Western and Non-western perspectives and expectations

6. The local economy and the need for a multicultural perspective

7. The players: who sends who? Where? How long, and why?

8. Treasure heart principle - the use of Kingdom resources

9.  A call for collaboration between the Seminary, Church, Missionary and Agency...

10. The end game – What are we really trying to accomplish? 

My new blog   will flow out of a Biblical Study I am working on in this blog that will provide underlying principles for dialogue that will be generated on EVMissiontalk.

The big idea is that God created our world and all of life to glorify Himself.  Through the revelation of  Himself,  (His image and nature) both through His creation, (general revelation) and His Word (Special revelation), one discovers that our primary purpose as human beings is to glorify God through a journey of transformation that conforms us into the image of His Son, Jesus Christ. As we journey from creation (Gen 1) to the His new creation (Rev. 21), we glorify God through our engagement in worship and mission, as we seek to know God, and to make Him known! In fact, one (worship or mission) cannot fully be realized without the other! We worship God as we go out in mission, and our mission moves us to worship.  It is through our relationship of mission and worship that we glorify God!

So before we can start a dialogue on mission, we need to understand the context. Where and when does missions begin. We will start with the word “foundation” and two little prepositions pro and apo, Before, or “from/since” My first statement in regards to the origins of missions is that it began both before and from the foundations of the world! Before Adam and Eve fell, before men worshiped, before Christ came into the world, missions was on God’s mind. 

For this post only I will cross posted with EV Mission Talk  evmissiontalk.blogspot.com in order to show the relationship between the two. Future posts in EV Mission Talk will reference but not include the background study.

Here is part 1 of EV Bible Talk:  Before/From the Foundations of the world (prep. Pro & Apo)

πρὸ (ἀπὸ) καταβολῆς κόσμου  (pro [apo] kataboles kosmos)

The word “foundation” καταβολῆς (kataboles) also translated as “creation” (NIV)” only appears in the N.T. in the phrase “the beginning of the foundation of the world”*  the only variation is with the preposition “Before” πρὸ (pro) and “Since, or from”  ἀπὸ (apo)  (*with the exception on Heb 11:11 which uses the accusative case καταβολὴν (katabolen) in the sense of sowing seed or begetting with the prep εἰς lit. to sow into life)

Consider the context of these passages

"...so that what was spoken through the prophet might be fulfilled, saying, 'I will open My mouth in parables; I will utter things hidden since the foundation of the world.'" (Mat 13:35 NAS)

"Then ^athe King will say to ^bthose on his right, 'Come, you ^cwho are blessed by my Father,^dinherit ^ethe kingdom ^fprepared for you ^gfrom the foundation of the world'".  (Mat 25:34 ESV)

"...in order that the blood of all the prophets, shed since the foundation of the world, may be charged against this generation," (Luk 11:50 NAS)

"Father, I desire that they also, whom Thou hast given Me, be with Me where I am, in order that they may behold My glory, which Thou hast given Me; for Thou didst love Me before the foundation of the world." (Joh 17:24 NAS)

"...just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before Him. In love (Eph 1:4 NAS)"

"For we who have believed enter that rest, just as He has said, 'As I swore in My wrath, They shall not enter My rest,' although His works were finished from the foundation of the world."(Heb 4:3 NAS)

"Otherwise, He would have needed to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now once at the consummation of the ages He has been manifested to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself." (Heb 9:26 NAS)

"For He was foreknown before the foundation of the world, but has appeared in these last times for the sake of you" (1Pe 1:20 NAS)

"And all who dwell on the earth will worship him, everyone whose name has not been writtenfrom the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who has been slain." (Rev 13:8 NAS)

"The beast that you saw was and is not, and is about to come up out of the abyss and to go to destruction. And those who dwell on the earth will wonder, whose name has not been written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they see the beast, that he was and is not and will come." (Rev 17:8 NAS)

What is the difference between “Before” πρὸ (pro) and “Since, or from”  ἀπὸ (apo)? Consider the definitions and implications of the verses.

πρὸ  (pro) Before,  Prep. w/ Genative Before: marker of a point of time prior to another point of time, earlier than, before  (BDAG lexicon)

A. Basic Uses (with Genitive only)

1. Spatial: before, in front of, at

2. Temporal: before

3. Rank/Priority: before

(Wallace)

So when looking at Pro:  one has to determine the use of "before" with the nuance of  “Spatial, Temporal or Rank”  for example, in considering 1, 2 and 3,  The BDAG chose 2 (temporal). As a “marker in time. Others may emphasize  3 “Rank” as in the choosing of one over another for salvation. There are theological implications here, but both conclusions recognize the point that God’s Love and sacrifice were intentionally highlighted as part of God’s plan in the beginning.

Look again at the context of pro (Before) as they relate to the foundation of the world…

The Love of the Father to the son (implied to the disciples)- Jn 17:24 (Before)

Chose us, the believer (context of predestination) (before) Eph 1:4

Christ foreknown (context of blood shed) (before) 1 Pet 1:20

ἀπὸ (apo) Basic sense ‘separation from’ someone or something., fr. which the other uses have developed. In the NT it has encroached on the domain of Att. ἐκ, ὑπό, παρά, and the gen. of separation; s. Mlt. 102; 246; Mlt-Turner 258f. (BDAG)

The basic force of ἀπό in classical Greek was separation from. “In the NT it has encroached on the domain of Att. ἐκ, ὑπό, παρά, and the gen. of separation . . . .”³⁷

1. Separation (from place or person): away from

2. Source: from, out of

3. Cause: because of

4. Partitive (i.e., substituting for a partitive gen.): of

5. Agency (rare): by, from

(Wallace)

Here the BDAG looks at 1 (separation) as the general use of the word. Also the idea of 2. (source) can add a nuance of context. For example in Heb 4, the source of the Sabbath, as it related to it’s purpose in creation provides a context for the finished works of Christ in Heb 4:3. Could God have had an understanding of the gospel  when he rested on the seventh day of creation?  Could His plans be that sure in the begging of time regarding their outcome, even before sin and death entered the world? Is His word that sure? What does it mean His works were finished since the foundation of the world?

 The New Living Translates 'They will never enter my place of rest,' " even though this rest has been ready since he made the world. (Heb 4:3 NLT)

Consider the separation or source with the word apo (from or since) in the following passages as they relate to the foundation of the world…

These things (re: the Kingdom) – Mat:13:35, the Kingdom (25:34) (since)

The blood of the prophets shed – Lk 11:50 (from)

His Works finished (context Sabbath rest) (From) – Heb 4:3

Suffer (context Christ’ death sufficient one time) (since) Heb 9:25

The names written in the book of life (of the Lamb who was slain) (from) Rev 13:8, 17:8

Part one will conclude where part two will pick up with a short definition of the word “foundation”καταβολῆς (foundation NASB), (Creation NIV) the act of laying someth. down, with implication of providing a base for someth., foundation. Readily connected with the idea of founding is the sense beginning (BDAG)

Bear the suffering, shed the shame...

Lectio Reflections: 2 Tim 1:6-14

Looking at suffering and saying no to shame through the chiastic structure of 2 Tim 1:6-14

Here is the rough draft, check back in a week or so...

A1 ⁶ And for this reason I remind you to kindle afresh the gift of God which is in you through the 
         laying on of my hands.

      B1⁷ For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline.

          C1 ⁸ Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, or of me His prisoner; but 
                   join with me in suffering for the gospel according to the power of God,

               D1 ⁹ who has saved us, and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, 
                        but according  to His own purpose and grace which was granted us in
                        Christ Jesus from all eternity,

                     E ¹⁰ but now has been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus,

                             who abolished death, and brought life and immortality to light through 
                             the gospel,

              D2 ¹¹ for which I was appointed a preacher and an apostle and a teacher.

         C2 ¹²  For this reason I also suffer these things, but I am not ashamed; for I know whom 
                    I have believed and I am convinced that He is able to guard what I have
                    entrusted to Him until that day.

      B2 ¹³ Retain the standard of sound words (teaching) which you have heard from me, 
                 in the faith and love which are in Christ Jesus.

A2 ¹⁴ Guard, through the Holy Spirit who dwells in us, the treasure which has been entrusted
           to you.

Gift- χάρισμα (charisma A1, :6), literally a gift of grace (in context of a gift from God) correlates to καλός  (kalos cf. A2, :14)  “beautiful or good”, which is translated as treasure (NASB) or good (ESV)  The BDAG lexicon gives further insight (Hom.+; pert. to meeting high standards or expectations of appearance, kind, or quality) The gift of grace was of the highest quality, as it came from God, and can be considered a spiritual gift “For by grace you have been saved…it is a gift from God” (Eph 2:8). 

Evidence that Paul is talking about a specific gift can be seen in its origin, imparted by the laying on of hands A1, and the call to cultivate the gift: to kindle afresh ἀναζωπυρεῖν (anazorupein) kindle into flame, cause to blaze again, or to cause to begin again (2Ti 1:6 BGT) (A1) and guard (A2) φυλάσσω (fulasso A2 vs 12; 14) “to protect by taking special measures…so that it is not lost” (BDAG).  

This begs the question, how does one kindle afresh his spiritual gift? As the presence of the Holy Spirit is necessary to the cultivating of one’s spiritual gift (A2), It would imply the presence of the Spirit is also involved in the process to kindle afresh the gift He gave.  It would merit further study regarding the relationship of the quality of one’s spiritual walk (abiding in Christ) to the effectiveness of one’s spiritual ministry (as related to their spiritual gift).

Paul encouraged Timothy to guard his calling to teach, through the giving of sound words ( or teaching -NIV) :13 B2).

The specific gift Paul urged Timithy to rekindle was the giving of “sound words  or teaching” -NIV Vs 13 B2  (cf 2 Tim 2:2-3). Paul encourages Timothy to train others to teach in the context of suffering.

God has given Timothy a spirit (πνεῦμ) or “ability to animate” power, love, and discipline vs 7, B1)  that will enable him to stand firm in faith and love (v:13 B2).

(C1 –C2) Timothy can bear the suffering and shed the shame by trusting in the power of God. The source of this power comes from one’s personal relationship with Jesus Christ and his work on the cross :10, E)  “for I know whom I have believed and I am convinced that He is able…” (v:12, C2).

The BDAG refers to Kalos as  “2. pert. to being in accordance at a high level w. the purpose of someth. or someone, good, useful,” (Emphasis mine). The spiritual gift was given for a specific purpose (cf: vs :9, 11 or D1-2), and has been deposited, or entrusted παραθήκην (paratheken) in or to the believer.

The context of “the purpose” relates to the calling and/or appointment of the believer, in this case Paul, and by implication, Timothy ( vs :9, 11 or D1-2). Paul was appointed to preach and teach as an apostle (D2)

Therefore the gift was made available as a result of and for the purpose of the gospel (vs: 10 see main point of Chiasm- E),  Our Christian faith holds together because of the Work of Christ on the Cross and the power of the gospel that secures our salvation: “our Savior Christ Jesus… abolished death, and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel,”

Take away: verse :11-12-  Points to the purpose of our calling; to take the gospel to the nations (apostle is the Greek word for missionary). As a servant of the gospel, it is our abiding in Christ that enables us to bear the suffering and shed the shame!

...for I know whom I have believed and I am convinced that He is able…