The Mission of God's People: A Biblical Theology of the Church’s Mission (Biblical Theology for Life) Paperback – August 11, 2010

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. SummaryWright’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.

From the beginning, and without letup, I drank from Wright's book as if from a fire hose, which was at once instructive and inspiring, insightful and intrepid. Wright's innate chiastic style combined with his exhaustive, encyclopedic familiarity with Scripture merged with his fast, efficient pace to propel me through 300 pages without a weary moment. For me, Wright's grounding as an Old Testament scholar provided him with the unique credentials to tackle the subject of missions from the perspective he did, which not only did not minimize the first covenant but made the case that the Gospel is not the Gospel without it. Throughout the text, Wright compares the uncannily similar, often identical language of both Old and New Testaments.Wright's analysis was compelling that the true attractiveness of Christianity lies within the people of God, which comprises "missional magnetism," which is a "centripetal force, God's own gravitational pull, that draws people into the sphere of his blessing." Most believers will have to admit that the majority of thinking about missions comes from a centrifugal orientation, of taking the Gospel outward to the masses. Thinking about attracting the masses to the Gospel via centripetal force is both inspired and biblical. In his words, "If we are to speak of Jesus with integrity, we have to resemble him" (131). What this amounts to is "drawing others into his magnetic field rather than repelling them still further" (136), which fulfills the biblical mandates for both mission and ethics. A similar thought is, "Light is attractive. It draws you in out of the darkness" (139), which can be compared to Isa. 60:3, "Nations will come to your light" (cf Isa. 49:6; Matt. 5:14-16; Phil. 2:14-16).Far from the common exhortation from guilt for not being more mission-minded, Wright presents throughout a biblical perspective that pulls rather than pushes people into a missional mentality, beginning with the responsibility of knowing God, which "was never merely private and it was never merely spiritual" (151). Using more chiastic language, "to know God is to be challenged to make God known" (152) -- after all, it is "God's own will to be known" (Ibid.). He is a unique God, unlike any other, demonstrated amply throughout scripture, e.g. the Exodus story (cf Acts 4:12), which shows "not just who really is God, but what God is really like" (157). The unavoidable conclusion is that "the knowledge that there is no other God and no other name leaves no other choice than to make him known" (161).The recurring theme of living right in order to rightly represent God to others returns in every chapter, e.g. living under the reign of God prior to preaching about the reign of God, or in other words, witness has to flow from transformation (163). Not until chapter 11, nearly two-thirds through, does Wright address what most view is the totality of evangelism, the proclaimed message. Even here, he unites the two testaments seamlessly into the undivided mission of God via Jesus' own words quoting Isa. 61:1-3 in Luke 4:16-19. Wright comments, "The prophetic voice of the ancient text has become the living voice of the one now reading it" (187).The New Testament Gospel is the continuing good news about all the good news about God. In Wright's words, "The gospel, then, is fundamentally good news of the reign of God" (188). Such good news, however, cannot come from those who do not bear the aroma of Christlikeness. Again, Wright's dominant subtheme surfaces: "The gospel that is intrinsically verbal is just as intrinsically ethical. These things are as integral as life and breath. There is no gospel where there is no change" (196).Readers are hard put to find a facet of the missional diamond that Wright does not explore at length. Throughout scripture, God authorizes and sends messengers who would save others through their message. Wright captures this as, "God sends because God saves because God promised" (204). Again, Wright reminds persistently, there is no division of testaments or of God's family -- all his people are missional for the nations, starting with Abraham and all who have been and will be blessed through him, among whom are included the apostles or "sent ones." Wright zeroes in on another aspect of the whole church being missional -- "All of us, the sent and the senders, are working together for the truth. That is the responsibility and the privilege of Christian mission" (220) -- to which he perceptively adds, "the mission of God's people is far too big to be left only to missionaries" (222).Wright accurately assesses the church as thinking God only cares about new souls for the kingdom and his church, but does not really care about what goes on in society. He tackles this under-addressed issue with the same thoroughness of matters seemingly more weighted toward the meta-message of missions. Yet, in keeping with his whole Bible and only one people theme, Wright reminds that God created the earth and it is part of mankind's existence. Everything that takes place on it concerns him. In short, "God governs the public square, and all else" (226), which triggers Wright's perspective that believers are "called to constructive engagement in the world," which is to be balanced with "courageous confrontation with the world" (229). Rather than leave readers there, Wright adds that believers must do "both with equal biblical conviction" (ibid.), which is shining light into darkness and bringing salt where it is needed -- in short, mission is outside the walls of the church (272).Saving the best for last, Wright focuses on the under-addressed missional aspects of praise and worship, returning again to the centripetal attractiveness of true Christianity. He states succinctly, "Worship and witness are closely intertwined" (251). All of the above intertwined become "integral mission" (277), which in two words captures the essence of the author's message. Wright's rare and inspired insight into the unity of God's mission in the world, in scripture, and in his people answered eloquently and engagingly his original question, "Who are We and What Are We Here For?"I can't communicate enough my depth of appreciation for Wright's book and my now newly reinforced and revamped understanding of mission in my unique jail ministry environment. Unlike some who might wrestle with the church's mission versus mission outside the church walls, indeed, everywhere outside the walls, my ministry consists of both church and mission simultaneously.Wright's core subtheme of ethics and mission being inseparable spoke deeply to my heart, as God has impressed heavily on me this highly critical reality, and on which personal integrity I have built my reputation and ministry.Because of Wright's volume, I am freshly reinforced and reinvigorated in everything I had known before. As well, my current academic and ministry experiences have been clarified, confirmed, enlarged, strengthened, and validated. Wright's message has directly and immediately enhanced my life and ministry in every way.

Christopher J.H. Wright's 'The Mission of God’s People: A Biblical Theology of the Church’s Mission' is an insightful and profound exploration of the church's role in God's overarching mission. Wright expertly navigates the complex terrain of biblical theology, presenting a clear and compelling vision of how Christians are called to participate in God's work in the world. His approach is both scholarly and accessible, making deep theological concepts understandable and relevant to a modern audience. The book brilliantly intertwines biblical exegesis with practical application, guiding readers to see their place in the missional purpose of the church. Wright's thoughtful analysis and passionate writing inspire a renewed sense of purpose and commitment to God's mission. This book is an essential read for anyone seeking a deeper understanding of their role in the church and how to live out the mission of God in everyday life. 'The Mission of God’s People' is a transformative work that will change the way you view the church's role in the world.

Delivery was timely, and the book arrived as described.

Very good item and was delivered within the time frame promised.

Excellent book for my need. Thank you for making it available. It's a used copy but the quality was very good. I'm happy.

Amazing book....life challenge.

I have thoroughly enjoyed this book. I admire Chris' spiritual approach and also his faithfulness to the biblical text. This should read by all who are serious about being authentic Christians.