Foundations for Christian Mission, Mentor's Guide, MG04

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F O U N D A T I O N S F O R C H R I S T I A N M I S S I O N

Please take as much time as you have available to answer these and other questions that the video brought out. In this section we gave a “prolegomena” or “first word” regarding the framework of biblical mission, including its definition as the proclamation of God’s offer of salvation and redemption in the person and work of Jesus Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit to all people groups . Viewed as the drama and story of God, from Before to Beyond Time , we can begin to see how in the story of mission the Triune God is at work as the Sovereign God , working all things together for his own glory and our good. What we will seek to accomplish in this module is the “big picture” underwriting the nature of mission in Scripture, and the first step is to understand the motifs covered in this segment. Review the key ideas of this material by answering carefully the questions below, and support your answers with the Scriptures. 1. What is the meaning of the term “prolegomena,” and why do we need a “prolegomena to mission” that begins with a biblical worldview of God and his work in the world in the person of Jesus of Nazareth? 2. Define “mission,” and list the key elements that go into a biblical understanding of mission? Why is it so necessary that our view of mission begins with the Scriptures themselves , and not with the experience of missionaries and mission organizations throughout history? 3. Why must a biblical view of mission, too, be anchored in the person and work of Jesus Christ, and take seriously the way the Bible discusses mission in the form of images, pictures, and stories? 4. What are the four major theological frameworks/pictures of mission that can be found in Scripture, and what are the definitions of each? 5. List out the major elements of the Drama of All Time framework, and in particular the phase of Before Time , the Beginning of Time , and the Unfolding of Time. Highlight the central elements of each, and explain the implications of each for understanding mission. 6. Explain God’s unfolding purpose in the Fullness of Time , the Last Times , the Fulfillment of Time , and the Beyond Time phases of the Mission as the Drama of All Time framework. Again, highlight the central elements of each, and explain their role and relationship to the concept of world mission.

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Student Questions and Response

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