Foundations for Christian Mission, Student Workbook, SW04

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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

I. Jesus and the Founding of the Church: God’s New Covenant Kingdom Community

Video Segment 2 Outline

Early Christian Church Was Made Up of Poor People

Care for the poor was a concern laid upon Paul and Barnabas by their agreement with James, Peter and John (Gal. 2.10). The poor among the Christian Jews in Jerusalem were in need of support and the Gentile Christians had an obligation to them in return for the spiritual blessings received from Jerusalem (Rom. 15.26–27). The collection is mentioned in all Paul’s principal letters; he strongly recommends the Corinthian church to participate (1 Cor. 16.1–4; 2 Cor. 8–9). The reason for the collection is evidently the social need among Christians in Jerusalem, possibly caused by hostility and persecution from the broader Jewish community. The collection also had a political function as a symbol of love and solidarity from the Pauline churches. The majority of those in Paul’s churches were poor people of humble origins (1 Cor. 1.26–28), but Paul stresses the abundance they had received in the gospel, ‘as poor, yet making many rich, as having nothing, and yet possessing all things’ (2 Cor. 6.10). When encouraging participation in the collection Paul also plays on the broader meaning of the words ‘rich’ and ‘poor’. In 2 Corinthians 8.9 the ‘rich’ Christ has become ‘poor’ – a reference to the incarnation (cf. Phil 2.6) – so that believers can be rich and share with one another. Christ provides a new standard of values (Phil. 3.8), and the treasure of the gospel creates generosity in sharing with the needy (1 Tim. 6.17–19). ~Hans Kvalbein. “Poverty.” The New Dictionary of Biblical Theology . T. D. Alexander, ed. (electronic ed.). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2001.

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A. God’s heart is revealed in Jesus’ inauguration of his ministry in his annunciation of his Messiahship ( Jesus’ inaugural sermon at Nazareth ), Luke 4.16-21.

1. Jesus is the Messiah whose ministry is inaugurated by his anointing from God to preach to the poor , John 1.41, He first found his own brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which means Christ).