Picturing Theology, Revised Edition

250 | Picturing Theology, Revised Edition

Tracing the Seed

of Messianic hope

God’s Davidic king

Genesis 26:2-5; 28:10-15

Seed of Isaac and Jacob,

Seed of Judah, Genesis 49:10 Seed of David, 2 Samuel 7

ceremony, and symbol

YHWH as a Warrior God

in covenant faithfulness

of biblical faith, John 4:22

Glimmers of Gentile salvation and global transformation

Seed of the Woman, Genesis 3:15 Seed of Shem, Genesis 9:26-27 Seed of Abraham, Genesis 12:3

divine rulership of Messiah

Messianic fulfillment in Old

Suffering Servant of YHWH:

humiliation and lowliness of

Hebraic roots of the Promise:

People of Israel as community

YHWH as God of lovingkindness

Psalms and Prophets emphasize

Testament: prophecy, type, story,

Rediscovery of the Jewish origins

Rediscover the Hebraic roots of the biblical Messianic hope (return)

Messiah Yeshua with passion and clarity

Re-present

with fidelity to Scripture in sync with historic orthodoxy without cultural distortion without theological bias

Yeshua Messiah as the Cosmic Warrior:

“Already/Not Yet” Kingdom orientation:

The Reign of God as both manifest but not consummated The Evidence and Guarantee of the Age to Come: The Spirit as down payment, first fruits, and seal of God

Apocalyptic as the “mother tongue and native language” of the apostles and early Church as eschatological community

YHWH as God who wins ultimate victory over his enemies Messiah Yeshua as Anointed One and Binder of the Strong Man: the Messianic Age to come inaugurated in Jesus of Nazareth

Recognize the socio-cultural captivity of Christian profession (exile) Live the adventure of New Testament apocalyptic myth (possession)

• Personal existentialism • Asceticism/moralism • Ethnocentrism

• Nuclear family life

Jesus’s critique of socio-cultural captivity • Bondage to religious tradition, Matthew 15:3-9 • Ignorance of Scripture and God’s power, Matthew 22:29 • Zealous effort without knowledge, Romans 10:1-3 Hermeneutic habits that lead toward a syncretistic faith • Selective choice of texts • Tradition viewed as canon • Cultural readings of texts

• Preaching and teaching based on eisegesis and audience

• Uncritical approaches to one’s own doctrine and practice

• Persecution of opposite viewpoints and new interpretations of faith

Re-Presenting Messiah Rev. Dr. Don L. Davis

“Gentilization” of modern Christian faith expressions • Contextualization: freedom in Christ to enculturate the gospel • Common modern portrayal of Messianic hope as Gentile faith • Tendency of tradition/culture to usurp biblical authority • Present day eclipse of biblical framework by “captivities” Strange fires on the altar: examples of socio-cultural captivities • Nationalism • Capitalism • Scientific rationalism • Denominationalism

• Apologetics for socio-cultural identity “Paradigm paralysis” & biblical faith

• Blind to one’s own historical conditionedness • Limited vantage point and perspective • Privilege and power: political manipulation • Inability to receive criticism