God's Missions and Ours

Here's an excellent example of theology applied to life.

Torrey Teer’s article on the mission of the Church as an analogical expression of God’s mission is well worth pondering (“‘As the Father has sent Me, even so I am sending you’: The Divine Missions and the Mission of the Church,” JETS, September 2020.

He shows that God is a sending God, sending the Son and the Spirit to regain His creation for His glory; and sending us as His people to participate in His mission to the world. Mr. Teer offers helpful theological insight to the relation of the Persons in the Godhead as the basis of Their joint mission to creation and, in particular, to the Church. He shows that the Church’s mission to proclaim the Gospel is a participation in the Trinitarian mission of God. We are a missional people because we have been saved and justified by, indwelled by, and are being sanctified by a missional God.

The essay falls a little short of my expectations in that the full nature of the Gospel is not elaborated; thus, the Kingdom of God is not in focus, merely the proclamation of the saving work of Jesus. Neither are we given any specific application of our mission calling to the everyday life of believers, although Mr. Teer rightly acknowledges that we are ambassadors of Christ.

In his conclusion, Mr. Teer admits that much more could be said, and intimates that he may continue working on the larger implications of this paper. I hope he will do so, seeking the Kingdom of God and its coming on earth as in heaven as he does.

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