Salvation to the Ends of the Earth: A Biblical Theology of Mission

The topics in this book even at a glance will show u that the authors have a good grasp of the subject of missions as that which is central to the fulfilment of all mankind entering into God's rest via the redemptive work of Christ. It helps answer the question " is salvation to the gentiles a secondary thought of God or always has been a part of God's redemptive work even in the OT. It is systematic theology at its best and helps to affirm the new covenant as the covenant of all covenants. Written to the glory of the God, showing indeed that he is no respector of persons, and saves all kinds of men throughout the world so that not men from every part of the earth, together with the redeemed physical descendents of Abraham may share in the glory of his inheritance given in a seed form to Adam in the garden, to Abraham in the promise of the land, to Isreal and then consummated in the new heavens and earth (New Covenant).

Besides the big flop on saying the book of Jonah isn't missional (Jesus said it was, why don't they?), this is probably the best book out there on presenting a biblical theology of Missio Dei in the Bible you will find. The authors are in contrast to Walter Kaiser in that they do not believe Second Temple Judaism was a missionary religion. Judaism served to draw in the nations, not go out to the nations. That comes in the Acts of the Apostles. While in the OT the Jews were a light that drew the nations in for a closer look, in the NT, all believers are to go out as a light to the nations taking the salvation of the Lord to the ends of the earth. For the work on John and Paul alone, this book is worth having. Whoever thinks John isn't missional needs to read again. The standard Paul set for missions still stands today. If you want to round out your understanding of the Bible theologically, you should read this book.

In Salvation to the Ends of the Earth, Andreas Kostenberger and Peter O'Brien have presented a systematic study of the subject of mission from Genesis to Revelation. After surveying the Old Testament and Second Temple Jewish literature in the early chapters, the authors conclude that there is no evidence for an organized Jewish mission to Gentiles, and that the Judaism of Jesus' day could not be classified as a missionary religion. While I am sympathetic to their presentation, I contend that Matthew 23:15 does indeed allude to a Pharisaic outreach to non-Jews, and must be regarded as an exception to the rule. Beginning with Mark's gospel, the authors show that while Jesus was open to the entreaties of various non-Jewish people (Mark 7:24-30), it goes beyond the evidence to suggest that Jesus engaged in an active Gentile mission. Rather, a mission to the Gentiles is anticipated as a future reality in such texts as Mark 11:17 ("My house will be a house of prayer for all nations"), and in the cry of the Roman centurion in Mark 15:39. In their survey of Matthew's gospel, the authors explain that the particularist statements of Matthew 10:6, 23 demonstrate God's faithfulness to His covenant community while the Great Commission of Matthew 28:18-20 envisions the worldwide impact of the gospel of Jesus Christ. They rightfully stress that Matthew 10:23; 24:14 and 28:16-20 teach that missionary work is the church's primary responsibility between the first and second comings of Christ. Noting the universal scope of Luke's gospel of inclusion, Kostenberger and O'Brien stress that Luke-Acts may be the clearest presentation of the church's universal mission in the entire New Testament. They correctly identify the hints of the Gentile mission in Luke 2:32 and Luke 4:16-30, though they may be making too much of the sending of the seventy-two in Luke 10, a vague allusion to a future ministry to Gentiles at best. The book also has an inspiring discussion of the book of Acts, noting that it chronicles the unstoppable word of God. Taking the words of Ben Witherington as their cue, they assert that neither persecution nor imprisonment nor legal obstacles can prevent the gospel of Jesus Christ from penetrating to the heart of the Roman empire. The authors go on to note that from the time Paul was converted on the road to Damascus, he was completely devoted to the gospel of Christ. They highlight key texts such as Romans 1:5-6, where he testifies that he has received grace and apostleship to call people from among the Gentiles to the obedience that comes through faith. They also underscore passages such as Romans 15:14-33 gives an overview of his missionary career and his desire to preach Christ in regions where He is not known, and 1 Corinthians 9:19-23, where Paul states that he is willing to be or to become almost anything to win people for Christ. There also note that while Paul never commands that believers in Christ share their faith, he notes with approval