Bible Interpretation 1

Missional Reading of the Bible

Tesfaye Endale Chenchelo

School of Mission and Theology

Bible Interpretation (TH 501)

International Leadership University- Ethiopia
Aklilu Kuma (PhD Candidate)
15 January 2024
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Table of Contents

Introduction......................................................................................................................................3

Summary of Content........................................................................................................................3

Critical Evaluation...........................................................................................................................7

Conclusions; Reflection Points......................................................................................................12

Reference.......................................................................................................................................14
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Introduction

The book "A History and Introduction to a Missional Reading of the Bible" by Goheen (2016)

makes several important contributions to the field of biblical studies and missiology. It

introduces the concept of "missional hermeneutics," which is an approach to interpreting the

Bible that is focused on understanding and participating in God's mission. It challenges readers

to move beyond simply extracting moral or theological principles from the text, and instead to

consider how the biblical narrative calls them to join in God's redemptive work in the world. The

book highlights the idea that the Bible is not just a collection of religious texts, but rather a

narrative that reveals God's mission in the world. This perspective encourages readers to engage

with the Bible in a way that is oriented towards participating in God's mission. This helps us to

comprehend the diverse ways in which the Bible has been understood and applied, and

encourages them to consider how their own cultural and historical context shapes their reading of

the Bible.

This academic essay sought to summarize Goheen’s (2016, p. 27-48) view on a history and

introduction to a missional reading of the bible, and then the reviewer has been presented his

critical evaluation and reflection points respectively.

Summary of Content

According to Goheen (2016, p. 24-27), many biblical scholars are not yet persuaded of the

importance of mission for interpreting scripture because they have been influenced by the

Enlightenment worldview that separates faith from the public sphere. This worldview has led to a

privatization of religion, where the Bible is seen as a source of personal guidance rather than a

guide for how to live in the world. Furthermore, many biblical scholars have been trained in
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historical-critical methods that focus on the original meaning of the text in its historical context.

While this approach is important, it can lead to a neglect of the missional dimension of scripture,

which is concerned with God's purposes for the world and how we are called to participate in

them. Furthermore, he argues that often the missional bible reading by Missiologists is not seen

as an academy of biblical theology rather much more focus has been given on its practical

theology side. This unglued missions from the Bible. So, the bible scholars in 19 th century have

misinterpreted what mission means. In addition, according to the author, some bible scholars

ignore the theological diversity among the scripture and therefore fail to understand the messages

that God has revealed in the different bible books. Therefore, he argues that a missional reading

of the Bible is necessary for understanding its full meaning and relevance for our lives today.

This approach recognizes that God's mission is central to the biblical narrative and that we are

called to participate in that mission as God's people. It also recognizes that the Bible is not just a

collection of isolated texts, but a coherent story that points to Jesus Christ and his redemptive

work in the world.

According to Goheen (2016, p. 27-35), there are four hopeful signs for the development of a

missional hermeneutics. These are; 1) The growth of missional theology: there has been a

growing interest in missional theology, which recognizes that God's mission is central to the

biblical narrative and that we are called to participate in that mission as God's people. This has

led to a renewed focus on the missional dimension of scripture and the development of new

approaches to biblical interpretation that emphasize God's mission. 2) The emergence of

missional communities: there has been a growing number of missional communities that are

seeking to live out the missional dimension of scripture in their daily lives. These communities
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are often characterized by a deep commitment to serving their local communities and sharing the

good news of Jesus Christ with those around them. 3) The influence of non-Western Christianity:

Non-Western Christianity, particularly in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, has been growing

rapidly in recent years. These churches often have a strong emphasis on mission and evangelism,

which has led to new insights into the missional dimension of scripture. Besides 4) The

recognition of the social nature of scripture: there is a growing recognition that scripture is not

just a collection of isolated texts, but a coherent story that points to Jesus Christ and his

redemptive work in the world. This has led to new approaches to biblical interpretation that

emphasize the social nature of scripture and its relevance for our lives today.

Furthermore, Goheen (2016, p. 35-48) has been discussed on three hermeneutical dimensions of

mission. Firstly, he discussed the centrality of mission; according to him, mission is central to the

biblical story because it is the all-embracing purpose of God's redemptive plan. The Bible tells

the story of God's mission to reconcile and restore all of creation to himself. This mission is seen

from the beginning in God's call to Abraham to be a blessing to all nations, through the sending

of Jesus to proclaim the good news of the kingdom, and continuing in the work of the early

church to spread the gospel to all people. For this argument, he provided an explanation by

relating Genesis 12:1-3 and Exodus 19:3-5 to Jesus' missionary ministry. God explained that

Israelites should have two basic roles. One was the role of a kingdom of priests and the other was

the role of being a holy nation set apart for Him. The author argues that if we do not understand

both roles in a missional way, we fail to understand the central message of the Bible. The

ministry of Jesus, based on the death and resurrection of Jesus, renewed the eschatological

mission started in Israel and explained that the mission of Salvation, supported by the power of
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the Holy Spirit, was transferred to the New Testament believing community. Furthermore, a

missional hermeneutic should also focus on how the biblical story relates to our lives today. This

means understanding how we are called to participate in God's mission and how we can live out

the missional dimension of scripture in our daily lives. Secondly, he defined the meaning of

mission; according to Goheen (2016), the meaning of mission as a missional hermeneutical

dimension is that mission is not just one theme among many in the Bible, but rather the

overarching purpose and narrative that shapes the entire biblical story. Mission is about God's

redemptive plan to reconcile all of creation to himself, and this mission is seen throughout the

biblical narrative, from God's call to Abraham to be a blessing to all nations, to the sending of

Jesus to proclaim the good news of the kingdom, and the work of the early church to spread the

gospel to all people. In this view, understanding the meaning of mission is essential for

interpreting and applying the Bible. It means reading and interpreting the Bible with a focus on

God's mission, seeing how each part of the Bible fits into this larger mission, and applying the

biblical message to our own context.

Finaly, Goheen (2016) discussed, reading scripture to equip the church for missional praxis as a

third missional hermeneutical dimension. This means that the interpretation of scripture should

not be limited to a theoretical or academic exercise, but should be applied practically to the

mission of the church. In other words, the reading of scripture should not only inform the

church's theology but also shape its practice. Goheen argues that this missional hermeneutical

dimension is essential for the church to fulfill its calling to participate in God's mission in the

world. He suggests that the church must read scripture with a missional lens, seeking to

understand how God's redemptive plan for the world is revealed in scripture and how it calls us
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to action in our communities. Furthermore, he emphasizes that this missional hermeneutical

dimension requires a holistic approach to reading scripture. This means that we cannot simply

focus on isolated verses or passages but must read the entire biblical narrative in light of God's

mission in the world.

Critical Evaluation

Although expressed in different ways, there are two critically important orientations that have the

potential to bring people closer to God’s missional understanding. They are God-centered and

man-centered or anthropomorphic understanding of the Bible. A man-centered view not only

takes away from God’s missional reading, but has the potential to depart man from God’s eternal

calling. In the last two centuries, the God-centered missional way of understanding the Bible has

been ignored due to the influence of the human-centered interpretation of the Bible. The fact that

Western Christianity does not know the Bible is a clear indication of this. However, most

recently, many bible Schor’s stating to recognize the importance of missional hermeneutics

(Bosch, 2011, p. 537; Redford, 2012, p. 12; Wright, 2013, p. 45). Accordingly, the growing

biblical understanding in modern and postmodern era that is centered on man rather than God

can be cited as the main reason. There are Bible scholars who support this idea. Vanhoozer and

his friends are one of them. According to Vanhoozer et al. (2005, p. 416), the human-centered

interpretation of the Bible is one of the primary reasons for the failure of missional interpretation

of the Bible. As this approach of interpreting the Bible focuses on the individual reader's

experience and perspective rather than on the bible's intended meaning and its connection to

God's mission in the world.

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This often leads to a privatization of belief and a focus on personal spirituality rather than on the

church's mission in the world. It also tends to ignore the communal and historical dimensions of

the biblical narratives, leading to a narrow and distinctive understanding of God's mission.

Furthermore, they suggest that this approach can lead to a distortion of the biblical text, as

readers may impose their own cultural and ideological biases onto the text rather than seeking to

understand it in its original setting. This can result in a misinterpretation of the text and a failure

to engage with its missional implications of the Bible. Furthermore, this approach, as affirmed by

Bowman (2023, p. 48), often leads to a focus on the individual reader's experience and

perspective rather than on the text's intended meaning and its connection to God's mission in the

world. He also revealed that in cross-cultural missional partnerships, this approach can lead to a

cultural imperialism, where Western interpretations of the Bible are imposed on non-Western

cultures without regard for their unique perspectives and experiences. This can result in a failure

to engage with the missional implications of the text in a culturally appropriate way and can

hinder effective cross-cultural communication and collaboration.

Indeed, the Missional Way of Bible Understanding in the coming ages will depend on our role in

maintaining the centrality of God’s redemptive plan of the world. In this regard the author points

out four growing signs that can lead to this situation. They are the fact that the growing interest

in missional theology, emerging of missional communities, the growing influence of Non-

Western Christianity and the social role of scriptures that being highlighted as important themes.

However, it would be useful to understand the driving force and encountering challenges behind

this necessity. In particular, the influence of materialistic teachings in Non-Western Christianity

is seems that it is forcing people to turn their attention away from God (Miles, 2006, p. 59).
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Furthermore, the visible promises can backfire if the driving factor is not based on understanding

God's eternal plan for world redemption and a genuine call to pay the price for it. For instance,

Non-Western Christianity is often associated with liberal and postcolonial hermeneutics, it can

thus hinder the hopeful signs for the development of a missional hermeneutics. According to

Thiselton (2009, p. 302-323) while these approaches can be valuable in challenging dominant

Western interpretations of the Bible, they can also pose a challenge for missional hermeneutics in

non-Western countries. This is because they can sometimes lead to a rejection of traditional

Christian beliefs and practices, which can make it difficult for Western missionaries to

communicate effectively with non-Western Christians. Likewise, because of Western influence,

historical-critical method of Bible interpretation is becoming more widely acknowledged in Non-

Western Christianity, so it can be a threat to missional reading of the Bible. According to Elbert

(2012) in the Journal of Biblical and Pneumatological Research, historical-critical Bible reading

often tends to ignore the social role of scripture in shaping and influencing the beliefs and

practices of communities. He argues that historical-critical methods focus primarily on the

historical context and authorial intent of biblical texts, while overlooking the ways in which

these texts have been interpreted and applied by various communities throughout history.

Further, he claims that historical-critical methods often prioritize the perspectives of scholars and

academics over those of ordinary readers and practitioners, leading to a disconnect between

academic study of the Bible and its lived experience within communities.

Furthermore, liberal and postcolonial bible reading makes look at the Bible as an alternative

solution to the phenomenological problems that people are facing, so it prevents us from

understanding the scriptures in terms of God's larger plan to redeem the world. Furthermore,
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Cardoza-Orlandi (2002, p. 59) argues the necessity of missional hermeneutics that missional

reading of the Bible requires a more contextual and culturally sensitive approach that takes into

account the diverse ways in which people understand and interpret the Bible in different parts of

the world. This means recognizing and valuing the voices and perspectives of non-Western

readers, and engaging in dialogue and mutual learning across cultural and linguistic boundaries.

In this way, missional reading of the Bible can become a tool for promoting intercultural

understanding and respect, as well as for empowering marginalized communities to articulate

their own visions of faith and justice. On the other hand, for this reason, Cadoux's (2022, p. 237)

note that the importance of understanding the historical context of Jesus' mission that was not

just about individual salvation but about the restoration of God's kingdom on earth. Therefore, he

contends that Jesus' mission was rooted in the Jewish prophetic tradition, which emphasized

social justice and the transformation of society.

A mission-centered interpretation of the Bible can be a key to the crisis of identity, calling and

role faced not only by mission but also by the modern church Christian communities as a whole.

Missional Understanding of the Bible is the way the Bible was understood by the first apostolic

church, so the modern church can be protected from errors that may occur in Christian missional

teaching and practice. Let's look at some of the theological scholars who share these views. In

"A Light to the Nations," Goheen (2011, p. 124-132) argues that a missional reading of the Bible

is essential for understanding the biblical story and for developing a missional church. He asserts

that the Bible is not just a collection of disconnected stories, but a grand narrative of God's

redemptive work in the world. According to him, a missional reading of the Bible is one that

recognizes this overarching story and seeks to understand how it shapes our understanding of
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God, humanity, and the mission of the church. Furthermore, he argues that these themes provide

a framework for understanding God's mission in the world and for understanding the mission of

the church. Furthermore, in the book "Called into the Mission of God: A Missional Reading of

Paul's Thessalonian Correspondence" by George (2020, p. 78-93), claims the importance of

missional reading of the Bible is emphasized. As this approach to reading the Bible focuses on

understanding and interpreting the text in light of God's mission in the world. One key aspect of

missional reading is that it helps readers to see the Bible not just as a collection of ancient texts,

but as a living word that speaks to the mission of God in the world. This approach emphasizes

that the Bible is not just a historical document, but a message that calls believers to participate in

God's mission of redemption and reconciliation. Furthermore, this approach encourages readers

to see themselves as active participants in God's mission rather than passive recipients of

religious knowledge. Besides argues that a missional reading of the Bible helps believers to

understand their role in the world and their responsibility to share the message of God's love and

redemption with others. It challenges readers to move beyond a purely individualistic

understanding of faith and to consider how their lives and actions can contribute to the

transformation of society and the world.

The concept of a missional reading of the Bible is rooted in the belief that the Bible itself is a

missional text, and that understanding its message within the context of God's mission is

essential for the church and individual believers. In this regard, Flemming (2013) argues that a

missional reading of the Bible helps to recover the full scope of God's mission, which

encompasses not only evangelism and proclamation but also social justice, compassion, and

holistic transformation. By reading the Bible through a missional lens, believers are able to see
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how God has been at work throughout history to reconcile all things to Himself and to bring

about the restoration of creation. Furthermore, as he affirmed, a missional reading of the Bible

helps to shape the identity and purpose of the church. It encourages believers to see themselves

as participants in God's mission, called to embody the values of the kingdom of God in their

lives and communities. This perspective challenges the church to move beyond a narrow focus

on personal salvation and to engage with the broader issues of justice, mercy, and love for others.

Additionally, a missional reading of the Bible provides a framework for understanding the role of

individuals in God's mission. It calls believers to live out their faith in tangible ways, seeking to

be agents of transformation in their spheres of influence. This approach emphasizes the

integration of being, doing, and telling the holistic expression of the gospel in both word and

deed.

Conclusions; Reflection Points

In the two sections above, Goheen (2016) in chapter one of the book, history and introduction to

a missional reading of the Bible, discussed the summary main points. Also, based on these main

concepts of the author, critical evaluation and further explanations are made. The basic points we

raised in these two parts can be concluded with three concluding points. One of them is the

importance of understanding the importance of the interpretation of the Missional Way of the

Bible. If the modern church and the Christian community are to break free from the identity

crisis they are facing and wanted to participate in God's eternal redemption, they need to interpret

and understand the Bible in a missional way instead of a historical critical, liberal or post-

colonial understanding. The second point is that it is necessary to explore the challenges that

facing the modern church while understanding the Bible missionally. In order to understand this,
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it is necessary to understand the historical trend of mission both at global and local level and to

examine the situation in which mission is understood by postmodern Christianity. Finally, it is

expected to work on the possible transformation of the complications we face in the future

course of the mission. Among the key issues for the success of mission transformation, it will be

very important to develop the ability to interpret and understand the Bible missionally, identify

its implications and to apply it in the modern church and Christian community.
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Reference
Bosch, D. J. (2011). Transforming mission: Paradigm shifts in theology of mission. p. 537. Orbis

Books.

Bowman, J. (2023). Cross-cultural Missional Partnership. p. 48. Retrieved from

https://www.crossway.org/books/cross-cultural-missional-partnership-tpb/

Cadoux, J. (2022). The Historic Mission of Jesus. p. 237. Routledge.

Cardoza-Orlandi, C. F. (2002). Mission: An Essential Guide. Abingdon Press.

Elbert, P. D. (2012). The Holy Spirit and the Interpretation of Scripture: A Critical, Constructive

Proposal. Journal of Biblical and Pneumatological Research, 4, 1-25.

Flemming, D. (2013). Recovering the Full Mission of God: A Biblical Perspective on Being,

Doing and Telling. IVP Academic.

George, T. (2020). Called into the Mission of God: A Missional Reading of Paul's Thessalonian

Correspondence. Eugene, OR: Wipf and Stock Publishers.

Goheen, M. W. (2011). Light to the Nations: The Missional Church and the Biblical Story. p.

124-132. Baker Academic.

Goheen, M.W., (2016). ‘A History and Introduction to a Missional Reading of the Bible’, in M.

W. Reading the Bible Missionally, p. 3–27, Maryknoll, NY.: Orbis Books.

Miles, M. R. (2006). Practicing Christianity: Critical perspectives for an embodied spirituality, p.

59. Wipf and Stock Publishers.

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Redford, S. B. (2012). Missiological Hermeneutics: Biblical Interpretation for the Global

Church. p. 12. William Carey Library.

Thiselton, A. C. (2009). An Introduction to Hermeneutics: The Search for Meaning. p. 302-323.

Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.

Vanhoozer, K. J., Bartholomew, C., Treier, D., & Wright, N. T. (Eds.). (2005). Dictionary for

Theological Interpretation of the Bible. p. 416. Baker Academic.

Wright, C. J. H. (2013). The Mission of God: Unlocking the Bible's Grand Narrative. p. 45. IVP

Academic.