mission of jesus according to john pdf

And Peter said to them, 'Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit'" (Acts 2:37-38). the Church addresses people with full respect for their freedom.64 Her mission does not restrict freedom but rather promotes it. Precisely" so that this missionary zeal may flourish among the people of their own country," it is highly appropriate that young churches should "share as soon as possible in the universal missionary work of the Church. How do we bring the message of Christ to non-Christian young people who represent the future of entire continents? "Missionary activity is nothing other and nothing less than the manifestation or epiphany of God's plan and its fulfillment in the world and in history; in this history God, by means of missions, clearly accomplishes the history of salvation. In others, not only is evangelization forbidden but conversion as well, and even Christian worship. Mt 28:18; Acts 2:36; Eph 1:18-21). Second Vatican Ecumenical Council, Decree on the Missionary Activity of the Church Ad Gentes, 38.120. The entire missionary sense of John's Gospel is expressed in the "priestly prayer": "This is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent" (Jn 17:3). Certainly we have need of missionaries ourselves, nevertheless we must give from our own poverty. In Rome, we find Paul "preaching the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ'' (Acts 28:31). What the Council suggested is still valid today: a more careful doctrinal and pedagogical training, continuing spiritual and apostolic renewal, and the need to provide "a decent standard of living and social security. Mt 22:34-40; Lk 10:25-28). [11] Craig Ott, Stephen J. Strauss, and Timothy C. Tennent, Encountering Theology of Mission: Biblical Foundations, Historical Developments, and Contemporary Issues (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2010), 39. The Mission of Jesus Christthe Atonement His mission was the Atonement. The Council makes frequent reference to the Church's role in the salvation of mankind. People prefer to use instead the noun "mission" in the singular and the adjective "missionary" to describe all the Church's activities. The working of the Spirit is manifested particularly in the impetus given to the mission which, in accordance with Christ's words, spreads out from Jerusalem to all of Judea and Samaria, and to the farthest ends of the earth. Two gestures are characteristic of Jesus' mission: healing and forgiving. This was the earnest desire of the Council, which hoped to be able "to enlighten all people with the brightness of Christ, which gleams over the face of the Church, by preaching the Gospel to every creature." Confirming his words by miracles and by his resurrection from the dead, Christ proclaimed himself to be the Son of God dwelling in intimate union with the Father, and was recognized as such by his disciples. The sphere in which lay people are present and active as missionaries is very extensive. Why mission? Their sacrifices and sharing are indispensable for building up the Church and for showing love. The Council asks them to "confer together in dealing with more important questions and urgent problems, without, however, overlooking local differences,"162 and to consider the complex issue of inculturation. But this feeling is unjustified: we have faith in God our Father and Lord, in his goodness and mercy. Fidelity to Christ and the Promotion of Human Freedom. In the modern world there is a tendency to reduce man to his horizontal dimension alone. First, there is the missionary activity which we call mission ad gentes, in reference to the opening words of the Council's decree on this subject. [14] Although scholars interact with inductive bible study methodology, I have not observed them using the full scale of the method to understand the Johannine theology of mission. In many nations entire peoples and cultural areas of great importance have not yet been reached by the proclamation of the Gospel and the presence of the local church.60 Even in traditionally Christian countries there are regions that are under the special structures of the mission ad gentes, with groups and areas not yet evangelized. Paul VI, Address at the opening of the Second Session of the Second Vatican Ecumenical Council, September 29, 1963: AAS 55 (1963), 858; cf. In order to re-launch the mission ad gentes, a center of outreach, direction and coordination is needed, namely, the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples. His mission was a consistent paradox of this world and the world above. Asian Journal of Pentecostal Studies and APTS Press, Biblical and Theological Visions of Resilience, Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society, Divine fellowship in the Gospel of John: A Trinitarian spirituality, John 17Hermeneutics, Exegesis, Lingusitics & Exposition, Theological Concept of the Fourth Gospel in the Context of Jesus Glorification Prayer (Jn17:1-5), Trinity and Community: A Reading of John 17, THE PRIESTLY PRAYER OF JESUS (EXEGESIS OF JOHN 17), Hospitality Language in the Gospel of John and its Implications for Christian Community, A Theology of Facing Persecution in the Gospel of John, TynBul 70.2 (2019): 185204, Sociorhetorical Interpretation (SRI) and Inductive Bible Study (IBS): Outlines of Mark, The Lords Prayer, and The Sons Prayer in John 17, I Have Revealed Your Name: The Hidden Temple in John 17, Covenant Fulfillment in the Gospel of John, The divinity of Jesus in the Gospel of John: The lived experiences it fostered when the text was read, Gods Beauty-in-Act: An Artful Renewal of the Imagination. (LogOut/ Mt 5:1-12). ibid. This is in contrast to some traditionally Christian areas which are in need of re-evangelization. Acts 13:46-48), a development not without certain tensions and problems. The Second Vatican Council confirmed this tradition in its description of the missionary character of the entire People of God and of the apostolate of the laity in particular,147 emphasizing the specific contribution to missionary activity which they are called to make.148 The need for all the faithful to share in this responsibility is not merely a matter of making the apostolate more effective, it is a right and duty based on their baptismal dignity, whereby "the faithful participate, for their part, in the threefold mission of Christ as Priest, Prophet and King. "32, Sent Forth "to the end of the earth" (Acts 1:8). It is manifested in a total commitment to evangelization, a commitment which involves the missionary's whole person and life, and demands a self giving without limits of energy or time. Several other examples of disciples bringing friends and kin to Jesus are likewise highlighted in the Gospel of John.[25], The role of the Holy Spirit is significant in the Johannine theology of mission. ibid., 6, 23, 27.54. 6. The acts of liberation from demonic possession-the supreme evil and symbol of sin and rebellion against God-are signs that indeed "the kingdom of God has come upon you" (Mt 12:28). As the third millennium of the redemption draws near, God is preparing a great springtime for Christianity, and we can already see its first signs. Today, as in the past, that mission is difficult and complex, and demands the courage and light of the Spirit. Apostolic Exhortation Christifideles Laici, 17: loc. The Primary Responsibility of the Pontifical Mission Societies, 84. To the Lycaonians, who practiced a cosmic religion, he speaks of religious experiences related to the cosmos. "At the climax of Jesus' messianic mission, the Holy Spirit becomes present in the Paschal Mystery in all of his divine subjectivity: as the one who is now to continue the salvific work rooted in the sacrifice of the cross. As I think of this serious problem, I appeal with great confidence and affection to families and to young people. The missionary must be a "contemplative in action." These communities decentralize and organize the parish community, to which they always remain united. The Church and her missionaries also promote development through schools, hospitals, printing presses, universities and experimental farms. Generosity in giving must always be enlightened and inspired by faith: then we will truly be more blessed in giving than in receiving. "130 Missionaries must always meditate on the response demanded by the gift they have received, and continually keep their doctrinal and apostolic formation up to date. This is due to a variety of historical and cultural factors which must be removed where they still exist, so that the sacrament of spiritual rebirth can be seen for what it truly is. Thirdly, there is an intermediate situation, particularly in countries with ancient Christian roots, and occasionally in the younger Churches as well, where entire groups of the baptized have lost a living sense of the faith, or even no longer consider themselves members of the Church, and live a life far removed from Christ and his Gospel. By performing acts of healing, he invites people to faith, conversion and the desire for forgiveness (cf. The Conference of Latin American Bishops at Puebla, after recalling the example of Jesus, wrote that "the poor deserve preferential attention, whatever their moral or personal situation. Send me!" Our own time, with humanity on the move and in continual search, demands a resurgence of the Church's missionary activity. From the beginning of my Pontificate I have chosen to travel to the ends of the earth in order to show this missionary concern. (cf. Here I wish to thank all those who make sacrifices and contribute to the work of the missions. Cf. The kingdom's nature, therefore, is one of communion among all human beings-with one another and with God. mission is first and foremost God's own mission. These play an important role in making known the life of the universal Church and in voicing the experiences of missionaries and of the local churches in which they work. "66, Directing Attention Toward the South and the East. cit., 362f; Second Vatican Ecumenical Council, Decree on the Missionary Activity of the Church Ad Gentes, 20.140. Is it not possible to attain salvation in any religion? Jn 10:10). Paul and Barnabas are impelled by the Spirit to go to the Gentiles (cf. Cf. Cf. The kingdom aims at transforming human relationships; it grows gradually as people slowly learn to love, forgive and serve one another. Thus, "the Synod of Bishops should, among the concerns of general importance, pay special attention to missionary activity, the greatest and holiest duty of the Church. Indeed, since the end of the Council it has almost doubled. Paul VI, Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Nuntiandi, 62: loc. These are speeches which offer an example of the inculturation of the Gospel. Address to Cardinals and those associated in the work of the Roman Curia, Vatican City and the Vicariate of Rome, June 28, 1980, 10: Insegnamenti, III/1 (1980), 1887.121. Cf. Mt 10:17-20; Lk 12:11-12) and he can say with the apostles: "We are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit" (Acts 5:32). On the one hand, we must recognize that "the division among Christians damages the holy work of preaching the Gospel to every creature and is a barrier for many in their approach to the faith. cit., 46-49.84. In our heavily secularized world a "gradual secularization of salvation" has taken place, so that people strive for the good of man, but man who is truncated, reduced to his merely horizontal dimension. The contextual studies approach features the Messianic Christ and the Jewish readers at Johns time. At the same time we must not forget that efforts toward unity are themselves a sign of the work of reconciliation which God is bringing about in our midst. Apostolic Exhortation Christifideles Laici, 35: loc. 78. "85 The process is thus a profound and all-embracing one, which involves the Christian message and also the Church's reflection and practice. Indeed, it is necessary to recognize - and it is a title of honor - that some churches owe their origins to the activity of lay men and women missionaries. Our mission is to present Christ in prophetic power, Jesus speaking in us; to bring people to experience our Lord Jesus for themselves; and to be a community of such divine love that outsiders can see and are drawn to Gods heart for the world.[27] Johannine theology of mission calls followers of Christ to join in the missio Dei. He carries out his mission through her. The Church cannot elude Christ's explicit mandate, nor deprive men and women of the "Good News" about their being loved and saved by God. "9, God offers mankind this newness of life. "141 This presence is beneficial throughout the non-Christian world, especially in those areas where religious traditions hold the contemplative life in great esteem for its asceticism and its search for the Absolute. Second Vatican Ecumenical Council, Decree on the Missionary Activity of the Church Ad Gentes, 6.52. Since they are members of the Church by virtue of their Baptism, all Christians share responsibility for missionary activity. Hence they must learn the language of the place in which they work, become familiar with the most important expressions of the local culture, and discover its values through direct experience. ". Here are Jesuss prayers that we have, with the number of words in the Greek (WH) in brackets: Matthew 11:25, 26 (29); 26:39 (19); 26:42 (15); 27:46 (4); Luke 10:21, 22 (29); 23:34 (8); 23:46 (8); John 11:41, 42 (26); 12:27, 28 (20). To the question, "why mission?" Cf. Howard Baker uses the agent motif to understand the mission of disciples rooted in the mission of Jesus. On the other hand, it is true that some kind of communion, though imperfect, exists among all those who have received Baptism in Christ. The new Code of Canon Law acknowledges the tasks, qualities and qualifications of catechists.156, However, it must not be forgotten that the work of catechists is becoming more and more difficult and demanding as a result of ecclesial and cultural changes. Message to the Peoples of Asia, Manila, February 21, 1981, 2-4: AAS 73 (1981), 392f; Address to Representatives of Other Religions, Tokyo, February 24, 1981, 3-4: Insegnamenti IV/I (1981), 507f.46. we reply with the Church's faith and experience that true liberation consists in opening oneself to the love of Christ. You can download the paper by clicking the button above. I extend a special word of appreciation to the missionary religious sisters, in whom virginity for the sake of the kingdom is transformed into a motherhood in the spirit that is rich and fruitful. Cf. , Chapter IV, 27-34: loc. The Church calls all people to this conversion, following the example of John the Baptist, who prepared the way for Christ by "preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins" (Mk 1:4), as well as the example of Christ himself, who "after John was arrested,came into Galilee preaching the Gospel of God and saying: 'The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the Gospel'" (Mk 1:14-15). 1. The Church has been established on every continent; indeed today the majority of believers and particular churches is to be found no longer in Europe but on the continents which missionaries have opened up to the faith. What was done at the beginning of Christianity to further its universal mission remains valid and urgent today. It commits us to being molded from within by the Spirit, so that we may become ever more like Christ. In an ecclesiology of communion in which the entire Church is missionary, but in which specific vocations and institutions for missionary work ad gentes remains indispensable, the guiding and coordinating role of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples remains very important in order to ensure a united effort in confronting great questions of common concern, with due regard for the competence proper to each authority and structure. The number of those who do not know Christ and do not belong to the Church is constantly on the increase. Therefore, "strengthened by the presence of Christ, the Church journeys through time toward the consummation of the ages and goes to meet the Lord who comes. cit., 52.67. Whether they pursue a strictly missionary goal or not, such institutes should ask themselves how willing and able they are to broaden their action in order to extend God's kingdom. cit., 410.150. The missionary Church is certainly involved on these fronts but her primary task lies elsewhere: the poor are hungry for God, not just for bread and freedom. cit., 71-75; John Paul II, Encyclical Letter Redemptor Hominis, 12: loc. This proclamation is to be made within the context of the lives of the individuals and peoples who receive it. Dear brothers and sisters: let us remember the missionary enthusiasm of the first Christian communities. Episcopal Conferences and their various groupings have great importance in directing and coordinating missionary activity on the national and regional levels. First, there is the universal dimension of the task entrusted to the apostles, who are sent to "all nations" (Mt 28:19); "into all the world andto the whole creation" (Mk 16:15); to "all nations" (Lk 24:47); "to the end of the earth" (Acts 1:8). Acts 2:42-47). 43 (Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books, 2009), 11. In modern times, this active participation of lay men and women missionaries has not been lacking. God Is Preparing a New Springtime for the Gospel. He is a witness to the experience of God, and must be able to say with the apostles: "that which we have looked uponconcerning the word of life,we proclaim also to you" (1 Jn 1:1-3). cit., 510ff; Encyclical Letter Fidei Donum: loc. "84, Incarnating the Gospel in Peoples' Culture. Second Vatican Ecumenical Council, Decree on Priestly Formation Optatam Totius, 20: cf. It follows that the poor are those to whom the mission is first addressed, and their evangelization is par excellence the sign and proof of the mission of Jesus."115. In a specific way this is the missionary work which Jesus entrusted and still entrusts each day to his Church. But what moves me even more strongly to proclaim the urgency of missionary evangelization is the fact that it is the primary service which the Church can render to every individual and to all humanity in the modern world, a world which has experienced marvelous achievements but which seems to have lost its sense of ultimate realities and of existence itself. Lk 5:24). In my first encyclical, in which I set forth the program of my Pontificate, I said that "the Church's fundamental function in every age, and particularly in ours, is to direct man's gaze, to point the awareness and experience of the whole of humanity toward the mystery of Christ."4. Ibid., 41.39. "155, Even with the extension of the services rendered by lay people both within and outside the Church, there is always need for the ministry of catechists, a ministry with its own characteristics. It is precisely the mission ad gentes that offers them vast scope for "the gift of self with love in a total and undivided manner. I do it all for the sake of the Gospel" (1 Cor 9:22-23). The evangelical witness which the world finds most appealing is that of concern for people, and of charity toward the poor, the weak and those who suffer. Paul VI, Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Nuntiandi, 41-42: loc. This is a positive development if tourists maintain an attitude of respect and a desire for mutual cultural enrichment, avoiding ostentation and waste, and seeking contact with other people. Mission, then, is based not on human abilities but on the power of the risen Lord. 21. In not a few countries, over half the population already lives in a few "megalopolises," where human problems are often aggravated by the feeling of anonymity experienced by masses of people. 1 Cor 15:24, 28). Because to us, as to St. Paul, "this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ" (Eph 3:8). cit., 547-560; Paul VI, Encyclical Letter Populorum Progressio, 19-21, 41-42: loc. Cf. Missionary activity proper, namely the mission ad gentes, is directed to "peoples or groups who do not yet believe in Christ," "who are far from Christ," in whom the Church "has not yet taken root"53 and whose culture has not yet been influenced by the Gospel.54 It is distinct from other ecclesial activities inasmuch as it is addressed to groups and settings which are non-Christian because the preaching of the Gospel and the presence of the Church are either absent or insufficient. Proclamation is inspired by faith, which gives rise to enthusiasm and fervor in the missionary. As she carries out missionary activity among the nations, the Church encounters different cultures and becomes involved in the process of inculturation. Documents of the Third General Conference of Latin American Bishops, Puebla (1979), 3760 (1145).110. 1 (Spring 2013): 44. The mission of the Church, like that of Jesus, is God's work or, as Luke often puts it, the work of the Spirit. Religious and social upheaval makes it difficult to apply in practice certain ecclesial distinctions and categories to which we have become accustomed. Here we have the motivation, method, and message for our mission: motivated by Gods love (cf. Every form of the Spirit's presence is to be welcomed with respect and gratitude, but the discernment of this presence is the responsibility of the Church, to which Christ gave his Spirit in order to guide her into all the truth (cf. The Second Vatican Council acknowledged the territorial dimension of the mission ad gentes,59 a dimension which even today remains important for determining responsibilities, competencies and the geographical limits of missionary activity. Is not human development an adequate goal of the Church's mission? They are journeys of faiththey are likewise opportunities for traveling catechesis, for evangelical proclamation in spreading the Gospel and the apostolic Magisterium to the full extent of the world. I earnestly recommend that their promotional work be increasingly directed to this goal. Second Vatican Ecumenical Council, Decree on the Missionary Activity of the Church Ad Gentes, 29: Cf. Decree on the Missionary Activity of the Church Ad Gentes, 17.158. Similarly, there have been recent commemorations of the centenaries of the first missions in various countries of Asia, Africa and Oceania. Jesus is the Incarnate Word-a single and indivisible person. To say that the whole Church is missionary does not preclude the existencec of a specific mission ad gentes, just as saying that all Catholics must be missionaries not only does not exclude, but actually requires that there be persons who have a specific vocation to be "life-long missionaries ad gentes.". Does not respect for conscience and for freedom exclude all efforts at conversion? She must necessarily "go the same road that Christ went-namely a road of poverty, obedience, service and self-sacrifice even unto death, from which he emerged a victor through his resurrection. cit., 264-268, 277f; John Paul II, Encyclical Letter Sollicitudo Rei Socialis, 27-41: loc. Only thus can you be a sign of God in the world and re-live in your own countries the missionary epic of the early Church. The so-called return or "repatriation" of the missions into the Church's mission, the insertion of missiology into ecclesiology, and the integration of both areas into the Trinitarian plan of salvation, have given a fresh impetus to missionary activity itself, which is not considered a marginal task for the Church but is situated at the center of her life, as a fundamental commitment of the whole People of God. This study will presuppose a sound interpretative approach of literal historical-grammatical hermeneutics, as well as such crucial biblical doctrines as inspiration, inerrancy, and perspicuity of Scripture. Of course Jesus entrusts this work to human beings: to the apostles, to the Church. And when Jesus beheld him, he said, Thou art Simon the son of Jona: thou shalt be called Cephas, which is by Christians who live and work in this international sphere must always remember their duty to bear witness to the Gospel. Together with positive aspects, these conceptions often reveal negative aspects as well. Given in Rome, at St. Peter's, on December 7, the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Conciliar Decree Ad Gentes, in the year 1990, the thirteenth of my Pontificate. These two elements must maintain both their intimate connection and their distinctiveness; therefore they should not be confused, manipulated or regarded as identical, as though they were interchangeable. Christ prayed for this at the Last Supper when he said: "Even as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me" (Jn 17:21). The apostles, prompted by the Spirit, invited all to change their lives, to be converted and to be baptized. Ibid. The proclamation and establishment of God's kingdom are the purpose of his mission: "I was sent for this purpose" (Lk 4:43). Dogmatic Constitution on the Church Lumen Gentium, 8.64. This article examines how John crafts the narratives and discourses to address the issue of fear and secrecy, and to guide his audience/readers on how to face persecution. The need for such involvement has marked the Church's pilgrimage throughout her history, but today it is particularly urgent. A Manifesto of Hope. Parameters of the Church's Mission Ad Gentes. Within it reveals the theological relationship between the Father and the son which involves mutual ascription of glory, and how this divine presence, relationality and power can be shared with the disciples by becoming one with Christ. Indeed, the Church refuses to allow her missionary presence to be hindered by geographical boundaries or political barriers. (1 Cor 1:23) Underlying this missionary dynamism was the holiness of the first Christians and the first communities. also Encyclical Epistle Slavorum Apostoli, 21-22; loc. All this needs to be said, since not a few people, precisely in those areas involved in the mission ad gentes, tend to separate conversion to Christ from Baptism, regarding Baptism as unnecessary. Jesus sums up the whole Law, focusing it on the commandment of love (cf. Address at CELAM Meeting, Port-au-Prince, March 9, 1983: AAS 75 (1983), 771-779; Homily for the Opening of the "Novena of Years" promoted by CELAM, Santo Domingo, October 12, 1984: Insegnamenti VII/2 (1984), 885-897.177.

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