What is God’s will for Christians as they live in the interim between Christ’s first and second comings? In this course, we grapple with the Christians’ mission in the world by analyzing the particular histor-ical, and social contexts of the time when persecution was endemic and figures/powers were antagon-istic to the Christian faith and its followers. Using a number of assessments, students will be exposed to the deep moral and philosophical issues regarding suffering/persecution and why God should permit them, and the need for an appropriate Christian response to persevere and hold on to an unshakable faith in the God who is in control.
In this course, the learner is exposed to some of the more challenging realities of mission, including adversity, persecution, and dishonor. In light of this, what ought believers to do and how should they react/act in ways which are biblically and missionally responsible as they await the certain return of Christ?
These short letters may not include the Great Commission or have glowing accounts of the churches success that we read of in other New Testament texts. Instead, the reader is confronted with the realities of mission and living in a fallen world, where Christians have much to learn from Jesus’s response to adversity, insult and persecution. In light of this, the church is called to imitate Christ’s example and persevere by continuing in its mission of preaching and living out the Gospel message in a sometimes hostile environment which is anti-Christ and anti-Christian.
This course considers New Testament texts of 1 and 2 Peter, 1, 2, 3, John, James and in order to provide a biblical response to the darker side and difficult realities of mission, e.g., persec-ution and shame.
These texts provide us with an ‘in-between-the-times’ look at mission and what it means to live as God’s people in the ‘now’ as they look forward to the ‘not-yet’.
Knowing how early believers responded to shame and dishonor in the first century cultural context can provide impetus for twenty-first century Christians to negotiate tricky and sensitive situations in their ministry in different cultural contexts of the world today.
This course enables learners to appreciate the need to live missionally in different cultural interfaces where there antagonism to the Christian Gospel.
How are Christians to respond to insult and name-calling? Christ’s example, recorded in these letters, shines with luster and provides the antidote and the impetus to act in a godly and Christ-honouring way.
Consideration will be given to persecuted missionary leaders from these letters (i.e., Peter) and from the learners’ own cultural context, and will be reflected on in order to inspire and encourage students to faithful, sacrificial service.
