Hermeneutics of Mission in Matthew , livre ebook

This volume is a monumental work. The topic is of immense importance, and one that has not received nearly the attention it deserves. The concept of mission is central to the theology of the Gospel of Matthew. And there is no recent, authoritative full-scale study of mission in Matthew’s Gospel. The book relates mission to other key themes and motifs in Matthew, and in the process deals carefully with virtually every passage in the Gospel. Having taught and written on Matthew’s Gospel for over 30 years, I myself learned a great deal from this work.
David R. Bauer, PhD
Ralph Waldo Beeson Professor of Inductive Biblical Studies
Dean of the School of Biblical Interpretation
Asbury Theological Seminary, USA
Bitrus A. Sarma’s work offers a unique and persuasive missional reading of Matthew’s Gospel, and particularly Matthew’s use of the Old Testament from the perspective of missions. Matthew’s view of missions is to be found in Israel’s faith traditions, and it is developed in the Gospel under the framework of promise and fulfillment. This well-researched book has significant implications, from Matthew’s perspective, for how one should read the Old Testament. Highly recommended.
David E. Garland
Dean and Holder of the Charles J. and Eleanor McLerran Delancey
Chair of the Dean
Professor of Christian Scriptures
George W. Truett Theological Seminary
Baylor University, USA
Few studies see the New Testament’s use of the Old Testament beyond both the mere formal citing of texts and the ideology and theology motivating such exercise by New Testament authors. Fewer still go on to establish an overarching interpretive framework for understanding how NT authors use the OT—or, better still, how the OT shapes major segments and central issues within their works. Dr Bitrus Sarma’s new work eloquently succeeds in these areas and more. No scholar today doubts the defining role of ‘mission’ for Matthew; and Sarma not only explores how Matthew weaves the OT into his narrative of Israel and the nations, but also shows how Matthew actually uses the OT to redefine and provide a new interpretive framework for the Triune mission in the early church. Thus, by viewing such mission “as an ongoing series of divinely orchestrated actions toward the realization of salvation in Jesus”, Matthew brings under this purview “people, events, and places”, among other things, as they “are divinely coordinated for the salvation of humankind through [Jesus] the Messiah”. The schema of ‘promise-fulfillment’ serves Matthew’s interpretative framework, but not woodenly, since it is the Triune mission that drives his theology. And it is precisely around the concrete dimensions and questions of “redemptive events and institutions, geography, prophetic ministry, and intertextual typology” that Matthew’s new people of God emerge, with a universal mission and a new identity. This timely work greatly advances Matthean studies.
Randee I-Morphé, PhD
Chair, PhD Committee
ECWA Theological Seminary Jos, Nigeria
Director, Hokma House, Centre for Biblical Research, Nigeria

Hermeneutics of Mission in Matthew
Israel and the Nations in the Interpretative Framework of Matthew’s Gospel
Bitrus A. Sarma

© 2015 by Bitrus A. Sarma
Published 2015 by Langham Monographs
an imprint of Langham Creative Projects
Langham Partnership
PO Box 296, Carlisle, Cumbria CA3 9WZ, UK
www.langham.org
ISBNs:
978-1-78368-909-5 Print
978-1-78368-907-1 Mobi
978-1-78368-908-8 ePub
978-1-78368-874-6 PDF
Bitrus A. Sarma has asserted his right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988 to be identified as the Author of this work.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher or the Copyright Licensing Agency.
Except where indicated, the Scripture quotations in the work are from the New International Version 1979, 1984 by International Bible Society.
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
Sarma, Bitrus A., author.
Hermeneutics of mission in Matthew : Israel and the nations
in the interpretative framework of Matthew’s Gospel.
1. Bible. Matthew--Hermeneutics. 2. Missions--Biblical
teaching.
I. Title
226.2’06’01-dc23
ISBN-13: 9781783689095
Cover & Book Design: projectluz.com
Langham Partnership actively supports theological dialogue and a scholar’s right to publish but does not necessarily endorse the views and opinions set forth, and works referenced within this publication or guarantee its technical and grammatical correctness. Langham Partnership does not accept any responsibility or liability to persons or property as a consequence of the reading, use or interpretation of its published content.

Converted to eBook by EasyEPUB

To my wife Sanatu and our children Esther, Grace, Rejoice, David, and Yambale with thanks for your unfailing encouragement and support.
Contents

Cover


Abstract


Acknowledgements


Abbreviations


Chapter 1 Introduction


1.1 Purpose and Direction of the Study


1.2 Contribution of the Study


1.3 Methodology and Procedure of the Study


Chapter 2 Mission in Matthew: The Role of the Triune God


2.1 Introduction


2.2 The Father’s Redemptive Role in Mission


2.3 The Son’s Redemptive Role in Mission


2.4 The Holy Spirit’s Redemptive Role in Mission


2.5 Summary and Conclusion


Chapter 3 Mission to Israel: Foundations and Framework


3.1 Introduction


3.2 Redemptive Events, Institutions, and Mission


3.3 Prophetic Ministry and Mission


3.4 Geography and Mission


3.5 Intertextual Typology and Mission


3.6 Summary and Conclusion


Chapter 4 Mission to the Nations: Foundations and Framework


4.1 Introduction


4.2 Redemptive Events, Institutions and Mission


4.3 Prophetic Ministry and Mission


4.4 Geography and Mission


4.5 Intertextual Typology and Mission


4.6 Summary and Conclusion


Chapter 5 Conclusions and Recommendations


5.1 Conclusions


5.2 Recommendations


Bibliography


About Langham Partnership

Endnotes
Abstract
This work is an investigation of the hermeneutics of mission in the Gospel of Matthew. The work seeks to respond to the question: What is the framework of Matthew’s mission theology? The writer puts forward the argument that Matthew utilizes the Old Testament as the foundation of God’s own initiative in mission to Israel and the nations. Matthew sees God working through the history of Israel, the nations, and geographical locations as an ongoing series of divinely orchestrated actions toward the realization of salvation in Jesus. By his citations, allusions, and echoes, Matthew suggests that the Old Testament is a book of promise of God’s salvific purposes and that Jesus is the fulfillment of those promises. God’s scheme of salvation is understood as an umbrella under which people, events, and places are divinely coordinated for the salvation of humankind through Christ the Messiah. For Matthew, the purpose of God to save fallen humanity is the grand narrative of the Bible. He therefore uses promise-fulfillment as the interpretative framework of his mission theology and explores this single framework from four dimensions. These dimensions include redemptive events and institutions, geography, prophetic ministry, and intertextual typology.
Acknowledgements
The journey in the PhD has been an exciting and challenging one. I thank our Father in heaven for his grace upon my life. He carried me through the demanding experience. But in the course of this dissertation I have become highly indebted to many, some of whom I may not be able to mention for lack of space. If the following list looks like the Pauline greetings in Romans 16, it is intentional as a mark of gratitude to faithful servants of the Lord who have been kind and supportive along the way.
There is no way any recompense can be adequate in appreciation of the role of my primary reader, Rev Dr Randee I-Morphe, through whose hard stretch and push this work came to good conclusion. His broad and deep knowledge of available resources on the subject and the New Testament and Old Testament helped me immensely in giving direction to the study. And like a good coach he endured with me to the finishing line. My indebtedness also goes to my external reader, Distinguished Professor Craig L. Blomberg at Denver Seminary (Colorado, USA). His thorough and critical examination of the work and generous comments cannot be quantified in words. That a world-class professor could stoop down to lift me up, I am touched. My second reader, Dr Jim Crouch, deserves appreciation for his contribution. I am thankful for his comments and encouragement.
Professor George Janvier was Barnabas, the son of encouragement,