Comments on: Mike Bird's "Mission as an Apocalyptic Event" http://patmccullough.com/2009/07/05/mike-birds-mission-as-an-apocalyptic-event/ a blog exploring Christian origins, biblical studies, social/cultural history, method, education and the journey through academia Mon, 05 Sep 2011 20:53:48 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1 By: slaveofone http://patmccullough.com/2009/07/05/mike-birds-mission-as-an-apocalyptic-event/comment-page-1/#comment-924 slaveofone Thu, 09 Jul 2009 03:15:47 +0000 http://patmccullough.com/?p=1014#comment-924 Ah, mission means gentile conversion. Gotchya. Ah, mission means gentile conversion. Gotchya.

]]> By: Patrick George McCullough http://patmccullough.com/2009/07/05/mike-birds-mission-as-an-apocalyptic-event/comment-page-/#comment-926 Patrick George McCullough Mon, 06 Jul 2009 17:59:20 +0000 http://patmccullough.com/?p=1014#comment-926 Thanks for the comment, Dave. I'm not sure I understand your concern. I'm talking about a historical phenomenon. I'm not really discussing the theological implications at this point. I don't think it's really controversial to say that the early followers of Jesus sought to convert non-Jews ("Gentiles") among "all the nations" (panta ta ethne), which probably was talking about the Roman Empire at the time. This effort to include Gentiles appears to be vastly different than any other Jewish group before them or contemporary to them. Help me out. What's the problem? Thanks for the comment, Dave. I’m not sure I understand your concern. I’m talking about a historical phenomenon. I’m not really discussing the theological implications at this point.

I don’t think it’s really controversial to say that the early followers of Jesus sought to convert non-Jews (“Gentiles”) among “all the nations” (panta ta ethne), which probably was talking about the Roman Empire at the time. This effort to include Gentiles appears to be vastly different than any other Jewish group before them or contemporary to them. Help me out. What’s the problem?

]]> By: slaveofone http://patmccullough.com/2009/07/05/mike-birds-mission-as-an-apocalyptic-event/comment-page-1/#comment-925 slaveofone Mon, 06 Jul 2009 15:57:47 +0000 http://patmccullough.com/?p=1014#comment-925 This might seem like a silly question (I'm not a NT guy so bear with me) but what exactly does "mission" mean anyway? According to the quoted bits, it seems to mean the activity of Yeshua's followers which seeks to confront the "diabolical" with God's act of salvation and yet at the same time is also part of that act--that it is not only about a transformation, but it is also transformational. While that might be a pleasant answer if it were a correct understanding, I still have little comprehension what that actually means or what it looks like. And does "mission" only have context around Yeshua and his followers? What about peoples and cultures that never heard of this Jewish Messiah--is "mission" absent from them? What about before Yeshua, did "mission" exist then too? This might seem like a silly question (I’m not a NT guy so bear with me) but what exactly does “mission” mean anyway? According to the quoted bits, it seems to mean the activity of Yeshua’s followers which seeks to confront the “diabolical” with God’s act of salvation and yet at the same time is also part of that act–that it is not only about a transformation, but it is also transformational. While that might be a pleasant answer if it were a correct understanding, I still have little comprehension what that actually means or what it looks like. And does “mission” only have context around Yeshua and his followers? What about peoples and cultures that never heard of this Jewish Messiah–is “mission” absent from them? What about before Yeshua, did “mission” exist then too?

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