The Mission of God Study Bible: On Mission. With God. Wherever You Are.

By BH Publishing Group

The Mission of God Study Bible encourages followers of Jesus Christ to see their everyday life from God’s perspective and have His heart for people. It’s a reminder that we live around people in desperate need of redemption and reconciliation with God, which can only be found in Jesus. The mission of God has never been just for specialists; it is for all believers to live out through their daily lives and by sharing the good news of what God has done through the death and resurrection of His Son Jesus. Wherever you are, you are on mission.

In The Mission of God Study Bible, readers will hear through more than 150 additional writings from today’s top thinkers, theologians, and leading voices in the church about what it means to live in the mission of God. Essay contributors include Matt Chandler, Tullian Tchividjian, Ed Stetzer, Linda Bergquist, Dave Ferguson, Christopher J.H. Wright, Matthew Barnett, and many others.

Readers will also discover “Letters to the Church” from elder statesmen that speak to the grand narrative of God’s mission in Scripture. These words from Billy Graham, Jack Hayford, Erwin Lutzer, Calvin Miller, and R.C. Sproul will inspire you to live God’s mission daily.

• Language: English
• Publisher: BH Publishing Group
• Release date: Jun 1, 2012
• ISBN: 9781433603068

Book preview

The Mission of God Study Bible

Digital Edition

Copyright © 2012 by Holman Bible Publishers

Nashville, Tennessee. All rights reserved.

Holman Christian Standard Bible®

Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009

by Holman Bible Publishers.

The text of the Holman Christian Standard Bible may be quoted in any form (written, visual, electronic, or audio) up to and inclusive of two-hundred-fifty (250) verses without the written permission of the publisher, provided that the verses quoted do not account for more than 20 percent of the work in which they are quoted, and provided that a complete book of the Bible is not quoted. Requests for permission are to be directed to and approved in writing by Holman Bible Publishers, 127 Ninth Avenue North, Nashville, Tennessee 37234.

When the HCSB is quoted, one of the following credit lines must appear on the copyright page or title page of the work:

Scripture quotations marked HCSB are taken from the Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Holman Christian Standard Bible®, HCSB®, and Holman CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers.

Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Holman Christian Standard Bible®, HCSB®, and Holman CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers.

All quotations of Francis Dubose are from God Who Sends: A Fresh Quest for Biblical Mission, Broadman Press: Nashville, TN, 1983. Scripture quotations in the Dubose features are taken from the Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyrighted 1946, 1952, 1971, 1973.

Produced with the assistance of The Livingstone Corporation (www.Livingstonecorp.com). Project staff includes Linda Taylor, David Veerman, Linda Washington, Andy Culbertson, Ashley Taylor, Joel Bartlett. Interior design by Larry Taylor. Typeset by Kathy and Tom Ristow. Proofreading by Peachtree Editorial and Proofreading Service.

Front Matter

Copyright

The Purpose of the Mission of God Study Bible

Introduction to the HCSB

God's Plan for Salvation

Contributors

The Mission of God in the Scriptures

Missional Manifesto

Purpose of The Mission of God Study Bible and How to Use It

Ed Stetzer and Philip Nation

The Mission of God Study Bible exists for the same reason all things exist: to point us to the glory of God. The Scriptures are given by God as a revelation of Himself and to call us to redemption. Throughout the process of His revelatory work, God is honored and we can become the beneficiaries of His grace.

In the preparation of this study Bible, our hope is that you will clearly learn how God, in His great mercy, is active in creation to bring about the work of redeeming people and eventually restoring creation. The Scriptures exist for this purpose, and we have endeavored to create a study edition of the Bible that traces how God reveals Himself through redemption and restoration.

It is the natural inclination of people continually to seek self-fulfillment and self-satisfaction. The study notes in this work will give the practical application of how life is to be lived and how decisions should be made to bring fulfillment to each of us. However, these decisions and actions are a response to the character and work of God. As you read the study helps that follow, we ask that you do so in the framework of seeking to understand how God is revealing Himself as the primary reason for the Bible. As a response to learning more about God’s character and work, it will then naturally follow for you to respond in discovering how to be rightly related to God through Christ and join in His mission of redemption.

We want to introduce you to the features you will encounter in The Mission of God Study Bible.

Missional Manifesto

The word missional has been in the English vocabulary since the early twentieth century. It is a term that has been embraced by various groups in Christianity throughout its short existence. The terminology that undergirds the word missional has its origins with the missiologists who were at work in the conciliar missions movement and the International Missionary Council (IMC) meetings of the twentieth century. The meetings were held to debate and better understand the theological concepts of mission and church. In the IMC meetings, the term became more consistently used to describe the way in which all Christians should live—with the mission of God as the center point of life. However, like many technical terms, the word has been redefined in numerous ways once it entered the more common vernacular of church leaders in the English-speaking world. Both editors of this study Bible and many of the essay contributors have been identified with various missional movements within the church.

In 2010, a group of framers led by Ed Stetzer and Alan Hirsch sought to produce a document that would help bring clarity to the ideas housed in the term missional. The framers’ intent was simply to state what they meant when using the term. From their work, the Missional Manifesto was crafted and published. It is included in this project in order to give readers a sense of what we mean by the term missional and to paint a picture of what life centered on God and His mission might look like.

Book Introductions

The Book Introductions will highlight the overarching story that is occurring in each book. The books of the Bible were written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit by more than 40 authors. These authors lived over the course of 2,000 years and across three continents (Europe, Asia, and Africa). However, the entire content of the Scriptures has one main character and one central story: God and His mission. As the Bible is primarily about God and His work, the introductions will highlight how He is at work in the storyline and people recorded in each book of the Bible.

God’s Heart for the World

It is God’s intention to glorify Himself through creation and through its restoration. In fact, God’s glory is a central theme of the Bible. The notes entitled God’s Heart for the World explore the idea of God’s concern and call to glorify His name. It is a work that is not reserved only for the Old Testament people residing in Jerusalem and greater Israel. Rather, it is seen throughout the entire history of the Bible—from the creation story in Genesis and into eternity as shown in Revelation—that God will cause His name to be glorified and His character to be known throughout the temporal and eternal realms.

Feature Essays

The feature essays in this project are unique in both their content and their authors. In the process of crafting the vision for this project, the decision was made to ask a wide array of leaders to contribute to the study Bible. The authors of the feature essays are those who lead the church through full-time vocational ministry and those who serve the church by training leaders in academic settings. Each author was assigned a topic or passage relating to their passion and contribution to the body of work dealing with the mission of God. The feature essays are intended to focus the reader on the central person and content of the Bible—God and His mission. Though every part of the Scripture is profitable for knowing how we should live, these essays help to guide us toward a well-rounded understanding of how God is at work and how He involves us with the mission of His kingdom.

QR Codes

QR codes (quick response codes) are small squares that are composed of odd formations of black dots and lines. You will find QR codes attached to many of the feature essays. By using a QR code scanner app with a smart phone, you will be taken to a Web page that has additional digital information about the subject covered in the essay. In many instances, the information will include a teaching video from Ed Stetzer or Philip Nation about the subject. Also, the Web page will include additional background information about the subject or text.

God Who Sends Notes

Francis Dubose was a minister, author, and professor who focused his life’s attention on understanding the mission of God. In 1983, he published the book God Who Sends as a biblical theology focused on how God reveals Himself as the One who can affect redemption and the One who sends out His people in the ministry of reconciliation.

In the preface to the book, Dubose wrote,

This work is a comprehensive and systematic study of the biblical concept of the sending aimed at a better understanding of biblical mission. The title ‘God Who Sends’ was chosen because God as Sender is the basis of all the Bible has to say on the subject. The subtitle, ‘A Fresh Quest for Biblical Mission,’ reflects both my desire for a more satisfying theological understanding and my realization that this can only be a quest, not a final word on the subject. (7)

Dubose’s book was one of the earliest in our era to focus on the understanding of God’s mission as revealed in the Bible. Throughout this project, you will find quotes from God Who Sends connected with various biblical passages that highlight the significance of God’s mission for every believer.

Text Messages

As the Bible is God’s revelation of Himself and His work, we can find the expression of His good news throughout the entire canon of the Bible. In Text Messages, brief notes are given that show how the gospel can be expressed from multiple places throughout the Bible. Recognizing these different ways of speaking about the gospel helps to develop a robustly biblical view of the gospel.

On the Frontlines

Though the mission of God is occurring in every place and in every time throughout history, the church is called to the specific task of carrying the gospel into those places and among those people that are potentially hostile to the message and the messengers. The Old Testament prophets often ministered in places where they were rejected; many were hunted down for the message they delivered. The majority of the early apostles became martyrs for the Christ they loved so dearly because they refused to give up preaching the gospel. Though we do not call believers to actively seek out persecution for their faith, it is a reality that we should expect when we live out our faith.

In the feature called On the Frontlines we share the stories of how some Christian believers have endured persecution or even martyrdom. The stories told are both ancient and recent in their historical context. All of them, however, should inspire us to live for more than the temporary pleasures this world has to offer. The mission of God is the greatest and highest good for which we should be willing to pay any price.

Worldview

The gospel is a message that transcends historical ages and cultural circumstances. In the Worldview feature, we will introduce you to some of the unique details in differing worldviews from around the world.

One issue all humans have in common is the need for reconciliation to God. The gospel is God’s message that is applicable to every person in every culture. But, to effectively communicate the gospel, Christians must understand the culture in which they are sharing it. The intent of the Worldview essays is to help believers be better equipped for sharing the gospel in different cultural environments.

Praying for the World

The Praying for the World features will give you guidance about how to better pray for the work of God in the world. The short study notes focus on specific work that will help press believers and the church forward in God’s mission. Each note will include information to help inform your prayers for the nations and a prayer that can be used to inspire your own intercession for God’s work among the nations as He builds His church.

Cross-Reference Notes

Scripture is best interpreted by Scripture. The Cross-Reference Notes in this project will help you understand how various passages of Scripture relate to one another. By accessing these notes, you can better understand the biblical context for the passage you are currently studying.

Church Unleashed

Throughout the world, Christians serve in the role of cross-cultural mission work. It is a work that should happen naturally within our own cultural context. But God calls some people to move into a new culture in order to share the gospel where it is not known and where the people have little access to the Scriptures. In Church Unleashed, missionary personnel from around the world will share their own stories of how God’s mission is pressing forward in the new cultures where they live. In some of these stories, pseudonyms are used as the authors are in areas where it is illegal to serve as a foreign missionary or even to share the gospel of Jesus Christ. Reading these stories will remind readers of how critical the work of God’s mission is to all people. You will be inspired to ask Christ to involve you more deeply in His work wherever you might be called to live.

Letters to the Church

One of the great privileges of the Christian life is to learn from those who have served Christ longer and have experienced more of His mission. The essays that make up Letters to the Church are from some of our older leaders in the faith. The names will be familiar to many readers as they are some of the trusted leaders of the church in our time. We are all blessed to gain a deeper appreciation about remaining true to the mission of God from their letters to us as believers.

We are deeply indebted to God for His magnanimous work of grace on our behalf. As we study His Word, we do so to gain a greater understanding of who God the Father is, the work accomplished through God the Son, and how God the Holy Spirit is now at work in the church and the world. Our prayer is that God will continually draw you to Himself and teach you how to fully participate in His great mission.

Introduction to the Holman Christian Standard Bible®

The Bible is God’s revelation to man. It is the only book that gives us accurate information about God, man’s need, and God’s provision for that need. It provides us with guidance for life and tells us how to receive eternal life. The Bible can do these things because it is God’s inspired Word, inerrant in the original manuscripts.

The Bible describes God’s dealings with the ancient Jewish people and the early Christian church. It tells us about the great gift of God’s Son, Jesus Christ, who fulfilled Jewish prophecies of the Messiah. It tells us about the salvation He accomplished through His death on the cross, His triumph over death in the resurrection, and His promised return to earth. It is the only book that gives us reliable information about the future, about what will happen to us when we die, and about where history is headed.

Bible translation is both a science and an art. It is a bridge that brings God’s Word from the ancient world to the world today. In dependence on God to accomplish this sacred task, Holman Bible Publishers presents the Holman Christian Standard Bible, a new English translation of God’s Word.

Textual base of the Holman CSB®

The textual base for the New Testament [NT] is the Nestle-Aland Novum Testamentum Graece, 27th edition, and the United Bible Societies’ Greek New Testament, 4th corrected edition. The text for the Old Testament [OT] is the Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia, 5th edition. At times, however, the translators have followed an alternative manuscript tradition, disagreeing with the editors of these texts about the original reading.

Where there are significant differences among Hebrew [Hb] and Aramaic [Aram] manuscripts of the OT or among Greek [Gk] manuscripts of the NT, the translators have followed what they believe is the original reading and have indicated the main alternative(s) in footnotes. In a few places in the NT, large square brackets indicate texts that the translation team and most biblical scholars today believe were not part of the original text. However, these texts have been retained in brackets in the Holman CSB because of their undeniable antiquity and their value for tradition and the history of NT interpretation in the church. The Holman CSB uses traditional verse divisions found in most Protestant Bibles.

Goals of this translation

The goals of this translation are:

to provide English-speaking people across the world with an accurate, readable Bible in contemporary English

to equip serious Bible students with an accurate translation for personal study, private devotions, and memorization

to give those who love God’s Word a text that has numerous reader helps, is visually attractive on the page, and is appealing when heard

to affirm the authority of Scripture as God’s Word and to champion its absolute truth against social or cultural agendas that would compromise its accuracy

The name, Holman Christian Standard Bible, captures these goals: Holman Bible Publishers presents a new Bible translation, for Christian and English-speaking communities, which will be a standard in Bible translations for years to come.

Why is there a need for another English translation of the Bible?

There are several good reasons why Holman Bible publishers invested its resources in a modern language translation of the Bible:

1. Each generation needs a fresh translation of the Bible in its own language.

The Bible is the world’s most important book, confronting each individual and each culture with issues that affect life, both now and forever. Since each new generation must be introduced to God’s Word in its own language, there will always be a need for new translations such as the Holman Christian Standard Bible. The majority of Bible translations on the market today are revisions of translations from previous generations. The Holman CSB is a new translation for today’s generation.

2. English, one of the world’s greatest languages, is rapidly changing, and Bible translations must keep in step with those changes.

English is the first truly global language in history. It is the language of education, business, medicine, travel, research, and the Internet. More than 1.3 billion people around the world speak or read English as a primary or secondary language. The Holman CSB seeks to serve many of those people with a translation they can easily use and understand.

English is also the world’s most rapidly changing language. The Holman CSB seeks to reflect recent changes in English by using modern punctuation, formatting, and vocabulary, while avoiding slang, regionalisms, or changes made specifically for the sake of political or social agendas. Modern linguistic and semantic advances have been incorporated into the Holman CSB, including modern grammar.

3. Rapid advances in biblical research provide new data for Bible translators.

This has been called the information age, a term that accurately describes the field of biblical research. Never before in history has there been as much information about the Bible as there is today—from archaeological discoveries to analysis of ancient manuscripts to years of study and statistical research on individual Bible books. Translations made as recently as 10 or 20 years ago do not reflect many of these advances in biblical research. The translators have taken into consideration as much of this new data as possible.

4. Advances in computer technology have opened a new door for Bible translation.

The Holman CSB has used computer technology and telecommunications in its creation perhaps more than any Bible translation in history. Electronic mail was used daily and sometimes hourly for communication and transmission of manuscripts. An advanced Bible software program, Accordance®, was used to create and revise the translation at each step in its production. A developmental copy of the translation itself was used within Accordance to facilitate cross-checking during the translation process—something never done before with a Bible translation.

Translation Philosophy of the Holman CSB

Most discussions of Bible translations speak of two opposite approaches: formal equivalence and dynamic equivalence. Although this terminology is meaningful, Bible translations cannot be neatly sorted into these two categories any more than people can be neatly sorted into two categories according to height or weight. Holman Bible Publishers is convinced there is room for another category of translation philosophies that capitalizes on the strengths of the other two.

1. Formal Equivalence:

Often called word-for-word (or literal) translation, the principle of formal equivalence seeks as nearly as possible to preserve the structure of the original language. It seeks to represent each word of the original text with an exact equivalent word in the translation so that the reader can see word for word what the original human author wrote. The merits of this approach include its consistency with the conviction that the Holy Spirit did inspire the very words of Scripture in the original manuscripts. It also provides the English Bible student some access to the structure of the text in the original language. Formal equivalence can achieve accuracy to the degree that English has an exact equivalent for each word and that the grammatical patterns of the original language can be reproduced in understandable English. However, it can sometimes result in awkward, if not incomprehensible, English or in a misunderstanding of the author’s intent. The literal rendering of ancient idioms is especially difficult.

2. Dynamic or Functional Equivalence:

Often called thought-for-thought translation, the principle of dynamic equivalence rejects a s misguided the desire to preserve the structure of the original language. It proceeds by distinguishing the meaning of a text from its form and then translating the meaning so that it makes the same impact on modern readers that the ancient text made on its original readers. Strengths of this approach include a high degree of clarity and readability, especially in places where the original is difficult to render word for word. It also acknowledges that accurate and effective translation requires interpretation. However, the meaning of a text cannot always be neatly separated from its form, nor can it always be precisely determined. A biblical author may have intended multiple meanings. In striving for readability, dynamic equivalence also sometimes overlooks some of the less prominent elements of meaning. Furthermore, lack of formal correspondence to the original makes it difficult to verify accuracy and thus can affect the usefulness of the translation for in-depth Bible study.

3. Optimal Equivalence:

In practice, translations are seldom if ever purely formal or dynamic but favor one theory of Bible translation or the other to varying degrees. Optimal equivalence as a translation philosophy recognizes that form cannot be neatly separated from meaning and should not be changed (for example, nouns to verbs or third person they to second person you) unless comprehension demands it. The primary goal of translation is to convey the sense of the original with as much clarity as the original text and the translation language permit. Optimal equivalence appreciates the goals of formal equivalence but also recognizes its limitations.

Optimal equivalence starts with an exhaustive analysis of the text at every level (word, phrase, clause, sentence, discourse) in the original language to determine its original meaning and intention (or purpose). Then relying on the latest and best language tools and experts, the nearest corresponding semantic and linguistic equivalents are used to convey as much of the information and intention of the original text with as much clarity and readability as possible. This process assures the maximum transfer of both the words and thoughts contained in the original.

The Holman CSB uses optimal equivalence as its translation philosophy. When a literal translation meets these criteria, it is used. When clarity and readability demand an idiomatic translation, the reader can still access the form of the original text by means of a footnote with the abbreviation Lit.

The gender language policy in Bible translation

Some people today ignore the Bible’s teachings on distinctive roles of men and women in family and church and have an agenda to eliminate those distinctions in every arena of life. These people have begun a program to engineer the removal of a perceived male bias in the English language. The targets of this program have been such traditional linguistic practices as the generic use of man or men, as well as he, him, and his.

A group of Bible scholars, translators, and other evangelical leaders met in 1997 to respond to this issue as it affects Bible translation. This group produced the Guidelines for Translation of Gender-Related Language in Scripture (adopted May 27, 1997 and revised Sept. 9, 1997). The Holman Christian Standard Bible was produced in accordance with these guidelines.

The goal of the translators has not been to promote a cultural ideology but to faithfully translate the Bible. While the Holman CSB avoids using man or he unnecessarily, the translation does not restructure sentences to avoid them when they are in the text. For example, the translators have not changed him to you or to them, neither have they avoided other masculine words such as father or son by translating them in generic terms such as parent or child.

History of the Holman Christian Standard Bible

After several years of preliminary development, Holman Bible Publishers, the oldest Bible publisher in America, assembled an international, interdenominational team of 100 scholars, editors, stylists, and proofreaders, all of whom were committed to biblical inerrancy. Outside consultants and reviewers contributed valuable suggestions from their areas of expertise. An executive team then edited, polished, and reviewed the final manuscripts.

Traditional features found in the Holman CSB

In keeping with a long line of Bible publications, the Holman Christian Standard Bible has retained a number of features found in traditional Bibles:

Traditional theological vocabulary (such as justification, sanctification, redemption, etc.) has been retained since such terms have no translation equivalent that adequately communicates their exact meaning.

Traditional spellings of names and places found in most Bibles have been used to make the Holman CSB compatible with most Bible study tools.

Some editions of the Holman CSB will print the words of Christ in red letters to help readers easily locate the spoken words of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Nouns and personal pronouns that clearly refer to any person of the Trinity are capitalized.

Descriptive headings, printed above each section of Scripture, help readers quickly identify the contents of that section.

Small lower corner brackets: [ ] indicate words supplied for clarity by the translators (but see below, under Substitution of words in sentences, for supplied words that are not bracketed).

Two common forms of punctuation are used in the Holman CSB to help with clarity and ease of reading: em dashes (a long dash —) are used to indicate sudden breaks in thought or to help clarify long or difficult sentences. Parentheses are used infrequently to indicate words that are parenthetical in the original languages.

How certain names and terms are translated

The names of God

The Holman Christian Standard Bible OT consistently translates the Hebrew names for God as follows:

Holman CSB English:   —   Hebrew original:

God   —   Elohim

Lord   —   YHWH (Yahweh)

Lord   —   Adonai

Lord God   —   Adonai Yahweh

Lord of Hosts   —   Yahweh Sabaoth

God Almighty   —   El Shaddai

However, the Holman CSB OT uses Yahweh, the personal name of God in Hebrew, when a biblical text emphasizes Yahweh as a name: His name is Yahweh (Ps 68:4). Yahweh is used more often in the Holman CSB than in most Bible translations because the word Lord in English is a title of God and does not accurately convey to modern readers the emphasis on God’s name in the original Hebrew.

The uses of Christ and Messiah

The Holman CSB translates the Greek word Christos (anointed one) as either Christ or Messiah based on its use in different NT contexts. Where the NT emphasizes Christos as a name of our Lord or has a Gentile context, Christ is used (Eph 1:1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus...). Where the NT Christos has a Jewish context, the title Messiah is used (Eph 1:12 ...we who had already put our hope in the Messiah). The first use of Messiah in each chapter is also marked with a bullet referring readers to the Bullet Note at the back of most editions.

Place-names

In the original text of the Bible, particularly in the OT, a number of well-known places have names different from the ones familiar to contemporary readers. For example, the Euphrates often appears in the original text simply as the River. In cases like this, the Holman Christian Standard Bible uses the modern name, the Euphrates River, in the text without a footnote or lower corner brackets.

Substitution of words in sentences

A literal translation of the biblical text sometimes violates standard rules of English grammar, such as the agreement of subject and verb or person and number. In order to conform to standard usage, the Holman CSB has often made these kinds of grammatical constructions agree in English without footnotes or lower corner brackets.

In addition, the Greek or Hebrew texts sometimes seem redundant or ambiguous by repeating nouns where modern writing substitutes pronouns or by using pronouns where we would supply nouns for clarity and good style. When a literal translation of the original would make the English unclear, the Holman CSB sometimes changes a pronoun to its corresponding noun or a noun to its corresponding pronoun without a footnote or lower corner brackets. For example, Jn 1:42 reads: And he brought Simon to Jesus . . . The original Greek of this sentence reads: And he brought him to Jesus.

Special Formatting Features

The Holman Christian Standard Bible has several distinctive formatting features:

OT passages quoted in the NT are set in boldface type. OT quotes consisting of two or more lines are block indented.

In dialogue, a new paragraph is used for each new speaker as in most modern publications.

Many passages, such as 1 Co 13, have been formatted as dynamic prose (separate block-indented lines like poetry) for ease in reading and comprehension. Special block-indented formatting has also been used extensively in both the OT and NT to increase readability and clarity in lists, series, genealogies and other parallel or repetitive texts.

Almost every Bible breaks lines in poetry using automatic typesetting programs with the result that words are haphazardly turned over to the next line. In the Holman CSB, special attention has been given to break every line in poetry and dynamic prose so that awkward or unsightly word wraps are avoided and complete units of thought turn over to the next line. The result is a Bible page that is much more readable and pleasing to the eye.

Certain foreign, geographical, cultural, or ancient words are preceded by a superscripted bullet (•Abba) at their first occurrence in each chapter. These words are listed in alphabetical order at the back of the Bible under the heading Holman CSB Bullet Notes. A few important or frequently misunderstood words (•slaves) are marked with a bullet more than one time per chapter.

Italics are used in the text for a transliteration of Greek and Hebrew words ("Hosanna! in Jn 12:13) and in footnotes for direct quotations from the biblical text and for words in the original languages (the footnote at Jn 1:1 reads: The Word (Gk logos) is a title for Jesus...").

Since the majority of English readers do not need to have numbers and fractions spelled out in the text, the Holman CSB uses a similar style to that of modern newspapers in using Arabic numerals for the numbers 10 and above and in fractions, except in a small number of cases, such as when a number begins a sentence.

Footnotes

Footnotes are used to show readers how the original biblical language has been understood in the Holman Christian Standard Bible.

NT Textual Footnotes

NT textual notes indicate significant differences among Greek manuscripts (mss) and are normally indicated in one of three ways:

Other mss read ______

Other mss add ______

Other mss omit ______

In the NT, some textual footnotes that use the word add or omit also have square brackets before and after the corresponding verses in the biblical text (see the discussion above in the paragraph entitled Textual base of the Holman CSB). Examples of this use of square brackets are Mk 16:9-20, Jn 5:3-4, and Jn 7:53–8:11.

OT Textual Footnotes

OT textual notes show important differences among Hebrew manuscripts and among ancient OT versions, such as the Septuagint and the Vulgate. See the list of abbreviations on page xiii for a list of other ancient versions used.

Some OT textual notes (like NT textual notes) give only an alternate textual reading. However, other OT textual notes also give the support for the reading chosen by the editors as well as for the alternate textual reading. For example, the Holman CSB text of Ps 12:7 reads:

You will protect usa from this generation forever.

The textual footnote for this verse reads:

a12:7 Some Hb mss, LXX; other Hb mss read him

The textual note in this example means that there are two different readings found in the Hebrew manuscripts: some manuscripts read us and others read him. The Holman CSB translators chose the reading us, which is also found in the Septuagint (LXX), and placed the other Hebrew reading him in the footnote.

Two other OT textual notes are:

Alt Hb tradition reads ____ a variation given by scribes in the Hebrew manuscript Tradition (known as Kethiv/Qere readings)

Hb uncertain when it is uncertain what the original Hebrew text was

Other Kinds of Footnotes

Lit _____ a more literal rendering in English of the Hebrew, Aramaic, or Greek text

Or _____ an alternate or less likely English translation of the same Hebrew, Aramaic, or Greek text

= an abbreviation for it means or it is equivalent to

Hb, Aram, Gk the actual Hebrew, Aramaic, or Greek word is given using English letters

Hb obscure the existing Hebrew text is especially difficult to translate

emend(ed) to _____ the original Hebrew text is so difficult to translate that competent scholars have conjectured or inferred a restoration of the original text based on the context, probable root meanings of the words, and uses incomparative languages

In some editions of the Holman Christian Standard Bible, additional footnotes clarify the meaning of certain biblical texts or explain biblical history, persons, customs, places, activities, and measurements. Cross-references are given for parallel passages or passages with similar wording, and in the NT, for passages quoted from the OT.

Commonly Used Abbreviations in the HCSB

Purpose of The Mission of God Study Bible and How to Use It

Ed Stetzer and Philip Nation

The Mission of God Study Bible exists for the same reason all things exist: to point us to the glory of God. The Scriptures are given by God as a revelation of Himself and to call us to redemption. Throughout the process of His revelatory work, God is honored and we can become the beneficiaries of His grace.

In the preparation of this study Bible, our hope is that you will clearly learn how God, in His great mercy, is active in creation to bring about the work of redeeming people and eventually restoring creation. The Scriptures exist for this purpose, and we have endeavored to create a study edition of the Bible that traces how God reveals Himself through redemption and restoration.

It is the natural inclination of people continually to seek self-fulfillment and self-satisfaction. The study notes in this work will give the practical application of how life is to be lived and how decisions should be made to bring fulfillment to each of us. However, these decisions and actions are a response to the character and work of God. As you read the study helps that follow, we ask that you do so in the framework of seeking to understand how God is revealing Himself as the primary reason for the Bible. As a response to learning more about God’s character and work, it will then naturally follow for you to respond in discovering how to be rightly related to God through Christ and join in His mission of redemption.

We want to introduce you to the features you will encounter in The Mission of God Study Bible.

Missional Manifesto

The word missional has been in the English vocabulary since the early twentieth century. It is a term that has been embraced by various groups in Christianity throughout its short existence. The terminology that undergirds the word missional has its origins with the missiologists who were at work in the conciliar missions movement and the International Missionary Council (IMC) meetings of the twentieth century. The meetings were held to debate and better understand the theological concepts of mission and church. In the IMC meetings, the term became more consistently used to describe the way in which all Christians should live—with the mission of God as the center point of life. However, like many technical terms, the word has been redefined in numerous ways once it entered the more common vernacular of church leaders in the English-speaking world. Both editors of this study Bible and many of the essay contributors have been identified with various missional movements within the church.

In 2010, a group of framers led by Ed Stetzer and Alan Hirsch sought to produce a document that would help bring clarity to the ideas housed in the term missional. The framers’ intent was simply to state what they meant when using the term. From their work, the Missional Manifesto was crafted and published. It is included in this project in order to give readers a sense of what we mean by the term missional and to paint a picture of what life centered on God and His mission might look like.

Book Introductions

The Book Introductions will highlight the overarching story that is occurring in each book. The books of the Bible were written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit by more than 40 authors. These authors lived over the course of 2,000 years and across three continents (Europe, Asia, and Africa). However, the entire content of the Scriptures has one main character and one central story: God and His mission. As the Bible is primarily about God and His work, the introductions will highlight how He is at work in the storyline and people recorded in each book of the Bible.

God’s Heart for the World

It is God’s intention to glorify Himself through creation and through its restoration. In fact, God’s glory is a central theme of the Bible. The notes entitled God’s Heart for the World explore the idea of God’s concern and call to glorify His name. It is a work that is not reserved only for the Old Testament people residing in Jerusalem and greater Israel. Rather, it is seen throughout the entire history of the Bible—from the creation story in Genesis and into eternity as shown in Revelation—that God will cause His name to be glorified and His character to be known throughout the temporal and eternal realms.

Feature Essays

The feature essays in this project are unique in both their content and their authors. In the process of crafting the vision for this project, the decision was made to ask a wide array of leaders to contribute to the study Bible. The authors of the feature essays are those who lead the church through full-time vocational ministry and those who serve the church by training leaders in academic settings. Each author was assigned a topic or passage relating to their passion and contribution to the body of work dealing with the mission of God. The feature essays are intended to focus the reader on the central person and content of the Bible—God and His mission. Though every part of the Scripture is profitable for knowing how we should live, these essays help to guide us toward a well-rounded understanding of how God is at work and how He involves us with the mission of His kingdom.

QR Codes

QR codes (quick response codes) are small squares that are composed of odd formations of black dots and lines. You will find QR codes attached to many of the feature essays. By using a QR code scanner app with a smart phone, you will be taken to a Web page that has additional digital information about the subject covered in the essay. In many instances, the information will include a teaching video from Ed Stetzer or Philip Nation about the subject. Also, the Web page will include additional background information about the subject or text.

God Who Sends Notes

Francis Dubose was a minister, author, and professor who focused his life’s attention on understanding the mission of God. In 1983, he published the book God Who Sends as a biblical theology focused on how God reveals Himself as the One who can affect redemption and the One who sends out His people in the ministry of reconciliation.

In the preface to the book, Dubose wrote,

This work is a comprehensive and systematic study of the biblical concept of the sending aimed at a better understanding of biblical mission. The title ‘God Who Sends’ was chosen because God as Sender is the basis of all the Bible has to say on the subject. The subtitle, ‘A Fresh Quest for Biblical Mission,’ reflects both my desire for a more satisfying theological understanding and my realization that this can only be a quest, not a final word on the subject. (7)

Dubose’s book was one of the earliest in our era to focus on the understanding of God’s mission as revealed in the Bible. Throughout this project, you will find quotes from God Who Sends connected with various biblical passages that highlight the significance of God’s mission for every believer.

Text Messages

As the Bible is God’s revelation of Himself and His work, we can find the expression of His good news throughout the entire canon of the Bible. In Text Messages, brief notes are given that show how the gospel can be expressed from multiple places throughout the Bible. Recognizing these different ways of speaking about the gospel helps to develop a robustly biblical view of the gospel.

On the Frontlines

Though the mission of God is occurring in every place and in every time throughout history, the church is called to the specific task of carrying the gospel into those places and among those people that are potentially hostile to the message and the messengers. The Old Testament prophets often ministered in places where they were rejected; many were hunted down for the message they delivered. The majority of the early apostles became martyrs for the Christ they loved so dearly because they refused to give up preaching the gospel. Though we do not call believers to actively seek out persecution for their faith, it is a reality that we should expect when we live out our faith.

In the feature called On the Frontlines we share the stories of how some Christian believers have endured persecution or even martyrdom. The stories told are both ancient and recent in their historical context. All of them, however, should inspire us to live for more than the temporary pleasures this world has to offer. The mission of God is the greatest and highest good for which we should be willing to pay any price.

Worldview

The gospel is a message that transcends historical ages and cultural circumstances. In the Worldview feature, we will introduce you to some of the unique details in differing worldviews from around the world.

One issue all humans have in common is the need for reconciliation to God. The gospel is God’s message that is applicable to every person in every culture. But, to effectively communicate the gospel, Christians must understand the culture in which they are sharing it. The intent of the Worldview essays is to help believers be better equipped for sharing the gospel in different cultural environments.

Praying for the World

The Praying for the World features will give you guidance about how to better pray for the work of God in the world. The short study notes focus on specific work that will help press believers and the church forward in God’s mission. Each note will include information to help inform your prayers for the nations and a prayer that can be used to inspire your own intercession for God’s work among the nations as He builds His church.

Cross-Reference Notes

Scripture is best interpreted by Scripture. The Cross-Reference Notes in this project will help you understand how various passages of Scripture relate to one another. By accessing these notes, you can better understand the biblical context for the passage you are currently studying.

Church Unleashed

Throughout the world, Christians serve in the role of cross-cultural mission work. It is a work that should happen naturally within our own cultural context. But God calls some people to move into a new culture in order to share the gospel where it is not known and where the people have little access to the Scriptures. In Church Unleashed, missionary personnel from around the world will share their own stories of how God’s mission is pressing forward in the new cultures where they live. In some of these stories, pseudonyms are used as the authors are in areas where it is illegal to serve as a foreign missionary or even to share the gospel of Jesus Christ. Reading these stories will remind readers of how critical the work of God’s mission is to all people. You will be inspired to ask Christ to involve you more deeply in His work wherever you might be called to live.

Letters to the Church

One of the great privileges of the Christian life is to learn from those who have served Christ longer and have experienced more of His mission. The essays that make up Letters to the Church are from some of our older leaders in the faith. The names will be familiar to many readers as they are some of the trusted leaders of the church in our time. We are all blessed to gain a deeper appreciation about remaining true to the mission of God from their letters to us as believers.

We are deeply indebted to God for His magnanimous work of grace on our behalf. As we study His Word, we do so to gain a greater understanding of who God the Father is, the work accomplished through God the Son, and how God the Holy Spirit is now at work in the church and the world. Our prayer is that God will continually draw you to Himself and teach you how to fully participate in His great mission.

God's Plan for Salvation

How can I find meaning and purpose in life? is a common question and worth considering. So what is life all about—and how does this relate to God, me, and eternity?

It’s about how we got here. People on this planet didn’t get here by some cosmic accident. At creation, God said Let Us make man in Our image (Genesis 1:26). God created men and women and placed us here on the earth. It’s about why God put us here. God loved what He created and created us to truly know and enjoy Him. He loved us and wanted to live in fellowship with us. In the beginning, we lived in harmony and happiness with God and one another (Genesis 1:31). It’s about how we responded. In our early history the first humans turned away from God and went their own way—and fellowship with God was broken. Now, all people are born with a sinful nature, and without exception all of us have sinned (Romans 3:23). The consequence of this is that we are separated from God and deserve punishment for our sins. It’s about how God rescues us. Out of His deep love for us, God sent His only Son, Jesus Christ, into the world to rescue us from our dilemma by dying on the cross (John 3:16). By sacrificing His life on behalf of sinners He took the punishment we deserve in order to provide salvation. Then God raised Jesus from the dead, confirming the work of Jesus on the cross and establishing His power over death. It’s about our response. Jesus has sufficiently paid the debt for all of our wrong-doing, and we are called to turn from our sin, rebellion, and isolation and trust what Jesus has done on our behalf.

God makes very clear the conditions by which the salvation Jesus offers can be ours. In Mark 1:15 Jesus said, Repent and believe in the good news!

First, God says we must repent. The word repent means a change of direction. This means when we turn to God, we are turning away from sin and giving up on the attempt to make ourselves right before God.

Second, God says we must believe. The word believe as it is used in the Bible means trust. The object of our trust is the One who paid the price for our wrong-doing. We must trust Jesus to remove our guilt and the penalty of all the wrongs we have done. The Bible says when we put our faith in Jesus, God takes our sins away and gives us the gift of eternal life. How will you respond? The Bible says that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be rescued (Romans 10:13). If you’ve not trusted in Christ as Lord and Savior, why not stop right now, turn from your sin, and believe in Him who alone can save you and give you new and eternal life?

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Contributors

Alsup, Wendy—

Prominent blogger at www.theologyforwomen.org

Barnett, Matthew—

Founder/Pastor of The Dream Center, Los Angeles, CA

Barth, Glenn A. Jr.—

President, GoodCities

Bergquist, Linda—

Church Starting Strategist, California Southern Baptist Convention

Burris, Glenn Jr.—

President, The Foursquare Church

Chandler, Matt—

Pastor, The Village Church, Flower Mound, TX

Chang, Raymond Y.—

Pastor, Ambassador Church, Brea, CA

Conrad, Chris—

District Superintendent, West Michigan District, Wesleyan Church

Creps, Earl—

Professor of Leadership and Spiritual Renewal, Assemblies of God Theological Seminary

DeYmaz, Mark—

Pastor, Mosaic Church, Little Rock, AR

Dodson, Mike—

Assistant Professor of Church Planting and Evangelism, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary

Ferguson, Dave—

Lead Pastor, Community Christian Church and Movement Leader, NewThing

Garrison, Alton—

Assistant General Superintendent, Assemblies of God

Geiger, Eric—

Vice President, Christian Resource Division, LifeWay Christian Resources

Gladen, Steve—

Pastor of the Small Group Community, Saddleback Church, Lake Forest, CA

Graham, Billy—

Evangelist and Chairman of the Board, Billy Graham Evangelistic Association

Greear, J. D.—

Lead Pastor, The Summit Church, Durham, NC

Halter, Hugh—

Pastor of the Adullam Church Network

Harland, Mike—

Director of LifeWay Worship

Hayford, Jack—

Founder/President of The King’s University

Founding Pastor of The Church On The Way in Van Nuys, California

Hesselgrave, David—

Professor emeritus of mission, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School

Jethani, Skye—

Senior Editor, Leadership Journal

Jones, Andrew—

Founder and Director of Boaz

Jones, Bill—

President of Columbia International University

Kendall, R. T.—

President of R. T. Kendall Ministries

Former Senior Minister of Westminster Chapel

Köstenberger, Andreas J.—

Senior Professor of New Testament and Biblical Theology and Director of Ph.D. Studies at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary

Logan, Bob—

Founder of CoachNet

Lutzer, Erwin—

Senior Pastor of the Moody Church, Chicago, IL

Mason, Eric M.—

Co-founder and Lead Pastor of Epiphany Fellowship, Philadelphia

McCrary, Larry E.—

Director of The Upstream Collective and missionary in Germany

Miller, Calvin—

Research Professor and Distinguished Writer in Residence, Beeson Divinity School

Mullins, Andrea—

Publisher, New Hope Publishers

Nation, Philip—

Director of Ministry Development, LifeWay Research

Ott, Craig—

Associate Professor of Mission and Intercultural Studies at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School

Pocock, Michael—

Senior Professor of World Missions and Intercultural Studies at Dallas Theological Seminary

Roberts, Mark D.—

Senior Director and scholar-in-residence for Laity Lodge

Sanchez, Juan—

Preaching Pastor of High Pointe Baptist Church, Austin, TX

Sproul, R. C.—

President of Ligonier Academy of Biblical and Theological Studies

Founder and president of Ligonier Ministries

Stetzer, Ed—

President of LifeWay Research

Tchividjian, Tullian—

Senior Pastor of Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church in Ft. Lauderdale, FL

Thorn, Joe—

Lead Pastor of Redeemer Fellowship, Chicago, IL

Wan, Enoch—

Professor of Intercultural Studies and Program Director of Doctor of Missiology at Western Seminary

Warnock, Adrian—

Top missional blogger, www.adrianwarnock.com

Wax, Trevin—

Managing Editor, The Gospel Project, LifeWay Christian Resources

Whitfield, Keith—

Pastor of The Oaks Church, Nashville, TN

Wright, Christopher—

International Director of the Langham Partnership International

Ziafat, Afshin—

Lead Pastor of Providence Church, Frisco, TX

The Mission of God in the Scriptures

Ed Stetzer and Philip Nation

The mission of God is one of the great themes throughout the Scriptures. As God reveals Himself in the earliest portions of the history of the human race, it is He who reaches out to us. In fact, at the creation of the first man, God establishes an abiding relationship with Adam. Even with the sinful decisions made by the first man and woman, God continues in His mission by working to reestablish His relationship with humanity.

God’s mission among us is to glorify Himself through the work of redeeming people and restoring creation. In Isaiah 42:8, God stated that He would not surrender His glory to another. In all that He does, whether extending mercy or judgment, God has every right to call all of creation to worship Him because He alone is God. He has no equals. There are not even any rivals to His nature and character. God alone deserves all honor, praise, and worship.

In His mercy, God has chosen to reveal Himself in such ways that humanity can know about Him and people can come into a relationship with Him. Again, the biblical record shows this to be the case. When Adam and Eve believe the false statements of a jealous usurper to God’s kingdom, it is God who seeks reconciliation with them. Later, it is God who establishes Israel as a nation to bless all the peoples of the world. It is by Israel’s covenantal relationship with Yahweh that this blessing to the rest of the world can occur. God goes on to provide priests, judges, kings, and prophets to communicate His law, will, judgment upon sin, and love for people. The Scriptures recount how God worked through those who were faithful to His covenant and regardless of those who rebelled against it. Throughout all of the Old Testament, in fact, we learn how God is on a consistent mission to reestablish the relationship with humanity that has been cast into ruins by our sinful nature and sinful choices.

Moving into the New Testament, obviously the focus shifts immediately to Jesus the Messiah. With the Incarnation, God the Son personally takes on human flesh and arrives here on mission. He brings with Him the kingdom of God and inaugurates His reign upon the earth declaring in Mark 1:15, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe in the good news! The mission of God in the ministry of Jesus is the announcement of God’s rule and reign renewed among us. But the announcement is a precursor to Jesus’ greatest act: His death as an atonement for sin and His resurrection as victory over death. God’s mission finds its pinnacle in the hinge point of human history as Jesus defeats sin, death, and hell in the act of divine mercy that only God can accomplish. By God’s mission and God’s mission alone can we come back into fellowship with Him.

At the Son’s ascension back to heaven, the Holy Spirit then comes on mission to inhabit all Christians. From Pentecost forward, the presence of God the Spirit in the life of every believer enlivens the missionary nature of the church. Throughout the book of Acts, the mission of God begins to move through the church and presses against the boundaries of culture. In the narrative of this historical NT book, we read the descriptions of how the Holy Spirit works through people to make disciples of both Israelites and Gentiles, how the church extends mercy to the marginalized and oppressed in society, and how God’s name will be lifted up through the work of believers on mission.

Throughout the balance of the New Testament we learn about the doctrines behind our salvation, how the church can live in unity, proclaim the gospel to people in every culture in a contextually appropriate way, and participate in God’s mission. The epistles following Acts were originally a series of letters from church leaders that were to encourage, teach, and sometimes rebuke the early church in how to live on mission with God and for His kingdom. Inspired by God as all of Scripture is, the epistles of the NT give us yet one more lens through which to view God’s activity among humanity. It is not enough for us to read this portion of the Bible and picture the Apostles Paul and Peter along with the church simply doing their best to be nice people. These letters reveal the subversive nature of God’s kingdom at work among the empires of humanity. God set in motion a rebellion against the rebellions of men. Our new rebellion is to serve as God’s coworkers as He reestablishes His reign among all the peoples of the earth. We are given a glimpse into this eternal reality as the Scriptures come to a close with the Revelation given to John in the last book of the Bible. Though wrapped in mysterious language, its theme nevertheless shines through: God is glorified in all things, victorious over all powers, and has extended mercy to draw men and women into a covenant relationship with Him.

The Scripture, from beginning to end, is the great recounting of God’s love for fallen humanity. He reaches out to His creation with a redemption plan that He could accomplish alone and without assistance from any created thing, including humanity. However, He has chosen to involve us in the work of His mission. He calls believers to be ambassadors for Christ, with the result that God is appealing through us. For this reason we plead on Christ’s behalf, ‘Be reconciled to God’ (2Co 5:20).

Our desire is that you will be a part of God’s great plan so that men, women, and children from every tongue, tribe, and nation will believe the message of the gospel as it comes to them through the proclamation and life of the church. As you read the Scriptures and consider the study tools included with this study Bible, do so with the mission of God as your lens and framework. Before looking to see what God can do for you, consider what He has done for His own glory and how you are invited to participate in His great mission. We encourage you to closely heed the words of Jesus when He said in John 20:21, "As the Father has sent Me, I