“Mission in the Old Testament: A Methodological Review”

Abstract

The study reviews how scholars have approached the concept of mission in the Old Testament and the kind of methodologies used to analyze the theme over the centuries. This is done in light of the resources now available to provide a more accurate and up-to-date assessment of the concept and methodology, which, in turn, may serve as a solid basis for future exegesis and theological exposition of the book. The study argues that any study that differs from the previous studies of mission in the OT should focus primarily on the textual analysis of terms and expressions related to mission, as none of the literature presented above has textually analyzed the expressions related to mission in the Hebrew Bible collectively and comprehensively, nor has it attempted to establish the textual meanings of the terms within their context. Further, theological understanding and missional hermeneutics are less useful in exploring the meaning of mission in the OT. There is a need to develop the contextual meaning of mission by analyzing textually the expressions related to mission in the OT.