This is a College Level Class that I taught this past August over three Wednesday Evenings at our Granite Bay Campus.

1. The Mission of God:
Understanding the Kingdom of God from
The Old Testament to the New Testament
400 Level Course
Al Soto
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2. Some Facts About Al Soto
• Married to his lovely wife Valerie for 30 years in which he
acknowledges he married way above his pay-grade.
• Has five son’s: David (23), Matthew (22), Michael (20), Jonathan
(18), and Aaron (16).
• Two Dogs: Millie a Blue Nose Pit Bull who is afraid of her
shadow and thinks she is a lap dog. Cassie a demonic
Terrier /Mix who the Soto family wants Monster -Quest to come
and verify if she is the elchupacabra.
• Planted a church in 1987 and Pastored in San Jose, CA for
twenty years. The church planted four other congregations.
• District Supervisor for five years acting as an overseer in the
South Bay Area for the Foursquare Denomination.
• Was a Church Planting Leadership Coach and Trainer for ten
years.
• Owned an Consulting Company that assisted organizations in
creating efficiency in their management systems.
• Has coached football for 25 years and is a certified trainer with
the CIF.
• Enjoys Old School Motown and R&B.
• Deeply grateful for 28 years of sobriety in Jesus Christ.
• Life Quote: “Real Success is Helping Other’s to Succeed!”
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3. Class Description:
• This class examines in a survey methodology the “Mission of
God” from, biblical, theological and historical perspectives.
This interdisciplinary study, integrating biblical theology and
practice, is designed to move each student toward a holistic
understanding of mission in relation to the transformation of
individuals, cultures and communities. There will be emphasis
and focus on the profile and overall influence of selected
biblical characters (great figures of the Old and New
Testament). Throughout the class there will be application of
the meaning of the Kingdom of God as it relates to spiritual
formation of each believer as an empowered citizen of the
kingdom of God as well as the relationship of the Church as an
agency of the Kingdom of God as a force of Unleashing
Compassion both locally and globally.
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4. Course Objectives
• This class provides an excellent opportunity to examine the role of the
Bible in formulating a dynamic theological reflection on the Mission of
God being developed through the progressive revelation of Scripture
(From the Old Testament to the New Testament) and it’s formation of
the Church and its Mission within contemporary cultural contexts. In
light of this aim, the course objectives are as follows:
• • Explore themes of mission within the biblical text;
• • Discern the influential cultural forces shaping the world in which
• the ministry toward the future;
• • Apply biblical concepts to mission practice in specific global
• contexts;
• • Define mission dei in view of various theoretical perspectives
• and explain why it is a contested concept
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5. Continuation Course Objectives
• From the progressive revelation of Scripture develop the
understanding of the Kingdom of God from the Hebrew mindset into
the New Testament concept of the Kingdom being both a present
reality and an eschatological event.
• Begin to understand how a Trinitarian Perspective of God becomes
the perfect system for developing a balanced mission for the local
church.
• To present the development of God being one who is the ultimate
champion for such matters as social justice.
• Discuss the relationship between the Church and the Kingdom of God
in light of classic and recent literature with some discussion on the
danger of the emergent church’s perspective of reframing the
historical Jesus.
• Ultimately, for the student to appreciate and bend a knee to authority
and veracity of the Scripture being the Word of God!
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6. Recommended Reading
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7. Abstract John Bright's Book
• John Bright’s book arises out of a concern to find a unity between the
Old Testament and the New Testament (p. 10) which will save the
Bible, especially the Old Testament, from disuse and misuse (p. 9).
The aim of his book is to show that such a unity exists. As the title of
Bright’s book shows, he believes “that the biblical doctrine of the
Kingdom of God … is the unifying theme of the Bible” (p. 244). “The
Bible is one book. Had we to give that book a title we might with
justice call it The Book of the Coming Kingdom of God. That is indeed
its central theme everywhere” (p. 197). “The two Testaments are
organically linked to each other. The relationship between them is
neither one of upward development nor of contrast; it is one of
beginning and completion, of hope and fulfillment. And the bond that
binds them together is the dynamic concept of the rule of God” (p.
196ff).
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8. Howard Snyder’s Premises
• The entire premise of the book centers
around the question, “does the Church
bring the Kingdom?” and if so, how
so?
• “The church is seen as the community of God’s
people — a people called to serve God and called to
live together in true Christian community as a
witness to the character and virtues of God’s reign
(13). “
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9. Community of the King
Howard Snyder
• Must Read!
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10. Continuation of Premises
• Howard Snyder sees the church as the
primary agent of God’s mission on the earth.
The mission (purpose) of God is to bring “all
things and, supremely, all people under the
dominion and headship of Jesus Christ” (13).
Therefore, the Church, that is, the people of
God, is the agent, or the means by which
God’s mission is accomplished in this world.
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11. Presuppositions
Presupposition #1: We begin with a very
high view of Scripture.
Verbal-Plenary Inspiration
Verbal Means Every Word
Verbal means that every word of Scripture is God-given. The idea is that
every single word in the Bible is there because God wanted it there.
Plenary Means Fully Authoritative
Plenary means that all parts of the Bible are equally authoritative. This
includes such things as the genealogies of the Old Testament. All parts
of the Bible are of divine origin.
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12. (Romans 15:4)
• Paul wrote.
• “For whatever was written in earlier
times was written for our instruction,
so that through perseverance and the
encouragement of the Scriptures we
might have hope.”
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13. What does Inspiration Mean?
• Inspiration Means God Guided The
Process
• The idea behind the word
inspiration is that God
supernaturally guided the biblical
authors to write the exact things
that He wanted expressed. The
result is Holy Scripture.
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14. Premise #2
• All of us are theologians and must
approach this topic theologically.
• “Thinking Theologically is thinking
about God.”
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15. Two Areas To Think Theologically
• Natural Attributes:
 Omnipotence
 Omnipresence
• Moral Attributes:
 All Loving
 > All Forgiving
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16. Systematic Theology
• In systematic theology one attempts to
summarize biblical doctrine,
addressing theological topics one by
one in order to summarize all biblical
teaching on a particular subject.
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17. Areas of Systematic Theology
• Prolegomena: Introduction
• Ecclesiology – the study of the Church
• Eschatology – the study of last things
• Soteriology – the Study of Salvation
• Anthropology – the study of humanity.
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18. Our Approach for this Class is
Biblical Theology
• “That discipline which sets forth the
message of the books of the Bible in
their historical setting.”
• Donald Hagnar
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19. Progressive Revelation
• Progressive revelation may be defined as the
process of God's own disclosure of Himself
and His plan given to man throughout history
by means of nature (Rom. 1:18-21; Ps. 19),
providential dealings (Rom. 8:28),
preservation of the universe (Col. 1:17),
miracles (John 2:11), direct communication
(Acts 22:17-21), Christ Himself (John 1:14)
and through the Bible (1 John 5:39).
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20. The Progressive Revelation Principle
• The Word of God is to be understood from the Old Testament
to the New Testament as a flower unfolding its pedals to the
morning sun. God initiated revelation, but He did not reveal His
truths all at one time. It was a long and progressive process.
Therefore, we must take into account the then-current state of
revelation to properly understand a particular passage. For
example, an interpretation of a passage in Genesis which
assumed a fully delineated view of the "new Covenant" would
not be sound. As the saying goes, "The Old Testament is the
New Testament concealed, and the New Testament is the Old
Testament revealed."
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21. Premise #3
• God chooses to reveal Himself and it is
our method of Hermeneutic
(Interpretation) that defines where we
land.
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22. Protestant Two Pillar
• The Word
• The Holy Spirit Illuminates
• Grammatical/Historical Exegesis
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23. Three Pillar Approach
• The Word
• The Spirit
• Creeds and Church Fathers
• Approach Allegorical
• Three Pillars of Inspiration
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24. Theological Considerations
of our Interpretative Praxis
• All Truth’s must be held in tension in
order to avoid extremes.
• God has a redemptive plan that will be
consummated in History.
• We must always take a humble posture
as finite humanity in regards to the
interpretation of an infinite God’s
redemptive plan. (Our Response – Worship –
Infinite Reality – Mystery)
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25. The Tension between Theological
and Philosophical Realities
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26. Setting the stage for Imago Dei
• He states that for our salvation it is necessary to have
knowledge revealed by God, in addition to ordinary knowledge
built upon human reason. Even though man is naturally
directed to God, he needs revelation because God is beyond
the grasp of reason. Although some truths about God can be
discovered by reason alone, even here revelation serves a
useful purpose. Only a few people have the time or skill to
reach knowledge of God by reason. It would take them a very
long time, and their conclusions might be mixed with human
errors. Hence, sacred doctrine derives its principles not from
any human knowledge but from divine truth. Since theology is
based upon revelation, whatever is found in other sciences
contrary to the truth of this sacred science must be condemned
as false. (Thomas Aquinas' Summa Theologica)
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27. Genesis First Look at God is Trinity
Genesis 1:26-27
“Then God said, “Let Us make man in
Our image, according to Our likeness;
and let them rule over the fish of the sea
and over the birds of the sky and over
the cattle and over all the earth, and over
every creeping thing that creeps on the
earth.” God created man in His own
image, in the image of God He created
him; male and female He created them.”
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28. Moses Uses a Key Word
• Elohim – Only used in the Hebrew
Language. (Masculine Plural Ending)
Does not translate to mean many God’s
• Hebrew language is used to define
function not essence. This rendering
allows for a Plurality in the Godhead.
Denoting that God is Creator and the
First Perfect System for all effects.
• H
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29. Perochoresis
The Circle Dance
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30. The Main Point of the “Image of
God” language
“The Image of God language in scripture
is not about some ability or trait we share
with God, its about the mission He has
given us.”
(Ray Ortberg)
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31. Imago Dei: Justice Cannot be
Separated from the Gospel
“Surely I will require your lifeblood; from
every beast I will require it. And from
every man, from every man’s brother I
will require the life of man.
Whoever sheds man’s blood, By man his
blood shall be shed,
For in the image of God He made man.”
(Gen. 9:5-6, NASB)
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32. N.T. Wright
‘So God has placed his own image,
human beings, into his world so that the
world can see who its ruler is.'
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33. Our Destiny
• Your job, your destiny, is to reflect the holy
reign of God down on to the earth-to care for
all of creation and particularly human beings
the way God would want you to;
• The Bibles' language for this is: you will be a
king; you will be a priest. And this is not a
solo act. We are to do this in community. To
be a KINGDOM of PRIESTS.
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34. What Imago Dei is NOT
• Man as created beings is at the same
deified status as God. (Some refer little
god’s – This is Heresy)
• Cannot ever redact God as Creator to
be at the same status as creation.
• Cannot Ignore the fallen state of man
and create a false “Perfection.”
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35. Genesis 3:15, NASB
Protoevangelium- The First Gospel
“And I will put enmity
Between you and the woman,
And between your seed and her seed;
He shall bruise you on the head,
And you shall bruise him on the heel.”
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36. Implications to Leadership
• If I am to lead in a way that honors the
Imago Dei in each person, I must value
the formation of their character above
the usefulness of their gifts.
• I must value the integrity of our
community as well as its visible
fruitfulness.
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37. Continuation of Implications to our
Personal Leadership
• I must fear the rise of sin more than I
do the loss of productivity.
• I live a life of Honor. (God – Myself –
Others) Living this way breaks a victim
Mindset.
* I am a citizen of the Kingdom of God.
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38. As a Citizen of the Kingdom Worship
is a Lifestyle- Rev. 22:3-5 NASB
“There will no longer be any curse; and the
throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and
His bond-servants will serve Him; they will see
His face, and His name will be on their
foreheads. And there will no longer be any
night; and they will not have need of the light
of a lamp nor the light of the sun, because the
Lord God will illumine them; and they will reign
forever and ever.”
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39. The Kingdom of God is the
Unifying Theme of the Bible
“The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of
God is at hand; repent, and believe the
gospel.” (Mk. 1:14-15)
•Jesus used the term as if assured it
would be understood. The Kingdom of
God was embedded in the vocabulary of
every Jew.
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40. Old Testament and New Testament
View
“The Kingdom of God involves the whole
notion of the rule of God over his people,
and particularly the vindication of that
rule and people in glory at the end of
history.”
John Bright
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41. Comparison of Four Systems
• Dispensationalism
• Covenant Theology
• New Covenant
• Epochal - Lasor
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