’n Kritiese blik op missio Dei in die lig van Efesiërs

Abstract

Missio Dei is ’n belangrike tegniese term in die gesprek oor die missionale taak van die kerk. Die term word egter nie konsekwent met dieselfde betekenis in die gesprek gebruik nie. Daar word selfs teenstrydige betekenisinhoude aan hierdie term geheg. Sommige gespreksgenote gebruik hierdie term sonder om duidelik te maak wat hulle spesifiek daaronder verstaan. Hierdie situasie lei tot misverstande en kan aanleiding gee tot ’n onbybelse benadering tot sending. Hierdie artikel ondersoek twee belangrike aspekte van die missio Dei-gesprek, naamlik die standpunt dat sending (missio) tot die wese van God behoort en dat Hy daarom ’n sendende God is, asook die standpunt dat sending (missio) uit die Drie-eenheid se onderlinge verhouding voortvloei. Verskillende benaderings in die missionale debat rondom die begrip missio Dei word krities ondersoek en op grond van Paulus se brief aan die Efesiërs geëvalueer. Vanuit die Efesiërbrief word ’n voorstel gemaak ten opsigte van die betekenis wat die begrip missio Dei behoort te dra asook hoe sending op die selfopenbaring van die Drie-eenheid volgens die Efesiërbrief gegrond kan word. A critical view of missio Dei in the light of Ephesians. Missio Dei is an important technical term in the discussion of the missional task of the church. In this discussion, however, the term is not used in a consistent sense. Even contrary semantic contents are associated with it. Some participants in the discussion use the term without clarifying what they understand by it. This situation causes misunderstandings and may give rise to an unbiblical approach to mission. This article investigates two important aspects of the missio Dei discourse, namely the viewpoint that mission (missio) is inherent to the nature of God, which means he is a missional God, as well as the viewpoint that mission (missio) flows from the mutual relationship in the Trinity. Different approaches in the missional debate regarding the concept of mission Dei are critically investigated and evaluated on the grounds of Paul’s letter to the Ephesians. Based on the Ephesian letter a suggestion is made with regard to what the meaning of the concept of missio Dei ought to be, as well as how mission can be based on the self-revelation of the Trinity according to the Ephesian letter.