The Kingdom of God and Social Justice -- By: Theo J. W. Kunst

Journal: Bibliotheca Sacra
Volume: BSAC 140:558 (Apr 1983)
Article: The Kingdom of God and Social Justice
Author: Theo J. W. Kunst


The Kingdom of God and Social Justice

Theo J. W. Kunst

[Theo J. W. Kunst, Academic Dean, Belgium Bible Institute, Heverlee, Belgium]

The Authority of the Bible

Evangelical Christians affirm that the Bible is their only authority for belief and life. Yet the very authority of the Bible is threatened in current discussions on the kingdom of God and social justice. People often appeal to the Scriptures, but the authority of the Bible is often undermined by their (a) using unbiblical hermeneutical methods, (b) stressing ideas outside the context of a passage, or (c) using biblical concepts to which meanings foreign to biblical thinking are attached.

As for the new hermeneutical methods, in liberal circles the ethic of a given biblical text is determined by the situation to which it is being applied. So-called “materialistic exegesis” seeks to explain the Bible from a Marxist view of reality. Evangelical thought runs the risk of being infected by these unbiblical approaches. For example, Costas says, “Scripture alone is not the measure, but rather Scripture in relation to the critically viewed, contemporary politico-economic context of socialist analysis.”1

A second challenge to the authority of the Scriptures is that of stressing ideas outside the context of the passage. Even an evangelical like John Stott may be mentioned in this regard. The “peacemakers” in Matthew 5:9 bear, according to his view, an uncomfortable resemblance to political agitators.2 Foerster gives three New Testament meanings of the word εἰρήνη

(“peace”): (1) a feeling of peace and rest; (2) a state of reconciliation with God, and (3) the salvation of the whole man in an ultimate eschatological sense.3 These three possibilities are present in the context of Matthew 5:9, but the last is the primary meaning. This confirms the link with Old Testament and Rabbinic usage. Thus to read “political agitators” in this context is inappropriate.

An example of the third problem, attaching unbiblical ideas to biblical concepts, was evident in the world conference on “Salvation Today,” held in Bangkok in 1973. Hesselgrave points out the fruit of this in a seminarian and missionary volunteer who said, “When I came to this consultation, I thought I was called to go abroad as a missionary. Now I see clearly that my mission is to stay home and do all I can to oppose the multinational corpor...

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