Journal: Southern Baptist Journal of Theology
Volume: SBJT 23:1 (Spring 2019)
Article: Drawing Near To God: Spatial Metaphors For Salvation
Author: Andrew S. Malone

SBJT 23:1 (Spring 2019) p. 87

Drawing Near To God: Spatial Metaphors For Salvation

Andrew S. Malone

Andrew S. Malone teaches in biblical studies at Ridley College, Melbourne (part of the Australian College of Theology network) where he is also Dean of Ridley Online. In addition to various articles and essays, he is the author of Knowing Jesus in the Old Testament? A Fresh Look at Christophanies (IVP, 2015) and God’s Mediators: A Biblical Theology of Priesthood (Apollos/IVP, 2017).

Our choice of metaphor for salvation impacts how we envisage, speak about, apply, and follow up the work of Jesus Christ. If we promote a redemption model, Jesus pays what was owed and we are set free from slavery. We might furnish images of prisoners in chains who are graciously purchased and whose correct response is relief and gratitude and responsive servitude. When we emphasize a judicial model, we focus on Jesus incurring the penalty our own deserves. We proclaim images of a just judge who upholds the law but who also steps into the dock to pay the fine levied. Our theology highlights our inability to pay what’s due and our pastoral care focuses on the alleviation of guilt. We might prefer to pick out biblical emphases on family and adoption; on shalom and peace; that “stained hands are cleansed, burdens are lifted, and debts are either paid off or remitted.”1

Among the many metaphors available, I wonder if we teachers and preachers fail to make as much mileage as we might from the spatial imagery of drawing near to God. The Bible is full of such imagery and yet this metaphor is not always on high rotation like others. Our traditions and cultures—and, frankly, our habits—can fixate us on a prized subset.

One easy diagnostic is to ask how we envisage and explain James 4:8. “Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.” Do we paint a spatial picture:

SBJT 23:1 (Spring 2019) p. 88

walking closer to some point where God stands or sits? Or do we find ourselves gravitating towards a more symbolic reading, perhaps wondering how we are faring with God in a relational sense? How are we treating the word “near”?

The goal of this article is simple. After surveying some of the other popular models of salvation, we consider the prevalence and contributions of the spatial metaphors that pervade Scripture. Such spatial metaphors themselves are typically linked with the Old Testament (OT) cultic system and its priests, and thus they drive us to a stronger appreciation of Jesus as our Great High Priest.You must have a subscription and be logged in to read the entire article.
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