Pauline perspectives on the church and its gospel in a socially penetrative and engaging missiological context.

The convergence of the Church, its Gospel and the World has become a critical area of New Testament Biblical Studies. This significance revolves around the ‘relevance and impact ‘ of the Church and her kerygmatic message in an increasingly secular and sceptic world. The secularization and scepticism is mainly driven by the dawning of a ‘post-modern’ twenty first century which has also ushered in an era of unprecedented technological and scientific advancement. This new-world, which is being advanced through the ‘global village’ phenomenon, and the broadening democratization and entrenchment of individual human rights in developing countries, seems to have discarded all ‘absolutes’, and only values that which can be verified empirically. All this has left many individuals questioning the relevance of the Church and her message. Many seem to have designated the Church and her message as ‘past the expiry date’. It is thus no longer uncommon for previously Christian societies to be described as Post-Christian societies. The convergence of Church, Gospel and World has thus become very significant. The critical question is whether the Church is to close the door on the world and adopt an isolationist stance, or whether the Church is to fulfill her missiological and prophetic role by engaging and penetrating our twenty first century world with the message of the Gospel. This short dissertation will consider selected aspects of Pauline Ecclesiological and Soteriological perspectives in a social context, and the Social conditions of the Pauline World. We will then consider how the three components – Church; Gospel and World – ought to converge in the missiological task of the Church.Prof. J.A. du Ran