SIGNIFICANCE OF THE DOCTRINE OF GOD IN MISSION: A CASE OF JONAH AND THE SAILORS
Alexander Mwita
Abstract
This paper aimed to find out the significance of the doctrine of God in mission from the study of Jonah and the Sailors. The trajectory of this study was led by four specific objectives which are; to investigate the historical, context, and missiological aspects of the book of Jonah; to find out how the doctrine of God relates to the mission; to find out the significance of the doctrine of God in Jonah’s testimony to the sailors; and to investigate the response of the sailors towards YHWH. The method used in this study followed the descriptive, investigative, and exegetical types of theological research. The descriptive method was used to describe the doctrine of God in relation to mission; the investigative method was used to find out historical, contextual, and missiological aspects of the book of Jonah; and the exegetical method was used to find the significance of Jonah’s testimony to the sailors and the response of the Sailors towards YHWH. The study reveals that the book of Jonah covers historical events which show God’s desire to save humanity. This desire is closely related to His nature, which involves his majesty, his love, and justice. Based on Jonah’s proclamation of God as the creator of the sea and the dry land, the sailors were moved to surrender themselves to the God of heaven. In response to their allegiance, they feared YHWH and offered sacrifice. This paper recommends that missionaries may include the doctrine of God in their mission endeavors, which in turn will help people to trust, obey, and revere God who created the heavens and the earth.
Keywords: Doctrine of God, Mission, Jonah, The Sailors, Nature of God.
Cite this Article
Alexander , M. (2023). SIGNIFICANCE OF THE DOCTRINE OF GOD IN MISSION:
A CASE OF JONAH AND THE SAILORS . University of Arusha Academic Journal, 1-11.
References
Baham, Mark. (2020). “The Book of Jonah:
Understanding a Reluctant Prophet”
Research gate,
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/34
2305372.Berkhof, Luis. (1941). Systematic Theology.
Grand Rapids, MI: WMB Eerdmans
Publishing Co.Bob, Steven. (2016). Jonah and the Meaning of
Our Lives: A Verse-by-Verse Contemporary
Commentary. Philadelphia: The Jewish
Publication Society.Bruckner, James K. (2009). Jonah, Nahum,
Habakkuk, Zephaniah. EPub ed. The NIV
Application Commentary. Grand Rapids:
Zondervan.Canale, Fernando. (2000). “Doctrine of God” In
Handbook of Seventh-day Adventist
Theology, ed. Raoul Dederen, Hagerstown,
MD: Review and Herald Publishing
Association.Erickson, Millard. (1998). Christian Theology,
Second Edition. Grand Rapids MI: Baker
Academics.Gulley, Norma R. (2011). Systematic
Theology: God as Trinity. Berrien Springs,
MI: Andrews University Press.Hess, Richard S. (2016). The Old Testament: A
Historical, Theological, and Critical
Introduction. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker
Academics.Hodge, Charles. (2005). Systematic Theology.
Vol. I (Grand Rapids, MI: Christian Classics
Ethereal Library,), 282.
http://www.ccel.org/ccel/hodge/theology1.h
tml.Jenson, Philip Peter. (2008). Obadiah, Jonah,
Micah: A Theological Commentary. Maiden
Lane, NY: T & T Clark.Kaiser, Walter C. Jr. (2000). Mission in the Old
Testament: Israel as a Light to the Nations.
Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books.Nichol, Francis D. (Ed.). (1976-1980). Seventhday Adventist Bible Commentary.
Washington, DC: Review & Herald.Papola, Grazia. (2016), “A Biblical Story of
Conversion: The Book of Jonah” The Person
and the Challenges vol. 6, no 2.Pusey, E.B. (2000). Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Volume 10 – Hosea – Jonah. USA: AGES
Software.Strong, James. (1999) Strong’s Hebrew
Dictionary, USA: AGES Software.Tow, Timothy. (2001). The Minor Prophets.
Singapore: Far Eastern Bible College Press.Tucker, W. Dennis Jr. (2006). Jonah: A
Handbook on the Hebrew Text. Waco,
Texas: Baylor University Press.