Community, Cross and New Creation: Hays' 3 Focal Images

Community, Cross and New Creation: Three Focal Images

What is the NT story all about? How might we summarize the message of the New Testament? Is there a center? Can we discern a fundamental metaphor (image, framework, mental category, proposition) that organizes the diversity of the New Testament for us?

***Nominees for Central-Image-of-the-New-Testament***
Image/Center	Pp. in Hays	Basic Problems Addressed	Key NT Texts
liberation	194, 203	bondage/oppression
orderly household	195	chaos/anarchy/disorder	Matt 18:15-20; the Pastorals
freedom	195	law/tradition	Mark 7:1-23; John 8:31-36; Gal 5:1
reconciliation		enmity/hostility	Rom 5:10-11; 2 Cor 5:18-19; Eph 2:11-14; Col 1:22-23
justification		guilt/sin	Luke 18:14; Rom 3:21-26; 5:9
Kingdom of God		kingdom of Satan/ rulers of this world	Mark 1:15; Mt 6:33; 19:28-29; Luke 18:16-17, 24-30; John 18:33-40
love	200	helplessness; hatred; selfishness	John 13:34; Rom 5:8; 1 Cor 13:1-13; 2 Cor 5:14; Eph 2:4; 1 John 4:7-21
power	201f.	impotence	Acts 1:8
Spirit		flesh? law? weakness? disunity?	John 20:22; Acts 1:8; Rom 5:5; 8:9-11; Gal 3:2
justice	205, n.29	injustice	Luke 18:7
discipleship	196	disobedience? aimlessness?	Mark 3:31-35; 10:28-31; Luke 14:26




community	196-197	individualism; this world order	Matt 16:18; Rom 12:1-2; Eph 2:11-22
cross	197	self-centredness; abuse of power; sin; death	Mark 8:31-38; 10:42-45; Rom 5:6-10; 15:1-3; 2 Cor 4:11; 5:14-15; Phil 2:5-11; Phil 3:10; Col 1:24; 1 John 3:16
new creation	198	the fall; sin; death; hopelessness	Rom 8:22-23; 1 Cor 10:11; 11:26; 2 Cor 5:17; 1 John 3:2

Three Focal Images (Hays, MVNT 10)

1. Community. The church is a countercultural community of discipleship, and this community is the primary addressee of God's imperatives (Hays, 196).

a concrete social manifestation (not an abstract concept)
corporate (focus on community, not on each individuals)
participatory in character (not principally heirarchical and elitist)
countercultural (not conformed to this world and its values)
organic (living; not an institution)
affirms continuity with God's people of the past (Israel)

2. Cross. Jesus' death on a cross is the paradigm for faithfulness to God in this world (Hays, 197).

focuses on "the climax and pivot-point of the eschatological drama" (199)
calls entire community to embrace the way of the cross
calls powerful to surrender
calls all to renounce violence
brings promise of resurrection

3. New Creation. The church embodies the power of the resurrection in the midst of a not-yet-redeemed world. (Hays, 198)

already inaugurated but not yet consumated
calls the church to draw upon God's resurrection power to be faithful in the present
calls the church to look forward in hope to God's future redemption of creation

DISCUSSION:

Which of these images has been most influential in your reading of the New Testament? In your reflection on your calling as a Christian? Which has mattered least?
In your personal and ecclesial experience, which image has been most troubling, problematic or neglected?
Which image is least likely to endear itself to your non-Christian peers? Which is most likely to resonate with the cries of their hearts?
How might these images help to shape our political conversation?