John’s Trinitarian Mission Theology
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). John’s entire Gospel is pervaded by this divine mission: God, the Father, in his love sending Jesus, his Son, to save all those who believe in him, for eternal life. The Spirit, too, is shown to play an important part in Jesus’ mission as well as in the mission of his followers, jointly witnessing with them (15:26–27) and empowering the community’s proclamation of forgiveness and salvation in Jesus (20:22–23). In the following essay, I will seek to demonstrate the following dual thesis: (1) John’s mission theology is an integral part of his presentation of Father, Son, and Spirit; and (2) rather than John’s mission theology being a function of his Trinitarian theology, the converse is in fact the case: John’s presentation of Father, Son, and Spirit is a function of his mission theology
