The Dynamics of Trinitarian Mission in John 20:21-22: A Historical-Grammatical Approach to the Missio Dei
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.33856/kerusso.v11i1.599Keywords:
church mission; Gospel of John; missio Dei; Trinitarian mission; John 20:21–22Abstract
This research examines the concept of missio Dei as a Trinitarian mission based on John 20:21-22. The paradigm shift from the mission of the church to the mission of God has become a central theme in modern mission theology, yet the understanding of the Trinitarian nature of missio Dei still lacks attention in the linguistic dimension of the text, particularly in John 20:21-22. This research aims to demonstrate that the mission of the church is rooted in the work of the Triune God and to reveal the theological distinctions in the dynamics of sending through the choice of diction in the text. The method employed is historical-grammatical exegesis of John 20:21-22, including contextual analysis and grammatical analysis of the sending verbs apostello and pempo. The research results indicate that the sending of Jesus by the Father using apostello indicates the ontological status of Christ as equal with the Father, while the sending of the disciples using pempo emphasizes the church's participation in the ongoing mission. The giving of the Holy Spirit through the act of breathing (enephysesen) completes the Trinitarian dynamics as mission empowerment. In conclusion, missio Dei in the Gospel of John is Trinitarian with two levels of sending: ontological-Christological and participatory-ecclesiological, so that the church is called to participate in Christ's mission through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Downloads
References
Barrett, C. K. (1978). The Gospel According to St. John (2nd ed.). The Westminster Press.
Bauer, W., Danker, F. W., Arndt, W. F., & Gingrich, F. W. (2021). A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature (4th ed.). University of Chicago Press.
Beasley-Murray, G. R. (1999). John (2nd ed.). Thomas Nelson Publishers.
Bevans, S. B., & Schroeder, R. P. (2004). Constants in Context: A Theology of Mission for Today. Orbis Books.
Blomberg, C. L., & Markley, J. F. (2010). A Handbook of New Testament Exegesis. Baker Academic.
Bosch, D. J. (2002). Transforming Mission: Paradigm Shifts in Theology of Mission. Orbis Books.
Brodie, T. L. (1993). The Gospel According to John: A Literary and Theological Commentary. Oxford University Press.
Brown, R. E. (1970). The Gospel According to John: XIII-XXI. Doubleday.
Carson, D. A. (1991). The Gospel According to John. William B. Eerdmans.
Cronshaw, D. (2020). Missio Dei is Missio Trinitas: Sharing the Whole Life of God, Father, Son and Spirit. Mission Studies, 37, 119–141. https://doi.org/10.1163/15733831-12341699
Flett, J. G. (2010). The Witness of God: The Trinity, Missio Dei, Karl Barth, and the Nature of Christian Community. William B. Eerdmans.
Grassmick, J. D. (1996). Prinsip-prinsip dan Praktek Eksegesis Bahasa Yunani (P. Maryono (trans.)). STTII.
Juel, D. H. (1997). The Trinity and the New Testament. Theology Today, 54(3), 312–324. https://doi.org/10.1177/004057369705400303
Keener, C. S. (2003). The Gospel of John: A Commentary. Baker Academic.
Kirk, J. A. (1999). What is Mission?: Theological Explorations. Darton, Longman & Todd.
Kjøde, R. (2022). Missio Dei: Is There Any Common Ground? Mission Studies, 39, 219–246. https://doi.org/10.1163/15733831-12341848
Köstenberger, A. J. (1995). The Challenge of a Systematized Biblical Theology of Mission: Missiological Insights from the Gospel of John. Missiology: An International Review, 23(4), 445–464. https://doi.org/10.1177/009182969502300405
Köstenberger, A. J. (1998). The Missions of Jesus and the Disciples According to the Fourth Gospel. William B. Eerdmans.
Köstenberger, A. J. (1999). Encountering John: The Gospel in Historical, Literary, and Theological Perspective. Baker Books.
Köstenberger, A. J., & Alexander, T. D. (2020). Salvation to the Ends of the Earth: A Biblical Theology of Mission. IVP Academic.
Morris, L. (1989). The Gospel According to John. William B. Eerdmans.
Newbigin, L. (1995). The Open Secret: An Introduction to the Theology of Mission. William B. Eerdmans.
Nggebu, S., Buyung, R., Kim, P. J., Buyung, Y. F. M., & Chung, Y. (2025). Missio Dei Inkarnasional: Kerangka Teologis bagi Misi Holistik Lintas Budaya di Indonesia. Bonafide: Jurnal Teologi Dan Pendidikan Kristen, 6(2), 212–231. https://doi.org/10.46558/bonafide.v6i2.466
Niemandt, C. J. P. (2012). Trends in Missional Ecclesiology. HTS Teologiese Studies/Theological Studies, 68(1), a1198. https://doi.org/10.4102/hts.v68i1.1198
Ott, C., Strauss, S. J., & Tennent, T. J. (2010). Encountering Theology of Mission. Baker Academic.
Reimer, J. (2019). Trinitarian Spirituality: Relational and Missional. HTS Teologiese Studies/Theological Studies, 75(1), a5348. https://doi.org/10.4102/hts.v75i1.5348
Richebächer, W. (2003). Missio Dei: The Basis of Missiology or a Wrong Path? International Review of Mission, 92(367), 588–605. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1758-6631.2003.tb00431.x
Ridderbos, H. (1997). The Gospel of John: A Theological Commentary. Eerdmans.
Tan, S. K. (2004). A Trinitarian Ontology of Missions. International Review of Mission, 93(369), 279–296. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1758-6631.2004.tb00459.x
Thompson, M. M. (2014). The Gospel of John and Early Trinitarian Thought: The Unity of God in John, Irenaeus and Tertullian. Journal of Early Christian History, 4(2), 154–166. https://doi.org/10.1080/2222582X.2014.11877309
Thompson, M. M. (2015). John: A Commentary. Westminster John Knox.
Van der Merwe, D. (2019). Divine Fellowship in the Gospel of John: A Trinitarian Spirituality. HTS Teologiese Studies/Theological Studies, 75(1), a5375. https://doi.org/10.4102/hts.v75i1.5375
Vicedom, G. F. (1965). The Mission of God. Concordia Publishing House.
Wallace, D. B. (1996). Greek Grammar Beyond the Basics. Zondervan.
Youn, C. H. (2018). Missio Dei Trinitatis and Missio Ecclesiae: A Public Theological Perspective. International Review of Mission, 107(1), 225–239. https://doi.org/10.1111/irom.12219
Zaluchu, S. E. (2020). Strategi Penelitian Kualitatif dan Kuantitatif di Dalam Penelitian Agama. Evangelikal: Jurnal Teologi Injili Dan Pembinaan Warga Jemaat, 4(1), 28–38. https://doi.org/10.46445/ejti.v4i1.167
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Abraham Sanjaya
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Sekolah Tinggi Teologi Injili Indonesia Surabaya
