An Integrated Understanding of Earth History, Divine Initiative, Diabolical Factors, and Our Mission in This Life

In his brief essay "Basic (recent) Insights," originally written in September 2002, Ralph Winter listed some of his early tentative observations as he sought an overall understanding of the story of life on this planet and the apparent contradictions to that development. He hoped this understanding would challenge the common perspective that God is the author of disease and suffering. Some of these thoughts are secular hypotheses. Others are distinctly Biblical and/or theological convictions. They are by no means all equally credible or substantial. Yet he collected them because he felt that they all seemed to contribute in some way to a single integrated understanding of earth history, divine initiative, the diabolical factors, and the meaning of all this for our mission in this life.

Enjoy!

Basic (recent) Insights

Photo Credit: Flickr/Shubham

What is the Task of Humans who Accept Christ as Lord and Savior?

The Bible makes it clear that our mission is to glorify God among all peoples and that this is essentially a battle against darkness and evil. “The chief end of man is to glorify God” goes the familiar catechism, but to do that requires us, together in mission with the Son of God, to “destroy the works of the Devil” (1 John 3:8). Thus, the task of humans who accept Christ as Lord and Savior is to discover God’s glory through His Word, and through His works (nature, science, history), appreciate it (worship) and to join Him in mission to declare that glory by seeking to destroy the “works of the Devil.”
Read more: " The Story of the Battle for Our Planet"

Word and Deed

From Ralph Winter's essay, "Theologizing the Microbiological World: Implications for Mission" originally published on June 18, 2001.

When Satan Turned Against God Precisely What Kind of Destruction Did He Set Out to Achieve?

Flickr/Börkur Sigurbjörnsson

By Ralph D. Winter

The respected Dutch theologian Berkouer made the rare comment that “You cannot have a proper theology without a sound demonology.” Another theologian dared to suggest that Satan’s greatest achievement is “to cover his tracks.” Note that if Satan has, in fact, skillfully “covered his tracks,” all of us are likely to be extensively unaware of his deeds. Isn’t that logical? Paul suggested that we are not to be ignorant of his devices. We are told that Satan and his angels once worked for God. If so, I ask, when Satan turned against God precisely what kind of destruction and perversion did he set out to achieve? Where would we see evidence of his works? Would he set out to pervert the DNA of originally tame animals? Would he employ powers of deception so that we would get accustomed to pervasive violence in nature and no longer connect an intelligent evil power with evil and suffering? Worse still, would Satan even successfully tempt us to think that God is somehow behind all evil—and that we must therefore not attempt to eradicate things like smallpox lest we “interfere with Divine Providence”?

Read more at: A Blindspot in Western Christianity?: Its Meaning for Mission and the Basis for Two Institutes

Did God Devise Vicious Animals, Destructive Parasites, and Deadly Germs?

Flickr/Steve Wilson

Ralph Winter, who died in 2009 from multiple myeloma, became “increasingly puzzled by the amount of pain, suffering, tragedy and death in the world. From the smallest animals to the largest, all seem to live lives fearful of predators whether animal or human or bacterial. Did God devise vicious animals, destructive parasites, and deadly germs? Is this the good creation the Bible speaks of God creating?”

Winter concluded that “our inherited theology allows us to fight ‘terrorists’ that can be seen with the naked eye but not to fight tiny terrorists that can only be seen in a microscope. … Evangelical leaders are not constantly promoting the destruction of Satan’s works in general, much less in the area of disease. The Bible would urge us not to blame God for Satan’s endeavors. Is not God asking us to fight disease in the Name of Christ?”

Read more at: A Growing Awareness about Disease.

Step Up

From Ralph Winter's essay, "When the Church Staggers, Stalls, and Sits Down (In the Middle of a War!)" originally published in the May-June 2008 issue of Mission Frontiers.