Preface: Understanding Oikos and Oikonomia in God’s Cosmic Plan

The biblical concept of oikos—meaning “household” in Greek—provides a foundational lens for understanding God’s redemptive plan. In the Septuagint (LXX), oikos often translates the Hebrew bayit, referring to a physical household (e.g., Abraham’s “house” in Genesis 12:1), the community of God’s people (e.g., the “house of Israel” in Exodus 19:3), or even creation as God’s domain (Psalm 104:5-30). In the New Testament, oikos extends to the church as God’s household (1 Timothy 3:15) and the cosmos as His creation (Hebrews 3:4-6). The term oikonomia, derived from oikos (household) and nomos (law or management), signifies God’s stewardship of His oikos—the cosmos as His household—ordering creation and history toward redemption (Ephesians 1:9-10).

In this framework, the cosmos is God’s oikos, a unified household under His sovereign care. God’s oikonomia is His purposeful administration of this cosmic oikos, reconciling all things through Christ. The missio Dei, or “mission of God,” complements this by revealing God’s intent to redeem and restore His oikos, inviting humanity to participate in His redemptive work. This article explores how the divine economy (oikonomia) and the missio Dei shape the biblical theology of redemptive history, tracing God’s plan from creation to consummation.

 

Introduction

The divine economy (oikonomia) and missio Dei form the backbone of a biblical theology of redemptive history. Oikonomia reflects God’s sovereign management of His cosmic oikos, orchestrating salvation through Christ’s redemptive work. The missio Dei reveals God’s purposeful mission to restore His creation, inviting humanity to join in this plan. Redemptive history, as narrated in Scripture, unfolds God’s plan through creation, fall, redemption, and consummation, with Christ as its center. This article examines how these concepts intertwine, using key biblical passages to demonstrate God’s unified plan for His oikos.

 

Creation and Covenant: The Beginning of Redemptive History

Redemptive history begins with God’s creation of the cosmos as His oikos, a household designed for fellowship with humanity. Genesis 1:26-28 reveals humanity, created in God’s image, as stewards of His oikos, tasked with reflecting His glory. This initial act of creation establishes God’s oikonomia—His wise management of His household—and His missio Dei, which calls humanity to participate in His purposes. The fall disrupts this harmony, but God’s divine economy (oikonomia) responds with a promise of redemption, initiating His mission to restore His oikos.

Key Scripture Passages

• Genesis 1:26-28: God creates humanity in His image, entrusting them with dominion over creation, reflecting His divine economy (oikonomia) and inviting participation in His missio Dei. This stewardship mirrors God’s management of His cosmic oikos.
• Genesis 3:15: The protoevangelium, God’s promise of a Savior to crush the serpent, launches His divine economy (oikonomia) and missio Dei, setting the trajectory for redemptive history within His oikos.

The Creation Narratives Relate Divine Economy and Missio Dei

God’s oikonomia (divine economy) structures His covenantal relationship with humanity, managing His oikos toward redemption. The missio Dei reveals His intent to restore fellowship, beginning with the promise of a Savior. Humanity’s role in creation reflects participation in God’s mission, initiating the redemptive narrative that unfolds across Scripture.

 

The Patriarchs and Israel: Covenants of Promise

God’s covenants with Abraham, Moses, and David advance redemptive history, embodying His divine economy (oikonomia) to manage His oikos and His missio Dei to bless all nations. Israel, as a chosen household within God’s cosmic oikos, is called to reflect His glory and participate in His mission. These covenants progressively reveal God’s plan, pointing to a Messiah who will fulfill His redemptive purposes.

Key Scripture Passages

• Genesis 12:1-3: The Abrahamic Covenant promises blessing to all nations through Abraham’s seed, reflecting God’s oikonomia and missio Dei to redeem His global oikos. This covenant expands God’s household to include all peoples.
• Exodus 19:5-6: The Mosaic Covenant establishes Israel as a “kingdom of priests,” a holy oikos tasked with displaying God’s glory and advancing His mission.
• 2 Samuel 7:12-16: The Davidic Covenant promises an eternal kingdom, pointing to Christ as the ruler of God’s oikos, fulfilling His oikonomia.

The Covenants Relate Divine Economy and Missio Dei

The covenants are expressions of God’s oikonomia, structuring His mission to redeem His oikos through a chosen people and a promised Messiah. The missio Dei invites Israel to partner in this plan, serving as a light to the nations (Isaiah 42:6). These covenants lay the foundation for Christ’s fulfillment of God’s redemptive purpose.

 

The Prophets: Anticipation of Redemption

The prophets articulate God’s oikonomia and missio Dei, foretelling a Messiah who will redeem His oikos. They emphasize God’s justice, grace, and covenantal faithfulness, calling Israel to align with His mission. The prophetic promises deepen the narrative of redemptive history, pointing to a new covenant and a Savior who will restore God’s household.

Key Scripture Passages

• Isaiah 53:4-6: The Suffering Servant bears the sins of God’s oikos, accomplishing the missio Dei through atonement, central to God’s oikonomia.
• Jeremiah 31:31-34: The New Covenant promises forgiveness and renewed fellowship, advancing God’s mission to restore His oikos through an internalized relationship with Him.

Prophetic Promises Relate Divine Economy and Missio Dei

The prophets clarify God’s oikonomia, managing His oikos toward Christ’s redemptive work, while the missio Dei calls for participation in this plan. The Suffering Servant and New Covenant anticipate Christ’s role in restoring God’s cosmic household, bridging the Old Testament promises to their New Testament fulfillment.

 

Christ: The Climax of Redemptive History

Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of God’s oikonomia and missio Dei, embodying the covenants and redeeming His oikos as the divine steward and missionary. His incarnation, death, and resurrection mark the climax of redemptive history, reconciling humanity to God and restoring His cosmic household.

Key Scripture Passages

• John 1:14: The Word became flesh, embodying God’s oikonomia and missio Dei to dwell within His oikos, fulfilling His promise to be with His people.
• Romans 3:23-25: Christ’s atoning sacrifice, the heart of the divine economy, fulfills the missio Dei by justifying sinners through grace.
• 1 Corinthians 15:20-22: Christ’s resurrection as the firstfruits secures victory over death, restoring God’s oikos and completing His mission.

The Incarnation Relates Divine Economy and Missio Dei

Christ is the culmination of God’s oikonomia, executing the plan to redeem His oikos, and the embodiment of the missio Dei, accomplishing salvation. His work unites all stages of redemptive history, fulfilling the covenants and restoring fellowship within God’s cosmic household.

 

The Redeemed Church and the Spirit: The Continuation of Redemptive History

The redeemed church, as God’s oikos (1 Timothy 3:15), extends His oikonomia and missio Dei, applying Christ’s redemption to all nations. Empowered by the Holy Spirit, the church participates in God’s mission, proclaiming the gospel and living as His household within the cosmic oikos.

Key Scripture Passages

• Acts 2:1-4, 38-39: The Spirit’s outpouring at Pentecost empowers the church to advance God’s missio Dei, expanding His oikos through gospel proclamation.
• Ephesians 2:8-9: Salvation by grace through faith, administered by the Spirit, reflects God’s oikonomia and invites participation in His mission.
• Matthew 28:19-20: The Great Commission entrusts the church with joining God’s missio Dei, making disciples of all nations to grow His oikos.

The Spirit Relates Divine Economy and Missio Dei

The Spirit integrates believers into God’s oikonomia and missio Dei, applying Christ’s work within His oikos. The church continues redemptive history as God’s household, embodying His mission through evangelism, discipleship, and transformed lives.

 

Consummation: The Fulfillment of Redemptive History

Redemptive history culminates in Christ’s return, final judgment, and the renewal of the cosmic oikos, completing God’s oikonomia and missio Dei. The new creation restores God’s household to its intended glory, fulfilling His redemptive purpose.

Key Scripture Passages

• Revelation 21:1-4: The new heaven and new earth manifest God’s oikonomia and missio Dei, where He dwells with His oikos, free from sin and suffering.
• 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17: Christ’s return completes God’s stewardship and mission, uniting His oikos with Him forever.

The Consummation Relates Divine Economy and Missio Dei

The consummation fulfills God’s oikonomia, restoring His cosmic oikos, and completes the missio Dei by renewing creation. God’s mission achieves eternal fellowship within His household, realizing His original intent for creation.

 

An Evangelical Approach to a Biblical Theology of Divine Economy and the Missio Dei

Unified Narrative

Redemptive history is the unfolding of God’s oikonomia and missio Dei, managing and redeeming His cosmic oikos through Christ. From creation to consummation, Scripture narrates a cohesive story of God’s stewardship and mission to restore His household.

Scriptural Continuity

Key passages—Genesis 3:15, Isaiah 53, Romans 3, Revelation 21—reveal God’s oikonomia and missio Dei as a unified plan. The protoevangelium initiates God’s mission, the Suffering Servant fulfills it, justification applies it, and the new creation consummates it.

Practical Implications

Evangelicals emphasize faith in Christ as the entry into God’s oikos, participation in His missio Dei through evangelism, and hope in the restoration of His cosmic household. The church is called to live out this mission, proclaiming salvation and embodying God’s kingdom.

Theological Coherence

The oikonomia and missio Dei integrate covenants, Christ’s work, and the Spirit’s application, framing redemptive history as God’s mission for His cosmic oikos. This theology underscores God’s sovereignty, grace, and invitation to partnership in His redemptive plan.

 

Conclusion

The divine economy (oikonomia) and missio Dei reveal God’s stewardship and mission to redeem His cosmic oikos, unfolding through redemptive history from creation to consummation. Scripture narrates this unified story, with Christ fulfilling God’s mission and the Spirit empowering participation within His oikos. Evangelicals uphold this theology by proclaiming salvation by grace through faith, joining God’s missio Dei, and trusting His oikonomia to restore His cosmic household in Christ. As stewards of God’s oikos, believers are called to live out His mission, anticipating the day when His household is fully restored.

 

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