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As the gospels present it to us, the mission of Jesus of Nazareth is about the way in which the community of God's people - historically, the Jewish people who had first received the law and the covenant - is being re-created in relation to Jesus himself.
Rowan Williams
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Interpretation

What this quote means

This quote reflects on the transformative mission of Jesus in relation to the community of believers.

Rowan Williams discusses how the gospels portray Jesus's mission as one that redefines and revitalizes the community of God's followers, particularly the Jewish people, who initially received the divine law and covenant. This highlights the idea that Jesus's presence and teachings serve to reshape the identity and purpose of this community in accordance with a new understanding of faith and relationship with the divine.

Themes

JesusCommunityTransformationFaithCovenant

In practice

Example use cases

During a sermon about community building in the church.

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Incidentally, one of the most worrying problems in the impact of Western modernity on traditional culture is that it quite rapidly communicates its own indifference or anxiety or even hostility about age and ageing.
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A flourishing, morally credible media is a vital component in the maintenance of genuinely public talk, argument about common good.
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