The Bible presents us with an alternative story—a different way of seeing and understanding the world around us. It is not merely a local tale about a particular ethnic group or a narrow religious tradition. Instead, the Bible presents us with the story of the world itself: a story that begins with the creation of all things and will be complete with the restoration and renewal of all things. The biblical story declares that God’s plan and purpose is for our lives to be shaped, formed, and transformed by this divine narrative.
From a Baptist perspective, we recognize that this story is not fragmented or accidental. God is sovereign over history, and every page of Scripture reveals His eternal purpose to glorify Himself by redeeming a people for His name from every tribe, tongue, and nation. The nations are not a side note in the Bible; they are central to the unfolding story of redemption.
The story of the Bible develops in four major movements: creation, fall, redemption, and restoration. Together, these essential elements of the story form the framework for understanding God’s mission and the place of the nations within His plan. With each unfolding component, the storyline of the Bible becomes increasingly clear. The story begins at the beginning of the Bible in creation.
Creation: God’s Good World and His Image-Bearers
Genesis opens with simplicity and clarity: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” (Gen 1:1). The triune God—Father, Son, and Spirit—speaks the world into existence out of nothing. In the opening pages of the Bible, we learn that God is eternal, self-sufficient, and sovereign over all. Creation is distinct from God, yet dependent upon Him. Everything He makes is declared “very good” (Gen 1:31). Humanity, the crown of creation, is uniquely made in the imago Dei—the image of God.
At the outset, humanity is flourishing in every facet and relationship. First, humanity has a perfect relationship with God. Humanity was created to know, love, and worship its Creator. Second, humanity has a perfect relationship with one another. Humanity is designed for community and love of neighbor. Third, humanity has a perfect relationship with oneself. Humanity is called to see itself rightly, through God’s eyes, with dignity and humility. Lastly, humanity has a perfect relationship with creation. Humanity is tasked to steward, cultivate, and develop God’s good world.
The mandate given in Genesis 1:28, “Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth, and subdue it”—is global in scope. From the very beginning, God’s plan was for His image-bearers to spread across the earth, reflecting His glory in every corner of creation. This is the original “mission” that God gives to his people. At this point in redemptive history, Adam and Eve are dwelling in perfect union and harmony with the Triune God.
The Fall: Humanity’s Rebellion and Its Consequences
Genesis 3 records the tragic reversal. Adam and Eve reject God’s word, choosing autonomy and self-rule. In an effort to pursue power and happiness apart from God’s plan, they plunge the world into sin and death. This seemingly harmless act of rebellion resulted not only in Adam and Eve’s fall from God’s purpose and will, but also the fall of the entire created order.
As a result of Adam and Eve’s sinful rebellion, humanity in every facet is now affected negatively by the fall. The consequences of sin impact every key relationship. First, a broken relationship with God. Humanity becomes alienated from its Creator, now described as children of wrath (Eph 2:3). Second, a broken relationship with others. Strife, jealousy, and violence characterize human relationships (Gen 4: Cain and Abel). Third, a broken relationship with oneself. The image of God is marred; our loves are disordered; pride and shame reign in our hearts. Lastly, a broken relationship with the created order. Work becomes toilsome, and creation itself groans under the curse (Rom 8:20–22). Most pointedly, the punishment for sin is death.
Yet even in judgment, God offers a glimmer of hope. In Genesis 3:15, God promises that the seed of the woman will crush the serpent’s head. The Protoevangelium (first gospel) anticipates Christ, the Redeemer, who will undo the works of the devil. From this point forward, the story of the Bible is the story of how God unfolds this promise, progressively revealing His plan to bless the nations through His chosen people.
God’s Covenant with the Patriarchs: Blessing for the Nations
Despite human rebellion and the tragic effects of sin and the fall, God’s purpose advances in his mission of redemption. In Genesis 12:1–3, God calls Abram and makes a covenant with him: “I will make you into a great nation, I will bless you, I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. . . . and all the peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” Here, the scope of God’s mission comes into focus. The promise is twofold: God will make Abraham’s descendants into a great nation, and through that nation He will bless all the nations of the earth. This covenantal theme runs through the patriarchs—Isaac and Jacob—and shapes the rest of redemptive history.
Even the patriarchal narratives reveal threats to God’s plan—barrenness, famine, hostile kings, and unbelief. Yet God’s faithfulness continually shines through. He preserves His people in Egypt through Joseph’s trials, showing that He is sovereign over history and committed to His redemptive purpose. Towards the conclusion of the book of Genesis, Jacob moves his twelve sons and their families to Egypt to escape a famine. It is in Egypt several hundred years later that God demonstrates His faithfulness to His mission, His plan, and His purposes.
Israel: A Showcase to the Nations
The Exodus is the great act of redemption in the Old Testament. God delivers His people from slavery in Egypt, defeats Pharaoh, and reveals His supremacy over the gods of the nations. At Sinai, He establishes Israel as His covenant people, giving them a distinct identity and mission (Exod 19:3–6). Through Moses, God calls the people of Israel to be a Kingdom of Priests and a Holy Nation. First, as a Kingdom of Priests, Israel is to mediate God’s presence and blessing to the peoples and nations of the world. Second, as a Holy Nation, Israel is to display the beauty of life under God’s rule and reign. Israel is called to be a showcase people who reveal what it means to live in covenant relationship with Yahweh. The law was given not as a means of salvation, but as a guide for Israel’s role and a constant reminder to live distinctly in a watching world.
Yet the Bible repeatedly demonstrates that Israel continually falls short of the task given to them by God at Sinai. The books of Judges, Kings, and Chronicles trace a downward spiral of idolatry, rebellion, and disobedience. Instead of serving as a blessing to the nations, Israel becomes indistinguishable from them. The idolatry and rebellion of Israel eventually led to the devastating experience of exile.
In the period of exile, Israel is left wondering what has happened to the promises that God made to the patriarchs. However, even during the time of exile, God continues to speak to His people through the prophets. Through the prophets, God promises a coming King from David’s line who will bring justice, peace, and global salvation (Isa 9:6–7). He declares that His intention remains that His people would function as a light to the nations (Isa 49:6).
Nevertheless, Israel eventually returns to the land but resettles on a much smaller scale and faces mounting challenges all around it. Between the end of the Old Testament and the beginning of the New Testament, there is a period of silence from God that lasts more than four hundred years. During this time, Israel had to wonder what God’s plans and purposes were for His people. Would God keep the promises that He had made to the patriarchs? Would Israel be a light to the nations and bless the peoples and nations of the earth?
Jesus Christ: The Fulfillment of God’s Mission
It is in this context of uncertainty and expectation that Jesus of Nazareth arrives on the scene. He proclaims the arrival of God’s kingdom and demonstrates it through teaching, miracles, and acts of compassion. Unlike Israel, Jesus perfectly embodies the calling to be a light to the nations. But His mission is not accomplished through political triumph or military might. Instead, Jesus’s mission is fulfilled through His atoning sacrifice on the cross. In His substitutionary death, Jesus bears the penalty of sin, satisfying the wrath of God and making it possible for sinners to be reconciled to God through repentance and faith. As Paul declares, “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us . . . so that the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles in Christ Jesus” (Gal 3:13–14).
Jesus’s resurrection from the dead vindicates Him as Lord and inaugurates the new creation. His authority now extends to heaven and earth, and with that authority He commissions His disciples: “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations” (Matt 28:19). The global scope of God’s mission could not be clearer. The church is now entrusted with the task once given to Israel: to be a holy people and to declare the excellencies of the One who called them out of darkness and into his marvelous light (1 Pet 2:9).
The Mission of the Church: To the Ends of the Earth
The book of Acts records the Spirit-empowered expansion of the gospel. Beginning in Jerusalem, then Judea and Samaria, and finally to the ends of the earth, the good news spreads across the Roman Empire. The apostle Paul becomes God’s chosen instrument to bring the gospel to the nations (Acts 9). He plants churches, writes letters, and trains leaders, leaving a missionary legacy that shapes the identity of the church to this day. From the book of Acts to our contemporary moment, the story of God’s people growing in number and gathering from all the nations has continued for 2000 years and continues through us today.
The Climax: Worship from Every Nation
The storyline of Scripture finds its climactic vision in Revelation 5. John sees the Lamb who was slain, worthy to open the scroll of history. The song of heaven declares: “You were slaughtered, and you purchased people for God by your blood from every tribe and language and people and nation” (Rev 5:9). John sees in this vision the fulfillment of God’s covenant promise to Abraham. The nations are not an afterthought; they have always been central to God’s mission of redemption. Christ’s blood secures a people from every corner of the globe, forming a kingdom of priests who will reign with Him forever in the new creation.
Restoration: God’s Mission Accomplished
The final movement of the biblical story is restoration. Christ will return to judge the living and the dead, to banish Satan forever, and to renew creation. What was lost in Eden will be regained—and more. Genesis began with creation and a garden; Revelation ends with a new creation and a city, where God’s presence fills every corner (Rev 21–22). The nations, once scattered at Babel and separated by sin, are now gathered as one redeemed people.
Conclusion: Our Place in the Story
The nations in the storyline of the Bible remind us that God’s mission has always been global in scope. From creation’s mandate to fill the earth with His glory, to the covenant with Abraham, to the commissioning of the church, God’s purpose has been to gather a people from every tribe, tongue, and nation.
The Bible is clear that this mission is God’s work from beginning to end. Salvation belongs to the Lord; He sovereignly calls, redeems, and preserves His people. Yet He graciously invites and includes us in His mission, calling the church to proclaim the gospel to all peoples.
Until Christ returns, the church is called to bear witness—to be a holy nation and a royal priesthood—so that the nations might see the glory of God in the face of Christ. The story ends with a multitude that no one can number, from every nation, worshiping the Lamb (Rev 5). The question that remains for us is this: Will we live our lives aligned with this story, God’s story, the story of the nations, and His global mission? May God, by the power of His Spirit, give us grace to be faithful and obedient to the task he has put before us until Jesus returns