Goal
The theological analysis of the biblical term Goal requires a careful approach, given that "Goal" is not a specific Hebrew or Greek word consistently translated in the Holy Scriptures, like grace (*charis*) or faith (*pistis*). Instead, Goal represents a comprehensive theological concept that emerges from various biblical words and ideas expressing purpose, aim, standard, destiny, divine intention, and the ultimate objective of human existence and God's redemptive work. From a conservative evangelical Protestant perspective, the concept of Goal is intrinsically linked to the sovereignty of God, the centrality of Christ, and human responsibility to live in accordance with divine purpose. This analysis will explore how the idea of a divine and human Goal develops in the Scriptures, its theological meaning, and its practical implications for the believer's life.
1. Etymology and roots in the Old Testament
In the Old Testament, although there is no single Hebrew term that translates directly as "Goal," the idea of a purpose, an objective, or a standard to be met permeates divine narrative and legislation. Various words and concepts contribute to understanding what a Goal would be from a Hebrew perspective.
One of the most significant roots is the word chata' (חטא), which frequently means "to miss the Goal" or "to miss the mark." This term is the basis for understanding sin (*chatta't*) in the Old Testament. For example, in Judges 20:16, Benjamite archers are described as "left-handed each one could sling a stone at a hair and not miss" (not chata'). The theological implication is that God established a standard, a mark, a Goal for human conduct, and sin is the failure to meet that standard. God's Goal for humanity was obedience and perfect fellowship, as established in the Garden of Eden.
The concept of torah (תורה), often translated as "law" but more precisely as "instruction" or "direction," also points to a divine Goal. The Torah was not merely a set of rules, but a guide for the people of Israel to live in covenant with God and fulfill their purpose as a holy nation (Exodus 19:5-6). The Goal of the Torah was to mold Israel in the image of God, reflecting His justice and holiness. The blessings and curses in Deuteronomy 28 clearly illustrate the consequences of reaching or missing the Goal of obedience.
Wisdom, expressed primarily in the books of Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Job, also focuses on a Goal of righteous and successful living. The wise seek yashar (ישר), uprightness or the "straight" path, which is the Goal of virtuous life. Proverbs like Proverbs 3:5-6 ("Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight") guide the individual to align their paths with the Goal established by God for prosperity and peace.
The progressive development of revelation in the Old Testament shows a greater Goal for the history of salvation. From the messianic promise in Genesis 3:15, through the covenants with Abraham (Genesis 12:1-3) and David (2 Samuel 7:12-16), there is an eschatological Goal of redemption and restoration that points to the Messiah. The prophets, such as Isaiah and Jeremiah, frequently called the people back to the Goal of the covenant, warning about the consequences of straying from God's path and pointing to a future in which God would restore His people and fulfill His ultimate purposes (Jeremiah 31:31-34).
2. Goal in the New Testament and its meaning
In the New Testament, the idea of Goal is explicated and centralized in the person and work of Jesus Christ. Although there is still no single word that encompasses all the nuances of "Goal," Greek terms like skopos (σκοπός), telos (τέλος), and prothesis (πρόθεσις) express crucial aspects of the concept.
The term skopos (σκοπός) is perhaps the most direct. It means "goal," "target," or "mark." It is notably used by the apostle Paul in Philippians 3:14, where he declares: "I press on toward the Goal (*skopos*), for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." Here, Paul's Goal is Christ Himself and the fullness of salvation, the resurrection, and future glory, representing the ultimate objective of his life and ministry. This Goal is supreme and defines the direction of all his effort.
Another fundamental term is telos (τέλος), which can mean "end," "completion," "objective," "purpose," or "consummation." In Romanos 10:4, Paul states: "For Christ is the end (*telos*) of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes." Here, Christ is the Goal and the consummation of the Law, meaning that the Law pointed to Him and finds its full fulfillment and purpose in Him. The righteousness that the Law required, but which no one could achieve, is provided in Christ for those who believe. Likewise, in 1 Peter 1:9, the "end (*telos*) of your faith" is the salvation of souls, indicating the supreme Goal of Christian faith.
The term prothesis (πρόθεσις), meaning "purpose," "plan," or "intention," is frequently used to describe God's eternal and sovereign Goal. In Romans 8:28, Paul assures that "all things work together for good for those who love God, for those who are called according to his purpose (*prothesis*)." Ephesians 1:11 speaks of God "working all things according to the counsel of his will," according to His *prothesis*. This underscores that God has a predetermined Goal for creation and for redemption, and this Goal is perfect and infallible.
Still in the New Testament, the word hamartia (ἁμαρτία), which means "sin," retains the connotation of "missing the Goal" or "missing the mark," echoing the use of chata' in the Old Testament. All have sinned and "fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23), which means that all have failed to reach the Goal of divine holiness and perfection. However, the good news of the gospel is that, in Christ, the Goal of divine righteousness is achieved and imputed to the believer.
The specific relationship with the person and work of Christ is central. Jesus is the Goal of prophecy, the fulfillment of the Law, the supreme example of obedience, and the means by which humanity can reach the Goal of redemption. He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life (John 14:6), the only one who leads us to the ultimate Goal: the Father. His life, death, and resurrection are the culmination of God's redemptive plan, the Goal toward which all salvation history points.
There is a clear continuity and discontinuity between the Old and New Testaments regarding the concept of Goal. The continuity lies in the fact that God always had a sovereign purpose and a standard of righteousness. The discontinuity manifests in the full revelation and fulfillment of this Goal in Christ. What was shadow in the OT becomes substance in the NT what was promise, becomes reality. God's Goal has not changed, but the way to reach and understand it was definitively revealed in Jesus.
3. Goal in Pauline theology: the basis of salvation
Pauline theology is fertile ground for understanding the concept of Goal, especially concerning the doctrine of salvation (ordo salutis). Paul, more than any other biblical author, articulates God's sovereignty in establishing an eternal Goal for humanity and the gracious provision in Christ for that Goal to be achieved.
For Paul, God's supreme Goal is His own glory, manifested in the redemption of a people for Himself. This Goal is eternal and unshakable, established "before the foundation of the world" (Ephesians 1:4). The doctrine of predestination and election, as expounded in Romans 8:29-30 and Ephesians 1:4-5, reveals that God has a specific Goal for each individual He chooses: to conform them to the image of His Son, Jesus Christ, so that they may be holy and blameless before Him in love.
In the context of the doctrine of salvation, God's Goal is the justification of sinners. Paul vehemently contrasts human inability to reach the Goal of divine righteousness through the "works of the Law" with God's gracious provision in Christ. In Romans 3:28, he declares: "For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law." The Law, with its commandments, revealed the Goal of perfection, but also exposed human inability to attain it (Romans 7:7-12). Human merit is insufficient no one can "reach the Goal" of righteousness by their own efforts (Galatians 2:16).
Justification, therefore, is the act of God declaring the sinner "righteous" – as if they had perfectly reached the Goal of the Law – not based on their performance, but on the perfect righteousness of Christ imputed to them by faith. This is one of the pillars of Reformed theology, advocated by Martin Luther with the principle of sola fide (faith alone). John Calvin also emphasized God's sovereignty in this process, where the Goal of salvation is entirely of divine initiative.
Beyond justification, the divine Goal encompasses sanctification and glorification. Sanctification is the continuous process by which the believer is transformed into the image of Christ. Paul exhorts the Philippians to press on toward the Goal (*skopos*) of their calling, which is maturity in Christ (Philippians 3:12-14). This is the progressive Goal of the Christian life, an effort guided by the Holy Spirit, but one that requires the believer's cooperation. Glorification is the final and eschatological Goal, when the believer will be perfected and free from the presence of sin, fully participating in the glory of Christ (Romans 8:30).
In summary, in Pauline theology, the Goal of salvation is a sovereign divine plan, unfolding from eternal election to final glorification. It is a Goal that man cannot achieve by himself, but which is graciously provided and secured in Christ Jesus, received by faith. This Goal does not nullify human responsibility, but redefines it as a response of faith and obedience to God's finished work.
4. Aspects and types of Goal
The concept of Goal in biblical theology can be discerned in various facets and distinctions, enriching our understanding of God's plan and the Christian life. Distinguishing between these aspects helps to avoid doctrinal errors and to promote a balanced faith.
We can speak of God's sovereign Goal and the Goal of human responsibility. God's sovereign Goal (His prothesis, His eternal will) is immutable and infallible, encompassing creation, redemption, and the consummation of all things for His glory (Ephesians 1:11). This Goal includes the election of a people for Himself, the provision of salvation in Christ, and the guarantee that His purposes will be fulfilled. In contrast, the Goal of human responsibility refers to the divine commands, exhortations, and expectations for human conduct and faith. Although God is sovereign, He calls man to obedience, faith, and the pursuit of holiness, establishing a Goal for life that the believer must diligently pursue (Philippians 3:14).
Another distinction is between the ultimate Goal and the intermediate Goals. The ultimate Goal of human existence and all creation is the glory of God, as articulated in the first question of the Westminster Larger Catechism: "What is the chief and highest end of man?" The answer is: "To glorify God, and to enjoy Him forever." This is the supreme Goal, toward which all other things must converge. The intermediate Goals are the steps, objectives, and lesser purposes that contribute to the ultimate Goal. This includes sanctification, service in the Kingdom of God, world evangelism, and the edification of the church, all oriented toward the glory of God.
The concept of "missing the Goal" (sin, hamartia) is a crucial aspect. Sin is not merely a transgression of the law, but a failure to correspond to the divine standard, an inability to reach God's Goal for humanity. This "lost Goal" separates us from God, but God's grace in Christ offers us a new Goal: imputed righteousness and the possibility of a sanctified life. Righteousness (dikaiosyne) is the Goal that God established and that He Himself provides in Christ.
In the history of Reformed theology, the concept of Goal is intrinsically linked to the doctrine of God's decrees. Theologians like Calvin and the Puritans, such as John Owen and Jonathan Edwards, emphasized that God acts with an eternal purpose and a defined Goal for every event and for salvation. God's Goal is not arbitrary, but reflects His wisdom, goodness, and justice. Divine providence is the execution of this eternal Goal in time.
Doctrinal errors to be avoided include legalism, which attempts to reach the Goal of righteousness by human merit, denying the sufficiency of Christ's work and God's grace. Antinomianism, on the other hand, errs by disregarding the Goal of sanctification and obedience, arguing that once saved by grace, the believer no longer has moral responsibility. Both extremes distort the biblical balance between God's sovereignty and human responsibility, between grace and holiness. The true believer recognizes that the Goal is given by God and achieved by grace, but diligently pursued in faith and obedience.
5. Goal and the practical life of the believer
The theological understanding of the Goal has profound implications for the practical life of the believer, shaping their piety, worship, and service. A living and authentic faith is one that lives with intentionality, directed toward the supreme Goal that God has established.
First, the divine Goal inspires a life of personal responsibility and obedience. Although salvation is by grace (sola gratia), the Christian life is not passive. Paul exhorts believers to "work out their own salvation with fear and trembling" (Philippians 2:12), not to earn it, but to live in accordance with the Goal that God has already established and is working in them (Philippians 2:13). This is manifested in the pursuit of holiness, the struggle against sin, and conformity to the image of Christ (Romans 8:29). The believer, knowing God's Goal for their life, strives to attain it by the power of the Holy Spirit.
The Goal also shapes the believer's piety. A pious life is a focused life, not distracted by the trivialities of the world, but concentrated on what is eternal and pleasing to God. This implies cultivating spiritual disciplines such as prayer, reading the Word, fellowship, and fasting, not as ends in themselves, but as means to approach Christ's Goal and His will. Jesus' Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 6:33 exhorts us to seek "first the kingdom of God and his righteousness," placing the divine Goal above all earthly concerns.
Worship is intrinsically directed toward a Goal. God is the ultimate Goal of all our worship and praise. Psalm 115:1 declares: "Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to your name give glory." To worship is to acknowledge and exalt God as the supreme Goal of our existence, attributing to Him all honor and majesty. Genuine worship reflects a heart that understands God's purpose and responds to Him with reverence and gratitude.
In Christian service, the concept of Goal is fundamental. Each believer is called to serve God and neighbor with the gifts and talents they have received, always with the Goal of building up the Kingdom of God and glorifying Christ. Paul instructs the Colossians: "Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men" (Colossians 3:23). The Goal of our service is not human recognition, but God's approval. This includes the great missionary Goal of making disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:19-20).
For the contemporary church, understanding the Goal is vital for its relevance and effectiveness. A church that loses sight of its divine Goal – the glory of God, world evangelism, and the edification of the saints – becomes introspective and ineffective. Pastors and leaders must constantly exhort the flock to keep their eyes fixed on the Goal, which is Christ (Hebrews 12:2), and to live intentionally for His Kingdom. The balance between doctrine and practice is essential: sound doctrine about God's Goal must lead to a holy and fruitful life. As the preacher Charles Spurgeon frequently reminded, the gospel is not just for conversion, but for continuous transformation, a journey toward the Goal of perfection in Christ.
In conclusion, the Goal, as a biblical and theological concept, is the expression of God's eternal purpose for creation and redemption, fully revealed and accomplished in Jesus Christ. It is the standard of righteousness that humanity failed to attain, but which is graciously provided in Christ through faith. For the believer, the Goal is the glory of God, conformity to Christ, sanctification, and participation in the advancement of the Kingdom. To live with a clear, biblical, and Christ-centered Goal is not merely an option, but the essence of authentic and fruitful Christian life, leading to deep piety, sincere worship, and dedicated service, all for the glory of God.