THEOLOGICAL FOUNDATIONS: Rediscovering God’s Original Intent - A Theology of Dominion and Stewardship

In the rush of evangelism and the commendable focus on personal salvation, the Church has often overlooked the very first command God gave to humanity—the cultural mandate. Before there was sin, before there was sacrifice, there was stewardship. Before Adam and Eve fell, they were commissioned. This commission—known as the Dominion Mandate—is not just ancient history; it is the theological foundation for nation discipling and cultural transformation today.

Genesis 1:26–28 captures it plainly:

“Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion…over all the earth…’ And God blessed them. And God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion...’”

This original intent is not an optional footnote in redemptive history—it is the very starting line. To disciple nations, we must recover this foundational theology of dominion and stewardship.

Made in God’s Image: Authority with Accountability

Being made in God’s image means more than possessing rationality or morality—it means we are His representatives on the earth. In ancient Near Eastern terms, an image was a statue or symbol placed by a king in conquered territory to declare his rule. God made humanity to be living icons—representations of His rule and reign on the earth.

To be human, then, is to be commissioned.

But this image-bearing is not autonomous rule. Dominion is not domination. It is authority under divine accountability. We are stewards, not sovereigns—entrusted to manage God’s creation according to His righteous standards (Psalm 8:6–8).

Dominion as Cultivation, Not Control

Too often, dominion is misunderstood as exploitative power. But biblically, dominion is better understood as cultivation—causing life to flourish.

Genesis 2:15 deepens the mandate:

“The LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it.”

The Hebrew words abad (to serve/work) and shamar (to guard/keep) suggest worshipful stewardship, not coercive rule. Dominion is about drawing out the latent potential of the world—whether in soil, society, or the soul of a nation.

Whether farming land, raising children, teaching in schools, or building nations, the original intention remains: fill the earth with the beauty and order of God’s ways.

The Cultural Mandate and the Nations

When God commanded Adam and Eve to "be fruitful, multiply, and fill the earth," He was initiating more than family life—He was launching a civilization shaped by His glory.

As image-bearers spread across the globe, they were meant to establish:

• Families that reflect God's covenant love

• Communities built on justice, mercy, and righteousness

• Governments that protect the good and restrain evil

• Economies that reflect stewardship and generosity

• Cultures that glorify the Creator in art, law, and learning

Discipling nations is not about conquest, but about replanting Eden—restoring God's order in every domain of life. It is not escapism, but engagement.

The Fall Distorted, But Didn’t Cancel the Mandate

Sin twisted humanity’s stewardship into self-centered tyranny. Cain built cities for his name. Babel was an attempt to centralize power and control. But the mission wasn’t abandoned—it was redeemed.

God chose Abraham with this vision:

“In you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” (Genesis 12:3)

Jesus, the last Adam, came not only to save souls but to restore our mission. He reissued the mandate in Matthew 28:18–20—“Go and make disciples of all nations…”—an echo of Eden’s call to fill the earth with God’s glory.

Discipling Nations Starts with a Reclaimed Theology of Dominion

To see societal transformation, we must reclaim a holistic gospel—one that speaks to the soul and society. We must:

• Teach believers that their vocation is sacred

• Train leaders in theology for public life

• Equip the Church to disciple not just individuals but institutions

• Inspire a vision of the Kingdom that includes education, economics, law, media, and politics

• Preach that the garden is not abandoned—it’s being replanted in every city, every sector, every nation

Conclusion:

If we want to see nations discipled, cultures transformed, and justice flow like mighty waters, we must go back to the beginning. We must pursue a new reformation rooted in an ancient mandate.

Genesis 1 is not just the origin of the world—it is the origin of our mission. The gospel is not less than salvation, but it is more—it is the restoration of a world under God’s loving rule through His image-bearers.

The time has come for the Church to remember who we are and why we were made. We are stewards of the King. Builders of His culture. Disciples of nations.