Zach’s Theological Musings

  [See Hyper-Contextualization post for some background regarding what concerns me on this subject.] 

  Paul’s sermon in Athens is often cited, especially in missionary contexts, to support the ideas of “building bridges” and “meeting people where they are at.” If anything, though, the kind of “bridge building” that I hear coming out in Paul’s sermon is very different from the kind of “bridge building” that says we should identify as much with our listeners as possible. Note in particular, the contrasting first and second person pronouns in Paul’s opening words:

“Men of Athens, I observe that you are very religious in all respects. For while I was passing through and examining the objects of your worship, I also found an altar with this inscription, “TO AN UNKNOWN GOD.’ Therefore what you worship in ignorance, this I proclaim to you…. Being then the children of God, we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and thought of man. Therefore having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now declaring to men that all people everywhere should repent, because He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the dead.” - Acts 17:22-23, 29-31

  The Greek word for “judge” here (in verse 31) is rooted in the idea of separation. In this sermon we see a chasm of separation. Paul is declaring to the Athenians that they are on the dangerous side of the chasm, the side that is soon to face that righteous judgement of God. He, on the other hand, has found safe ground by God’s grace. If he was still in their position he would be of no help to them. But precisely because he is not where they are at, he is able to plea with them, “Come, cross over from there to here.”

  Yes, there certainly is a bridge in this sermon. But Paul didn’t build it. He pointed people to the Man appointed by God, the One and Only who has ever bridged the gap from death to life.

“I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes Him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.” John 5:24

  There is a disturbingly growing, and growingly disturbing, hyper-contextualization movement in Protestant missions today arising, in part, out of guilt over Western “Christian” colonialism of the past.

  Now, don’t misunderstand me, Biblical Christian missionary work is certainly not cultural imperialism. Thank God that many Western missionaries today recognize that the gospel of Christ does not need to come with the baggage of Western clothing, architecture, and extra-Biblical or un-Biblical traditions. Amen!

  But the pendulum is now swinging out of control in the other direction. Hindus are being told by “Christian missionaries” to remain Hindus, and Muslims to remain Muslims, in order to remain a part of the community for more “long-term effective witness.”

  Consider the following quotes from a major “evangelical” missionary journal regarding what the authors think “following Christ” might look like in polytheistic India:

“Follow-Up Reflections on Churchless Christianity“, in Mission Frontiers, by Herbert Hoefer, March-April 1999

….

His first advice is, “If anyone asks, tell them you are a Hindu.” It is acceptable to worship the god of your choice as a Hindu. The statement also indicates that you have identified yourself with the culture, history, traditions, and cause of the nation.

Secondly, he advises Jesu bhaktas [”devotee of Jesus”] never to go to a church. He warns that they will usually come after you immediately, embarrassing both you and your family. This will cause unnecessary misunderstanding and opposition with your family.

….

All involved need to do some bold and controversial envisioning, as suggested in my second opening question: “If you could envision an India won for Christ, what would its religious life be like?”

My vision? I see pilgrimage sites and ashrams scattered throughout the land. I see church year festivals and saints days that are now “minor” developing into major social events, and many new Christian family rituals. I see roadside shrines everywhere: “Father” shrines for protection, “Son” shrines for forgiveness, “Holy Spirit” shrines to pray for help and guidance and strength.

————————————————

“Christ-Followers in India Flourishing– Outside the Church” in Mission Frontiers, H.L. Richard, March-April 1999 [emphasis added]

That is, the church building is used like a temple for occasional visits when the need is felt; a picture of Christ is central to their devotion; they attend large Christian conventions rather on the pattern of taking a pilgrimage; and they follow an ishta devata theology of Jesus as a personal, chosen deity among many gods, if not in abstract theology, at least in practice in their highly pressurized situations.

…

However, some might argue that this [the “smothering embrace of Hinduism”] is the danger with the ishta devata strategy I am proposing. It will lead not to an indigenous Christianity but to a Christianized Hinduism. Perhaps more accurately we should say a Christ-ized Hinduism. I would suggest that really both are the same, and therefore we should not worry about it. We do not want to change the culture or the religious genius of India. We simply want to bring Christ and His Gospel into the center of it.

The real move toward an indigenous Christian faith can never come from the Christian community. It must grow out of the ‘Churchless Christianity’, with the help and encouragement of the church. (207-210)

  In the second to last paragraph above the author tries to shield himself from complete and obvious heresy by saying, “We simply want to bring Christ and His Gospel into the center of [India].” But if Mr. Richard’s Christ can “come to the center” of any community or nation without radically challenging, transforming, and overturning the culture and the “religious genius” of its pagan, polytheistic people, then the “Christ” he knows is not the One that I know.

  In the following quote a long-term missionary to Asia advises the majority of young missionaries that it is best to go no further than identifying themselves as a mystic or cultural Muslim in order to be a “witness” to (other) Muslims. Officially converting to Sunni or Shiite Islam is a strategy best left to the well-seasoned missionaries who are ready to handle the “complex theological issues” involved:

“Messianic Muslim Followers of Isa“, by John Travis, International Journal of Mission Frontiers, Vol 17:1, Spring 2000

If a believer truly feels called of God to somehow enter a certain sect or local expression of Islam, and if he can with integrity share the identity of those Muslims and maintain his witness for Christ, then I will not condemn him. Theoretically, I suppose it is possible that some types of folk or Sufi Muslim groups, or other localized forms of Islam, may be conducive to such an approach, but officially converting from Christianity to any variety of orthodox Islam involves so many complex theological and cultural hurdles that it is most unwise for the typical young, aspiring missionary who is eager to contextualize.

  It is important to note that the examples above are not fringe. My experience with the modern “evangelical missions movement” is that the thinking expressed in the articles above is quickly becoming acceptable in the eyes of the majority.

  This post is an introduction to the topic. I intend future posts to address where hyper-contextualist thinking has departed from God’s revealed will in the Bible, along with what correctly belongs in its place.

1. Regarding the salvific necessity of clearly and openly confessing Christ as Lord, see my post: If You Confess with Your Mouth.
2. “All things to all men”: the real thrust of I Cor 9:19-23, in context, is love, not missiological strategy. Pursuing genuine Christ-like love, rather than strategies, makes all the difference in the world.
3. “What you worship in ignorance”: Paul’s sermon on Mars Hill is indeed a great model and lesson regarding speaking to people of other religions. But did he really build bridges in the way that is sometimes claimed?

  Galatians is a book about the gospel – the true gospel versus a false gospel. Paul was an apostle, a herald sent to proclaim the gospel. Galatians 2 tells about a meeting between Peter, God’s chosen apostle to the Jews in particular, and Paul — set apart as apostle to the Gentiles. The meeting was about the core of the gospel that each was proclaiming. As they extended the right hand of fellowship to each other and bless each other on their way, something seems to almost come up “out of the blue” in this context:

They only asked us to remember the poor– the very thing I also was eager to do. - Galatians 2:20

  “Go Paul, preach justification by faith, preach the sufficiency of Christ and the cross, establish churches,… and as you go, be sure to remember the poor.”

  “But of course!”, he replies.

  This scene is so much more pleasant than some of the Christian infighting that frequently goes on regarding what form of ministry is most important. “Evangelism is more important than social action.” “No! Social action is more important than evangelism.” Whoa, brothers, hold on! It’s not a bad thing to be passionate about evangelism and church-planting missions. It is not a bad thing to be passionate about social action and domestic ministry. We’re not each other’s enemy.

  I really like this quote found on a particular page of the Desiring God website:

We do not want to compete for funding with churches, mission agencies, and organizations focusing on the poor and persecuted. We’d rather compete with McDonalds, Microsoft, and Miramax.

  Do you have a zeal to see the gospel reach the remote tribes of the world and you get frustrated to hear about a church “throwing away” their money on some domestic ministry project that seems not nearly so desperate? Or is it the opposite, do you have a zeal to help the poor in your community and you get frustrated when church members want to send money to some far off place while there are so many needs back here at home? Hey, don’t bite and devour each other. I dare say Christians will probably never be guilty of too much evangelism, too much social action, too much foreign missions effort, or too much domestic ministry. Too much time and money spent on videos games, vacations, and vehicles is entirely likely, but we can never love God too much, and we can never do too much to love fellow man for His sake.

  Oh sure, imbalances do exist. And they do need to be addressed at times. But in general, if you are passionate about something (anything!) that brings glory to God and is for the genuine well-being of man, then great! I want to be one who encourages you. Even if the area of service on your heart is not the same direction that I want to invest my limited time, talent, and treasure, if you are doing something more valuable that watching TV, then I salute you! (And if someone out there is truly watching TV for the glory of God, well then, um, please explain that one to me for my future reference.)

  I pray that within the church of Jesus Christ missions would not be the enemy of domestic ministry, and social action would not be the enemy of evangelism, but rather that all things which are good and righteous and pure would triumph over the frivolous, the sinful, and the shallow pleasures of this world.

  This fact needs to be stated, and it needs to be said with a deep love for Muslim people and from a longing for them to be reconciled to the One True God who is misrepresented in the Quran.

  Words are powerful. It was by the power of His spoken word that God created the world, “Let there be!… And there was.” I believe that one of the powerful forces that keeps Muslims in bondage is simply the oft repeated declaration of phrases such as, “Muhammed is the prophet of God.” Almost always, if people are continually showered with one message with no contending voices, they will conform to what they hear.

  At the baptism of Jesus, God spoke from heaven and declared, “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased” (Luke 3:22). Moreover, He was “declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord” (Rom 1:4). God having given such a powerful testimony, mankind became responsible for their response:

We accept man’s testimony, but God’s testimony is greater because it is the testimony of God, which he has given about his Son. Anyone who believes in the Son of God has this testimony in his heart. Anyone who does not believe God has made him out to be a liar, because he has not believed the testimony God has given about his Son. And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. - I John 5:9-12

But Muhammed attempts to overturn God’s own testimony, making God out to be a liar. Since words are powerful, I can’t even bear to include the following destructive quotes from the Quran without some serious editing. The parts that are cross off are the Quranic text.

The Christians call Christ the son of Allah [”He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.” - I John 5:12]. That is a saying from their mouth; [”This is my beloved Son” is the statement of God’s own mouth (Matt 3:17)] (in this) they but imitate what the unbelievers of old used to say [The truth of the Trinity is not polytheism. Jesus, the Bible, Christianity, and Christians all deny polytheism and affirm that there is only One God. Blasphemous pagan mythologies about gods having sons and daughters are Satan’s attempt to counterfeit the truth]. Allah’s curse be on them [”Like a sparrow in its flitting, like a swallow in its flying, a curse that is causeless does not alight.” - Proverbs 26:2]: how they are deluded away from the Truth! [”I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well.” - Jesus, in John 14:6] - Quran, Al-Tawba 9:30, Yusuf Ali Translation

Christ Jesus the son of Mary was (no more than) a messenger of Allah [”In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe. The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. So he became as much superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is superior to theirs.” - Hebrews 1:1-4], and His Word [Yes, Jesus is the Word of God. That’s precisely why He is much more than just a messenger. Prophets speak some of God’s words, Jesus IS God’s Word. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning.” - John 1:1-3], which He bestowed on Mary, and a spirit proceeding from Him: so believe in Allah and His messengers. Say not “Trinity” : desist: it will be better for you: for Allah is one Allah: Glory be to Him: (far exalted is He) above having a son. To Him belong all things in the heavens and on earth. And enough is Allah as a Disposer of affairs - Quran, Al-Nisa 4:171, Yusuf Ali Translation

  The falseness of Muhammed is not the ultimate message. It is not the gospel. The gospel is that Jesus died for our sins according to the Scriptures, was buried, and was raised according to the Scriptures. But sadly those are the very precious truths that Muhammed denies. So for a Muslim to turn and embrace the gospel of Jesus Christ, they must at some point come to terms with the fact that Muhammed’s message came from Satan, the father of lies.

  Muslims have no hesitation about “confidently” denying the divine Sonship of Christ. Part of our engagement with Islam requires affirming the true identity of our Lord. But additionally, if Muslims continuously affirm the prophethood of Muhammed (saying the creed is one of the five pillars of Islam) and no one says anything to the contrary, will they not think to themselves, “Here we are, declaring publicly Muhammed is a prophet of God, and no one is saying a word against it. Have not the Christians and others concluded that it is true?” (Compare John 7:26)

  We don’t want to insult Islam because of any sinful anger or bitterness in ourselves. We don’t want to “get even” for the truths that have been denied about Jesus. But we do need to find a way to humbly, boldly, lovingly, compassionately say, “No, Muhammed is not a prophet of God. He was deceived, and he became a deceiver.”

  May the Word of God make his light shine in the hearts of our brothers and sisters who are yet to come from the Muslim world, to give them the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God.” - Jesus, in John 3:16-22

  As an evangelical Christian, I never expected to hear myself say this, but I think it is Biblical and it needs to be said: believing in Jesus in your heart alone is not enough to be saved. In particular, I’m referring to verses like the classic “how to be saved” text, Romans 10:9-10:

[I]f you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved; for with the heart man believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.

Although these verses are very common in gospel presentations, we usually emphasize more on the “believe in your heart” part (together with “saying the sinner’s prayer” which, although not necessarily bad, is certainly extra-Biblical). But here Paul puts confessing Jesus with your mouth right up there with genuine faith as essential to salvation.

  This observation, as far as I can see, does not raise any immediate, outward, application for most of us in the already Christianized world. Confessing Christ as Lord with our mouths usually goes right along with believing in Him. If you have trusted in Christ but you don’t confess Him as Lord with your mouth, then do so! But I think most of us who have trusted Him in our hearts have also confessed Him with our mouths, and continue to do so. But there are serious implications here for missions and, at least on the level of self-examination of the heart, for all of us. 

  Consider together with me: Romans was written to “the beloved of God in…” where? Rome. And who else lived in Rome? The emperor. Caesar. Now, it appears that Caesar wasn’t too fond of people in his empire following other authorities. Remember what finally got Jesus sentenced to death?

As a result of this Pilate made efforts to release Him, but the Jews cried out saying, “If you release this Man, you are no friend of Caesar; everyone who makes himself out to be a king opposes Caesar.” … Pilate said to them, “Shall I crucify your King?” The chief priests answered, “We have no king but Caesar.” So he then handed Him over to them to be crucified.  John 19:12-16 

And don’t forget about this:

But the Jews, becoming jealous and taking along some wicked men from the market place, formed a mob and set the city in an uproar; and attacking the house of Jason, they were seeking to bring them out to the people. When they did not find them, they began dragging Jason and some brethren before the city authorities, shouting, “These men who have upset the world have come here also; and Jason has welcomed them, and they all act contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, Jesus.”  Acts 17:5-7

  If confessing Christ to be a king could get you in trouble out in the remote parts of the empire, then how about in Rome? Indeed, I see a number of hints that the Christians in Rome were not a timid lot. Paul took it for granted that they had all been baptized (Rom 6:3), an OPEN declaration of their faith. The church of Rome consisted of people who were willing to risk their own necks for the gospel (Rom 16:4). Faith like that is often contagious. When people see their brother risking his neck for the gospel, and rejoicing in Christ through it, then they are emboldened to do likewise (cf. Phil 1). No wonder the Romans’ faith and obedience were “famous throughout the world” (Rom 1:8, Rom 16:19). The church in Rome would be like the church in Beijing or Pyongyang. The rest of us, further removed from the anti-Christian political capital would look at them and say, “If they are bold in their confession of faith, then certainly we should be too!”

  Paul wasn’t naive. If anyone knew that there were consequences for openly declaring Christ to be Lord, it was Paul. He knew. And still he told the church in Caesar’s backyard that salvation comes through confessing Jesus Christ as Lord not only in your heart, but with your mouth.

 The only examples in the Bible of people hiding faith in Christ that I know of are the disciples who deserted Christ upon His arrest (11 out of 12 of them repented and were restored), and a certain group of rulers:

Nevertheless many even of the rulers believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they were not confessing Him, for fear that they would be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the approval of men rather than the approval of God. John 12:42-43

Now, the Bible doesn’t explicitly say whether these rulers were born again or not. But as for me, I certainly don’t want to stand before God and hear Him say, “You did not love My approval,” lest what comes next is, “Therefore you have not received it.”

  Jesus warned us that as we do or do not testify of Him before men, so He will or will not testify of us before His Father:

“Therefore everyone who confesses Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father who is in heaven.” Matt 10:32-33, cf. Luke 12:8-9

  The application is clear, I believe, for those who would follow Christ in Mecca, Medina, Kabul, Istanbul, Astana, Ho Chi Minh City, and for Communist Party members in China. Set your heart fully on that day when Christ, with all rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms and every creature under the heavens looking on, lifts you up in the presence of His Father seated on the throne, and says, “This one belongs to ME! See, he declared me to be his Lord while he was on earth in the face of all of Satan’s hostilities because he loved the approval of God rather than men!”

  The rest of us, in much less hostile circumstances, will hopefully not hesitate to confess Jesus Christ as Lord. And we can further examine our hearts. Would we be prepared to confess Jesus as Lord under the shadow of Caesar’s palace?

  I’m don’t believe I’m over-dramatizing, but simply trying to be true to the Scripture, in saying that at least when it comes to confessing Jesus Christ as Lord, timidity is a salvation issue:

“But for the cowardly and unbelieving…, their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.” (Rev 21:8)

  Which brings us to the great news. You know that famous faith of the ancient Roman Christians that we are hearing about even up to today? It came from God. “I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you [Romans], because your faith is being proclaimed throughout the whole world.” (Rom 1:8) Thank God for the famous faith of the ancient Roman Christians. Be encouraged and challenged by their example. The same God who supplied them with faith is ready to supply you as well.