The Global Zoo
Posted by Andre Houssney in Contextualization, Cultural Issues on March 8, 2010
This post has been revised from Original, enough so, it’s worth a re-read. Please leave comments!
On the cover of almost every missions brochure you can find the same thing: Glossy color photos of exotic faces. A henna-covered woman in a veil, a weathered-faced man wearing a turban, a New Guinean highlander with a bone in his nose. This desire for the exotic reflects an ideal I call “The Global Zoo.”
We go to the zoo to see animals, in all their colors, shapes and forms. We like to see them in exhibits approximating their natural habitat. These animals, however, are in captivity. They do not have their freedom. They exist in zoos not for themselves but for our pleasure and education.
Turn on the Discovery Channel or flip open a National Geographic Magazine, and you can see people treated in much the same way. A boat makes its way up river in a documentary on the Amazon. Deep in the jungle the crew disembarks to be met by a band of rainforest dwellers; one of them is wearing a cotton T-shirt. The narrator intones about the tragedy of encroaching civilization and the loss of their traditional way of life. He does not pause to think that this man chose to wear the T-shirt because he may like the protection it gives him against sun and mosquitos. He ignores the fact that the metal knife he now has saves him endless hours of work. His plastic bottle allows him to carry water with him and keep it clean. The narrator begrudges the man these simple things; he wishes to keep the man in a global zoo.
If the T-shirt, to the producers of the show, represents the corrupting influence of the modern world, how much more corrupting must be televisions, refrigerators, schools and medicines. But you wont find them forsaking these things! They want their education and entertainment, their refrigerators–keeping their food from spoiling and the many other benefits of modern life.
This is the self-serving and unloving attitude of the secular world. In his “natural habitat,” the Amazon native provides viewing pleasure for all those at home. The T-shirt, to the producers of the show, is the beginning of the end of their revenue stream, nobody goes to the zoo to see dogs and cats, nor does anybody watch National Geographic to see people in T-shirts. The film crew is there not to give but to take. They use the locals to create images and stories, the more colorful, the more money and success for them.
Secular anthropologists are not only content to impassively observe their subjects from the exhibit fence, they actually built the fence to prevent the loss of a “wild species”. They are attached to the false idea that traditional societies live in some kind of perpetual Garden of Eden until Westerners disrupt their paradise. There is no such nostalgia for their own societies, however. Academia is labeled “liberal” because they do want to change their own societies. Other cultures, however are locked in a romanticized ideal. This is simply another face of colonialism, a double standard which has unfortunately been adopted by the missions community.
Long ago it was considered acceptable to display “primitive” people such as Pygmies and Indians in zoos. This was the same period in which colonists were attempting to force their culture on peoples around the world. Today, people are no longer in literal zoos, but in virtual ones.
The reality is that very few of the world’s citizens today live in the same way that their grandparents did. Like it or not, the world is changing. The photos on the covers of missions brochures do not truly represent the people of the world; they are more representative of the global zoo. The people that God has called us to love are more likely to go to work on a dirty bus than on a camel, donkey or ox-cart. They more likely wear a T-shirt than a tunic. If that somehow feels like a loss to us, we need to check our hearts and reexamine our priorities. Is it our business to encourage people to stay within an outdated or difficult way of life, a rotten and corrupt culture, a traditional group identity?
The scripture tells us: “See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland.” (Is 43:19) “The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” (II Cor 5:17) Cultural change brought on by the transformative power of Christ is a good thing. Is it justified to resist both the inevitable change of cultures and the redemptive work of the Holy Spirit within a culture for the sake of preserving some vestiges of a corrupt human cultural system?
Are we willing to bring a message of transformation and freedom or would we rather see people locked into an exhibit?
Contextualization and the Ethics of Translation
Posted by Andre Houssney in Biblical Missiology, Contextualization, Cultural Issues, Islamic Studies on February 23, 2010
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C.S. Lewis once wrote in a letter: “Odd, the way the less the Bible is read the more it is translated.” Despite a declining interest in scripture distribution, new contextualist ‘translations’, have become quite in vogue. Much of what they call translation, however, goes far beyond the meaning of the term. In zeal to make the gospel known, some “translators” have actually become commentators. Rather than being content to present their interpretations in a separate paragraph, side-bar or footnote, they have turned to twisting and editing the plain words of Scripture. They have done so, apparently, in order to lessen the offense and ease the acceptance of Scripture by what they judge to be a hostile audience.
Muslim critics have long accused Christians of having changed and twisted the word of God over centuries to suit their needs. Christians, they argue, do not honestly translate the Scriptures but instead make “versions” to suit their desires. Although this is a great distortion¹, sadly, some Christians are now proving their case.
To attempt a translation, regardless of what you are translating, requires a certain integrity and carries a great responsibility. You are representing someone else’s thoughts and expressions. You must speak for them. Imagine if a mere translator at the UN decided that he could improve upon the ideas of the head of state for whom he was translating! How much more sober is the responsibility of the Bible translator. To render the words of God is no light matter! How then can some ‘play fast and loose’ with some of the essential and core concepts in the Bible?
In articles written over several years², Rick Brown, a modern contextualist “Bible scholar and missions strategist” promotes a shocking strategy to overcome Muslim objections to the Bible. He advocates stripping the terms “Son of God” and “sons of God” from the pages of the Scripture and replacing them with “Christ of God”, “Christ sent from God” or “Word of God”³.
He argues, “Muslims have heard that Christians call Jesus the ‘offspring of God’ and this has been presented to them repeatedly as Exhibit A in the case against Christianity and its ‘corruption’ of the Bible.” He says, “there is a dire need to correct these misunderstandings and to invalidate the accusation in a timely manner. This can be done in communications of every sort, but by all means it should be done in the Scriptures.⁴”
With the wave of his hand Rick Brown wants to wipe away the greatest and most powerful images in all of God’s revelation to man: the Fatherhood of God, the begotten Sonship of Christ, and the Father’s invitation for us to be his children.⁵
This is clearly far beyond the scope of a translator. Every people group on earth has a simple, clear and easily understood word for ‘son’. Beyond this, Arabic and Hebrew are such close cousins that words like “son” share largely similar idiomatic usage as well as connotative, and literal meaning. Brown is not content to simply translate. He judges the content itself to be unwise and imprudent.
What about the offense that Muslims take when they hear the phrase ‘Son of God’? People may be equally offended when they learn that in Genesis 22:2 God asks Abraham to kill his own son! It may turn them off to the entire message of the gospel, but that does not give any translator the right to remove that passage and skip right from chapter 21 to 23.
Furthermore, God knew full well exactly how Muslims would take it. Not much differently, in fact, than the Jews who originally heard Jesus’ words themselves took it. They were enraged that Jesus was called ‘Son of God’.⁶ In John 5:18 the Jews tried all the harder to kill him; because “he was even calling God his own Father.” John 19:7 tells us that the Jews insisted, “we have a law, and according to that law he must die, because he claimed to be the Son of God.” It was offensive to some Jews at that time, and in the same way, it is offensive to some Muslims now. But others are stunned at the revelation that God calls himself their Father⁷.
Jesus was a Semite and understood the implications of calling God his “Father.” Ironically, Brown’s attempt at contextualization inserts an unmistakable Western bias. By attempting to whitewash its powerful images, Brown is distancing the text from its Semitic roots. As a Westerner, he seems uncomfortable with both the mystery and allegory of scriptural images like “Son of God.” Though they were, and are, controversial (avoiding controversy in the Arab world is truly impossible and not desirable unless you wish to be seen as weak), Jesus, as a Semitic orator, used powerful and shocking images like “Son of God” or “My Body is the Temple” to communicate the transcendent.
Jesus emphasized filial language, not merely despite the intense controversy that it generated, but in fact to provoke a reaction. John 10 records an incident in which the Jews were about to stone Jesus for blasphemy, “because you, being a man, make yourself God.” (vs 33) This was in response to Jesus calling God his Father and saying “I and the Father are one.” Did Jesus recognize a ‘misunderstanding’ and back down from or explain away his use of filial language? No! “Jesus answered them, I have shown you many good works from the Father; for which of them are you going to stone me?” Jesus did not minimize, but underlined the importance of the fatherhood/sonship relationship by using the term ‘father’ at an intense moment of conflict over that very issue.
If Brown is really worried about the implications of this phrase, he could recommend an explanatory comment, introduction, sidebar or footnote. Instead, by deeming himself worthy and capable of rewriting the Scriptures and improving on Jesus’ words he is being astoundingly presumptuous and vastly overstepping the bounds of what can ethically be called a ‘translation.’ Brown has plainly moved out of the realm translation and into the pushing of a revisionist agenda, even at the high cost of damaging the integrity of the Scriptures themselves. In so doing, he risks validating “the case against Christianity and its ‘corruption’ of the Bible” that Muslims level against the Holy Word of God.
Removing the offense of the gospel is fruitless, as Mark Dever eloquently points out:
One part of clarity sometimes missed by earnest evangelists, however, is the willingness to offend. Clarity with the claims of Christ certainly will include the translation of the Gospel into words that our hearer understands, but it doesn’t necessarily mean translating it into words that our hearer will like… A gospel which in no way offends the sinner has not been understood.⁸
No one is wise enough to re-write God’s word; unintended consequences are unavoidable and devastating. The scripture tells us that the mysteries of God are spiritually discerned, not rationally (Ephesians 3:3-5, I Corinthians 2:10-13).
Though it may sound to the “Greek” like foolishness, the gospel is nevertheless “a secret and hidden wisdom of God” (I Corinthians 2:7).
Spiritual truths are understood and accepted by the Spirit of God, not by simplification. As Peter wrote in II Peter 1:20-21:
“[No] scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation. For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man…” In the same way, no one can rewrite the Scripture to suit every circumstance or context.
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FOOTNOTES:
1 ) I often point out to my Muslim friends that when Christians find a textual variant in a manuscript they make a footnote. But when Muslims find a textual variant in an ancient Qur’an, they make a bonfire.
2 ) “The Son of God” Understanding the Messianic Titles of Jesus, International Journal of Frontier Missions, Vol. 17:1 Spring 2000; Delicate Issues in Mission Part I: Explaining the Biblical Term ‘Son(s) of God’ in Muslim Contexts, IJFM Vol. 22:3 Fall 2005; Delicate Issues in Mission Part II: Translating the Biblical Term ‘Son(s) of God’ in Muslim Contexts, IJFM 22:4 Winter 2005.
3 ) IJFM 22:4 pg. 143.
4 ) IJFM 22.3 pg. 95.
5 ) Staggeringly woeful arguments are made on the way to this conclusion such as the wholesale dismissal of the Gospel of John, and all but the “high Christological” passages of Paul, as well as piles of Arabic idiomatic expressions, but space does not permit a more in-depth refutation of his arguments.
6 ) Countless other “family” images in scripture such as inheritance, co-heirship, adoption and numerous parables such as the Two Sons, the Prodigal Son, the Master of the Vinyard, and others would be meaningless without the father-son nature of the God.
7 ) “I Dared to Call Him Father” by Belqis Sheik is one touching example.
8 ) August 29, 2006, A Good Offense, Mark Dever http://blog.togetherforthegospel.org/2006/08/a_good_offense.html
See also his talk at the 2008 T4G Conference: Improving the Gospel: Exercises in Unbiblical Theology, Mark Dever, Minute 42:51-43:41 http://www.sovereigngraceministries.org/Resources/T4G.aspx All online citations March/April 2009.
The Gospel is a Story: Biblical Missiology put to work.
Posted by Georges Houssney in Biblical Missiology on February 19, 2010
The Gospel is a Story
It was not until I got to college and met with the Navigators that I began to learn how to present the gospel in a structured way. God used the Navigators to teach me discipline in reading, studying, and memorizing the word of God. The more than 1000 verses I memorized have been instrumental in my spiritual walk. When faced with trials and temptations, appropriate verses popped into my head and I felt the power of God’s presence and his truth helping me gain victory.
This was 40 years ago. Since then it has taken me four decades to correct the problems that verse memorization caused. Many times the verse is cut out of a passage and memorized out of context. Their gospel message is composed of a group of verses taken from various contexts to form a structured presentation. There is no denying that God used this approach to help me lead a number of people to Christ.
Compared to before college and in more recent years, my effectiveness suffered. I often attributed that to failure, forgetfulness, lack of fervent prayer or sin in my life. Certainly any of these factors can hinder our spiritual walk and our effective witness.
I saw quite a few people come to Christ by sharing the gospel as a love story and offering people a relationship with Jesus. It worked.
I finally put my fingers on the problem. I now believe this is the reason the Insider Movement is what it is. The gospel is presented as a set of facts or truths. The Four Spiritual Laws were used by God mightily and I personally have led people to Christ using them. But I noticed over time that those who are responding tend to come from Christian backgrounds. When sharing the same truths with Muslims the results were not as encouraging.
Why? And why did it take me decades to find out? The answer is simple. I have been taught a construct, a paradigm that does not touch the hearts of Muslims. For they are not inclined to be drawn to intellectual facts and truths.
Does this explain perhaps why you may have shared the gospel many times with meager results?
Increasingly in the last 20 years or so, I have noticed that Muslims are drawn to the story of God. Jesus is part of the story. Every person is included in God’s story.
A few days ago, February, 2010 I sat with a young woman from N Africa in her country. She was a seeker. I began with Genesis chapter one. She and I read the story of creation with only a few comments. I stressed that God’s creation was good and that we are the crown of his creation, made in God’s image.
For over an hour I was working my way to Genesis twelve, the calling of Abraham and the three fold blessing promised him. By this time Maha grasped a clear picture of the purpose of creation; the fall, its causes and effects, and now she is beginning to learn about the Covenant and God’s great plan for the restoration of the image of God marred by sin.
This was not about how to receive forgiveness of sins or how to be rescued from hell. It is about God’s love and his sacrificial work on behalf of his creation. A lesson about Jesus the best expression of the Love of God was appropriate here and that is what I proceeded to talk about.
Next comes a survey of the entire Old Testament, the era of the judges, the kings and the prophets. Maha began to be fascinated by the richness of the Bible. “The Bible is set in history.” I explained, “It is not about some romantic ideas and poetical musings. It is truth from beginning to end. God entered history and took the hand of his people and rescued them from slavery. The story of Abraham’s obedience to God and willingness to sacrifice his son was at the center of God’s plan of salvation. He was showing his love and mercy to his people by providing a substitute. God did that for Abraham’s son as an illustration of what he will be doing one day through His own Son. The history of blood sacrifice was at the center of the Old Testament story.
That took about two hours. The last of the four hours of this long session was focused on Jesus and the necessity of the cross for salvation. She had by now already understood redemption by blood sacrifices. She understood God’s provision of a substitute for Abraham’s son.
Maha is now ready to enter into a relationship with the Living God through the one and only means of salvation, Jesus Christ, God’s son and our Lord.
Her entry into the kingdom was glorious. After kneeling and accepting Christ, she stood up and gave hugs to all four people witnessing this celebration of a new life with the angels in Heaven. (Luke 15:10)
Her prayer in her own words including the steps I shared with her: Admission of guilt, Confession of sin, Repentance, inviting Christ to enter her life and accepting him as her savior. She also told God she is His forever and she will follow him faithfully the rest of her life.
It was not repeat these words after me and you will be saved. I almost never tell people what to say in prayer. This for me is a BIG test of the presence of the Holy Spirit. Some prayers I have heard from the mouths of some, could only have come from the Spirit of God. This is the evidence that something deep happened in the heart and not only some quick fix prayer.
The gospel is not merely a set of facts structured in a logical progression of thoughts. It is a story of God’s romantic love toward his creation and his condescending love that caused him to sacrifice his one and only son to establish a relationship with Maha and adopt her as his precious daughter.
This is Biblical Missiology put to work. Praise God.
(This is the most recent experience sharing the story with a Muslim. I have been using this “method” for a long time with good results.)
For the Glory of God Alone
Posted by Mark S. in Biblical Missiology, Kingdom of God on January 28, 2010
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Missions is 100% about glorifying God, not about saving souls. God saves souls, not missions. Everything we do, is about the glory of God. Worship, Community, Mission, it is about God. He is worthy and all the heavens and earth were made to glorify Him. It is the reason we have been created. ( Isaiah 43:7 ) It is the reason we are to do anything. ( 1 Corinthians 10:31 )
The Word of God, the book by which we are to draw closer and understand Him, brings Him glory for the purposes of bringing us closer to Him for His glory, for the purposes of us bringing Him glory. The central theme of our existence is bringing God glory.
One of the most talked about books of modern missions is John Piper’s “Let the Nations Be Glad”
John Piper writes:
“Missions is not the ultimate goal of the church. Worship is. Mission exists because worship doesn’t. Worship is ultimate, not missions, because God is ultimate, not man. When this age is over, and the countless millions of the redeemed fall on their faces before the throne of God, missions will be no more. It is a temporary necessity. But worship abides forever.”
As much respect and love I have for Mr. Piper and His writings, I’ll take his statement one further. Mission exists not because worship doesn’t, it exists because God loves to glorify Himself through the telling and sharing of Himself. Indeed, I believe that there is a good chance, missions, in one form or another will exist in heaven. I can imagine heaven will be filled with us going to one another and telling of God’s great victories, the gospel, and His fame! We need to take a step back and realize that missions isn’t about the lost. It’s about God. Again, the emphasis of this is life changing. Missions is not about men, people, you, me, human beings, life itself, or even souls lost or found. Missions is centrally, about the fame and honor and claim that God lays on His own renown. God stresses this so much so, that in the book of Ezekial he says over 70 times “You will know that I am the LORD.” God wants His name known.
Indeed, this viewpoint, that missions is an act of glory as much as worship, indeed being worship itself, must infect us from mind to soul. And when the realization that missions is 100% about God, and not about men, only then can we get down to the real mission of glorification of the almighty. Indeed, when we know this in our hearts, everything changes. Missions is no longer about numbers. It is no longer about people. It is no longer about a more thought out and intelligent strategy or plan that we devise. The measure of success lays simply, yet powerfully, in the glorification of God. God made missions to not only spread His renown, but to increase the power, boldness, and brilliance of His renown, God Himself brings this about. Missions is no longer about passing out Bibles, tracts, relationships, and so on, even how ‘good’ they may be. Missions is about how to bring about the most powerful and glory-filled expression to God.
So how does this change us? How does this change the way we think, the way our church thinks, and the way all of us do missions, for indeed everything should change! Immediately we need to realize the salvation of the lost is not the primary goal, glory is. If this statement bothers you, then the understanding that missions is for the soul purpose of God’s glory hasn’t hit the depths of your soul yet. When we understand and believe this, how we conceive mission changes. It’s not about strategy, numbers, unreached peoples, C1-C6 scales, 10/40 Windows, or any ‘man-based’ thinking. All of these man-made schemes will be replaced by ‘God-centric’ thinking. Only once the God-centric thinking has permeated our thoughts and soul can we truly engage the world around us in a meaningful way that brings about God’s glory. Then and only then as people endowed with the responsibility and privilege of bringing glory and honor and praise and renown to the throne of God, do we engage others in a God-centric glorifying way, and sharing His renown amongst them.
Only once we intentionally, daily, hourly, minute by minute and second by second guide all of our decisions by a God-centric worldview can we then look at missions anew and realize how far we have gone from the heart of God for mission.
Does God care about the lost? Of course! But even the way He cares, and loves, and brings about salvation shows His love for His own glory! God’s ultimate goal is His Glory. He brings that about through you, me, the saved, the lost, nature, and all of creation. Yes, indeed, all of creation sings glory to the Lord God almighty!
Biblical missiology is all about considering how the Bible reflects on current missiology, and how to call it back to the heart of God. Sadly the definition of missions for so many people is less about glorifying God, and more about getting a message out, getting numbers to respond, and letting supporters know about this. So many modernist mission strategies sway the masses of churches to do this and to do that. Try this and to try that. Yet the heart of God is calling us to stop, remember our first love, and to reflect on His ultimate purpose, bringing Himself glorify. I dare say, and the cry of my heart hurts at this thought, that God, is not pleased by the way we have done missions. However good, and well motivated our actions are. They are not a sweet aroma to Him. We have lost our first love, and been caught up in the business of missions, and lost the spirit that guides it.
Matthew 7:21-23 (NIV)
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’
We so often do things, and say, and perhaps even deceive ourselves in believing that our motivations and actions are the will of God. That will is bringing Himself glory through all of creation. We say that we do amazing things in the ‘Name of Jesus’, but our heart’s motivations betray us, and tell a different story. Do we not instead more often than not covet the applause of men? Do we not seek the approval of our supporters, congregations, friends, churches, and neighbors saying how such a good person we are. Indeed, Jesus Himself says, that we may say we did these things in His Name, but in truth we did not, and He never knew us.
Let us swear, and plead, and pray that as a church, we will not create inventions to glorify any man or invention of man, but will rest in the call of glorifying God, and in every situation, not pander to our worldview or even to others, but to take every chance to bring about the most ultimate fame and honor and glory for the One and only who deserves every second of glory we can worship Him with. When that time comes, we will no longer have arguments on the theology of man-centric strategies, but rather they will fade away and we will be working to out do one another in boldness in proclaiming without shame the fame and name and renown of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
As the body of Christ, all of us need to evaluate our strategies, ministries, and our lifestyles. Were they created to reach men, or to glorify God. Let us not deceive ourselves, so that we do not repent. No one can deceive God, and He perceives our motivations. Let us repent, turn, and reach out to the world to glorify God, and let God handle the numbers of salvations.
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The Most Powerful Tool in God’s Hands
Posted by Georges Houssney in Biblical Missiology, Christian Muslim Background on January 23, 2010
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The most powerful tool for evangelizing Muslims.
If we were to count the many ways God brings Muslims to himself, it would take a book. Well I am writing that book. But here in this limited space I want to share with you the very most powerful tool God has been using to draw Muslims to himself: It is the Bible God’s revealed written Word.
In my 26 years living in America I have found that many mature Christians are so familiar with the Scriptures that they do not realize its power. Well known verses such as “God so loved the world” is not such a big deal to most Christians. But to a Muslim who never knew of God’s love, it is dynamite.
At a conference of Christians from a Muslim Background (CMBs) I asked the 80 or so who were present: “What was the most critical factor in your coming to Christ?” Several responded that it was John 3:16. Years ago when I was a teen, I heard a truck driver in Lebanon tell his story that he have been addicted to drugs and other social and moral ills. When he was resting from a long drive one day. Some papers blew with the wind in his direction. A sliver of a page from a book landed on his knee. When he held it to read it he had no idea what it was. But the message was so powerful that he wanted to find the entire book. When he inquired he realized it was the gospel of John. The verse was John 3:16. “He later on sought to understand God’s love and a Lebanese pastor led him to Christ. He later on became a gospel preacher.
As a young worker back in 1971 I led a team to North Yemen. After a power admonition by my team leader at the time, Greg Livingstone, I vowed before God that I would take with me on this trip nothing but Gospels, NTs and some full Bibles. As I gave gospels to Yemenis I met, some of them returned the next day with red eyes. They had spent the entire night reading the gospels. They were struck by the power of the Spirit and in three weeks 35 Yemeni men prayed for salvation. Some of them in tears.
A great number of CMBs I have met over the 4 decades of ministry have been led to Christ strictly through the reading of his Word. Maha from Egypt was given a gospel of John by a passer by on the streets when she was 15. She was so afraid to be discovered reading it, she hid it so well that she did not find it until 10 years later. She sat down and read it and as she said she was unable to put it down.
At midnight two hours after she began to tell me and my wife her journey out of Islam, she said that reading about Jesus in John made her fall in love with him. Something she never felt before as a Muslim about Muhammad or God. She had never spoken to a Christian. The very next day after reading the entire gospel of John, she looked for a church and the pastor explained the way of salvation. She committed her life to Christ and proceeded to go to seminary in Lebanon where I met her.
K from a North African country received in the mail a small book which we call “Skinny Luke” because it is very small and weighing only one ounce (28 grams). He read it and wrote for information. Now he is a pastor in his home country. I have so far met three North Africans who have accepted Christ as a result of the huge mailing of 100,000 Skinny Lukes to North Africa.
Do we really believe that the Word of God contains the power to draw people to God?
Try to give a portion of God’s Word to Muslims and see for yourself. Of course it would be much better to read the Word with them.
Hey: Did I say anything about the Quran? I don’t need to. When you have the most powerful tool God uses, don’t settle for anything else.
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Warning to the churches
Posted by Georges Houssney in Uncategorized on January 23, 2010
I received this quote from a reader. I will post it because it is a powerful and well articulated description of the current scene in the missionary movement. The sad thing is many of these false teachers are leaders in our churches. They have gained a hearing because of the characteristics expressed in this quote. They have authored books read by thousands and have influenced the missionary movement unchallenged. It is time to turn the tide. Please all you who resonate with these sentiments, come out of the closet. Write us and we will put you on a network list to receive invitations for conferences and to participate in discussions if you like. (formatting mine)
“”Many things combine to make the present inroad of false doctrine peculiarly, dangerous:
There is an undeniable zeal in some of the teachers of error:
their ‘earnestness’ makes many think they must be right.
There is a great appearance of learning…
many fancy that such clever and intellectual men must surely be safe guides. ….
many like to prove their independence of judgment, by believing novelties.
There is a wide-spread desire to appear charitable and liberal-minded….
There is a quantity of half-truth taught by the modern false teachers:
they are incessantly using Scriptural terms and phrases in an unscriptural sense.
There is a silly readiness in every direction to believe everybody who talks cleverly, lovingly, and earnestly,
and a determination to forget that Satan is often ‘transformed into an angel of light.’ (2 Corinthians 2:14)
There is a wide-spread ‘gullibility’ among professing Christians:
every heretic who tells his story plausibly is sure to be believed,
and everybody who doubts him is called a persecutor and a narrow-minded man.
—JC Ryle, (1816-1900.) “A Warning to the Churches”
Guest Article: My experience with the Common Ground Movement
Posted by Guest Writer in Christian Muslim Background, Contextualization, Cultural Issues, Islamic Studies on January 18, 2010
The following is a guest article written by: Ibrahim Hoxha. His Bio proceeds the article.
Having a Muslim background, it was quite impressive to me first time I encountered with the Common Ground approach. It was so attractive, very different from the usual ‘Christian’ perspective on reaching the Muslims. I felt like I really had a new enlightenment. I started calling myself follower of Jesus instead of Christian and even considered attending a mosque as I used to do before. But that was very difficult since I was already known as convert from Islam to Christianity and by going back to mosque I feared they would think I renounced my new Christian faith. I changed my personal Christian terminology while sharing with Muslims and started using quranic verses pointing to Jesus as a bridge to his true identity and salvation from Bible.
In few occasions that worked out but in most of the cases people would ask me to use my terminology as Christian because it seemed to them I was trying to deceive them. People I was talking to were asking me not to use verses from Quran as to not distort its original meanings. It was like I was trying to teach them what Quran taught and that was not honest thing to do at all.
I had some other big problems too. Every time I would ask what the Common Ground movement thought about Muhammad and Quran, I never had a clear answer. Was Muhammad a true or a false prophet? What was Quran considered to be? Holy Spirit will confirm you, they say!!! I have never seen within this movement a clear division between the truth and the falsehood, between the darkness and the light. Muhammad is considered to be pre-evangelistic tool to bring people to Christ but not heard from them to be a false prophet.
One time I saw a Christian fasting during the Ramadan month. I knew he was taught the Common Ground approach. I asked him what his motive behind the fasting was. I assumed he was going to respond that he was fasting due to his Muslims friends. But that wasn’t the case. I got so troubled understanding he was fasting for his own sake and not just for Muslims. The fasting during the Ramadan month was a good opportunity for him to grow spiritually. I sensed he was so confused and somehow he was trying to perform duties of both religions.
Biblically fasting is supposed to be a very personal practice and not publicly professing to anyone. Obviously, not forsaking Islam brings confusion as to where do our hearts stand. Do we truly believe that Jesus is the only way, truth and the life or there is still some room and fondness in our hearts for Mohammad too?
My father is a practicing Muslim and I introduced him once with a Common Ground missionary believing they could talk to him and share the truth from the Gospel. The Common Ground worker asked the Quran from my father and started explaining the verses from the Quran in relation to Jesus Christ. My father was honest and he said that he would have to confirm that with his Imam. They discussed for hours and at the end my father accepted even prayed with the missionary. I was astonished that finally there was someone to talk to my father about Jesus Christ. He even agreed that he was going to read the Bible. But the situation turned the opposite after he consulted with Imam. He told him that nothing of what he heard from the Christian missionary was true and that was only a way to change his mind. My father got so upset and told me he was even worse than the other Christians who honestly share their Christian faith from their biblical perspective. He is more dangerous he said and as a result he never read the Bible. I felt so bad after this incident because instead of helping my father I made the situation worse.
And so following some years in closeness with Common Ground movement, still there were a lot of unresolved questions within myself! Should CMBs (Christians from a Muslim Background) continue to attend mosques and would that be helpful for them? If that is the situation what happens after the Islamic congregation understands there are some different Muslims in their congregation? Will they tolerate, expel or persecute them? Where will they get their true spiritual nourishment? Perhaps they will meet in home groups in addition to attending mosque, but for how long that situation will last? What about church planting since they are supposed to stay within the Islamic culture and religion, will it be established at some point the Christian community or such a thing is not necessary? What about their identity, is it like Christian with Christians and Muslims with Muslims? Who are going to be their true brothers and sisters, Muslims or Christians or both of them? Is there any compromise in all of that? These were some questions I faced and am quite sure most of these believers do go through.
I personally believe today there is a compromise of biblical truth within this approach. Bringing Muslims to the point of accepting Jesus as being crucified and risen without leaving and forsaking Islam is definitely not a biblical thing. Mohammed is a prophet, but definitely a false one. There should not be confusion with that. While we should be committed to loving Muslims, we should expose the false teachings of Islam. Mohammed openly rejected Jesus’ divinity and distorted biblical truth, and as such he cannot carry the true message. If there are confusions regarding these truths than one did not come to understand God’s only way of salvation as found in the Bible. The confusion will inevitably come into lives of these believers and at some point they will no longer know who their true Master is!
Author’s Bio:
Ibrahim Hoxha from Kosova is a Christian from a Muslim background. He came to Christ in 1998 after Jesus appeared to him in a vision. Read his full testimony online: http://answering-islam.org/testimonies/ibrahim_kosovo.html.
Since he came to Christ, Ibrahim has been interested in reaching Muslims. He has read extensively on Islam. God has made it possible for him to start and manage the Albanian section of the Answering Islam website. The site has been used by God in the last two years to bring the gospel to thousands of Albanian Muslims. It is one of the few webpages in Albanian language dealing with Islam. It is reaching out to Albanians in Kosova, Albania and around the world.
Different articles translated from the main Answering Islam webpage as well as Albanian authentic articles are introduced to Albanian audience. Correspondences are being held with almost every person writing to our section. Several books including testimonies, debates, and apologetics have been translated and published into Albanian. Other books from publishing houses were made available to visitors.
In addition to his work with Answering Islam, Ibrahim is deeply involved with his local Church, serving as the Head Elder of the Eldership of the Church.
God has been speaking to him lately about possible missionary work in Turkey. He has just graduated in Dentistry and with his wife and one son is planning to take up a residency program in Turkey, one of the biggest unreached countries in the Middle East.
Learning from the “New” Maghrebi Christians ( ظاهرة المسيحيين الجدد في دول المغرب العربي )
Posted by Bassam Madany in Biblical Missiology, Christian Muslim Background, Contextualization, Cultural Issues, Islamic Studies on January 12, 2010
This article is rather long, but good. The downloadable PDF is located here. As always, please comment on these articles through the comment link at the bottom of the article.
During the second half of the 20th century, Evangelicals spent a great deal of time and energy on the subject of contextualization, especially regarding missions to Muslims. At a Caucus on Missions held near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in July 1985, I read a paper on “Neo-Evangelical Missiology and the Christian Mission to Islam.” In my critique of this missiology, I said:
“During the last two decades, some severe criticisms have been levelled at the missionary work which has been undertaken since the days of William Carey. We are told by these critics, for example, that missions among Muslims have been a failure. Most of the missionaries of the past, so the critics say, were not good at ‘cross-cultural communication.’ This happened because missionaries failed to ‘contextualize’ the Christian message.” http://www.unashamedofthegospel.org/rethinking_missions_today.cfm
In order to correct the “mistakes” of the past, some Evangelicals proceeded further in their efforts to contextualize the Gospel among Muslims, guided by Cultural Anthropology and secular theories of communications. Without going into the history of the various stages of contextualization, by the time the 21st century had arrived, the latest genre of contextualization, as propounded by the “Insider Movement,” has made considerable inroads into various missionary organizations, claiming to offer the ideal and successful approach for the evangelization of Muslims.
The majority of the advocates of the “Insider Movement” come from Western Evangelical circles that, unlike the pioneer missionaries of the 19th and early 20th centuries, do not seem to be adequately versed in Islamic languages such as Arabic, Farsi, Turkish, Urdu, or Malay. This is not to belittle their scholarship, but to indicate that their work suffers from a lack of acquaintance with what present-day Muslim intellectuals are writing on religious topics in general, and on the emergence of an indigenous Christian Church in the Maghreb (Tunisia, Algeria, and Morocco.)
Thanks to the Internet, it has become possible to study materials on this new phenomenon by consulting Arabic-language reformist websites. If we embark on a serious research in this area, we come across a subject that is being discussed in Maghrebi and European circles, namely the “Phenomenon of the New Maghrebi Christians.”
ظاهرة المسيحيين الجدد في دول المغرب العربي
(Dhahirat al-Masihiyyeen al-Judod fi Dual al-Maghreb al-‘Arabi)
It would be uncharitable, if we ignore or dismiss the testimonies of our Maghrebi brothers and sisters in our discussions of missions to Muslims in the 21st century. After all, they are the ones who have made the journey from Islam to Christianity at a great cost. It is only reasonable to listen to the accounts of their conversion, and the way they have expressed their new life in Christ, by joining or organizing, national congregations of Masihiyyeen (Christians.)
I would like to share my study of this phenomenon, and learn from the “New Maghrebi Christians” how they have arrived at a totally different paradigm of missions to Muslims, than the one offered by the “Insider Movement.”
It was around four years ago, that I came across the term “Masihiyyoo al-Maghreb” (The Christians of North Africa,) in the Arab media. That indicated the presence of a considerable number of North African Muslims who have embraced the Christian faith. In March 2007, a conference was convened in Zurich, Switzerland, by “Copts United,” under the leadership of an Egyptian Christian engineer named Adli Yousef Abadir, and chaired by Dr. Shaker al-Nabulsi, a Jordanian Muslim intellectual. The theme of the conference was “The Defense of Minorities and Women.” The Arabic online daily Elaph reported on the proceedings of the conference.
One of the lectures was entitled “The Christians of the Maghreb under the Rule of Islamists,” where it must be noted that the Maghrebi converts to Christianity were called, “Masihiyyoo al-Maghreb” and not “followers of ‘Issa,” the way the Insider Movement likes to refer to converts from Islam. مسيحيو المغرب في حكم الإسلاميين
Another term referred to them as “Al-Masihyyoon al-Judod” i.e. the New Christians of the Arab Maghreb: ظاهرة المسيحيين الجدد في دول المغرب العربي
Here are translated excerpts from that lecture delivered in 2007, at the Zurich Conference:
“The New Christians’ phenomenon throughout the Arab Maghreb has come to the attention of the media. For example, the weekly journal, Jeune Afrique, devoted three reports on this subject with respect to Tunisia, Morocco, and Algeria. In March 2005, the French daily Le Monde devoted a complete report about this topic. And Al-‘Arabiyya TV channel telecast two reports on the subject that had been recorded in the Kabyle district of Algeria.
“Jeune Afrique estimated that the number of people who have embraced Christianity in Tunisia was around 500, belonging to three churches. A report on the website of “Al-Islam al-Yawm” prepared by Lidriss el-Kenbouri, and dated 23 April 2005, estimated the number of European evangelists in Morocco was around 800, and that quite often, their evangelistic efforts were successful. The report further added that around 1,000 Moroccans had left Islam during 2004. The magazine “Al-Majalla,” in its No. 1394 issue, claimed that the number of New Christians in Morocco was around 7,000; perhaps the exact number may have been as high as 30,000.
“The report that appeared in the French daily Le Monde claimed that during 1992, between 4,000 and 6,000 Algerians embraced Christianity in the Kabyle region of Algeria. By now, their numbers may be in the tens of thousands. However, the authorities are mum about this subject, as an Algerian government official put it; ‘the number of those who embraced Christianity is a state secret.’”
“When we enquired from those who had come over to the Christian faith to learn about the factors that led to their conversion, they mentioned several factors, among them was ‘The violence of the fundamentalist Islamist movements.’ A Christian evangelist working in Algeria reported: ‘These terrible events shocked people greatly. It proved that Islam was capable of unleashing all that terror, and those horrific massacres! Even children were not spared during the uprising of the Islamists! Women were raped! Many people began to ask: Where is Allah? Some Algerians committed suicide! Others lost their minds; others became atheists, and still others chose the Messiah!’”
“Quite often, the ‘New Christians’ testified to the fact that what they discovered in their new faith was love; it formed another factor in their conversion. These are some of their words: ‘We found out that in Christianity, God is love.’ ‘God loves all people.’ ‘What attracted us to Christianity is its teaching that God is love.’”
It is quite evident that the testimonies of these new Maghrebi Christians are extremely important. The Christian message came to them through various means, but it struck them as a word of a loving God in search for His lost sheep. They embraced the Messiah who died on the cross, and rose again for their justification. Notwithstanding all the difficulties they faced, they clung to the Biblical Injil that had brought them peace with God, and the gift of eternal life.
The link to this Arabic-language report is: http://www.elaph.com/ElaphWeb/ElaphWriter/2007/4/225336.htm
Almost two years after the Zurich Conference that dealt with the plight of Maghrebi Christians should the Islamists succeed in taking over the reigns of government, مسيحيوالمغرب في حكم الإسلاميين, I read the following report posted on 22 January, 2009, on the Arabic-language Aafaq (Horizons) website. It detailed the news of young Algerians who have converted to Christianity because they had become disaffected with Islam. Here are excerpts from the report datelined Algiers:
This photo of a worship service accompanied the Aafaq report
“Some Amazigh websites have disclosed that many Algerian young people have left Islam and adopted Christianity. They confessed that they did so due to the ugliness of the crimes perpetrated by the Salafist ‘Da’wa and Combat Movement’ against civilians. They were tremendously disappointed and disenchanted with Islam, claiming that it was responsible for nurturing these Jihadists who have been terrorizing and murdering innocent people.
“The website noted that the spread of Christianity in Algeria has even reached areas that were entirely under the influence of the Islamists, such as in eastern Algeria. Furthermore, the Christian expansion in the country was not due exclusively to missionary organizations, as certain Islamic groups claim. The reason is to be found in Islam itself. It has been associated in the minds of the youth with Irhab, assassinations, and crimes against innocent people. They remember that many of the crimes were committed during the 1990s, and occurred in distant villages of Algeria when young women were abducted, taken to the mountains as “captives,” gang-raped, and then killed by having their throats slit. Such horrific scenes took place in Algeria over several years and resulted in the very word “Islamic” becoming synonymous with Irhab!
“The report added that in Islam a woman is regarded as an enemy that must be fought with all means. She must be punished for the simplest mistake, while men go unpunished when they commit similar misdeeds. Thus, a woman is held responsible for the simplest act, and is liable to be put to death, since she is by nature a “Shaytana” i.e. a female Satan. This seriously misguided and misogynist view of women causes young men to worry about their own sisters, and be anxious about their future daughters as well.
“It went on to explain that the Irhabis who committed those awful crimes against women held to a view of Islam that took for granted that discrimination between the sexes is normal. They believed in the notion that the bed is the sole reason for a woman’s existence. In northern Algeria alone, 5,000 women were raped. This Amazigh source regards these radicals as ‘Allah’s guards on earth’ who refuse to act as civilized human beings.”
The website ended its comments on the alienation of Algerian youth by stating “that as long as Islam is unable to get out of its closed circle, and evolve according to the requirements of a civil society that is open to love, tolerance, and coexistence with others; it will continue to alienate more young people.”
In the Providence of God it has transpired that the despicable actions of the Irhabis in the bloody and dark decade of the 1990s have contributed to more than 20,000 Algerians converting to the Christian faith.”
Reporting on the same topic of conversions to Christianity that are taking place in Algeria, on 24 April, 2009, the Aafaq website posted an article, with this headline:
Religious Leaders in Algeria Are Demanding the Punishment of the Apostates.
رجال الدين في الجزائر يطالبون بمعاقبة المرتدين عن الإسلام
Here is my translation of the news item:
“An Algerian policeman and his daughter have made a public confession that they have embraced Christianity. The policeman’s announcement precipitated a tremendous amount of discussion and argument in Algeria, causing the religious authorities to demand that the police department dismiss him from his position since his actions proved him to be an Apostate, a Murtad.
“The policemen declared to the Algerian newspaper al-Nahar that his previous life as a Muslim was filled with anxieties and the absence of peace of mind. He added that the radical Islamist movements that had massacred women and children caused him to become fearful of Islam which he held responsible for the bloodshed. His life was caught up in a deep struggle that eventually led him to embrace Christianity, انتهى باعتناقه المسيحية
that according to him, ‘has given me peace of mind.’
“As to the daughter of the policeman, she explained that the reason she embraced Christianity من جهتها قالت ابنة الشرطي أنها اعتنقت المسيحية was due to her feeling that Islam treated women as maids and concubines, only to be sexually exploited by men. Muslim men regard women only from a physical point of view. Now, having embraced Christianity, she began to feel as a dignified human being. Her decision was final, and she didn’t regret it at all.
“The Algerian religious authority reacted swiftly by declaring that Irtidad (Apostasy) is tantamount to becoming a Kafir (Unbeliever,) and thus becomes subject to capital punishment unless an apostate repents by returning to Islam. It is estimated that there are around 10,000 Christians, most of whom live in the Kabyle district of Tizi Ouzou. Some unofficial sources claim that the number of Christians in Algeria is more than 100,000; they are to be found all over the country, especially in the west of Algeria around Oran and Mostaganem, most of these converts are young men and women. They claim that the reason that prompted them to embrace Christianity was Islam’s responsibility for murder, terror, and rape, as perpetrated by the Islamist groups who, in 1992 started their Jihad against civilians with the hope of getting closer to Allah!”
It is noteworthy that both the policeman and his daughter openly confessed that they had embraced Christianity, using the Arabic word al-Masihiyya المسيحية and not another Arabic term such as the Qur’anic “Nasraniyya.” The word Masihiyya is used by Arabic-speaking Christians throughout the Middle East. To embrace Christianity and publicly announce it is a courageous act of the “New Maghrebi Christians!”
Finally, I would like to refer to an article by a reformist Algerian intellectual that was posted on 7 July, 2009, on the daily online Al-Awan website. He unmasked the hypocrisy of the Islamic propaganda machine that seeks to paint a rosy picture of the human rights conditions in the “Lands Governed by the Sharia.” He began, with tongue in cheek, to quote a paragraph written in a flowery Arabic style that sang the praises of the superlative tolerance and magnanimity shown to the various religious and ethnic minorities living within Daru’l Islam. Then he proceeded to list certain actions taken by Muslim governments that contradicted the empty claims enumerated in the propaganda piece. I must confess that I was fascinated with his sarcasm and wit which comes through especially forcefully in Arabic!
Here are excerpts from the article.
“We are a tolerant people. With us, there is no ‘compulsion in religion.’ We don’t punish apostates, or force them to return to Islam. Buddhists living among us are free to build their temples. As to our Christian brothers and Jewish cousins, they have all the freedom to build their houses of worship without any hindrance. [Among us] you are as free to change religion as you are to change your shirt. There is true freedom in Daru’l Islam. A Copt is a citizen, and not a dhimmi. A Shi’ite enjoys the same privileges as a Sunni in a Sunni majority land; the same thing obtains for a Sunni living in a Shi’ite majority country. The Ahmadis 1 and the Bahais 2 are well-treated. In fact, all religions are properly treated in our Arab-Muslim world. May Allah protect us from the evil designs and calumnies of the West who are very jealous on account of our blessings, the blessings of justice, peace, and Islam.”
“Now, anyone who takes seriously such propaganda, [referring to the words of the paragraph above] is a fool for believing such lies! The meetings that take place, and the funds that are spent to present Islam as a tolerant religion, are nothing but smoke-screens.
“The facts gleaned from the Islamic world don’t reveal an idealistic and tolerant Islam. How can a genuine spirit of citizenship prosper in the Muslim world, where the Sharia mandates not only discrimination against non-Muslims, but their ultimate elimination?
“Any keen observer of the condition of human rights in the Muslim world is able to dismantle meaningless discourse that seeks to present to the world an idealistic Islam. Such an observer cannot but take note of the total lack of individual freedoms and human rights in all those countries where their laws are based on Sharia, and not on human reason.
“It is necessary to dismantle the very structures of Islamist discourse based, as we know, on purely verbal formulations and vapid eloquence. Doing so would reveal the true nature of that miserable and imagined “glorious Islamic past,” a past that the Islamists are trying to resurrect, which can only mean that entire Muslim societies will continue to remain underdeveloped!
“Let us observe realistically the present state of affairs in the Arab-Islamic world so that we may not be duped by the empty claims of the Islamists. Where is that vaunted justice when a young Algerian woman is brought to trial, simply because she chose to embrace Christianity in a country with a constitution that guarantees freedom of belief? The Algerian Government claims that there is a widespread evangelization movement taking place in the country. But what exactly is the problem with that? Should the State be responsible for the conscience of its people and their inner convictions? Why do we forbid others to engage in activities which we allow ourselves? What’s the difference between “da’wa” and “tabshir” (evangelism?) 3. And can there be harmony between the Sharia as the basis of legislations and the principle of religious freedom?
“In the final analysis, it is only when we adopt a secular outlook as the basis of our laws that we can arrive at a just solution to the problem of religious, ethnic, and racial minorities who are at present “submerged” in the sea of an intolerant Muslim majority throughout the Arab world.”
This information gleaned from Arabic-language sources on the phenomenon of the “New Maghrebi Christians,” is extremely important. Western Christians are being told by some “missiologists,” that Muslims converting to the Lord Jesus Christ, need not call themselves “Masihiyyeen,” nor stop their former Islamic practices such as attending the Friday services at the mosque, or fasting during Ramadan. This novel “missionary” theory is being offered as a “quick fix” to solve the problem of the paucity of fruits in missions to Muslims.
I risk being regarded as an extremely judgmental person when I describe the Insider’s missiology as a purely Western construct, that manifests a radical discontinuity with the missiology of the great missionaries of the past, from St Francis of Assisi and Raymond Lull in the Middle Ages, down to the days of the pioneers of the 19th and 20th centuries such as Henry Jessup, Cornelius Van Dyck, Eli Smith, Samuel Zwemer, and J. W. Sweetman. As an Eastern Christian who spent most of my life bringing the Good News of Jesus Christ to the followers of Islam, I find it ironic that the Insider Movement, while intending to be “culturally sensitive”, becomes in the final analysis a rather imperialistic, even hegemonic effort. Yet, this attempt to sell a new genre of missionary theory is being implicitly rejected by those brave New Maghrebi Christians. Both they and those who report about them in the Arab press, use the term “Masihiyyeen,” as a testimony to their solidarity with other Arabic-speaking Christians, and as full members of the “One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church,” in the words of the Nicene Creed.
It is my fervent hope that we pay more attention to the Biblical directives on missions, at the very time when they are being undermined by the advocates of the Insider Movement. We should never forget that notwithstanding the Jewish and Gentile outright rejection of the gospel of the cross, Paul did not hesitate to proclaim it. “For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but for us who are being saved, it is the power of God, (dunamis Theou estin.)” (I Corinthians 1:18) The basis of our salvation is the person and redemptive work of Jesus Christ; and its instrumental means is the kerygma, i.e., the Word of the Cross, whether it is formally preached by a minister of the Gospel, or given as a marturia (testimony) by a Christian.
Paul expanded on this basic missionary doctrine in verse 21: “For since in the wisdom of God, the world through its wisdom did not know Him, it pleased God, through the foolishness of the preached message (kerygmatos) to save those who believe.”
Indeed, I cannot hide my joy when I hear news about the rebirth of the Christian Church in North Africa. I praise God for the boldness of these new Maghrebi Christians who are not ashamed of the Cross of their Savior, but place its symbol in the humble meeting rooms where they worship Him. They show in a concrete manner that they are “unashamed of the Injeel,” since it is the power of God that they had experienced in their own lives when He enabled them to leave Islam, and join the great company of the Masihiyyeen (Christians). He will also preserve them should the Islamist forces manage to take over the lands of the Maghreb.
Insider-Outsider
Posted by Georges Houssney in Biblical Missiology, Contextualization, Cultural Issues, Islamic Studies, Kingdom of God on January 10, 2010
Insider-Outsider, what do these words really mean? Everyone is an insider. The Insider Movement naively views Islam as culturally monolithic. There are numerous subcultures in the 56 Muslim nations. Shites do not mix well with Sunnis and mosques are segregated. Kurds and Arabs may have some common cultural customs but they also have their own distinct ones. Islam is not a culture as much as Christianity is not a culture. So what are we really talking about? Islam is a religio-political system. Culture and ethnicity are somehow related to Islam for groups that happen to belong to both the ethnic group and the religion of the majority of that group. Berbers in N. Africa speak Arabic and mix with Arabs a lot. Most are muslims. But go to their villages and you will discover that their cultural lifestyle is quite different than the Arabs. Cultures vary within each Muslim country.
In Iraq I worked closely with Kurds and Assyrians. Initially the first church we planted was mixed. Later on due to the clear distinctive cultural traits of each we agreed to separate the groups so they feel more “insiders” to their own ethnic group. Language was a major factor in this decision. Kurdish youth did not understand Arabic as much as their parents. I never expected a Kurd to renounce his Kurdish identity nor the Assyrian his. They kept their cultural identities but renounced their religious identity. One was Muslim the other Nestorian. They gained a new identity in Christ and his people within the nation and worldwide.
It was a sad decision to segregate the two groups. So I met with the leaders of both and agreed that the leaders and those who were interested from both churches would get together once a week to pray and share and have communion together. This is the image of the true church that Jesus died for, a multiethnic church united in Christ. This is what the Greek word Ekkelsia implies: A gathering of those called out of the kingdom of darkness into the bright light of the kingdom of Christ. (col 1:12-13) Do not confuse Islam with the subcultures of Muslim nations.
What is wrong with the Insider Movement?
Posted by Georges Houssney in Biblical Missiology, Contextualization, Cultural Issues, Islamic Studies, Kingdom of God on January 7, 2010
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Among the many approaches in ministry to Muslims the most disturbing is what has been called the Insider Movement. Those who promote this approach believe that missionaries and evangelist should not attempt to remove a convert from his or her community. In fact, Insiders do not want Muslims to convert away from Islam but rather stay within Islam. The Quran is used extensively to the extent that for instance Common Ground recommend to their students to buy two copies of the Quran. Camel Method strongly recommend that Muslims read the Quran. One for personal study and one for use in evangelizing Muslims. The Quran has 93 references to Jesus. These are used to convince Muslims that the Quran values Jesus above all other prophets and that he died on the cross. Contextualization, the Camel Method, Common Ground among others basically share the same view of Islam, Muhammad and the Quran. Some of them like the Camel Method deny that they are insiders. In a tract named “Ruhallah” they introduce the designation: “Completed or Pakka Muslim.” If this is not Insider, what is?
The insider movement is unbiblical. This is not a comprehensive article. However, it is important to show some of the problems this fast growing movement.
1. The insider Movement holds that the gospel message is contained in the Quran. WRONG!
Common Ground and Camel Method materials hold the Quran with high regard., The leaders read into it a Christian soteriology (way of salvation) that does not exist, and interpret the Quran from a Christian perspective. The claim of results does not justify the deception in the method. While some verses in the Quran may contain a positive view of Jesus, overall the Quran denies Christ’s deity and his redemptive work on the cross.
2. Insiders start their witness with the Quran as though it has the power to transform. WRONG!
We need to begin with the Bible and preach from the pages of the Bible not the Quran. If necessary it is OK to use a verse or two here and there from the Quran as long as the Quran is not given the sacred value of the Bible. Paul on Mars Hill in Acts 17 has been used to excuse the excessive quoting of the Quran. The Apostle quoted a short piece of poetry. I am convinced, Paul would quote the Quran but not excessively. He would avoid any hint that the Quran may be “a word from God”. The Camel Method leaders have produced “Ruhalah” a tract to give to Muslims. They quote the Quran more than they do the Bible. In fact the Bible is quoted at the very end. By that time the reader is deeply entrenched in the Quran. So a reference or two to the Bible does not wipe out the mental and spiritual impact of the Quran on the readers.
3. The approach of the insiders is cognitive. If a Muslim is convinced that Jesus died on the cross, we have shared the gospel. WRONG! There are millions of nominal Christians who cognitively believe that Jesus died but that does not make them born again by the Spirit of God. The assumption that all we need to do is to get Muslims to accept Christian claims, is a major problem with the method. Recently in Morocco I shared the clear gospel of Jesus and the way of salvation with many Moroccans who were “believers.” It turned out that 17 out of 40 in one group had never understood the message even though the missionaries had explained it to them. It was a shock to the missionaries present when these 17 received Jesus as their savior for the first time. When the message is contaminated by the Quran and other competing “truths” the hearer is confused. Though he or she may go along and pray the “sinner’s prayer” the spark of the Spirit of God is missing. God wants us to present the pure message from HIS book not any other.
4. Insiders have a low view of the universality of the church. They seem to view any group that meets together as a church. WRONG!!
The church is global community that is separated from the main stream in any community. The church is called a Holy Nation (I Peter 2:9). To encourage converts to stay away from the national local church is to push them into a dark community without the support of a unique and different group they need to belong to. Jesus stressed that “there shall be one flock and one shepherd” (John 10:16.) He also prayed “that they may be one as we are one (John 17:22.)
5. Insiders have a low view of the Christian Identity. The hold that Muslims who follow Christ can retain their Muslim identity. WRONG!
To give a follower of Jesus a Muslim identity is an affront to Christ. “Muslim Background Believer”, “Muslim follower of Jesus”, or “Completed Pakka Muslim’ do not help the convert in the newness of life. In fact it encourages them to hide who they are and that is counter productive. Until converts gain a new identity they remain in the claws of the old and over time they abandon their cognitive convictions and return to the old ways. “If anyone is in Christ…” refers to belonging to a new group identified with Christ. Notice also in these among many other verses that the NAME of Jesus is our identity. “They will treat you this way because of my name…” (John 15:21) and “I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.”
(Acts 9:16)
The gospel alone has the power to save. The Quran is the enemy’s tool to deceive Muslims and cause them to think that they believe in Jesus. The fact is their Jesus is a different Jesus, one who may be a great prophet but not the only Son of the Living God. Use the Bible not the Quran to being Muslims to Salvation. This is where the power lies.
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