My Pilgrimage
I thought it might be fun to share my story in contextualized form. Some of the terminology or concepts may not be everyday language for many readers here at sbcIMPACT! If you have questions about anything you read below, please feel free to ask for clarification in the comment section. Two quick notes:
1. If you take issue with my use of the Arabic word “Allah” for the English word “God,” please read this post before commenting.
2. I typically share my testimony as a way of seeing if others are interested in hearing the Good News, not so much as a full doctrinal statement.
With those two notes in mind, here goes:
By Allah’s mercy, I was born into a respectable family. During my childhood, my parents taught me how to behave in a way that brought honor to our family and was righteous before Allah. In the West, we have many problems because people have ignored the writings of the Prophets. But my parents were good and taught me the Straight Path. From childhood, they taught us the writings of the Prophets and how Allah has always spoken to the children of Adam through His chosen Prophets. As an adult, I began to sit and think and meditate on Allah, on humanity and what Allah’s will for humanity is. It seems that He has made this very clear through the Prophets. They have always declared Allah’s will is for us to worship Him and Him alone. For us to love and obey Allah and to love and do good to others. This was clear to me.
But then I began reflecting on my own life. On the things I did. Did I truly worship Allah alone? Did I truly do good to all of my neighbors… ALL the children of Adam? Did my deeds really bring honor? Or did they bring shame? While doing this, I noticed many things I did that were not from the perfect religion of Allah. These things did not honor Him and were truly selfish. To some, they would seem like small mistakes, but after considering Allah’s will for us to worship Him completely, these very “small” mistakes were truly very shameful things. What I mean is that all things we put before Allah’s will of obeying Him and doing good to others is the same as committing shirk. Because we place these shameful things above Allah’s will, we make these evil desires equal with Allah.
So, I tried to stop doing these things. And, for a while, I thought I was able to win in this jihad. The problem was that the thoughts were always there, and sometimes I would fail and feel shameful once again. And really, even when I did not give in to the temptation, I still felt shameful on the inside. You know, I began to realize that perfect religion before Allah is not just what I do, but what is in my heart and my hidden desires. Allah requires a pure heart. This is because true worship of Allah and obedience to Him comes from a pure heart. Just like true love for the rest of humanity and good deeds for others comes from a pure heart.
When I realized this, I began sitting and meditating on my own heart and secret desires. It was like torture because I knew my heart was black and I could never succeed in this jihad. I wanted to be truly submitted to Allah and his will and I wanted to go to Paradise, but I also saw that my soul was black and did not know what to do. This was when I realized why I felt as if Allah was so far away. It was because He judges our hearts and hidden desires… and mine were shameful. At the same time, I had a friend, he was my closest friend and he seemed to be winning in this jihad. So, even though it was difficult to admit these things, even to a close friend, I told him of my struggle.
He said he struggled with the same thing — how to get rid of the darkness inside so he could truly win in jihad. I asked how he got rid of it. He told me. And it was difficult for me to believe that it was as simple as he said, but I decided to consider his words because I trusted him. He said that the only Prophet that could give us greater understanding of the Kingdom of Allah and true submission to His will was Isa Al-Masih. I asked why and he said there were many things to understand, but that the first thing I needed to understand is that he was pure and that purity is the only way to achieve nearness to Allah. As I studied the Torah, Zabur and Injil more and more, I came to see this is true. Finally, I was convinced only Isa Al-Masih was capable of helping me understand the Kingdom of Allah. So, I submitted to Allah’s will through Al-Masih.
Since then, my life has changed dramatically. Now, Allah speaks to me, He answers my prayers and I am continually learning to walk more and more on the Straight Path of Allah. The jihad is not over at all… I still struggle. However, each day I understand the Kingdom of Allah more and more. He has given me the power to be more obedient to the will of Allah each day. That is, I worship Him in a deeper way and draw nearer to Him and He gives me greater love for others. And now, I do not try to be obedient to Allah’s will with my own power, but He has changed my heart from black to pure and given me the power to walk on the Straight Path. All praise be to Allah!
Questions? Comments?
(NOTE: A list of terms and translations relevant to this post can be found here.)
Why you put it as speaking to a muslim is strange to me.
Allah is not God, nor never will be. Islam says only Allah is God, in direct opposition to the Bible. You will never reach them by compromising. Away with all this foolish political correctness.
Why not stand up as a man, and boldly proclaim the truth. I hate all pussyfooters who wear lace drawers, and are not men enough to boldly proclaim thus saith the Lord, but instead make the objective Message subjective.
Brother Paul,
Because that is who I interact with on a regular basis and I follow the biblical model of proclaiming the Message in a way that my hearers can understand.
Allah is the word for God in Arabic. This is the term the Arabic Bible uses. Arabic-speaking Christians, Jews and Muslims use this term. If you would like to discuss this further, please read this article, which was reference above in this post, FIRST.
Which part of my testimony above did you find to be untruthful?
1. I’ve never been accused of timidity by any brothers or sisters I serve with. Please interact with the post itself and try not to speak as if you have served alongside of someone else when you have have not.
2. The lace drawers comment was hilarious ;^)
Did you have a question?
Peace to you brother,
From the Middle East
From the Middle East,
Where is repentance? Where is faith? Where is the Gospel in your message? Where is the Holy Spirit? Wherer is the resurrection? Where is Jesus atoning death on the cross in your presentation?
My friend, it almost looks like you’re promoting a works salvation. You submitted to Allah’s will? The Messiah Jesus gives you an understanding of Allah’s kingdom?
Is this the Camel Method that our missionaries are taught to use in Islamic cultures?
This is very concerning and very disturbing to me. Is it disturbing to anyone else?
David
Isa al-Masih = the best prophet
Fausto Sozzini would be proud.
FTME:
At what point would it be necessary to introduce the idea that Isa is God?
Brother David (007),
Just because I did not use evangelical jargon, does not mean that the concepts are not present.
Where is repentance?
A need for purification. A definite desire for change is noted here.
True submission/obedience to God only comes through trusting Jesus with all.
<blockquoteI am continually learning to walk more and more on the Straight Path of Allah. The jihad is not over at all… I still struggle.
Ongoing repentance and growth… sanctification.
Where is faith?
Obedience to God indicates faith.
Where is the Gospel?
This is Good News!!!!
I would, however, agree that a full doctrinal exposition is not here. Why is that? This is what was meant at the beginning of the post:
When you enter Heaven, after worshipping for a long, long time, you may want to consider asking the your above questions to the “Woman at the Well” (John 4), the demon-possesed man at the Gadarenes (Mark 5) and the “Man born blind” (John 9). Again, these testimonies were not intended to exposit the entire Bible, but to say what Jesus had done for them. My testimony above is based upon the same principle. I think this is what is where the miscommunication lies. I am not attempting to explain everything, only the effect Jesus has had upon my life.
Peace to you my brother,
From the Middle East
Brother Bart,
While the statement itself is true, I am wondering if it is a quote from the above testimony? I can’t seem to find it?
Peace to you brother,
From the Middle East
Brother Roger,
That is an excellent question. It is not something that I typically cover in a testimony, even with Americans, but something we work through as someone is drawn to learn more about Jesus. I would think that the exact timing requires leading from the Holy Spirit and discernment. In general, either:
1. When it comes up during Scripture study… this should come up relatively soon as only deity can do the things that Jesus did.
2. When the question is asked. This should also occur relatively quickly if we are exalting Jesus in our words and deeds.
I would note, however, that this is something that will generally occur as they look at Jesus’ character and actions. Our focus should be on Jesus’ life (what he said and did). If this is the focus, how can we come to any other conclusion? He must be divine? For the most part, we are not so much yelling a creed at them as we are telling the Story and asking them what the implications are… “Who do you say that he is?”
Does that make sense?
Peace to you brother,
From the Middle East
From the Middle East,
Submission and obedience is not teaching them repentance and faith. Would not a Muslim say that he is being submissive to Allah? being obedient to Allah? And, still be a good Muslim and not a Believer?
Where is Jesus mentioned in your message? His atoning death? His resurrection? I mean, this is the Gospel…that Jesus came and died for my sins, and that He rose on the third day. I dont see that at all in your message. I submit to you that your message would not lead a Muslim to true faith. They already accept Jesus as a prophet. They already submit to Allah and obey him…their Allah. The Muslim Allah. So, it’s not a matter of jargon…it’s not a matter of what words you use, or dont use. It’s a matter of the message you’re preaching.
David
FTME,
If wasn’t necessarily saying that you could find that concept in this testimony. I was merely pointing out that “Isa al-Masih = the best prophet” is the most that one could herein infer about the nature of Jesus. And some of our earlier discussions about whether one can be a Christian and deny the Trinity make that a very relevant observation, I think.
FTME,
I don’t have a problem with what you say here, and the wording you use to express it. However, as it appears you have done, it needs to be made perfectly clear that this is not a full presentation of the gospel, but rather what I would call “pre-evangelism.” At some point, it would seem to me essential to introduce the concepts of the incarnation of the God-Man, Isa, and of substitutionary atonement through his death on the cross.
Maybe a definition from Wikipedia would be good at this point.
“Syncretism consists of the attempt to reconcile disparate or contrary beliefs, often while melding practices of various schools of thought. The term may refer to attempts to merge and analogise several originally discrete traditions, especially in the theology and mythology of religion, and thus assert an underlying unity allowing for an inclusive approach to other faiths.”
David
I think David gets at the heart of it, as he usually does. Usually, in gospel presentations, the testimony is not meant to be a full presentation of the gospel, but a simple statement about what Christ did for me. After the testimony, designed to arouse interest and bring some personal credibility to the presentation, the full gospel presentation is given.
In EE, or FAITH, or any of the other gospel strategies I have studied, there has been a very similar tesimony given – one that focuses on how Christ has blessed and changed me, but one that does not give the all the gospel facts. This is perfectly in line with that, it seems to me.
As for using the name “Allah” – I am not a linguistic expert, but from my studies of Hebrew and what I have read, FTME is correct that Allah is just the Arabic designation for God. We do not believe that our God and Allah are the same, but in Arabic, they would both be called Allah.
For those so offended with this: by what Arabic word should a Christian refer to God? Should Chinese Christians not use the Chinese word for God because some use it to refer to false gods?
David Rogers I meant. Sorry, Volfan.
volfan,
The problem I believe you run into by trying to apply the definition of syncretism to this testimony is that it is just that…a testimony, not a set of “beliefs”. The point here, as already mentioned a few times, is drawing the interest of the person for the strict purpose of moving into those beliefs, and their underlying truths, over time.
You are correct that syncretism is a real issue when you talk to a Muslim and contextualize your message, however contextualization and syncretism are not synonymous. Over-contextualization can lead to syncretism, but without some form of contextualization do you really believe that the gospel will resonate at all with the Muslim?
The Western forms of presenting the Gospel, including EE, the four spritual laws, Romans Road, etc…is almost always taken from a very narrow set of verses, with a very specific message which always involves the principle of justification. You may notice that FTME used the words “shameful” and “honorable” to describe their corollaries “guilty” and “justified”. There is an excellent book on how to evangelize and plant churches among Muslims called “The Message, Messenger and the Community” which goes into much more detail. One of the author’s earlier book called “Honor and Shame: Unlocking the Door” is another option if you can’t get a hold of MMC, which I believe is currently out of print.
Anyway, the problem is that the legal framework around which we phrase the gospel message does not come across very powerfully at all to non-westerners, whose cultures do not have the Romanised, legal view of the world. Many of the early church fathers, as well as the Reformers, almost all did. They weren’t wrong, in fact there strong message on justification by faith was very powerful to the Western world and changed it, bringing millions into a relationship with Jesus.
The Bible however is all-encompassing in this regard and can speak to any person, from any background, and any way of viewing the World. This is one of the beautiful things about it, that if you are diligent you can find Scriptures and stories which really speak into the lives of Muslims. I think FTME’s testimony did a reasonably good job of bearing this idea out.
Dave Miller,
From what I’ve seen, it is the syncretists among us who want to make the discussion all about whether to use the word ‘Allah’ or not. The long-running discussion that I and others have had with FTME is not over vocabulary, but over substance. I agree with you that our God and the Muslim Allah are not the same. FTME has argued against your view and mine in several fora.
Dr. Foltz,
You wrote, “Why not stand up as a man, and boldly proclaim the truth. I hate all pussyfooters who wear lace drawers, and are not men enough to boldly proclaim thus saith the Lord, but instead make the objective Message subjective.”
My heart sank when I read this comment, Dr. Foltz. I can assure you that FTME is standing – and has risked much for the sake of the Gospel. I would ask that you consider these words had they been written to you, a man who considers himself unashamed of the Gospel. Although he didn’t request it (because of the strength of his character, a willingness to pass over a wrong suffered, and a deep love for you – his brother), I urge you to apologize to FTME in this comment stream for the disgust and even “hatred” you insinuated toward a brother. Simply unbelievable.
I also find it interesting that much of your appeal was for FTME to “man up” as if testosterone had anything to do with it. It, in fact, does not. Courage that would adequately reflect and speak to the worth of our great God doesn’t reside with men.
FTME, what is culturally foreign is often misunderstood and hated. Your patience in these responses is an example of longsuffering, and I praise God for it. You have handled it with a heart that has evidently experienced much grace. You were clear about your intentions for the post, and it was a phenomenal. Well done. I learned much and hope to incorporate some of your thoughts as my wife and I share the Gospel with our Egyptian neighbors. I can’t say it any better than you can, so I’ll let you continue to answer questions. I’d just like to say that I’m still smiling about the lace drawers. That was too stinkin’ good.
I’m praising God for you my dear brother. I’m challenged by your courage.
Patrick
Brother FTME,
I just wanted to to encourage you in the midst of the firestorm that seems to have gathered as a result of your post today at sbcIMPACT.
As you probably already know, most Western SBC leaders are stuck in the midst of their own culture and have no vision to see past it. When you used the word “Allah” for God, no matter how many explanations you attempt, they cannot get past that word because they see it as only meaning a specific god of the Muslims.
Perhaps you should remember our Lord’s suggestion that there are occasions on when we are to cast our pearls and occasions when we should not. These folks don’t get what you’re saying unless you express it in terms of their culture. Cross-cultural expression is not their strength and they are suspicious of any who speak cross-culturally. Is it any wonder some of our IMB trustees are so Machiavellian? These are the crop from which current and future trustees are harvested.
You are responsibile to Christ alone for reaching those whom you are called to reach. Keep your eyes fixed on Christ, not on men. I am praying for you.
Blessings.
Les Puryear
All,
I’m back from a few errands and ready to interact. The first thing I would like to do is give a few definitions. Initially I was going to put them in the post, but could not figure out the best way to do it. Hopefully this will help clear up some terminology:
1. Purity & ritual uncleanliness (defilement) is a major theme in Islam as well as Judaism. Laws for washing, worship, uncleanliness during menstruation and their various food and animal regulations are evidence of this. This is a difficult concept for us to grasp, but is present both in Near Eastern culture and Holy Scripture.
2. Prophets are the primary way in which God speaks to humanity. The respect Muslims display towards prophets cannot be overstated.
3. Al-Masih simply means The Christ or The Messiah or The Anointed One. While the term is common, few Muslims have considered what it means. I found this to be a great topic of conversation not only with Muslims, but with most evangelicals as well. The Old Testament paints an amazing picture of who this Messiah King that was to come is.
4. Shirk is the worst sin imaginable in Islam… considering others to be equal with God.
5. The Will of Allah is a VERY significant theme in Islam. In general, it seems to me that Semitic peoples tend to focus on obedience rather than mental assent to a set of beliefs. This is seen throughout the Old Testament, the Biographies of Jesus and in the Letter to the Hebrews.
6. Honor and Shame is too big of a topic to cover here, but I would recommend the works noted above (comment #15) by Ibn Boutros. These concepts are much more readily understand than the legal framework within which we normally export the Gospel.
7. Jihad means struggle and typically has two meanings. The “Greater Struggle” is the struggle within oneself to obey God. The “Lesser Struggle” is holy war.
8. Success and Failure are significant in that public success brings honor and public failure brings shame. Failure is a great fear among Arabs in general. Because of this, confession of sin, failure and struggles are not common.
9. Nearness to Allah is what we might consider “intimacy” with God. While it is spoken of in the Generous Qur’an, most Muslims feel very distant from God.
10. The Straight Path is that of righteousness or piety or total submission to God.
11. Sin has different levels in Islam, the greatest being Shirk (see number four above) and the least being simple “mistakes.” The Prophets are thought to have only committed “mistakes,” but Jesus is actually considered sinless in the Generous Qur’an.
There are many other nuances in the testimony above that I do not have time to explain here, but these are some of the basics. Now, on to your questions!
FTME:
I used to work with a guy in Silicon Valley. He was from Ramallah but he came to the USA to get his PhD in Engineering at the Univ of Kansas. While he was in Kansas he was the imam at the mosque there.
Hasan and I would talk about Christianity .vs. Islam all the time. Hasan even gave me a book entitled “Basic Tenets of Islam” [that is not the exact title].
Both Christianity as practiced in the USA and Islam as practiced in an “Arabic” context have a HUGE cultural overhang.
However, the crux difference I finally determined that makes it difficult for a Muslem to accept Christianity is the fact that the pre-suppositions which a Muslim has is that there is only one God — they use the term Allah. They can’t deal with the idea of Jesus being the son of God and God at the same time. To them any attempt to “partition” [his term] God into divisible pieces is doing stuff tantamount to worshipping many Gods — i.e. becoming a pagan.
I found that in all the time I knew Hasan — which was about 18 months while we shared an office at a customer’s site where I was working as a self-employed software engineering consultant — we never were really on the same page. We got along fine but he always considered me the worst kind of infadel because I didn’t consider God to be “universally transcendent” and not able — even in principle — to be represented in any human or physical form.
I think the testamony of a former Muslem would have been more effective than me as an infidel. We should not do stuff ourselves if we can “subcontract” it do those are likely to be more effective. Instead we should help equip those who already have been called by God to minister in a given area. Shouldn’t we consider identifying those with Arabic backgrounds and assisting them rather than trying to do all this ourselves?
Roger Simpson
I sort of feel like a guy at the opera without a translation. there’s a lot going on, I just don’t understand it all.
I can’t see from this testimony what has raised the hackles of those who are upset.
1) I use the word God to describe YHWH, God of Israel. I use the same word (though in small letters) to describe other gods. One word used in multiple ways. When we speak of God in Arabic, we use the word “Allah” (related to El, Elohim, Ba’al). To call our God Allah is just to use the appropriate word in Arabic, not to identify him with the Muslim God.
2) This was clearly described as a testimony, not as a full doctrinal presentation of the tenets of Christianity. It is exactly what we do in our gospel presentations. I was specifically instructed in FAITH to avoid explanations of the gospel and use the testimony to describe what Christ has done for me. This seems directly in line with that.
I am only dealing with what FTME wrote here, and have no knowledge of other discussions.
Brother David (007),
Re: #9:
1. Please reread the post and consider that this testimony is ONLY a record of what God has done in my life and is not meant to lead anyone to faith on the spot. This is part of a process, often the beginning.
2. Obedience is the greatest demonstration of biblical faith. This is consistent throughout Scripture. We are not looking for people who want to pray a prayer for fire insurance as the trend has been in Western evangelicalism for the last century. We are concerned with making disciples.
3. Where is the Gospel? Wow! This is a testimony of how God has impacted my life not an exposition of every jot and tittle of Holy Scripture. But I would submit two things for you to consider. The first is that a heart that has gone from black to pure and victory over sin in one’s life would be a great testimony to what the Gospel has done in one’s life. The second thing is that Jesus is the Gospel. The goal of this is for the hearer’s heart to be stirred to learning more about Jesus. Brother, it is all about Jesus. As the testimony states, ONLY through Jesus can we properly draw close to God, obey Him and be a part of His Kingdom.
Re: 12:
You’ll have to show me, specifically, where anything I said is not inline with Holy Scripture. Where have I reconciled contrary beliefs?
Peace to you brother,
From the Middle East
Brother Bart,
RE: #10:
1. My testimony, in any culture, is not a treatise on the nature of Jesus. Rather, it is a personal story of how God has impacted my life. If someone wants to understand the nature of Jesus, I would invite them to study the Holy Scriptures with me.
2. One thing you might note about the above testimony that is VERY countercultural in the Islamic world is that I clearly express Jesus is the ONLY way to be “right with God.”
Peace to you brother,
From the Middle East
Brother David R.,
Agreed.
Peace to you brother,
From the Middle East
Brother David M.,
RE: #13 & #21:
1. Now two out of three Davids understand the intent of this testimony!
2. If you are interested in reading my position that is the primary disagreement between Brother Bart and me, you can find, and discuss, it here.
Peace to you brother,
From the Middle East
Brother Ibn Boutros,
First of all, nice name!
Second, I think you make an excellent point in bringing up the various aspects of Jesus and his work that connect with different worldviews. We would all do well to speak more of Jesus and less of our conclusions about him. When we do this, we gain greater insight into the implications of his work by seeing it through a different worldview and those who come to faith do not fall into syncretism because they have struggled with Jesus and his work and how it applies to their lives in their context.
Peace to you brother,
From the Middle East
Brothers Patrick and Les,
Thank you both for the encouragement. My service is not only to Muslims, but also to those in the Western Church who desire to more effectively communicate Jesus’ love to Muslims. Just as I must often deal with overzealous religious folks in the Muslim world in order to find those who are open to the Truth… I often must deal with some of my brothers and sisters who have a more difficult time understanding cross-cultural communication in order to help those who recognize Jesus’ and Paul’s example in communicating in ways that were specific to their audiences. The beauty is that often those Muslims who are most opposed to the Message we bring have seeds planted in their hearts. Just as the Muslim zealot goes home and meditates upon Jesus and then faces a crossroad – whether or not to seek greater understanding of what I have said… my prayer for this blog is that the things I share will be considered not just now, but also in the future, by those who struggle with my methods… and that they might seek greater understanding into what I am saying from the Holy Scriptures and other cross-cultural ambassadors of the Kingdom. I have learned much from this blogging community and thank God for the zealousness of those who disagree with me. They are my brothers and sisters whether we agree or not.
Again, thank you both for the kind words.
Peace to you brothers,
From the Middle East
FTME,
Since you were agreeing with me, obviously I agree with what you said.:-). There has been a lot of conversation going on among missiologists, and I certainly am not one, about contextualization and where it becomes syncretistic. What are your thoughts on that?
I’ve heard of some stories of missionaries or converts calling themselves “muslim followers of Isa”, and I must say I think I agree with John Piper when he brought up the point that there seems to be a lack of trust in the Holy Spirit to bring the target people into His light.
Just wondering.
David Miller,
You shouldn’t need much of a translation. On my blog on April 11 you posted this toward our present host:
Do you not have the same concerns now? Why not?
Brother Bart,
I personally see why he would, since this was a testimony.
I’ve heard, as I’m sure you have, hundreds of testimonies, and how often does the Trinitarian nature of God manifest itself when people are sharing how they became a believer? Personally I’ve never heard one. Why would FTME’s be any different regardless of who he was sharing with?
FTGPNW (From the Great Pacific Northwest)
excuse me, that should have read “I personally can’t see why he would…”
Brother Roger,
With regard to your friend and his misunderstanding of God’s nature:
First, the term “Son of God” is a loaded term that needs defining. Even in Western Christianity we often have misunderstandings about the implications of the phrase to first-century Jewish hearers. But, to the Muslim, this term implies physical relations between God and Mary (the Trinity is actually defined in the Generous Qur’an as Father, Mother and Son). While the idea of God having sex with Mary is appalling to us, it is even more so to the Muslim who has a greater understanding of ritual cleanliness and purity.
Second, in Islamic theology, the term Allah is used exclusively for the full Godhead. To attempt to say that Jesus is Allah and the Holy Spirit is Allah necessitates two gods. But, here’s the thing, while lip-service is given to God’s inability to “be represented in any human or physical form….” they affirm the story of Moses and the burning bush, claim the Generous Qur’an is eternal (an attribute of God alone) and even consider Jesus “The Word of God” which implies deity considering one’s words represent the very essence of who they are. Good grief, Jesus was considered pure/undefiled/sinless in their Holy Book.
Now, there are ways in which to communicate what we believe and why that cross these cultural and linguistic barriers. And, I agree with you that the testimony of a former Muslim is usually far more powerful than my own testimony and I am in 100% support of helping equip them to reach their own people. However, there are multiple reasons that cross-cultural ambassadors for the Kingdom are still needed. A few would be: some places have NO indigenous believers who are actively sharing their faith, some places have NO indigenous believers at all, “foreigners” are safe people for “seeking” locals to ask questions… often locals (believing or not) are not perceived as “safe.” I long for the day I will no longer have to travel from my family and friends so that Muslims will have access to the Good News!!
Peace to you brother,
From the Middle East
Brother Ibn Boutros,
I have read the discussion between Piper and Love and find it quite intriguing. Both men are phenomenally gifted in their respective areas and have a great passion for God and love of others. In the interest of not derailing this post any more than it already is, I would like to ask you to read Islam and Christianity – Defined and either discuss it there or email me about it as it is an older post. Again, I am not dodging your question and think it is a valid one, but it seems more relevant to that post.
Peace to you brother,
From the Middle East
Bart, this is two completely separate things, in my view.
One would be saying something that is false, or at least potentially misleading in the pre-evangelism phase. I don’t see anything false or misleading in the testimony here. The wording may be strange, but this just seems like a simple salvation testimony translated for arabic ears.
All I see here is a testimony of how Christ (by his arabic name) changed his life. If the person is interested, then you share the facts of the gospel.
Two questions for you, Bart:
1) What name should an arabic speaker use in reference to God? I understand that Allah is really the only name.
2) Is it wrong for FAITH and other english presentations require that a testimony be based on on personal experience and not deal with the facts of the gospel.
2b) (Okay, maybe its a third question) How is this testimony any different than the ones that I was taught to do in the evangelism strategies I have studied? Isn’t it unfair to criticize the author here for not giving complete gospel facts in the testimony when we are taught to do exactly the same thing in our gospel presentations here? (That last one may be aimed more at Volfan’s accusations and Paul’s than yours)
I am leaving the office soon, and my laptop seems to have gone to laptop heaven (actually, I’m not sure it went that way – its a Gateway after all) so I will not be able to respond until tomorrow.
Peace to you brothers,
Thank you, FTME, for your testimony. Trying to share your faith with a nonbeliever can be difficult, and trying to explain it in a way they understand is even more so, even when it’s not cross-cultural. Your expression of faith in a Muslim context is great, and I may even be more prepared to share my faith in the future with a Muslim after reading it.
Unfortunately too many Americans (and ashamedly many Christians) are so fearful and intolerant of other people’s beliefs and cultures that we respond negatively to those who would try to build bridges instead of walls. This is especially evident with our views of the Islamic culture and society. Terrorism and Islam are too often linked in the American mindset, and although most Muslims aren’t terrorists, we often see them as one and the same. But even if all Muslims were terrorists, they still need to hear the gospel.
Your testimony seems like a great way to get your foot in the door, especially in places where handing out Bibles and preaching on street corners would more likely get you killed than draw a following. I’ve seen and heard pastors relate the gospel message to sports such as NASCAR, football, and other things to get the truth across. I don’t see how making a testimony culturally relevant is worse than that (actually, I think it is better). The Apostle Paul said, “To the Jews, I became like a Jew, to win the Jews.” Is it that strange to say, “To the Muslims, I became like a Muslim, to win the Muslims?” No. While the concept may be radical, it isn’t when compared to scripture.
Thanks for sharing your faith and making the gospel understandable to people who might normally misunderstand.
Thank you for the post, FTME. It causes me to reflect on the amount of effort I out into communicating the Truth of the kingdom of God to those around me. Your post and your responses highlight the amount of time you must have spent in study, reflection and prayer for those you so deeply desire to bring from darkness to light. It is also encouraging to this community to have such a passionate and persevering brother out there committed to reaching people with the message of repentance and trust in Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins because of the resurrection.
Unfortunately the first comment has hurt us all. Paul has misjudged you, your character, your intent, your heart and has certainly shed light on his mean spirit. I do not find the lace underwear comment funny at all, actually, and feel that he hasn’t really contributed anything at all to the health of this blog. He hasn’t been prophetic or courageous or like the Apostle Paul or whatever he was attempting. While some of the responders have disagreed with you, please be encouraged by all those who did so and remained respectful and loving.
Keep laboring, my brother. Keep laboring.
As a fellow missionary I support FTME and do not find anything at all in his testimony objectionable or deficient.
Consider: Paul preaches at the Areopagus and does not mention the crucifixion AT ALL.
When you can understand how Paul could present the Gospel in that way then you will understand that FTME is in the best tradition of apostolic Christianity.
FTME- Thank you for your gracious testimony. I support you whole-heartedly in your efforts to serve our Lord in this way. You have a tough audience and for that I am disappointed.
To those opposed to you and your message I would like to challenge them to show scriptures where Jesus explained that He was God. He did not but by his words and actions His audience understood who He was claiming to be. The Muslim hearers of your testimony will understand the same. Your gracious attitude in all your responses is condemning to me- I have consistently failed to be as patient as you have been here. Grow in grace brother, and I pray that Jesus grows in me as well.
Brother Andrew,
Thank you for your encouragement. Agreed 100%.
Peace to you brother,
From the Middle East
Brother Zach,
Thank you for the encouragement. Your words humble me.
Peace to you brother,
From the Middle East
Brother Abu Daoud,
You make an excellent point about Paul’s preaching at the Areopagus.
I ran across an excellent book last year on the topic of contextualized communication and would like to take this opportunity to recommend it to all who struggle with the biblical model of communicating the Message in ways that are comprehensible to their hearers… especially those in other cultures.
Contextualization in the New Testament: Patterns for Theology and Mission by Dean Flemming
Peace to you brother,
From the Middle East
Andrew,
You said,”Unfortunately too many Americans (and ashamedly many Christians) are so fearful and intolerant of other people’s beliefs and cultures that we respond negatively to those who would try to build bridges instead of walls.” This is not about being afraid of Muslims, nor is it about being intolerant of Muslims. This is not anywhere close to being about hating Muslims. This conversation that Bart and I are having with FTME, and with a few others apparently, is about the Gospel being preached in the right way.
In 1 Corinthians 1:23, the Bible says, “But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumbling block, and unto the Gentiles foolishness.” I guess the Apostle Paul hadnt learned a lot about contextualization.
1 Corinthians 2:1-5,”And I brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God….and my speech and my preaching were not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power; that your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.”
I guess Paul just preached the Gospel and trusted in the Holy Spirit to convict and call men to true faith that leads to obedience.
Listen, I understand wearing thier type of clothes and eating thier food and learning the Arabic language in order to reach the Arabs. I understand learning the Muslim teachings and way of life…in order to reach them. But, dont you, FTME and others, think that contextualization can go too far? And, that maybe, in the presentation that you have shared with us, that a Muslim person would shake his head in complete agreement with everything that you said….and not be challenged to repent and be saved thru Jesus at all? Do you think that a Muslim might even think that you had become a good Muslim…after hearing your testimony?
David
PS. I hope that Les and Patrrick and Strider wont think that I’m a meany and a naughty boy for asking such things of one our missionaries in an Arab land. I mean, if he’s a missionary, then we should all bow down to the spiritual giant and accept whatever he says. After all, he’s a missionary. How dare any of us question a missionary…a Missionary!!!!! So, I ask these questions of the MISSIONARY with fear and trembling that Les and Patrick and Strider will think that I’m like those Machevillian IMB Trustees, or that I’m a swine that’s not worth having pearls cast before. Oink! Oink!
Brother Strider,
Thank you.
You bring up an excellent point in that our responsibility is to tell the Story. The Holy Scriptures themselves are primarily narrative and, even the non-narrative New Testament letters are applications of what historically occurred to specific situations. While story-telling and narratives are often outside of our Western logic/dogma-driven comfort zones, when communicating with Muslims, we do well to always point to Jesus, proclaiming his words and deeds…
Peace to you brother,
From the Middle East
Brother David (007),
As kindly as I can I would like to ask you what part of the following statements do you not understand:
Peace to you brother,
From the Middle East
FTME,
After reading the testimony you share, I dont see anywhere in it where someone would be stirred to think that Jesus has done anything in your life. I see where Allah has done this, and you are now pure and such, but I dont see anything that would help you to see that someone was interested in learning more about Jesus and the Gospel. As I stated, the Muslim that you share this with might even think that you’ve become a good Muslim…that you have converted to Allah and to Islam…that now you have come to finally see that Islam is the way to Allah….that now you’re sinful, Western heart has been made pure….to follow Allah.
Maybe you can help me to see different?
David
Brother FTME,
As you share your testimony with Muslims, …how do you find their understanding of their own writings with reference to the full meaning of “al-Masih”?
It seems to me that is what you are attempting to convey and uncover when you state….
“He said that the only Prophet that could give us greater understanding of the Kingdom of Allah and true submission to His will was Isa Al-Masih. I asked why and he said there were many things to understand, but that the first thing I needed to understand is that he was pure and that purity is the only way to achieve nearness to Allah. As I studied the Torah, Zabur and Injil more and more, I came to see this is true. Finally, I was convinced only Isa Al-Masih was capable of helping me understand the Kingdom of Allah. So, I submitted to Allah’s will through Al-Masih.
Since then, my life has changed dramatically. Now, Allah speaks to me, He answers my prayers and I am continually learning to walk more and more on the Straight Path of Allah.”
One scholar put it this way…..
“Three factors work together to determine the meaning of “masih” when referring to Isa al-Masih, these are: 1) the grammatical form, 2) the logical progression of carrying out the responsibilities inherently existing within the anointing, and 3) the context of the use of “masih”. After Muslims realize that it is unreasonable to simply treat it as a title which has no meaning, and that it is distinct from “mamsuah”, they consistently give one of the following definitions of “masih”: “most anointed, who naturally has the ability to anoint others” or “anointer”. One Arab from a Muslim background actually stated, “As the anointed holy messenger, he anointed by purifying and giving benedictions [blessings].” Many times, however, people attempt to suppress the full meaning of “al-Masih”. Yet the Qur’an never refers to any other prophet as being “masih” much less “al-Masih”.
For those who still want to simply call “al-Masih” a title for Jesus Christ, please consider the following. If today in Saudi Arabia, a ordinary citizen claimed to be the King of Saudi Arabia, and began calling himself the Sheikh of Saudi Arabia, either the authorities would say he was mentally deranged and he would be a laughing stock or they might even escort him out of the country–or worse. When Jesus Christ was born, it was revealed by God that he would be a king. (Injil, Matthew 2) (That is part of what “masih” signifies.) In fact, it was written that he would be the Messianic King. Even though “King” is a title, King Herod did not take this lightly because he understood that “king” had a very clear meaning. As a result, he very cleverly tried to kill Jesus. This type of scenario is constantly occurring around the world today. To say that the term “al-Masih” is simply a title, without meaning, fails to take into account the logical and grammatical sense.”
Do most Muslims you run into understand their writings to this degree?..I have found the Muslims in America to quickly retreat from the definition you or I would consider for “al-Masih”. I have also found this to be the critical stage of conversation in explaining the Christ of the Holy Scriptures to my Muslim friends, yet find it an astounding opportunity to share the Gospel at that point in the conversation as well.
It appears to me that is what you have contextualized in the portion I included from your testimony above. You seem to be begging the question of “who is al-Masih”? I’ll be heading to the Middle East in several weeks….keep up the good fight of faith.
Blessings,
Chris
Brother David (007),
Part of the reason you do not “see” it is because of your cultural background. Nothing wrong with this, but let me walk you through some key concepts here. One note of warning – you will not understand some of this until you read my comment #19 above. Here goes:
1. Understand that we are primarily sharing a testimony with someone who understands nothing about our beliefs and the desired outcome is for him to reflect upon whether or not he is satisfied with his current life and eternal destiny… for him to consider his standing before God.
2. Note that I indicated clearly I was not raised to be a “typical” Westerner, but one that is moral… it would be very difficult for them to think I was turning from a loose Western lifestyle.
3. In the first paragraph, it is established that sin is the worship of anyone other than God and the failure to love one’s neighbor…. the Great Commandments.
4. In paragraph two a form of idolatry is introduced – shirk. My explanation of “shirk” is different than what pops into most Muslims’ mind when they hear the word. They think in terms of intellectually considering another equal with God, but I draw attention to my polytheistic tendencies in PRACTICE in that anything I place before God is idolatry. This is VERY challenging to anyone, especially someone who has grown up knowing that God alone is worthy of worship.
5. In the next paragraph attention is drawn to my external attempts at fulfilling the Law. It is indicated that I failed and even when I upheld the Law, I still had a great feeling of shame inside for my heart was black due to my inmost desires. It is also clearly stated that only a pure heart can truly worship God and love others correctly.
6. In the next paragraph, conviction set in over my heart’s condition. In addition, the concept of the distance between me and God is presented and the reason is because of the shame inside of me that is the result of my sinful heart.
7. Towards the end of the same paragraph, I talk about someone who was actually walking in victory and how it was his life that I was attracted to. In addition, I express doing something VERY countercultural – confessing my failure and struggle to someone else. Since Arabs, in general, shy away from talking about these things, this indicates a very desperate condition on my part.
8. In the next paragraph, I am introduced to Jesus. He is described as the ONLY prophet through which I can learn true submission to God and through which I can learn how to live out a Kingdom life. This is crazy-talk to a Muslim as no prophet is above another in the Generous Qur’an – and practically they often elevate Muhammad to the greatest in spite of the Qur’anic prohibition. Jesus is clearly set apart as special in that I say he is the ONLY one through which these things can happen.
9. In this same paragraph it is clearly stated that Jesus was pure/sinless. This sets the stage for the discussion of sacrifice in the future and the qualifications of the sacrifice itself. In addition, it is clear that my understanding of Jesus comes from the Holy Scriptures and not from other places.
10. There was an act of submission in my life. We often use the terminology to “believe” or “have faith” in Jesus. Unfortunately this has come to mean simply mental assent in popular American culture. This concept of belief is foreign to both the Old and New Testaments. What is meant in Holy Scripture is a belief that is so strong it drives one to action… we would say, “making Jesus Lord of our lives.” This is what the phrase “I submitted to God’s will through the Messiah” hints at, but further it makes a clear statement that the only way I could truly understand and submit to God was through Jesus.
11. In the final paragraph God’s grace in my life is articulated through communicating a deep fellowship with God, answered prayers, increased holiness and God’s continual destruction of sin in my life, greater love for others and ALL of this by God’s power, not my own.
I wrote this rather hurriedly so it may not make total sense. Please feel free to ask for clarification on any point you do not understand.
Peace to you brother,
From the Middle East
Brother Chris,
You nailed it bro!!!
They understand the title, but what does it mean??? The same goes for the title “The Word of God.” It is a title for Jesus, but what does it mean and imply???
I’d like to know more about you trip to the Middle East. Please email me.
Peace to you brother,
From the Middle East
[...] SBCImpact yesterday, From The MiddleEast, a missionary, wrote his testimony, which he uses to introduce [...]
Everyone…
I hate to interject a moderator’s note here, as there is some great discussion going on that I don’t want to disrupt. When iron sharpens iron, sparks fly… I understand that completely.
In this process, I have a simple request… can we please try to keep any “over the top” interaction to a minimum? Not everyone may be wearing the same level of eye protection, and we don’t need any unnecessary sparks causing injury.
Thanks!
David,
Your sarcasm reveals your deep misunderstanding of my comment and most likely others. You don’t need to press forward in fear. If you think it’s necessary, please go back and read what I actually wrote.
I addressed hateful words toward a brother – missionary or not. I don’t know him well, but I do know FTME to have risked much for the sake of the Gospel. I’ll let you go back and read the disparaging comment about “hatred, pussyfoots, and lace underwear” if you’d like. It was just sad – again, missionary or not.
The issue at hand is clearly methodology, not testosterone, manhood, or courage. There’s nothing wrong with questioning or opposing a missionary’s approach, even vehemently. In fact, I don’t think I used the word missionary at all in my comment. I used brother actually. Again, only if you feel it’s necessary, you’re welcome to read a post I contributed here entitled “Be on Mission…Wherever You Are.” I think you’ll find that I would agree with you and encourage the level playing field. But I don’t agree with your hasty reading, some of your approach, and your biting sarcasm.
God bless you. I mean it. Enjoy your afternoon,
Patrick
FTME:
Due to security concerns you probably can’t reveal the exact area that you are working.
However, could you give us readers some idea of what your ministry entails? For example, do you work one-on-one with people or in some type of group setting? How do you meet people in whatever country/context you are working in?
Roger Simpson
Patrick,
You are right. I did read what you wrote in haste and lumped it with what Les and Strider wrote. I apologize. I re-read your comment and saw that you were talking exclusively to Dr. Foltz concerning the comments he made. I sincerely apologize for including you in my comment of sarcasm.
David
I have had conversations with multiple missionaries who work in Muslim countries, and they seem to say the same thing. I advance what I have been told with the hope that FTME will correct anything I am saying that is not true.
To share Christ in a Muslim setting is a process, not an event. You cannot just walk up to Muslims and start proclaiming the Four Laws or some other gospel presentation and hope for it to work.
You start by building a relationship. Then, as they get to know the person you are, you share your testimony, in a non-threatening way, of how Jesus has changed your life. If the person is interested, you engage in discussions over time to explain the teachings of Christianity and the New Testament.
In other words, sharing the gospel to a Muslim is long process, not a single event.
This testimony is meant to be one piece in a long process, not an entire gospel presentation or a full explanation of Christian Theology.
Brother Roger,
Our role in the Kingdom seems to be changing frequently!
I have lived in a Muslim context (one of the least reached Arab peoples) but currently mobilize, train and lead short-term teams to support the work of long-term Kingdom workers in “difficult” areas. Our small organization both assists individuals in being a part of what God is doing among the unreached and we assist entire congregations in “adopting” unreached people groups. I also do training for local congregations from time to time on how to reach out to Muslims in their communities as well as training for businessmen who have dealings in Muslim countries and want to be ambassadors for the Kingdom as they work.
As to your questions:
The answer is, “Yes.” I have found myself both in group and individual situations. The group situation is a little trickier since there is often an antagonist around, but finding natural groups and sharing with groups as a whole can be great as there is already a natural community there… and Near Eastern peoples tend to be VERY community oriented to begin with. At the same time very personal questions and heart issues usually will not be revealed in the presence of peers.
As to how we meet people, that really depends on the context. But again, Near Eastern peoples are generally very community-oriented and hospitable. In 2008 I had the honor of leading eight teams to five different countries to work with eight different people groups… this year will not be quite as intense! In each of these trips, except for one very brief exploratory trip, our team members had no problem getting into conversations about Jesus.
I’m not sure if I answered exactly what you were asking or not?
Peace to you brother,
From the Middle East
Brother Dave M.,
Yes, I absolutely agree that it is a process! But I would also argue that it is process with anyone, not just with Muslims. God is continually speaking to people here in the States as well and our role is to serve as a type of interpreter who helps them understand what God is saying. Another way of saying this is that my job is not to cram the entire Bible into every conversation that I have, but to be sensitive to the Spirit’s leading and take that person as far as they are willing to go at the time. If that is into the Kingdom, Praise God! If that is one step closer to the Kingdom, Praise God! If that is one step closer to God for someone who is already in the Kingdom, Praise God! Our role seems to be listening to the Spirit as to whether we are to till soil, plant seeds, water or harvest.
That being said, I do think that it is very easy to avoid “spiritual” conversations with new acquaintances so that we can develop a “relationship.” In the Islamic world that does not necessarily fly when religion and politics are usually the talk of the day! In addition, one who is devout and firm in his beliefs is highly respected, especially if he is a fellow monotheist. I have gone through the Story of Jesus in a short taxi ride with a driver I just met, but have also taken weeks to do it over a series of conversations… different circumstances. I, personally, would not feel comfortable developing a relationship for several months while hiding the most significant aspect of who I am.
The above is just my opinion and what God has called me to at this time. This is not meant to invalidate someone with a slightly different nuance to his calling. We are a body and all parts are important.
Peace to you brother,
From the Middle East
David,
Absolutely no issue at all. May God bless you richly,
Patrick
I remember the day I trusted Christ as my Savior. The pastor and I sat down for three days as he shared with me from Grudem’s Systematic Theology. He then handed me the Baptist Faith and Message (1963) and expounded the significance of each point. (When the 2000 version came out, I had a major crisis of belief! I’ve since reconciled these issues.) Finally, after these things, I felt I understood the requirements of becoming a Christian. As I walked down the steps into the baptistry, I handed the pastor my essay covering the finer points of soteriology. The pastor read it aloud to the congregation and it was determined that I indeed was ready to enter into the sacred throng of Christendom.
Mark 10:26-27, “And they were greatly astonished, saying among themselves, “Who then can be saved?” But Jesus looked at them and said, “With men it is impossible, but not with God; for with God all things are possible.”
FTME – Thank you for your challenging post. I have read it several times over and followed the links given. I have read the comment stream with great interest and have concluded that you indeed do a tremendous service for our God/Allah in your region. Thank you for sharing the simple message of salvation with non-believers in the Middle East.
And yes, my conversion experience is to be read with sarcasm.
On a serious note – perhaps some of the same strategies of reaching “difficult areas” could be (and should be) used to reach folks right here in America. At least from my ministry context I see this as a useful strategy.
Again, thank you for your courage, wisdom, and spirit of gentleness.
Clay Alexander (Pastor – Wright, Wyoming)
Brother Clay,
For some reason I am always concerned with being grossly misunderstood and offensive when using hyperbole in the blogosphere… but your testimony was a beautiful example! Maybe I should employ that device more often.
You said:
I agree 100% and have really enjoyed visiting with various pastors about our cross-cultural strategies and how they might work here… especially for the crowd that is unchurched. Maybe for my next post I’ll share my testimony as told for postmoderns in coffee shops!
Peace to you brother,
From the Middle East
Volfan007 (David),
I have been away from my computer since you responded to my post, and since you wrote specifically to me, I thought I should respond to clarify my statements. I wasn’t even thinking of you when I wrote my original message. My statements about being fearful and intolerant of the Muslim beliefs and culture stemmed more from the arguments about what we call God than our methodology for witnessing.
The difficult part I find is that many people are so hurt from September 11 and the negative effects of the fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan that their hate and fear dominates their views of the Muslim people. We like to view the unreached as poor, ignorant people just trying to find God, waiting for our missionaries to come to them, like the sad starving children in Africa we see on our TV sets during commercials between college football games. Reality, though, is that the lost are not just the starving children, but the warlords and gangs that killed the parents of those children as well. We tend to lump Muslims together with the terrorists and are harsher on them than we are on the starving children. Ultimately, whether they’re starving or wielding an AK-47, they are lost and they need the Lord or they will enter into an eternity they chose by not following God. I’m not saying that we have to be politically correct, but I am saying that the terrorist attacks and our present conflict in the Middle East have certainly affected our views of Muslims and witnessing, often unfairly. So I’m not pointing a finger at you, just some common practices, feelings, and behaviors we’ve all seen in our churches and even in ourselves.
While contextualization can certainly be carried off into La La Land, we shouldn’t just throw out the baby with the bath water. There are certainly times when it is appropriate to “become like a Muslim to win a Muslim.” Although Paul probably wouldn’t have called it contextualization, he certainly practiced it: “Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law. To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some (1 Cor. 9:19-22).”
I recently moved and wrote “XMAS DECS” on a box. No one who helped me move was afraid of me taking Christ out of Christmas. We have to extend each other a little leeway when we talk about some of these concepts and not assume we’re jumping off the deep end when we assert that we use certain methodologies. If you had a disagreement with something FTME wrote that was contextualized, please share it, but don’t throw out contextualization as a whole because some people try to practice a form of ecumenicalism between Islam and our faith.
And I wasn’t (and FTME wasn’t) saying you shouldn’t share the cross. My pastor talked about sharing your faith in this way: Listen to THEIR STORY, talk about YOUR STORY, and relate it to HIS STORY. This is just one approach, and it may not happen all in one sitting. Often, in Muslim countries, you can endanger yourself and other believers if you openly share the gospel. Just handing out Bibles in some areas can get you killed. Sharing your testimony like FTME did in a contextualized way is like gently tugging on an apple in an orchard. If it’s ripe (ready to hear about Christ) it will come off. The difference, though, is that if you tug on the apple in a Muslim nation, you may not only get an unripe apple, but also killed. Even in America, if we get really pushy and the Spirit doesn’t lead us to act that way, we could do more harm than good in terms of the relationship, and that relationship is the doorway to bigger and better things (i.e. sharing the gospel) in the Arab world.
A Muslim, hearing that testimony, would certainly recognize that not all is “normal” in the life of the speaker. Although the average American may be confused and even think that FTME had converted to Islam, a Muslim would know that something was up. Something, Lord willing, worth finding more about…
I think the truly sad part is someone gives their pilgramage and all some can do is criticize it. It seems some are never happy unless it is when they are being critical. Thanks FTME for sharing your story.
Dave Miller,
I’m not going to use a numbering scheme, but I believe that this will answer both (all three) of your questions.
The topic on the floor is contextualization. The example before us is one of BAD contextualization. Your questions that draw from equivalents in American culture, Dave Miller, presume that we should not contextualize at the very points where we face the greatest need to contextualize.
I state it again: My argument is not with the use of the word Allah. I have nowhere in this thread…nowhere…objected to the use of the Arabic word “Allah.” It does sometimes frustrate me that this point is not only overlooked, but deliberately ignored. For I have already stated in reply to you that this is not a question of vocabulary, yet you ask me the question again.
But, whenever the context calls upon us to use the name of a false, nonexistent god in reference to the One True God, then we have entered a new context. New contextualization needs have emerged. Foremost upon them is the pressing need, upon finding it necessary to use this new terminology, to make certain that the hearer in our new context clearly knows of whom we are speaking when we use that word. This context in which we are now witnessing involves a greatly heightened risk of syncretism. Contextualization into such a context requires more wise efforts to avoid syncretism than some other contexts require.
Thus, when I am giving a testimony or witnessing to (non-Muslim) people in the United States of America, I find that I have never—not one time in more than two decades as a pastor—had anyone hear me mention “God” and for one moment be confused into thinking that I was speaking of Allah or Krishna or Vishnu or Oden or Zeus or Baal. Good contextualization can look at the situation and say, “It really isn’t necessary to go into much detail about the identity of God here, because people in this context know immediately and instinctively the correct answer as to which God I mean.”
But that’s not the case for FTME. Good contextualization in his context would recognize: “I’m having to use the common name of a false, nonexistent god to refer to the One True God. People are likely to be confused by this. I don’t want to confuse them. Therefore, I need to make clear to them that this Allah is the REAL Allah, as opposed to the false deity propounded by the false prophet Mohammed within the pages of the false scripture of the Qur’an resulting in the false manmade religion of Islam.” To fail to do that is BAD contextualization and the suborning of heresy.
Now, as to the whole pre-evangelism/evangelism debate. Frankly, this is a ploy that is getting old. One huge difference between an EE testimony and FTME’s testimony is that EE has published their gospel presentation in full. These folks like FTME never seem to want to do that. Ditto for Greeson, et al. The most difficult part of the process with the most need for enlightening the Christian world as to a good way to do it (confronting the need for repentance from the pursuit of a false religion and a false god in rebellion against God) is the one part that is missing from all of these discussions.
It is difficult not to conclude that the reason for its absence is purely rhetorical: So long as the process of evangelism itself remains undiscussed, any and all manner of heresy can be waved away with a mere “well, this isn’t my full doctrinal statement” or “this is only pre-evangelism, you know.”
What surprises me is that, in the face of such a grave vulnerability to rank heresy, so many people who otherwise seem to love the Lord and want to see people come to the true saving knowledge of Christ display such an inexplicable lack of curiosity as to how our “experts” on Muslim evangelism actually do evangelism—how they resolve these glaring and critical flaws in their voluminous musings on “pre-evangelism.”
I am entering the conversation a bit late. To catch up, I read through the post and the entire comment stream and then went back and read carefully your testimony again.
I’d like to offer a few observations about the discussion itself and then offer a short critique of your initial post.
First, I think that the discussion has, inadvertently, been wrongly framed. This problem is not unique to this particular post but I have observed (and even contributed to) this problem on virtually every post about contextualization in the SBC. The conversation comes across as though one side were against contextualization and the other was against a clear presentation of the gospel. Neither of these is true. My sense is that FTME is FOR a clear presentation of the gospel as long as it is contextualized and his detractors are FOR contextualization as long as there is a clear presentation of the gospel. The real question at stake is whether or not FTME’s testimony is sufficient in its contextualized form.
Second, there seems to be wrong assumption that some are FOR pre-evangelism while others are against it. Again, I do not believe this to be the case. The question is whether the FTME’s pre-evangelism is sufficient in its contextualized form.
In terms of discussion, then, I find it equally unhelpful to categorize one group as syncretistic and the other as having their heads in the sand. On this and other posts, I am going to work with the assumption that we are all conservative, Bible-believing believers who equally want to take the gospel to a lost world and do so in a biblically responsible and culturally relevant way.
I observe that FTME does indeed have a passion for the lost Muslims of his area and has done the hard work of cultural study and identification and has made an honest and laborious effort to communicate his message in cultural forms. He has certainly done that. The question remains, is that communication sufficient for its purpose.
That being said, I will offer my own critique of FTME’s testimony.
First, I personally make a distinction between testimony and pre-evangelism. In testimony, I am personally sharing my experience with Christ. Typically, our Baptist SS formula has been: my life before becoming a Christian, how I became a Christian, my life since becoming a Christian (you can argue the merits of this formula elsewhere). Testimony, as I use the term, is not a presentation of the gospel but does contain the gospel. Usually in the “how I became a Christian” part, I speak of my own coming to repentance and faith in Jesus’ death and resurrection.
Pre-evangelism, on the other hand, may or may not contain the gospel, but does lead us to an interest in the gospel by challenging in some way or causing the hearer to question his or her own worldview. It contains just enough “salt” to make the person “thirsty” for more. Thus, Acts 17, for example, is not a case of the use of “testimony” but of pre-evangelism.
Despite FTME’s efforts, at this point I would say his presentation is slightly lacking both as testimony and as pre-evangelism. I think that this is the point that Bart, volfan and others may be making.
I tried to give this a fair hearing and so I back-translated FTME’s testimony into my own cultural setting (Midwest United States) and evaluated it on the basis of the testimony itself. I personally would like to see the testimony be more decisively Christian. While he mentions Christ as the key to his conversion, in my opinion, FTME makes a couple of key mistakes.
(1) by speaking of “the prophets”, would not the hearer assume you were including Muhammed? It is somewhat misleading to say to a Muslim that you studied and observed “the prophets” when you did not study or revere whom they consider to be the greatest and last prophet. Perhaps you could speak only of how your family raised you to observe the Torah, Zabur and Injil or find a way to mention prophets in such a way that does not suggest you follow the “prophet” Muhammed.
(2) The part where you speak of coming to Christ, you state “the only Prophet that could give us greater understanding of the Kingdom of Allah and true submission to His will was Isa Al-Masih.” Volfan rightly questions, “Where is repentance? Where is faith?” (#3)
Your explanation (#6) is, in my opinion, insufficient. Coming to an “understanding of the kingdom of God” and “submission to his will” does not sufficiently correspond to repentance, nor does being “convinced only Isa Al-Masih was capable of helping me understand the Kingdom of Allah” correspond sufficiently to faith. You will need to rework this part of your testimony to find a contextual expression of repentance and faith. When I repented, it wasn’t that I came to an understanding but that I turned from sin. When I came to faith, I wasn’t convinced that only Jesus could help me understand things but that only Jesus could make me right with God be taking care of my sin through his death and resurrection. Your choice of wording here, in my opinion, is the biggest problem in your testimony and where I most significantly object.
(3) Though you speak of submitting to God’s will, there is no indication that your submission to God is any different from what they already practice as Muslims. Perhaps you could say something like you came to an understanding that only through Isa Al-Masih could you truly submit to the will of God.
(4) Finally, even if one objects that this is “pre-evangelism” (as some have done in citing Acts 17), I still don’t believe you have said enough to sufficiently challenge the person’s worldview or cause them to raise questions about their beliefs. Your testimony/pre-evangelism should either be distictively Christian or challenging to their worldview. I don’t see how it is either. It comes across as one person’s experience with God that is just a unique variation of the accepted norm.
Again, FTME, I appreciate your diligence and effort, I only wonder if you might put a bit sharper point on your presentation. Doing so, I think, would not only alleviate the main concerns of your detractors but may indeed also be a more effective presentation and lead to more opportunities to present the gospel.
Blessings,
Todd
FTME:
IMO you are a very brave man in your post, in that you open up to the world in a very personal and transperant way that easily leads itself to criticism. How many would do what you have done, I do not think very many. Sadly some are even calling it another Gospel. That is a very strong charge against come one!!!!! To me it appears you are under attack even at this very moment by people who are attempting to marginalize you. Sadly, I have seen this type of attack before–call someone Liberal, someone does not have the correct view of Baptism–it never ends.
Christians fighting Christians and particularly the academic ones that are on the attack.
I will truly pray for you and what God has called you to do.
Jesus, himself would have a very hard time not being criticized by some today because his methods would be different than what some would think it should be.
Wow, this is a great post. Thanks to “From the Middle East” for posting.
This is a great discussion to have – what does contextualization look like? How far is too far?
I do hope the conversation continues productively. Americans who are too quick to judge without understanding other cultures will certainly not help the discussion proceed helpfully.
I really appreciate FTME’s post. It’s stretching my thinking and understanding. Is it perfect? I’m not sure, but it seems to me a good effort at communicating the gospel in an initial way.
I am grateful for missionaries such as yourself and Strider. I think Les in comment #18 as well as Dave Miller and Tom Parks, have all said what is on my mind as I read your testimony and the comments.
When we are teaching our children for the first time, would we expect to present all that some believe you should have presented here?
From the Middle East
I say Amen to your Witness by Your Testimony. I wish I could say the same for the Witness of the BI People on these Blogs and the SBC Today Blog ( http://sbctoday.com/ ). Brother Chris Johnson is always Right On in His Godly Comments in defense of Jesus Christ. Some of the BI People have a problem understanding Some of God’s Word
Wayne
Was anyone shocked that Debbie agreed with Tom Parker, Les, and David Miller, and FTME?
David :)
From the Middle East,
In reading comments on SBC Today, I see there are a lot of So Called Christians that have Taken their Eyes off of Jesus Christ and have Lost Focus.
Todd B. Says:
January 9th, 2009 at 1:23 pm
Abu,
I’m not suggesting one must present the entire gospel in every presentation. But it appears to me that FTME’s testimony moves sideways and not forward.
How does his testimony confront, at any level, the Islamic worldview. All he has done, it seems to me, is put suggest the necessity of Isa to fully understand the Islamic faith.
Further, from an exegetical standpoint, I don’t think we can rightly use Jesus’ pre-cross, pre-resurrection preaching as THE model for gospel proclamation. Nor can we dismiss Paul’s gospel proclamation as preaching to a Christian audience.
– Todd
Wayne
Wayne,
I don’t mean to sound harsh, but if you take issue with something said on SBC Today, please address the author of the comment there. Encouraging FTME can be done without comments such as the above.
Thanks!
David:
You said–”Was anyone shocked that Debbie agreed with Tom Parker, Les, and David Miller, and FTME?”
Please elaborate or I might tend to think you are really trying to be sarcastic. Do you think we are just a bunch of Stepford Wives? Please correct me if I am wrong. I could certainly post where I know who you will agree with and disagree with. IMO your comment was uncalled for.
FTME,
In sharing your testimony or doing pre-evangelism, how often do you use the terms Allah al-ab instead of a mere Allah or Allah al-ibn instead of Isa al-Masih? What influences your choices in this regard?
Besides, Wes, by pulling my comment from the other blog and removing it from its context, you have completely mischaracterized me. I am not “taking my eyes off Jesus.” Rather, I was arguing against the hermeneutical idea that we use Jesus as the model for modern day evangelism over against Paul. Abu understood that.
Bro Bart said,
I would argue differently. I do not wish to cast doubt upon your intent. However, I would question this concept from the listeners perspective. The listeners in Athens heard Paul speak to them about the “unknown God.” Did they understand at that moment that Paul was speaking to them about the God of the Bible? Paul used their language by speaking of a “higher power” (and yes, I cringe at that term too) to bring them into the conversation about the true Creator God. Paul then says, “the one whom you worship without knowing, Him I proclaim to you…”
In my sharing the Gospel with others, I have been misunderstood about the true Person of God. We cannot always assume a Judeo/Christian worldview regarding the Person of God…even in the United States of America. In the church that I currently pastor, I have led several young adults to faith in Christ. What I have observed is the “process” of salvation and not the “event” of salvation. For instance, one of these young couples began attending an outreach ministry that our church sponsors in the community. They came because our church had ministered to them in the midst of a crisis. (Tornado of August 2005) As I began to share with them, I quickly discovered that neither had been raised with any concept of god and church. Yes, they believed in god, but the God I had been discussing was (in their minds) not the Creator God of Scripture, but the “general” god they had heard discussed countless times by Oprah. When Oprah talks about “god” she is in no way referring to the God I preach and proclaim! Oprah’s god and my God are not the same…even though in our vocabulary they share a common name.
FTME’s Allah and Islam’s allah are not the same, even though they share a common name.
To share with them that Jesus is God was in their minds just like saying that Buddha is god, or Krishna is god, or (you get the picture).
So, what had to take place? We started in the beginning…when God created the heavens and the earth. Over time, they both realized that God is personal and we can know him. Upon this realization, the true gravity of sin is understood as being the thing that separates us from God. All of a sudden, the grace and forgiveness offered by Christ becomes crystal clear. In this case, sharing the work of Christ first would not have led them into a true understanding of salvation. Sure, they may have prayed the prayer, but would they have really understood the words of Jesus when he says, “take up your cross and follow me?”
I interpret the testimony of FTME as being a lead-in to proclaim the work of Christ in a way that can be understood by the listener. Eventually, the listener (through the work of the Holy Spirit) will understand the difference between allah of Islam and the the One True, Creator God/Allah and his son Jesus Christ/Isa Al-Masih.
I would also argue that a personal testimony (no matter how theological) is never, by itself, enough to lead someone to faith in Christ. All a personal testimony does is allow the listener to hear how God has made a change in one’s life. For some, the change is drastic. For others, no change in lifestyle occurs, only a change in heart and the realization of eternal life.
Respectfully,
Clay Alexander (Pastor, Wright, Wyoming)
Clay,
In Acts 17, after making mention of the “unknown god” Paul went on to make direct confrontation of their idolatry as wrong, to refer to the death and resurrection of Jesus, etc. To avoid any confusion, Paul made it explicitly clear that their conception of the unknown god was entirely wrong.
I could type more, but I’ve already done so. You can see my prior post here.
Brother Todd B.,
Thank you for your input/advice. I do agree that what is desired is effective communication of the Gospel. Now to your points in #64:
1. Absolutely, he would assume this. And I certainly understand your concern. But, we must remember that this particular form of my testimony is typically given early in the conversation or, sometimes, even after we have established that I do not consider Muhammad a prophet. I am trying to get to the full story of Jesus, not the question of whether or not I consider Muhammad a prophet. My role, is that of an ambassador of God’s Kingdom. And, as such, I would prefer to spend my time exalting the King and His Kingdom! Though, if a Muslim asks me, I certainly answer as to my views on Muhammad. In short, my role is to exalt Jesus in all I say and do, not to tear down another system. If you have not already read it, Part 3 of my Answering Questions series gives a fuller explanation of how exalting Jesus shows there is no real need for Muhammad.
2. I understand your rejection of this portion of my testimony as it is read through Western eyes. However, it is not for Westerners! But I cannot comprehend how you do not see repentance in a story of a man who is convicted of his sin and trying to get rid of it that is driven to Jesus as a result of this sin that he could not rid himself of… only to be freed from it by Jesus (perhaps comment #47 will shed more light on this issue). Even if it does not make sense to you, I assure you that my hearers do understand that repentance took place. This is also the case with faith. There is no greater evidence of faith, in Islam or Christianity, than a life wholly submitted (read: “obedient” or “committed to” by Westerners) to God.
3. My submission is radically different as it is ONLY through Jesus that it can happen. This kind of language about Jesus is unheard of among Muslims. With regard to my submission being the same as Islam: Muslims tend to understand that there is only one true submission to God. Thus, I am actually challenging their idea of what that is. While there are some out there, most Muslims I have interacted with do not think there are two correct ways of submitting. It would be equivalent to a Muslim telling you that true submission to God is ONLY through Muhammad. You would immediately know this challenges the core of your worldview.
4. I understand why you would not see this as either. You are not an Arab Muslim who has never met a follower of Jesus. I do not share my testimony this way with postmodern American relativists. Nor do I share my testimony this way with churched folk who prayed a prayer as a child and were inoculated with the Gospel. I would submit to you that, to the Arab Muslim who has had not interaction with folks like you and me, it most certainly does challenge their worldview and is distinctly Christ-focused.
Peace to you brother,
From the Middle East
Brother Brent,
I assure you that this testimony is not perfect. It has been under development for several years and will continue to be until the day I die.
Peace to you brother,
From the Middle East
Brother Bart,
About as often as I use the terms The Godhead The Father, The Godhead The Son, The Godhead The Spirit in English. Just as these terms would not make sense in Christian English, the Arabic terminology you used makes no sense in Islamic Arabic (the folks I deal with usually do not know Christianese in Arabic). While I have no problem at all using the terminology as defined at Nicaea, I do not remember that formula being used directly in Holy Scripture though I’ve had a long day and am open to correction on this point.
That being said, I make generous use of titles that imply deity, especially terminology already found within their vocabulary and even encourage them to consider what is really meant by these terms!
Peace to you brother,
From the Middle East
Brother Bart,
I ask your and Brother Clay’s pardon for butting into your conversation. But… I would like to point out that in my testimony it is quite clear that Jesus in the ONLY way to the Creator of the Heavens and Earth. This, again, is crazy talk to Muslims and strikes at the very core of their worldview and beliefs about Muhammad WHILE exalting Jesus.
Peace to you brothers,
From the Middle East
Brother Bart,
You said,
Precisely my point…emphasis on after.
After Paul drew them into his message, then he confronted their need for salvation in Christ alone.
I did read “Of Muslims and Mars Hill” as you directed. For the most part, I would find myself in agreement. (Of course, the semantics regarding one’s interpretation of scripture could be argued ad infinitum.) Thank you for what I would say is an excellent treatment of the passage. However, I have a small question regarding point number 3 that I believe fits the context of this post.
My question: Was Paul not clear enough before his appearance at the Areopagus in his proclamation of the gospel? Sure he was! We read he “preached to them Jesus and the Resurrection.” However, they viewed it as the “proclaiming of foreign gods” and needed further clarification.
Looking at this contextually, I would say that the Athenian’s openness to all things religious allowed Paul the opportunity to preach (or share his testimony). FTME enjoys no such opportunity. FTME’s testimony (as I read it) seeks to stir within the heart of a Muslim a reaction to his claims about Isa Al-Masih. Only after the heart of a Muslim is stirred (within the context of which FTME preaches) will he be ready to consider the claims of Christ.
I do not believe contextualization waters down the Gosepel; rather it legitimizes our sharing it with those who need to be confronted with God’s Truth. To me, contextualization seeks to find common ground thereby affording me the opportunity to confront the listener with the Gospel message. If a stranger comes knocking on my door demanding entry into my house, I’ll meet him in the foyer with my 12 guage! However, if same stranger is cordial and seems interested in establishing a relationship with me, then I’ll respond in kind. Eventually, my door will be open to him. This is my view of contextualization…the establishing of a relationship and opportunity for the sharing of the Gospel.
On a side note. As a new reader of this blog, I was unaware of previous posts (by you or anyone else for that matter) seeking to clarify positions regarding contextualized ministry. Thanks for your patience.
Also to FTME, I never doubted your testimony’s claim that Jesus is indeed the only way to the Father. Again, thank you sharing this post with us and for encouraging meaningful dialogue. I think at the end of the day, everyone’s desire is that the Gospel message goes forth in power and clarity.
Respectfully,
Clay Alexander (Pastor – Wright, Wyoming)
Clay,
If FTME has some later portion of actual evangelism in which he confronts prospective converts from Islam to Christianity with their need to repent of their trust in Mohammed, the Quran, the “Allah” taught in those sources, and their adherence to Islam, and in which he leads them to faith in Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as the one and only God and the one and only Way, Truth, and Life, then I have no disagreement with him at all.
If that is the case, then I urge him to end this division of opinion by publishing it. Indeed, not only will the publication of such lead to greater peace, but it will also be an opportunity for him to teach the thing that is in the greatest need of teaching. For the real hurdle lies not in finding some cutesy-vague way to discuss a testimony so that it isn’t distinctively Christian, but in knowing how to broach these very difficult, scandalous, and offensive questions with Moslems. If he knows a good way to do that and is practicing it faithfully, then I personally would benefit greatly from reading about it.
Brother Bart,
My testimony might seem “cutesy-vague” to you… but, again, you are not an Arab Muslim who has never met a follower of Jesus. To my typical hearer, it is clearly Christ-centered and there is nothing vague about my allegiance to Jesus (as revealed in the Holy Scriptures).
As to your request for some kind of canned approach I would use to show the deficiency of all things Islamic and the supremecy of Christ, that would be Bible study – specific to the person or group as led by the Spirit. If, on the other hand, you are asking how I would tell the Story of Jesus, patience dear brother.
As to me somehow ending divisiveness: I would argue that those who ignore multiple statements by me (and others) that this testimony is just that, a testimony of what God did in my life, as well as those who ignore the fact that the Arab Muslim mind thinks in radically different categories than the American mind and then draws conclusions based upon this ignorance and states “This is not the Gospel!” and “There is no repentance! There is no faith!” rather than asking for help in understanding how a Muslim perceives this testimony are, in fact, the ones causing division. It would seem that those who charge I preach a “different” or perhaps insufficient gospel could end the division by showing a brother a little love and trusting that the same Holy Spirit who proclaims Christ and Him crucified through them proclaims Him through me, though in a different context with which their American minds are not familiar.
Peace to you brother,
From the Middle East
FTME:
I do not think anything you would provide to some of the commenters here would ever satisfy them, they would always want more.
Do we have enough comments yet? The folks at SBCImpact may want to consider changing the comments section to a threaded discussion if we’re going to be posting so much!
I would like to add a few things. First, I find it difficult to be arguing about someone’s testimony (or pre-evangelism or whatever you want to call it). Yesterday at a Bible study the leader asked for volunteers to share their story. We listened and asked questions, and it really helped us gain a better understanding of each other. If, after sharing my testimony, someone had argued about the validity of my testimony and its effectiveness for communicating the truth of the gospel, I would most certainly have been hurt and the relationship would have been hurt. Perhaps I’m too sensitive, but I appreciate FTME’s patience and kindness through this. I find myself arguing for his presentation in part because that is his story of how God has worked in his life—who are we to judge it in that way?
Continuing on, I think that our Western worldview hinders our appreciation of FTME’s testimony. FTME’s testimony was not written so that Muslims would have to make a mental bridge to understand what he’s saying. FTME made the bridge—he converted his testimony from a Western understanding to something they’d understand. In John 8:58, Jesus said, “Before Abraham was, I am.” To the average American, it may not be easy to infer that He was asserting Himself as God. To the Jews, it would DOUBLY obvious because 1) He said he existed before their Patriarch which asserts that He was greater than him and eternally existent, and 2) He referred to Himself as “I AM,” the name God gave Himself. God’s personal name. Not a name we call God. Not Elohim or El Shaddai, but the personal name of God. The average person might miss it just from that phrase. It was blatantly obvious to the Jews. We may miss what FTME is saying in his testimony without the explanation, but the Muslim would know. While it may appear to us that he didn’t say anything extraordinary about Jesus, the Muslims would say he DID say something extraordinary about Him.
Don’t be frustrated that you don’t understand. I certainly don’t understand everything in FTME’s testimony, and a Muslim would be left with some questions too; they’d just be different questions than ours because we’re saying, “Help, I’m stuck in the mud and I don’t get this.” The Muslim would be saying, “Who really is this Al-Masih?”
John Stickley said:
Wayne,
I don’t mean to sound harsh, but if you take issue with something said on SBC Today, please address the author of the comment there.
John,
I would if I could but I have been barred from commenting on SBC Today because of using Bible Verse’s on Their Blogs.
Wayne
Throughout the book of Acts, bold direct preaching is the method used to share the gospel [cf. the frequent use of the word parresia and its verb form], and the Spirit of God is always at work, attending to and accompanying such preaching [cf. also John 15:26-27]. These things need to be kept in mind when discussing the contextualization of the gospel message.
Terry, What FTME is saying is that this testimony IS bold proclamation to Muslim ears. I can tell you that in my ministry here in a Muslim country that we have used what you call ‘bold’ proclamation and the Muslim ears heard nothing. In one humorous event a national evangelist friend of mine went up to an uneducated village man and told him flat out that ‘Jesus lived 2000 years ago, died on the cross for your sins, is coming again, repent!’ and the villager looked at him and said, ‘So, up in the Capitol city how much does meat costs?’ Do you want to proclaim for yourself or for your hearers? We must speak the truth in ways they will understand. FTME says that the Holy Spirit has led him to give his testimony in this way. He says that others on his team have prayed about this and agree with him. If someone has a critique that says, ‘Hey, I think that this concept would be better stated’, or, ‘Can we not use this word or idea?’ Then FTME and I would be all for listening but what we have seen is a lot of posturing and people who only believe that the Gospel is the Gospel if it is presented in a way that they understand. That has been very frustrating.
FTME,
First, thank you for your cordial responses and your care in explaining your position. I greatly appreciate it.
As for my specific critiques and your response, I will stick to the numbers from my intitial critique (#64) and your response (#76) and I will try to see things from an emic persective as a Muslim who has never heard the gospel.
Now on to the specifics:
(1) Here you acknowledge that at least sometimes, the hearer would assume you had studied Muhammed in your path to Christ. I am refreshed that when you have not established that this is not the case at the outset, you eventually get there. My concern, however, and I know this may seem nit-picky, is that I never want to communicate anything that is potentially misleading, even if only for a short time. You may disagree with me on this, but for the hearer to assume that you came to Christ in the context of Islam or in the process of studying Muhammed is for him to believe something that is not true about you.
Certainly, I agree with you that you should exalt Christ from the beginning and need not necessarily begin your presentation with a rejection of Muhammed. However, my issue is that you potentially mislead the hearer, if only for a short time. Since that problem is easily avoided by a slight change in wording and does not hinder your testimony, I would seriously consider changing it at that point.
(2) This point was the central critique I had with you and is the same one that is central to Dr. Smith’s critique over at SBCToday. I can see from your detailed explanation, taking for granted that you are indeed understanding your cultural context correctly, that your testimony does include contextually the elements of repentance and faith. However, the central summary statement of gospel remains “the only Prophet that could give us greater understanding of the Kingdom of Allah and true submission to His will was Isa Al-Masih.”
Granted that repentance and faith are seen elsewhere in the testimony, this summary still appears grossly inadequate from my Western mind. Even trying to hear it from an emic perspective, I still do not see how coming to a “greater understanding” of the kingdom corresponds to the Christian gospel. Nor does referring to Jesus as the greatest prophet.
Jesus may have freed you from this sin you could not get rid of, but he did not do it by helping you understand the kingdom. You’re going to have to unpack this one a lot more form me, brother :)
(3) OK, I can accept this. I will offer you a better analogy though. Since I don’t accept Muhammed as a prophet, a better analogy would be “It would be equivalent to a Muslim telling you that true submission to God is ONLY through Moses.” Sorry, I had to have something to critique ;)
(4) I understand how I might be a bit jaded from my experience with nominal and postmodern Christianity here in the States. Nevertheless, while your testimony does question the worldview in terms of a shift in allegiance from Muhammed to Isa, I’m still having a hard time seeing how this leads to a Christian conception of Isa. Going back to Acts 17, Paul does contextualize his message, but he does not leave them with something less than the Christian conception of Jesus. He challenged their worldview by presenting Christ not just as they have perceived him but as he is. Some rejected the message, but others wanted to hear him more on the matter.
Again, I may be tainted by a lack of full understanding of your context, but as for now, I still don’t see that your pre-evangelism moves the hearer far enough toward the Christian conception of God.
Once again, FTME, I appreciate your diligence and effort and I hope you will understand the concerns I and others have and read this as coming from a brother and not an antagonist.
Blessings,
Todd
Strider,
To show you where I’m coming from, AMEN to your comment #87.
I’m going to use your illustration in the future when I defend contextualization and when I prepare my own people for short-term missions. :)
Keep contending for the faith!…
and Please accept my questions and critiques in the spirit they are offered.
Blessings,
Todd
Brother Todd B.,
Re: 1 & 4:
I would say that, again, that this is not a full doctrinal statement and that I am in good company with this testimony. Jesus sometimes freely admitted he is the One, sometimes he refused to answer questions, he often taught with simple object lessons, which, by themselves only explained an aspect or two of the Kingdom, once he even told some folks he was not going somewhere and then went in secret…. I would say that, while all the details of what happened are not perfectly spelled in this testimony, it is more than enough to leave those who have ears to hear asking for more. I would also point out the very simplistic testimonies given by the Samaritan woman, the demoniac at the Gadarenes and the man born blind… who actually said he did not know if Jesus was a sinner, but certainly exalted Christ and his works! Again, the testimony is meant to point to Christ and it does.
One thing that I have failed to mention up to this point, my apologies, that may alleviate your concerns in number 1 is that the glaring lack of the Generous Qur’an as one of the books I studied in coming to this conclusion is often bucked by Muslims because they know that Muhammad was not involved at that point. Often they quickly pick up on this and ask if Muhammad was prophesied in the Holy Scriptures and if I have read the Generous Qur’an.
Re: 2:
Maybe we are using different definitions. What is your understanding of the Kingdom of God?
Re: 3:
;^)
I appreciate your tone brother and questions brother!
Peace to you in the name of King Jesus,
From the Middle East
God has granted me the privilege of sharing the gospel with Muslims both in the US and in the Middle East, even with imams teaching Islam in Muslim universities. And, my experience has been, even at threat of my life, that the direct preaching/teaching of the gospel using biblical terms works best [I've never had an experience like the humorous one described in comment #88]. I’m not saying that you don’t need to work with people and that biblical terms don’t need to be unpacked for the hearers – because they do – but I’ve never had to do so using the language of Islam to describe the gospel. If anything, when explaining the gospel in this different cultural context, I try to draw clear contrasts between the gospel and the beliefs of Muslims, rather than seeking common ground so much [because I don't want a misunderstanding]. One such contrast is that when ‘grace’ is explained [especially in contrast to works in their belief system], it often piques their interest and is attractive to some. Others get upset because they have understood; still others will never understand no matter what.
Brother Terry,
I would like to affirm you in your service to Muslims. Thank you for sharing your experiences with us… they are quite encouraging! My prayer is that the Spirit use both of us to plant many seeds, water many and harvest many during the remainder of our respective lifetimes… even if we do use slightly different methodology by the leading of the Spirit.
Peace to you brother,
From the Middle East
All,
The following comment seems appropriate to add in this thread:
Some Muslim background believers (MBBs) I have encountered overseas really appreciate a high-level of contextualization and some do not like it and there are many who are comfortable with some terminology and not with other terminology. I hope that is clear to everyone… just as we have style and language discussions here in the States, they deal with the same issues… especially as they are forming indigenous communities. Some choose to adopt more cultural forms than others. Some choose to continue using more Islamic terminology (with new meaning) than others. Typically it is those who come to faith in an area where an indigenous community has been established for a long time that prefer less contextualized forms and language and those who are in nearly 100% Muslim contexts tend to continue with the old forms and language (filling it with new meaning) as it is what speaks most deeply to them. Context is key!
I shared much of my “style” of proclaiming the Kingdom with one pastor (actually the leader of a house church network in his country) in a 99.9% Muslim context… he got really excited and said, “You actually understand us! That is exactly the kind of stuff that I do with my Muslim friends… they don’t understand the concepts I read about in commentaries, so I have to explain them in the language they do understand.”
God’s peace to all,
From the Middle East
WOW,
I think this is a great discussion on the issues of what seems to be an insider movement strategy and people’s opinion of the contextualization of the one true gospel outside of a Western / “Christian” worldview. I’d love to hear more stories and share your insights with others. Thanks for your post.
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