Boundaries for Gospel Contextualization in Muslim Contexts
for Use by Hope International Missions
Introduction: It is our hope and prayer to bless the nations in Jesus and to hear families of the earth confess with their mouths that Jesus is Lord and believe in their hearts that God raised Him from the dead so that they may be saved. In our efforts to share the gospel in love among Muslim peoples, we are pursuing clarity in best practices for evangelism, discipleship, and church planting. To the end of presenting everyone mature in Christ, we offer to those laboring in Muslim contexts some key questions for discussion (see Biblical Considerations in Gospel Contextualization) as well as these boundaries tempered with a “timetable of grace” as the Lord leads through the guidance of the Holy Spirit at work in the hearts of those who love Jesus.
HIM's Department of Muslim Ministries realizes that Muslim contexts can vary widely from place to place, and we will consider those differences and listen to the input of others with a spirit of learning.
Contextualization of the gospel message across cultures is biblical and necessary. However, all contextualization strategies should be within the bounds of sound Biblical teaching. Unfortunately, some contextualization strategies being promoted and practiced among Muslims today are not, from our understanding, biblically justified.
Therefore, we believe that these contextualization issues around the world are calling us to take a Biblical stand to provide clarity and leadership. So, it is our desire that those in our organization ministering among Muslims will not encourage certain practices related to the boundaries given below.
We believe that those serving with HIM among Muslims should not model, teach, or affirm that followers of Jesus:
1. Recite the Muslim creed (Shahada): “There is no god but Allah and Muhammad is his messenger;”
2. Participate in ritual prayers (Salah) in the mosque;
3. Identify themselves as Muslims in terms of faith commitment;
4. Understand and teach that Jehovah, the God of the Bible, and Allah, the God of Islam are the same being in essence and in attributes;
5. Alter, hide, or obscure familial terms used in reference to God and/or Jesus in the main body of the text when translating Scripture. We also affirm the four standards for divine familial terms in Bible translation proposed by the World Evangelical Alliance and adopted by SIL International. https://www.sil.org/translation/sil-standards-translation-divine-familial-terms
Biblical Rationale: Acts 15:19-20 Gentile Background Believers were given four restrictions to show clear separation from previous religious practices; Rom. 10:9-17 One must confess Jesus as Lord to be saved; John 5:23 Whoever does not honor the Son, does not honor the Father who sent him; 1 Cor. 10:23-33 All things are lawful but not all helpful; 2 Corinthians 4:2 We refuse to practice cunning manipulation of Scripture; 2 Cor. 6:14-17 Believers not to participate in worship of other Christ-denying gods.
Cultural Rationale: In Islam the form is the meaning; the meaning is the form. The two are inseparable. If Muhammad did it, it is sunna and therefore incumbent upon all Muslims to pray in the same manner. No one may add to or subtract from salat lest they be charged with the sin of bid`a (innovation), heresy. Muslims perform the obligatory prayers because Muhammad said so. Salah has a divinely revealed form and meaning. How can this form be filled with Christian meaning when Islam itself determines the meaning? Should a Muslim see a Christian performing salat he will think the Christian is a Muslim – not a Christian who has given the Islamic form new meaning.
This is not to say that MBBs (Muslim Background Believers) early in their personal conversion, sanctification, and process of spiritual growth may continue to participate in these things for a season. Many will. It is to say, however, that we as cross-cultural ministers will not encourage such participation.