Propitiation as the Ground for Christus Victor

The "Christ the Victor" approach is a helpful way to present the Gospel to Muslims because, among other things, it goes straight to many Muslims' felt needs- a fear of Satan, demons, and jinn.  Many Muslims in the world live in constant anxiety of the unseen world, so sharing Jesus as the one who has defeated Satan can be helpful starting point for talking about the cross.  Interestingly, the Christus Victor theme appears first in the Biblical storyline of the Messiah (Gen. 3:15).

But it is important to relatize how Jesus' victory over Satan relates to Jesus' substitutionary death for our sins.  "Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil" (1 John 3:8).  How does Jesus' death constitute a victory over Satan? Keep reading.


Propitiation as the Ground for Christus Victor: "
John Murray:

Redemption from sin cannot be adequately conceived or formulated except as it comprehends the victory which Christ secured once for all over him who is the god of this world, the prince of the power of the air . . .

[I]t is impossible to speak in terms of redemption from the power of sin except as there comes within the range of this redemptive accomplishment the destruction of the power of darkness.

(Redemption—Accomplished and Applied, p. 50)

Colossians 2:14-15 is a key verse in this regard.

Paul lists two results of Christ’s work on the cross: (1) Christ disarmed the rulers and authorities, and (2) he publicly shamed them.

How? By triumphing over them in himself.

So how does Christ bearing God’s wrath for sinners, taking their sin as a substitute, constitute a victory over Satan?

George Smeaton (1814–1889), Professor of Exegetical Theology at New College, Edinburgh, provides the answer.

Sin was (1) the ground of Satan’s dominion, (2) the sphere of his power, and (3) the secret of his strength; and no sooner was the guilt lying on us extinguished, than his throne was undermined, as Jesus Himself said (John 12:31). When the guilt of sin was abolished, Satan’s dominion over God’s people was ended; for the ground of his authority was the law which had been violated, and the guilt which had been incurred. . . .

[A]ll the mistakes have arisen from not perceiving with sufficient clearness how the triumph could be celebrated on His cross. (The Apostles’ Doctrine of the Atonement (Edinburgh, T. & T. Clark, 1870), 307–308; my emphasis and numbering)

In other words, Satan’s power is based on sin and guilt; Christ’s death meant the ultimate death of sin, guilt, and death itself; and thus Satan was ultimately defanged by Christ’s atoning work.

As Smeaton says, “it was on God’s part at once a victory and a display of all God’s attributes, to the irretrievable ruin, dismay, and confusion of satanic powers.”

So it’s not Christus Victor (Christ defeating his enemies) instead of propitiation (Christ bearing God’s wrath)–rather, it’s Christus Victor because of propitiation. Both are gloriously important, but only in that order."

What are the other benefits of the "Christus Victor" approach in sharing the Gospel with Muslims?

Followers of Jesus in Islamic Mosques, Tennent IJFM Fall 2006

Last night I posted an article on C5 contextualization that I liked, only to realize tonight after reading Followers of Jesus (Isa) in Islamic Mosques: A Closer Examination of C-5 "High-Spectrum" Contextualization that what I liked about it was the C4 parts!

The article was written by Timothy Tennent and is now a chapter in a book he later published. I encourage you to read the whole article (15 pages). Here are Tennent’s conclusions from the Biblical/Exegetical section (pg. 109):

In conclusion, this survey demonstrates that the key texts and the commentaries/expositions about these texts in C-5 literature fall into two general categories: 1. Texts and commentary which actually support C-4 and are not germane to the C-5 discussion. 2. A wide-spread use of proof-texting whereby a pre-determined conclusion has already been reached and then texts are found which provide some kind of vague support for the idea.

From the Theological section (pg. 111-112):

In conclusion, an examination of the current evidence of the theological content of C-5 believers in Jesus as well as the general theological framework of the advocates of C-5 reveals the following. First, C-5 writings tend towards theological reductionism by tacitly embracing a narrow, minimalistic view of salvation. If these new believers are not encouraged to unite their fledgling faith with the faith of the church, then it is unlikely that these new believers will be able to properly reproduce the faith, which is the whole reason the C-5 strategy exists; namely, to reduce every possible barrier so that the gospel can more easily reproduce among Muslims. Second, the theological framework and analysis present in C-5 writings has been overly influenced by Western individualism and the privatization of faith which tends to keep the doctrines of soteriology and ecclesiology at arms length. Joshua Massey concedes this point when he observes that “C-5 nomenclature was quickly adopted by those whose theology of mission is more Christ-centered than church-centered.” While Massey is quite correct in criticizing an ecclesiology which merely extends a Western, structural form of Christianity into the Muslim world, we must not forget that we cannot have a Christ-centered theology of mission which does not place the church at the center of Christ’s redemptive plan. Rejecting this old “proselyte-model” does not and should not necessitate a rejection of a proper ecclesiology. Indeed, as Lesslie Newbigin has pointed out, “true conversion involves both a new creation from above…. [and] also a relationship with the existing community of believers.” To encourage Muslim believers to retain their self-identity as Muslims and to not find practical ways to identify themselves with the larger community of those who worship Jesus Christ reveals a view of the church that is clearly sub-Christian.

Finally, the separation of the ‘personal’ from the ‘propositional’ in the Muslim world can only lead to a dangerous separation of the person of Christ from the church’s proclamation about Christ. This separation fails to attend to the proper connection between our personal testimony (however thrilling and exciting) and the Apostolic proclamation of the gospel. This is not just a hypothetical concern, as this dichotomy has already begun to emerge in such articles as, “Proclaiming a ‘Theologyless’ Christ” by Herbert Hoefer, a leading proponent of ‘high spectrum’ contextualization. Hoefer writes, “Can we look upon the church as a house with many doors? It doesn’t matter which door you use to enter. As you explore the house, you will come to the fullness of truth. The key to each door in the house is the acceptance of Jesus as Lord of one’s life. How one explains that is a matter of freedom and creativity, in consultation with the others in the house.” The unintended result of this view is that personal experience can be used to ignore the specifics of the Apostolic proclamation. Or to put it in the popular terminology of post-modernism, the Apostolic ‘meta-narrative’ takes a back seat to the personal narratives of those who come to Christ. However, our personal faith in Christ must be brought into resonance with the Apostolic proclamation about Christ. Undoubtedly, millions of people come to Christ every year with a deficient theology. But it is central to the task of discipleship to help new believers conform their faith to the faith of the church. Pragmatism and cultural accommodations can never be allowed to trump the theological integrity of the gospel message. This is not to raise questions about the justification of any of these new believers, but rather it is a commitment to make sure that from the very beginning we are committed to raising up believers whose personal faith resonates with the “faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints” (Jude 3).

From the Ethical Issues section (pg 113):

In short, one’s religious identity with Jesus Christ creates a necessary rupture with one’s Islamic identity or our identity in Jesus Christ would mean nothing. It is unethical to pretend this discontinuity does not exist or to act as if it is merely a matter of cultural forms. Rather, as I have often been told by missionaries who work in the Islamic world, it is more like a ‘fifth column’ inside Islam which, when discovered by Muslims creates such a strong negative reaction that it inadvertently damages the credibility of Christians and feeds further distrust towards those who follow Christ. A more open witness in a straightforward, but contextually sensitive way seems to hold the greatest promise for effective and ethical Christian penetration into the Muslim world.

From the Conclusion (pg. 113):

I think that the best approach is to see C-5 as a temporary, transitional bridge by which some Muslims are crossing over into explicit Christian faith, hopefully to one of a C-3 or C-4 character. On the one hand, a wide number of C-3 and C-4 church movements have long and distinguished track records showing that they are sustaining faith in the lives of MBBs without major cultural disruption and yet maintaining historic Christian orthodoxy.

Phil Parshall said this in response to the article (pg. 125):

Thorough, thoughtful and respectful. Dr. Tennent has done a masterful job of incisively disecting the major issues that differentiate the C’s. Of all the writings on the subject, this is the work that goes deeper and broader in setting forth the problems many are experiencing with C5 or as it is also known, the “Insider Movement.”

I so appreciated the theological focus. It is interesting how both C4 and C5 utilize the same Scriptures to bolster their positions. The exception is I Cor. 7:20, which I have never understood as a C5 apologetic. These verses are clearly on another track.

Tennent more than adequately discounts the comparison of First Century Jewish converts to Christianity being aligned with 21st Century C5 “Insiders.” The differences loom too large to ignore.

I would also agree that “Muslim Believer” would be a more appropriate term for C5 believers than “Muslim Background Believer.” However, some C5ers advocate only the identity of “Muslim” with no qualifier.

One of my frustrations has been that the Insider Movement uses the same arguments to bolster their position as C4 folk do, and then make it sound like it originated with them. We C4 missionaries, for 30 years, have been an Insider Movement—have always advocated MBBs remaining in their culture, job, family, and sociological circle. Our strong position is to avoid what we consider to be theological and/or ethical compromise. I do recognize that we come out on different sides of the fence as to what comprises compromise!

YES to C5 as a starting point, but always with a laser beam focus on going down the scale to C4 within an appropriate timeframe. And always with a focus on keeping MBBs maximally within their own sociological structures.

Let me be clear. I have high esteem for my colleagues who are engaged in the “Insider” approach to Muslim ministry. I do not consider them to be ultra-pragmatists or purposefully deceitful. They long for the Kingdom to be extended. Our methodologies may, at times, be in conflict, but not our hearts’ desire that Muslims come to explicit faith in Christ.

May our Lord be glorified as we seek to proclaim the “only name whereby men may be saved.”

Messianic Muslim Followers of Isa, Travis IJFM Spring 2000

Here is the conclusion of the 7 page article Messianic Muslim Followers of Isa: A Closer Look at C5 Believers and Congregations in the Spring 2000 issue of IJFM by John Travis:

Some Muslims who receive Christ as Savior deliberately choose a C5 [Christ-centered Communities of "Messianic Muslims" Who Have Accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior] expression of faith, not for their own sake (e.g., Soleh was prepared to join a church), but for the sake of the lost who would be far less likely to receive truth from outsiders (i.e., "Christians"). Others, like Taufik and Achmad, love Jesus, but simply see staying in the Muslim community as something natural.

There are surely points at which C5 believers must reject the theology of non-Messianic Muslims. Clearly, one can't affirm two completely opposite statements as true (e.g., "Jesus died on a cross," and "Jesus didn't die on a cross"). Therefore, C5 believers will be found to have "aberrant" beliefs. However, when confronted by family and friends with their deviance from Islamic orthodoxy, we have seen the Holy Spirit empower C5 believers to reply with amazing answers (Col. 4:6; Mt. 10:19, 20). They often present reinterpretations of particular Qur'anic verses, bringing much glory to Jesus.

Furthermore, it should be noted that the "aberrance" of C5 Messianic theology almost pales in comparison to the "aberrance" of numerous folk beliefs and shamanistic Muslim practices that saturate popular Islam in our context. Therefore, the way in which C5 believers are received by the larger Muslim community will depend on a variety of factors such as tolerated Islamic heterodoxy, country, ethnicity, local politics, size of the local mosque, and so on. C5 may be appropriate in certain milieus, but not in others. Again, we need to affirm the diversity found throughout the C1-C6 spectrum.

It is possible that C5 may only be a temporary option. Few case C5 studies have been documented, and none go back far enough to watch C5 dynamics across several generations of time. C5 may prove to only be a transitional stage, ending when believers choose, or are forced by the Muslim community, to leave Islam, thereby moving to another point on the C1-C6 spectrum. The first century Jews gathered regularly in the temple with non-Messianic Jews, and in homes with fellow Messianic Jews (Acts 2:46-47). However, in time Jewish authorities began expelling any Jew who believed Jesus was the Messiah. It is noteworthy that this separation of the two communities was not initiated by Jewish believers. Still, many Jews and Jewish leaders came to faith in the intermittent years. The same sequence of events could eventually happen to today's Messianic Muslims. Meanwhile, MBBs like Soleh who stay in their community may be used of God to usher millions of Muslims into His Kingdom.

While we must be careful to guard against syncretism, we must also be mindful that ascent to perfect theological propositions is not the apex of the coming Kingdom that Jesus proclaimed. All our work must be judged according to Scripture. So let us pray for these infant, emerging C5 congregations. In particular, please join us in praying for Taufik, Achmad, Abdul, Soleh and all the people whom their witness touches.

Report: Nearly 1 in 4 people is Muslim

Report: Nearly 1 in 4 people is Muslim: "(CNN) -- Nearly one in four people worldwide is Muslim -- and they are not necessarily where you might think, according to an extensive new study that aims to map the global Muslim population.

Nearly two out of three of the world's Muslims are in Asia, stretching from Turkey to Indonesia.

India, a majority-Hindu country, has more Muslims than any country except for Indonesia and Pakistan, and more than twice as many as Egypt.

China has more Muslims than Syria.

Germany has more Muslims than Lebanon.

And Russia has more Muslims than Jordan and Libya put together.

Nearly two out of three of the world's Muslims are in Asia, stretching from Turkey to Indonesia.

The Middle East and north Africa, which together are home to about one in five of the world's Muslims, trail a very distant second.

There are about 1.57 billion Muslims in the world, according to the report, "Mapping the Global Muslim Population," by the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life. That represents about 23 percent of the total global population of 6.8 billion.

There are about 2.25 billion Christians, based on projections from the 2005 World Religions Database.

Brian Grim, the senior researcher on the Pew Forum project, was slightly surprised at the number of Muslims in the world, he told CNN.

"Overall, the number is higher than I expected," he said, noting that earlier estimates of the global Muslim population have ranged from 1 billion to 1.8 billion.

The report can -- and should -- have implications for United States policy, said Reza Aslan, the best-selling Iranian-American author of "No God but God."

"Increasingly, the people of the Middle East are making up a smaller and smaller percentage of the worldwide Muslim community," he told CNN by phone.

"When it comes to issues of outreach to the Muslim world, these numbers will indicate that outreach cannot be focused so narrowly on the Middle East," he said.

"If the goal is to create better understanding between the United States and the Muslim world, our focus should be on south and southeast Asia, not the Middle East," he said.

He spoke to CNN before the report was published and without having seen its contents, but was familiar with the general trends the report identified.

The team at the Pew Forum spent nearly three years analyzing "the best available data" from 232 countries and territories, Grim said.

Their aim was to get the most comprehensive snapshot ever assembled of the world's Muslim population at a given moment in time.

So they took the data they gathered from national censuses and surveys, and projected it forward based on what they knew about population growth in each country.

They describe the resulting report as "the largest project of its kind to date."

It's full of details that even the researchers found surprising.

"There are these countries that we don't think of as Muslim at all, and yet they have very sizable numbers of Muslims," said Alan Cooperman, the associate director of research for the Pew Forum, naming India, Russia and China.

One in five of the world's Muslims lives in a country where Muslims are a minority.

And while most people think of the Muslim population of Europe is being composed of immigrants, that's only true in western Europe, Cooperman said.

"In the rest of Europe -- Russia, Albania, Kosovo, those places -- Muslims are an indigenous population," he said. "More than half of the Muslims in Europe are indigenous."

The researchers also were surprised to find the Muslim population of sub-Saharan Africa to be as low as they concluded, Cooperman said.

It has only about 240 million Muslims -- about 15 percent of all the world's Muslims.

Islam is thought to be growing fast in the region, with countries such as Nigeria, which has large populations of both Christians and Muslims, seeing violence between the two groups.

The Pew researchers concluded that Nigeria is just over half Muslim, making it the sixth most populous Muslim country in the world.

Roughly nine out of 10 Muslims worldwide are Sunni, and about one in 10 is Shiite, they estimated.

They warned they were less confident of those numbers than of the general population figures because sectarian data is harder to come by.

"Only one or two censuses in the world ... have ever asked the sectarian question," said Grim.

"Among Muslims it's a very sensitive question. If asked, large numbers will say I am just a Muslim -- not that they don't know, but it is a sensitive question in many places," he said.

One in three of the world's Shiite Muslims lives in Iran, which is one of only four countries with a Shiite majority, he said. The others are Iraq, Azerbaijan, and Bahrain.

Huge as the project of mapping the world's Muslim population is, it is only the first step in a Pew Forum undertaking.

Next year, the think tank intends to release a report projecting Muslim population growth into the future, and then the researchers intend to do the whole thing over again with Christians, followed by other faith groups.

"We don't care only about Muslims," Grim said.

They're also digging into what people believe and practice, since the current analysis doesn't analyze that.

"This is no way reflects the religiosity of people, only their self-identification," Grim said. "We're trying to get the overall picture of religion in the world."

Report: Top 10 Muslim countries, by population

1. Indonesia: 202,867,000 (country is 88.2 percent Muslim)
2. Pakistan: 174,082,000 (country is 96.3 percent Muslim)
3. India: 160,945,000 (country is 13.4 percent Muslim)
4. Bangaldesh: 145,312,000 (country is 89.6 percent Muslim)
5. Egypt: 78,513,000 (country is 94.6 percent Muslim)
6. Nigeria: 78,056,000 (country is 50.4 percent Muslim)
7. Iran: 73,777,000 (country is 99.4 percent Muslim)
8. Turkey: 73,619,000 (country is about 98 percent Muslim)
9. Algeria: 34,199,000 (country is 98 percent Muslim)
10. Morocco: 31,993,000 (country is about 99 percent Muslim)"

Islam In Focus

Here is a popular book about Islam written by a Muslim.  Just browsing the Table of Contents below is educational.  Notice how little "theology" there is compared with "law."  In my understanding, Islam assumes people are good by nature, yet forgetful.  Therefore the goal of Islamic spirituality is to give humankind constant reminders of how to live a life acceptable to God.

You don't need to download the book from the link below- it is here.  (But if you do download it from the link below Dustin recommends software like Zipeg for the rar file.  I use WinRAR.)  Unfortunately the formatting of the PDF makes for a very difficult read.

Islam In Focus: "

Hammudah ‘Abd al ‘Ati Language: English Format: PDF Pages: 118 Size: 1.5 MB

Newest available publication of this now famous book, thoroughly updated and edited, approved for sale by the Abdulati family. Published by amana publications. This book is the most popular written document on Islam. With its living and resourceful style, the book addresses both the young educated and the adult intellectual in a scholarly yet fresh and simple mode of thinking and presentation.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

CHAPTER – ONE

THE IDEOLOGICAL FOUNDATION OF ISLAM ………..4
Allah (God)…………..4
THE MEANING OF ISLAM ……………………8
THE FUNDAMENTAL ARTICLES OF FAITH IN ISLAM………11
REMARKS……………..19

CHAPTER – TWO

THE BASIC CONCEPTS OF ISLAM …………………..20
The Concept of Faith (Iman) ……………………20
THE CONCEPT OF RIGHTEOUSNESS (BIRR)…………..22
THE CONCEPT OF PIETY (TAQWA) …………….22
THE CONCEPT OF PROPHETHOOD……………..23
THE CONCEPT OF LIFE ………………….24
THE CONCEPT OF RELIGION……………….25
THE CONCEPT OF SIN…………………….26
THE CONCEPT OF FREEDOM…………………..28
THE CONCEPT OF EQUALITY…………………….29
THE CONCEPT OF BROTHERHOOD…………30
THE CONCEPT OF PEACE…………………….30
THE CONCEPT OF COMMUNITY…………………..31
THE CONCEPT OF MORALITY………………..33
THE CONCEPT OF THE UNIVERSE …………….39

CHAPTER – THREE

THE APPLICATION OF FAITH……………43
THE PURPOSE OF PRAYER…………………..44
THE CONDITIONS OF PRAYER ………………45
THE KINDS OF PRAYER ……………………46
THE TIMES OF PRAYER ……………………46
THE PARTIAL ABLUTION (WUDU’) ……………47
NULLIFICATION OF THE ABLUTION ………48
COMPLETE SUBSTITUTE FOR THE ABLUTION (TAYAMMUM)……48
SPECIAL FACILITIES IN ABLUTION …………….49
THE COMPLETE ABLUTION (GHUSL/BATH) ……..49
THE PRAYER CALL (ADHAN) ………..49
ENTRANCE INTO PRAYER (IQAMAH)………………50
THE PERFORMANCE OF PRAYER …………..50
THE EARLY MORNING PRAYER (SALATU-L-FAJR) ………….50
THE NOON PRAYER (SALATU-Z-ZUHR) ……………52
THE MID-AFTERNOON PRAYER (SALATU-L-’ASR)…………52
THE SUNSET PRAYER ( SALATU-L-MAGHRIB) ……………52
THE EVENING PRAYER (SALATU-L-‘ISHA’) ……..52
THE CONGREGATIONAL (JAMA’AH) PRAYERS……..54
THE FRIDAY PRAYER (SALATU-L-JUMU’AH) …….55
THE HIGHLIGHTS OF THE FRIDAY PRAYER………55
THE SIGNIFICANCE OF ‘EED PRAYERS …………56
THE PERFORMANCE OF ‘EED PRAYERS (SALATU-L-‘EED) …….58
SHORTENING OF THE PRAYER ………………………60
TIMES WHEN PRAYER IS FORBIDDEN…….60
MAKING UP FOR DELAYED PRAYERS ………….60
THE TARAWEEH PRAYERS …………..60
INVALIDATION OF PRAYERS………..61
THE FUNERAL PRAYERS (SALATU-L-JANAZAH) …………61
GENERAL REMARKS ON PRAYER …………..63
The Fatihah (The Opening or Al-Hamd)……… 64
THE FIRST PART……………………64
THE SECOND PART ………………65
SHORT PASSAGES OF THE QUR’ AN ………….65
THE FASTING (SAWM) ………………66
FASTING IN COMPARATIVE PERSPECTIVE ……..68
THE PERIOD OF FASTING………………69
WHO MUST FAST? ……………….70
EXEMPTION FROM FASTING…………..70
GENERAL RECOMMENDATIONS …….71
THE ALMS (ZAKAH)………..72
THE RATE OF ZAKAH………..73
THE DUE RECIPIENTS OF ZAKAH ……….74
THE PILGRIMAGE (HAJJ)………………..75
CONCLUDING REMARKS ABOUT THE HAJJ …….77
FINAL REMARKS CONCERNING THE APPLICATION OF FAITH………..78

CHAPTER – FOUR
THE APPLICATION OF ISLAM TO DAILY LIFE ……….79
THE SPIRITUAL LIFE ……………………79
THE INTELLECTUAL LIFE …………………79
THE EXTERNAL NATURE…………….81
THE PERSONAL LIFE ……………………81
Purity and Cleanliness ……………81
Diet……………….81
Clothing and Adornment ……………..82
Sports and Amusements…………. 83
THE FAMILY LIFE ……………………..84
The Meaning of Marriage ……………….85
THE PERMANENCE OF MARRIAGE……………..86
THE HUSBAND – WIFE RELATIONSHIP………..87
THE WIFE’ S RIGHTS: THE HUSBAND’ S OBLIGATIONS ……87
COMPONENTS OF MAINTENANCE………..87
NON-MATERIAL RIGHTS………88
THE WIFE’ S OBLIGATIONS: THE HUSBAND’ S RIGHTS …….88
THE CHILD’ S RIGHTS : THE PARENTS DUTIES …………88
THE CHILD’ S RIGHTS : THE PARENTS DUTIES …………89
THE CHILD’ S DUTIES: THE PARENTS RIGHTS ……….90
OTHER ASPECTS OF THE FAMILY LIFE ………….91
THE SOCIAL LIFE ……………….92
THE ECONOMIC LIFE…………………95
THE POLITICAL LIFE ………..98
THE INTERNATIONAL LIFE………………..104

CHAPTER – FIVE

DISTORTIONS ABOUT ISLAM ………..107
THE HOLY WAR ( JIHAD ) ……………107
JESUS, SON OF MARY ………………..117
POLYGAMY (PLURALITY OF WIVES) ….125
MARRIAGE AND DIVORCE……….137
THE STATUS OF WOMAN IN ISLAM ……….141

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“What do missionaries do?” by Michael Griffiths « Until All Have Heard

From : “What do missionaries do?” by Michael Griffiths « Until All Have Heard

"THIS SEEMS A GLARINGLY obvious question, but I have found from experience that even Christians who ought to know better give a variety of vague answers that fall short of a biblical answer. To do good, to preach the gospel, to save souls, to heal the sick, to baptize bodies are all good and true answers, but fall short of what stands out a mile in the New testament account in Acts. What did those first apostolic missionaries like Paul, Barnabas, Silas and Timothy actually do? Certainly they did preach and teach, heal and serve – but why? For what purpose? Not just to save individual souls. Acts is absolutely clear. They planted churches.

Now this is something that needs emphasizing. We live in a day of techniques, methodologies and specializations. Enthusiastic individuals found new movements and organizations specializing in evangelizing young people, students or hospital patients; or provide useful services by translating the Bible, flying airplanes, relieving famines, broadcasting, helping refugees, printing and distributing literature, or making a host of other excellent and worthy contributions to the Christian cause. We should note that most of these movements have arisen first in countries where there is already an existing network of local churches of various denominations. But we must never lose sight of the fact that such organizations are only auxiliary, ancillary, secondary and supplementary to the chief task of missions, which is to plant new churches.

Unless we see this clearly, we shall be misled about the nature of missionary work. It is obviously excellent that the gospel should be preached by every possible means to all sorts of people, and that tracts should be widely distributed and every opportunity taken for witness. But we should not think that by doing so we have necessarily accomplished anything permanent and lasting. We know that for every thousand tracts distributed, only a few will be read and only a very few of those read in such a way as to bring people to faith in Christ. Again only a relatively small portion of non-Christians ever get into Christian meetings at all, and only some of those get converted.

While all these specialized groups do a worthy work, then, they need to do it in such a way as to assist a solid church-planting work so that the growing church can nurture and build up those who may be reached by such methods. In recent years there has been a fresh realization that the local churches are the best soul-winning agencies there are.

This biblical emphasis on a church-planting will also warn us of the grave limitations of short-term outreach in which young people spend a few weeks or months “blitzing” an area with the gospel. This kind of service is excellent for training, for enabling young people to see the immensity of the need; but on its own it is an inadequate means of planting churches. Church-planting requires the patient work and steady slog of preaching, teaching disciples and building them together into viable self-propagating congregations. This requires the ability to speak and teach clearly in the local language, to understand and respond to problems created by the local culture, and that knowledge of people, places and situations that make a Christian worker not only devoted, but relevant to the situation of people where they are. Above all, the church-planter needs to work in one place for an extended period of time.

So quite unequivocally I want to stress that missionary work must always center on the local church –and that means that in pioneer areas, the primary, long-term task of missionaries must be to plant churches… Church-planters are the infantry of God’s army: there may be more colorful groups of cavalry, commandos, artillery, signals, engineers and ordinance, but they all exist to serve the main body so that they can win battles.

Michael Griffiths “What on Earth Are You Doing?” (1983)"

Related: Church Planting or Development? Word and Deed in Biblical Balance

talk of "the Christian West"

My friend and quasi-professor "KM" (I will link to him when he starts his blog!) sent me this quote from D.A. Carson, Christ and Culture Revisited, p. 195-6, emphasis added:

From a Christian point of view, it is unhelpful to speak of "the Christian West" or of "our Christian nation" or the like. In America, this is not only because of the legal force of the First Amendment (however that is interpreted) but also because nowadays the numeric shift in numbers of Christians, from West to East and from North to South, is so dramatic that such expressions sound increasingly parochial and out of date. Still more important, talk of "the Christian West" actually stifles the advance of the gospel in parts of the world where countervailing religions and ideologies want people to believe in the stereotype of the Christian West so that Christian claims can be dismissed as merely western. Above all, Christians who wish to be faithful to the Bible will remind themselves of their heavenly citizenship. Not to understand this is to identify too closely with the kingdoms and orders of this world, with disastrous results both materially and spiritually. As Peter Swift has put it, "If a Muslim becomes a Christian, the civilizational cost is self-evident; he becomes estranged from his roots, and those he leaves behind are dismayed at the civilizational defection their loved one has undergone. The cost of becoming a disciple of Jesus is to leave behind the civilizations of this world and find one's identity within the Kingdom of God. What a tragedy if that cost is cheapened by being perceived as a move westward rather than heavenward!" Of course, the complementary truth is that we do live here and now in some particular country [and culture], and as Paul can declare himself to be a Roman, so I may declare myself to be Ugandan, or Canadian, or Australian, or French, or Japanese. Certainly there ought to be no confusion for Christians as to where their primary identity lies, even while they remember that the Christian Scriptures themselves enjoin us to submit to the authority of the state except where doing so involves believers in disobedience to the God in whom all authority is finally grounded.

One of the reasons why we should be very careful using the word, "Christian."  We want to be identified with King Jesus, not the "Christian West."

What is a church? Evans Definition

From Wendell Evans, Church Planting in the Arab-Muslim World (Upper Darby, Pa.: Arab World Ministries, 1986), p. 2:

A local church is a grouping of members of the universal church, with sufficient structure to demonstrate its corporate identity, within its given social and cultural context, and to carry out its corporate functions of worship, edification, and outreach.

We have defined what we believe to be the essential elements of an autonomous functioning local church as:

• Baptized believers.
• Christian families.
• Scripturally qualified and locally recognized leaders.
• Meeting place(s) independent of the expatriate church planter.
• Assumption of responsibility for finances and ministry by the local group.

Source: EWI pg. 382

Dealing with Judas

Here is a short article called Dealing with Judas: Opportunity for Fear or Invitation to Faith? that has recently been sent to me by several people.  I don't know who wrote it and could not find it on the web.  Here are the main points:

1. We can expect to find Judas within our inner circle.
2. We can expect Judas to grow up within the movement-do not import him. 
3. With God’s help, we can choose to deal with Judas ourselves-do not export him.
4. We can learn to recognize Judas early.
5. We can be aware that Judas often has money issues.
6. Finally, we can reveal Christ in our midst by the way that we deal with Judas.

Read the whole thing (6 pages).

The Praying Life

The Praying Life: "
Bob Thune reviews Paul Miller’s The Praying Life and includes a number of excellent quotes from the book

• Learning to pray doesn’t offer us a less busy life; it offers us a less busy heart.
• If you are not praying, then you are quietly confident that time, money, and talent are all you need in life.
• Less mature Christians have little need to pray… there is no complexity to their worlds because the answers are simple.
• Cynicism is the air we breathe, and it is suffocating our hearts. Our only hope is to follow Jesus as he leads us out of cynicism.
• The persistent widow and the friend at midnight get access, not because they are strong but because they are desperate. Learned desperation is at the heart of a praying life.
• I do not understand prayer. Prayer is deeply personal and deeply mysterious. Adults try to figure out causation. Little children don’t. They just ask.
• Everything you do is connected to who you are as a person and, in turn, creates the person you are becoming. Everything you do affects those you love. All of life is covenant.
• We think spiritual things – if done right – should just ‘flow.’ But if you have a disability, nothing flows, especially in the beginning.
• There is a tendency among Christians to get excited about ‘listening to God’ as if they are discovering a hidden way of communicating with God that will revolutionize their prayer lives… This subtly elevates an experience with God instead of God himself. Without realizing it, we can look at the windshield instead of through it.
  
  How would you love someone without prayer? People are far too complicated; the world is far too evil; and my own heart is too off center to be able to love adequately without praying.

"

Jim Belcher’s “Third Way” for the Church

I read this book last week and highly recommend it. I couldn't put it down. Below is a review of the book from Kingdom People.

Many of the issues related to church planting in the postmodern West are interestingly echoed in the Muslim world: the contextualization of biblical faith, how the gospel impacts worldview, and the nature of the church. 

As Belcher looks for a "Third Way" between Traditional and Emerging, I feel in many ways that I am also looking for a third way between Rejectionist and Insider.

Jim Belcher’s “Third Way” for the Church: "

Just when you thought the Emerging versus Traditional conversation had arrived at the point where everyone was safely nestled in their own camps and set in their ways, a Presbyterian pastor comes on the scene and challenges our tacit approval of evangelical fragmentation.

In Deep Church: A Third Way Beyond Emerging and Traditional (IVP, 2009), Jim Belcher proposes a ”third way” between Emerging and Traditional. Deep Church is for evangelicals who resonate with much of the Emerging Church’s critique of contemporary evangelicalism, and yet have misgivings about some of the proposed solutions of Emerging advocates. Using the term “deep church” from a 1952 letter written by C.S. Lewis, Jim proposes a way forward that focuses on the strengths of Traditional and Emerging churches.

The book is as much narrative as theological analysis. Jim tells the story of his early involvement in the Emerging conversation. As he evaluates the Emerging critique, he visits actual churches. Far from being an armchair critic, Jim sets out to witness what the Emerging Church is like “on the ground.”

Relying on Ed Stetzer’s division of the Emerging Church into Relevants, Reconstructionists and Revisionists, Jim then considers the validity of Emerging concerns regarding contemporary evangelicalism. In a parenthetical statement near the beginning of the book, he sets the tone of discussion by saying, ”I believe that even when I disagree with others, I can still learn from them.” (36)

The central thrust of Deep Church is a call for unity around the central tenets of the faith. Jim seeks to ground our unity in the central confessions of ancient Christianity:

“We are not ashamed of our tradition; we embrace it and practice it. But at the same time we desire and promote the broader unity of the church.” (65)

Jim’s view has postmodern sensibility, and yet he steps back from fully embracing postmodern philosophy. He critiques Emerging leaders for “jumping on the postmodern bandwagon too quickly.” He sees problems with the idea that the community’s relational hermeneutic should be the final criterion for judging right from wrong. He writes:

“Apart from revelation, there is nothing to hold a particular tradition, community or history accountable. There is no prophetic voice.” (83)

Jim also evaluates the Emerging emphasis on bringing people into relationship with the church before they actually believe. In the Emerging mindset, belonging precedes believing – even on mission trips! Jim carefully considers the Traditional church’s criticism of this idea. In the end, he advocates a nuanced view that portrays the church’s proclamation of the gospel as a well. The well attracts people closer to conversion. But at some point, Jim believes there must be an inside-outside boundary.

The chapter on the “deep gospel” is important. He agrees with Emerging leaders that the traditional understanding of the gospel has been reduced to individual salvation. But Jim ably exposes the reductionism in the Emerging view as well:

“Brian McLaren’s view of the kingdom, which is supposed to be so liberating, tends toward legalism. Without God’s atoning grace, the message of the kingdom sounds like law. and this is, I believe, why so many of my college friends dropped out of Christianity. They could not pull it off.” (119)

Regarding worship, Jim points us back to the ancient church:

“Only the living tradition of the fourth and fifth centuries, passed on through the ages… can help us contextualize the gospel in our worship without it becoming syncretistic or ossified over time.” (134)

Regarding preaching, Jim refuses to pit biblical narrative against systematic theology. He writes:

“The pastors at Redeemer preach sermons rooted in the Bible – both the drama of salvation from each of the Testaments and the wonderful doctrines of Christianity.” (139)

Deep Church is one of the best books to “emerge” about the Emerging Church. I found myself nodding my head in agreement with most of Jim’s critique and proposed solutions. And yet, I have a few misgivings of my own.

First, as a Baptist, I disagree with the idea of setting such a “low bar for membership.” Jim’s church does not require members to subscribe to anything that is outside the bounds of Nicene Christianity:

“Let me provide an example. To become a member of Redeemer Church you must be a Nicene Christian, committed to ‘living as becomes a follower of Christ’ and be willing to submit to the community. What about views on baptism? The Lord’s Supper? Politics? The end times? The anti-Christ? Although important and although we hold views on each of them, holding different views on these topics will not keep you from the Well of Redeemer and belonging to our church.” (158)

I agree that some of the above examples should not be a hindrance to membership. But setting the bar this low appears very invidualistic.

If some in the congregation believe in believer’s baptism by immersion and others believe in baptizing infants, what will take place?

If some believe that women can and should be elders or pastors and others disagree, what will happen?

If some believe in speaking in tongues during worship and others do not, how will that be handled?

My question is this: Is it possible to have a high bar for local church membership (meaning, ask for a certain level of doctrinal unity on some secondary issues) and yet still demonstrate significant appreciation for other churches and denominations that disagree? I think so. I share a certain level of unity with Jim around the central tenets of the gospel and I agree with his “centered-set hermeneutic.”

Regarding fellowship, I can cooperate with Jim as a Nicene Christian. Regarding local church membership, I belong to a Baptist church, which involves an additional level of unity on other issues. Can I still be a Nicene Christian and a convictional Baptist? Can I still be an advocate of “deep church” and have high bars for local church membership? I think so.

On another note, I wonder what the reasons are for Jim’s emphasis on the fourth and fifth centuries. Jim advocates a return to our roots, to the pre-pragmatic era of Christianity. I am glad to see the emphasis on our heritage.

But even as Jim admits “there is not a golden time to return to” (136), it appears that the fourth and fifth centuries serve as a quasi-Golden Age for the book. If we are going back so far, why stop at the fourth century? Why not return to the first?

I like the Robert Webber-influenced “Ancient-Future” emphasis in this book, but I wish that Jim would have made a case for why it is appropriate that we return to the 400’s. Why not return to the 16th century? Or the 900’s? It appears to me that our post-Christian society is becoming more and more like the world before Constantine. I need more reasons for accepting that the Christendom era Jim describes is the most relevant to our day and age.

Overall, Deep Church is a must-read for any pastor or church planter. Jim offers a proposal filled with gentle hope. If you have felt like you are caught in the crossfire between the Emerging and Traditional camps, you will enjoy insights of Jim Belcher and his hope-filled proposal for a united, stronger evangelicalism."

Free book of stories of the Islamic Prophets

Free book of stories of the Islamic Prophets: "Hey guys, here 228 pages: a free book that can be downloaded, on the lives of the Islamic prophets. This helps you understand how Islam views its prophets, and how it views history in general. PBUY. DOWNLOAD HERE.
More info on this book HERE. "

The Demeanor of Humility vs Actual Humility

The Demeanor of Humility vs Actual Humility: "

Ken Sande:

Many leaders conceal a proud attitude under a demeanor of humility, which is not the same as actual humility. One of the many evidences of actual humility is the inclination to “consider others better than yourself,” which results in valuing their thoughts and interests as highly as your own (Phil. 2:3-4). A closely related evidence of humility is to sincerely welcome critique and correction, no matter who brings the “observation” (Prov. 13:10, 17:10). Therefore, wise leaders regularly meditate and pray about the “pride and humility” passages in Scripture (see Prov. 11:2, 19:20; Isa. 66:3; 1 Pet. 5:5-6), asking God to help them put off self-confidence, pride, and every hint of arrogance, and to put on a humility that genuinely welcomes questions, suggestions, criticism, and anything else that might aid us in the process of presenting ourselves before God as empty vessels, so that we might be utterly dependent on and fulfilled in him, which is the essence of true humility.

From Approachability: The Passport to Real Ministry and Leadership.

"

Gospel Clothing Part II

This quote is awesome because it explains the key to both Islam and contextualization at the same time:

When the church had lost track of an important element in the saving work of Jesus Christ, and was teaching that believers are justified not by faith but by being sanctified, as a result it became very easy for the church to revert to an old covenant lifestyle. Uneasiness about justification by grace alone produced a flowering of asceticism, reflecting an unconscious need for a list of clean and unclean activities and a rebirth of Phariseeism.

Thus, those who are not secure in Christ cast about for spiritual life preservers with which to support their confidence. And in their frantic search they not only cling to the shreds of ability and righteousness they find in themselves, but they fix upon their race, membership in a party, familiar social and ecclesiastic patterns, and their culture as means of self-recommendation. The culture is put on as if it were armor against self-doubt. But it becomes a mental straight-jacked which cleaves to the flesh and can never be removed except through comprehensive faith in the saving work of Christ. Once you understand the gospel, once faith is exercised, a Christian is free to be enculturated- to wear his culture like a comfortable suit of clothes. He can shift to other cultural clothing temporarily if he wishes to do so as Paul suggests in 1 Corinthians 9 and he is released to admire and appreciate the differing expressions of Christ shining through other cultures.

-Richard Lovelace, quoted in Tim Keller's talk on Contextualization in 2004, starting at 53:00

The gospel is the key to contextualization. (And to Islam.)

Related: Gospel Clothing (Part I)

Larson's Top 5 Books on Islam

Warren Larson, director of the Zwemer Center for Muslim Studies, Columbia International University, recommends his top 5 books on Islam. Here they are without the pictures:

The Unseen Face Of Islam: Sharing the Gospel with Ordinary Muslims at Street Level By Bill Musk
This, Musk's best book on Islam, uncovers the practical issues most Muslims face—spirits, blessings, curses, saints, amulets, charms, love potions, and lots of fear.

Glad News! God Loves You, My Muslim Friend By Samy Tanagho
Helps readers to understand the religion by urging them to engage in personal conversations with its practitioners.

The Crescent Through The Eyes Of The Cross: Insights from an Arab Christian By Nabeel Jabbour
A helpful reflection on Islam's religious and cultural contexts, understanding the Muslim worldview, and the relationship between East and West.

Muslims, Christians And Jesus: Gaining Understanding and Building Relationships By Carl Medearis
Not a scholarly work and one that contains several errors about Islam, it nonetheless superbly demonstrates how Christians can and must lovingly interact with Muslims.

A Worldview Approach to Ministry Among Muslim Women By Cynthia Strong And Meg Page
Combines the ministry insights of women scholars and fieldworkers serving Muslim women, and explores Muslim-Christian differences and how Christian women can interact with Muslim women.

Imagination and Story in Evangelism

From an interview of Todd Hunter in CT's September 2009 issue:

You write about the evangelistic importance of shaping the imagination. What does that mean?

The average person doesn't live out of data and propositions. They live out of their imaginations. When I almost moved to Washington State to play rookie league baseball, what animated me was my dream of playing in the major leagues. I knew the facts of baseball. I knew the rules. I knew the history and the great players. But what fueled me was my imagination.

Stories create imagination, and imagination creates possibility.

This is where Eugene Peterson's work about the power of story to shape imagination has been so helpful. He says that if you genuinely think Christianity is a story about going to heaven when you die, it is no accident that fostering discipleship is like pulling teeth. I'm trying to get people to switch stories to reshape their imaginations. If we recast the gospel as something that gives us life, not just a secure death, then discipleship and mission become normative because they become more intuitive.

How do people move to the bigger good-life and secure-death story?

In our story, heaven is not the goal; it's the destination. We're going to reign with God forever in the renewed heaven and renewed earth. That's our destination. But the goal of Christianity is spiritual transformation into Christlikeness.

If my dream of playing baseball had come true, I wouldn't have called my dad and said, "I'm going to New York." No, I would have said, "I got drafted by the Yankees." New York is not the goal. It's simply the destination.

When people are on a journey of discovery, at what point do you think, The Spirit of God is now leading me to pose the question that gets them to cross the line?

In much of post-World War II evangelicalism, we asked people to cross a finish line. So it went: apologetics, apologetics, apologetics, then, okay, you get it now, you need to make a decision, and you get to go to heaven when you die. What I'd prefer to see is apologetics, enculturation, saying the prayers, and then you come to a line, but it's a starting line: Are you ready to become a follower of Jesus? Can you now see the big intention of God for the earth and what he was doing through Christ and Pentecost and creating the people of God? Are you willing to join that family and take up that family's cause through following Jesus?

The Essence of Ramadan (and Islam)

Why do Muslims fast, especially during Ramadan? Or why do they observe any of the five pillars for that matter? This Muslim writes concerning the purpose of Ramadan:

Ramadan is the holy month of the year in which Moslems fast every day from dawn to dusk. This month is very special for the Moslems. It is the month the Quran was inspired to Mohammad and it is also called God’s feast. In this month a person who fasts empties and purifies himself, and then waits for God to walk into his heart. A person, who fasts, by eating less food and taking more care of his behaviour, tries to empty his body and cleanse his heart of impurities. He is supposed to resist his sensual desires and focus on his moral side: eating, drinking, smoking and having sex is forbidden from down to dusk.

Of course, those who have health problems, children, and old people are excused. It is very much like a rider training his horse. One who fasts tries to train the horse of his body with his soul. Still these are not the only things a faster should decline: he should not lie, talk behind anyone's back, or hurt anyone for then his fast will be useless. In all, since no unclean place can be expected to be entered by someone honoured, no unclean body and heart is expected to be surrounded by God.

Even many of those who do not avoid eating and drinking do not miss the praying part, especially at dawn and dusk. If praying on other days of the year is like walking toward God, in this month it is like running toward him. At dawn when the routine life has not started yet, and most people are still in their homes, there is a special calmness on the earth which makes praying deeper and more touchable for those who fast.

And at dusk when it is time to break the fast and start the normal life again, praying is like getting one step closer to purity. Life becomes more enjoyable by then! Praying is like opening your heart and inviting God into it. When he walks in he may bring gifts with him: gifts of honour, confidence, peace, patience, courage, satisfaction, safety, and most of all faith and love. 

After all, fasting is like cleansing inside and opening hearts, waiting for God to enter. This is what makes Ramadan so special to Moslems. However, it is not the only chance for God to reach someone’s heart. God's love is unconditional and any one who is loved by him becomes gifted, no matter what time or month of the year it is or what religion he has! (Emphasis mine.)

There is much here about fasting I joyfully agree with.  But what about the motivation for fasting- how is someone made acceptable to God in Islam?  It is by fasting.  Purifying yourself so that God will accept you is the essence of Ramadan.
 
"In the NT, our purity is a result of God's activity for us, not our activity for God" (HT: KM).  Muslims are accepted by God in Islam because they do good works.  We do good works because in Christ we are accepted by God.

"... our great God and Savior Jesus Christ who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works" (Titus 2:13-14).

"After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high" (Heb. 1:3).
 
"And the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin" (1 Jn. 1:7).

St. Francis Mag Aug 2009: Insider Movement and Common Ground

Below are two articles from the August 2009 edition of St. Francis On-Line Magazine. This issue focuses wholly on the discussion about the concepts of the Insider Movement (IM).

I am aware of Jay Smith's confrontational approach to Muslim ministry and have heard him lecture before, so I could easily guess his take on IM. But I was surprised find how fair and rational he was in his assessment of the Common Ground (CG) conference in Atlanta January 2009 (I have several friends who were there too). I don't agree with everything he says, but Jay makes several profound points concerning the extremist elements of CG. I myself am going to CG in a couple months and am looking forward it after hearing so much about it.

An Assessment of the Insider Movement Principle Paradigms

Jay Smith, known for his discussions with Muslims in Hyde Park (London) went to Common Ground (Atlanta 2009). He discusses the terminology that is used by proponents of the theology of the Insider Movement. Download the article (32 pages)

The conclusion of Adbul Asad's (an acquaintance) article is a great summary of "Syncretistic C5" and "Appropriate C5" contextualization. I was privileged to read this article in 2008. His mediating position argues that C5 is good only as a transitional form of church and that IM is potentially dangerous. I really like that two page chart in his conclusion!

Rethinking the Insider Movement Debate: Global Historical Insights Toward an Appropriate Transition

Abdul Asad explains the meaning of the C1-C6 Spectrum. He uses examples from Africa and Indonesia to show that Insider Movements should be lauded, but only if they move converts to what is called 'C3' or 'C4'. Download this article (27 pages)

There are several other articles that I only skimmed. The majority of the articles are very, very critical of IM and CG. Here is the complete set of all ten articles in one pdf file. Download St Francis Magazine 5:4 (August 2009) (166 pages)

Gospel Clothing

"We have to divest our gospel of the cultural clothing in which we have received it and sometimes even of the precise cultural garb in which Scripture presents it. We also have to reclothe it in cultural terms appropriate to the people to whom we proclaim it."
-John Stott, The Message of Thessalonians, pg. 181

I take this to mean that we must be familiar (experts?) with at least three cultures:
1. the cultural background of the Bible
2. the cultural context we minister in
3. and our own culture.

It reminds me also of the quote I heard from D.A. Carson: "No truth which human beings may articulate can ever be articulated in a culture-transcending way—but that does not mean that the truth thus articulated does not transcend culture."

Gospel Astonishment

"There is no commitment we will make as church planters of greater importance than living close to Jesus.  For church planting can become an idol factory; a prostitution ring; a cruel taskmaster; a breeding ground for addictions… we need church planters who will love Jesus with abandon, and who cultivate a lifestyle of growing in His grace and knowledge.  Until you know yourself to be slow of heart to believe the gospel, you will never cultivate a burning heart for the gospel.  Churches planted with the DNA of the gospel will be led by those who live a life of gospel astonishment."

Scotty Smith, here on pg. 15

Muslim Demographic Video

I'm not sure I like the video I'm posting below.  It is sensationalistic, mistakes Christendom for biblical faith, and seems to imply that secularism is better than Islam.  But it makes a very interesting point about the future influence of Islam.  I have heard about it from a couple different sources now.  I did not check the stats but I assume they are correct.

Islam, ESV Study Bible Articles

Here is a brief overview of Islam from the ESV Study Bible:

"Islam, the second largest religion in the world after Christianity, is found not only in the Middle East but throughout Asia, Africa, Europe, and North America. (See also The Bible and Islam.) Although historically discussion of Islam begins with Muhammad (c. a.d. 570–632), Muslims insist that Islam is God's eternal religion for all humankind and that Muhammad was simply the last and greatest in a long line of prophets. Born in Mecca, an important trading center in the Arabian peninsula, Muhammad was an orphan by age six and was reared by his grandfather and uncle. At age 25 Muhammad married a wealthy widow named Khadija, and he became engaged in various business ventures.

The Arabs of Mecca were largely animists and polytheists, although there were Jewish and Christian influences in the area. Living in Mecca, Muhammad was troubled by the polytheism and superstition all around him. Around the year 610 he began to have experiences that he took to be revelations from Allah, the one true God. Convinced that he had been called to be a "Messenger of God," Muhammad continued to receive revelations supposedly dictated by the angel Gabriel over a 20-year period. The revelations were memorized by Muhammad's followers and were eventually written and codified in the Qur'an, which is understood to be the Word of God. Muhammad regarded himself as being in continuity with prophets of the OT and Jesus. He claimed to be restoring the original revelation of God that Jews and Christians had corrupted.

But Muhammad met stiff resistance to his message in Mecca, and in 622 he and his followers moved to Medina (in western Saudi Arabia). Under Muhammad's leadership, Medina was transformed into an Islamic theocracy, and the social and religious patterns of Medina are regarded as an ideal for Islamic societies. In 630 Muhammad returned to Mecca, captured it, and began transforming the city. Then suddenly, in 632, at about 62 years of age, Muhammad died.

Questions about the legitimate successors to Muhammad resulted in the two major divisions within Islam. Sunni Islam, comprising roughly 85 percent of Muslims today, recognized caliphs (Islamic leaders) not necessarily related to Muhammad as his legitimate successors. Shi'a Islam, comprising 10 to 15 percent of Muslims, insisted that legitimate successors must descend directly from Muhammad and that Ali (Muhammad's son-in-law, who was martyred) and his sons were the rightful heirs to leadership.

Both branches of Islam embrace a strict monotheism. Islam calls for acknowledgment of the incomparable greatness of Allah and submission to his sovereign will in all of life. Allah is the eternal creator who sovereignly rules over nature and the affairs of humankind.

The religious, intellectual, and social life of devout Muslims is structured around the "Five Pillars": (1) the Shahada, or "witness" of the basic creed of Islam ("I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, and that Muhammad is the prophet of Allah"); (2) prayer; (3) fasting; (4) almsgiving; and (5) the pilgrimage to Mecca.

Islam teaches that the present world will one day be destroyed by Allah and that all humankind, past and present, will then be raised to face divine judgment. Human beings have a weakness of will and a tendency toward sin. Although humans are tempted by Iblis (the devil), it is within their power to resist and remain faithful to the will of Allah. In the judgment, each person's deeds will be impartially weighed in the balance. Salvation is strictly on the basis of submission to Allah and faithful adherence to the teachings of Islam. Some will be admitted to Paradise, others consigned to Hell.

Jesus is mentioned frequently in the Qur'an. He is called the Messiah, Son of Mary, Messenger, Prophet, Servant, Word, and Spirit of God. Jesus is portrayed as a great miracle worker and one of the greatest of the prophets. The virgin conception of Jesus is affirmed in the Qur'an.

But the Qur'an omits Jesus' teachings as contained in the Gospels and provides no narrative description of his ministry. The Qur'an depicts Jesus as explicitly disclaiming deity (5:109–119) and includes numerous denunciations of what seem to have been views that were common in Muhammad's lifetime regarding the Christian doctrines of the incarnation and the Trinity (cf. 4:171; 5:17; 9:30–31). Although a great prophet of God, Jesus is said to have been in no sense divine. Particularly offensive is the Christian title "Son of God," which is understood by Muslims as referring to physical generation. "Never has Allah begotten a son, nor is there any other god besides Him" (23:93). Muhammad seems to have thought of the Trinity as consisting of the Father, the Virgin Mary, and their child, Jesus.

Traditionally, most Muslims have believed that Jesus was not crucified. Surah 4:155–159 denies that Jesus was in fact killed on the cross. A widely accepted interpretation of this text has been that the Jews tried to kill Jesus but were unable to do so, and that God rescued him and carried him away to a safe place in the heavens. Islam denies the need for a Savior and the substitutionary atonement. The Qur'an states that "no soul shall bear another's burden and that each man shall be judged by his own labors" (53:38). Salvation is by works. "On that day no soul shall suffer the least injustice. You shall be rewarded according only to your deeds" (36:54)."

Is "Folk Islam" the Correct Terminology?

From the Summer 2009 edition of the Zwemer Journal for Muslim Studies, pgs. 15-16:

"Beware of worn-out interpretive stereotypes, such as "folk Islam." Christians in Muslim lands are in the habit of using the term "folk Islam" for any belief or practice that varies from Islamic doctrine, often termed "normative Islam" or "orthodox Islam." Folk Islam has become a catchall term used for practices such as divination, jinn cults, healing and exorcism, pilgrimages to holy places, and hanging a blue bead to protect against the evil eye.

When you view the lives of ordinary Muslims as folksy, deviant, or inconsistent with "normative Islam," you attribute a kind of ontological status to the Islam of Qur'an and Sunna. Do really want to be perceived by the people as having imbibed the Islam of the 'ulamā [scholars], who tend to belittle the ignorant ways of their people? Why should you join them in such judgments? Neither as Christians nor as ethnographers is it our business to decide what the true Islam is.

In your church do you sit on pews? Do you pass an offering plate during worship? Do you bury the dead in a casket? Do you think of "winning them one by one" as divinely ordained? Does one form of worship or singing bless you more than others? The scriptural basis for such beliefs and preferences is doubtful; therefore, if we were to apply to ourselves the same standard often applied to Muslims, many of us would be labeled "folk Christians." Ask yourself how such a label feels before applying it to Muslims.

It is best to avoid the term Folk Islam and speak instead of the "Muslim culture and life ways" of a specific people, time and place. If you are interested in the spirits Muslims believe in, then "the spiritual world of Arab Muslims in Cairo" is a good rubric.

Anthropologists now see the framework of "great tradition" and "little tradition" which was once used to distinguish between "orthodox" and "folk" Islam as an impediment to good ethnographic interpretation. There is a problem also with the assumption that the spirit beliefs of Muslims are survivals of a native "animistic" or "tribal" culture. Sometimes this kind of indigenization of Islam in local forms is demonstrable, but one must be careful, because historical evidence for Islam's assimilation of local spiritual practices may be lacking. What is more, comparative evidence may suggest that Muslims in geographically diverse places share the same or similar ideas and practices, in which case it is unlikely that the source is local animism. ("Animism" may not always the best word either; "spirit beliefs" is more generic and safer.)

Along with anthropologists, Christians should be careful about this kind of religious profiling. We follow Jesus, who loved and honored simple people. He listened carefully to the beliefs of the Samaritans (never calling them "folk Jews") but was often at odds with the theologically adept Pharisees (the 'ulamā of the Jews). Christianity shares at least one conviction with anthropology, that it is unwise to take sides with the powerful, when doing so would preclude trusting relationships with the people."

Top Ten Team Pitfalls, Sinclair

From Appendix 5 of the book a Vision of the Possible; Pioneer Church Planting in Teams by Dan Sinclair:

Top Ten Team Pitfalls

From my observations, it seems that these strategic issues can make a huge difference in the long run to the team's viability and impact. This is a summary of principles found elsewhere in the book. At the very least, this list of pitfalls can make for a lively team discussion!

10. Not being very clear regarding the people group and location the Lord is calling the team to work amongst.

9. Workers absorbed in high-hours jobs, even when not fully necessary.

8. Male workers trying to do everything out of their home, rather than basing ministry from an office or something. It is very common for team leaders to say they've learned this lesson about 3-year mark.

7. Allowing team misunderstandings or team leader / team member differences to fester and go on too long.

6. The team leader not building the team well. Recruiting anything with a pulse, rather than co-workers with a level of proven gifts and maturity.

5. The team leader not responding well to oversight; undervaluing the role of accountability and coaching.

4. Weak commitment to personal and corporate prayer about the work, with expectancy.

3. Not really understanding or being convinced about church planting.

2. Excess time in non-church-planting activities, such as team meetings & team activities, meetings with other workers, correspondence with folks back home, email, etc. [Of course some time spent in these areas is vital. But it can be overdone.] Getting into all forms of field activity other than language learning, evangelism and discipling. Spending too much time in front of computer screens.

1. The team leader being weak, passive, insecure or non-directive in his leadership role—usually due to insecurity and fear of rejection. Not being clear with team members concerning expectations. People begin to operate as a group of "independent contractors" rather than as a team. Team leaders must learn to stay graciously firm about team standards. Likewise there can be insufficient accountability and direction individually of team members' ministries. Weak accountability can lead to permanently weak patterns. Finally, related to this, the team leader can sometimes fail to keep people motivated, eager and expectant about their tasks and goals.

Group Discussion:

Hand out this list to everyone on the team. Take 20 minutes for each person to mark each item as to: a) whether or not they agree this is important; and b) rate it 1-to-5 (with 5 being highest) as how much of a problem it currently is to the team. Then discuss as a group.

Twelve Proofs that Mohammed is a True Prophet

A short article on the prophethood of Mohammed by Shaykh `Abdul Rahman `Abdul Khaliq (head of the Heritage Revival Committee in Kuwait):

"My brothers and sisters everywhere! With this essay, I am not singling out the adherents of Islam - to which I ascribe - but rather I am writing this essay to every man and woman throughout the whole world.

I ask Allah that He facilitates (tat) this essay reaches every ear, falls under the sight of every eye, and is understood by every heart...

Muhammad the son of `Abdullah is Allah's Prophet and the Final Messenger Sent by Allah to the Inhabitants of Earth.

My brothers and sisters everywhere! You should know that the Messenger, Muhammad the son of `Abdullah (may Allah's blessings and peace be upon him) is Allah's Messenger in reality and truth. The evidences that show his veracity are abundant. None but an infidel, who out of arrogance alone, could deny these signs."

These are listed in the article as proofs that Mohammed is a true prophet:

1. The fact that Mohammed was illiterate
2. The prophecies of the Qur'an
3. The literary eloquence of the Qur'an
4. The perfect life of Mohammed
5. The extreme love Muslims have for Mohammed
6. The worldwide influence of Mohammed to this day (the most influential person who ever lived)
7. The way all Muslims everywhere seek to live like Mohammed
8. The uniqueness of Mohammed
9. The fact that people from every ethnic group and social status follow Mohammed today despite persecution
10. The beauty and majesty of the Qur'anic description of Allah and the perfection of Islam
11. The good manners of Mohammed
12. The fact that the law and creed of Islam defies imitation

Read the whole article.

Is it a fair question to ask, "Do Muslims worship Mohammed?" Of course most do not, and it would be blasphemous in Islam to do so, but the affections many Muslims have of Mohammed seems very close to idolatry.