Jan
4
A few days ago I finished a study on the Gospel of Mark and realized just how many times Mark notes that Jesus was surrounded by a crowd of people (18 different times from what I saw). Although many rejected Jesus during his three-year ministry, he always attracted crowds because of his teachings, miracles, and lifestyle. I think we can learn from this as we seek to communicate the Gospel to those of other faiths.
One of the most important things we can do is to point others, especially those in other religious traditions, to the life of Jesus. This would include not only encouraging them to read the Gospels, but also for us to fill our thoughts and words with Christ. As we live out a Christ-like life and point others to see the beauty of Christ in the Gospels, others will be drawn to Him.
This past summer I heard the testimony of a sister in Christ who left Hinduism after seeing Jesus’ moral superiority over the Hindu gods she had been worshiping. In a similar way, many Buddhists have been drawn to Christ because of his compassion and selflessness. Many Muslims have been drawn to Christ as they see his love and experience his forgiveness. Also, many animists have been drawn to Christ because of his power to cast out evil spirits and heal the sick. As during his three-year ministry, Jesus continues to draw people to himself.
For example, in China there are now between 50-89 million Christians and some estimate that by 2010 there will be 119.5 million Christians. Moreover, in 1900 there were only 8.7 million Christians in Africa (8% of the pop.); however, in 2000 there were 346.5 million Christians in Africa (44% of the pop.).
May Christ continue to build up his Church by drawing all the nations to himself!
*Stats come from Disciples of all Nations by Lamin Sanneh.
Oct
11
Seeing “Cults” as People Groups
Filed Under Communicating with those of other faiths, New Religious Movements | 5 Comments
I recently came across an intriguing concept while reading Encountering New Religious Movements: A Holistic Evangelical Approach (ed. Hexham, Rost, and Morehead II). According to the introduction, the various authors in this book intend to bridge the gap between apologetics and contextual missiology. As part of this project, they contend that Christians should approach those in New Religious Movements (NRM) in the same way as they would approach unreached people groups on the mission field.
On the one hand, this might not be a good idea because it might cause confusion. A “people group” is usually understood as an ethnolinguistic group with a shared identity, language, history, and culture. In missions, a people group is the largest group through which the gospel can flow without encountering significant barriers of understanding and acceptance.
On the other hand, seeing NRMs as unreached people groups might help in evangelism. Many Christians unfortunately tend to see those in NRMs (i.e. LDS, Jehovah’s Witnesses, etc) as opponents that need to be proven wrong. As would be expected, this approach usually closes the door to evangelism. In contrast, Christians tend to approach unreached people groups around the world with a greater sense of understanding and compassion. Maybe by seeing those in NRMs like we see those in unreached people groups, we will be more likely to encounter them with love rather than with contention.
Jun
13
Is it ok to “baptize” the Buddha’s Four Noble Truths?
Filed Under Buddhism, Communicating with those of other faiths, Great Commission | 4 Comments
The Buddha’s teachings can be boiled down to The Four Noble Truths and The Eight-fold Path. The Four Noble Truths are:
1. Life is dukkha (suffering, dislocation, transience. Life is not the way it should be)
2. Dukkha is caused by tanha (desire, thirst for permanence)
3. Dukkha can cease when tanha is removed…cessation of tanha is Nirvana.
4. Tanha is removed through the Eight-fold Path:
1. Right views
2. Right intent
3. Right speech
4. Right conduct
5. Right livelihood
6. Right effort
7. Right mindfulness
8. Right concentration
In “Evangelism in the New Millennium: An Integrated Model of Evangelism to Buddhists Using Theology, Anthropology, and Religious Studies” Ubolwan Mejudhon advocates presenting the gospel to Buddhists with a Christian version of the Four Noble Truths.* His “baptized” Four Noble Truths are:^
1. Suffering is a fact of life
2. The cause of suffering is sin
3. The cure for sins is the suffering of Christ
4. The way to deliverance is through faith in Jesus Christ
At first I thought it was a clever idea. However, I then began to question my initial judgment since these Four Noble Truths clearly do not contain the full gospel message. They contain truth but not the entire truth. Nevertheless, I still think these “baptized” Noble Truths can be useful in communicating the gospel to Buddhists as long as they are supplemented with the rest of the message.
*Article is in Sharing Jesus in the Buddhist World, edited by David Lin and Steve Spaulding (2003).
^He credits J.T. Seamand with this version of the Four Noble Truths. Seamand, J.T.. Tell It Well: Communicating the Gospel across Cultures (1981).
Apr
14
Conversing with those of other faiths
Filed Under Communicating with those of other faiths | 2 Comments
1. Imago Dei and the Fall: When I engage in conversation with someone of another faith, especially about spiritual matters, it is tempting to see him as an opponent to be defeated. In order to combat this sinful mindset I need to remind myself that we are both equally created in the image of God, and that we are both fallen creatures who need a savior. We share in our guilt before God, and in our need to be forgiven and restored with God through Jesus Christ. My enemy is not the person of another faith but rather the powers and principalities that are at work. If I approach others as fellow sinners who have been created in the image of God I will more likely be able to engage them with sympathy, humility and Christ-like love.
2. Learner and Servant: Often when people of different faiths begin discussing their beliefs they end up trying to win the “debate” by proving the other person wrong. Unfortunately, Christians often end up doing the same thing. However, our goal is not to win debates but rather to point people to Christ. In engaging those of other faiths our goal should be to reveal Christ’s love to them in word and deed. One way we can love those of other faiths is by coming to them as learners. If we truly care about them as we claim we do, we need to be humble, ask questions, and be willing to learn from them. Our job is not to “set them straight.” In addition, we can show them Christ’s love by serving them. In obedience to Christ, Christians should always be looking for opportunities to serve, but this is even more important as we engage those of other faiths. Our lives need to reflect the message we are trying to communicate.
3. Similarities and Differences: When discussing spiritual matters with a person of another faith it is helpful to point out common beliefs, especially at the beginning of a conversation. Highlighting how our worldviews overlap to some extent may help break down some of the communication barriers. However, being clear about differences in belief, especially those relating directly to the gospel message (Creation-Fall-Redemption), is more important. Ignoring the differences would be a disservice to both faiths. In contrasting belief systems, Christians have an opportunity to clearly communicate the gospel.
Note: Comparing beliefs should not involve making derogatory remarks about their founder nor their scriptures. This will not make them more apt to listen.