#15 Contextualization
Rheenen, Gailyn Van. Missions: Biblical Foundations and Contemporary Strategies. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1996.
Should Christians contextualize the Gospel and pretend to be Muslims to become better missionaries for the sake of winning Muslims to Christ? While this theory may seem like a good idea, it is far faultier for Christians to lie about their religion rather than being honest about it. If Muslims found out about this facade of reverence, it could be very detrimental to the established relationships. In this scenario, Christians only reduce their opportunity to witness the Muslims. This is because Muslims may think that the Christian is nothing short of a liar, and evidence shows that there has already been a long history of “bitterness and mistrust in Christian-Muslim relations” (p. 183). A better alternative to pretending to be a Muslim to reach followers of Islam would be to tell the truth about one's Christian beliefs while being fair to both sides of the debate. Contextualization is required, but lying is not.
It is best to begin evangelizing a Muslim by talking about the Quran. To talk about the book of Islam, one must first understand it. To diligently evangelize the lost, missionaries should begin their work “with exegesis of the culture” (p. 204). This is what contextualization is. It is not pretending to be something you are not; rather, it is understanding the culture of the lost and empathizing with it. Contextualization requires a discernment of words when speaking with Muslims about their faith and the Christian faith. Contextualization requires tenderness and mercy to make the conversation as peaceful as possible. Christians do not want to appear hostile or to put the God of Muslims in a contest. They would instead share the love and Gospel of Christ with people who so desperately need it. Their words and actions ought to reflect that desire. Therefore, Christian missionaries ought to be honest about their religion with Muslims, yet they still have to contextualize to share the Gospel with them effectively.
