As a Christian I stand on the belief that the Bible is the inspired word of God and as such the process for its documentation was orchestrated by God for all humankind. Christian’s further believe God has prepared the hearts of humankind to receive the gospel upon hearing if they choose to. Working under this precept we can agree that cultural barriers, specific to hearing the gospel, should not be a factor for other cultures. Since the revelatory Word of God has no barriers the approach used to expose cross-cultural communities to it does. For that reason this essay will identify critical elements to consider when developing a ministry philosophy involving cross-cultural communities. Christian’s strive to be Christ-like meaning, …show more content…
There is rarely an in between and we rarely appreciate other cultures uniqueness as we compare it to our own. The Christian community has seen example after example of how missionaries have fallen short in their missionary purpose. In focusing more on the cultural differences missionaries erroneously shifted their focus to substituting how these cultures live their worldly life rather than how they think of their spiritual lives (Johnson-Hill, 1995). For that reason when dealing with a cross-cultural community, Christian’s always should exhibit a desire to learn about the different ethnicities and their cultures so they may appreciate their …show more content…
In other words, evidence of God’s intention to establish diversity begins with the table of nations in Genesis 10 and continues throughout both the Old and New Testaments (Patten, 2013). Therefore, catering to or including cross-cultural communities in our ministry planning has biblical basis. Embracing various cultures abroad when preaching the gospel is also clearly outlined as a needed ministry when reading in the book of Acts, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8). We must acknowledge the significant contribution the Holy Spirit has when sharing the gospel with others. Knowing that the Bible is the inspired word of God we know that, “God speaks through his Word and by his Spirit in a way that the average Christian can understand” (Escobar, 2003, p.131). This coupled with the belief that God prepares all humankinds heart to hear the world, we can deduce that ethnic and cultural perspectives should not influence biblical interpretation because, “Scripture interprets Scripture” (Escobar, 2003,
If as believers we fail to completely trust the Word of God and form our life under its direction then our witness will become misleading and even confusing. Believer’s effort in diligently understanding, applying and holding full trust to the word of God in all aspects of our life will be instrumental in building our faith. Such a faith will elevate us to enable us rise above the unrelenting wave of our culture’s non-biblical ideologies. Biblical worldview is very important in order to develop a life, which can be emulated by others in diligence, integrity and honesty in the modern society (Tackett, 2014).
In a survey conducted in 2012, LifeWay.com inquired about the importance of evangelism among members of the Christian faith. The results of the survey showed that 80 percent of people who claimed to follow Jesus Christ and had openly devoted themselves to the teaching of Christianity, felt that they had a “personal responsibility to share their religious views and beliefs about Jesus Christ with non-christians” (Wilke, LifeWay.com). Surveys such as this reflect the Christian doctrine of evangelism and the weight it holds within the Christian faith. As can be seen back in the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus Christ commanded His followers “to go and make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:19).” However, Jesus never told His followers how doing this.
Acts describes the continued spread of the gospel to new peoples and land. God’s love is not for any one race or ethnic subgroup a love, but for all who will respond to the gospel call.
When looking at the common theme that Barth develops in God Here and Now, it becomes apparent for the need of congregation to justify, ratify, and promote the Bible as the living word of God. When and where the Bible constitutes its own authority and significance, it mediates the very presence of God through the congregation. Encountering this presence in the Church, among those whose lives presume living through the Bible’s power and meaning. Barth states that the Bible must become God's Word and this occurs only when God wills to address us in and through it. The Christ-event is God's definitive self-disclosure, while Scripture and preaching are made to correspond to him as a faithful witness becomes the perfect statement according to Barth (Barth, 2003, p. 61).
Philosophy of Ministry: God's desires come first, I must always live my ministry God's way. I must live as a Christian (1 Corinthians 9:27) I must have a proper relationship of surrender to the Leader. In my personal life or in the Church I must understand that Christ is Head and Chief Shepherd (Ephesians 1:22, Hebrews 13:20). The “management” of Church is about relationships with God and Man, not just maintaining a social organization.
Do cultures mix? If they do how long does it take? If it doesn’t, then why? Barbara Kingsolver’s The Poisonwood Bible and Cormac McCarthy’s All the Pretty Horses, both tell a story about the adventures, excitement, and dangers of learning a new culture. They are both great novels that enables the reader to create an image of what is happening. Both novels also allow the reader to create an opinion on some of the matters that occur in both novels. Kingsolver’s novel tells a story about a very religious family that are on a mission trip to the Congo to enlighten their minds about Christianity. Kingsolver’s novel shows the reader that cultures may attempt to get along, do not fully engage in unity. McCarthy’s novel tells a story about a teen that
Without this theology, not only the believer, but the missionary has no foundation to build upon. Believers in general, but especially missionaries must prepare themselves through prayer in order to lead churches to preach and teach the Word of God. Paul tells us in 1 Timothy that those that labor in preaching and teaching” should be considered worthy of double honor. (1 Tim. 5:17) This is important because Christian’s understanding their role as a believer, or again even more importantly, the role of a missionary is extremely vital in advancing God’s kingdom. Winter and Hawthorne rightly say in our text that “If we in the West insist on keeping our blessing instead of sharing it, then we will, like other nations before us (Israel, Rome, etc) perhaps have to “lose” our blessing in order for the remaining nations to receive.” Although there are times in today’s world that may seem like the world has turned their backs on God, Christian’s should look with great anticipation for the days that are coming when God will reclaim the earth and believers will be redeemed. The reason that believers practice missions is the end result. Redemption from sin, and receiving an inheritance from God including “full rights as sons” is only part of what is in store for the child of
In his classic work Christ and Culture, H. Richard Niebuhr asserts that the relationship between earnest followers of Jesus Christ and human culture has been an "enduring problem."1 How should believers who are "disciplining themselves for the purpose of godliness" (1 Tim. 4:7) relate to a world whose culture is dominated by "the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the boastful pride of life" (1 John 2: 16)? Culture is God's gift and task for human beings created in His image and likeness. At creation humanity received a "cultural mandate" from the sovereign Creator to have dominion over the earth and to cultivate and keep it (Gen. 1:26, 28; 2:15). But sin's effects are total, and culture—whether high, popular, or folk—has been corrupted thoroughly by rebellion, idolatry, and immorality. How, then, should Christians, who have been redeemed, "not with perishable things like gold or silver . . . but with precious blood, as of a lamb, unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ" (1 Pet. 1:18-19) live in relation to culture? According to Jesus in His high priestly prayer, believers are to be in the world but not of it (John 17:11-16). But in what way? How do believers act in and interact with the "crooked and perverse generation" (Phil. 2:15) that surrounds them and of which they are a part?
Our character is shaped by our communities and their stories (Trull & Carter, 2004, p. 60). In addition, as Christians, our communities and Church history shape our heritage, culture, and mindset. The more we relate to God’s stories, we become a part of the Christian community, and begin to understand, and have the ability to interpret the gospel (Trull & Carter, 2004, p.61). Depending on where one grew up, most likely determined their denomination. Many Christians are Catholic, Methodist, Baptist, or Pentecostal to name a few. Furthermore, Depending on the denomination of the Church dictates the Church’s Denominational codes. Denominational codes are a formal code of ethics for ministers (Trull & Carter, 2004, p. 199). The mission of
Authority of Scripture reconciles the community with God and can transform our lives. To participate in the fuller blessing of understanding, it is important to view Scripture with historical and literary sensitivity, interpret theocentrically, ecclesially, and contextually. I realize each of these can be overwhelming to the average person who is seeking direction for a specific concern in their life. Therefore, Migliore reminds us, interpreting Scripture is practical engagement in the living of Christian faith, love, and hope in a still redeemed world. When we listen carefully to the voices of the past, from a worldwide culture, and guided by the Holy Spirit, we will open ourselves to those transformational opportunities.
I listen mostly to Christian radio, this is especially true when I am in my car driving to and from work. Today I just so happened to get a little clip of a show on Moody radio called “The land and the book by Dr. Charlie Dyer.” They were talking to a couple who are ministering in the Middle East to Muslims and Christians. They talk about the fear that Christians have in preaching the “Good New” outside of the church in Syria, and how much persecution/genocide is happening there. (Moody Radio, 2014) Although I knew that the world was having trouble it didn’t quite sink in until this point. Becoming a Christian has changed my view on the world; I would have never thought twice about these issues until I opened my heart to Jesus Christ. In this essay I will talk about the Apostle Paul’s writings to the people in Rome on the matters the natural world (Adams sin, the evidence of God’s power, etc.), human identity (Our identity through Christ), human relationship (Paul’s relationship with the people, and God), and culture (Jewish circumcision, the Abrahamic covenant)
Can one question, or consider evaluating the authority of God 's ' word and his infallible wisdom to supernaturally inspire those who wrote it? In the words of the psalmist” God’s word is the truth” and “every one of his righteous ordinances endures forever” (The Holy Bible, Ps: 119: 160). As students of the ministry, it is critically important to understand the biblical authority, inspiration, and inerrancy of the bible and the potential effects to society. This paper will reflect my personal insight, biblical research, and analysis to formulate a clear and concise understanding of this topic.
When going to spread the gospel to people that are in need, it is highly important to help them in the areas they are struggling in. For instance, if a country is struggling with starvation then providing food and water for them would gain their trust and attention. Using a countries point of weakness to relate to certain Bible stories is also a great technique to use when witnessing. Once again, the country that is starving would gain a new hope if they heard the stories of Jesus feeding the five thousand. Since the Abdul people are struggling with poverty they would be reached best through charity and stories about Jesus providing to those who trust him.
Biblical witness centers on the Spirits activity of “binding believers to Christ, incorporation them into the church as the body of Christ and equipping the church for mission.” Despite the best effort of the Church to be the hands and feet of Christ it is reassuring to know that the Spirit is still present and working in the hearts of people outside of the church’s work. Without the work of the Spirit in the hearts of believers and throughout the word, humanity would not know the love of God. The Holy Spirit gives liberates and brings new life it unites, encourages and brings hope to a world pledged by darkness.
Throughout the book, the author focuses on how the Holy Spirit ministers to the apostles and the believers in their lives and the community. The Holy Spirit enabled Stephen to speak the truth boldly (6:10) until he was killed by the crowd (7:54-60). It is the calling for us to proclaim the kingdom of God in the name of Jesus with boldness and without hindrance. 4. What is the difference between a..