The Global Conversation

print

The Bible Is Our Guide

A Response to Joseph Cumming's 'Muslim Followers of Jesus?'

To facilitate a truly global conversation, we ask Christian leaders from around the world to respond to the Global Conversation's lead articles. These points of view do not necessarily represent Christianity Today magazine or the Lausanne Movement. They are designed to stimulate discussion from all points of the compass and from different segments of the Christian community. Please add your perspective by posting a comment so that we can learn and grow together in the unity of the Spirit.

Contextualization of the gospel message to the Muslim audience is a hot topic in mission circles. What I find distressing is the proliferation of noted evangelical leaders and authors who have written extensively about Islam but lack any first-hand experience with Muslims. When I queried one such writer as to his qualifications to pontificate so negatively and dogmatically on this subject, he responded, "I have been able to talk to my barber who is a Muslim."

With that said, I would like to turn to Joseph Cumming—someone I consider qualified to speak to this issue with integrity and experience. I had the privilege of spending time with him in the Muslim country in which he once ministered. Joseph, his wife, and two children lived in two small rooms without electricity or running water. With summer temperatures in excess of 120 degrees Fahrenheit, I simply was overwhelmed with the reality that this lovely, highly educated couple would choose to live in such conditions for 15 years!

Joseph has done an admirable job of highlighting the distinctions between C4 and C5 approaches. From the time we as a team began our contextualization efforts in 1975 in Bangladesh, we have consistently fallen into the C4 category. C4 people are dedicated to keeping Muslim-background believers in Jesus (MBBs) within their own sociological and cultural setting. "Extractionism" is to be avoided as far as humanly possible. Therefore we prefer the term "followers of Isa (Jesus)" rather than a name like "Christian," which is loaded with negativity to just about every Muslim on the planet.

My concerns about C5 have been well-documented in my writings. It is important to note that not all C5 folk are unified in how they implement their strategy. There are those of the C5 persuasion who are confident they can accept Muhammad as a Prophet of God. Some encourage MBBs to continue to pray in the mosque. I have been in a C5 teaching session where the leader gave his devotions from the Qu'ran.

Some say syncretism is in the eye of the beholder. That is, if an MBB is comfortable with continuing certain Muslim practices, then what right has the "outsider" to object? My response is to refer us all to the Bible as our guide to theological integrity. Pragmatism should never trump fidelity to God's Word.

I agree with Joseph about the need for civility in our writings and discussions. We together must concur that even the most intelligent and articulate of the C4ers and C5ers still see only as through a glass darkly.

Phil Parshall has ministered for 44 years among Muslims in Bangladesh and the Philippines. He has authored nine books on Islam, including The Cross and the Crescent: Understanding the Muslim Heart and Mind.

Danny

March 22, 2012  5:55pm

Kindly would like to contact you, regarding professional work

Anonymous

August 17, 2011  1:17pm

if we read books of islam christianity &jews we can see similarities and can see someone behind the stage and we call him by different names a muslim cannot deny christ .quran is saying that god doesnt have offspring but every single human has a part his soul which we people inherit from adam and eve . Quran also says that christ will raise before judgement day and rule humans also will releve the truth that he was not the son of god and god is only one

Anonymous

August 17, 2011  12:40pm

Read quran it has answer why god choosed one more representative after christ (peace be upon him)

Peter, Australia

August 15, 2011  12:52am

This is a great read and I agree with it completely. I am a Christian and I believe we have been lied to by the media and our Christian leaders who have been lied to by the media and other Christians for years and they find it hard to see this as it has been going on for years and years and years. Muslems are terrorists! How wrong is this statement!!!!! God bless you all guys if you are a Christian or a Muslim believer. A pastor friend of mine once said, " There is no excuse for being an ignorant Christian" Research it with an open mind and heart.

David Emme

May 20, 2011  12:26am

I am in no position to judge anyone but hope this will make a differance. A young man who was Muslim had to leave home to get a job to help support his family.(this took place in an Asian country where there are Muslims and Christians.) He met a man from his country whom led him to the Lord. Eventually he went back home and began preaching the gospel. There was a contract on his life now. Someone tried collecting and he was shot in the stomach. As in this country, to say you had some family would be a gross misstatement. Many came-well over 100 came. As he was in pain and still alive-he led almost every single one of them to Christ including the woman who put a contract on his life-his own mother. The most interesting thing is I am a disabled vet because of Iraq and had the chance to meet his uncle who now was a pastor-he fought along side Al Qaeda and had the oppurtunity to embrace as brothers in Christ. God bless Dave Emme

Submit Your Comment *

For More Conversation

Lausanne Occasional Paper from the 2004 Forum.

Exploring the responsibilities of North American Christians toward the Muslim World.

By David Munyere

By Keith Swartley