Theology, Gospel Missions, and Insider Movements
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Commissioner Handbook 2013 Note: This report has not been acted upon by the General Assembly of the PCA. The 41st General Assembly meets June 17-21, 2013, in Greenville, SC. A CALL TO FAITHFUL WITNESS -PART TWO – THEOLOGY, GOSPEL MISSIONS, AND INSIDER MOVEMENTS A PARTIAL REPORT (PART TWO OF TWO PARTS) OF THE AD INTERIM STUDY COMMITTEE ON INSIDER MOVEMENTS TO THE FORTY-FIRST GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH IN AMERICA MARCH 20, 2013 PCA AD INTERIM STUDY COMMITTEE ON INSIDER MOVEMENTS Signatories of Committee Report TE David B. Garner, Chairman RE Robert Berman, Secretary RE Jonathan Mitchell TE Bill Nikides RE Tom Seelinger TE Guy Prentiss Waters Minority Report TE Nabeel T. Jabbour 2101 Commissioner Handbook 2013 1 The missionary must carefully take into account the specific situation and 2 circumstances of the people with whom he is dealing… It might be held further that theology 3 can contribute nothing with regard to the manner of approach, since it is anthropology, 4 ethnology, and psychology that are here the experts… But such a solution is too simple… No 5 matter how well-intentioned they may have been, those who ignored theological principles 6 have in fact run into great difficulty. Missionaries may adopt the way of life of a people, 7 speak their language, associate themselves with their religious concepts, utilize sayings 8 derived from their religious literature, and from the standpoint of ethnology or psychology 9 all this may be excellent. And yet it still may be necessary for theology to issue a warning 10 that such efforts which seek to draw so close to a people must proceed with caution lest they 11 sacrifice the purity of the gospel. On the other hand, it is also possible to have the best 12 intentions and to ignore the cultural possessions of a people, and to preach the gospel pure 13 and simple, without any application to their specific characteristics. History has shown that 14 such a procedure is also questionable, for in such instances the missionary supposes that he 15 is simply preaching the gospel in its purity, whereas he is unconsciously propagating his 16 own Western way of thought. Here again theology can offer a corrective criticism, since 17 such a method does not take seriously enough the people to whom one speaks. God, in 18 contrast, takes us, and those to whom we speak, very seriously, and as his ministers we 19 ought to do the same… 20 21 It is then impossible that psychology and ethnology should speak the last and 22 decisive word with respect to the missionary approach. The latter involves so many 23 theological points that theology must have an important voice, or rather – the decisive 24 voice. Other sciences can indeed render a most valuable service, and in particular concrete 25 situations they can even be absolutely essential, but the principles of the missionary 26 approach must still be derived from Scripture. 27 28 – J. H. Bavinck, An Introduction to the Science of Missions 29 30 31 “If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of 32 the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.” – John 15:19 33 34 “…[L]et your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory 35 to your Father who is in heaven.” – Matthew 5:16 36 37 “Brothers and sisters, each person, as responsible to God, should remain in the situation 38 they were in when God called them.” – 1 Corinthians 7:24 2102 Commissioner Handbook 2013 1 CONTENTS 2 3 OVERTURE #9 – “A Call to Faithful Witness” ............................................................... 2106 4 ABBREVIATIONS ........................................................................................................... 2109 5 PREFACE .......................................................................................................................... 2110 6 The Study Committee’s History, Approach, and Product ............................................. 2110 st 7 Study Committee Recommendations to the 41 General Assembly ............................. 2112 8 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ............................................................................................... 2113 9 PREAMBLE: The Command To Go ................................................................................. 2117 10 11 SECTION A – HISTORY AND DEFINITION ............................................................ 2121 12 1. Defining Insider Movements ................................................................................. 2121 13 a. A Representative Insider Movement Proponent Argument ............................... 2124 14 b. Broad analysis of Insider Paradigm Thought .................................................... 2125 15 2. History of Modern Insider Movement Paradigms ................................................. 2129 16 a. Modern Missions and Anthropology ................................................................. 2129 17 b. Brief Consideration of Reformed Approaches to Mission ................................ 2133 18 (1) Samuel Zwemer (1867-1952) .................................................................... 2134 19 (2) J. H. Bavinck (1895-1964) ......................................................................... 2135 20 (3) Harvie Conn (1933-1999) .......................................................................... 2137 21 c. Missions to Muslims .......................................................................................... 2138 22 d. Insider Movements Proper ................................................................................. 2141 23 (1) Charles Kraft and Fuller Seminary ............................................................ 2141 24 (2) Responses to Kraft ..................................................................................... 2144 25 (3) Ralph Winter and the Muslim Frontier ...................................................... 2145 26 e. The “Insider” label ............................................................................................. 2149 27 f. Common Ground Consultants and the Emergent Church ................................. 2150 28 g. Recent Developments ........................................................................................ 2153 2103 Commissioner Handbook 2013 1 SECTION B – SCRIPTURE AND THEOLOGY ......................................................... 2155 2 1. The Scriptural and Confessional Basis of our Approach ....................................... 2155 3 2. God, His Revelation, and Human Reply ................................................................ 2156 4 a. The Divine Speech ............................................................................................. 2157 5 b. General and Special Revelation ......................................................................... 2158 6 c. Life as Religious Reply ...................................................................................... 2159 7 3. Hermeneutics & Exegesis ...................................................................................... 2162 8 a. Introduction ........................................................................................................ 2162 9 b. IM and Hermeneutics ......................................................................................... 2162 10 c. An Exegetical Example – Acts 15 ..................................................................... 2166 11 d. The Ministry of the Holy Spirit ......................................................................... 2169 12 4. The Scripture’s Teaching on the Church ............................................................... 2179 13 a. Church, Invisible and Visible ............................................................................ 2179 14 b. One Visible Church............................................................................................ 2179 15 c. The Growth and Extension of the Church ......................................................... 2181 16 d. Notae Ecclesiae .................................................................................................. 2182 17 e. The Kingdom of God and the Church ................................................................ 2184 18 f. Insider Movements, the Kingdom, and the Church ........................................... 2186 19 (1) Rick Brown ................................................................................................ 2188 20 (2) Rebecca Lewis ........................................................................................... 2193 21 (3) Kevin Higgins ............................................................................................ 2196 22 g. Some General Reflections on IM, the Kingdom, and the Church ..................... 2198 23 5. Covenant Identity ................................................................................................... 2202 24 a. Employing a Biblical Paradigm ......................................................................... 2202 25 b. True and False Religion ..................................................................................... 2206 26 c. God, Covenantal Suppression, and Idolatry ...................................................... 2211 27 d. Revelation and Suppression ............................................................................... 2212 28 (1) Clarity .......................................................................................................