Culture and Conscience At Table in the Idol’s Temple? Local Theology, Idolatry, and Identification in 1 Corinthians 8—10 by Kevin Higgins hould believers in Jesus remain involved in religious activities and rituals of their religion of birth after coming to faith in Jesus as Lord? The ques- tion continues to spark vigorous interaction among missionaries and mis- Ssiologists who regularly discuss issues in so-called “insider movements.” Drawing especially on Kenneth Bailey’s recent work on 1 Corinthians, I explore below what 1 Corinthians 8–10 may have to teach us regarding this particular ques- tion. I conclude by reflecting on the implications of these passages for “insider movements,” or what I prefer to call “movements to Jesus” that remain engaged in the socio-religious dimensions of their birth culture. Three Scenes In order to set the context for what follows, I begin with three brief scenes from events in my own ministry. Scene 1: Local Theology I was in Kenya recently helping our African leadership as they conducted a one-week training event for potential new missionaries from East Africa. During one standard exercise participants are presented with a list of bibli- cal commands and then asked whether a given command is universal (to be obeyed in the same way, in every place, at every time, in every period of history, by all people) or context-specific (commands that, while conveying a universal principle, may be obeyed differently in different contexts). Kevin Higgin has been involved One typical, generally easy-to-answer, example is the apostolic command for with Global Teams as a missionary since 1990. He developed a work believers to “greet one another with a holy kiss” (Rom. 16:16; 1 Cor. 16:20; in a majority Muslim country that 2 Cor. 13:12; 1 Thess. 5: 26; 1 Pet. 5:14). Christians tend to assume that this has resulted in creative evangelism among eight languages, four of which (frequent) apostolic command is not to be obeyed literally—witness the fact have emerging people movements. that no one kissed me when I arrived at the conference. We seem to make As International Director of Global such decisions almost automatically, without being aware of the process by Teams, Kevin now recruits, trains, and coaches pioneer missionaries. which we make them. International Journal of Frontier Missiology 31:1 Spring 2014•27 28 At Table in the Idol’s Temple? Local Theology, Idolatry, and Identification in 1 Corinthians 8—10 Another example, one that usually ship Allah as the God and Father of sion group is made up of missionaries, promotes lively discussion, concerns Jesus Christ, nothing I said could per- missiologists, and Muslims who have church leadership. For example, Paul’s suade my brother that using this word come to faith in Jesus (both those greeting to the Philippian church in- was not idolatrous. In part, the issue who continue to refer to themselves as cludes a reference to “the bishops and was a linguistic and historical one. At Muslims and those who do not), Scrip- deacons” (Phil. 1:1, KJV). Thus, we can a deeper level, however, it could also be ture is often one of the major sources safely conclude that there were plural that there were much more fundamen- cited for the opinions we each express “bishops” in the church at Philippi. As tal differences between us about what or question. participants (many of whom were An- constitutes idolatry. glican) discussed this issue, they found 1 Corinthians 8—10 and Scene 3: Identification that their assumptions about church Potential Contributions for polity had influenced their reading of Every year I take part in a face-to-face Local Theology, Idolatry, and Scripture. In particular, it had blinded gathering of men and women who them to the fact that Paul was address- hold greatly differing views on issues Identification ing multiple bishops in a single con- of contextualization among Muslims, About two years ago, a lot of discus- gregation. This is strikingly different in particular so-called “insider move- sion took place between members of from the later development in which ments.” In addition to these annual the e-mail forum about the relevance a sole bishop is now appointed over meetings, the group also discusses of Paul’s teaching in 1 Corinthians many congregations. various topics via an e-mail forum. 8–10 to the question of “identity” (in The point of such an exercise is not particular, whether it supports the idea primarily to help participants find the that a believer in Jesus could take part “right” answer, but rather to make them in some of the traditions and ritu- sensitive to the fact that we all engage als of the religious community of his in the process of “local theology”—and We all engage birth). In this case, the group’s specific that we usually do so without being concern was whether a Muslim who aware of it, applying and interpreting in the process of has come to trust and believe in Jesus Scripture in the light of our context “local theology,” as Lord and Savior could still pray and presuppositions. The more we at the mosque or participate in other become aware of this reality, the better usually without Islamic practices. Could (or should) we can (hopefully) allow Scripture to being aware of it. such a disciple continue some level of speak freely, unshackled from our prior identification with the religion of his assumptions about what it means in a birth? If so, to what extent? given situation. Whether we admit it After an initial period of intense or not, “local theologizing” is some- discussion, the forum moved to other thing in which biblical disciples of One topic that comes up regularly is topics. Then, after several months the 1 Jesus engage all the time. that of identity, in particular the extent identity question resurfaced. Both Scene 2: Idolatry to which new disciples (in any con- times this topic has come to the fore, I text) continue to maintain their prior have read the various posts and wanted At another training event in Africa, religious identity (or see at least part of very much to engage in the discus- we gathered together key leaders sion. But each time I began to write engaged in ministry among Muslims. their identity as including an under- something, I found myself hesitating, One session focused on the contro- standing of themselves as “Muslim,” primarily because I did not want to versy raging in some circles about the for example). The discussions focus simply jump to conclusions about the origins and meaning of Allah, the on different aspects of such a self- text and what I thought it might be Arabic word for God. Afterward a description (theological, worldview, saying. So, over the past two to three brother in Christ came up to me and practices, social belonging, culture, etc.) years since the first series of e-mails said, “Allah is not a god. Allah is a and the degree to which continued about this section of 1 Corinthians, I moon demon and to use that word is “identification” with one’s social and have taken up a more focused study of idolatry.” Although I mentioned that religious birth community is in keeping this epistle. My study has taken three every Arabic translation of the Bible with one’s new “identification,” both as primary forms. uses “Allah” for the God of the Bible a disciple of Jesus and as a member of (and has for hundreds of years), and what we might call our spiritual “new- In 2011, I was privileged to take part that Arabic-speaking Christians wor- birth community.” Because our discus- in a week-long study of 1 Corinthians International Journal of Frontier Missiology Kevin Higgins 29 with a group of colleagues. We used the (inductive) manuscript study method ow are Corinthian followers of Jesus to live and worked through the text as a group. their lives as believers in the context of the I had my Greek text open throughout the week for reference. The mutual Hreligious and social life of their community? learning and insights of that week have have led to a wide variety of proposed center of the written or oral discourse. provided some of the foundations for outlines for the structure of his thought Other themes are built before and after my conclusions in this paper. in the letters. I would suggest that this that central theme in something like 3 In late 2012, I resumed thinking about lack of consensus about Paul’s discourse mirror images of one another. and flow of logic also contributes to the the postings about 1 Corinthians writ- Bailey’s full commentary (2011: 33ff ) tendency to assume that multiple letters ten by members of the e-mail forum includes both a detailed description of have been pieced together. referred to above. Those discussions this ring structure in 1 Corinthians and and questions have stimulated my own It is here that Bailey’s work diverges a rich collection of background materi- thinking and have also shaped my ap- from that of earlier commentators al and examples that demonstrate how proach to this paper. I found some of and where his approach suggests an common this literary structure actually my assumptions challenged, and realized important insight. Bailey argues that, was. I will be content here to merely I needed to examine Paul’s thinking in far from being like fabric stitched give an overview of the most pertinent 1 Corinthians 8–10 in even more depth.