Do you really?
That’s what these guys say.
Understanding context is important to our labors. Peoples are shaped and defined by cultures. While biblical prescriptions are ultimate, contextualization is crucial to what we do.
When the Word became flesh and tabernacled among us (John 1:14), God contextualized Himself as never before among a fallen people. This missionary God revealed Himself full of grace and truth in a shockingly clear manner.
Though we’ll never be able to contextualize our efforts as perfect as the Son (Gal 4:4), contextualization should guide our efforts as best as possible. By God’s grace, the Church should strive to make sure the only stumbling block is the cross of Christ (1 Cor 1:23).
Not our cultural expectations.
Not our traditions.
Not our preferences.
Until Jesus returns, we will need to continue our conversations about contextualization matters. Why? Because contextualization matters!
As long as there are unengaged-unreached peoples, migration, globalization, urbanization, rural communities, living world religions, different languages, and the rise and passing of generations, we are to be about the business of understanding how best to make disciples and teach them to observe all that Jesus commanded (Matt 28:19-20). I address how to understand a people in Discovering Church Planting and Developing a Strategy for Missions. Until you can check out those resources, teach your people to understand the following about those they serve:
Where do they live? How does their geography influence their lives?
What do I know about their demographics?
What do they believe (and practice) about spiritual matters?
What do I know about their history?
What do I know about their culture (in general)?
How well do I know their language?
What are their political views (including views from birth country if they’ve recently migrated)?
Now that you know. Roll on!
