Missiology

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Browsing Missiology by Subject "Bible. N.T. Epistles of Paul -- Criticism, interpretation, etc."

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    A study of Paul as a biblical model of contextualization through a hermeneutical approach
    (University of the Free State, 2009-12) Ji, Ho-Young; Verster, Pieter
    English: 1. The aim of this study The aim of this thesis is to indicate how Paul preached the gospel of Christ in the contexts of various mission fields through a hermeneutic approach to the Acts and Paul's epistles. To study Paul as a biblical model of contextual mission is invaluable. 2. The background of Paul as a model of contextualization Paul's Hebraic, Hellenistic and Roman backgrounds and the theological background relate to his missions. God orchestrated several factors in Paul's background that enabled him to become one of the most significant evangelists in the history of the church. Paul's Jewish- Roman background and cosmopolitan outlook fitted him for a unique ministry as an apostle to the Gentiles. Paul was the ideal person to bridge the cultural and religious chasm. 3. The contextualization of Paul regarding ritual By its decree, the Council at Jerusalem, setting the standards for Gentile participation in the Christian community, manifestly upheld God's demand for truth and for love of the brotherhood. Faith in Christ could not and must not be made dependent on the observance of certain rituals and traditions. If inherited traditions hindered the liberty of Christ and the worship of God, they should be abandoned. This was Paul's consistent belief on contextual evangelization with regard to the ritual issue. 4. Contextualization of Paul's message As an apostle to the Gentiles, Paul struggled to find a relevant way to translate the supracultural gospel of Jesus Christ in the multiple cultural contexts. He proclaimed that Christ was good news for all people. The strategies employed by the evangelist were borrowed from the secular gentile realm because he preached to secularists. Paul dealt with the internal issues aiming to establish the church as a community of dynamic life. In the pluralistic religiosity of their cultures, Paul diagnosed the situation in theological terms, and reviewed the church's issues in light of the gospel. 6. Final statement Above all, on the basis of the revelation of Christ, he had given the Gospel, for both the Jew and Greek its fundamental character. He had built the Church of Christ Jesus totally on the basis of this Gospel. With regard to the Gentile mission, all his missionary acts were clearly based on the word of God. The unchanging centre of Paul's work was total preoccupation with Jesus Christ. Paul adapted to the style and needs of his day as evangelists must in every historical period and cultural context. He is a model of contextual mission to modem evangelists regarding cross-cultural communication in a pluralistic.