A study of Paul as a biblical model of contextualization through a hermeneutical approach

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Date
2009-12
Authors
Ji, Ho-Young
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Publisher
University of the Free State
Abstract
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.
Afrikaans: 1. Die doel van hierdie studie Die doel van hierdie tesis is om, vanuit 'n hermeneutiese benadering tot die boek Handelinge en die briewe van Paulus, aan te toon hoe Paulus die evangelie van Jesus Christus in die konteks van verskeie sendingvelde verkondig het. Om Paulus as 'n Bybelse model van kontekstuele sending te bestudeer is van onskatbare waarde. 2. Die agtergrond van Paulus as '0 kontekstuele model Paulus se Joodse, Hellenistiese en Romeinse agtergrond, sowel as sy teologiese agtergrond, hou met sy sendingoptrede verband. God het verskeie faktore in Paulus se agtergrond georkestreer. Dit het hom in staat gestel het om een van die mees uitstaande evangeliste in die geskiedenis van die kerk te word. Paulus se Joods-Romeinse agtergrond en sy kosmopolitiese uitkyk het hom gevorm vir 'n unieke bediening as apostelonder die heidene. Paulus was die ideale persoon om die kulturele en godsdienstige geloof te oorbrug. 3. Die kontekstualisering van Paulus rakende rituele Die raad in Jerusalem, wat die beginsels vasgestel het vir heidense deelname aan die Christelike gemeentskap, het veral klem gelê op God se vir waarheid en liefde jeens die naaste. Geloof in Christus kon nie en mag nie afhanklik gemaak word van die nakoming van sekere rituele en tradisies nie. As daar oorgelewerde tradisies is wat 'n struikelblok vir die vryheid van Christus en die diens aan God is, dan moet dit verwyder word. Dit was juis deurgaans Paulus se siening oor die rituele aspek van kontekstuele evangelisasie. 4. Die kontekstualisering van Paulus se boodskap As 'n apostelonder die heidene het Paulus geworstel met 'n relevante metode om die bokulturele evangelie van Jesus Christus in multikulturele kontekste te vertaal. Hy het verkondig dat Christus vir alle mense goeie nuus is. Die strategieë wat hy gebruik het, het hy van die sekulêre wêreld geleen omdat hy vir sekulêre mense gepreek het. 5. Paulus se kontekstualisering van sake in verband met die kerk Paulus het hom besig gehou met interne sake met die doelom die kerk as 'n gemeenskap met 'n dinamiese lewe te vestig. In die pluralistiese godsdienstigheid van hulle kulture het Paulus op teologiese wyse 'n diagnose van die situasie gemaak en kerklike sake in die lig van die evangelie bekyk. 6. Konklusie Wat uitstaan is die feit dat Paulus op grondslag van die openbaring van Christus aan die evangelie 'n grondliggende karakter gegee het-vir Jood sowel as Griek. Hy het die kerk van Christus totaal en al op die evangelie gebou. Wat die heidensending betref, was al sy sendingwerk duidelik op die Woord van God gebaseer. Die onveranderlike sentrum van Paulus se werk was sy sterk klem op Jesus Christus. Paulus het by die vorm en behoeftes van die dag aangesluit, net soos evangeliste dit in elke tyd en kulturele konteks moet doen. Hy is 'n voorbeeld van kontekstuele sending vir hedendaagse evangeliste wat betref multikulturele kommunikasie in 'n plurale samelewing.
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Keywords
New Testament studies, Pauline Theology, Christianity culture, Gentile mission, Contextualization, Hermeneutical approach, The principles of contextualization, Communication, Paul, the Apostle, Saint, Bible. N.T. Epistles of Paul -- Criticism, interpretation, etc., Dissertation (M.Th. (Missiology))--University of the Free State, 2009, Bible. N.T. Acts -- Criticism, interpretation, etc.
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