“Worshiping Jesus in the Mosque: Inside the World of a Muslim Follower of Isa.”
That’s what the cover says on the latest issue of Christianity Today.
Inside are several articles on the insider movement–so named because in
these movements Christian converts stay within their original religious
context and continue to identify themselves with the religion of their
birth. The whole issue is worth reading. In it you’ll find a background
piece on the C1 to C6 spectrum by Tim Tennent, a pro and con piece by
“John Travis” (pro) and Phil Parshall (con), and a predictably middle of
the road editorial that is “cautiously optimistic about this deep
insider strategy.”
The cover story is an interview by the missionary “Gene Daniels” (not his real name) with a Muslim follow of Isa
named “Abu Jaz” (also not his real name). While we can clearly learn
from someone like Gene Daniels laboring in a difficult Muslim context,
and while we must certainly rejoice to hear of Abu Jaz’s commitment to
Christ, the interview also raises a number of questions and concerns.
Let me raise three of each.
Three Questions
Question 1: What is the role of the church?
Proponents of the insider movement are quick to point out that insider
believers belong to the church universal (see Travis’ piece) and share
in Christian fellowship with other insiders. And yet, doesn’t the Bible
understand the church in more robust terms than this? What about church
officers, weekly preaching, the administration of the sacraments,
membership, and church discipline? Are these all adiaphora? Doesn’t
Paul’s missionary strategy and Jesus’ Great Commission presuppose that
believers will be gathered in visible, constituted churches? Continue at Kevin DeYoung
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