Are you theologically prepared?

Are You Theologically Prepared?

But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behaviour in Christ may be ashamed of their slander. 1 Peter 3:15-16

If you’ve been a Christian for a number of years, you probably have a good grasp of the core beliefs and doctrines of the faith. It’s likely that you are familiar with much of the Bible and can explain what you believe with confidence. That’s a great starting point for engaging in cross-cultural mission. But are you truly theologically prepared?

New questions

If you’re anything like me, you’re used to talking to people about faith who come from a secular, atheist or vaguely agnostic background. I’ve found that their queries often revolve around the existence of God, how the Bible fits into a scientific worldview and what we believe about the hot topics of our day.

In contrast, many of the people that you’ll meet from the Arab world will come with a completely different set of questions, steeped in an Islamic worldview. You’ll face questions such as: Why do you trust the Bible when it was written by so many different authors, has been translated so many times and we don’t even have the original documents? Why do you say you worship one God, when clearly you actually worship three? If Jesus is actually God, why did he say that the Father was greater than him?

We can choose to learn answers to these questions – and that can be a useful place to start. But a more sustainable approach is to grow in our theological proficiency. That way, we will be more equipped to answer whatever someone may ask us, not just the questions we have set answers to.

New context

A deeper understanding is also important in translating the concepts of Christianity into a different religious context. It’s easy to assume that we share a common theological language with those we meet – that familiar words are referring to familiar ideas. But we should be careful not to take this for granted.

When a Muslim talks about a “prophet” for instance, they are referring to a specific idea that is quite distinct from the biblical equivalent, even if there is some overlap. This is also true for Scripture, pilgrimage, salvation and of course God Himself. If we are not careful, our preconceptions will lead to miscommunication between us and those we are witnessing to. We need to be able to explain familiar concepts in unfamiliar ways.

Here is a quick exercise for you. Try and define the following words using the minimum amount of Christian jargon:

Church
Bible
Atonement
Satan
Angels
Spirit

New approach

How then can we be theologically prepared for cross-cultural mission?

I believe the key is to grow in learning to think theologically, not to just learn proof texts or answers to questions, as helpful as those can be at times. This means growing in scriptural fluency – being able to talk confidently about the overall narrative of Scripture, the way that concepts run throughout its pages and the way it culminates in Jesus. It means developing a theological method that allows you to apply what you know in a new context, so that we remain faithful to Biblical principles in unfamiliar situations.

First Steps

Whether you are preparing for long or short-term mission overseas, engaged in local ministries here in the UK, or just beginning to explore mission, investing in your theological understanding is great preparation for being effective, sensitive and informed for sharing Christ cross-culturally.

If you’ve never intentionally studied theology, then starting with an overview of important doctrines could be useful. Consider reading books such Bruce Milne’s Know the Truth, Tony Lane’s Exploring Christian Doctrine, or (if you’ve got more time on your hands) Alister McGrath’s Christian Theology: An Introduction. Learning from a range of authors will help to show what contentious issues you should be aware of and to give you a well-rounded approach.

It’s essential that our theology is founded on a deep understanding of Scripture. A great introduction to reading with more insight is How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth by Gordon Fee and Douglas Stuart, which gives some foundational principles to consider. If you want to look at the Bible in more depth, consider taking an Old Testament or New Testament survey course.

A word of encouragement

Whilst it is helpful to grow in theological proficiency, we don’t have to be experts. In the Arab world, it helps to have some knowledge of Islam and how to talk about our faith in that environment. But as Peter tells us, this must be combined with a life that witnesses to Christ. Witnesses should tell the truth, they should be convincing, but they don’t necessarily need to have all the answers. The value of a testimony will be judged on the integrity of its bearer. We pray that, ultimately, the Lord grows you in wisdom and understanding as you seek to do His will.