Kingdom Mission to the World

By Venerable Dr Ifechukwu U. Ibeme

http://priscaquila.6te.net ; http://www.scribd.com/ifeogo ;
Comment on The Chapel of Grace Blog: http://thechapelofgrace.wordpress.com

WHAT IS THE MISSION OF THE CHURCH?

The Church is God’s chosen agent of His Kingdom in the world today. Before the Church, God had called
Abraham out of his kindred to worship the Living God and teach his descendants the way of the Lord (Gen
18:17-19) so they would arise and shine to lighten the Gentiles (Isa 60:1-3) and be a blessing to all nations.
The mission of the Church is that divine purpose for which the Church has been SENT INTO THE WORLD as
Christ’s DISCIPLES (who follow after Christ) and WITNESSES (who influence others to come unto Christ and
follow after Him). Gratitude to God and love for God and humanity combine to motivate the Church unto
her faith and worship, life and work. The Church is the COMMUNITY of God’s redeemed people CALLED OUT
OF THE WORLD and COMMISSIONED not only for COMMUNION (worship, discipleship and fellowship) IN
the world but also for MISSION (witness and good-works) TO the world. In His final words according to Mat
28:18-20, Christ commissioned the Church to go into all nations to EVANGELISE-BAPTISE-CATECHISE till the
end of this age, in order to win and raise DISCIPLES who OBEY Christ.
Matthew 28:18-20
(18) Then Jesus came up and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
(19) Therefore, as you go, DISCIPLE all the nations, BAPTIZING them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the
Holy Spirit,
(20) TEACHING them to OBEY all that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you each and every day until the
end of the age."

What the Church does in holiness and love among the members is her COMMUNION with one another and
in Christ (1John 1:3, 7). What the Church does in holiness and love towards the world is her MISSION for
Christ and like Christ (John 20:21). This CHURCH’S MISSION (gospel witness for soul-winning and good works
for social influence) to the world involves:
 firstly EVANGELISATION through the PREACHING of Christ’s saving Gospel to the unsaved to become
disciples of Christ;
 secondly MINISTRATION through compassionate SERVICE to the society as the “merciful” and the
“peacemakers”; and
 thirdly CHRISTIANISATION through righteous and responsible ACTION as “light and salt” for justice
and order in the society.
To effectively sustain the Church’s Communion and Mission, it is necessary that Disciplers and Word
Ministers of the Church labour to PERFECT OR TRAIN THE SAINTS by edifying them with the equipment of
God’s Word which will enable the saints do the work of the ministry properly (Eph 4:11-14; 2Tim 2:2; 3:14-
17).

The Church is called and commissioned by Christ and empowered with the Holy Spirit to bear WITNESS for
Christ and His saving Gospel to all the nations of the world (Matt 28:18-20; Mark 16:15-18; Luke 24:46-49;
Act 1:8). This is a delicate and complex task. This missionary WITNESS for Christ involves:
evangelistic PROCLAMATION,
incarnational CONTEXTUALISATION (or INCULTURATION),
coexistence DIALOGUE,
presence APOLOGETICS,
compassionate SERVICE, and
reformative ACTION,

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– that all may believe that Christ has come as the Divine Son, to save this sinfully lost and perishing world so
they would have eternal life and experience the refreshing of the Holy Spirit and liberation of the sons of
God.

Today, in a perishing world reeling under the manifold and ever increasing burden of Globalization,
Pluralism, Migration, Injustice, Inequalities, Relativistic Rationalism, Valueless Postmodernism, Violent
Conflicts, Pollution of Creation, Gender and Sexuality Complications, every Christian and Church is faced
with inescapably urgent necessity to be Christ-centred and Bible-based in their Christianity – creed, word
and deed. Thought systems, ideas, opinions, practices and cultures seen in the world today are products of
conscious and unconscious influences, persuasions and pressures from combinations of cultural,
philosophical, traditional and trendy sources or authorities. Church Denominations (Roman, Greek,
Reformed, Evangelical, Pentecostal, mainline Churches, missionary Churches, ministry Churches, etc) should
find unity in Christ alone and focus on thoroughly biblical Christianity in their persuasion and pursuit to
bring God’s Kingdom and do God’s will in both Church and Society by their:
 worship and prayer,
 word and proclamation,
 wisdom and presence,
 witness and peace,
 walk and purity,
 work and piety.

Something is missing in the modern Church about the full Heavenly Kingdom commission of Christians and
the Church to the world. Since the 5 th Century, the Church had had the concept of being on divine mission
for a Holy Roman Empire over Western Europe but in modern times, things have changed. The modern
Church has lost much of her Kingdom mentality and mandate.
 Ecclesiastical and Monastic Christianity (Act 2-6) has misconstrued Christianity to be designed only for
winning and calling out MEMBERS/CLIENTS/PATRONISERS and meeting the needs and demands of the
DISCIPLES in their FELLOWSHIPS/FOLLOWERSHIP (Denominations and Ministries). So much study and
skill even subterfuge have gone into this.
 Evangelistic and Philanthropic Christianity (Act 11-18) thinks of the Church as Kingdom agency for
salting the earth only through philanthropy and charity to needy SOULS and for lighting the world only
through preaching the Gospel for conversion of sinful SOULS. (Outreach Agencies). Reasonable study
and experience are coming on along these lines.
 There seems to be either ignorance or negligence of Missiological or Kingdom Christianity (Act 22-26)
that sees every Christian as a Kingdom diplomat and agent sent on the strategic ambassadorial
assignment of lighting, salting and leavening the world through statesmanly involvement, coherent
infiltration and purposeful influence. Such missiological impact must aim towards the reformation and
saturation of the NATIONS and MULTITUDES at every level of the SOCIETY, with the kingdom best
practices, kingdom worldview and kingdom values of God’s goodness, loving-kindness and
righteousness. This should be done through strategic Christian ramified involvement in the Mass Media,
the Professions, the Corporations, the Academia, the Arts, and amongst the Entrepreneurs, the
Politicians, the Security Operatives, the Opinion Leaders, the Masses, the Princes, the Magistrates, the
Parliamentarians, the Experts, the Pacesetters, the Consultants, etc; but this requires biblical
purposefulness and strategic cohesion amongst all Christians and Churches. Yet there is very minimal
study, reflection and coordination in this direction!

PROCESS OF MISSIONARY CONTEXTUALISATION AND INCULTURATION OF THE

GOSPEL
The task of CONTEXTUALISATION or INCULTURATION confronts the Church mostly at the point of translating
the Bible into a new language or preaching the Gospel in a new culture. What words should be used as
equivalents of the Hebrew and Greek originals for God, for grace, for sin, for Christ, for Holy Spirit, for

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revelation, for repentance, for faith, for resurrection, for glorification, for atonement, for propitiation, for
regeneration, for heaven, for hell, for Satan, for Angels, e.t.c. Are there any appropriate old cultural words
and concepts? Should old cultural words be used with their old meanings or with new meanings, or should
entirely new words be coined? Or does becoming a Christian mean I become a Jew or a Greek?

Christ, the eternally Divine Word took up flesh and was born human (Incarnation) to dwell amongst
humanity and reveal the mysteries of heavenly truth and grace and the saving Gospel initially to the Jewry of
His day. Christ trained and commissioned the Apostles as witnesses to contextualise the Hebrew and
Aramaic Gospel into the Hellenist culture of the Greco-Roman empire. The Apostles did their
contextualisation by REVEALING Christ’s REDEMPTION to the world while rejecting any syncretistic COPYING
from the IDOLATROUS bondage, from the LASCIVIOUS passions, from the RITUALISTIC Judizers and from the
SPECULATIVE Gnostics. The Apostolic Fathers and Church Doctors further contextualised the Gospel from
Greek to Latin. The Scholastics believing that faith could be fathomed or that revelation could be reasoned,
tried to acculturate the Gospel to suit the evolving philosophies and cultures of Europe of the Middle Ages
by copying philosophical ideas from the heathen world rather than revealing God’s Word for the redemption
of the world. But the Reformers later tried to reform the Scholastic error by contextualising the Gospel albeit
polemically as a heavenly counterculture into the subcultures and languages of Europe. Much of the
teachings and practices of the Church today derive from these contextualisations over the years, such that
the Christian Faith is taught in European conceptual categories. The Western world has also seen heathenish
ideological movements that have left negative or corrupting influence on the Church: confusing and
contaminating wholesome Scriptural Christianity despite the attempt at evangelical reformation in the 16 th
century.

Missionaries and modern Bible translators have continued to proclaim and inculturate the Gospel into other
ethnic languages and cultures of the world. In today’s fast evolving heathen cultures of the globalising world,
the Church as a whole is again pressured into unbiblical acculturation through commercial marketing and
mass media outreaches. Unfortunately, this so called “REPACKAGING” of the Gospel and the Christian Faith
for commerce, vogue and mass media is being done by COPYING HEATHENISM FROM THE “SECULAR”
WORLD rather than doing proper biblical INCULTURATION that REVEALS HEAVEN’S REDEMPTION TO THE
WORLD. This is a daunting challenge especially for the post-evangelical or postmodern Church that is again
derailing and dividing while facing anti-Christian and self-actualizing postmodern world. There is no longer
much biblical thought on the true offer of the Gospel to the heathens nor is there proper understanding of
the true demand of the Gospel on the world – a case of Church PRACTICE without Biblical PRECEPTS or
Church MISSION without Biblical MISSIOLOGY. No wonder, present repackaging is often done with
innovative styles and expensive methods that copy the false “gospel” of glamour and gratification from the
heathen world rather than revealing the true redeeming Gospel to the world.

Existentialism, a 19th century philosophical movement or style of thinking, which has given
POSTMODERNISM its worldviews, assumes the individualism of existence, individual freedom and
individual responsibility in choices. Humans or beings (existential possibilities) are so entirely free that
they are individually responsible to themselves on the possible ways they choose to relate with (i.e.
transcend towards) any other individual existence and utilise (i.e. transcend towards) other things and
issues (present realities) in any situation to bring about (project existence) any outcome of their future. In
the existentialist scheme therefore, religious faith inevitably becomes the ultimate transcendent free-
choice or relational commitment and God is that Divine-Spirit Being beyond existential possibilities and
present realities, Who transcends (reaches out) towards humanity and the rest of creation only through
mystery and Whose revelation is only accessible by faith. To existentialists, all objective absolute ideals for
moral pursuit are rejected as unknowable and anxiety; but they insist that subjective choice for self-
actualisation of individual potential abilities is individual responsibility and freedom. Existentialism seeks
to satisfy subjectively PREFERRED INDIVIDUALIST ABILITIES (e.g. Potentials and Passions) and is opposed

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to objectively PATTERNED IDEALIST ABSOLUTES (e.g. Truths and Norms). This is the “TAKING MORALITY
OUT OF THE WAY” spoken of in 2Thes 2:3-7 that will prelude the revelation of the Antichrist.

Modernists in USA Postmodernists in USA

Builders: born upto 1945 Bursters X: born upto 1984
Boomers: born upto 1964 Bridgers Y: born since 1985

Works by: Works by:

Facts Fancies
Rationality Relationships
Principles Passions
Objectivism Subjectivism
Labour Leisure

Prefers: Prefers:
Formal Authority Informal Mentor
Absolute Truth Relative Truth
Steady systems Changing systems

Influenced by: Influenced by:

Family/Church/School/ Media/Gadgets/Internet/
Instruction/Books/ Interaction/Multimedia/
Word-based intellectual learning Image-based interactive learning

Philosophically is: Philosophically is:

• Intellectual • Anti-intellectual
• Reason • Feeling
• Optimism/Hope for the future • Pessimism/Despair for the present
• Objectivism • Subjectivism/relativism
• Exclusivism • Pluralism/inclusivism
• Confidence in Science • Distrust in science
• Man is evolving • Man is devolving

This “passionate oughtlessness” of existentialist and postmodern culture with inevitably resultant insecurity
and insatiableness has thrown humanity into desperation and confusion which in turn provides a huge
market for motivational speaking for the pursuit of subjectively preferred notions and motives as against
homiletical preaching for the pursuit of objectively biblical norms and morals. Superstars, Therapists,
Motivators and Entertainers who profit from satisfying hedonistic desires and fads are on high demand as
against godly Teachers and Preachers who instruct and persuade for moral and godly living. Evangelicals
have sold out on this populist profiteering spirituality without “circumspect thinking that accords with and
proves God’s will for these evil days” (Eph 5:10, 15-17). Existentialist Christians perplexed with perils,
passions and pressures of this age, especially in Africa, seek an allegorised false gospel that seems to meet
personal desires and promises that personal enemies must die by the “anointing” and prophetic words of
powerful mediator “servants of God”, no longer by God’s grace for the believer and the believer’s faith in
Christ. The SON OF GOD has been replaced with the MAN OF GOD.

The Church has become the soothsayer’s shrine; the “prophets”, “bishops” and “apostles” practice magic or
mimic mediums or sorcerers or gurus and enslave their clientele with superstitions, blame-shifting and
avarice; the “preachers” propagate modern heathenism with its humanism, modernism and materialism.
The holy Gospel is no longer being revealed to the world as HEAVENLY COUNTERCULTURE by missionary
inculturation rather it is prodigally revised, adulterated and relegated while the Church is sold out to the
Beast and hell all in the name of so called “repackaging”. Lord, revive and restore your Church!
Jeremiah 5:29-31
(29) Shall I not punish for these things? says the LORD: shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this?

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 (30) An appalling and horrible thing is committed in the land;
(31) The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests bear rule by their own power; and my people love to have it so: and
what will you do in the end?

Carnal mirth has overtaken spiritual worship in “post-evangelical Christianity”. This calls for another bible
based Reformation for our “postmodern” heathen generation and biblical Revival towards the recovery of
wholesome Scriptural Christianity. For instance much of our so called popular “gospel music” performances
and videos today with their rhythms, jigs, dark lightings, visuals, parlance, party fashion, orgiastic evocations
and lascivious revelry are outright postmodern hiphop heathenism and hippie culture of the New Age,
syncretised as entertainment “Christianity”. Christian gospel music is not mirth-making for entertainment
and revelry but for spiritual worship, so it should covey sublime revelations, and be accompanied with
devotional visuals, sanctified adorations and spiritual evocations that hallmarked the Prophetic musicians of
the Bible and Apostolic Church. Church music videos and ministrations (called SKILLED INSTRUMENTAL
PROPHESYING AND PRAISE in 1Chron 25:1-7 and SPIRIT FILLED WORD BASED MELODIOUS UTTERANCE in
Eph 5:18-20 and Col 3:16) which ought to “SOW TO THE SPIRIT” for WORSHIPING GOD in a manner
spiritually acceptable to HEAVEN, has become same with club music videos and mirth performances meant
to “SOW TO THE FLESH” for ENTERTAINING HUMANS in a manner extravagantly acceptable to HEATHENS.
When could we ever again hear and sing songs of true spiritual worship as in the days of Charles Wesley and
Ira Sankey? May God give His Church the word and wisdom to reveal His heavenly commitment and spiritual
Way to the world rather than copy and mimic the heathenish covetousness and superstar ways of the world.
John 4:23-24
(23) But the hour comes, and now is, when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father
seeks such to worship him.
(24) God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must WORSHIP HIM IN SPIRIT AND IN TRUTH.
Galatians 6:7-8
(7) Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man sows, that shall he also reap.
(8) For he that SOWS TO HIS FLESH shall of the flesh REAP CORRUPTION; but he that SOWS TO THE SPIRIT shall of the Spirit
REAP LIFE EVERLASTING.
Galatians 5:16-24
(16) This I say then, WALK IN THE SPIRIT, and you shall not fulfill the LUST OF THE FLESH.
(17) For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so
that you cannot do the things that you would.
(18) But if you be led of the Spirit, you are not under the law.[See Rom 8:1-4]
(19) Now the WORKS OF THE FLESH are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, impurity, licentiousness,
(20) Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, strife, jealousy, wrath, selfishness, divisions, heresies,
(21) Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revelings, and such like: of which I tell you beforehand, as I have also told you in time
past, that they who do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
(22) But the FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
(23) Meekness, self-control: against such there is no law.[See Rom 8:1-4]
(24) And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.

PRECEPTS AND PURPOSE OF MISSION

Since the 19th century, national, regional and ecumenical missionary conferences have sought to understand
the precepts and purpose of Christian mission. Varieties of emphases and views have received attention at
many of these meetings since 1900 e.g. World Missionary Conference up to 1920s, International Missionary
Conference (IMC) 1920s-1960s, World conferences on Faith and Order since 1925 and on Life and Work
since 1925, World Council of Churches (WCC) Assembly since 1948 and Commission on World Mission and
Evangelism of the WCC since 1968. Evangelicals have also sought the meaning and function of mission in the
Lausanne Conferences since 1970s, etc. Putting it all together, so far these conferences have taught the
Church that for Mission to be biblically all encompassing and truly Christian, it should bear witness for Christ
through:
Mission for Ecumenical Conversion (Luke 24:45-49);
Mission by Church Planting (Matt 28:19-20);
Mission by Social Action and Service (Luke 4:17-21);

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 Mission by Sympathetic Presence or Incarnation (Phil 2:5-8);
Ecumenical Unity in Mission though not uniformity in Administration (John 17:20-21(;
Eschatological Expectation in Mission (Acts 3:17-21).
The purpose of Gospel mission to the world is to bring all humanity to know and do God’s will, to worship
God in spirit and truth and to be saved from depravity, demonism and damnation into His eternal
Kingdom through Christ. Jesus encapsulated this to Apostle Paul thus:
Acts 26:15-18
(15) And I said, Who are you, Lord? And he said, I am Jesus whom you persecute.
(16) But rise, and stand upon your feet: for I have appeared unto you for this purpose, to make you a minister and a witness
both of these things which you have seen, and of those things in which I will appear unto you;
(17) Delivering you from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send you,
(18) To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may
receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them who are sanctified by faith that is in me.

The purpose of Gospel mission is to bring all humanity to BE SAVED through Christ from depravity,
demonism and damnation into God’s eternal Kingdom in order to know and do God’s will, to worship God
in spirit and truth (Act 26:15-18). Christians today adopt various views to non-Christians’ hope of eternal
salvation offered in the Gospel.
EXCLUSIVISM: this view holds that there is salvation only for Christians.
INCLUSIVISM: this view holds that, although salvation is by definition Christian salvation, brought about by
the atoning work of Christ, it is nevertheless in principle available to all human beings, whether Christian or
non-Christian; that good and devout people of other faiths may, even without knowing it, be regarded as
"anonymous Christians" or that non-Christians also are included within the universal scope of Christ's salvific
work and their religions are fulfilled in Christianity.
PLURALISM: this view holds that, the great world faiths, including Christianity, are valid spheres of a
salvation that takes characteristically different forms within each – though consisting in each case in the
transformation of human existence from self-centredness to a new orientation toward the Divine Reality.
The other religions are thus not secondary contexts of Christian redemption but independently authentic
paths of salvation.
HIERARCHISM: this view which derives from apostolic Gospel proclamation (kerygma) and apostolic Gospel
teaching (didache), holds that all religions and cultures of all humanity are at best proto-Christian or sub-
Christian stages of either FAULTY HUMAN GROPE WITH INSTINCT FOR GOD (Rom 1; Act 17) or FRAIL HUMAN
GRAPPLE WITH THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD (Heb 1; Gal 3-4). Therefore, in order to obtain eternal salvation for
kingdom heritage, humans would necessarily have to repent of their failure and progress to receive the
grace of divine help through faith in the Christ’s redemptive work (by His passion and power), and through
the acceptance of Christ’s Gospel uniquely revealed in the Scriptural apostolic witness (Eph 2-3).

EXCLUSIVIST, INCLUSIVIST, PLURALIST, HIERARCHIST, or whatever view of Christian understanding of its

relationship to science, other faiths, cultures, philosophies and worldviews, the basic biblical precept of the
Kingdom Gospel and mission is that all humanity
 is lost, perishing and dead in their sin,
 is enslaved by the devil, is under divine wrath and condemnation (John 3:35-36; Eph 2:1-3) and
 is in dire need of eternal salvation only possible by divine intervention; which salvation has been
powerfully accomplished and graciously offered by God through Jesus Christ (John 3:13-19).

Christ was preordained in eternity before all time by God to judge the living and the dead but was presented
and proved in time to be the Christ and the eternally reigning Son of God by His incarnation, resurrection
and ascension (Acts 10:42; 17:31; Rom 1:2-6). The basic biblical purpose of Christian mission in the world is
to share with all humanity the Gospel of this distinctly boundless blessing of eternal salvation freely offered,
revealed and brought to the world through Christ. This eternal salvation is far beyond every other available
levels and options of blessedness ever sought and imagined or attainable by humanity (Eph 1:17-23; 3:16-
21). This REVELATIONIST and REDEMPTIONIST perspective of the Christian witness was testified by Christ
and His Apostles.

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John 4:19-26
(19) The woman said to him, "Sir, I perceive that you are a prophet.
(20) Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you say that in Jerusalem is the place where people ought to worship."
(21) Jesus said to her, "Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you
worship the Father.
(22) You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews.
(23) But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the
Father is seeking such people to worship him.
(24) God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth."
(25) The woman said to him, "I know that Messiah is coming (he who is called Christ). When he comes, he will tell us all
things."
(26) Jesus said to her, "I who speak to you am he."
Acts 17:24-31
(24) The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth. He doesn't live in shrines made by
human hands,
(25) and he isn't served by hands as if he needed anything. He himself gives everyone life, breath, and everything.
(26) From one man he made every nation of humanity to live all over the earth, fixing the seasons of the year and the
boundaries they live in,
(27) so that they might look for God, somehow reach for him, and find him. Of course, he is never far from any one of us.
(28) For we live, move, and exist because of him, as some of your own poets have said: 'For we are his children, too.'
(29) So if we are God's children, we shouldn't think that the divine being is like gold, silver, or stone, or is an image carved
by human imagination and skill.
(30) Though God has overlooked those times of ignorance, he now commands everyone everywhere to repent,
(31) for he has set a day when he is going to judge the world with justice through a man he has appointed, and he has
given proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead."

Christ came down to graciously grant us the experience of eternal salvation as free redemptive blessing which by far
outweighs and outlasts all levels of blessedness that humanity may think, imagine, ask or ever know (Eph 1:3-4, 17-23;
3:16-21): whether by human actualisation and human speculation or even by prophetic revelation. Every human is
responsible for the level of blessedness one chooses to seek because every level of blessedness has its eternal
consequence after death. The workings and worth, powers and purposes of the four levels of blessedness are attested to
all over the Scripture. Here are some examples:

4. SALVATION in Christ into the eternal heavenly heritage for all humanity whosoever believes.
Luke 7:28
(28) For I say unto you, Among those that are born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the
Baptist: but he that is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.
Hebrews 1:1-3
(1) God, having spoken in former times in fragmentary and varied fashion to our forefathers by the prophets,
(2) has in these last days spoken to us by a Son whom he appointed to be the heir of everything and through
whom he also made the universe.
(3) He is the reflection of God's glory and the exact likeness of his being, and he holds everything together by his
powerful word. After he had provided a cleansing from sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Highest Majesty.
Acts 4:12-13
(12) There is no salvation by anyone else, for there is no other name under heaven given among people by which
we must be saved.
(13) Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John and found out that they were uneducated and ordinary
men, they were amazed and realized that they had been with Jesus.
Eternal Salvation level is obtainable through faith in Christ and through living by His Grace as
witnessed to by Christ and His Apostles in the Scriptures of the New Testament.

3. REVELATION for walking with the Creator God as found in the experiences of Old Testament Patriarchs and Prophets.
Hebrews 11:39-40
(39) And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise:
(40) God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect.
Matthew 11:9-11
(9) Really, what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and even more than a prophet!
(10) This is the man about whom it is written, 'See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare
your way before you.'
(11) Truly I tell you, among those born of women no one has appeared who is greater than John the Baptist. Yet
even the least important person in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.
1 Corinthians 13:9-10

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 (9) For our knowledge is only in part, and the prophet's word gives only a part of what is true:
(10) But when that which is complete is come, then that which is in part will be no longer necessary.
Divine Revelation level is accessible through obedience to the Law of Moses and faith in the
Scriptures of the Old Testament Patriarchs and Prophets.

This chart of “HIERARCHY OF FOUR LEVELS OF BLESSEDNESS” attempts to present this in perspectives.

2. TRANSCENDATION through human wisdom and curiosity all through the ages for transcending into the exotic.
1 Corinthians 1:21-25
(21) For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know God, God decided through the
nonsense of our preaching to save those who believe.
(22) Jews ask for signs, and Greeks look for wisdom,
(23) but we preach Christ crucified. He is a stumbling block to Jews and nonsense to gentiles,
(24) but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ is God's power and God's wisdom.
(25) For God's nonsense is wiser than human wisdom, and God's weakness is stronger than human strength.
Colossians 2:8-9
(8) Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the
rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.
(9) For in him dwells all the fullness of the Deity bodily.
Human Transcendation level is attainable with transcendent instinct that senses and searches for the
unapparent, the invisible, the spiritual, the supernatural, whether divine or demonic, whether
inclined to primal or philosophic religion, whether by scientific or mystical mind-set.

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 1. ACTUALISATION driven by the motivation to meet humanly felt-needs, satisfy selfish and mundane passions, pride
and pomp.
Luke 12:15
(15) And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consists not in the
abundance of the things which he possesses.
Luke 12:20-23
(20) But God said unto him, You fool, this night your soul shall be required of you: then whose shall those things
be, which you have prepared?
(21) So is he that lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.
1 Corinthians 15:19
(19) If our hope in Christ is good for this life only and no more, then we deserve more pity than anyone else in all
the world.
1 John 2:15-17
(15) Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in
him,
(16) because all that is in the world (the desire of the flesh and the desire of the eyes and the arrogance produced
by material possessions) is not from the Father, but is from the world.
(17) And the world is passing away with all its desires, but the person who does the will of God remains forever.
Human Actualisation level is attainable even with or without any religion, with or without
transcendation, with or without revelation, with or without salvation, whether atheistic or not,
agnostic or not, idolatrous or not.

MISSIONARY DIALOGUE WITH OTHER FAITHS AND RELIGIONS

Missionary dialogue recognizes the power of the Holy Spirit by which God “is constantly at work in ways that
pass human understanding and in places that to us are least expected”. Interfaith Dialogue is not only of
theological or doctrinal exchange, for there are also dialogue of tolerance for mutual coexistence, dialogue
of common cause for social action, and even dialogue of shared “pray to your God/gods” religious
experience for common good as on Jonah’s tempest-tossed ship of Tarshish (Jonah 1:5-6).

Dialogue is not same as Doctrine. Dialogue is seeking liberty to tolerate preaching, not about making people
agree with the Scriptures but making people allow the Gospel to be preached even when they do not agree
with it. Doctrine is setting verity against deviation form and revision of the Truth of God's Word as
wholesomely revealed in the Scriptures. Dialogue is for inter-faith liberty to preach the Gospel. Doctrine is
for true-faith verity as found in the Gospel. Dialogue is for toleration while Doctrine is for conversion and
correction. The two are not the same.

How is the Christian Faith or the Gospel of Christ’s Kingdom related to other faiths, religions and cultures?
This is a fundamental question the Church must answer for effective evangelism, dialogue (for peaceful
coexistence and community collaboration) and presence in a pluralistic heathen world. For instance in the
dialogue of the three monotheistic religions, it seems that:
 The Christian Gospel is a MESSIANIC OFFER of the Creator God’s eternal SALVATION to sinful
humanity from the bondage of sin and Satan through the POWER of Christ’s GRACE as taught by
Jesus Christ and His Apostles.
 The Jewish Old Testament is a PROPHETIC DEMAND for frail OBEDIENCE from sinful humanity (e.g.
Israel) to the law of the One Creator God (Yahweh) as taught by Moses and the Prophets of Israel.
 The Islamic Qur’an is a PROPHETIC DEMAND for frail SUBMISSION from sinful humanity to the will of
Allah who they believe is the One Creator God as taught by Muhammad ibn Abdallah.
On a general note the question of relationship of the Christian Gospel to other religions calls for a broad
grasp of not only the thrust of the various religions but also what religion basically is and what types of
religion (primal, philosophical and prophetic) there are in the world.

The word RELIGION (which refers to human response of belief or/and behaviour in relation to any
superstition, supposition, speculation or human reverence in relation to redemptive revelation) is derived

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from Latin RELIGIO = supernaturally constrained attitudes, beliefs, experiences, powers and practices or
RELIGARE = scrupulously restrained attitudes, beliefs, experiences, powers and practices. Today’s
liberalism with its antireligious, irreverent, rebellious, and self-willed philosophies have given religion a
bad name as faiths and forms that are antisocial, intolerant and deceptive because of religious rules and
regulations – often designating RELIGION to mean religious organisations or regulations; but prefer
SPIRITUALITY which is designated to mean unregulated spontaneous spiritual worship and lifestyle or
personal “salvation” experience. Hence many in the Church and other religions are averse to the word
“religion” or “religious” and claim they are not religious: they would prefer to describe themselves as
spirituals, spiritualists, using spiritual powers or living in spiritual relationship.

Religions and Spiritualities in the world today offer or seek different concepts of SALVATION (e.g. Christian
redemption-ransom, rescue-release, regeneration-restoration, Non-Christian self-realisation) from
bondage (e.g. Christian sinful nature, divine wrath, demonic deceit, damnable death, error-ignorance, Non-
Christian karma, reincarnation and matter) which may not satisfy the salvation concepts of the others.
RELIGION can be defined as the human spiritual relationship or human ritual response or human rational
response of faith in, fear of, fervour for, experience of and reverence for God, gods and numinous powers.
Religions have belief systems about the divine, the spiritual and the sacred, expressed in behaviour
systems of ritual forms, religious community, numinous experiences, ethical values and mystical practices.

Note that both the religious and the irreligious have their kinds of “God” and “gods” which regulate their
worldviews and behaviours such as:
 the Monotheists’ ALMIGHTY CREATOR God, (Author of order)
 the Mystics’ UNIVERSAL MIND/FORCE god,
 the Evolutionists' RANDOM SELECTOR goddess, (author of confusion)
 the Scientists’ “NATURAL LAW” goddess,
 the Secularists’ “AS YOU LIKE IT” god,
 the Polytheists’ specialised or tension gods and goddesses, and guiding/guardian spirits of beasts,
masters, heroes, heroines and ancestors.

Common elements and concepts shared by most religions are repercussions of morals and powers of rituals.
Religions are of two main classes but three broad types:
1. Nature Religion: PRIMAL Faiths, polytheistic, pantheistic, idolatrous, deistic and cyclical religions –
e.g. animistic and monist religions, totemic and nature worship religions, ancestral worship religions,
and Hinduism.
2. Founder Religion:
(i) PHILOSOPHICAL Faiths: atheistic, agnostic, polytheistic, pantheistic, idolatrous, deistic
and cyclical religions – e.g. mystic religions, Buddhism, Shinto, Tao, Bon, Confucianism,
Gnosticism, Jainism and Sikhism (Sikhism is Islamic Buddhism = monotheistic and cyclical)
(ii) PROPHETIC Faiths: monotheistic and eschatological religions – e.g. God-seeking
(theoreunatic) religions, Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Zoroastrianism and Baha’ism.

In contradistinction to THEISM, the belief in an immanent God who actively intervenes in the affairs of men, the word
DEISM is used to represent the view of those who reduced the role of God to a mere act of creation in accordance with
rational laws discoverable by man and held that, after the original act, God virtually withdrew and refrained from
interfering in the processes of nature and involvement in the ways of man. The Deist God has left nature to forces of
natural properties and left humanity to personal and popular preferences.
In the deistic treatises of Lord Herbert of Cherbury, five religious ideas were recognized as God-given and innate in the
mind of man from the beginning of time: the belief in a supreme being, in the need for his worship, in the pursuit of a pious
and virtuous life as the most desirable form of worship, in the need of repentance for sins, and in rewards and
punishments in the next world. Herbert held that these are fundamental religious beliefs that had been the possession of
the first man, and they were basic to all the worthy positive institutionalized religions of later times. Thus, differences
among sects and cults all over the world were usually benign, mere modifications of universally accepted truths; they were
corruptions only when they led to barbarous practices such as the immolation of human victims and the slaughter of
religious rivals.

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 Polytheism and idolatry turn every want and wonder into god or goddess based on one legend, myth superstition or
another. For instance, WANTS such as health and wealth are met with GOD(DESSE)S of health and wealth, while WONDERS
like thunder and sun are met with GOD(DESSE)S of thunder and sun.

The Christ came down from heaven to graciously grant us the experience of eternal salvation into heavenly
spiritual blessing that by far outweighs and outlasts all blessedness humanity may think, imagine, ask or ever
know (Eph 1:3-4, 17-23; 3:16-21): whether by all human actualisation and all human speculation or even by
prophetic revelation. From Christ’s dialogue with the Samaritan woman in John 4:19-26 and St Paul’s
introduction to his Epistle to the Romans 1:18-32 and his sermon at the Athenian Areopagus in Acts 17:18-
34, we learn that through Spirituality or Religion, humans instinctively SEEK TO RELATE WITH AND
REVERENCE GOD but to succeed, need HELP by the TRUTH of Divine Revelation and GRACE of Eternal
Salvation through Christ. Otherwise, humanity being HINDERED by the ERROR of human mystical supposition
and syncretism and being HOODWINKED by the FRAUD of demonic manipulation, eventually ENDS UP
RELATING WITH AND REVERENCING THE “GODS” (e.g. mistaken “God”, demonic spirits, dead ancestors,
natural object and natural or spiritual forces). Without God reaching us, humans cannot succeed to reach
God (Mat 11:27; John 6:44; 14:6-7).

These other PRIMAL, PHILOSOPHICAL and PROPHETIC non-Christian Faiths/Religions and cultures unaided by
Divine Revelation and the Redeeming Grace of the Divine Christ may have their few merits despite their
gross demerits and limitations. However, ONLY CHRIST EFFECTUALLY SAVES US ETERNALLY FROM EVERY
BONDAGE TO ORDINANCES (repercussions of sin and manipulations of rituals) AGAINST US, whether of
Jewish Mosaic Law and regulations or of Gentile Philosophical Rudiments and traditions (Gal 3:22-26; 4:1-
10; Col 2:8-17). This apostolic teaching is often missed or misunderstood by the Church. Only the Divine
Christ has the ultimate POWER that saves from every bondage to dark territorial PRINCIPALITIES of spiritual
error and from every bondage to wicked celestial POWERS of spiritual evil (Eph 6:10-12; 1John 4:1-6). Only
Christ has made or could ever have made the valid ATONEMENT/PROPITIATION that saves from human
DEPRAVITY, demonic DOMINATION and divine DAMNATION (Col 1:12-23).

In summary, RELIGION and SPIRITUALITY involve the loving reverential submission to either divinely
revealed invitation or curious pursuit of mystical exploration for human RELATIONSHIP WITH THE CREATOR,
THE SUPERNATURAL AND THE NATURAL.
Through Spirituality and Religion we seek to ENTER MYSTICAL RELATIONSHIP with the ineffable and infinite
(the Creator, spirit beings and numinous powers).
Spirituality deals with OUGHT and FACT but needs Faith in Christ Jesus for access to TRUTH and Eternal Life.

Apart from the dimension of SPIRITUALITY or RELIGION as described above, two other DIMENSIONS OF
HUMAN EXPLORATION into known and unknown reality are PHILOSOPHY and SCIENCE. Each human
individual is fully responsible for how goodly or badly one utilizes each dimension.

NOTE: Religion is the product of revelation, intuition, reason and historical experience. So Religion is the
mother of Philosophy and Science. Science is the product of physical experience (observable and
measurable) and so is a subset of Philosophy since Philosophy speculates both experience and imagination.
Science is a finite empirical study whose scope ends at the limits of time and space and collapses at the
realms of moral values, cosmological metaphysics, intuitive insights, revelation and divine intervention.
Science cannot disprove nor antagonize infinity, morality, metaphysics, revelation and divinity. Only those
who lack the understanding of the limitations of science clash science against infinity, morality, metaphysics,
revelation and divinity. Religion involves everything scientific (reasonable, measurable, observable) as well
as everything unscientific (insights and intuition into infinity, morality, metaphysics, revelation and divinity).

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PHILOSOPHY: search for rational principles for the EXPLANATION OF NATURE AND EXISTENCE.
Through Philosophy we seek to MAKE SENSE OF ISSUES finite and infinite.
Philosophy deals with OUGHT and SENSE but needs Faith in Christ Jesus for access to TRUTH and Eternal Life.

SCIENCE: search for empirical and theoretical EXPLANATION AND USAGES OF NATURAL PROPERTIES OF
MATTER.
Through Science we seek to DISCOVER, DESCRIBE, DEVISE AND UTILISE ALL THINGS finite.
Science deals with FACT and SENSE but needs Faith in Christ Jesus for access to TRUTH and Eternal Life.

“Where art thou?” (Gen 3:9) was God’s gracious REDEMPTIVE initiative, to reach perishing and REPROBATE
Humanity that they may REPENT and RETURN to God for RESTORATION of RELATIONSHIP. Divine
REDEMPTIVE REVELATION is gracious unfolding of God’s Purpose and manifestation of God’s Power that
best answer Humanity’s Problem. Human innate RESPONSES to this divinely Revealed and gracious
Redemptive initiative have variously included:
 REBELLION due to HARDNESS OF HEART against God, Hiding from God, Denying guilt, Shifting blame
(Gen 3:9-13),
 IGNORANCE blindly GROPING after God (Act 17:24-28) with superstitious and spurious speculation
about God (Act 17:18-23),
 FUTILITY of IDOLATRY due to failure to perceive God’s attributes through His visible creation (Rom
1:18-23),
 FOLLY of ATHEISM that thinks there is no God (Psa 14:1-3).
These human responses to God’s initiative and human efforts to find God are inadequate to satisfy divine
merits such as could save humanity from human DEPRAVITY, demonic DOMINATION and divine
DAMNATION in order to restore humanity to divine glory. Therefore in Christ, God has offered divine grace
to humanity adequate enough for eternal salvation for whosoever believes (John 3:16).

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The ultimate offer of the Gospel of Christ is that there is no other Name given UNDER HEAVEN whereby
humans (Jews and Gentiles) could obtain eternal salvation except by the Name of Jesus Christ (Act 4:10-12).
For all promises of God find their fulfilment in Christ (2Cor 1:18-22) and God has given Him a Name above
every other Name that at the Name of Jesus, every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus
Christ is Lord (Php 2:9-12). And all power in heaven and on earth has been given to Him (Matt 28:18; John
13:3; 1Cor 15:21-27; Eph 1:20-23). For, by raising Jesus from the dead and taking Him to heaven, God has
shown the world that He is the prophesied divine Christ and divine Son (Incarnate-Creator-Logos John 1:1-5,
8-14) Who now redeems the world through the blood of His death and shall finally judge the world (Act
13:33-39; 17:30-31; Rom 1:2-5). Concerning our ultimate need of faith in Christ for gracious access to the
saving Truth and Eternal Life, Jesus Himself has these to say:
John 14:6
(6) Jesus said to him, "I am the WAY, the TRUTH, and the LIFE. No one comes to the Father EXCEPT THROUGH ME.
John 10:7-10
(7) So again Jesus said, "TRULY, TRULY I TELL YOU, I AM THE GATE for the sheep.
(8) All who came before me are thieves and bandits, but the sheep did not listen to them.
(9) I am the gate. If anyone enters THROUGH ME, he will be SAVED. He will come in and go out and find pasture.
(10) The thief comes only to steal, slaughter, and destroy. I HAVE COME THAT THEY MAY HAVE LIFE, and have it
abundantly.
John 3:13-18
(13) "No one has gone up to heaven except THE ONE WHO CAME DOWN FROM HEAVEN, THE SON OF MAN who is in
heaven.
(14) Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up,
(15) SO THAT EVERYONE WHO BELIEVES IN HIM MAY HAVE ETERNAL LIFE.
(16) "For this is how God loved the world: He gave his unique Son so that everyone who BELIEVES in him might not perish
but have ETERNAL LIFE.
(17) For God sent the Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but that the world might be SAVED through him.
(18) Whoever BELIEVES in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe has already been condemned, because he
has not believed in the name of God's unique Son.

The purpose of the Christian Gospel missions and evangelism, apologetics and dialogue is to help all
humanity to accept the blessedness of divine revelation and Truth in the Bible and receive the blessedness
of eternal salvation and Grace in Christ. Christian dialogue does not only look for agreeable grounds for
tolerant coexistence, shared concerns and common courses, it also looks for the best connection between
Christ’s incarnation and the awareness of the Almighty Creator God in every religion and culture, so as to
proclaim the offer of Christ’s eternal salvation in that context without syncretism or acrimony but in
respectful coexistence. Christ has satisfied divine atoning requirements and therefore sufficiently liberates
humanity from destructive sevenfold bondage to:
 Divine wrath (Eph 2:3-5),
 celestial evil powers of wickedness (Eph 1:20-21; 2:2),
 territorial blind principalities of darkness (Eph 6:10-13).
 worldly pride in mundane prominence and passion for material possession (1John 2:15-17),
 carnal passion of the sinful nature (Gal 5:15-24),
 Jewish legalistic and ritual regulations (Gal 3:22-26; Col 2:11-19), and
 Gentile rudimentary and idolatrous manipulations (Gal 4:1-10; Col 2:6-10, 20),

Christian REVERENCE/RELIGION/SPIRITUALITY begins with Repentant RETURN to God through FAITH,

OBEDIENCE and GRATITUDE in Christ:
 to RECEIVE His Divine Grace of Redemptive Revelation and Reconciliation in Christ (Rom 1:2-6),
 to RELATE with God as Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and
 to REVEAL God and His Grace to the world around us.

FOUR WAYS OF INTERFAITH DIALOGUE

These types were summarized in the 1991 document, Dialogue and Proclamation: Reflections and Orientations on Interreligious
Dialogue and the Proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, by the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue and Congregation for
the Evangelization of Peoples.

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Interfaith dialogue is more than a dialogue of trained theologians. From diverse backgrounds, people are
participating in interfaith dialogue all the time at different levels. People need to be helped to appreciate the
various expressions of dialogue by providing a language for this dynamic.
“The Four Ways of Interfaith Dialogue” is helpful in understanding what interfaith dialogue is to each of us
which would hopefully bring a greater understanding of dialogue and diversity.

1. Dialogue of life
In which people of different faiths and spiritual traditions strive to live in an open and neighborly spirit –
includes socializing and hospitality.

2. Dialogue of action
In which people of spiritual commitment and faith collaborate with others in building a just society –
includes service and working for justice.

3. Dialogue of religious experience

In which people steeped in their spiritual traditions share their ways of searching for God or the Absolute –
includes prayer, worship, and celebration.

4. Dialogue of theological exchange

In which specialists seek to deepen their understanding of other spiritual heritages.

Updated March 15, 2015

by Ven. Dr. I. U. Ibeme
Copyright  © PriscAquila Publishing, Maiduguri, Nigeria.
Click here for PriscAquila Christian Resource Centre
http://priscaquila.6te.net

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