Why PCA Elders Should Vote for the Minority Report on the Insider Movement

PCA Study Committee for Insider Movements

Minority Report 2014 FAQs

 

Prelude

As an aid to Commissioners to the 2014 General Assembly of the PCA regarding the Study Committee on Insider Movements, the authors of the 2014 Minority Report entitled, “Realities on the Ground, An Additional Perspective,” present the following FAQs.

Question:  Why did you submit a Minority Report to the 2014 General Assembly? 

Answer: While the Committee Report (CR) provides vital theological foundations and helpful boundaries for doing mission (through the Affirmations and Denials) which we support, we believe it's important for those doing mission among Muslims to receive information concerning certain on-the-ground realities, along with some associated biblical considerations.  We hope and pray that the additional perspective in this 37 page report will provide practical help to PCA churches, assisting them in their broad sowing of the message of God’s saving power through his Son and the building of his church throughout Muslim nations, “…that your ways may be known on earth, your salvation among all nations” (Psalm 67:2, NIV).

Question: What is the relationship between MR 2014 and the Minority Report submitted during the General Assembly of 2013?

Answer: MR 2014 has new authorship and thus we consider it as a total replacement for Minority Report 2013.

Question: What is the significance of MR 2014’s recommendations to the 2014 General Assembly?

Answer: Our recommendations mirror those of the CR with the exception that we separately recommend that the 2014 General Assembly, "make available and recommend for study" both the CR and MR 2014 to its presbyteries, churches and missions committees. Treating the papers separately allows commissioners to discuss and vote for each paper on its own merit. A General Assembly action to “make available and recommend for study” does not imply agreement with every word or idea expressed in a paper. We are not requesting, “adoption” of these reports, but that the Assembly send the papers to presbyteries, churches and missions committees for study.

Question: Tell us some of your convictions on matters related to Insider Movement missiology.

·         We hold to the Scriptures as our only authoritative guide to engaging in mission.

·         We believe that both Scripture and our confession encourage believers to apply scriptural principles to the realities of everyday life, wherever they live.

·         We believe that Christ ordinarily intends that his people will follow him in the context of their family, birth community, and vocation.

·         In recognition of the comprehensive claims of Christ on the lives of his people we hold that identity in Christ is wholly controlling in the life of the believer; we do not advocate or support voluntary, indefinite retention of Islamic religious identity by MBBs.

·         We hold that disciplers of MBBs should not encourage a disciple to remain within Islamic religious institutions.

·         We hold that every believer is a member of the church of Jesus Christ, and we believe in the central importance of every believer to be part of a local expression of church.

·         We hold by faith that Muslims are people made in the image of God, and that through Christ alone, people from Muslim majority countries will be among those represented before the throne of God (Rev. 7:9-10).

(Note:  In Minority Report 2014, references are provided for the above points to specific Affirmations and Denials from the Majority Report.)

Question: What is the outline of the Minority Report?

 

Answer: After providing introductory context to this report, we describe five realities faced by believers living in Muslim societies and treat four considerations that undergird and inform our approach to mission in the midst of these realities. A list of questions for use by missions committees with their missions partners is also included. An outline of our major topics follows.

Part One: Realities on the Ground Facing Muslim Background Believers (MBBs)

·         Reality #1: It is Important that MBBs Live Biblically within Muslim Societies.

·         Reality #2: MBBs Can Live Biblically within Muslim Societies.

·         Reality #3: National Churches within Muslim Societies Do Not Always Accept MBBs.

·         Reality #4: Living within Muslim Societies Requires MBBs to be Vigilant to Avoid Syncretism.

·         Reality #5: Growing in Christ within Muslim Societies Holds Significant Challenges for MBBs.

Part Two: Biblical Considerations for Facing Realities on the Ground.

·         Consideration A: Every Culture has “Good” and Evil Aspects.

·         Consideration B: We Must Not Add Requirements to the Gospel: Principles from the Jerusalem Council of Acts 15.

·         Consideration C: We are Called to Live in the World But Not of the World:
1 Corinthians 7:17-24 and its Context.

·         Consideration D: We Must Not Participate with Demons in False Worship: A Warning from 1 Corinthians 10:19-20.

·         We hold that every believer is a member of the church of Jesus Christ, and we believe in the central importance of every believer to be part of a local expression of church.

·         We hold by faith that Muslims are people made in the image of God, and that through Christ alone, people from Muslim majority countries will be among those represented before the throne of God (Rev. 7:9-10).

Question:  What is the outline of the Minority Report?

Answer: After providing introductory context to this report, we describe five realities faced by believers living in Muslim societies and treat four considerations that undergird and inform our approach to mission in the midst of these realities. A list of questions for use by missions committees with their missions partners is also included. An outline of our major topics follows.

Part One: Realities on the Ground Facing Muslim Background Believers (MBBs)

·         Reality #1: It is Important that MBBs Live Biblically within Muslim Societies.

·         Reality #2: MBBs Can Live Biblically within Muslim Societies.

·         Reality #3: National Churches within Muslim Societies unfortunately Do Not Always Accept MBBs.

·         Reality #4: Living within Muslim Societies Requires MBBs to be Vigilant to Avoid Syncretism.

·         Reality #5: Growing in Christ within Muslim Societies Holds Significant Challenges for MBBs.

Part Two: Biblical Considerations for Facing Realities on the Ground.

·         Consideration A: Every Culture has “Good” and Evil Aspects.

·         Consideration B: We Must Not Add Requirements to the Gospel: Principles from the Jerusalem Council of Acts 15.

·         Consideration C: We are Called to Live in the World But Not of the World:
1 Corinthians 7:17-24 and its Context.

·         Consideration D: We Must Not Participate with Demons in False Worship: A Warning from 1 Corinthians 10:19-20.

Summer Reading - Growing in Grace

If you live in Colorado, it may not feel like summer outside just yet, but summer is almost here, which means it is time to get caught up on some good books. To help you with this, each week, I will post a few suggested books on various topics. On this week’s list are some of my favorites on spiritual growth. Next week, I will post some suggestions on how to make the spiritual disciplines (prayer, Bible reading, worship, etc.) a part of your life.

1.      The Transforming Power of the Gospel by Jerry Bridges. Jerry is a member of Village Seven, but he was one of my favorite authors before I ever met him. This book will teach you how to apply the gospel to your life so that you are growing in grace every day. Also, Bookends of the Christian Life by Jerry Bridges. This is a very brief “gift book” size book that summarizes how the righteousness of Jesus Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit are key elements in your spiritual walk. Other

2.      Holiness by Grace by Bryan Chapell. This is a book that I refer back to time and time again.  It is readable and practical, teaching you how to live by grace in all that you do.

3.      Desiring God by John Piper. Piper calls us to live a life of pure hedonism where we find our pleasure and delight in God. When I first read this book, it gave me a glimpse of what it meant to follow Christ out of delight rather than mere duty.

4.      The Gospel Mystery of Sanctification by Walter Marshall. While this book is short, not everyone will find it easy to read. Written by Marshall, a Puritan, during the 17^th century, this book does an outstanding job of showing how the gospel leads to holiness and joy.

5.      The Prodigal God and Counterfeit Gods by Tim Keller. Easy to read and life changing. Read Prodigal God first. It will transform your view of God and His grace.

The PCA's Insider Movement Study Committee

My goal was to make it through my entire career as a PCA minister without ever speaking from the floor at the General Assembly. However, I chose to give up that dream this year. I had asked my friend, Dr. Nabeel Jabbour, to serve on the PCA's Study Committee of the Insider Movement. I knew our denomination needed to hear his voice. He is a man who loves Jesus and has sacrificed much in taking the gospel to the Muslims. I knew that some would misunderstand his position. So, when he chose to offer a Minority Report at the Assembly, I chose to stand by my friend, hoping that my brothers would listen to what he had to say, things we needed to hear.

Since that time, a number of articles have appeared in The Aquila Report that are critical of the Minority Report of the PCA’s Study Committee of the Insider Movement. While I am sure that these articles were written with a love for God, for truth, and for the church, I believe there are a number of inaccuracies and misrepresentations in several of these. Since I was mentioned by name in one of these reports, I felt that it was important that I offer a response.

First of all, it must be remembered that the Minority Report affirmed the very same Affirmations and Denials as the Majority Report. That is, both reports reached the same conclusions. In fact, I tried to offer a substitute motion on the floor that would only accept these Affirmations and Denials as well as the Recommendations to the Churches. However, I was properly ruled out of order. 

One must remember that the Minority Report, together with last year’s report, affirms that God is Trinity and can only be properly worshipped as such, that salvation is by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone, and that Jesus is the Son of God. In no way does the Minority Report suggest that salvation is found in any other than through Jesus Christ.

One charge leveled against the Minority Report was that it said that a Muslim Background Believer (MBB) could continue to worship at the mosque. It says no such thing. A Christian could not continue to engage in Muslim worship at a mosque and pray the prayers at those services. That would be syncretistic. The Minority Report never endorses any such activity.

In reading the critics of the Minority Report, one is left with the impression that the Minority Report is saying that Jews, Muslims, and Christians all worship the same God and therefore essentially the same faith. The Minority Report says no such thing. That is a misreading of the clear intent of the author. If that were the case, there would be no need to evangelize Muslims. The Minority Report (and those who supported it) would clearly affirm that salvation is only found in Jesus and one cannot worship the true God without coming through Jesus. Furthermore, the Minority Report states that Muslims recognize the true God “when the veil is lifted from their eyes and Muslims see Him as the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ” (p. 2329, line 26). That is, they cannot come to know God apart from Jesus.

During the debate, the author of the Minority Report was charged with saying that he hoped that the gospel would penetrate Islam. That is a misrepresentation of what he said. What he said was that he hoped that the gospel would penetrate the Islamic world. There is a critical distinction between those two statements. There are some proponents of the Insider Movement who believe that the gospel can penetrate the religion of Islam. They view it as yeast infiltrating the loaf and even believe that Islam can be transformed. Such a belief is syncretistic. The Minority Report in no way endorses that. Islam is a false religion. Christianity cannot be mingled with it and remain Christianity. However, all of us, I assume, hope and pray that the gospel will penetrate the Islamic world. That is why we send missionaries to Muslim countries.

Another argument leveled against the supporters of the Minority Report was that they appealed to emotion rather than the facts. My impression was just the opposite. The most emotional speech at the Assembly was by a delegate claiming that the term “Allah” could not properly refer to the one true God. This statement is not only inaccurate but offensive to every Arabic speaking Christian who has ever lived. The Bible was translated into Arabic long before the English language came into existence. Just as the term “god” can refer to both the true God and to idols, the term “Allah” can, and does, refer both to the God of Scripture and various other deities. It is a generic term. I am sure the brother who made that statement was well-meaning, but it is both false and damaging. 

Furthermore, most of the arguments against the Minority Report’s stance on the Arabic word “Allah” could be leveled against the Majority Report as well. It seems that many who argued against the Minority Report had not read this section of the Majority Report. Attachment 2 of the Majority Report gives a solid explanation of the use of this word and some of the complexities surrounding it.

The most controversial statement in the Minority Report is found on 2329, line 26: “Are Allah of Muslims and Yahweh the same God? Yes, when the veil is lifted from their eyes and Muslims see Him as the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ. Fine-tuning to see Yahweh as He truly is takes place through Christ. Christ is the visible image of the invisible God.” If one reads the entire section, one can see that the Minority Report is saying that the Muslims recognize the true God only when the veil has been lifted. The report would have been more clear if the word “Yes” above where changed to “only.” Yet, that was clearly the meaning the Minority Report had in mind. Only the most uncharitable reading could come to any other conclusion.

The question raised by this statement is, when the Muslim refers to Allah, to whom is he referring? Both Muslims and Christians agree that there is only one God and that this God is the God of Abraham. However, the Muslim does not recognize this God as the Father of Jesus Christ, a truly fatal flaw. If one reads Attachment 2 of the Majority Report (p. 2261, line 6 and following), one will find that Luther believed that the Muslims had a corrupt understanding of God while Calvin claimed that the Muslims worship an idol, a different god altogether. While I tend to agree with Calvin, I do not think Luther is blasphemous in his assertion. Yet, the critics of the Minority Report are making this very charge. Is it really blasphemous to say that Muslims have a corrupt understanding of who God is? Again, I would urge the reading of the Majority Report’s Attachment 2 and one will find little difference between the two reports on this matter.

Finally, one must remember that the reason the Assembly voted to amend the Majority Report by adding to it the Minority Report was due to some deficiencies in the Majority Report. When I spoke at the Assembly, those were the issues I addressed. I will not go into them here. My hope and prayer is that the Committee will have heard the concerns of the Assembly and address the weaknesses in its Majority Report. I am hopeful that there will be one report coming back to the Assembly next year that we can all heartily support.

Are You Wearing Your Armor?

Bryan Chapell gives this wonderful picture of what it is like to put on the armor of God (Ephesians 6):

The way I visualize this truth—that we are enabled by confidence in the armor God provides—follows very precisely the imagery of Paul. I can imagine looking out through the faceplate of the helmet of salvation that God has given me. Coming toward me I see the assaulting forces of the Evil One with all his dominions, powers, and authorities. Simply seeing the approaching cloud of darkness from this mighty enemy, I fear that I cannot stand. The ground shakes, and my knees begin to buckle.

Then, the apostle Paul—like a general on the field of battle—calls out, “Steady now. Do not retreat. Take your stand. Be strong, in the power of his might. Forget the strength you thought you could provide. Remember the might of the armor God has given you. Resurrection power has given you a breastplate of his righteousness, the shield of faith, feet that are shod with readiness that comes from being at peace with the Sovereign of the universe. Beyond all of these defenses, he has given you an ultimate weapon, the sword of the Spirit that is the Word of God. Now, confident of the strength and integrity of the armor that you have been given, stand firm.”  

Is there any degree of human effort in resisting sin? Yes, of course there is.17 Already we have discussed the faith, church, and family patterns that are God’s means of nurturing Christian health. In addition, study of God’s Word, commitment to righteousness, and the proclamation of the gospel are means by which we are readied to repel Satan. Richard Foster personally articulates the responsibility that every maturing believer assumes:  

"[T]hrough the Holy Spirit’s guidance and strength, I will order my life according to an overall pattern that conforms to the way of Christ. Over time this process will develop deeply ingrained habits in me so that, at the moment of crisis, inner resources to act in a Christlike manner are available."

Chapell, Bryan (2003-02-10). Holiness by Grace (pp. 148-149). Good News Publishers. Kindle Edition.

Why a High View of Grace is Essential to Holiness

Bryan Chapell's book Holiness by Grace is one of my favorite books on how to grow in Christ. In this quote, Bryan cites one of my other favorite teachers on grace, Jerry Bridges.

"With much wisdom Charles Spurgeon said, 'While I regarded God as a tyrant I thought my sin a trifle; but when I knew him to be my Father, then I mourned that I could ever have kicked against him. When I thought God was hard, I found it easy to sin; but when I found God so kind, so good, so overflowing with compassion, I smote upon by breast that I could ever have rebelled against One who loved me so, and sought my good."

"Another church leader echoes, '. . . the man who comes to obey God will love him first . . . the love of God is the beginning of religion.' Love of the Savior draws us from the lure of temptation.

"Faith in the love that paid the penalty for our sin also provides powerful motivation to flee temptation. Were God merely a frowning tyrant—if all I feel when I face him is guilt and defeat—then I will never have the joy of my salvation that is spiritual strength. Yet because he has provided a way of escape from my guilt, I have reason to go to him in prayer to ask his forgiveness and to seek his aid. Gazing upon the cross, not fearing or fleeing from “the ogre in the sky,” destroys the power of temptation. Its allures lose their power over me when I am resting in the arms of a Savior who makes me eternally secure in his love.

"Jerry Bridges writes with deep insight into the power our security in Christ provides for our continuing sanctification:   'A legal mode of thinking gives indwelling sin an advantage, because nothing so cuts the nerve of the desire to pursue holiness as much as a sense of guilt. On the contrary, nothing so motivates us to deal with sin in our lives as does the understanding and the application of the two truths that our sins are forgiven and the dominion of sin is broken because of our union with Christ.

"'Robert Haldane in his commentary on Romans . . . said, “No sin can be crucified in heart or life, unless it is first pardoned in conscience. . . .'"

Chapell, Bryan (2003-02-10). Holiness by Grace (pp. 108-109). Good News Publishers. Kindle Edition.

How to Have a Meaningful Life

"Nothing within this world is sufficient basis for a meaningful life here. If we base our lives on work and achievement, on love and pleasure, or on knowledge and learning, our existence becomes anxious and fragile— because circumstances in life are always threatening the very foundation of our lives, and death inevitably strips us of everything we hold dear. Ecclesiastes is an argument that existential dependence on a gracious Creator God— not only abstract belief— is a precondition for an unshakeable, purposeful life."

Keller, Timothy (2012-11-13). Every Good Endeavor: Connecting Your Work to God's Work (p. 100). Dutton Adult. Kindle Edition.

True Repentance vs. False Repentance

A while back, I preached on King Saul's false repentance. Dr. Bryan Chapell sums up the difference between true and false repentance well here:

"False repentance is less concerned with the spiritual contamination of sin than it is with the personal consequences of sin. True repentance is chiefly concerned with the wrong we have done to our Savior and to others. Repentance of the first kind is self-preoccupied; true repentance is a selfless seeking of spiritual fellowship and renewal. False repentance flees correction; true repentance seeks it."

Chapell, Bryan (2003-02-10). Holiness by Grace (pp. 79-80). Good News Publishers. Kindle Edition.