The Jew a Jew, the Muslim a Muslim? | Amsterdam University Press Journals Online
2004
Volume 30, Issue 1
  • ISSN: 0960-2720
  • E-ISSN: 2666-9730

Abstract

Summary

This article deals with an Islamic criticism that Paul in 1 Corinthians 9 is professing religious dissimulation – in Islam called and that in Islamic contexts throughout history missionaries, and the so-called Insider Movements in particular, have adopted this as their missionary strategy. Paul seems to change his religion from Jew to Gentile and vice versa in order to trick people into Christianity. A more careful reading of this passage in context, however, shows that Paul primarily emphasizes the essence of the Christian faith while he is willing to give up anything that might hinder people from seeing God in Christ. He never denies his full allegiance to Jesus Christ and the cross, and is even willing to suffer for this confession. He is not dishonest about it, but he merely makes everything subordinate to this essence of the gospel. The author discusses the consequences of this conclusion for contextual missiology and the Insider Movements in relation to the Missio Dei.

Der vorliegende Artikel befasst sich mit der islamischen Kritik, dass Paulus in 1. Korinther 9 eine bewusste religiöse Verschleierung bekundet – im Islam wird dies genannt – und dass im islamischen Kontext durch die Geschichte hindurch Missionare und besonders die sogenannte Insiderbewegung diese als ihre missionarische Strategie angewandt haben. Paulus wechselt scheinbar seine Religion von jüdisch zu christlich und umgekehrt, um die Menschen zu überlisten, sich zum christlichen Glauben zu bekehren. Jedoch zeigt eine etwas sorgfältigere Lesart dieses Abschnitts im Kontext, dass Paulus in erster Linie das Wesen des christlichen Glaubens hervorhebt, während er bereit ist, jedwede Sache aufzugeben, welche die Menschen abhalten könnte, Gott in Christus zu erkennen. Niemals leugnet er seine uneingeschränkte Loyalität Jesus Christus und dem Kreuz gegenüber, ja er ist vielmehr bereit, für sein Glaubensbekenntnis zu leiden. Paulus ist diesbezüglich nicht unehrlich, doch er ordnet nur alles diesem Wesen des Evangeliums unter. Der Autor erörtert die Konsequenzen dieser Schlussfolgerung für eine kontextuelle Missiologie und die Insiderbewegung in Zusammenhang mit der Missio Die.

Cet article traite d’une critique faite par les musulmans à l’encontre de Paul qui, en 1 Corinthiens 9, enseigne la dissimulation ( dans l’islam) dans le domaine religieux et des missionnaires – des en particulier – qui, dans un contexte musulman, ont de tout temps fait de cette pratique une stratégie missionnaire. Paul donne l’impression de passer d’une religion à l’autre – juif un jour, païen le lendemain, et vice-versa – dans le but d’attirer les gens dans le christianisme par la ruse. Mais une lecture plus attentive de ce chapitre replacé dans son contexte montre que Paul met avant tout l’accent sur l’essence même de la foi chrétienne, tout en affirmant qu’il est prêt à renoncer à tout ce qui pourrait empêcher l’un ou l’autre de voir Dieu en Christ. Il ne nie jamais sa totale allégeance à Jésus-Christ et à la croix et se dit même prêt à souffrir pour cette confession. Il n’est pas malhonnête à ce sujet; simplement, il subordonne toute chose à l’essence de l’Évangile. L’auteur étudie les conséquences de cette conclusion pour la missiologie contextuelle et le rapport entre les et la .

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