Using African Proverbs

The other day I read an article that expressed quiet well a fact that I have seen lately in my preaching. Since the book was write and complied by Africans, it helped to reinforce my current views as being not only heading in the right direction, but also good for national believers.

Often I see African missionaries start to compromise, even as I write I think of one that I went to Bible school with. They start making statements like, "My message is not reaching the people, they say we are to foreign!" Which many times is true. But, the new missionary begins to look in the wrong places for help. Instead of taking time to learn the positive sides and deeper things of the culture, they make the early easy decisions. I think many people in our movement would be surprised about the amount of compromise that happens on the African mission field in the name of making thing more local. But most of these ministries are just groups that are controlled and planned by foreign thinking and are covered with a thin layer of local dance and drumming. (I am amazed how often people that I know excuse things because of geographical location). The truth is that the music is the first to change, but after this point the ministry makes no impact in the lives of most people in the group. The unsaved that attend will not complain because their felt needs are being meet.

Here is the article. I hope it is helpful. I wanted to quote a large part of it, because I wanted the reader to hear these truths from another person. I will make a few application points after the quote.

AFRICAN PROVERBS
TONGA PROVERBS FROM MALAWI
David K. Mphande

Joshua N. Kudadjie, Series Editor

General Features of African Proverbs
Much of the language and thought of Africans are expressed in proverbs. In many ways, African traditional proverbs are just like those of the people of other cultures and races. Like others, African proverbs are short sayings which contain the wisdom and experiences of the people of old. Although there are also long proverbs—which look more like short stories or poems—the overwhelming majority of African proverbs are short, pithy statements.

Scope and Content
There are thousands, perhaps millions, of African proverbs. New ones are still composed, and old ones are adapted or given new meanings to suit new situations. Anyone who is ingenious—that is, one who is creative, observant and has the ability to reflect and deduce a moral lesson from common happenings—can compose a proverb.

African proverbs contain observations gathered from common everyday events and experiences concerning the nature, life and behaviour of human beings as well as those of animals, birds, plants, and other natural objects; and even supernatural objects and beings. Some of the proverbial sayings are statements of historical facts about the people, while others contain information about their culture. For instance, the Ewe proverb, “When Nôtsie chief sends you to war, you yourself have to find a way of hiding from your enemies,” tells of events in their history some 600 years ago when many Ewes lost their lives in wars that they fought for the chief of Nôtsie (an ancient walled city situated in present-day Togo). A great number of them express their philosophical thoughts, religious beliefs and values. The Akan proverbial saying that “God pounds fufu for the one-handed person” is a theological statement of their experience of God’s provision, loving kindness and gracious dealings with humankind.

Other proverbs reflect the social structure of traditional African societies. For example, there are proverbs that suggest how to deal with elders, children, a spouse and so on, and there are some which indicate the position and role of various members of the society. The Ga proverb: “When a woman rears a goat, it is a man who slaughters it,” shows the position and role of the woman in Ga traditional society as a subordinate but indispensable companion and partner of the man. Similarly, the Dangme proverb “The stream side drinking gourd does not make one die of thirst” (i.e., it saves one from dying of thirst), shows the importance of women in the created order; for it means that a man who has a wife at home will not die of hunger. At a deeper level, it means that a man finds his complement, his fulfillment in woman, a wife.

A close look at African traditional proverbial sayings shows clearly that the main concerns expressed in the proverbs relate to every aspect of human life. The ultimate purpose of the proverbs is to teach wisdom and moral lessons. Thus they contain, and are used to convey, moral lessons and advice on how to live a good and prosperous life.

The proverbs touch on all conditions of life: wealth and poverty, health and sickness, joy and sorrow; occupations: farming, hunting, fishing, building, trading, and so on; and other kinds of activity: healing, cooking, walking, sleeping, marriage, childbearing, upbringing, etc. There are proverbs which speak about and to all manner of people: kings and citizens, nobles and slaves, women and men, children and adults, apprentices and master craftsmen, and so on.

African proverbs contain observations and good counsel against undesirable vices like anger, backbiting, greed, ingratitude, laziness, lying, pride, procrastination, selfishness, stealing and so forth. The Ugandan proverb, “Anger killed a mother cow,” warns against anger, while the South African proverb, “Horns which are put on do not stick properly,” condemns hypocrisy and arrogance. Many other proverbs also praise and advise people to cultivate virtues that promote progress and ensure well-being; as for instance, circumspection, co-operation, gratitude, humility, patience, perseverance, prudence, respect and unity. The Igbo proverbs, “The palm wine tapper does not say everything he sees from the top of the palm tree,” and “If the mouth says the head should be beheaded, when it is beheaded, the mouth follows it,” both teach prudence and the need not to speak just anyhow or say everything one sees or knows.

Context and Use
In traditional African society, one can hardly hear anyone speak a few sentences without citing a proverb. For the initiated, the citing of proverbs comes naturally without any conscious or special effort. This is as true during ordinary conversation as during formal and solemn discourse. However, proverbs tend to be more purposely cited during serious or formal discourse, such as during proceedings of the council of elders, a chief’s court, an arbitration, family meetings, or during exhortations on how to live a morally good life.

A cursory examination may suggest that some proverbs contradict others. For example, some proverbs counsel self-reliance, while others counsel community effort. The truth, however, is that in their own contexts and particular situations, each is apt. In real life situations, too, there are paradoxes and apparent contradictions. For instance, in certain situations, the best thing to do is to be silent, while in others, speaking out is the wise thing to do. Thus, although silence and speaking out may appear conflicting when put together, in the appropriate contexts, each is positive. It is no wonder, then, that since proverbs relate to real life situations, they sometimes seem to conflict with each other; but they are only apparent and not real contradictions. This fact underscores the need to use proverbs in the right context and appropriate situation.

It is also important to note that one proverb can have several meanings and can, therefore, be applied to different situations. For instance, the Ga proverb, “If you want to send a message to God, tell it to the wind,” can be used in different situations: to teach that God is everywhere; to teach one the correct Ga procedure that if you want to see the chief, you must first see the linguist; or to advise that if you have a bothersome matter that you cannot speak out, you have to tell it to those who can pass it on.

On the other hand, in some cases, many different proverbs teach the same moral lesson, and can, thus, be used for emphasis. The Ga people say: “A kitchen that leaks (or a shed in ruins) is better than a thicket.” The Ewe have a proverb which says, “Even a good-for-nothing fellow can carry a pot of palm wine to the funeral.” The Dangme say: “Mud-water also can be used to quench fire.” All these proverbs teach the same moral lesson, namely, that every person is of some use; therefore, everyone should be given
due regard, and people should have a sense of their own worth and be contented with what they are.

African proverbs can be used for several purposes. They can be used for the linguistic analysis of a particular language or dialect. Historical information as well as the thought, customs, beliefs and values of a society can also be obtained through their proverbs. Besides, African proverbs are a literary device used to embellish speech. This is because many of the idioms of an African language are embedded in its proverbs. As it were, African proverbs are used as sweeteners to communicate effectively. As one Ga writer (E.A. Nee-Adjabeng Ankra) put it, speaking without citing proverbs is like eating soup that has no salt in it. Proverbs are cited to confirm, reinforce or modify a statement; or to heighten and attract attention to a point or message; or simply to summarize a speech. Sometimes, too, they are used to communicate a fact or opinion which it might be impolite or even offensive to state in direct speech or plain language. They are also used to make people appreciate speech, or facilitate understanding, and lead to conviction. As one Yoruba observation has it: “ A proverb is the horse which can carry one swiftly to the discovery of ideas.”

Although all these uses are important, they are, in fact, means to an end. The ultimate purpose of proverbs is to impart wisdom; teach good moral and social values; warn against foolish acts; provide a guide to good conduct; and to influence people’s conduct and help them to succeed in life.

African Proverbs and the Mission of the Church

African proverbs can be extremely useful and effective for all these purposes, particularly as a tool for teaching moral and social values, and how to conduct oneself successfully in the business of life. They are short and not easily forgettable. They are also popular for their humour. Moreover, they provoke vivid images in the mind, such that things that are otherwise abstract and difficult to grasp become relatively easy to understand.

Proverbs have the power to change people’s conduct, because the truths portrayed in them are so plain and unchallengeable that those who understand the morals and advice they contain, feel compelled to conduct their lives in the manner prescribed in the proverbs by the wise elders of old.

It cannot be doubted that desiring to live the good life is not enough, for one can know and even will to do good, and still be unable to do it (see Romans 7:14-25). It is those who accept the gospel of Jesus Christ and have the Holy Spirit in them who have power to do the good. Yet, it is important to note that Jesus Christ who brought this new power to work from within a person, himself also used the method of influencing people from the outside by appealing to their minds and hearts through teaching. In doing this, he used stories and proverbial sayings. There can be no doubt, then, that the present-day Church may attain its goal (which is to make all peoples the followers of Christ and teach them to obey what he has commanded), if it encourages the proper use of proverbial sayings. In using these indigenous proverbial sayings, however, the Church must correct and replace what is not so good in them, and add on from the Scriptures what is more excellent.

At this point in Africa’s history when there are cries everywhere for moral and social reform, the use of proverbs in moral education is urgent. The many positive features of African proverbs, such as those cited above, make them most invaluable and unavoidable as instruments of teaching. The Church which has always been interested in people living the morally good life, must use African proverbs even more earnestly, especially in preaching and teaching. Their use will help immensely to teach the truths of many biblical themes and stories, and to affect the moral, social and spiritual lives of the people for the better; for when a proverb is used correctly, it speaks to the intellect, the soul and the heart—that is, to the understanding, the feelings and the will. Over the centuries, African proverbs have successfully done this. They can, thus, be used to great advantage in Christian preaching and teaching.

I realized while reading this that this is why many of the teachings of Christianity have not taken root in believers lives in American and Africa. Though in America we do not classify our teaching in proverb form, teaching that changes lives still follows the practical reasoning behind proverbs.

I have come to see that most Christians that live out their lives in a practical, real, daily way, have been thought how to put the truths of the Bible in bite sized pieces that they use in their everyday lives. If you ask them why they do or do not do something, and it is really not just because they are copying something they do not understand, they will give you a short principle, truth, or command from the Bible that has guided them in this choice. (i.e. - why I should not smoke? My body is the temple of the Holy Spirit and I should take care of it, so on and so forth).

But what hit me while reading this article was that along the line in Africa, we missionaries have failed to give the local people Christian proverbs (thoughts, principles, teachings) to guide their lives by. Things have been presented in such a scientific or foreign way, that it has been hard for most of the people to have maxims to live by.

For example my wife visited another national lady a while back. Her husband runs a large national Fundamental Baptist church and trains pastors. While visiting the wife, they went over to the church to see the new building that the church had built. There in the building was the notes from Sunday school. The black board had not been erased. (These lady is constantly telling my wife tha thte people do not understand the teaching and are not changing).

The board was full of Bible college notes. Line by line of college theory. (To be honest, my wife and I have trouble understanding that stuff). That was his lessons. See most people teach how they were thought! The reader might say that that is just one example and should not be sited as proof, but I have seen that same thing happen with other nationals trained by totally different missionaries.

The point is this... if we are going to teach Christianity in a way that will touch and change the average Africans life: socially, culturally, spiritually, then we will have to use the medium that has been set and used for ages to do this very thing: THE AFRICAN PROVERB.

As the missionary strives to learn the language and teaching styles of the people he is working with, one thing will come back again and again. If he will have to use Proverbs: new, old, or inspired (The ones in the Bible) If he does he will find that the teaching will move from simply being something for Sunday to something that can been applied by all the believers.

Everyone has a Story

Every shape, size and color is present. From the ivory white of the Scandinavian to the ebony black of the West African, the jet black hair of the Chinese to the bright red hair of the Irish. People are sharing their stories. Faces are lite up with joy and the bystander can see head nod and eye brow raising and a million other cultural ways of giving agreement.

Language after language is heard, some in the clicking Xhosa, some in flowing French, even others in languages to exotic and rare to be named or described, but each one tells a story.

This last two weeks three stories where added to the ones that all believers will hear someday. Each one might one day be told in a different language: Kasim-Nankana, Nzema, or Asante, but the end will be the same, each person received eternal life.

The first stories main character is a a middle aged Nzema lady named Veronica. Veronica's sons have been attending our Bible study for over a year now, and because of her sons, she decided to attend a few months ago. After attending my wife started the Way of Peace Bible study with her. Veronica seemed to be very interested, and learned very quickly. Though she said that she had a lot of questions, she wanted to wait until the Bible study was completed. She told my wife that she knows from being a teacher, that many times questions will be answered if the student will just listen.

The weeks quickly passed and the truths of salvation began to become clear, but still though Veronica knew that she was as sinner it was hard think about dying and what would happen afterwards. No one naturally wants to think about a subject that for many brings doubt and fear.

This two weeks ago Veronica became sick. At first she thought that it was just a another case of malaria, but after two days it would not go away. Could it be more, she thought, as Wednesday came, the symptoms became worse. She told her husband to just go to work, and that she would stay home and rest. (Her husband is a teacher also). Her oldest son Moses had gone to school already, and her younger two boys where getting ready to go to school when she collapsed on the couch. She could not breath! So matter what she did, the air would not come. She felt the lungs closing, and her chest tightening! The two young boys just began to cry and say, "Mommy, don't die, please don't die!"

Veronica, said that only one thought kept coming to her mind, "If I die, then what!" She said that she prayed to God, "Please God let me live, and I will listen, I want to know how I can know what will happen to mean after death! Please let me live!" Just then as she finished her prayer, her lungs opened and she could breath again.

She told the boys to go to school, and she went off to the hospital. At the hospital they told her that she had typhoid, and gave her the proper medicine. By that Saturday, her strength had returned, and she was ready for my wife's visit.

After one hour of study, Veronica would not let Patty and Emily go. She kept asking question, and then told them the story. She told Patty that no matter how long it took, she wanted to understand that day. So after a few more hours of study, Veronica placed her faith and trust in Jesus Christ, and added her name to the Book of Life.

After some time of rejoicing and prayer. Patty told her to take care of herself, so that she could regain her strength, to this Veronica said, "I want to get better, but I am not worried about death anymore, so even if I don't, I am fine, because now I have peace!"

The second stories main character is a Kasim-Nankana man, that is a brother to one of our converts. He arrived in Kumasi a few months ago to gather enough money to start a farm in the north. His family has the land, but if he is to take care of his elderly mother, he would need to money to buy the seed crop for the farm. For this reason he came to Kumasi to stay with his brother.

Andrew and I knew that we only had a short time to reach him, since he was only planning on staying in Kumasi for four to five months. Bismark his older brother, started to bring him to Bible studies right away. Peter, for this is the name of this young ma, does not speak much Twi, since he is from the north, but luckily for us he speaks semi-fluent English along with his local language. Andrew began English Bible studies with him and worked at braking down the false Tradition and Charismatic teaching that had been filling his mind.

Last week on Friday, our little team made the two or three mile walk to they family shanty, hoping that Peter was around. This morning the Lord was at work, and Peter would be working the evening shift at work, so he was available to talk. Andrew sat with him in the small one room wooden house, as I spoke to his senior brother outside. After about two hours, Andrew and Peter came outside.

Peter is a fairly well built man, much like his brother. They both look like body builders, so when he came out with a child like grin, that a person would she on a young child in the United States at Christmas, I was hopeful. After greeting them, I asked Peter why he was so happy.

This is what he told me. "I am happy this day, cause I know truth now. Before I did not know, that a curse was over me, that I was a sinner, and that I could not brake curse with my own power, but now I knows that Jesus blood has broken this, and paid for my sins. He is my only hope, this is why I am happy."

Pray for Peter has Andrew and I seek to have him taught and baptized before he travels. Also pray for the Lord leading for him and us, after he travels to the north.

The finally story for today centers around an Asanta man named Asamoah. I have written about Asomoah and his accident in past journal entries. It has been almost a month since his accident, and the doctors have told him that he is fine for now. He does have a skull fracture, but the hospital has said that they want to wait for the swelling to reduce before they make any further actions.

This last week Asomaoah's story has had a good chapter added to it. Many people have been telling Asomoah that he has been cursed. That someone cursed his grandfather. They tell the family that the reason that they all drink so much is because of this curse, and until this curse is broken, they will never be free from it power.

Taking this idea, I took Asomoah to the Bible. I showed him that no one has cursed him, but that because of the sins of Adam and Eve, we all have been cursed. That this sin curse is in all of us, and covers and controls everything in this fallen world. I showed him that just like in traditional thought, the Bible says that forgiveness and the braking of this curse can only come through blood.

This teaching seemed to be making ground, but there where times that I was not sure how much his head injury was affecting his memory. But finally after tree weeks, the pieces began to fall in place. On Friday, while some young school children in America where praying for me and Asoamoah (I was told this by the teacher, that they where pray at the same time that I was witnessing)the Lord became to really open Asomoah damaged eyes.

After two hours he eagerly prayed and accepted Christ has his eternal hope. Afterwards I tried to encourage him to tell friends of the decision that he has made.

It is a joy to relive these three story again today, but it will be a greater joy to hear them again someday in heaven.

Practical Advice About Gospel Context and Presentation-

The way that a person visions the world is very important. Each culture is built from a collection of its experiences, religions, environment, and history. These elements greatly influence how the person in that culture sees teaching and communicating. What is a virtue in one culture can be a curse in another. What is a taboo in speaking can be an appealing plea in another. The missionary needs to learn these things, and adopt new styles (inside Bible guidelines) so that he can be an affective communicator.

Let’s give a few examples to paint the picture.

In China, if a missionary starts preaching to a follower of the Tao Te Ching, and he tells him, that John 14:6 says “I am the way”, he is telling the Chinese man, that Jesus said, “I am the Tao”. He will not think about God, but will contact this statement to his current religion, for in China, Tao is the WAY!

If a missionary is preaching in Japan, and is trying to communicate to an audience and starts by stating a theory and then moves to the practical application, most people will be gravely insulted, and will not hear another word that he is saying. In Japan, if a person moves from theory to practical, or practical to theory, he is telling the audience that they are so stupid that they can not think things through.

In the case of working with the Sawi people in West Irian, missionaries Don and Carol Richardson, found it difficult to communicate the message of Christ to the Sawi people. They discovered that when the spoke of Judas betrayal of Jesus, the people where very interested and attentive, because in their culture treachery was an appealing and high virtue.

This portion is taken from a conversation between missionary George W. Peters and Bakht Singh, (how was a former Hindu leader, and is now a pastor and conservative evangelist). They where talking about how Singh starts to witness to people.

As we talked about evangelism and a message for India, I asked him: “When you preach in India, what do you emphasize?” “Do you preach to them the love of God?”
“No,” he said, “not particularly. The Indian mind is so polluted that if you talk to them about love they think mainly of sex life. You do not talk to them about the love of God.”
“Well,” I said, “do you talk to them about the wrath of God and the judgment of God?”
“No, this is not my emphasis,” he remarked, “they are used to that. All the gods are mad anyway. It makes no difference to them if one more is angry!”
“What do you talk to them about? Do you preach Christ and Him Crucified?” I guessed.
“No,” he replied, “they would think of Him as a poor martyr who helplessly died.”
“What then is your emphasis? Do you talk to them about eternal life?”
“Not so,” he said, “if you talk about eternal life, the Indian thinks of transmigration. He wants to get away from it. Don’t emphasize eternal life.”
“What then is your message?”
“I have never yet failed to get a hearing if I talk to them about forgiveness of sin and peace and rest in your heart. That’s the product that sells well. Soon they ask me how they can get it. Having won their hearting I lead them on to the Savior who alone can meet their deepest needs.”

From these examples it can be seen that each missionary needs to study his host culture and its modes of communication if he is really going to learn how to communicate the gospel successfully to his people group.

Here are a few points of practical advise to aid the reader:

1. Try to learn about the People Group that is trying to be reached:

Here are a few sample groups-
The Naturalist Worldview- this includes all atheist and many Agnostics
The Tribal Worldview- This includes all African, Australian, Asian, South American, North American, and Island Tradition Religious groups. (This group is the largest in the world, making up 40% of the world's population, and is diverse in formers and names, but startlingly similar in thinking, ideas, and focus)
The Hindu-Buddhistic Worldview- This includes many of the far east religious branches and splinter groups.
The Chinese Worldview- Includes the follower of Lao-tzu and Confucius
The Monotheistic Worldview- this includes Jews and Muslims
The Syncretism and Mutli-religion Worldview- very common in the first world, and third world.

2. Learn the Language:
This seems simple enough. Most missions agencies seem to push this concept, but in reality this teaching only goes so far. In many countries of the world, there are national languages, and then local languages. This is true from Hong Kong, to Morocco, and from Brazil, to Ghana. Most nations of the world have in the past been controlled by a foreign power, and with that control came an official language. Many times this language is the language of business and school, but not the language of home and heart. The most striking evidence of this truth is seen in Africa. Most mission boards and agency will encourage a missionary going to Togo to learn French, since it is the national language. But, once the missionary has mastered that language, he is not seen as Togolese, but a Frenchmen. If he is to communicate to the hearts of the people, he will need to learn one of the local languages, such as Ewe or Hausa.

3. Ask the Meaning of Terms and Use Definitions
Ask questions, find out what the people think words mean. This is important anywhere in the world. Just because something means something to the person speaking, does not mean that is what it means to others.

Let me give an example- We met a young lady that is from South Africa. She was attending a Bible school in the capital, and was visiting Kumasi. She was living with our neighbors for a while, and my wife and I had a good opportunity to witness to her and talk to her.
One day while we where talking she told us this funny story. She was telling us about culture shock, and said that one thing that really bothered her when she first came was hand-gestures. Here, in Ghana, when ever a person wants to show respect, they will make the hand gesture in sign language for please: which is done by striking the top of the hand to the palm of the other hand. Most people will do this, when they are asking for something. Mary, this South African girl, said that this had totally shocked her, and offended her at first. She, told us that in South Africa, this is a very lud gesture, and if a man makes the sign to a women, then he is asking to sleep with her. Needless to say the first time a man made this sign, she was very angry.
So, as a missionary, before we start speaking and using body language we need to ask what these things mean.

4. Take time
It is never wasted time, when a missionary takes time to learn about his people group before he begins to teach and preach. In most nations, this time waiting is facilitated by having to learn the language, but in nations where the missionary can use his own national language, time should be taken to first learn about the people, before he rushes off to reach them.

5. Teach people the foundation of the Bible
Once a person has truly learned about salvation, and with some people groups before, they should be given a proper foundation in the progression of the Bible. Many missionary unknowingly divide the New Testament from its Jewish Old Testament Worldview, and do not understand why their people just take Christ and place him into their own worldview. The basic point is this, we are willing to teach Bible stories to children in Sunday School, but forget that many of the adults that we are reaching have never heard these stories clearly.

One should also keep in mind the question by a Shintoist who asked, “If you want us to understand the Christian way, why do you not open your Holy Book to the beginning and start there?”

6. Study different gospel approaches
There are many groups that have different ways of presenting the gospel without changing the message. New Tribes, Regular Baptist Press, the Divine Drama 1 and 2, along with many others are examples of different ideas. The key here is not to merely tell Bible stories, but to tell “HIS-story” and to lay the foundation for redemption. I personally suggest using a format that best suits the readers personal situation, and then modifying it to better suit their ministry and focus.

7. Listen to the Holy Spirit
This should probably be at the beginning of the list. The missionary needs to be very sensitive to God and His Spirit. No plan is flawless. He needs to be personally reading his Bible and praying, and asking God to guide him in his ability to reach his people group.

8. Let people pray on their own
This point is very important when reaching people influenced by African worldviews. In a society where social pressure and peace in the group is king, many people will just repeat a prayer, to keep peace or because they feel it is required. The best practical advise that I have seen, is that if the person is not serious enough to pray on their own, or do not know enough of the basics to do so, they are just praying for the leader, not themselves. This point also stands true with African peoples in other parts of the world.

9. Ask Questions, in ways that do not have a yes or no answer
The best way to gather real knowledge of the person’s understanding is to ask the right questions. As I have learned from personal experience, many times trying to lead a person to the decision to follow Christ, the gospel presenter is guilty of asking shallow questions. Many times this happens, because the person presenting, wants a decision more than really knowing if the person understands the message being presented. When the gospel giver is talking, ask open ended questions, that allow the other person a chance to express their thinking.

10. Let the ‘learner” do the talking
This is very hard for me, since I like to talk so much, but it is very important. Let them talk, sooner or later, the teacher will become the learner, and will gline very important information that can aid his teaching.

11. Use story methods
Most people in the world are not fully literate. Use story methods to convey truth. This is what Christ did, and it is very affective in the developing world, and inter-cities of the first world.

12. Understand how the people group learns-
Every group gains and learned new information differential. Study and find the way that local teachers present knowledge. Find successful public communicators and try to study the style or form in which they communicate. Find out if they think from practical to theory, or theory to practical, so on and so forth.

The point of it all is the communicating of the truths of the Word of God, and Jesus Christ, in ways that are understood by the local people in their own context. This will help the missionary to be seen as reaching people where they are at, instead of seeming to present a foreign gospel that only speaks of foreign problems. If the world is to be reached, it must be reached by people that have really been changed, and have embraced the gospel as their own.

*** For further study in Cross Cultural Communication- the reader can prices David J. Hesselgrave’s book. It is available at http://www.amazon.com/.

(EXTRA POINT)- The reason most missions have adopted African Traditional Music styles (i.e. drumming, dancing, and performance, that is straight out of ATR) is that they present such a foreign Gospel, that the people complain of the church being non-African. The missionary without knowing that his gospel presentation and preaching is based more on Western style and thought progression, moves to a less dangerous area in his mind, music. Soon he adapts his music forms to ATR music, and then social harmony seems to return.

The Jump Between Theory and Practical

The Jump between theory and practical can be very difficult. Many people understand the practical truths that I am relating, but the practical implications escape them. Most conservative Christians seem to grasp the need of context in minor ways, and have understood that a few choice groups need different approaches when it comes to gospel preaching. These Muslims, Jews, Catholics, Atheists, have strong beliefs and many time cultures. We have had enough exposure to these groups, or fear them enough, that sincere, thinking pastors have understood that a new approach is needed in presenting the gospel to them. Though we have realized this truth about a few minor groups, it seems hard to cross this line for new groups.

If a person looks at any fellowship, church, or publication that makes tracts they will see that in a minor way conservative Christians have seen that at times the message needs to be presented differently depending on the audience. This brings a story to my mind. While home on furlough, I over heard my home pastor make a comment about another ministry’s tracts. He is very closely associated with this other ministry, and was not criticizing them. They had just printed a new gospel tract. The front says in bold words, “YOU have never been so LOVED!” Pastor laughed a little when he first saw it, and said we couldn’t use that one in Michigan. What was he saying, he knew that in the inter-city area in which the church was located, and the rural areas around the church this mode of presentation would not work. The message would not make sense, or would even come across in a sarcastic way. It would not be appreciated, would not make contact, so it would not be effective.

Here are a few sample tracts, that are put out by fundamental publication. They proved that we have understood the first step of witnessing to different world views, cultures, and people groups.


"Imagine Giving this to Univeristy Professor that is an Athiest"

Tract "Title Jesus in the Koran"

"This Tract Is Country Specific, I do not think it would go over well in Canada, or Mexico"

"The aim is Catholics, I do not think that this tract would be effective with Buddhist, or African Tradtional Believers"

We have seen these beginning areas of understanding, but the leap to the practical outworking of the mission field has seemed harder to grasp. We know that language should me modified from people to people, that a person might need to study a different religion, or ‘holy book’, but anything beyond this we seem to be blind too. When a missionary goes to a nation or group that does not seem to have strong counter religion (i.e. Catholic in Italy, Muslims in Morocco, Jews in Isreal) the missionary and pastor sending the man, seem to think that language school, and a basic knowledge of the Bible is enough to affectively preach the Gospel in that culture. But this fact is sadly not based in fact.

Most missionaries that arrive in Africa come with these pre-conceived beliefs. They have been moved by the stores of thousands of conversions that are happening daily. They have heard evangelist and some missionary that have started multiple churches in short term trips, or in their first year on the field.

I will give one example from our city. Our city has a population of about 2 million people. We have a group of missionaries that have arrived in the city. In the first few months they had rented a large building, and started ministries and evangelism efforts. None of the missionaries associated with the group have learned the local language, and most of the missionaries that I have meet struggled to understand the basic ways of life for the average Ghanaian. This is not a condemnation, just a statement of fact. (Most missionaries struggle, and have difficulty in the beginning). They have been here in Kumasi for three years, and here are the official numbers for their church since it has started. (This is quoted from their official web site).

Salvations for the week: 340
Salvations this year: 21,691
Salvations since inception: 186,105

That means that in less then three years by their numbers, they have led just fewer than 10% of the total population of Kumasi to Christ.

I do not doubt these peoples sincerity, just their training, and ability to put the message into a contact that people understand and can truly be able to reject or accept. (If the reader has read earlier post about African society, he knows that an African will perform any action that he deems necessary to keep social harmony, especially when considered with pray to a god. .)

After this group made a major push in the local school here, I had a chance to speak to some of the kids that had attending their meetings. While on visitation in our Bible study area, I meet some Junior High School boys, and invited them to our Bible studies. They asked me what church we where a part of. To which I answered, Baptist. When they heard that we where Baptist, they asked if we where a part of ***** Baptist Church of Kumasi (which is the group that I am speaking about) and asked about getting Bibles. I told them that we where not, and then asked how they knew about that particular church, since it was quite a distance away form our location. They told me that a white man from that church had attended their school. He had given everyone a Bible, and preached to them something about Jesus. Basically after speaking with the boy personally, though he had been led to pray, we discovered that he did not even have basic knowledge, needed for salvation. They where charismatic, and where working hard fro their salvation.

This is a challenge that faces most missionaries. While in college, I made missions trips to Ghana, during which time, we had thousands reported as being ‘saved’. It is so easy for an African missionary to give a simple Gospel presentation in his mind, which makes no sense to the people. I will give a personal example from my ministry here in Ghana. We had a mission team visit us about two years ago. They where trying very hard to be clear in how they preached the gospel, but of course could only see the world in their own mind set. We brought the team to a school. At the school I allowed my father-in-law to preach. He did a very good job. He was very careful, and tried to be specific in his gospel presentation. At the end he started an invitation, and asked the children if they wanted to receive Christ into their heart. (All the time using a translator). When he asked a show of hands, every last child raised their hands. Seeing this, he asked me to speak to the children, and make sure that they understood. After restating the teaching and using African terminology and thought patterns, we asked the kids again. This time about five children raised their hands, not the 200 that had done so before. We where able to deal with them personally and see some make decisions.

Here, is where the rubber meets the road. The main force driving many of us in missions today is peer-pressure, or fear of man. We had be told for many years that missions in certain parts of the world is easy, hundreds and thousands of people trusting Christ in days. This is all fine and good, but if it is true, why is Africa still filled with paganism, and why is Islam rising in Western and Eastern Africa in alarming rates! I believe that many of us in missions are starting to face an inconvenient Truth!

We can keep missions as it has been, and continue to see the numbers. We can build the buildings and have amazing letters, articles, and reports to send home. But, still not change the heart and souls of the people that we are reaching. Or we can bite the bullet, and accept the down turn in numbers, and take time to places the Gospel in a context that can be understood in the local view. (And possibly loss support, by those that do not agree or understand). I have personally meet a number of missionaries that have learned these truths, but where afraid of the consequences to their ministries and/or work.

If missions is to have the lasting change that it needs. If the same words that where spoken about Paul and Barnabas are going to spoken about us, Acts 17:6 “And when they found them not, they drew Jason and certain brethren unto the rulers of the city, crying, These that have turned the world upside down are come hither also”; then we are going to have to learn about their world, and give a gospel that directly confronts it and makes them have to change, not add Jesus to the list of all their other beliefs.

Our job as missionaries is to be used by God, to turn people’s world views upside down. We can never do this, if we are not a part or do not understand their views. In the next blog, I will try to give practical advice to missionaries that seek to put the gospel in to world changing context!

What’s the Bible Say about Contextualization?

If anything is going to be useful to a missionary, it must be Biblical. And if it is Biblical, then it must have a strong foundation in the Bible. So, the question remains, is contextualization in the Bible. All it takes is a Concordance to prove that this long word does not appear in scripture, but does the proper idea of contextualization appear.

Here, I want to make a point. Most liberal missionaries, start this discussion with the following verses: 1 Corinthians 9:20-22 And unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law; To them that are without law, as without law, (being not without law to God, but under the law to Christ,) that I might gain them that are without law. To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.

With this starting point they say that we must become just like others to reach them. But, they conveniently miss a phrase in these verses: “being not without the law to God, but under the law of Christ”. They forget that though somethings in style, form, and presentation can be changed, they are not lawless. If they change the message or methods of the Bible, they are just opening the door to syncretism. They will not have a faith that is relevant to the new person, but a new faith!

With this point made, lets move to the Bible, which is the sole authority for faith and practice. Does the Bible make a case for context or against context? We will bring three witnesses to the stand, and let the Bible speak for these witnesses and their actions.

The first Witness is… Jesus Christ himself.
Jesus Christ being Himself totally God, is not limited to man's culture. He is the embodiment of heavenly values, teaching, and truth. We see in his earthly ministry, that he always placed the truth of the Bible over the culture of man, even Hebrew culture. We see an example of this in Matthew 15:1-6

Then came to Jesus scribes and Pharisees, which were of Jerusalem, saying, Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread. But he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition? For God commanded, saying, Honour thy father and mother: and, He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death. But ye say, Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, It is a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; And honour not his father or his mother, he shall be free. Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition.

Here we see that Christ strongly condemns the braking of scripture to make way for tradition and/or custom. This passage is speaking against syncretism, not context. Does context, have any place in Christ’s ministry?

The scripture does tell us that Christ did put his message into a context. It was put into Jewish world view. Jesus spoke Aramaic, though Greek and Latin, where the world wide languages.

Matthew 27:46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?

Jesus Christ, wore clothes, wear prayer shallows, beard and sideburns, all in the manner and custom of the devote Jews. This is how the women at the well in Samaria, knew right away that Jesus Christ was a Jew, and that is why she thought he would condemn her for being a Samaritan. Christ ministry on this world, was spoken in a thoroughly Jewish context. The forms, styles, language, all prove this.

Also another point to consider is that Christ would vary the mode of his presentation of the gospel depending on the audience. This is seen in the Emmaus road trip, witnessing to the Syrophenician women, and witnessing to Nicodemius.

If Christ could allow His eternal, heavenly message to be shaped and influenced by the audience that he was speaking to, and in no way sin, because he is sinless, then there is a way as a missionary that we can do the same thing.

Witness Number Two… Peter

The Bible tells its reader that Peter had a specific ministry. Though he was the first person told by God, that the Gentiles should be reached, and preached to the first totally Gentile audience. He was given the ministry of the gospel to the Jews.

Galatians 2:7-9 But contrariwise, when they saw that the gospel of the uncircumcision was committed unto me, as the gospel of the circumcision was unto Peter; (For he that wrought effectually in Peter to the apostleship of the circumcision, the same was mighty in me toward the Gentiles:) And when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given unto me, they gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship; that we should go unto the heathen, and they unto the circumcision.

This passage does not teach that there are two gospels. For as a person sees in Galatians 1:6-9, any other gospel, that is new or different, is not the gospel at all. This passage tells us that these men had different ministries, and that these different ministries reached people with different world views. The gospel was the same, but the way in which they presented and ministered the gospel was different.

Witness Number Three… Paul.

There is probably no great example for the missionary in the Bible, then the life of Paul. The book of Acts is a divinely inspired history book, that gives us great insight to the methods and means of the New Testament churches. In the book of Acts we can see clear examples of how Paul presented the gospel to different groups under different circumstances. Here, I will site a view example of direct quotes from the book of Acts, to see different ways in which Paul presented the gospel.

Example Number 1
Acts 13:14-43 We see the first full message that Paul preaches of the gospel. They are in a synagogue and preaching to a thoroughly Jewish group. Paul starts the presentation giving Jewish history and builds up through David, to present the coming of Messiah. He quotes many quotations from the psalms, which because of Hebrew worship in the synagogues, most Jews knew these passage by heart.

Example Number 2
Acts 17:22-31 We see the second full message of Paul recorded in the book of Acts. The location is Mars Hill. The audience is mostly gentiles, and gentiles that do not have a Jewish world view. Paul starts with their own idols, and speaks of their altar to the Unknown God. He makes us of quotations of their own secular poets. Brings these points to Christ, and their need for him.

Example Number 3
Acts 21:40-22:1-21 Paul hear is addressing the crowd that has beaten him in the temple. He speaks to them in Hebrew, and the Bible puts an emphasis on this point. He starts by telling them that he was a Pharisee, and gives his Hebrew pedigree; then moves to the way that Christ called him unto salvation.

Example Number Four
Acts 26:1-23 Here we have Paul last recorded sermon in the book of Acts. He is preaching to King Agrippa. Though he is a Jew, and would naturally disdain the king’s herodian lineage, he starts by giving him the proper deference that a person would give to a king. Here he speeches Greek, and comports himself in such a way that would be fitting to the case that he is in.

In these four example we can clearly see a Biblical pattern for contextualization. Paul never changed the message. He preach the authority of scripture, and the clear intent of helping the listener understand the propose of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. But in each case, the language, starting point, style, and information used, varied as he presented the gospel to a new audience or people group.

I believe that the use of contextualization is very important. It helps to fulfill the very heart of 1 Corinthians 9:2-22. It allows us, under the law of Christ, to become all things to all people, so that we might WIN SOME!

Also I believe that the danger is very real if a missionary does not learn the context of his listeners. The mission field today is filled with this: unconverted, confused, followers of a Western thinking ‘gospel’.

In the next post I will show how conservative Christians have already embraced this idea of context, in minor ways, but how we need to apply it in a more fully in our modern missions.

How we go on Visitation in Africa

Visitation-
Here we have come to follow more the Lancaster Baptist Church, idea of visitation. As a person can see from the pictures, there are always tons of people around their homes. Given the social climate of Ghana, no one will turn a person away that wants to talk about the Bible, even if they are totally uninterested. Given these facts, our visitation program is done in the following manner:

1. We hand out tracts to as many people as we can. (In taxis, tro-tros, and at town).


2. We visit from door to door, room to room, and person to person. We try to give each person that we see or meet a piece of gospel literature. Then we invite them to our Bible studies. (We focus on the location that is closest to their current location).

3. After the person attends the group Bible studies, we gain information about their home and community. Then if possible try to start the first Bible studies with them, during our main Bible study time.


4. After they attend our Bible studies, someone will bake a loaf of bread (this is part of the cultural make-up) and we will bring it to the home thanking the person for attending. And will set up a weekly time to start personal Bible studies with the person and his family if possible.

5. After about 5-6 weeks of Study, either one of two things will happen. The person will see the difference of our gospel from that of their church, religion, or cult and start to run away because of conviction, or they will be very open and ready to receive Christ. (These Bible studies are mostly based on 5 story in the Old Testament, and they culminate with Christ on the cross, and His fulfillment of each story, i.e. Abraham and Isaac, Passover, Brazen Serpent, so on).


6. By this time we have developed a new but strong relationship with this convert, and we step right into the discipleship role. We followed the normal steps of baptism, Bible reading, and church attendance. Once a person becomes baptized, and is attending weekly, we try to connect them to the people attending in their area, and allow the group to help continue their growth.


This is not the only way, but is the way that we have found to be very effective for our ministry here in the culture of Ghana. The Bible Study method does extend the time that it takes to give the gospel to people, but we have found that it greatly aids the growth of the new converts. Currently about 40% of our total converts get baptized, and 80% of the people that attend group Bible studies, will get baptized.

This past week has been great. Sunday night Bismark, one of the men that attends our weekly Bibles trusted Christ as his Savior. Pray for his wife that she will trust Christ also. Also Dennis trusted Christ as his Savior during the week at a personal in home Bible study. Pray for Dennis, we wants to marry the women that he has fathered a child with, and also wants her to attend services.