Principles of Identification in Cross-Cultural
Church Planting and Evangelism
Learning Objectives
1. The students will explain how one identifies with someone from another culture in evangelism.
2. The students will write a short paper discussing some of the limits of identifying with a person from another culture.
3. The students will list three ways that Paul and Christ identified with people from other cultures.
Introduction - Paul spoke of identification in I Cor. 9:19-22, let us see what he meant.
``Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law. To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some.’’
Identification - To show a sense of sameness, likeness, unity of purpose with people. To have a similarity of interests, attitudes, goals, dress, language, appetites, and lifestyles even at the cost of concealing one’s own individual distinctiveness and uniqueness. Jesus Christ is the best example of one who identified with the people He came to serve. (Mark 10:45)
I. Identification is a Helpful Means to Sharing the Gospel
A. Paul and Jesus practiced identification to help people understand the gospel in a way that they could relate to. Jesus worked as a carpenter’s son while Paul made tents. Both professions could be closely identified by the people. Missionaries must be willing to learn the culture of the people and adjust their lifestyles accordingly to the customs, patterns, and socially acceptable ways of living in seeking to identify with the people. By studying the culture, the history, and the social norms of the people, a missionary will be better able to identify with the people.
B. Identification helps people accept the message of the missionary because he can be seen ``as one of us!’’
C. By eating the foods of the people missionaries can identify closely with the people’s appetites.
D. By dressing like the people the missionaries can identify with the people’s looks.
E. By spending time with the people the missionaries can identify with the people’s values, actions, stories, concerns, problems, and needs.
F. By visiting people in their homes the missionaries can identify with the people’s living conditions.
G. By speaking the language of the people the missionaries can identify with the way people think, reason and look at problems.
H. By working with the people in their farms the missionaries can identify with the occupations of the people.
I. By singing with the people the missionaries can learn the traditions, legends, and history of the people.
J. By asking questions of the people the missionaries can learn what the people know or do not know about God.
K. By greeting the chief, elders, and leaders of the area the missionaries can learn the hierarchy of authority. This will help the missionary know who has the power of decision-making.
L. By praying with people about their problems the missionaries will be identifying with their worries, concerns, and needs.
M. By giving food, clothing, or money to the people who are in desperate need, the missionaries are identifying with the emergencies of the people.
N. By sharing Jesus Christ with the people the missionaries are identifying with the people’s need to know God and to do His will.
O. By sharing some of his own problems the missionaries are showing the people that Godly men have problems too. This makes the missionary more closely identifiable so that the people see that just because they become a Christian all of their problems will not be solved immediately.
P. Eventually many people will begin to identify with the missionaries beliefs, hopes, loves, goals, and affection for the Scriptures.
Q. The missionary can identify and sympathize with the people in his struggles with the devil, the flesh, the world, the oppression of certain authorities, sickness, and family problems. Yet, the missionary can share with the people that keeping the commands of God is not a burden for whoever has been born of God has overcome the world through Christ! (I John 5:4,5)
R. Identification can be enhanced when we allow people to use some of our possessions. When a missionary loans his bicycle to a friend in the village to go the town, his level of closeness, trust, and mutual sharing increases. This helps to win acceptance of the gospel’s message.
S. The apostle Paul identified with Lydia and the Jews in Phillipi by meeting with them in a prayer group. After the prayers he shared with them the message of the gospel. From there he began a house church in Lydia’s home that formed the base for a new church. (Acts 16:11-15)
T. Paul identified with his people by working as a tent-maker while simultaneously doing evangelism and starting new churches. People observed that Paul was willing to support himself while using his remaining time for the Lord’s work. This encouraged many others to do the same with their extra time. We need more lay leaders in our churches doing evangelism, not just full-time Pastors doing all the work!
U. By allowing people to visit us in our homes, they will observe the way we treat our families and begin to identify our message and our lifestyles with their own lifestyles. I.E. One student who finished from the seminary visited one of the teachers observing that he carried water buckets for his wife. He said, ``This teacher has taught me more in 5 minutes than I learned from him in the classroom in four years.’’
II. Limits of Identification
A. One’s ability to become like the people may be limited by the degree of differences in their cultures. For example, a white missionary can seldom identify so closely with a Nigerian that he sees the depth of extended family relations since he has little experience to compare with this in his own cultural background.
B. By birth, certain people may never be trusted, accepted, or viewed as ``one of us’’ by some people. Certain tribes cannot be reached by other tribes because the people do not trust that tribe.
C. A Christian can only go so far in identifying with Muslims in prayer, worship, and study of their culture. Eventually the Christian missionary has to proclaim, ``No man can serve two masters.’’ (Matt. 6:24)
D. A missionary can identify with another social group only as he is physically capable of living in the conditions of his neighbors. Some missionaries have certain physical inabilities to eat different foods, endure the heat, or live in crowded conditions without the company of his own people.
E. A missionary can identify with anothers’ interests to the extent with which he is able to share those interests genuinely. A missionary cannot gain another’s trust if he is not capable of involving himself with the person’s activities like farming, cooking, speaking another language or participating in certain sports.
F. A missionary must be careful in identifying with women as this may connote a sexual advance that could create suspicion.
G. World view differences (Perspectives of reality, truth, beliefs, values, behaviors, and emotions) will determine the extent to which a missionary is able to identify with another person. The best way to have similar viewpoints is by thinking along Biblical lines so that together we develop the mind of Christ with one another.
H. I Cor. 4:4 says, ``For the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they do not see the glorious riches of Christ.’’ The devil keeps putting obstacles in the minds of people so that they are able to perceive the things of the Spirit of God.
I. Realize that as a Christian, missionaries cannot participate in affairs that are political. A Christian must know the limits of his ministry before becoming entangled in the affairs of this life. (II Tim. 2:4)
Conclusion - Christian missionaries must be careful so not to put any unnecessary stumbling blocks in the way of people who need Christ. If eating dog meat causes someone to reject the gospel, you should not eat dog meat. If wearing certain clothing enhances your identification with the people, dress appropriately. If speaking a language helps your message become more acceptable to the people, learn the language. Paul said, ``I become all things to all men that by all means I may save some.’’
We must realize that through our efforts to identify with the people we may not be totally accepted by everyone. Yet Jesus calls us to spread the seed in areas where the gospel will find the greatest receptivity. In the parable of the sower and the seed, the good soil gave 60, 80, 100 fold increase. Let us ask the Lord to lead us to the people whose hearts have been prepared to accept our efforts to identify with them, receive Christ as their Savior, and help begin a new church!
Identification is not just to make the people feel at home with the missionary. Instead, it is to help the people trust, accept, and better understand the message of the scriptures. Identify with the people in ways that are culturally, contextually, and relevant. Relate to the people in ways that communicates the Bible’s message most effectively!!!
Study Questions
1. What is identification? Why does a missionary need to do it? How does a missionary accomplish it?
2. How did Jesus and Paul practice identification?
3. What are some of the limits of identification?
4. What are some practical methods of gaining identification?
5. What does it mean to ``Become all things to all men that by all means we might save some’’? In your life and ministry? In your culture?
