Here is SESSION THREE of 4 training videos I am releasing over the summer concerning biblical contextualization.

SESSION THREE

HOW DOES THE BIBLE EXPLAIN THE GOSPEL?

There is one gospel yet many ways to present this message. Accordingly, in addition to framework themes, biblical writers use a number of “explanation themes” to clarify the significance of this good news. These themes complement each other as they serve different functions. The explanation themes help us answer four key questions routinely answered in discussions about the gospel.

As the Bible provides multiple answers to each question, it enables Christians to have flexibility when sharing the gospel. The session will also suggest how these gospel themes provide the necessary lens for ministering in diverse cultural contexts.

Other sessions include:

Session 1: Reinterpreting Contextualization

In session one, we explore a practical approach to contextualizing the gospel in a way that is biblically faithful and culturally meaningful. They propose a firm but flexible model of contextualization that is rooted in biblical theology and useful for doing ministry in any cultural context. Accordingly, we’re able to put together theology and missiology so that the Bible shapes both our message and our methods.

Session 2: How does the Bible Contextualize the Gospel?

This session considers the question, “How does the Bible frame the gospel?” To answer the question, we survey various ways that biblical writers explicitly presented their gospel. Amid a diversity of presentations, readers find that a distinct set of themes frames them all. These themes constitute a firm framework by which Paul could claim there was only one gospel.

Nevertheless, because these framework themes shape the grand biblical narrative, they also provide a large degree of flexibility when preaching the gospel in various cultural contexts.

Session 3: How does the Bible Explain the Gospel?

Session 4: A Practical Approach to Biblical Contextualization

Below, I have links to the video, audio as well as the study guide.

Study Guide for Session 3

Explaining the Biblical Gospel

Why is it a problem to “assume the gospel”?

When speaking about the “four fields” parable in Matthew 13, we typically focus on the types of soil. However, we rarely consider ________________________________________________________.

Explanation themes answer four questions. Complete the following diagram.

Picture (3 fw themes)

Why does the order of the above questions matter?

Which questions do we tend to highlight?

If we preach salvation, are we preaching the gospel? Why or why not?

Different approaches to theology can be compared to a “dot-to-dot” picture. The analogy illustrates 2 extreme ways of presenting biblical truths. What are they?

On the other hand, why can the “dot-to-dot” analogy help us understand the relationship between doctrines and the grand biblical Story?

Honor and Shame

What are common misunderstandings of “honor and shame”?

What us the difference between shame and guilt?

What are two ways people might gain honor or shame?

Compared to guilt, honor & shame is more holistic, concerning _____________________________; “Guilt” is narrower––focusing on _______________________________.

Contextualization is about ___________________________________, being able to see the world through someone else’s eyes.

What are a few examples of honor-shame cultures within Western culture?

An honor-shame perspective concerns at least three questions:

What is ___________________________?

Honor-shame cultures tend to have what sort of cultural values?
In Stage Two, we interconnect the biblical themes with cultural themes. For Chinese culture, what themes and concepts belong on the diagram below?
Picture1 (circles)

Download audio file

The audio comes from the 2016 theology conference hosted by Singapore Bible College. I have overlapped the audio with visuals to assist groups who might want to use the material for training purposes.

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