Category Archives: Gospel of Jesus

1 Peter 2:1–12 … Immense honor and hope for Christians in shame-based societies

February 26, 2013Bible commentary, Global Christian mission, Godly character, Gospel of Jesus, Honor and shameWerner Mischke

1 Peter was written to persecuted believers “Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia” (modern day Turkey). This map taken from the online version of ESV Study Bible. — 1 Peter was written to persecuted believers in “Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia” (modern day Turkey). This map taken from the online version of ESV Study Bible.

To understand the setting for 1 Peter, here’s a quote from the introduction to 1 Peter from the online version of the ESV Study Bible:

Peter encourages his readers to endure suffering and persecution (1:6–7; 2:18–20; 3:9, 13–17; 4:1–4, 12–19; 5:9) by giving themselves entirely to God (4:19). They are to remain faithful in times of distress, knowing that God will vindicate them and that they will certainly enjoy the salvation that the Lord has promised. The death and resurrection of Christ stand as the paradigm for the lives of believers. Just as Christ suffered and then entered into glory, so too his followers will suffer before being exalted.

The letter is addressed to Christians dispersed in “Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia” (1:1), an area north of the Taurus Mountains in Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey); see map above. …

Although the entire book of 1 Peter offers insights about living honorably as persecuted believers in an honor/shame-based society, I will look only at 1 Peter 2:1–12. My comments about this passage are made by seeing these verses through the pivotal cultural value of honor and shame.

1 Peter 2:1 — Characteristic of honor-shame societies are highly competitive social games and attitudes. Jerome Neyrey calls it the “ubiquitous game of challenge and riposte or push-and-shove”.^[1] Malice, envy, deceit, hypocrisy, slander are attitudes and behaviors that were present in ancient Middle Eastern societies. They are to be “put away” by all believers! Followers of Jesus are to “vacate the playing field” of this competitive, conflict-generating social game that characterizes honor-shame societies.

1 Peter 2:2–3 — In contrast, believers are to pursue the achieved honor of developing the righteousness that characterizes followers of Jesus Christ.

1 Peter 2:4 — Rejection is normative for believers; however, the “shaming techniques” of the community are to be resisted. The shame of rejection is contrasted with the great honor of being God’s chosen, which constitutes ascribed honor. “Precious” in the sight of God implies affection from God the Father to amplify the ascribed honor.

1 Peter 2:5 — Believers are transformed to a higher honor status via becoming part of “a holy priesthood”. The phrase “acceptable to God” indicates the polar opposite of being rejected in shame by Almighty God. The phrase “through Jesus Christ” refers to Christ’s high priestly office as Messiah and mediator between God and and all humanity—a role and office of staggering honor.

1 Peter 2:6 — Here we see the fulfillment of the prophetic words in Isaiah 28:16. It is the ancient covenantal story of God with his people Israel—from which came the Cornerstone, Jesus Christ—the most honorable of all the “stones”. He is the very summation and crux of the story. The prophesy is now fulfilled! And the result? …“whoever believes in him will not be put to shame”. It an astounding promise, the ultimate good news—for people whose pivotal cultural value is honor and shame.

1 Peter 2:7 — Peter writes, “So the honor is for you who believe”. Amazing—this is a most unusual way to gain honor. This honor is gained neither by ascribed honor (family name and official title) nor by achieved honor (through competition and conquest). But simply by BELIEF in the Cornerstone, Jesus Christ (Psalm 118:22). It is contrasted with those “who do not believe”.

1 Peter 2:8 — For those “who do not believe”, Peter quotes Isaiah 8:14 . The Cornerstone will be “a stone of stumbling, a rock of offense”—He will be an “offense”. This is an understated way of saying a means of ultimate shame for those who fail to honor God. Unbelievers justly receive this punishment of shame because they “disobey the word”—“as they were destined to do”—which amplifies the depth of their shame in contrast to being “chosen by God” (1 Peter 2:4).

1 Peter 2:9 — We see here the multifaceted honor of the community of believers. They are 1) “a chosen race”—the ascribed honor of being the elect … plus 2) “royal priesthood”—denoting regal honor … plus 3) “holy nation” (holy = being set apart, and virtuous behavior—a blend of ascribed and achieved honor) … plus 4) “a people for his own possession”—achieved honor based on covenantal love … plus 5) “to proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light”—here we also see a people with a royal, highly esteemed ambassadorship with the responsibility for mission which accrues to great reward; an example of achieved honor.

1 Peter 2:10 — Faith in Jesus Christ results in a dramatic change in honor status—from zero people-honor, entitled to zero mercy—to being God’s chosen people entitled to infinite mercy; such a dramatic shift in honor status was most rare in the days of ancient Rome. This dramatic transformation of honor status happens by belief in Christ and results in becoming part of a new kinship group—the family of God, the CHURCH local and universal under the Lordship of Jesus Christ.

1 Peter 2:11 — It is normative for Christians to be “sojourners and exiles”. Peter is urging believers to live in a way commensurate with the immense honor of being the people of God. The honor challenge is to resist the temptations and shaming techniques of your culture—for this is warfare against your soul, your true identity.

1 Peter 2:12 — Christians must live honorably among the Gentiles; they must resist their shaming techniques and their evil words. In turn, those who are not believers will acknowledge the believers’ honor as a people, and ultimately give honor and glory to God. Paradoxically, this creates hope and vision for more honor out of the very experience of being shamed.

What are some suggestions for cross-cultural ministry?

1) Consider 1 Peter a “shame-resilience guide-book”. Cross-cultural workers serving in honor-shame societies among first generation believers should consider how the book of 1 Peter might serve as a guide for building shame-resilience in new Christ-followers. Going through 1 Peter in a small group study—while alert to the dynamics of honor and shame—would be a very instructive practice. See this quick-reference guide for assistance in reading the Bible through the lens of honor and shame.

2) Cultivate a culture of honor in the church family. Intensify the practice of honor in the church. The church must be a place of Christ-centered acceptance, love and affection. Believers from societies whose pivotal cultural value is honor and shame should feel the honor of being part of their church family. Consider how you and your team can create a culture of honor.

3) Actively discourage rivalry. Shame-based cultures produce intense rivalry. Leaders should take note of it in the greater church, in their own local group, as well as in their own individual lives (Philippians 2:3). Once taking note of it, leaders must repent of it in their own lives and humbly challenge the behavior when they see it in others. Rivalry will prevent or destroy a culture of honor in the church.

4) Keep focusing on King Jesus. Our Lord Jesus Christ is ever the source of the believer’s and church’s honor. Hebrews 12:1–4 is particularly instructive in this regard, and especially verse 2: “looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.”

FOOTNOTES

1. Jerome H. Neyrey:  Honor and Shame in the Gospel of Matthew (Louisville: Westminster Press, 1998) p. 20. Neyrey contends that Jesus is calling His followers, particularly males, to “vacate the playing field”, so that rather than gaining honor in the traditional way through public game-playing, they are gaining honor by living in the kingdom of God in joyful obedience to its King.

What does baptism have to do with honor and shame? Part 2

February 24, 2013Bible commentary, Global Christian mission, Gospel of Jesus, Honor and shameWerner Mischke

THESIS: The Great Commission passage of Matthew 28:18–20 gives us the requirement of baptism for all new disciples of Jesus Christ. The meaning of baptism is “immersion that produces a permanent change”. This permanent change for followers of Christ is largely the result of being baptized into the honor of “the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” For Christians in societies whose pivotal cultural value is honor and shame, this offers wonderful benefits—a King who offers them a new source of eternal honor (His own), the development of shame-resilience, and a community with whom to walk in a most honorable journey.

Baptism in a river, New Bern, North Carolina, around 1900. Public domain.

And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20 ESV)

Before we consider the baptism-related issues, let’s look first at the overall honor/shame dynamics in this passage:

1) The setting is full of honor. The Risen Christ appears to his disciples at a high place: on a mountain (Matthew 28:16). Highness usually conveys honor; consider the word high in Isaiah 6:1. The mountain is therefore befitting of the divine honor and significance of this solemn occasion. Moreover, Jesus is outside, in public, so all of His disciples, and anyone else, can see him and hear him. It is a perfect stage for honor to be displayed, honor claims to be made, and honor challenges to be given.

2) Jesus makes the claim to regal honor: “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me”. This is not merely a statement of fact. Rather, it is implicitly an honor challenge to all rivals. In a society whose pivotal cultural value is honor and shame, there is no doubt that this is an honor challenge. It is as though Jesus is announcing, “ALL RIVALS TAKE NOTE! RIVALS IN THE HEAVENS OR SPIRITUAL REALM, AND HUMAN RIVALS ON EARTH: I HAVE BEEN GIVEN ALL AUTHORITY BY GOD ALMIGHTY. I HAVE DEFEATED THE GREAT ENEMY OF THE UNIVERSE—SIN AND DEATH. YES, I HAVE BEEN GIVEN ALL AUTHORITY AND AM THE MOST POWERFUL RULER. I EXCEED ALL OTHERS IN HONOR AND GLORY. I AM SOVEREIGN KING AND LORD OF ALL. I REIGN AND RULE OVER YOU—WHOEVER YOU ARE—WHEREVER YOU ARE.”

Jesus has announced that He is the Lord and King of the universe.

3) King Jesus gives a great commandment, a great honor challenge to his disciples. “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.” How challenging is this command? How great is this honor challenge?

This command or honor challenge is global in scope and culturally all-inclusive—for all nations, for all ethnicities. No part of the world—no human community—is to be excluded from this blessing. The word, nations, in the in Greek is ethnos, mandating that this is for all ethnicities, all peoples, all language groups, in the whole world (Revelation 5:9).
This command or honor challenge is thoroughy Christ-centered. The nations are to be discipled to observe all that Christ commanded. Everything Christ taught and modeled is to be taught and passed by Christ-followers to others. The final message of this honor-filled occasion as recorded in the final verse of the Gospel of Matthew, is this: Jesus promises His very presence always—to all who are engaged in His work of extending the blessing of His kingdom to the nations (Matthew 28:20). The King is not far away! The King is not secluded or cloistered away in some cosmic regal fortress. No, He is Emmanuel, God with us! Wherever we go! For all time and forever! The promise of relational honor and security embedded in the King Himself coud not be greater.

What may we observe about the relationship between baptism and the dynamics of honor and shame?

1) Our Lord Jesus Christ commands that “baptizing them” is a primary objective of discipleship. The English word baptize comes from the Greek word baptizo. Here is the clearest definition I found, from James Montgomery Boice, as noted in BibleStudyTools.com:

Baptizo:

to dip repeatedly, to immerse, to submerge (of vessels sunk)

to cleanse by dipping or submerging, to wash, to make clean with water, to wash one’s self, bathe

to overwhelm

Not to be confused with … bapto. The clearest example that shows the meaning of baptizo is a text from the Greek poet and physician Nicander, who lived about 200 B.C. It is a recipe for making pickles and is helpful because it uses both words. Nicander says that in order to make a pickle, the vegetable should first be ‘dipped’ (bapto) into boiling water and then ‘baptized’ (baptizo) in the vinegar solution. Both verbs concern the immersing of vegetables in a solution. But the first is temporary. The second, the act of baptizing the vegetable, produces a permanent change. When used in the New Testament, this word more often refers to our union and identification with Christ than to our water baptism: “He that believes and is baptized shall be saved” (Mark 16:16). Christ is saying that mere intellectual assent is not enough. There must be a union with him, a real change, like the vegetable to the pickle!
“Bible Study Magazine”, James Montgomery Boice, May 1989.

Here is the main point: Baptism is an immersion that produces a permanent change.

2) Our Lord Jesus Christ commands that all disciples are baptized “in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit”. What are the possible meanings of this? The key to understanding this verse is contained in the word, name, which is heavy laden with the connotation of honor and glory. Consider these two verses from Malachi:

A son honors his father, and a servant his master. If then I am a father, where is my honor? And if I am a master, where is my fear? says the Lord of hosts to you, O priests, who despise my name. But you say, ‘How have we despised your name?’ (Malachi 1:6)

If you will not listen, if you will not take it to heart to give honor to my name, says the Lord of hosts, then I will send the curse upon you and I will curse your blessings. Indeed, I have already cursed them, because you do not lay it to heart. (Malachi 2:2)

Consider also these verses from the Psalms:

Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; bring an offering, and come into his courts! (Psalm 96:8)

Nations will fear the name of the Lord, and all the kings of the earth will fear your glory. (Psalm 102:15)

And these verses from Isaiah:

I am the Lord; that is my name; my glory I give to no other, nor my praise to carved idols. (Isaiah 42:8)

everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.” (Isaiah 43:7)

The significant thing here is the very close proximity between name, honor and glory. When the Lord complains, “O priests, who despise my name,” God’s honor is being despised. When nations “fear the name of the Lord,” they are respecting God’s glory and honor. When Isaiah prophesies of “everyone who is called by my name”, he is referring to God’s honor.

When God says, “I am the Lord; that is my name; my glory I give to no other” one senses the mirror-like quality between name and glory, between name and honor. Therefore, the name of God is significantly synonymous to the glory of God or the honor of God.

So what does it mean to be baptized “in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit”? I believe baptism in Matthew 28:19 refers to two related things:

1) Baptism with a godward focus—it is “in honor of” or “to the glory of”—the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. This is commonly accepted by Christians and makes sense because ultimately, everything is for the glory of God (Romans 11:36). So when Christians are baptized, they are honoring God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit by acknowledging Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.

2) Baptism with an inward-transformational focus—being immersed into the honor of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Consider that the little word “in” is frequently translated from the Greek word eis as “into”. For example, in Matthew 2:12–14, four times the word eis is translated into. This relates significantly to the practice of baptism because the Greek word baptizo refers to “immersion that produces a permanent change”. Immersion always requires going into something. Therefore, to be baptized in the name also means being baptized into the honor—“of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit”?

Baptism into the honor—of the Father, son, and Holy Spirit. The ramifications of this are especially relevant to Christians engaged in cross-cultural ministry to peoples whose pivotal cultural value is honor and shame. Here’s why:

It emphasizes that believers literally have a new source of honor—the eternal honor of God Himself—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The helps prevent the new believer from experiencing an honor deficit.
It amplifies the honor value of entering a new kind of kinship—the “forever family” which is the Church, the Body of Christ. This new kind of kinship honor replaces in large measure the earthly family honor which at best they are required to treat as secondary, and at worst they may be required to abandon.
It helps create in new Christians the shame resilience they need to resist the persecution and shaming techniques of family and community.

In conclusion, The Great Commission passage of Matthew 28:18–20 gives us the requirement of baptism for all new disciples of Jesus Christ. The meaning of baptism is “immersion that produces a permanent change”. This permanent change is largely the result of being baptized into the honor of “the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” For Christians in societies whose pivotal cultural value is honor and shame, this offers wonderful benefits—a King who offers them a new source of eternal honor (His own), the development of shame-resilience, and a community with whom to walk in a most honorable journey.

What does baptism have to do with honor and shame? Part 1

February 20, 2013Bible commentary, Global Christian mission, Gospel of Jesus, Honor and shameWerner Mischke

THESIS: The baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist signified the inauguration of Christ’s ministry; it is an example of the motif of honor-status reversal in God’s Word. The occasion of Jesus’ baptism is punctuated by a voice from heaven—the Father gives immense honor and affection to the Son—and it immediately precedes Christ’s entering the desert to be tempted by the devil. This is an example to Christians: When we experience honor and worthiness accompanied by affection from God, it produces in us something called “shame resilience”—empowering us to fight temptation, to resist the shaming techniques of our communities, and to maintain our integrity and honor before God.

The Baptism of Jesus, by Gustav Doré, 1823–1833. Public Domain.

“Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized by him. John would have prevented him, saying, ‘I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?’ But Jesus answered him, ‘Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.’ Then he consented. And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; and behold, a voice from heaven said, ‘This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.’” (Matthew 3:13-17 ESV)

Here is what I observe from this passage concerning the dynamics of honor and shame:

1) The honor-status reversal of John. John the Baptist protests: “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” John obviously possesses less honor status than Jesus. He has already declared the immense superiority of Jesus: “… but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. … ” (Matthew 3:11). So it is reasonable to conclude that the motif of honor-status reversal in the Old Testament continues in the beginning passages of the Gospels (Matthew 1:19–21, Matthew 2:6, Luke 1:46–53, Luke 3:4–6, John 1:14). John baptizing the Son of God is another example of this motif called honor-status reversal.

2) The honor-status reversal of Jesus. Jesus insists on being baptized by John: “Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Jesus, the divine Son of Man, humbles himself by being baptized by John, a mortal man, “in order to fulfill all righteousness.” The ESV Study Bible says of this verse: “Jesus’ baptism inaugurates his ministry and fulfills God’s saving activity prophesied throughout the OT.” The symbolism is rich: Jesus stoops down in His honor status by being baptized by John—He “emptied himself, taking the form of a servant” (Philippians 2:6)—in order to bring salvation to the world and inaugurate His kingdom.

3) Ascribed honor with great affection was given by the Father to the Son. New Testament scholar David deSilva writes, “In the ancient world, people are not just taken on their ‘merits.’ Instead, their merits begin with the merits (or debits) of their lineage, the reputation of their ancestral house. Greeks and Romans receive a basic identity from their larger family: for Romans this takes the form of including the clan name in the name of each individual.”^[1] In the first century Middle East, everyone’s personal honor  began with their  kinship. So the early Christians of the Middle East would have understood this “voice from heaven” as a message of immense significance. For we see in these few words God the Father ascribing divine honor to the Son. And in using the words “beloved” and “well pleased”, the Father further amplifies the honor of His Son by communicating His infinite affection for Him. Jesus is worthy! He is worthy of infinite affection from God the Father. Notice there is no mention here of Jesus’ achieved honor. No, this is pure ascribed honor, based solely on his His Sonship. Could it be that God the Father—knowing the temptations and challenges Jesus would immediately face—actually infused a measure of extra honor and affection into His Son at this occasion so that Christ would have the resilience to stand against the works of the devil?

4) Immense ascribed honor and affection created “shame resilience”. Here is where I will diverge somewhat to the writings of an author who is a “shame researcher.” Over the past several years, Brené Brown has been conducting research about shame and then writing about her findings. The quote below is from her most recent book, Daring Greatly:

My maps, or theories, on shame resilience, Wholeheartedness, and vulnerability have not been drawn from the experiences of my own travels, but from the data I’ve collected over the past dozen years—the experiences of thousands of men and women who are forging paths in the direction that I, and many others, want to take our lives. …

What we all share in common—what I’ve spent the past several years talking to leaders, parents, and educators about—is the truth that forms the very core of this book: What we know matters, but who we are matters more. Being rather than knowing requires showing up and letting ourselves be seen. It requires us to dare greatly, to be vulnerable.[2]

Keeping in mind these thoughts from Brené Brown’s work—especially the concept of “shame resilience”—I want to suggest some applications concerning the example of Christ. What might “shame resilience” have to do with the baptism of Christ? What might “shame resilience” have to do with the voice from heaven saying, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” Some observations:

Jesus was completely secure in who He was—He could therefore be vulnerable without sacrificing one iota of authenticity. No wonder he was willing to allow John to baptize Him. Jesus embraced the inauguration of His mission with this profound act of humility, of honor-status reversal. It was a continuation of the motif from the Old Testament, as well as a foretaste of things to come.
Jesus felt loved and worthy—He is the “beloved Son” in whom His Father is “well-pleased”. We can never know with our finite minds the infinite sense of worthiness which Jesus had of Himself. Jesus did not have an honor-deficit for which he had to compete to gain glory or honor. Jesus knew He was loved infinitely. Jesus knew He was completely and totally worthy. And yet, one wonders if the Father, in saying, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased”, gave His Son even more of that honor, affection and worthiness.
Jesus entered into great temptation immediately following His baptism and being honored by the Father. Matthew 4: 1–11 describes “The Temptation of Jesus.” In the three great temptations, Jesus becomes vulnerable to the extreme. The devil says twice (in verse verses 3 and 8), “If you are the Son of God…” The devil is challenging Christ’s identify. Jesus is tempted by physical need, having fasted for 40 days. The devil also tempts Jesus regarding his power and authority—telling Jesus that He could have all the kingdoms of the world: “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me” (Matthew 4:9). This is honor competition writ large—between the kingdom of the devil and the kingdom of God. Jesus courageously resists, obeying the Word of God, maintaining his integrity, holiness and honor.
Jesus resisted the great temptation. He won the honor competition with the devil. Of course it is impossible to know for sure what was in the heart and mind of Christ. Could it be that one reason Jesus was able to resist the temptations of the devil is because he had enormous shame resilience? That is, He knew His worthiness! He had just experienced the Father’s infinite affection. He therefore could affirm His own honor and maintain His integrity!

What does this mean for us as followers of Christ?

We experience the Father’s honor and love as a valuable prerequisite to ministry. With Jesus as our example we ought to explore how our sense of honor as children of God creates in us the “shame resilience” we need to resist the temptations of the world. Would we not be more willing to give and serve sacrificially—as we experience the love, honor and affection of our Father in heaven?
We embrace the honor and power of the kingdom with the humility of a child. The kingdom of God offers us a new eternal source of honor; however, it is only available through humility—by embracing our honor-status reversal as children of the King. The kingdom—with it’s royal honor, power and privileges—belongs to the King’s children (Matthew 19:14). We are a royal priesthood according to 1 Peter 2:9—so that we, as a faith community, can live powerfully in this world (Acts 1:8)—to extend the King’s blessing to the ends of the earth.
We identify rivalry as sin. Why is there so much rivalry and honor competition in the Christian community? Does this signify that most Christians have never actually experienced their shame covered and their honor restored? The story of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11–32) is very poignant on this matter. The young son experienced the Father’s love and had his shame covered and honor restored—while the older son, in his ugly spirit of rivalry, did not. See more about this at The Father’s Love Gospel Booklet.
We accord strategic importance to “shame resilience” in extending God’s blessing to the nations. Cross-cultural workers should place more emphasis on helping new believers develop Christ-centered “shame resilience”—especially for those new Christians who live in honor/shame societies, and thus, are likely to be shamed or rejected by their families and communities.

FOOTNOTES

1. David A. deSilva: Honor, Patronage, Kinship & Purity: Unlocking New Testament Culture (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2000), p. 159.

2. Brene Brown (2012-09-11). Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead (p. 16). Gotham. Kindle Edition.

Spanish version of “The Father’s Love Gospel Booklet” coming soon

February 13, 2013Global Christian mission, Gospel of Jesus, Honor and shame, Ministry tools and resourcesChrist, Christian, Honor and shame, Latin America, Prodigal Son, SpanishWerner Mischke

The Spanish version of The Father’s Love Gospel Booklet has gone to print. They will be available for sale in early March.

Many people believe that the Latin American culture has honor and shame as a primary value. Any yet, most Latin American Christians are not familiar with how to share the Gospel of Christ in “the language of honor and shame”. Learn more about this resource at the website for The Father’s Love Gospel Booklet.

New free resource: Quick reference guide—how to read the Bible in the language of honor and shame

January 26, 2013Bible commentary, Bible study, Global Christian mission, Gospel of Jesus, Honor and shameBible, Honor and shameWerner Mischke

Read Bible honor and shame graphic — This free resource is a quick-guide to reading the Bible in the language of honor and shame. Developed by Werner Mischke, Director of Training Ministries, Mission ONE.

As part of the seminar I am leading tomorrow, I am making available this free resource. It’s an 8.5 x 11-inch document in black and white that can be easily reproduced and shared. This little resource is a reflection of what I have learned about the pivotal cultural value of honor and shame in the Bible. It also reflects what I do when I read the Bible to reveal the honor/shame dynamics present in the text.

The resource features:

Primary honor/shame dynamics in the Bible
How to read the Bible through the lens of honor and shame
Recognizing the broad spectrum of words related to honor and shame
Basic cross-cultural ministry skills related to honor and shame

Benefits:

Easily reproducible, print it out in black and white
Graphically rich, easy to read
Easy to share—cut it in half and give one to a friend, or send it as an email attachment
Convenient size, fits in your average-size Bible for quick reference

Download here.

The “honor-status reversal” motif in Scripture, part 2: The increase in honor status for believers is embedded exclusively and totally in relation to Jesus Christ

January 24, 2013Bible commentary, Bible study, Global Christian mission, Gospel of Jesus, Honor and shameWerner Mischke

Honor-status reversal is a major motif in the Bible

In my prior post about honor-status reversal, I stated that, as followers of Christ and members of his body, the church, Scripture teaches that we are called to identify with our Lord to such an extent that our relationship with him leads to a magnificent increase in our own collective honor status. Using Scripture, I hope to make the case in this post that this increase in honor status for believers is real, and that it is embedded exclusively and totally in relation to Jesus Christ. My approach is to list several verses followed by some comments.

However, first of all, shown below is a graphic based on a diagram from the ESV Study Bible which illustrates the honor-status reversal of Jesus Christ based on Philippians 2:9–11. Observe this truth again—that after Christ’s public humiliation through the crucifixion, he was rewarded by supreme, magnificent, comprehensive, highly exalted honor.

Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:9-11 ESV)

The honor-status reversal of Jesus Christ as diagrammed by the ESV Study Bible

So this honor-status reversal is clearly represented here in the life, drama and Person of Christ. Can we also apply this dynamic of honor-status reversal to the community of believers who call Jesus Christ their Lord and Savior? Or is it reserved exclusively for Christ? Consider the verses below.

Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. (Romans 6:3–5 ESV)

Normally, we do not associate the truth of being “baptized into Christ Jesus” and “baptized into his death” as identification with his humiliating shame. It’s ugly and assaults our sense of pride. We like to think that Jesus died for my sins in my place, but being “baptized into his death” is so harsh and hard for us to grasp.

Some comments:

Could it be that in order for us to experience the sense of being “united with him in a resurrection like his” (v. 5)—which includes the honor and exaltation of his resurrection—we must first identify with Christ in the shame of his death?
It is clear that our identification with Christ in his resurrection is not solely for our eternal life after we die. Otherwise, Paul’s emphasis that “we too might walk in newness of life” would not make sense, as this clearly represents living life on earth after salvation and prior to death. Could it be that “walking in newness of life” refers to a new lifestyle which both contains and reflects the glory and honor of Jesus Christ?
Is this identification with Christ primarily experienced individually—or corporately? Could it be that the emphasis in this passage—as are most of Paul’s writings—is corporate, that his epistles are intended primarily for believers in community? Could it be that the individualistic bias we have in the West keeps us from apprehending this reality?

Other passages in Romans that illustrate the honor-status reversal for believers in Christ:

Romans 6:6–14 actually elaborates even further on the honor-status reversal that believers experience in Christ.
Romans 8:34–38 expresses the dynamic of believers being on the low, shameful end of the spectrum, “being killed … regarded as sheep for the slaughter”, whereas on the high, honorable end of the spectrum, being “more than conquerors through him who loved us.” Think of the believers at Rome, the church as an oft-shamed minority group, who breathed the air of the honor of the Roman Empire and it’s “glorious” conquerors. What did it mean to know that, in Christ, they were “more than conquerors”? This again is an example of honor-status reversal for the believer.

These other passages are also examples of honor-status reversal for believers, with that honor and glory embedded exclusively and totally in Christ:

1 Corinthians 1:26–31
1 Corinthians 15:42–49
2 Corinthians 5:16–21, 2 Corinthians 13:4
Galatians 2:20–21, Galatians 4:5–7, 26–31
Ephesians 2:1–7 gives us a dramatic picture of honor-status reversal from being “dead in trespasses and sins” to having been “raised…up with him and seated…with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus”. This is followed is followed by the classic verse about grace: Ephesians 2:8-9. Then Ephesians 2:11–22 offers another example of honor-status reversal—but this time, it is with regard to the Old Testament story of God’s people: “So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God” (2:19). What is so striking to me is that the famous verse about salvation by grace is wrapped inside of a text which has two powerful examples of honor-status reversal.
Ephesians 4:8–10
Philippians 2:5–11, Philippians 3:8–10, 20–21
Colossians 1:13–14, 21–22, Colossians 2:12–15

The honor-status reversal which Christ himself experienced was not just for his glorification, but also for the community of believers who would follow him as Lord. Honor-status reversal is also for believers—in Christ!

In what is known as the High Priestly Prayer of Christ in John 17, Jesus prayed to the Father:

I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one (John 17:20-22 ESV).

Why is it so radically challenging to our Christian sensibilities, that Jesus prayed to the Father, “The glory that you have given me I have given to them”? Normally we think that glory belongs exclusively to God. But this is not supported by Scripture. Could it be that when we, as believers in community, embrace our honor-status reversal in Christ, we will more easily apprehend that Jesus actually has shared with us—his glory and honor.

What does this mean for people struggling with shame? What does this mean for people whose overwhelming concern is their honor status? What does this mean for Christ’s gospel being extended to the billions of people and thousands of people groups whose pivotal cultural value of honor and shame?

I’ll be writing more on those topics later.

The “honor-status reversal” motif in Scripture, part 1

January 18, 2013Bible commentary, Global Christian mission, Gospel of Jesus, Honor and shameEpistle to the Philippians, Honor and shame, Jesus ChristWerner Mischke

According to the dictionary on my computer, a motif is “a distinctive feature or dominant idea in an artistic or literary composition.” I contend in this post that “honor-status reversal” is a major motif in Scripture.

One classic example in Scripture of honor-status reversal is found in the Apostle Paul’s description of our Lord Jesus Christ in Philippians 2:

“Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:5–11 ESV)

Jesus Christ was with the Father in the honor and glory of heaven in eternity past. His honor status was infinitely high. Christ was in His “pre-incarnate glory.”

But Jesus willingly allowed for his honor status to be reversed. He “emptied himself” … descending through the Incarnation … born fully human to the virgin Mary … “taking the form of a servant”.

He humbled himself further by dying, “even death on a cross”—the most shameful and ignominious destiny a man could endure. This was his humiliation.

But his destiny on earth was not the end of the story. The pre-incarnate glory and honor he once had in heaven, then willingly lost, was to be regained and then magnified as he rose from the dead and sat down at the right hand of the Father. Again, this is an example of honor-status reversal—also known as Christ’s exaltation.

It bears repeating:

Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:9–11 ESV)

The significance of these verses cannot be overstated. As Christians, we believe that the incarnation of Jesus Christ is the crux of human history. That it constitutes the most dramatic account of honor-status reversal has wonderful implications for cross-cultural Christian ministry.

Here’s another example of honor-status reversal from the words of Jesus:

“Whoever receives this child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me receives him who sent me. For he who is least among you all is the one who is great.” (Luke 9:48 ESV)

Karl Reich, author of Figuring Jesus: The Power of Rhetorical Figures of Speech in the Gospel of Luke, explains honor-status reversal this way:

The very words “least” and “greatest” would automatically call up the thought of the Greco-Roman honor-shame system which was ultimately concerned with greatness. Malina and Rohr argue that this verse cuts at the very heart of of the honor-shame system. They write, “A squabble over honor status would be typical within any ancient Mediterranean grouping … Jesus’ reversal of the expected order challenges the usual assumptions about what is honorable in a very fundamental way.”

Referring to this verse, “And behold, some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last” (Luke 13:30 ESV), the author continues:

… The pithy comment stays with the audience because of its compact and forceful nature and its enigmatic message. The transformation of polar opposites into their antithesis is unthinkable. The saying of the Lukan Jesus undermines the honor-shame system by proclaiming a reversal of roles.”

The dynamic of honor-status reversal occurs in Paul’s description of the incarnation in his letter to the Philippians. We have seen it briefly in the teachings of Jesus in Luke’s Gospel. But it must be noted that honor-status reversal is present throughout Scripture. Otherwise it cannot be considered a motif. Consider:

Adam and Even were “sent out from the Garden of Eden”—they left the glory and honor of perfect fellowship with God and were shamed by their rebellion to live apart from the honorable presence with God. The honor of their fellowship with God was reversed to a permanent condition of guilt, fear and shame.
The story of Abraham is a story of a wealthy man who is called by God to leave the very source of honor—his father, his kinship, his homeland: “…Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you” (Gen 12:1). But consider the immense honor he is promised by God: “And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” (Genesis 12:2-3 ESV). It is an honor-status reversal which is foundational to the revelation of Scripture—and the global purpose of God. See more on this at my blog post here.
The story of Joseph takes up a large portion of Scripture—Genesis 37–50—fully 14 chapters. Joseph was the favorite, most honored son of Jacob, and was sold into slavery, from which he rose to become the prime minister of Egypt. It’s a classic story of honor-status reversal.
The story of Moses in Exodus is also an account of honor-status reversal. A baby born into the oppressed minority society of the Hebrews is found by Pharaoh’s daughter—and then raised to eventually lead the Hebrews out of Egypt to the Promised Land.
The stories of Saul and David remind us that, on the one hand, a man of human-derived honor, stature and might like King Saul can be judged by God and lose his honor status—while on the other hand, God takes a lowly shepherd boy who had faith in the living God and raises him to become a mighty king whose honor in the eyes of the people greatly exceeded that of the prior king.
The story of Esther is another classic. A beautiful woman (Esther) from the minority culture of the Jews ends up rising in honor as she is chosen to be the wife of the king of Persia. When a plot to kill the Jews is hatched by the evil Haman, Esther’s uncle Mordecai asks Esther to courageously intervene with the king on behalf of her people, the Jews . The ESV Study Bible says, “The reader is clearly meant to laugh at the way [Haman’s] vanity traps him into having to publicly honor the very man he intended to kill (6:6–11), and his death on the gallows he had prepared for Mordecai (7:8–10) is a classic case of a villain falling into his own pit.” We see here again—multiple examples of honor-status reversal!
The Beatitudes begin with “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs in the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:3 ESV). It worth rereading these verses. In every verse in this most beautiful series, Jesus is teaching that in his kingdom, there is a new way of living. This new way of living is not a dismissal of the need for honor—or a total rejection of the dynamics of honor and shame which permeated Greco-Roman culture. It is, rather, a proclamation that a new honor, a higher and permanent honor is now available to all as they live in God’s kingdom in loving submission to the most honorable King of Kings.
The parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11–32) is considered by many as the most famous story ever told by the master story teller, Jesus. The younger of two sons has turned away from his family and his father. He ends up in the most degrading and shameful condition conceivable. He comes to his senses, decides to return home to his father. Rather than being rejected and scorned, the father greets him with kisses and weeping. He gives the lost son his prized robe. He provides sandals for his feet and gives him a ring for his finger, signifying the honor and authority of the family. Then the father calls for a huge village celebration to welcome home the lost son. (See more about this story at The Father’s Love Gospel Booklet.) Is there a more powerful example of honor-status reversal in Scripture?
In Revelation, the judgement of God constitues an honor-status reversal for the great and mighty city of Babylon. “And he called out with a mighty voice, ‘Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great! She has become a dwelling place for demons, a haunt for every unclean spirit, a haunt for every unclean bird, a haunt for every unclean and detestable beast” (Revelation 18:2). Numerous other examples of honor-status reversal also appear in Revelation. The Lamb that was slain is revealed as the conquering Lion of Judah (5:5–6) … the saints who were martyred are honorably clothed in white (6:11) … the once glorious, evil serpent, the devil, in finally conquered (20:1–10) … even the once-inglorious unredeemed peoples of the earth—represented by their kings—bring their glory into the new city (21:22–26). Again and again, we see honor-status reversal.

Have I made the case that honor-status reversal is a motif in the Bible? Even though I have not mentioned the many examples of honor-status reversal in the Psalms, the Gospels and the various New Testament epistles, I hope you agree that it is plain from the examples noted above.

What is perhaps less plain and more difficult for many Christians to embrace, is that honor-status reversal is for believers, too. As followers of Christ and members of his body, the church, Scripture teaches that we are called to identify with our Lord to such an extent that our relationship with him leads to a magnificent increase in our own honor status.

This has a few key application points which I’ll be exploring in future posts:

The increase in honor status for believers is embedded exclusively and totally in relation to Jesus Christ.
When believers understand and experience an increase to their honor status through Christ, it enables them to resist the shaming techniques of people who are trying to coerce them to leave the faith.
The increase in honor status for believers exists both in community (the church)—and in one’s individual relationship with Christ.
The increase in honor status for believers is a strong catalyst for setting people free from the struggles of sin and shame.
Understanding the dynamics of honor and shame and honor-status reversal can be a key for more effective cross-cultural ministry.

Nine reasons why Christians need to learn how to present the gospel of Christ in the “language of honor and shame”

September 5, 2012Evangelism, Gospel of Jesus, Honor and shameWerner Mischke

The following nine assumptions sum up a complex problem that must be addressed:

Mission and culture experts recognize that the majority of the world’s unevangelized peoples are from societies for whom the pivotal cultural value is “honor and shame”. This may be distinguished from the primary cultural value of the West, which is “justice/guilt” or “innocence/guilt”.
Many of the unreached peoples are also highly resistant to the Gospel. Christianity is perceived by many as a Western religion—an American-style religion—opposed to their own cultural values.
Because of megatrends such as globalization and the migration of peoples, most North American cities have growing communities of Latin American, Middle Eastern, East Asian, South Asian, and African peoples for whom a primary cultural value is honor and shame. Our cities now include individuals and families who have settled into communities here in North America; many are from among unreached, unevangelized and even unengaged people groups
In our cities there is a clash of cultures between the “new residents”—peoples who are largely from the East/South—and the “old residents”—peoples who are more Western in their orientation. This clash of cultures is, in part, the result of deep misunderstanding between immigrant peoples who hold primarily to an honor/shame value system versus a justice/guilt value system.
The increasing diversity of North American cities represents a huge opportunity for Christians to share the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ with their neighbors.
Despite the amazing opportunities to share Christ and the blessing of the Gospel—with new neighbors from distant lands—the vast majority of evangelical churches and their members are afraid, untrained and unprepared to share the Gospel of Christ with people from other cultures.
God’s Word, the Holy Bible, is a book which arose out of Eastern societies. It is God’s truth for salvation; it is God’s truth for every aspect of faith and practice for God’s people, the Church. And because the Bible was written by people with the particular culture values of the Ancient Middle East, the Bible also has as its pivotal cultural value—honor and shame.
There is a standard way for Christians to present the Gospel message; it is to focus on the salvation work of Christ as an answer to the problem of guilt—not the problem of shame. This standard way is a truncated way—it is true, but it is not the whole truth. The Bible, being a book which arose out of an ancient Middle-Eastern context, has much more to say about the problem of shame than what the vast majority of Christians realize. While the Bible certainly does address humanity’s problem of guilt before Almighty God, the Bible also addresses the problem of humanity’s shame before Almighty God.
There is a vacuum of resources for Christians to learn a simple way of sharing the Gospel of Christ with people from honor/shame cultures. We are aware of no currently-available Gospel tracts, no books, no resources to make it easy for ordinary believers to share the gospel of Christ in this way.

We intend to address this problem—through the soon-to-be-released Gospel booklet, “The Father’s Love.”

Free presentation on honor and shame (and other resources)

July 11, 2012Cross-cultural partnership, Cultural intelligence, Global Christian mission, Gospel of Jesus, Honor and shame, Trainingcross-cultural relationships, Honor and shame, story of the prodigal sonWerner Mischke

slideshare screen — “Big Shame or Big Honor? Exploring the Dynamics of Honor and Shame in Cross-Cultural Partnership” — digital slide presentation

Note: Since this was first posted, a fuller list of resources is available on the HONOR-SHAME RESOURCES page for this blog. Click here.

This digital slide presentation is now available for viewing and free downloads. The corresponding video of the full presentation is available here. Presented at the 2012 COSIM conference, this teaching:

Examines the key dynamics of  honor and shame from a  social-science perspective— with examples from Scripture.
Explores honor and shame  as the pivotal cultural value of the Bible, and of most of the Majority World /  unreached peoples.
Examines applications  to cross-cultural ministries  and partnerships through understanding the dynamics of honor and shame.

You can use this slide presentation to:

Learn about the pivotal cultural value of honor and shame—both in the Bible and in many Majority World cultures.
Present the material yourself to your own friends and colleagues engaged in cross-cultural relationship-building.
Begin a conversation to explore the implications of honor and shame in your own cross-cultural relationships and partnerships.

Other resources on honor and shame:

Free 30-page article: Honor & Shame in Cross-Cultural Relationships: Understanding Five Basic Culture Scales Through the Cultural Lens of Honor and Shame—with Application to Cross-Cultural Relationships and Partnerships
Four 10-minute lessons on honor and shame. Click here to learn more. Here are four short lessons—10 to 15 minutes each—to introduce to you some of the
principles of the pivotal cultural value of honor and shame in the Bible—and how it relates to building relationships—with God and across cultures.
Skit about honor and shame in refugee ministry. Give this to your friends who are dramatically inclined. And let them introduce the subject of honor and shame in building cross-cultural relationships—especially with refugees. Two skits compare relational skills. Funny and warm. Click here to download.
Gospel tract: Present the life-transforming message of Jesus Christ in the language of honor and shame—through the story of The Prodigal Son. Here is a gospel tract in development which may radically change how you share the gospel. Check it out here.

The gospel of Jesus in the “language of honor and shame”

June 29, 2012Gospel of Jesus, Honor and shameWerner Mischke

Here is a project I have been working on for the past six months … designing, listening, writing, modifying, seeking more advice, rewriting, redesigning … you get the picture. What a learning journey! (Be sure to scroll down—it’s all there!)

Please Note: This post was updated on July 30, 2012 to reflect modifications made to the gospel tract/booklet. The primary change was in the title. The initial title was “Two Lost Sons”; this has been changed to “The Father’s Love”, as this is the main point of the story. Other changes have also been made to reflect this emphasis on the love of the Father. –wm

It’s a pocket-size booklet that tells the Good News of Jesus Christ through what is commonly known as “The Story of the Prodigal Son.” (Did you know that this story has been often called “the Gospel inside of the Gospel”?)

This is currently being circulated for final comments and suggestions. I want to know what you think, too.

It’s been beautiful to be part of a team of followers of Jesus from around the world working together on this project. We’re still awaiting final versions of three illustrations. I am excited about the potential for this to bless many people. I am hoping it will be translated into many languages.

Developed in a team approach—incorporates ideas from people from America, the Middle East, and Central Asia
Contains The Story of The Prodigal Son—Luke 15:11–32
20 pages, fits into a shirt pocket
Will also be available in PDF for iPad and Smartphones
Designed for interaction and easy conversation
Explains the Gospel of Jesus in the language of honor and shame
Lovingly designed for people from societies whose pivotal cultural value is honor and shame—to understand the basic message of Jesus Christ
Will be made available for translation into various languages.

What do you think?