Journal Article
1 October 2024
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Volume 20, Issue 2 (2024)Read More
Current Articles
Journal Article1 October 2024
Contextual Theology
This issue of the Journal of Adventist Mission Studies focuses on the importance of doing contextual theology.Editorial1 January 2024
Editorial
Doing theology is really a very simple process that involves prayerful reflection as one searches for biblical principles to guide in deciding how to approach and handle everyday issues.Journal Article1 January 2024
Spiritual and Theological Foundations for Ministry among Secret Followers of Christ
This article provides a spiritual and theological foundation for mentoring and discipling young women who are secret followers of Christ in a restricted access country. The objective of this article is to encourage effective mentoring and discipling that can contribute to shaping an individual’s spiritual growth in Christ. By nurturing these relationships, I seek to establish a supportive community that empowers young women in their spiritual journeys.Journal Article1 January 2024
Biblical and Theological Principles for a Chaplaincy Ministry
The term chaplaincy does not directly appear in the Bible. However, the principles of chaplaincy are very much present in the Scriptures. Jesus, the greatest chaplain, was present in the Garden of Eden. Later, he incarnated as a human to this fallen world to be with humanity, to go through what human beings go through. A chaplain primarily is present with the people; therefore, a ministry of presence, empathy, giving wise counsel, and many other qualities describe what a chaplain is. This article looks at biblical and theological principles to guide a chaplaincy ministry from Scripture as well as from other Christian literature. Robert Crick outlines a few core theological principles of chaplaincy. Chaplains “are motivated by the core belief that God is the creator of all things; therefore, all things belong to Him, even the secular” (2012:23).Journal Article1 January 2024
A Biblical and Theological Foundation to Disciple and Retain Adventist Yorla
This article considers literature on interfaith marriages and draws principles especially relevant for Adventist Yorla from the writings of Ellen G. White and the lives and examples of Ruth, Abigail, and Esther. It then, explains the advice for Christians whose spouses were unbelievers from Paul and Peter in 1 Corinthians 7:12-16 and 1 Peter 3:1,2. Adventist Yorla refers to Adventist women married to non-Adventists in Tangkhul terms. Thus, the term interfaith marriage, which refers to the union of two individuals from different religious or denominational backgrounds, applies in this context. In the context of the Tangkhul tribe, which is a patriarchal society and all that entails, Adventist women, after marriage, are expected to follow the denomination or religion of their husband. Therefore, spiritual differences at home exist, especially regarding keeping the Sabbath and diet, as Adventists uphold the dietary principles of Scripture regarding clean and unclean animals.Journal Article1 January 2024
Biblical and Theological Principles for Ministry to the Deaf and Other Isolated Groups
Deaf people are one of the largest unreached groups in the world (Lowenstein 2019, para. 2). To reach this group with the gospel, it is vital to build a solid biblical foundation for ministry to deaf individuals. The knowledge of God and the importance of faith, hope, and trust in God are often limited among deaf communities despite technological advancements (Broesterhuizen 2005:307). It is essential to show the different groups of deaf communities scattered around the world that Jesus loves them and that “the Bible is at heart a text that is positive for all marginalized people, whether poor, or female, or black, or disabled or deaf” (Lewis 2007:108). This article focuses on a biblical and theological foundation for ministry to the deaf and other isolated groups. This article also plays a role in developing and implementing project-related strategies. I will first establish a foundation of ministry to the deaf and other isolated groups as found in the Old Testament. Then, I look at passages of ministry to deaf people in the New Testament, followed by a section that reviews Ellen White’s statements on ministry to deaf people. I also look at other Adventist literature and draw theological implications from their statements. In the last section of this chapter, I have mentioned principles for ministry to deaf communities from Adventist literature, especially Adventist Possibilities Ministries of the General Conference, and other Christian literature.Journal Article1 January 2024
Biblical and Theological Basis for a Premarital Counseling Ministry
Marriage is one of the two institutions God ordained before sin entered this world and is God’s ideal for all people. The history of marriage begins along with the history of creation. The account of the first marriage is found in the Book of Genesis, which also contains the history of several other good and not so good marriages. Over the years, the purpose of marriage has been weakened so that today, many cultures have reinvented and reshaped marriage to suit their need. However, in God’s perspective, marriage is still the unchangeable foundation for human life. The apostle Paul says, “Marriage is honorable among all, and the bed undefiled; but fornicators and adulterers God will judge” (Heb 13:4). Genesis 24 describes the various steps taken by Abraham as he planned for Isaac’s marriage. In 2 Corinthians, the apostle Paul warns church members not to be “unequally yoked” in marriage. Samson and Delilah (Judges 13-16) are an example of an “unequally yoked” couple. As a pastor, I often see young people who are not keen on following the biblical principles of marriage. The results of such marriages are cause for concern. Because some inter-denominational and inter-religious marriages result in divorce due to tensions with religions, it is important to address this challenge, so this is where the need for premarital counselling arises. In this article, the first section examines the biblical foundation for marriage and family life. God’s intention for marriage is discussed, Old Testament patterns of marriage are reviewed, and lessons are drawn. The apostle Paul’s writings contribute much to setting forth the principles for present-day marriages. Special attention is given to 2 Corinthians 6:14, which says, “Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness?” Multiple examples of interfaith marriages are briefly looked at in this section. This article is not only about Adventists and their marital life. It deals with other people with different faith backgrounds. Therefore, part of this article discusses the principles other Christian writers have about marriage. Ellen White is one of the Adventist writers who wrote widely on the importance of following God’s principles in every aspect of one’s life. Her writings are used to help form a model for the family and her writings on preparation for marriage are used as the basis for an Adventist approach to premarital counseling. Other Adventist writers’ contributions in this regard are also dealt with. The concluding part of this article looks at existing Seventh-day Adventist beliefs and practices of marriage. How the Seventh-day Adventist Church looks at this issue is discussed, followed by studies and materials within the Adventist Church that can help in forming a new strategy to influence people of other faiths through a premarital counselling approach. A biblical foundation for marriage is included as part of the discussion in the next section.Journal Article1 January 2024
Mechanics and Dimensions of Divine Forgiveness
Central to Christianity is the doctrine of forgiveness, yet no unified understanding or coherent concept of forgiveness exists in Christian discourse. Understandings of the process of forgiveness invariably depend on denominational traditions, beliefs, values, and practices (Worthington et al. 2019). A point of convergence is the view that forgiveness relates to the physical or psychological harm or wrongdoing inflicted by one person on another (Słowikowski 2020:56). There is also agreement that forgiveness is of different types: interpersonal, intrapersonal, and God-to-human (Fincham 2022; Maranges and Fincham 2024; Shah et al. 2024). The first two types constitute human (earthly) forgiveness, and the third Divine. Group and organizational or societal forgiveness are included as other types of human forgiveness (Worthington et al. 2019; Houwelingen et al. 2022; Haikola 2023a). Although interconnected, the various types of forgiveness are often studied in a silo-like fashion (Krause 2017:129; Fincham and May 2022). Besides, extant research focuses lopsidedly on the benefits of forgiveness. Disagreement exists about the origins of forgiveness studies. Worthington et al. (2019) say that Christian writers have written about forgiveness for centuries (see Haikola 2023a:693), while others suggest that forgiveness research is of recent vintage (Słowikowski 2020:56; Fincham and May 2023:175; Haikola 2023b). Conspicuous in the forgiveness discourse is the relative absence of systematic research on Divine forgiveness, the most consequential type (Couenhoven 2010:166; Chen et al. 2019:650; Fincham 2022:451; Fincham and May 2023:174). This might be due to the failure of many Christians to critically consider the concept of forgiveness itself (Morales-Gudmundsson 2007:18; Olafsson 2007:34). That failure confirms a central thesis of this article: that many in Christendom intuitively assume that God automatically and unconditionally grants forgiveness. It might also be due to the general publication apathy shown by mainstream publishers and media toward works of biblical scholarship in contemporary society. Moberly (2024:273) states that “secularized Western culture has generally lost interest in the Bible (other than as a source of certain images and tropes).” Our article focuses on Divine forgiveness. The importance of religion and spirituality in many people’s lives means that novel perspectives are needed to inspire deeper conversations and enhance understanding of this key soteriological and human behavioural theme. Urgency attaches, considering the unknowability of the timing of death and the close of probation, as well as the divergence in understanding of Divine forgiveness among Christian denominations (Worthington et al. 2019:1). We enter into the arena with some clarity and certainty, doing so by introducing the concept of Discretionary Divine Forgiveness [DDF], in opposition to the idea of automatic Divine forgiveness espoused by Eleonore Stump (2018). We present a model of the mechanics of DDF as a heuristic to stimulate research in this key area of Theism, Christology, missiology, and mission. The article fills a gap in Christian theological discourse, by distinguishing itself as an original, first known, and potentially seminal work to examine the processes entailed in Divine forgiveness. Grounding the article is the thesis that irrespective of its timing or circumstances, Divine forgiveness is entirely discretionary. Forgiveness is a gift graciously and mercifully given to sinners by God. An even more radical state of affairs holds in DDF thought: God does not always automatically forgive sin even if a person is remorsefully contrite, because God owes no one any duty of forgiveness. Neither does anyone have any right of forgiveness with him. These overarching claims emanate from several propositions the first and foremost of which states that all Divine acts are manifestations of God’s absolute discretion. God is his own supreme authority, and he acts as he decides. Divine action is intrinsic to God’s sovereign, underived authority (Job 38; Rom 9:19-21). There is no power or authority higher than God, therefore, Divine decisions are final and unappealable. When God covenanted with Abraham and promised to make him the father of nations, he swore by himself because there was no authority greater than him to swear by (Gen 22:16-17; Heb 6:13-16). We pursue our goal in several steps. Immediately following this introduction is a description of the principle applied in our analysis. We then lay a foundation by foraying into hamartiology, because no analysis of forgiveness would be complete without an examination of the phenomenon (sin) that necessitates Divine intervention. Next, we identify key differences between earthly and heavenly forgiveness, and follow it with a comparison of the participants and their respective roles in the transgression– forgiveness dynamic. Thereafter, we discuss the DDF concept that birthed this work. We then conclude the article but not before considering the practical implications of DDF. Its relatability and practicality are the strengths and promise of DDF, but the work as a whole extends beyond theological philosophizing. It has wider implications for Christ-like living, soteriology, and mission. It is to the analytic principle we now turn.Journal Article1 January 2024
The Healing Power of Forgiveness
“I can never forgive him!” Angry tears rolled down her face as she spat out the words. “He lied about me in court, turned my children against me, and refuses to protect them from physical and sexual abuse! How can I forget these terrible things and excuse his behavior?” I listened as she vented her anger and frustration. Then, after the emotion was spent, I asked if I could share what I have learned about forgiveness, what it is and what it isn’t. Eventually through many tears and prayers, this woman was set free from the bitterness of her situation. She experienced God in a new way through the healing power of pardon. In fact, Christianity is distinguished from all other religions by its teaching on forgiveness. No other religion has a loving, creator God who died a cruel death so that forgiveness of sin can occur. No other religion instructs its followers to extend that same forgiveness to others. Webster’s New World Dictionary defines “forgive” as (1) to give up resentment against or the desire to punish; stop being angry with (2) to give up all claim to punish or exact penalty for an offense (3) to cancel or remit (a debt). This article will discuss these three aspects of forgiveness and three main fallacies circulating about forgiveness.Journal Article1 January 2024