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St Francis Magazine Vol 6, No 6 | December 2010<br />

This indicates that “extraction” language, whilst rhetorically powerful,<br />

must be c<strong>are</strong>fully qualified in order to preserve <strong>the</strong> nuanced,<br />

Biblical position.<br />

Spiritual/religious extraction always occurs in genuine Christian<br />

salvation, as repentance reorients a believer’s fundamental allegiance<br />

from idols to Christ. This allegiance is expressed by exclusive inward<br />

and outward reverence, 114 an integrity stipulated by <strong>the</strong> psalmist,<br />

115 and characterising God’s faithful remnant. 116 Inward belief<br />

and outward expression can be divided only by recapitulating <strong>the</strong><br />

gnostic denial <strong>of</strong> God’s lordship <strong>over</strong> both <strong>the</strong> spiritual and <strong>the</strong> physical<br />

realm. 117<br />

Sociological extraction may follow spiritual extraction: it depends<br />

on <strong>the</strong> response <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> local community to <strong>the</strong> believer’s public confession<br />

<strong>of</strong> faith.<br />

Cultural extraction, however, is not necessary for salvation. That<br />

many Arab believers today identify <strong>the</strong>mselves as both Arabs and<br />

Christians belies <strong>the</strong> assumption that Islam and culture <strong>are</strong> completely<br />

inextricable. 118 This suggests, in turn, an alternative to C5 contextualisation:<br />

by working closely with local <strong>church</strong>es, missionaries may<br />

find that indigenous believers have already disc<strong>over</strong>ed acceptable,<br />

non-Islamic cultural forms that can be used appropriately to contextualise<br />

<strong>the</strong> gospel. 119<br />

When evaluated <strong>against</strong> <strong>the</strong>se categories, <strong>the</strong> disadvantage <strong>of</strong> IMs<br />

becomes clear. Sociological extraction may well be minimised, but<br />

at <strong>the</strong> cost <strong>of</strong> spiritual extraction from <strong>the</strong> saved community. MBBs<br />

who remain “inside” <strong>the</strong> Muslim community position <strong>the</strong>mselves<br />

114 Nikides, ‘Lost in Translation’, p. 10.<br />

115 Psalm 15; 24:3-4; 86:11.<br />

116 1 Kings 19:18.<br />

117 Nikides, ‘A Response to Kevin Higgins’, p. 96.<br />

118 To be exact, “Masihiyin,” <strong>the</strong> common Arabic term for “Christians.” Stringer,<br />

‘Of Straw Men and Stereotypes’, p. 591.<br />

119 Smith, ‘An Assessment <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Insider Principle Paradigms’, p. 48.<br />

905<br />

St Francis Magazine is published by Interserve and Arab Vision

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