This paper examines Paul G. Hiebert’s influential “critical contextualization” framework (notably developed in his 1994 book Anthropological Reflections on Missiological Issues) and proposes the “biblical missions model” as a necessary enhancement for contemporary missiology. While Hiebert’s model has provided valuable guidance for evangelical missionaries navigating cultural complexities, it is time for an updated response to the current contextualization strategies that have increasingly drifted toward cultural accommodation at the expense of biblical faithfulness.
The biblical missions model preserves Hiebert’s core concerns about syncretism during the indigenization process of church planting, and strengthens his conceptual framework with more robust theological, linguistic, and transformational parameters.
The paper first analyzes Hiebert’s critical contextualization approach, highlighting its strengths: observing the local culture phenomenologically, recognizing sin’s corruption of culture, rooting out subtle forms of syncretism, and seeking authentically indigenous expressions of biblical faith. However, two critical areas require enhancement: the need to define clearer parameters for biblical cultural engagement with an explicit focus on preaching and teaching the biblical text, and the need to strengthen the theological safeguards against syncretism during the indigenization process.
The biblical missions model introduces the term “missiological propositional assertion” as a key motif that Hiebert’s critical contextualization would support. The term is described as “the theological activity of the biblical expositor to intentionally target a culture’s beliefs and worldviews, using the propositions of Scripture, without accommodating the wording or concepts of biblical truths to the thought patterns of unbelievers.” Such assertion, both winsome and direct, operates according to the Great Commission mandate through three essential parameters: theological (Scripture’s authority over all cultural expressions), linguistic (the translatability of biblical meaning across cultures), and transformational (prioritizing individual conversion and church-based discipleship).
The paper briefly surveys select examples to demonstrate that the biblical missions model is not novel, but has proven effective across diverse cultural contexts, in line with Hiebert’s expectations for the Word of God among local believers. Examples are drawn from Pauline writings (Paul’s ministry in Lystra, Athens, and Thessalonica), early church history (Tertullian, Aristides, and Diognetus), and Modern-era mission fields (Carey in India, Judson in Burma, and Taylor in China). The biblical missions model thus remains a ready pathway for evangelism and church planting today, as well as for practitioners and scholars to respond to the challenges posed by the pragmatic, non-proclamational approaches that have negatively influenced contemporary missiology.