What is incarnational ministry / incarnational theology, and is it biblical?

Answer

A concise definition of incarnational ministry is “immersing oneself into a local culture and embodying Jesus to that culture.” Incarnational ministry aims to move away from distant ministry and embrace close and personal engagement—the love of God and the gospel of Christ are manifested or personified by the minister. Just as the Son of God took on human form and entered our world, we should adapt to the culture we are ministering to and embody Jesus within it. The concept that Christians should reflect the embodied gospel is known as incarnational theology. A key aspect of the incarnational ministry principle is to “live out the good news rather than just preach it.”

The Christian interpretation of the term incarnation is that “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us” «And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. », (John 1:14). The foundation of Christian faith lies in the belief that God the Son—the Word, the second Person of the Trinity—took on human form when He came into our world. Incarnational theology sees the term incarnation as relevant to the ministry and mission of the church.

However, an excessive focus on incarnation can distort the biblical meaning of the term. We cannot become incarnate like Christ in any way. Stretching the concept of incarnation from John 1:14 to the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20) is not justified. Additionally, the directive to “be Jesus,” as advocated by some proponents of incarnational ministry, is not supported by the Bible. We are called to be Christlike, to follow and learn from Jesus, and to convey His love to the world. However, the Bible never instructs us to be Jesus.

It is believed that incarnational ministers are representations of Jesus’ true self.

One significant concern regarding incarnational ministry is the suggestion that non-believers should be exclusively approached with a “come follow me” approach. The Bible mentions “the offense of the cross” «And I, brethren, if I yet preach circumcision, why do I yet suffer persecution? then is the offence of the cross ceased. », (Galatians 5:11), something that incarnational ministers seek to avoid as they “engage” with the culture and subtly “demonstrate” their faith. There is a risk when personal relationships are given more importance in ministry than preaching the gospel. Genuine believers follow Jesus Christ, not other believers. Genuine believers adhere to God-breathed Scripture, not the teachings or lives of men «All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: », (2 Timothy 3:16). The gospel message is hindered when it becomes associated with the human messenger rather than with Jesus Christ. The relational aspect of ministry is crucial, but we must never distort the gospel message. The cross may seem foolish to some and offensive to others «but we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness; », (1 Corinthians 1:23).

In incarnational ministry, there is a focus on engaging with people and living a Christlike life. Both of these are biblical commands. However, engaging with and immersing in a culture is not the primary mission of the church. These actions are part of fulfilling the church’s central mission, which is to preach the gospel to all corners of the earth. The apostle Paul certainlyUnderstood cross-cultural ministry, and he was willing to be the servant of all (1 Corinthians 9:19-23), yet the gospel was always paramount: “I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified” «For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified. », (1 Corinthians 2:2). It is through “the foolishness of preaching” that God saves those who believe «For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. », (1 Corinthians 1:21).