This is inevitably accepted truth that the evangelists present the same person, Jesus of the Nazareth, but in their own context that made four different Gospels in our New Testament as a result. This principle is going on throughout centuries until today. For nearest instance, we can see the book of Acts. This Lucan second volume gives us a hint that Christianity has started as a small remnant under the Jewish influence and later was more and more hellenized as the close of the apostolic age is coming near. In the same boat, the 18th and 19th centuries Gospel-presentation and mission services that mostly came from Western world were named to be westernized.[1] Having a base on this historic principle, we are expected to have an appropriate (appropriate) dialogue with our own Myanmar context in presenting Christ, who is the fulfiller of the Law of his own local context.[2]
The word "kingdom" means, "Country ruled by a king or queen"[3]
or "sovereign power or authority." [4]
The Bible uses the title "king" or "kingdom" several times to mention both human rulers and their domain, and the unseen rulership of the creator in special concern.
Our article here intends to use the terms to describe the sovereignty of God, which is the central theme of Christian message.
Thus, "Kingdom gospel" might better be defined as the good news of the sovereignty of God that was fully shown in the life and teaching of Jesus Christ.
In homiletical point of view, Kingdom Gospel is way of presenting the Gospel, basically centered on divine sovereignty, and thus it sounds like command,
full of authority and power, but promising new life to those who come with a heart of repentance and faith. In contrast to the old model,
it gives no choice but calls for a "must". Because, it is not a mere celebration but a declaration of the sovereign rule of God for which purpose Jesus Christ has come.
The establishment of Myanmar runs back to not less than 2000 years in the past.
Since the first century A.D., Pro or Pyo civilization had taken place in central Myanmar. City-states, such as Vishnu, Halin, Threkhittra, Thuwunna-bumi, etc.,
were central powers of the time.[5] The first Burman kingdom was
established by King Anawratha around 1057 (1044), centered at Pagan. Bagan Dynasty lasted with the invasion of Mongols in 1287. In 1531, Taunggu Dynasty was established and survived until 18th century.
In 1755, Chief of Shewboo, later known as King Alaungphaya, reunited the nation and established Kongbawng Dynasty, which has 11 hereditary kings until the last King Sipaw was
ported to India in 1885. This long history teaches us that Myanmar had enjoyed kingly rulership for centuries that shaped modern Burman philosophy. Since monarchical leadership system occupied the land for years,
our Burman way of life became captured under chain of command, which our modern community still apparently practices. We have to obey our parents without exception. We have to pay homage to elderly person without reserve.
We have to listen to schoolmasters with little chance of discussion, etc. Thus, our communication between the leader and the led, the head and the group, the senior and the junior is absolutely one-way.[6] And more, the led or the junior itself, thinking it is as an usual way, expects for any command type relationship only.
The evangelistic approach that opens "chance of choice" is the best method for centuries in Christianized Western world. Its historic parliamentary and democratic government-system,
in addition to its Christianized civilization, seem paved the way to be. But, it sometimes goes beyond oriental thinking, which knew only to obey and just to listen. Moreover, Burmans love politeness and value friendship.
Normally, they don't want to annul the existing friendship brutally by showing their inconvenience. In fact, they wouldn't say "no" to any gospel-presenter no matter that they really understand the message or not,
for responding with the answer "no" is so impolite way in Burman thinking. They easily say "yes (&ygw,f^vufcHygw,f; tansliteration, Yabade/Letkhanbade)" for maintaining present relationship. But, they wouldn't come and visit to church.
In that way, list of member grows and lots of members are still lost. With many confessing members in list, true Christians are still the same 6+% of the whole population since the last twenty years ago. Therefore,
we need today a new evangelistic approach that does not end merely with the answer "yes" or "no" but that demands strong decision and actual submission.
Unger gives a short comment on the Gospel of Matthew that it presented the life of Jesus Christ particularly to Jewish converts.[7] Many theological themes such as fulfillment of the Old Testament and the outworking of two great covenants (Abrahamic and Davidic) that Matthew expressed indicate that the apostle was very purposeful in writing the first gospel to present Jesus of the Nazareth in the way that Jews expected their promised Messiah. We are challenged and also expected today to have the same conviction to present Christ in the way that the Burmans empathetically and enthusiastically would response the gospel. Here are given some outline, intending toward developing Kingdom Gospel in Myanmar Context:
The Creation and Sovereignty of God. This statement emphasizes the rulership and ownership of God over the creature. Since parents are thought as source of life (translit: mwetaphakhin-mwetamikhin), giving homage to our parents without reserve is an accepted culture in Myanmar.
For Burmans, sinning against parent is worth to hell (translit: ngayekyi) and giving full homage to parents is compulsory, moreover, it is thought as our inborn duty (translit: wuttaya). Parents are listed in a group of great and honorable persons (translit: anandaw ananda gaing); namely, god or Buddha, truth or doctrine, monk or priest, teacher, and parent.
Comparably, we can present here the Creator, who is the real source of life, as Mweta-phakhin to whom all honor and worship (homage) should be directed. Praises be to God the Creator! Therefore, this will be a challenge for new generation to conclude all our theological discussions,
giving special emphasis on the creation and our inborn responsibility to the Creator, into the Mweta-phakhinship of God.
Lord of Retribution or Justice. This second topic stresses the sovereignty of God over Karma or "actions, good or bad". Buddhism, which had almost all influenced present Burman way of thinking and life-style, found its root in Hinduism. Its central teaching sprouted out from the belief of the law of karma,
the sum of a human being's actions, carried forward from one life to the next, resulting in an improved or worsened fate,[8] may have the same value of Christian teaching of retribution principle that our Wisdom books, such as Job, Psalms, Proverbs, etc, convey.
But, the weak point of this Hinduisitic karmaism is
the absence of further explanation on what kind of force keeps this karma alive. Biblical Wisdom literature claims that God as the Lord of history, who takes account of all doings past, present, and future, and the Lord of the retribution, who repays back every actions according to the weight of our sins.
Therefore, we can attribute God as the Lord and master-career of karma, which was indicated by Jesus Christ in such biblical incidents: the healing of a blind man of John 9:1-7, and the healing incident of Matthew 9:1-5, etc.[9]
The Life of Jesus Christ is the Manifestation of the unfailing Truth or Taya. Buddhism excludes the teaching about eternal God or sovereign God, to enforce its self-relying doctrine. It is a distinctiveness of Buddhism. But, Buddish Burmans believe in the ever-existence of "taya,[10] meaning truth or doctrine (probably the same idea with Hellenistic logos)." They believe that taya determines right or wrong, controls our present life, and even destines our future. Therefore, I think, we can stress favorable length of dialogue between Burman taya concept and Johannie logos concept.
For instance, let us try John 1:1 by replacing the old translation-word "Nokapattaw" with this new usage "taya." I think that "taya" can better describe the original intention of the Apostle when he used logos, and hope that you will find a clearer insight and deeper feeling with this usage.
Thus, presenting or constructing our Christology by giving special consideration to taya, might be the most understandable and acceptable approach to Myanmar context.
In summary, presenting the Gospel with the emphasis both on divine sovereignty (His ownership of life, His rulership over human destiny, His mastership over karma, and His tayaship in present life) and our sole responsibility to God as a life-borrower, as a sinner, and as a lost and blind might be the Gospel for Myanmar. Thus, we name it "Kingdom Gospel in Myanmar Context." Finally, I would like to remind that the only purpose of this presentation is to make a creative FORM of gospel-presentation (theological construction in technical term) that best fits Burman context while trying to keep on the original CONTENT of the Gospel that the foundational Apostles laid.
[1] Herbert Kane, A Concise History of Christian Mission, 162.
[2] MT 5:17 "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them." (NIV. Zondervan, 1989)
[3] "Kingdom," Oxford Learner's Dictionary (New Edition). (Exford University Press, 1991).
[4] "Myanmar" section, Hutchinson Educational Encyclopedia 2000.
[5] boef;? OD;/ ausmif;okH;jrefrm&mZ0if}(&efukefNrKdU/ xGef;xGef;ukrUPD? 1953) (U Bathan; Kyaungthong Myanma Yazawun)/
[6] Richard Lawrence O. & Clyde Hoeldtke; A Theology of Church Leadership (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1980).
[7] "Introductory part of Matthew," New Unger's Bible Dictionary (Moody Press of Chicago, Illinois, 1988).
[8] "Karma" section, The Hutchinson.
[9] In his claim mentioned in Matthew 9:1-5 and John 9:1-3, Jesus does not intend to exclude the divine retribution-principle but his intention is to make clear that he has the authority to judge and to free, to bind and to loose, to blame and to forgive.
[10] Taya can be translated in many ways. In judicial court, taya has an equal meaning to English word for "truth" or "justice" but in religio-social affairs it means "doctrine" or "teaching"; And more, taya can also be translated as fact or law in wider sense
but its true meaning is still further than those, probably has the same idea with Hellenistic logos. Buddhism believes that all things are controlled by taya, which is eternally unfailing truth. Let's have a look at how Burmans beleive in taya in their proverbs: translit, taya akyu pe (taya repays back good for good), taya saungthu ko taya ma de (taya saves those who keep taya), te-chin taya aso maya naing (No one can overcomes law or taya of death).
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