Book Review of Thabiti Anyabwile’s “The Gospel for Muslims”
May 14, 2010 – 11:24 am
A Christian friend of Missions Mandate with extensive contact with Muslims recently prepared the following book review of Thabiti Anyabwile’s The Gospel for Muslims: An Encouragement to Share Christ with Confidence:
I want to highly recommend the book, The Gospel for Muslims, An Encouragement to Share Christ with Confidence, by Thabiti Anyabwile (TA), published by Moody in 2010. Unlike other books concerning witnessing to Muslims, this is not really a book on defending the faith (14) but a study on sharing the truths of the gospel with the attitude of confidence in the gospel.
TA believes that we ought to believe that there is power in the gospel to convert anyone, regardless of their beliefs. After all, it is power, as a former Muslim, he has experienced (22). TA exhorts us to believe in the power of the gospel (13), and to “go out and play [our] part in God’s bigger story of bringing people from every nation to a saving knowledge of His Son.” (172)!
Following the introduction, the book is divided into two parts, “the gospel” (chapters 1-5) and “as you witness” (chapters 6-11). In part one TA writes about God; sin; Jesus as the God-man and as the resurrected sacrificial lamb; and biblical repentance and faith. The importance of this first part is identifying the aspects of the biblical gospel which address the problems in the Muslim worldview.
Here are three examples. (1) Sin often rests lightly on the Muslim’s conscience. Sin is “weakness” or “transgression” rather than “wickedness” or “treason” (45-46). So, we must speak of God’s wrath as it is poured out in Hell against sin (49). (2) We might be tempted to avoid speaking of the mystery of the Trinity. Yet, TA encourages us to cling to the Trinity “because apart from the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, there is no possibility of eternal salvation” (37). Moreover, “Each Person in the Godhead plays an essential part in redeeming sinners from judgment and bringing them to eternal life” (38). (3) We must answer the accusation that God is unjust to sacrifice the innocent Jesus for the sins of the guilty by noting that “Jesus’ sacrifice does not call God’s justice into question; it demonstrates it” (75)! So, specific biblical points counter specific Muslim objections. Very helpful.
In the second part, TA commends these attitudes and graces “as we witness” to Muslims: being filled with the Spirit (versus being filled with fear, for example); trusting the Bible; being hospitable (versus filled with hate, and so on); using your local church; and preparing to suffer for the name. His final chapter is a brief study of the dominant narrative among African-American Muslims: Islam is tied to survival of their community (167), while Christianity gets blasted for the ills (168).
In this second part he encourages Christian women to host Muslim women-often the only way Muslim women will hear the good news is through Christian women who befriend them. Additionally, “Knowing Muslim customs [such as serving them tea, cookies, pastries, fruits, nuts, and chips, and offering seconds even if they refuse seconds] shows you are sensitive and thoughtful of the other person” and helps overcome stereotypes (131). He also encourages Christian women to dress modestly so as to adorn the gospel (131).
Helpful as well is his call to involve the local assembly (with their unique gifts) as a part of the Christians’ witness to Muslims. In fact, overcoming one of the charges against Christians, their hypocrisy, can happen through introducing your Muslim friends to your church friends who love God and hate sin (136-139). Finally, TA makes us think biblically about suffering for our gospel witness. We must count “Christ [as] a greater treasure than all the world can offer” (160). And, with this proper perspective, there is righteousness obtained and rewards to be won (155-57).
If the Muslim counters the Christian’s efforts to give the gospel by appealing to the Quran, TA encourages us to employ the snippets of truth within the Quran to bring them back to the Bible. TA thanks God for the “kindness to Muslims and to Christians” in including in the Quran “ample…reason for the Muslim to accept the Bible” (29; cf. 29-32). “The point,” he says, “is not to concede that the Quran itself is inspired revelation from God, but to lovingly push our Muslim neighbors and friends to the logical conclusion the Quran requires-the Bible is trustworthy revelation from God” (32; cf. 110).
Muslims might object to this argument, saying that these other revelations-the Torah, Psalms, and Gospel-and those which are found in the Bible of today are different. But TA downplays their rebuttal, noting that neither the Quran nor the Hadith (the traditions concerning Mohammad) clearly state that these revelations have been corrupted or changed, only that they have been misunderstood (113-114). Some may object this usage of the Quran. But when he listened to the Quran, TA left Islam (19). He believes if others listen to their Quran and turn to the Bible, they, too, will embrace Christianity (110).
When reading materials on Muslim evangelism, one might easily have the impression that the gospel is not powerful in meeting the spiritual needs of Muslims. I did not come away with this thought after listening to TA. Instead, I learned some specific ways the gospel defeats Islamic doctrine and some specific practices to commend the gospel to my Muslim neighbors. I concur with J. Mack Stiles, who introduces the book: “This is a book I’ve been wanting for a long time” (10).
- A friend of MM
To hear Thabiti’s conversion story and learn more about his burden to reach Muslims, listen to this audio interview of Thabiti from 2006.
Cf. recent MM blog post on Thabiti’s book as well as J.D. Greear’s Breaking the Islam Code.
