What is the goal of decoding the gospel message from its original cultural setting and encoding it in a recipient culture?

• A. To minimize intrusion from the missionary's own culture and raise up within-target-culture sources
• B. To fully replace the recipient's culture with the missionary's own culture
• C. To translate the gospel word-for-word
• D. To avoid engaging with the recipient culture altogether

Answer: (A)

Contextualization aims to communicate the gospel by interpreting it within the recipient culture and encoding it in culturally meaningful forms. The goal is to minimize intrusion from the missionary’s own culture and to raise up sources from within the target culture to carry the message. This approach emphasizes using the local language, symbols, practices, and leadership so the gospel resonates and endures in that community, rather than imposing the missionary’s culture. It doesn’t mean replacing the recipient culture with the missionary’s, nor does it advocate word-for-word translation that ignores context, nor does it avoid engaging with the culture at all.