Bible Discussion Thread Page 2

Thanks for your reply . Time and space will not allow everything that could be said to be said but I have written another post on the subject of culture before this one which might help to explain my thinking .

While I have not been out in the mission field per se . I married a French woman and we often went to France . I have also most of my Christian life been out and about preaching the gospel alone and with the church members to which I attend .

I have also taught Asian langauge students develop their English so I am a little conversant with cultures very different from ' western' ones as well as going to Africa once .( Nigeria)

So my thinking is not without some foundation of experience but more certainly by the scriptures for there I read of a culture like nothing on earth and to which all men by natural birth have no knowledge or experience of at all .Though some try devilish means to find some other way .

I'm an Englishman and thankful to God for being so born .This country has enjoyed more liberty in law religion and politic progressively and for longer than any other nation on earth . But we have exchanged the truth for a lie our liberty for bondage and our true Christian heritage for "a mess of pottage ". Our ' culture' has changed and not for the better .and we have become much like it was in Gidions day .and for the same reasons .

God raised up the Assyrians to be not only the scourge of the children of Isreal for their hypocrocy and idolitory but also and worse to the gentiles . God has not changed .

The children of Isreal " were improvised" and Gidion was hiding as he threshed his wheat . The church is in 'hiding'.

It has heard of God and what God did in the past but knows little today of the Great" I am ".

That's the culture I'm looking for and promoting and while I can be patient and gracious with others when I can , I'm not unaware that they are opposed to the gospel even as our present 'culture'is.

It's been good chatting brother. And thanks for those further insights, particularly your great efforts in sharing the Gospel with others & your experience with different 'cultures'.

France has always been close to my heart, having served a very short stint with a mission team (in 1988); our small group of young men wisely called, "L'equipe Commando" as our very limited knowledge of the language compelled us to bombard various small French towns (between Le Grand-Bourg and Limoges) with the Gospel (tracts). That's all we did for a month, living out of tents by the roadside & feasting on baguettes. The next month, I was sent to Dewsbury (W. Yorks), sharing with the Muslims there (some went to Bradford), and then for a much longer term, to Karachi, Pakistan. You will agree, all different cultures in that time (RC to traditional/atheist to Muslim) and to learn from them; but all needing to hear the same Gospel message of salvation only through Jesus, the blessed Son of God. Many seeds sown - we can only pray for much watering over them & workers ready to harvest.

Page 2. Gerald

When cultures are crossed, the message of the Gospel remains the same, but how it is presented is most important, if that message is to be received & believed.

If I might share quickly about a cultural no-no that I committed while sharing Christ in Pakistan in the 80s. I went into a small store where the owner and his daughter were serving customers. After the customers left, I offered my (Christian) books/Gospel to them & found them to be quite receptive. They spoke English well and so was able to speak of Christ's Life & Work plus the book that they were interested in. Having such a good reception in such a country brought me great joy & I shook the man's hand to thank him and wish him goodbye, and then automatically went to shake his daughter's hand. She took fright and withdrew, with her Dad quickly explaining to me that that sort of thing was not done in a Muslim country (i.e. to shake hands with any female). Now, I should have known better and I apologized profusely. If I had opposed them on such a strange practice, they would have become angry and probably thrown the book away & become more resistant to the Gospel. But I left on good terms, praying that the message in that little book would settle deep into their hearts and they would overlook my ignorance, rather consider the merits of the Savior.

So, I trust you can see what I meant by understanding where "the people were at in their culture", and not a comparison of "the culture of the world to the culture of Heaven", to which there is certainly no comparison. GBU.

Thank you for your thoughtful reply .

On such a site as in any 'text' message misunderstandings can easily happen either because of a ill thought out mode of expression or simply because your not ' hearing' r seeing what people are saying .

So we all need patience with each other and not 'jump to conclusions' .

While I understand your point and the culture with which we might be faced with has many variations for each it seems emphasise parts that others see of No or little consequence.

And your example is a good one but it is not is it the gospel? It is simply tradition and social mores of a people .

The gospel cannot be changed to suit any culture .

Not shaking hands with a Muslim woman is more to do with wisdom than it is to do with the gospel .

But the greater includes the lesser but the lesser never includes the greater .

The approach to any man is where man is spiritually . And if we preach it is not so much to the English the Pakistani or Indian etc but rather to his Adamic nature .For it is that which has to change .

The rest will follow .

We are not talking about langauge for the gospel can be spoken in any langauge but we are lost if we try and make it 'fit' into a culture or conform to its sensibilities for whatever culture it is ,it never saved anyone .

But rather keeps them blinded to the truth for at root all cultures have their foundations in its particular religion.

A child of God is an ambassador of another kingdom and a true church of God is an embassy .

That kingdom is of " Gods dear Son " and we are of the light " the true light .

All the kingdoms of this world ( including the UK) are built on a foundation of treachery murder bloodshed and war .and if the UK or another turned out differently it was only by the grace of God. Nevertheless we seek a City that hath foundations who's builder and maker is God" we represent a kingdom and are citizens of it that is going to last forever for it is built on better foundations .

I do agree Gerald, that the Gospel will always be the same, it never changes even for the culturally different groups one might be sharing it with. So, it's not the Gospel content that I'm thinking of here, but what is said that brings the Gospel to what could be a hardened, resistant people.

Sure, there are folk at various spiritual levels or mind-types that we encounter. Some might have been exercised already in spirit by the Holy Spirit & keen to meet and discuss the way of Salvation. Others, might be indifferent, who will give ear to what you say, smile & shrug you off. Yet others, having their own belief or religious system, would have nothing to do with this so-called 'Western religion' (as some call it). But if we seek to understand where each one of these groups is at, their beliefs, their personal struggles, their questions of life & the hereafter, etc., then if given space, we have a wonderful opportunity to empathize with them & bring the Words of Jesus, and Truths that they might have never heard of or considered before. Once that 'open ear and heart' are presented to us, the Gospel, the everlasting Gospel, can be shared with them, as to those who are now hearing NOT a Christian message, but a message of great Love from the God Who made them, His Sacrifice proving that Love, and Who desires their love & faithfulness.

If we don't come with such an attitude and Gospel presentation, we may as well just conduct an evangelistic crusade and gather as many as desire to come into the Gospel invitation net, unmindful of that one or two still struggling with sin but left for home still bound & desolate. But most of us are not in that league of holding crusades, & personal evangelism is about the best we can do & to do it, I believe, we must be very cognizant of the one being reached. We're responsible for delivering the Gospel into their ears & minds - the Holy Spirit will make it real & meaningful in their hearts, unto those appointed to Eternal Life.

Mark 1:15

"And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel."

Matthew 24:14

"And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come."

Matthew 19:17

"And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments."

Revelation 22:14

"Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city."

Matthew 24:35

"Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away."

Blessings