It's a Priority Thing

It has been a few weeks since my last post and I have been pondering quite a lot. The urgency I felt concerning the return of Christ has me asking questions such as “how does one life with a prioritized urgency toward the return of Christ?” The question seems rather cavernous to me. We have all heard the stories of incorrect urgency like date setting, monetary mishaps, and general chaos but the doctrine of the return of Jesus Christ should cause us to live in certain ways with certain priorities.

One idea that crossed my mind was that the urgency of Christ’s return should push us into completing the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20). While this is definitely not a new idea and probably is the first thing many of you thought of as well, I pondered the Great Commission in the midst of everyday life. Daily life seems to get in the way of the great commission which then removes the urgency of the return of Christ from thought. This is a problem because the Great Commission is not just for clergy or career missionaries. Again, I admit all these thoughts are not new but current in my mind. I do think that the urgency of Christ’s return is possibly less prominent in modern western Christianity, as a motivation than say general good discipleship practices.  We shouldn’t evangelize to be good Christians. We evangelize because Jesus is going to return. Our daily situation should be proven to be opportunistic for evangelism, not limiting. Evangelism can be so many things.  One thing, I thought I should mention, is that if your church has evangelism programs or mission outreach, plan on getting involved on some level or increasing your level. Participating in corporate evangelism efforts will raise your awareness on a daily level. If your church doesn’t have an outreach ministry then you could help create one. I am not suggesting a “Billy Graham” sized ministry unless God leads you.  Let the urgency of the return of Christ lift your vision and push you on to participating in the Great Commission.

The idea of daily evangelism was confirmed to me through Dan Slade’s Message at New Day Church this past Sunday. Dan taught about multiple styles of evangelism with interesting stories about God’s grace to bring people into relationship with Him. I would recommend that you listen to the teaching when you can. (www.newdaychurchsc.com)

Jesus is coming again. He will appear and every eye will see Him (Rev 1:7) As Christians we need to remember this and let it fill our lives with hopeful expectancy. The Bible is clear that we should be motivated to live with the return of Christ as our priority. I am still working on reprioritizing my life and thought processes to fit this mandate and I hope you will too. 

If you are reading this blog and you have not heard the Gospel of Jesus Christ or have not believed for yourself, I want you to know that Yahweh is real and He loves you and has purposed to be in relationship with you. Believe and be saved

Like an Ideal in the Night

Last night I had a conversation with Jesus. The conversation was born out of several circumstances with the prominent one being that I was awake attempting to cuddle a baby back to sleep at 3 A.M.  Several memories of my childhood and fears born out of those memories led me to pray for my children, that they would not go through the same things that I did and In my prayer I expressed to Jesus something that is not typical of my prayer life or even my personal inclination. I told Him that the best answer would be His return, His second coming. I immediately was aware of the statement I made and I had a thought flood my mind which was “prepare them”. I believe with certainty this was the voice of God expressing urgency about His return not only to me and my children but to anyone who will listen.

While I was awake I pondered the urgency I felt and several ideas and motivations began to form in my mind. I began to recall stories and parables of Christ that dealt with His return. Specifically the parable of the ten virgins (Matt 25:1-13) and the parable of the wedding banquet (Matt 22:1-14) came to my recollection. I, also, began to sense a general purpose and message for my own life, as a teacher and equipper of the saints, being formulated. The question of my personal message had been on my mind since I shared my teachings on John the Baptist which you can read in earlier posts on this blog.  

So with the Biblical evidences presenting themselves and a personal motivation being fulfilled I began to try to gather a feeling or emotion behind God’s urgency. I began to recall the Apostle Paul admonishing the Thessalonians to expectancy of the return of Christ (1 Thessalonians 5:3-5). I believe that God is challenging me to live with the expectancy of His return in the forefront of my life which has not always (or ever) been the case. I have fallen into a trap of complacency, living day to day with a far off hope for the return of Christ or simply the belief that I will live out my life and meet Jesus after death. Living with a new expectancy will change my life and currently, I am not sure how much.  I want to be careful and clear about my experience so far, while I felt urgency, I did not feel condemnation or even correction. I felt that God was replacing one ideal with another.

I don’t know how this will work out or how life will look as this ideal takes root and grows but I do know that I now have a new desire to live with the expectancy of Christ’s return and I know that I was suppose to share my experience and thoughts even as newborn as they are. Hopefully this post resonates with you in your walk with God that we should live with an urgent expectancy of the return of Christ. we can bring His coming to the forefront of our minds and motivations and see how life changes. I am looking forward to continuing to post on this topic as God reveals more about my experience last night and I pray that God will also encourage you through it.

Kingdom of God: A constant reality. (Final Part - Application and Conclusion)

Modern Application of the Kingdom Doctrine

            The experience of the Kingdom is a reality for the life of a believer and it is presented through the Lord’s Prayer and a Holy Spirit filled life. These two methods of application are taken respectively from Jesus Christ and Paul as they encouraged their contemporaries to live in out a Kingdom of God life.

The Lord’s Prayer

            The disciples came to Jesus and asked to learn to pray and Jesus taught them what is known as the Lord’s Prayer. The key phase for this study is “Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done” (Luke 11:2 KJV). The Kingdom of God was a reality to Christ. He knew the Kingdom was at hand and even presently among the Jewish people, due to His presence and the sovereign works of God being accomplished. The question is then why would there be a need to continually pray for the Kingdom to come? Christ knew that even though the Kingdom of God was breaking through in a new way during His life on earth, there was an expected Kingdom to long for. The understanding of a final kingdom that has yet to be realized should be on the forefront of every believer’s mind as they face the struggles of the present age.[1] Jesus instructs believers to expect the Kingdom of God through prayer.

            The second part of that phrase “thy will be done” directs believers to go beyond expectation to an evidenced Kingdom. For God’s will to be done on earth should be understood that just as Christ brought the Kingdom to fruition in His lifetime, His followers should also see the Kingdom  enter into this world. The Blumhardts (Authors, Theologians) saw this as believer's acts of reconciliation such as attempts to help the poor and apprehending social justice.[2] However, Jesus was not limited only in care and humanitarian effort; He operated in miraculous signs and evangelism. Paul encouraged believers to engage in a Life in the Spirit which opens up the possibility for miraculous Kingdom of God evidence.

The Spirit Filled Life

            The Holy Spirit has been sent on the earth since the day of Pentecost to work in the world and specifically in the lives of believers. Paul was quick to point out the work of the Holy Spirit, especially through the use of the gifts of the Spirit and the evidences of the fruit of the Spirit. The Spirit filled life is a choice, Paul commends the Ephesians to be filled with the Spirit (Eph 5:18). He also presents the fruit of the Spirit as evidence of choosing to walk by the Spirit (Gal 5:16, 22). The fruit of the Spirit are evidence of a Kingdom of God lifestyle. The gifts of the Spirit function in a similar way in that they are used to promote Kingdom lifestyle, however, the gifts work for the empowerment and glorification of the Kingdom on earth.

            The lists of the gifts of the Holy Spirit often overlap but are not complete or limited but seem to emphasis participation in the Kingdom of God. Paul says that the gifts are manifestations of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor 12:7). This truth would allow that anytime a gift of the Spirit is active that the presence of God, the Holy Spirit, is in the Church.[3] The agreement over which gifts are active in the church is definitely debated but the more important concern is that some gifts be active and evidenced through supernatural ability to witness or work through miraculous manifestations such as healing. The concern should be that through the Holy Spirit the Kingdom of God is being experienced by all believers in the present and expected in the future.

Conclusion

            "The Kingdom of God is at hand" is a powerful statement by Jesus Christ that expresses a truth that is often overlooked in modern Christianity. The Old Testament informs believers of the actual presence of God on earth ruling a nation of promise. The New Testament shows us how God shifted from a national localized presence to an encompassing presence through the work of the Holy Spirit. The prophetic nature of Jesus’ claims of a Kingdom of God also tells believers that there is a coming Kingdom of God. All these manifestations of the Kingdom of God solidify the truth that the Kingdom of God is ever present just as God, Himself is ever present. The issues of God’s sovereignty over all things compounded with His promises to Abraham, David and the Church, which is the Holy Spirit, dictate that the Kingdom of God is a constant reality that must be recognized and that believers are called to experience at all times.  

Thanks for taking time to read my blog. I hope that the Kingdom of God is a constant reality in your life. I know in my own life I often struggle to remember that I am living not only in my earthly realm but I am involved and participating in the Kingdom of God. 

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[1] Anderson, Bernhard W. "The Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory: The Sovereignty of God in the Bible." Theology Today 53, no. 1 (04, 1996):1-9.5.

 [2] Collins Winn. "Groaning for the Kingdom of God 75

[3] Grudem, Wayne. Systematic Theology: an Introduction to Biblical Doctrine. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1994. 639.

Kingdom of God: A Constant Reality (part 3 Biblical evidences)

Biblical Evidence for the Kingdom of God

            The Bible is essentially a narrative that chronicles the relationship between mankind and God. The Doctrine of God tells us that the Bible is the special revelation of God to man and the reality is that the Kingdom of God is part of what God is revealing about Himself. God has revealed His rule in both the Old Testament and New Testament. As the Bible is interpreted an understanding of God’s vast influence over all things is made evident.

The Old Testament Kingdom

             The Kingdom of God is not referenced as such in any Old Testament text.[1] The fact that the Israelites understood Yahweh as king has been presented earlier and the evidence is that the Old Testament refers to God as King forty-one times.[2] Therefore, even without an announcement of the Kingdom of God, there appears to be a form of Kingdom to examine in the Old Testament. Some extrapolations of the Kingdom of God begin as early as the Garden of Eden and God’s relationship to Adam and Eve. While those views may have some merit, God’s relationship to Abraham sets the course for what is to become the physical and possibly spiritual kingdom realities.

Promise to Abraham

            A kingdom is understood to have several criteria which are a ruler, a realm and an active reign.[3] The call to Abram to leave his homeland established these three criteria in a personal way that was not previously seen in Scripture. The Israelites continually pointed back to Abraham as their founding father.[4] The call from God contained two promises to Abraham which are a land to poses and a heritage (Gen 17:1-8).

God has set Himself up as a ruler with a realm and an active reign with Abraham acting out as the primary citizen. God elects the land of Canaan to serve as the physical realm for His Kingdom which will include a takeover (v. 8). God also promises descendants who will be kings and nations with the declaration that His promise will always be kept (v. 6-7).  Abraham believed God and the Old Testament details the story of his descendants till they become the Israelite nation with a King. The Kingdom of God in physical form on earth is established and with another promise the extent of this kingdom is understood.

Promise to King David

            The Israelite nation is firmly established in a portion of the Land that has been promised to Abraham when David becomes king. David is much like Abraham in that he was selected by God to fulfill a purpose in the larger Kingdom of God. The promise to David is similar in extent to Abraham’s promise but has some significant differences. God promises David a kingdom and a nation for all time (2 Sam 7:11-17). Where God gave Abraham numerous descendants, He dictates a national identity for David’s offspring that will last forever (v. 16). Again, God has provided the three criteria for His Kingdom, an heir, a kingdom and active reign. The Kingdom of God is established and extended in the Old Testament. The argument could be that this is not the Kingdom of God but a kingdom set up by God. However, the nature of the kingdom set up by God proves His authority and Kingship.

Nature of the Old Testament Kingdom

            The kingdom and nation that God established in the Old Testament was the Kingdom of God because they were under His jurisdiction. The promises to Abraham were accompanied by conditional clauses of the covenant to be fulfilled and an eternity clause given to David which was not conditional. This firmly showcases God’s sovereignty over the throne of David and the descendants of Abraham.

The clause to Abraham was obedience accompanied by an identifying mark (Gen 17: 9-11). If the mark was not observed by God then the person could not be considered one of God’s people.  The conditions allowed for the benefits of the covenant or promise to be conferred which was the land and heritage, now known to be of faith and descendant. The nature of the Kingdom of God is that God has established his authority over the continuity of the Israelite people.  

The final aspect that must be considered for the nature of the Kingdom of God in the Old Testament is that God dwelt among His People. God established His worship through the tabernacle of Moses and the temple in Jerusalem. The presence of God on earth established the Kingdom of God. The presences of the temple and God’s presence represents a higher authority than the throne of David or Solomon, who built the temple.[5] The Temple was destroyed and rebuilt but continued to represent the Kingdom of God until the 1^st century. However, in the New Testament there is a shift in the representation of the Kingdom of God on earth and how it is manifest to God’s people.

The New Testament Kingdom

            The New Testament was written over a short time frame and covers only a few years, respectively, from 4 B.C. till about 90 A. D. That period of time saw a complete change in the relationship between God and man. The nation and temple that evidenced the Kingdom of God were no longer present after 70 A.D. Did the Kingdom of God cease to exist? The writers of the New Testament do not give that conclusion, for in the New Testament there are multiple explanations of the Kingdom of God. The primary speakers on the Kingdom of God were Jesus Christ and the Apostle Paul.

The Kingdom According to Christ

            The evidence of the Kingdom of God in Christ’s teachings and life are many. He told parables about the Kingdom, claimed its very presence, and proclaimed His kingdom was not of this world (John 18:36). The idea that can be gathered from Christ is that the Kingdom of God was active during His life on earth.[6] However, Christ was not conforming to the role of messiah that the Jewish people were looking for which was a national leader to overthrow the oppressors. Even John the Baptist was unsure of Christ’s identity because he was looking for a Jewish messiah that came from the vengeance of God.[7] The Kingdom of God though was not born out of John’s ministry of repentance but Jesus’ ministry; which was the sovereign acts of God being expressed through healings, preaching and casting out demons.[8]

            Jesus Christ was the expression of the Kingdom of God in the New Testament era. Jesus instructed His disciples to continue in His ways after He ascended and that they would continue on when the Holy Spirit came upon them (Acts 1:8). Where the Old Testament Kingdom was a localization or national presence, The New Testament Kingdom is revealed to be where Christ’s disciples are.  This Kingdom of God is continued in the teachings of the Apostle Paul with some more emphasis on experiencing and inheriting the Kingdom.

The Kingdom According to the Apostle Paul

            The themes of the Kingdom of God according to the Apostle Paul revolve around the ideas of righteousness, peace and joy and power. Paul does not talk about the Kingdom of God as much as Christ did and often when he does mention it there is an eschatological implication.[9] However, the theme of righteousness, peace and joy should be understood to incorporate both an eschatological and present meaning for the believer.[10]

The believer is, by the power of the Holy Spirit, able to experience righteousness, peace and joy which are aspects of the Kingdom of God now.[11] Effectively this means that the Kingdom of God is evidenced in the life of a believer and is present on earth currently. Paul expresses that these three aspects of the Kingdom are experienced through the Holy Spirit.

            Paul also states that the Kingdom of God is a Kingdom of Power (1 Cor 4:20). The context of this statement compares two methods of expression which are words or power. The emphasis of power for Paul almost always is derived from an experience with the Holy Spirit. All the gifts of the Spirit and fruit of the Spirit are extensions of His personal work on the Earth. A kingdom of power should be understood to represent a Kingdom of God through the Holy Spirit. This understanding points to the very nature of the New Testament Kingdom of God.

The Nature of the New Testament Kingdom

            The nature of the Kingdom of God in the New Testament is a constant reality in the lives of believers. If the Holy Spirit is the source of the Kingdom of God through His activity on earth, than everything that a believer does through the power of the Holy Spirit is experiencing the Kingdom of God. The Holy Spirit was sent as a comforter who will interact with the world concerning righteousness (John 16:6-8).  The interaction with the world is the inheritance that Paul talks about in his vice lists.

            The Kingdom of God can be inherited, according to Paul, through a life evidenced by kingdom influence. While the views on how the inheritance is merited, earned or kept often differ and question the stability of salvation, the present experience of the Kingdom of God is not ruled out.  One view expresses that God has made believers a heritage like the Israelites with benefits that the believer receives from God.[12] Paul even addresses our interaction with the Holy Spirit as a beginning of our inheritance in Ephesians.[13] The nature of the Kingdom of God may not be localized as it was but the experience of the presence of God is equally available or more so than in the Old Testament Kingdom experience.

I hope you enjoyed this bit on the Biblical evidences for the constant reality of the Kingdom of God. The next post will look at the Modern Application of Kingdom doctrines. How we interact with God's kingdom and live in it. I believe this is an exciting topic and relevant to the church today. If you like what you read share it with someone, it may make their day ;)

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[1] Murray, Jesus and the Kingdom of God, 17.

 [2] Ibid.

 [3] Jones, Rose Guide to End-Times Prophecy,114.

 [4] Murray, Jesus and the Kingdom of God, 19.

[5] Selman, Martin J. 1989. "The kingdom of God in the Old Testament." Tyndale Bulletin 40, no. 2: 161-183. 170.

[6] Murray, Jesus and the Kingdom of God, 144.

 [7] Ibid., 75

[8] Ibid, 81.

[9] Thomas R. Schreiner, Romans (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Baker Academic, 1998), 740.

[10] Ibid., 741.

 [11] Ibid.

[12] López, René. "A study of Pauline passages on inheriting the kingdom." Bibliotheca Sacra 168,

no. 672 (October 1, 2011): 443-459. 449.

 [13] Ibid., 450.

Kingdom of God: A Constant Reality (Part 2 - Background)

The Earthly Kingdom

            The Earthly Kingdom model is an extension of rule of God from a physical location as in the Old Testament. The Israelite people experienced the daily presence of God in a physical form as early as the exodus from Egypt. God also dwelt among them in the tabernacle and the temple before the Babylonian exile. Their basic understanding of God was closely related if not parallel to their understanding of what a king would be.[1]  The thought becomes, if there is a king then there is a kingdom.

The Kingdom of God took on localization in the land that became the nation of Israel which has existed in several phases throughout history. The Bible concludes with the restoration of a new physical rule of God in the New Jerusalem which was the capital of the Israelite nation (Rev. 21:1). The study of the Kingdom of God has often been divided with the physical reality being called the Kingdom of Heaven especially by dispensationalists who present that God has established two kingdoms.[2]

            The Earthly Kingdom often is related to God’s sovereignty over all things He has created.[3] This view is called the Universal Kingdom and removes the Kingship aspects or rule over the chosen people of God from the earthy model. This view was made popular by John Walvoord, who separated the Kingdom of God into several kingdoms that encompass all the different moves and actions of God. However, in this study the understanding is that the Earthly Kingdom of God has been God’s relationship in a physical presence toward His people more than just His creation acts. This incorporating of the physical presence of God will play a part throughout the Bible and church age as well. The physical presence of God may be a reality in the future depending on which millennial view is presented.

            The prophecy from Ezekiel presents a future temple for God which according to most theologians has not been realized yet. The views posed by Dispensational Premillennialism and Historical Premillennialism expect a physical temple to be built in Jerusalem.[4] This new temple would establish the Kingdom of God on earth for all time. There are other views of Ezekiel’s prophecy but they do not promote a physical temple.

A Spiritual Kingdom

            The Spiritual Kingdom of God is less defined and potentially much harder to detail. Depending on the views that are held the nation of Israel, as covered earlier, can fall in to this category. The Spiritual Kingdom though usually is defined in the realm of the unseen. Luther when discussing the Lord’s Prayer explains the kingdom in the light of the work of the Father, Christ and the Holy Spirit.

“Nothing else than what we learned in the Creed, that God sent His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, into the world to redeem and deliver us from the power of the devil, and to bring us to Himself, and to govern us as a King of righteousness, life and salvation against sin death, and an evil conscience, for which end He has also bestowed His Holy Ghost, who is to bring these things home to us by His holy Word, and to illumine and strengthen us in the faith by His power.” [5]

            Luther was not the only proponent of a redemption aspect of the Kingdom of God. Schofield believed that the Kingdom of God was the moral rule of God in the hearts of those subject to Him.[6] The movements that have bought into a propitiation kingdom are many. The Social Gospel movements of the 19^th an 20^th centuries basically hold to that understanding. God has joined with man and so the moral guidelines will create methodology for how Christians live in the world that will improve the existence of all humanity. The Blumhardt brothers argued that the kingdom of God “comes to restore the real physical and social needs of as much as to deal with issues that would more generally be considered spiritual, such as guilt, shame and forgiveness.”[7] The quote by the Blumhardts simply proves that there is an understanding that the Kingdom of God can encompass everything that God would want to manifest in the world. The spiritual kingdom, with all of the various aspects, is a staple conversation in eschatology.

            Every millennial view attempts to decipher the nature of the Kingdom of God in the present and future times. The Spiritual Kingdom view is presented as a currently existing entity that is ever expanding by Postmillennialism.[8] The kingdom does not have a physical presence on earth at this time but is present through the church and the Gospel. Postmillennial and Amillennialism supporters believe that Jesus is reigning as King from Heaven currently which would mean that the Kingdom of God exists. The Kingdom of God has existed in physical forms and is presented as a spiritual kingdom but how does a kingdom exist in multiple places in different times. The Bible actually presents a clear understanding of how God has set up His kingdom.

Thanks for reading this post and stay tuned for the next post "Biblical evidences for the Kingdom"

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[1] Mr. G.R. Beasley-Murray, Jesus and the Kingdom of God (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1988), 18.

 [2] Craig A. Blaising and Darrell L. Bock, Progressive Dispensationalism, Pbk. ed. (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2000), 39.

[3]  Blaising and Bock, 43.

 [4] Timothy Paul Jones, Rose Guide to End-Times Prophecy (Torrance, CA: Rose Publishing, 2011), 142.

[5] Martin Luther, The Large Catechism of Martin Luther, (St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1921), WORDsearch CROSS e-book, Under: "The Second Petition".

 [6] Blaising and Bock. 30.

 [7] Christian T. Collins Winn. "Groaning for the Kingdom of God: spirituality, social justice, and

the witness of the Blumhardts." Journal Of Spiritual Formation & Soul Care 6, no. 1 (March 1, 2013): 56-75. 69.

 [8] Jones, Rose Guide to End-Times Prophecy,123.

The Kingdom of God: A Constant Reality

            The Kingdom of God has been presented in many different forms with many motivations but the Kingdom of God transcends these motivations and exists in a true form. The study of the Kingdom of God has been beneficial to the church throughout history, as study often can be, because it brings a better understanding of Biblical reality. So in undertaking a continued study of the Kingdom one must evaluate the past expressions of theology and the Biblical evidence to arrive at a workable and livable understanding and expression. 

 The Kingdom of God was revealed in part to the Patriarchs and nation of Israel. The Kingdom of God is also being revealed to the church in present time. The Kingdom will continue to be revealed in a future manifestation but the reality of the Kingdom of God is that it is a constant entity. A reality where God conveys His ways to mankind; through His Kingdom which has existed throughout time and can be experienced in the present and will continually be present in the lives of believers. The Kingdom of God is an extension of Himself as King. My Study has included looking at the various expressions of the Kingdom of God by highlighting the Old Testament physical kingdom, the New Testament Spiritual Kingdom and the Nature of the Kingdom of God to seek to prove that the Kingdom of God in its truest form is a constant reality to be experienced in present time. I hope you will enjoy reading the upcoming posts on this topic and if you want to be kept in the loop so to speak you can follow this blog or just click on the links I will post ;)

Culture and Christianity relations

This blog post has a snippet from a paper I wrote dealing with culture and evangelism. I have been pondering the role of Christianity in culture lately and in light of current events I thought it was worth sharing. 
  

incitation - something that incites or provokes; a means of arousing or stirring to action 

The Gospel’s Incitation of Culture

             The different levels within a culture highlight that behavior is not a shallow undertaking, but that behavior comes from deep places in the recesses of the consciousness of a person impacted by history, tradition, and belief. The interesting thing about the role of culture in Gospel communication is found in the understanding that the Gospel does not seek to change behavior alone but to change all levels of culture starting with the worldview. Karl Barth believed that when the Kingdom of God comes, into the world, then everything in culture will change.[1] Each level of culture is subject to the change.

Incitation of Belief

When examining what the Gospel is there must be a consideration given to the purposes of Christ and one of His purposes that impacts worldviews is Christ's claim to testify to the truth (John 18:37). The idea that the Gospel of Jesus would speak to the truth means that it will inflict a point of view on every belief that a worldview could contain. A person must believe in Jesus Christ and His death and resurrection not only as symbols but as real events to be a Christian. The belief in this truth will eventually lead to the rejection of other untruths or alternate worldviews. Christianity is not a religious sub-system but the complete system.

Incitation of Value

The second level of culture, concerned with cultural values, is impacted in a Christian worldview. Cultures have differing value systems which can be religion, historical lineage, territorial borders or any number of entrenched thought processes. Jesus interjects cultural change through values statements like “Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last and the servant of all” (Mark 9:35) which promotes service over self promotion. The values of the Gospel are often played out in societal order such as caring for the less fortunate, but there are also symbolic rituals, including communion and baptism, that highlight values on topics like community, historical continuity and family. The value that the Gospel places on mankind, servanthood, evangelism, and any subject to be questioned directs the believer to behave in a certain way.

Incitation of Behavior

            The top level of Culture, which is the most visible level, is behavior and the Bible especially the messages of Jesus Christ speaks to behavior patterns. The “Sermon on the Mount” is an example of how the Gospel message dictates behavior patterns (Matt 5:1-7:29). These behaviors are the results of choices but specific behaviors include loving enemies, giving to the needy, and lending to people. The Gospel does not seek to change culture for the sake of culture but the Gospel will incite change to every culture that comes into contact with it.

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[1] Cornelis van der Kooi. "Herman Bavinck and Karl Barth on Christian faith and culture." Calvin Theological Journal 45, no. 1 (April 1, 2010): 72-78. 74.