The Incarnation and Culture (Part II)

Last updated on: March 14, 2008 at 11:39 am by Dave Dunham

The Incarnation and Culture (Part II) 2008-03-14T11:39:06-06:00 Dave Dunham

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Read part 1.

As we continue this discussion of Jesus’ Incarnation and cultural engagement we observe that Jesus had a God-Centered, Gospel mission. His goal was to bring redemption to sinners and to glorify God by making worshipers of God. There are those who have captured the first principle but seem to have missed the second. There are those whose idea of ministry has been shaped, not by the Word and the Incarnation totally, but by the Incarnation in part and the world in part. Some men are advocating a ministry to sinners, or “Postmoderns” (whatever that term means anymore), that drops words like “sin,” and concepts like “the exclusivity of Christ.” Some advocate a syncretistic approach to Christian missions, that suggests we incorporate paganism, tolerance, and postmodern philosophy. Their particular view is not that we must “convey the unchanging message to a changing world,” but rather we must “change the message to reach the changing world.” This is not the ministry model I advocate, nor is it one in line with the doctrine of the Incarnation and the teaching of Scripture itself. In our efforts to contextualize ministry we must not lose the message. We must, like Jesus, keep the mission of God, the redemption of sinners, ever before us.

The social gospel, which seeks only to reform society, the prosperity gospel, which seeks only to encourage positive views of self (albeit based on false interpretations of Scripture), and the emergent gospel, which largely seeks to promote Jesus’ ethics without his theology (though thankfully this is not the case in all streams of the movement), fall short of the Incarnation Principle: to enter culture to bring redemption through Christ’s Cross.

We note that in all his efforts to reach the culture Jesus does not bend to their desires. He confronts the errors of the Pharisees with strong words. He rebukes the disciples for their selfish and foolish attitudes. He embraces a humble origin, a despicable death, and a victory that, for many, seems more like an oxymoron than an actual overcoming. Jesus came into culture with a mission that could not be altered! Our task, then, is to take that same mission with the same message of salvation from God’s just judgment through Christ’s death on the cross to the world. We work in and through the culture, but only in so far as it does not alter the message of the gospel. Jesus is our model here.

General Culture

Previous Post

March 14, 2008

A Theology of Consumption

Next Post

March 14, 2008 The Tempter in the Child's Bedroom

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Asides Elsewhere Featured Film Games General Culture Headline Literature Music Of the Moment Podcast Politics RetroPost Sports Technology Television Uncategorized Viral

Select a Month February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz