Bible Briefs

J O H N   W.   M O O R E TRANSFORMING CULTURE H. Richard Niebuhr, the famed ethicist, theologian, and historian of Yale Divinity School once wrote about the interrelationship of Christ and culture. His analysis revealed a myriad of views ranging from the age-old approach of monasticism to modern attempts of changing the image of Christ to making him more relevant to society. Biblically, the relationship between Christ and culture is one of conflict and tension (I John 2:15; John 15:18-19) and yet the Christian is also to “be the salt of the earth” and “the light of the world” (Matthew 5:13-14). Indeed, if one lives a godly Christian life, he or she will be in conflict with the world and chided for his or her beliefs and behaviors (II Timothy 3:12; I Peter 2:12, 4:4). How then do Christians operate in - and yet transform a culture which is counter to their own? Do we establish a theocracy? Resurrect the Crusades? Embrace dominion theology? Do we practice separatism? No. We must follow the dictates of the first epistle of Peter: “Be holy” (1:14f); abstain from sin (4:11); submit to authority (2:12f); “honor all men” (2:17); “do good” (3:11); verbally defend our hope (3:15); “speak as the oracles of God (4:11); and humble ourselves before God (5:6). In these things we “put to silence the ignorance of the foolish men” (2:15) and cause the non believer to glorify God on the day of judgment (2:12). Let us therefore transform our culture by being different and by being good; even to those who are different from us and who may oppose us.