Gospel & Culture

1. COACH Institute of Intercultural Studies, Hyderabad
Gospel & Culture
Dr. Pothana

2. • Faithful to Scripture, Relevant to Culture
• One of the important keys that the Holy Spirit is
revealing to the Church today for fulfilling the
Great Commandment and the Great Commission.
• “Contextualized” means to communicate with
people from other cultures in such a way that they
can truly understand and accept its true meaning.
Church Planting in Contextualized Ways

3. 1 Corinthians 9:19-22
“19 Though I am free and belong to no man, I
make myself a slave to everyone, to win as
many as possible. 20 To the Jews I became
like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under
the law I became like one under the law
(though I myself am not under the law), so as
to win those under the law. 21 To those not
having the law I became like one not having
the law (though I am not free from God’s law
but am under Christ’s law), so as to win
those not having the law. 22 To the weak I
became weak, to win the weak. I have
become all things to all men so that by all
possible means I might save some.

4. 1 Corinthians 9:19-20
“19 Though I am free and belong to no man,
I make myself a slave to everyone,
to win as many as possible.
20 To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win
the Jews.
To those under the law I became like one
under the law (though I myself am not under
the law), so as to win those under the law.
“become like” “so as to win” (so they can
“remain in” and win the rest of those there)

5. 1 Corinthians 9:21-22
“21 To those not having the law I became like
one not having the law (though I am not free
from God’s law but am under Christ’s law),
so as to win those not having the law.
22 To the weak I became weak, to win the
weak.
I have become all things to all men so that by
all possible means I might save some.”
“became like” “so as to win” (so they can
“remain in” and win the rest of those there)

6. “becoming like” = Incarnation
We “become like” the person we are trying to
reach by:
• getting to know them, asking questions in
unoffensive ways,
• building a relationship of trust based upon
common interests,
• Learning their world view (what they know
as right and wrong, beautiful, admirable, etc.
• Using principles of cross-cultural missions.

7. Insider Ministry & KINGDOM OF GOD
• The INSIDER principles can apply to every
people group (i.e. unreached Europeans, etc.).
• There are other approaches, and there are
appropriate times and places for them.
• Learn all you can – be willing to recognize the
principles– and learn how to adapt them.
• There will be many questions – that is okay.
• Listen to the hearts of the workers, because they
love Jesus, the Bible and lost people.
• Pray, and let the Holy Spirit guide you.
• Are you willing to be all things to all Men?

8. Insider Contextualization with strong
Hindus has several advantages:
• Immediate door opener with any high
identity Hindu, pagan, post-modern, etc.
• Clear focus/path/end-vision of how to bring
lost people to Jesus,
• Potential for Rapid Reproduction since the
new believers can quickly and easily
spread it to others.

9. What the “Insider” approach is
and what it is not.

10. 1 Corinthians 7:16-17
16 How do you know, wife, whether you will
save your husband? Or, how do you know,
husband, whether you will save your wife?
17 Nevertheless, each one should remain in
the place in life that the Lord assigned to
him and to which God has called him. This
is the rule I lay down in all the churches.

11. 1 Corinthians 7:18-20
18 Was a man already circumcised when he
was called? He should not become
uncircumcised. Was a man uncircumcised
when he was called? He should not be
circumcised.
9 Circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision
is nothing. Keeping God’s commands is what
counts.
20 Each one should remain in the situation
which he was in when God called him.

12. 1 Corinthians 7:21-24
21 Were you a slave when you were called? Don’t
let it trouble you—although if you can gain your
freedom, do so.
22 For he who was a slave when he was called by
the Lord is the Lord’s freedman; similarly, he
who was a free man when he was called is
Christ’s slave.
23 You were bought at a price; do not become
slaves of men.
24 Brothers, each man, as responsible to God,
should remain in the situation God called him to.

13. We “become like” them so that
they can “remain in” their
network of relationships and
bring the Kingdom in with them.
When Paul said in 1 Corinthians 9:19-24,
that he “became like” (Jews, those under
the Law, those not under the Law, the weak)
“so as to win”, these different groups of
people, he did this so they could “remain in”
and win the rest of those there by bringing
the Kingdom of God in with them.

14. An ‘insider’ is a follower of Jesus who
remains in his family as “LIGHT” to
reach Hindus in his community.
“Men do not light a lamp and put it under a
bushel but on a stand and it gives light to all
the house (‘oikos’ = family network).”
.
Matthew 5:15

15. What did Jesus teach?
Mark 1:16-33 “... they went with James and John to the home
(oikia) of Simon and Andrew). Simon’s mother-in-law was in
bed with a fever, ...”
Do you notice this network of relationships?
- Simon Peter’s mother-in-law’s house seems to become the
home for Jesus when he is in Capernaum. (see Mark 2:1-4)
Mark 5:19 “Go home (oikos) to your friends, and tell them what
great things the Lord has done for you, and how he had
compassion on you.” (see Mark 7:31-8:10)
Mark 6:10,11 When Jesus sent the twelve, he said to them,
“Where you enter a house (oikia), stay there until you leave
the place.”
Matthew 5:14-16 A promise: “You (pl) are the light of the world
and the lamp gives light to all in the house (oikia)!”

16. Leisure
ReligionNeighbors
Education Employees
Production - Consumption
Family
Ekklesia in the
household
(nuclear)
(extended)
‘Oikos’ includes everyone and everything
in your life, and so does ‘Ekklesia’.

17. Two Definitions of “Church”:
 Church exists where there is any believer
practicing the characteristics of the kingdom,
especially the “one anothers” and, where
others are being exposed to Jesus.
 a group of believers of any size,
committed to one another and to obeying
Jesus’ commands (Love, Give, Prayer,
Repent/Believe/Receive, Communion,
Baptism, Make Disciples).

18. The authority for “Insider” strategy:
• Our authority is the Bible, not our traditions.
(Remember “3 Levels of Authority”:
1st: Jesus’ Commands,
2nd: Apostle’s practices,
3rd: Human traditions)
• We don’t want to take anything away from the
gospel as the Bible presents it.
• However, we want to strip off the cultural and
religious traditions and things that we have
added to the gospel that are not in the gospel
of the Bible.

19. “Christian” has negative meanings
to others…
• Unsaved Westerners’ response to “Christian”:
religious, Bible toting, anti abortion, fanatical,
narrow, Republican, conservative, intolerant,
ignorant, needing a crutch, legalistic, deceived,
church-goer, hypocrite…
• Hindus response to “Christian”: Western,
corrupt, immoral, imperialistic, loose-dressing,
violent, alcohol-drinking, pig-eating, infidels,
materialistic, low caste, etc…

20. Extraction = “Christianizing” =
forcing them to adopt extra
Christian traditions
Hindus find their identity in the community
(more than other groups)– so replace
extractionist approaches with ways that let
individuals, families and groups stay in
their community.
Extraction means their witness is destroyed.
They have to flee. By demanding they leave,
we make their return to witness impossible.

21. Changing religions/cultures?
• A Hindu who comes to faith in Jesus, like a
Westerner who comes to Christ, must change
unbiblical concepts and practices.
• However, he does not have to adopt nominal
Christianity in order to follow Christ. The word
“Christianity” never appears in the Bible!
• The key is the Bible. Always go back to the
Bible to see what it says (not what we think it
says or what people say it says.)

22. They need Jesus!
• They do not have to become Westerners
or take on nominal Christian culture, but
they do need Jesus. Trust in Jesus is
essential to get into the Kingdom of God.
• They and we must leave our trust in our
own works and anything else that takes
the place of Jesus’ sacrifice.
• Preach Christ, not nominal Christianity.

23. “Christian” is positive to some…
To Western evangelicals, "Christian" is a
positive word meaning one who knows or
is committed to Christ. It describes one's
heart-faith and relationship with God. It is
not uncommon for evangelicals to say, "I
went to church regularly as a child, but
became a Christian in high school." Here
"becoming Christian" refers to the time he
experienced salvation and life-changing
faith in Christ.

24. Jerusalem Council
Acts 15

25. Background of what happened prior to the Jerusalem Council:
1. What was Peter’s Gospel to the Jews ?
KOG
Jews
Peter
Jesus

26. Background of what happened prior to the Jerusalem Council:
2. What was Paul’s Gospel to the Gentiles ?
KOG
Jews
Peter
Jesus
Gentiles
Paul
Jesus

27. Background of what happened prior to the Jerusalem Council:
3. Counter Missionary Journey
Acts 15:1, “Some men came down from Judea to
Antioch and were teaching the brothers: Unless you
are circumcised, according to the custom taught by
Moses, you cannot be saved.”
Acts 15:24, “We have heard that some went out
from us without our authorization and disturbed you,
troubling your minds by what they said.”
Gal. 1:7, “Evidently some people are throwing you
into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel
of Christ.”

28. KOG
Jews
Peter
Jesus
Gentiles
Paul
Jesus
The “Judaizers” believed that Gentiles had to follow the
Jewish cultural/religious/identity rules in order to enter
the Kingdom of God.

29. 5. Anatomy of the Jerusalem Council…..Acts 15
a. Position of the Opponents (15:1-5)
“unless you are circumcised…..you cannot be
saved” – 15:1
“Then some of the believers who belonged to
the party of the Pharisees stood up and said,
“The Gentiles must be circumcised and
required to obey the law of Moses.”” Acts 15:5

30. 5. Anatomy of the Jerusalem Council…..Acts 15
b. Peter’s comments (15:6-11)
Now then, why do you try to test God by putting
on the necks of the disciples a yoke that neither
we nor our fathers have been able to bear? -
Acts 15:10

31. 5. Anatomy of the Jerusalem Council…..Acts 15
c. Paul and Barnabas tell victory stories of how God was
moving among the Gentiles (15:12).

32. 5. Anatomy of the Jerusalem Council…..Acts 15:
d. Finally James speaks on behalf of the elders and gives the
conclusion (15:13-21).
It is my judgment, therefore, that we should not make it
difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God. - Acts 15:19
KOG
Jews
Peter
Jesus
Gentiles
Paul
Jesus

33. 7. Implications of this all for us today in
Hindu ministry ?
a.What parallels do you see between
this 1st Century example and what we
face today as we go to Hindus?
KOG
Christians
Jesus
Hindus
Jesus

34. 7. Implications of this all for us today in
Hindu ministry ?
b.What traditional forms, practices, and
codes of conduct do Christians
typically tend to impose on Hindus
today?
c.Are these impositions / “add-on’s” to the
Gospel a problem?
d.How should we respond when others
bring a “different gospel” to the
people we are ministering to?

35. KOG
Christians
Jesus
Hindus
Jesus

36. What the “Insider” approach is
and what it is not.
The Insider approach combines:
1. A careful, non-Christianizing, respectful
Acts 17 approach to Hindus on the
Kingdom of God (Kingdom Circles, etc.),
2.Inner Healing Prayer to bring Hindus into
the Kingdom of God through faith in our
Lord Jesus Christ.

37. Inner Healing Prayer
Peace-making and the Kingdom of God through
Inner Healing Prayer… Solomon prayed:
– "As for the foreigner who does not belong to your
people Israel but has come from a distant land
because of your name -- for men will hear of your
great name and your mighty hand and your
outstretched arm -- when he comes and prays
toward this temple, then hear from heaven, your
dwelling place, and do whatever the foreigner asks
of you, so that all the peoples of the earth may
know your name and fear you, as do your own
people Israel, and may know that this house I have
built bears your Name." (1 Kings 8:41-43)