Gospel & Culture

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

2. Contextualized Ministry
Let’s look at Paul with the
Athenians
Acts 17:16-34

3. “Paul then stood up in the meeting of
the Areopagus and said: “Men of
Athens! I see that in every way you are
very religious. For as I walked around
and looked carefully at your objects of
worship, I even found an altar with this
inscription: to an unknown god. Now
what you worship as something
unknown I am going to proclaim to
you.”
Acts 17:22-23

4. 2. Paul spoke of God within their Religious
Context Acts 17:22
• He was relational in his manner – didn’t
condemn their religion. Paul was not
Confrontational.
• We can affirm Hindus for their rituals –
many are Biblical. Join them in their
Feasts. When we do we will learn more
about their faith and values and build
closer relationships with them. It lets
them know we respect their culture.

5. “The God who made the world and
everything in it is the Lord of heaven
and earth and does not live in
temples built by hands. 25 And he is
not served by human hands, as if he
needed anything, because he himself
gives all men life and breath and
everything else. 26 From one man he
made every nation of men, that they
should inhabit the whole earth; and
he determined the times set for them
and the exact places where they
should live.”
Acts 17:24-26

6. 3. Paul used one of their idols as a bridge into
Biblical Truth Acts 17:26
• From Unknown god to Nature of true
God
• Explained God
• Said God was already in their midst
• Jesus is the Bridge to Hindu hearts

7. 4. Paul affirmed the Greek culture as a place where
God had already been working. Acts 17:26
• Every culture created by God
• Languages are complete & effective
• Used their name for God - Theos

8. God did this so that men would seek
him and perhaps reach out for him
and find him, though he is not far
from each one of us. 28 ‘For in him
we live and move and have our
being.’ As some of your own poets
have said, ‘We are his offspring.’
Acts 17:27-28

9. 5. Paul used extra Biblical literature to define God
Acts 17:28
• Paul quotes Epimenides of Crete and Aratus of Cilicia
• Other extra Biblical literature passages
- Titus 1:12 “. . . Cretans are always liars,
evil brutes, lazy gluttons.”
- I Cor 15:33 – “Bad company corrupts good
character.”
• Is this a precedent for using the Hindu literature in our
witness?

10. Jews
1. Nature - SHALOM
2. Constitution
3. Members
4. King
Christians
Kingdom of GOD
Hindus
KINGDOM CIRCLES:

11. Insider Contextualization Offers
several advantages:
• Immediate door opener with any high
identity Hindu, or to any other people
group.
• Clear focus/path/end-vision of how to bring
Hindus or other unreached people to
Jesus,
• Potential for Rapid Reproduction.

12. PEACE-MAKING & KINGDOM OF GOD
• Christian- Hindu relations have been characterized by
misunderstanding, disrespect, violence and hatred.
• Hindus are not resistant – maybe we need to confess
our judgments of their hardheartedness. WE may be
more needful or repentance for our hard-heartedness.
• We need to confront our fears of syncretism. Any
attempt at contextualization deals with syncretism.
We need to consider that these attempts are worth the
risk, and submit to honest evaluation and correction.
• The best approach will need to be developed by
insiders, not us outsiders..
• Changes in our attitudes will result in changes in
approach.

13. • There is a need to rethink missionary
vocabulary – find ways to stop using the terms
that offend or cause misunderstanding like:
Christian, church, convert, evangelism, former
Hindu, ex-Hindu, and become a Christian; we
must stop using conversion language – even in
our prayer letters and mission reports.
• More acceptable terminology: believer, follower
of Yeshu as Lord and Savior, true Hindu - leave
the vocabulary decisions on these to them; they
need to determine the answers and solutions.

14. PEACE-MAKING & KINGDOM OF GOD
• Sharing with Hindus is difficult – our best
strategies will do very little until we
acknowledge our dependence on God who has
to do it; we need to partner with the Holy Spirit,
who is at work among Hindu peoples. God has
gone forth – take off your shoes.
• If we can do it without prayer, then God is not in
it. Intercessory prayer is essential.
• These are only comments and suggestions, but
I definitely endorse the insider approach.
• The Holy Spirit is adequate to lead you.

15. PEACE-MAKING & KINGDOM OF GOD
• All that we do must be thought of as unique
to a specific context.
• Insider strategy is important for high identity
Hindus – Hindus are all different, though.
• Hold these principles firmly and then adjust
them to your context. Some are low identity
and do not know the their text. Make
adjustments according to these and their
desire for God.
• Do not preach Christ as a religion, but as a
relationship.

16. PEACE-MAKING & KINGDOM OF GOD
• The principles of insider ministry apply to every
people group.
• There are other approaches, and there are
appropriate times and places for them.
• This approach is new and exciting and fresh, but
also anointed by the Holy Spirit of God.
• 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.
• Are you willing to be all things to all Hindus?
• Pray about it, and let the Holy Spirit guide you.