The document discusses the contextualization of the gospel, focusing on the cultural engagement of Paul in various locations, such as synagogues and the Areopagus in Athens. It analyzes his methods of connecting the gospel to both Jewish and Greek audiences by identifying cultural specifics and employing culturally relevant communication strategies. The text also highlights the importance of hermeneutics, reflection, and feedback in the process of translating biblical messages into contemporary cultural contexts.

1. Topic 1 • Day 2
INT-460 Christianity & Culture

2. What movie most transformed the way you think
about something?
What about it was it transformative?

4. Discussion questions
Mulan, 2020
• What were the two Chinese concepts in con
fl
ict?
• Why does the
fi
lmmaker want to explain these concepts?
• What is the
fi
lmmaker saying to a Western audience?
• What can we a
ffi
rm about the
fi
lmmaker’s message?
• What might we disagree with from a Biblical perspective?

5. Contextualizing the Gospel

6. Original cultural context of Gospels

7. Original cultural context of Gospels
• Jesus’ name was Yeshua
• Preached in Israel
• Preached in Hebrew & Aramaic
• Preached in the synagogues
• Proclaimed himself as Messiah of Israel
• Venues were Jewish festivals like Passover
• Parables used Jewish images

8. Paul Presents Gospel to Jews

9. Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and
Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a
synagogue of the Jews. And Paul went in, as was his
custom, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with
them from the Scriptures, explaining and proving that it
was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the
dead, and saying, “This Yeshua, whom I proclaim to you,
is the Messiah.”
(Acts 17:1–3 ESV)

10. Some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas,
as did a great many of the devout Greeks and not a few of
the leading women. But the Jews were jealous, and taking
some wicked men of the rabble, they formed a mob, set
the city in an uproar, and attacked the house of Jason,
seeking to bring them out to the crowd.
(Acts 17:4–5 ESV)

11. The Monastir Synagogue in Salonika

12. What was specific to Jewish culture?
Acts 17:1-5

13. What was specific to Jewish culture?
Acts 17:1-5
•Venue was a synagogue
•Occasion was the Shabbat Derash (sermon)
•Presented Jesus as the Messiah
•Appealed to Old Testament to texts
•Used to Hebrew critical reasoning

14. Presenting the Gospel to Greeks

15. Athens, Greece

16. While Paul was waiting for them at Athens, his spirit was
provoked within him as he saw that the city was full of
idols. So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and
the devout persons, and in the marketplace every day with
those who happened to be there. Some of the Epicurean
and Stoic philosophers also conversed with him. And
some said, “What does this babbler wish to say?” Others
said, “He seems to be a preacher of foreign divinities”—
because he was preaching Jesus and the resurrection.
(Acts 17:16–18 ESV)

17. They took him and brought him to the Areopagus, saying,
“May we know what this new teaching is that you are
presenting? For you bring some strange things to our ears.
We wish to know therefore what these things mean.” Now
all the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there would
spend their time in nothing except telling or hearing
something new.
(Acts 17:19–21 ESV)

18. Paul, standing in the midst of the Areopagus, said: “Men of
Athens, I perceive that in every way you are very religious.
For as I passed along and observed the objects of your
worship, I found also an altar with this inscription: ‘To the
unknown god.’ What therefore you worship as unknown,
this I proclaim to you.
(Acts 17:22–23 ESV)

19. The God who made the world and everything in it, being
Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made
by man, nor is he served by human hands, as though he
needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life
and breath and everything. And he made from one man
every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth,
having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of
their dwelling place, that they should seek God, and
perhaps feel their way toward him and find him.
(Acts 17:24–27 ESV)

20. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us, for “‘In him
we live and move and have our being’; as even some of
your own poets have said, “‘For we are indeed his
offspring.’ Being then God’s offspring, we ought not to
think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone, an
image formed by the art and imagination of man.
(Acts 17:27–30 ESV)

21. The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he
commands all people everywhere to repent, because he
has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in
righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of
this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the
dead.”
(Acts 17:30–31 ESV)

22. When they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some
mocked. But others said, “We will hear you again about
this.” So Paul went out from their midst. But some men
joined him and believed, among whom also were
Dionysius the Areopagite and a woman named Damaris
and others with them. After this Paul left Athens and went
to Corinth.
(Acts 17:32–18:1 ESV)

23. Discussion: List five ways Paul engaged the
Athenians in a culturally specific way.

24. What was specific to Athenian culture?
Acts 17:16-32
1. Paul found something to affirm
2. Paul found a cultural connection or bridge
3. Paul used a philosophical venue
4. Paul structured it as a philosophical treatise
5. Paul cited Greek literature
6. Paul engaged with contemporary issues (ex. Temple made by hands)

25. Acropolis in Athens

26. Aereopagus in Athens

27. What was specific to Athenian culture?
Acts 17:16-32
7. Paul avoided Jewish cultural reference!

28. Paul made himself
a student of culture

29. To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews…To
those outside the law I became as one outside the law
(not being outside the law of God but under the law of
Messiah) that I might win those outside the law…I have
become all things to all people, that by all means I might
save some. I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may
share with them in its blessings.
(1 Cor 9:20–23 ESV)

30. 1. Paul affirmed his audience
Men of Athens, I perceive that in every way you are very
religious. For as I passed along and observed the objects
of your worship

31. 2. Paul identified a bridge to the gospel
As I passed along and observed the objects of your
worship, I found also an altar with this inscription: ‘To the
unknown god.’ What therefore you worship as unknown,
this I proclaim to you.

33. 3. Paul began with agreed beliefs
The God who made the world and everything in it, being
Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made
by man, nor is he served by human hands, as though he
needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind
life and breath and everything.

34. 4. Paul made use of audience’s literature
Yet he is actually not far from each one of us, for “‘In him
we live and move and have our being’; as even some of
your own poets have said, “‘For we are indeed his
offspring.’ (Acts 17:27–28 ESV)

35. Aratus
315-214 BC
Phaenomenon

36. 5. Paul explained ALL the gospel
He has
fi
xed a day on which he will judge the world in
righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of
this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the
dead. (Acts 17:31 ESV)

37. 6. Paul avoided things that alienate
• Paul did NOT talk about the Jewishness of Jesus
• Paul did NOT highlight his own Jewishness
• Paul did NOT insult Greek religion

38. 6. Paul avoided things that alienate
What are ways Christians offend & alienate seeker?

39. Contextualizing the gospel

40. OT Writer
Hebrew
Culture
Old
Testament
Hebrew Interpret
Missionary
Enculturate
Preacher contextualizes message in
Audience’s culture

41. Preacher must
fi
rst
Exegete their audience’s culture

42. What’s involved in contextualizing gospel?
1. Hermeneutics: Interpreting from Biblical culture (What meant to them)

43. What’s involved in contextualizing gospel?
1. Hermeneutics: Interpreting from Biblical culture (What meant to them)
2. Re
fl
ection: Re
fl
ect on God’s Word within our own cultural context. (What it
means to me)

44. What’s involved in contextualizing gospel?
1. Hermeneutics: Interpreting from Biblical culture (What meant to them)
2. Re
fl
ection: Re
fl
ect on God’s Word within our own cultural context. (What it
means to me)
3. Contextualization: God’s word into the audience’s culture. (What should
mean to them)

45. What’s involved in contextualizing gospel?
1. Hermeneutics: Interpreting from Biblical culture (What meant to them)
2. Re
fl
ection: Re
fl
ect on God’s Word within our own cultural context. (What it
means to me)
3. Contextualization: God’s word into the audience’s culture. (What should
mean to them)
4. Feedback: Learning from the audience how message was understand

46. What’s involved in contextualizing gospel?
1. Hermeneutics: Interpreting from Biblical culture (What meant to them)
2. Re
fl
ection: Re
fl
ect on God’s Word within our own cultural context. (What it
means to me)
3. Contextualization: God’s word into the audience’s culture. (What should
mean to them)
4. Feedback: Learning from the audience how message was understand
5. Re
fl
ection: Process how to contextualize the message

47. What’s involved in contextualizing gospel?
1. Hermeneutics: Interpreting from Biblical culture (What meant to them)
2. Re
fl
ection: Re
fl
ect on God’s Word within our own cultural context. (What it
means to me)
3. Contextualization: God’s word into the audience’s culture. (What should
mean to them)
4. Feedback: Learning from the audience how message was understand
5. Re
fl
ection: Process how to contextualize the message
1A. Repeat:

48. 2. Re
fl
ection
Audience’s Culture
1. Biblical Herm
eneutics
3. Contextualization
4. Feedback

49. Biblical Culture
Audience’s Culture
5. Re
fl
ection, Re-interpretation
REPEAT
4. Feedback

50. 1. Interpretation
2. Re
fl
ection
3. Contextualization
4. Feedback
5. Re
fl
ection
1a. Re-interpret
2a. Re
fl
ection
3a. Contextualization
4a. Feedback
THE HERMENEUTICAL SPIRAL

51. Examples of Contextualizing the Gospel

52. Hudson Taylor
1832 - 1905
China Inland Mission

53. Hudson Taylor
Western clothing

54. Europeans only allowed in
Treaty Ports

55. Discussion
1. What personal struggles did Taylor have?
2. What con
fl
icts with Sending mission?
3. What results of contextualization?

56. Don Richarson
and the Sawy Tribe in Irian Jaya

57. Don Richardson
1935 - 2018

58. Peace Child