...Continued from here.
Let me ask you a question: What does an evangelical look like?
‘Evangelical’ is just a label that bible believing Christians like us use for ourselves. It’s taken from the word ‘evangel’ which means ‘gospel’. An evangelical just means a ‘gospel person.’ So what does an evangelical look like?
The scandal is – everyone knows what an evangelical looks like.
Ned Flanders. We know it. The world knows it. Evangelicals look like white, middle-class, suburban, university educated, irritating, sanctimonious nerds.
Did you know that most of the world is not white, middle-class, suburban, university educated and nerdy? So what would an evangelical look like then?
Would you look like a Muslim to win Muslims?
Would you become a biker to win bikers?
Robed to win the robe lovers?
A chav to win chavs?
Here is a protestor outside the strip clubs of New Orleans. Is this the evangelical position towards the sex trade?
What about...
Here's XXXchurch handing out 'Jesus Loves Porn Stars' Bibles. They distribute thousands of New Testaments with this cover to pornographers and enthusiasts at porn shows across America.
All things to all people that by all possible means we might save some.
Here's the point: If evangelicalism starts to be visibly identifiable as a certain cultural / religious movement it’s actually betrayed the evangel – the gospel – that supposedly shapes it.
That is the stunning implication of 1 Corinthians 9
To be continued...
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all things to everyone? Good for Paul but maybe we can just start with our own circles. There are many parts to the body and they come from all works of life, for example
http://www.bikersforchrist.org/
Although if you are going to follow the logical flow of this argument your last photo would have the XXXmembers dressed as porn stars, and partaking in the porn star culture (drugs? STDs?)
Is "porn star" a separate culture, or a rebellion from normal American culture and morals?
Would Paul have intended this verse to be used to accept immorality?
Truth is they are both right. The protestor guy is 100% correct. The Bibles the other guys are handing out will say that no fornicator goes to heaven.
But they both only tell half the story.
the love the XXXguys talk about stands on the foundation of God's judegemnt, the judgement the other guy talks about leads to God's love.
That is the true gospel that Paul would overcome any cultural barrier to present.
Well said Maichael. Yes the XXXchurch eg is not the best for 1 Corinthians 9 I'll admit. I wouldn't use it again in this context - though I do think they do a good job.
Welcome to the blog!
The photo of Bro. Matt holding the Bible Banner was NOT taken outside of a porn convention unless of course you realize that this photo was taken on Bourbon Street at Mardi Gras in which case you would be correct in a "technical" sort of way...REPENT!
Hi Ben, sorry to get that wrong - I'll go in and amend that now.
While you're here, any idea what Bro. Matt thinks about TripleX Church? Do you know of them yourself?
God bless,
Glen