The danger of contextualizing the gospel (presenting the good news of Christ’s life, death, resurrection, and the forgiveness of sins through faith in Him alone, in our present culture) is losing the essentials of the gospel in order to communicate the gospel. The struggle is with how much to contextualize the text for the culture, and how much we should expect the culture to understand the text in its original context. There is a difficult balance indeed for God the Holy Spirit is involved in the process taking ignorant sinners and giving them understanding; however, the missionary does not want to make this process more difficult. After all, God the Holy Spirit takes the word of God and births new lives in Christ, but if the gospel is lost in the contextualization process, how will God the Holy Spirit birth new lives without the gospel? Based on the textual evidence, the answer is that He will not (God can, of course save anyone at anytime, but you and I have a responsibility to present the gospel accurately). My goal in evangelism and missions, therefore is to understand the culture I am seeking so that I may detail the gospel where they can understand it. However, I will not change the Israelite, Jewish, or Middle Eastern context in the name of contextualization. Just because my hearers may have no concept of sacrificing a lamb does not mean I will change the Scriptures in the name of contextualizing the gospel by detailing the sacrificing of a pig instead. This is difficult, but pragmatism does not trump a clear understanding of the Scriptures, and the hearers may have to be taught exhaustively about Jewish culture in order to fully understand the gospel. I will go the long route before the short one any day, for genuine salvations are always better than quick prayers prayed without understanding. In other words, Contextualize the gospel, but don’t lose the gospel in the name of contextualization.
For more information on the above points and distinctions, see David Hesselgrave’s book Paradigms in Conflict.
What are your thoughts?
You wrote… After all, God the Holy Spirit takes the word of God and births new lives in Christ, but if the gospel is lost in the contextualization process, how will God the Holy Spirit birth new lives without the gospel?
The problem I have with your statement is that apart from regeneration the gospel has NO POWER TO DO ANYTHING. If that is true, how can God use the gospel to birth new lives in Christ if new birth is essential for the person to respond to the gospel?
Bob, people have written virtually endless words trying to explain to you what Calvinists believe. You still refuse to accurately represent them. Not only this, but you reject the need for grace prior to accepting the gospel: something both Calvinists and Arminians affirm. If you really believe the gospel is powerful to dead sinners apart from God’s grace, whether prevenient or effectual, you’re on an island outside of Christian history and evangelical Christianity. Dead sinners cannot simply believe the gospel apart from the grace of God.
Jared,
Your own response indicates a complete disregard for responsible dialogue. You know as well as I am sitting here that I do not believe a person can of his own doing come to God for right standing apart from the revelatory and reconcilatory work of the Holy Spirit in a person’s life. I beleive BOTH require a response that all men are capable of doing. I do not believe God has to make someone “alive” in order for them to respond which is the calvinist position. You can say that I do not understand or misrepresent the calvinist position all you want but the truth is that is an accurate position of both calvinists and arminians, which I am neither.
I see that you did not actually respond to WHAT I said.
Once again let me ask you a simple question. Can the gospel save the unregenerate? That is either a yes or no answer. I will ask that question another way. Can a person who has not been regenerated (according to the tenets of RT) respond positively to the gospel and be converted? Again the answer is either yes or no.
I maintain calvinism posits no… so given that position the gospel cannot be the means the Holy Spirit uses to regenerate someone if it is powerless until regeneration takes place.
Bob, your comment simply proves your misrepresentation of Calvinism. Regeneration doesn’t take place apart from repentance and faith in Christ. I affirm the ordo salutis in the BF&M2K: “In its broadest sense salvation includes regeneration, justification, sanctification, and glorification. There is no salvation apart from personal faith in Jesus Christ as Lord.”
Now, a question to you: Are all men able to accept the gospel apart from the grace of God working in their hearts? Consider the BF&M2K: “Repentance and faith are inseparable experiences of grace.” Do you agree with this statement?
Jared,
I like the comment on regeneration in section 2C where the BF&M2000 states the following: “at the moment of regeneration the Holy Spirit baptizes the BELIEVER into the body of Christ.”
Here the BF&M2000 equates regeneration with BELIEVER and that can only take place AFTER repentance and faith. There is NO ambiguity in that statement. In section IV which you refer to, there are two interpretations which I discuss in detail and am sure you have read on my blog.
I do believe repentance and faith are inseparable EXPERIENCES an individual has that are the direct response of God’s Amazing Grace in a person’s heart and life. I do not believe that either repentance nor faith are God’s gift to unregenerate men.
What would be interesting would be your substantiation of my “misrepresentation of calvinism” in the statement above.
Are you trying to say that the following statement is a misrepresentation… “I do not believe God has to make someone “alive” in order for them to respond which is the calvinist position.”
I also see that you did not bother answering my questions because you know that my position does not misrepresent calvinsm at all. If it did you would have been all over the comments with concrete examples of where I am wrong.
Bob, I don’t read your blog because you constantly misrepresent Calvinists. As you are in this comment. Where you misrepresent Calvinists is in your assumption that repentance and faith can be separated from regeneration. They cannot be. If you want to know what Calvinists believe, you must quote their confessions.
Once again, regeneration does not take place apart from repentance and faith in Christ. You cannot have one without the other.
Concerning the BF&M2K, how are repentance and faith “experiences of grace” if they are not from God? They’re “of grace,” meaning they come “from grace.” Are you saying they come “from man”?
Experiences is the key here… repentance and faith are responses to revelation and reconciliation.
You can say I misrepresent calvinism all you want just understand your saying it does not make it so. And for the record; I NEVER said “repentance and faith can be separated from regeneration.”
What I believe is repentance and faith are not the result of being regenerated; regeneration is the response of repentance and faith.
Once again, do you care at all to respond to the SIMPLE questions I have asked or do you simply choose to continue to ignore them?
Bob, you said, “I do not believe that either repentance nor faith are God’s gift to unregenerate men.”
If that is true, then you have a bigger problem than not believing Calvinism – YOU DON’T BELIEVE THE BIBLE:
Regarding repentance:
Acts 5:31- God exalted this man to His right hand as ruler and Savior, to grant repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins (HCSB).
Acts 11:18 – When they heard this they became silent. Then they glorified God, saying, “So God has granted repentance resulting in life, even to the Gentiles!” (HCSB)
2 Timothy 2:24-26 – The Lord’s slave must not quarrel, but must be gentle to everyone, able to teach, and patient, 25 instructing his opponents with gentleness. Perhaps God will grant them repentance leading them to the knowledge of the truth. 26 Then they may come to their senses and escape the Devil’s trap, having been captured by him to do his will (HCSB).
Regarding Faith:
Philippians 1:29 – For it has been given to you on Christ’s behalf not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for Him (HCSB).
John 6:29 – Jesus replied, “This is the work of God—that you believe in the One He has sent” (HCSB).
Deuteronomy 30:6 – The Lord your God will circumcise your heart and the hearts of your descendants, and you will love Him with all your heart and all your soul so that you will live (HCSB).
Romans 10:13-15a – For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. But how can they call on Him they have not believed in? And how can they believe without hearing about Him? And how can they hear without a preacher? 15 And how can they preach unless they are sent?
Bob, Scripture is clear. You didn’t give yourself faith – it was granted to you, just as repentance was granted to you. Now you ought to repent of your boasting before the Lord.
DR
Ac 5:30-32
30 The God of our fathers raised up Jesus whom you murdered by hanging on a tree.
31 Him God has exalted to His right hand to be Prince and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. 32 And we are His witnesses to these things, and so also is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey Him.” (NKJV)
God has raised up Jesus and exalted Him to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. This says absolutely NOTHING about repentance being given to you and me in hte salvific process.
Ac 11:17-18
17 If therefore God gave them the same gift as He gave us when we believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could withstand God?” 18 When they heard these things they became silent; and they glorified God, saying,”Then God has also granted to the Gentiles repentance to life.” NKJV
Here Peter is sharing what happened as God responded to the repentance of the gentiles; He did not give them their repentance.
2 Ti 2:24-26
24 And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient,
25 in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth, 26 and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will. NKJV
Here Pal is instructing Timothy in the ministry and speaks about those who are in opposition. The text does support your position but again in all fairness, God granting their repentance can be His granting forgiveness because of their repentance… it is again not a salvific specific text.
Php 1:29-30
29 For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake, 30 having the same conflict which you saw in me and now hear is in me.
NKJV
This does not say that faith is God’s gift; Paul is saying that their belief and their suffering were possible because of what Jesus did on the cross on their behalf. Once again there is no salvific significance in this passage as you seem to suggest.
Jn 6:28-29
28 Then they said to Him, “What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?”
29 Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.” NKJV
The people were following Jesus because of the miracles He was performing. He called them out on that. Then comes verse 28 and 29. Jesus admonition that their responsibility was to believe is an indication that belief is not a gift from God but their response to His revelation of who He is and what it is that He wants them to do in His reconcilatory work. Both are His initiative and require our response.
I love Romans 10… answer me this… unless one is regenerated in the Reformed way, the preaching falls on deaf ears and dead hearts and has no power to do anything. It is God’s efficacious call that wakens the dead heart and gives it new life and a new nature so that one CAN THEN REPENT and exercise believing or saving faith.
Interesting question… how can they hear without a preacher… if Paul had been reformed He would have asked it this way; how can they hear without regeneration or God’s effectual calling? No… it is the gospel message that is the power of God unto salvation to the ONE WHO BELIEVES… not the one God gives belief to.
So, while we do disagree on some things, your statement that “I did not give myself faith” is a cheap shot and the admonition to “repent of my boasting” is equally condescending because we both know (or should know) that is not the case.