Then Paul, looking earnestly at the council, said, “Men andbrethren, I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day.” And the high priest Ananias commanded those who stood by him to strike him on the mouth. Then Paul said to him, “God will strike you, youwhitewashed wall! For you sit to judge me according to the law, and do you command me to be struck contrary to the law?” Acts 23.1-3

Sic ‘em!

I have to tell you, this is one of my favorite passages in the whole of Scripture.

Finally, brothers, whatever things are true, whatever things arenoble, whatever things arejust, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there isany virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy – meditate on these things. Philippians 4.8

Where cultural judgment must begin

These words of the Apostle Paul have a curiously cultural ring, don’t you think? True, noble, just, pure, lovely, commendable, virtuous, praiseworthy – these sound like terms we would use to extol the virtues of some book we’ve read, film we’ve seen, or performer we admire.

And may the Lord make you increase and abound in love to one another and to all… 1 Thessalonians 3.12

Some obvious examples

We have seen that the end of culture, the reason God has given gifts of culture to human beings, is so that His presence and character of love may be made known. The purpose of culture is to bring love for God and love for our neighbors into the light of day, unto the glory of God.

Circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing, but keeping the commandments of God is what matters. Let each one remain in the same calling in which he was called. 1 Corinthians 7.19, 20

The Law of love

If you have been paying attention during this series, you will note that this quotation from 1 Corinthians 7 sounds remarkably like the one we used to open this series. There, citing Galatians 5.6, we quoted Paul as saying, “For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but faith working through love.” Paul’s wording is neither mistaken nor accidental. For Paul, keeping the commandments of God is the way to show love for God and neighbors.

You have ascended on high,
You have led captivity captive;
You have received gifts among men,
Even fromthe rebellious,
That the LORD God might dwell there. Psalm 68.18

God in the gifts

This Old Testament text is extremely important, because it establishes a course or trajectory, as well as divine expectations, for the development of human culture from the days of Christ onward.

For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but faith working through love. Galatians 5.6

Sound the alarm?

In recent months many Christians have begun to express heightened concern over the state of American culture. Words like “degraded”, “debased,” and “decadent” fill the Christian blogosphere, and calls for “cultural renewal” can be heard on every hand.

ReVision studies are designed for individual or group use and explore various aspects of the Christian worldview. All ReVision studies are available in free PDF format and may be duplicated for group use.

Come to prayer open and sincere.

What food are you offering to your soul these days?

Dominant narratives, evolution and religion, art and writing, the greatest temptation.

Persecution? What else is new?

I would have lost heart, unless I had believed
That I would see the goodness of the LORD
In the land of the living! Psalm 27.13

Culture for the glory of God

We have seen that culture is a gift from God, an indispensable resource for bringing fullness and blessing into human lives. Culture has power to accomplish much good, but it can become corrupted by the effects of sin and, if we’re not careful, actually end up harming rather than benefiting us.