In order for us to understand the Scriptures, we must understand the inner workings of the culture and traditions that circumscribe the events recorded in the Bible. It is important for us to have this understanding to comprehend the idioms and idiosyncratic expressions employed by the writers of Scriptures to communicate Divine Truth. Moreover, the study of cultures and traditions is important in the study of Biblical languages (Hebrew and Greek). As far as the study of the Scriptures is concerned, understanding culture and traditions serves an important role in interpreting the Scriptures.
Understanding the context of the first instance is different from contextualization. Contextualization forces an interpretation of the Scriptures to fit the present context. The context of the first instance is key to sound biblical exegesis and interpretation, whereas the objective of contextualization is to provide an interpretation of the Scriptures that is agreeable to a specific cultural context. Employing the context of the first instance will allow us to understand what the Scriptures are communicating in its original substance and how to apply these truths to our meet our present needs. It does not allow us the latitude to change these truths just to make them palatable to present conditions. By application, culture and tradition must conform to the absolutes of Scripture and not the other way around.
The emphasis of the Scriptures is primarily spiritual reconciliation with the Almighty through the explicit means He Himself has provided—by grace through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ (John 14:6). The standards concerning how “believers” should live are secondary to spiritual regeneration. A moral life is only the desired consequence of a regenerated life. Regeneration always comes first. Morality apart from regeneration is worthless.
The apostle Paul states: “21But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; 22Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: 23For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; 24Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: 25Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; 26To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. 27Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith. 28Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law. 29Is he the God of the Jews only? is he not also of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also: 30Seeing it is one God, which shall justify the circumcision by faith, and uncircumcision through faith. 31Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law.”(Romans 3:21-31)
In the argument that ensued between the Lord and the Pharisees concerning religion, religious tradition and popular culture, the Lord states: “…This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me…Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.…Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition…For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men…Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye.” (Mark 7:6-8, 13)
This order of priority must never be altered or even re-formulated to fit conventional thought or popular culture. The culture and traditions of men are rooted in individual belief systems and are basically a compendium of the belief systems of individuals comprising a community, so, unless a community is comprised of regenerated believers, even the enforcement of the strictest standards of morality and outward religious conformity will not produce a godly culture. In fact, as in the case of the Jewish community contemporary to the Lord’s earthly ministry, a community that structures culture and tradition based on the Scriptures will end up in a highly rigid legalistic society devoid of spiritual substance (Mark 7:6-8, 13).
A community, however, comprised of regenerated believers who studies and understands the Scriptures will produce a culture and set of traditions that glorifies and serves the purposes of the Almighty. This is the implicit model of the ecclesia—a group or community of believers called out from Jews and Gentiles alike to serve the purposes of the Most High, distinct from every human organization (religious or otherwise), bound not by race or religion, but by the commonality of spiritual re-birth and regeneration. It is designed to be a model of the forthcoming theocracy of the Millennium.
To attempt to reformulate Scriptural Truths to fit contemporary contexts is to deviate from the Divine Plan. The temptation to do so is strong, even for mature believers. The high standards of the Scriptures are foundational to egalitarian thinking, a world devoid of conflict and filled with love, peace, and equality, using Acts 2:44 as the basis of this model.
Students of the Word must realize that the principles (egalitarian as it may seem) taught in the New Testament have to be understood through the lens of the context of first instance. These are not universally applicable, and by universally I mean believers and unbelievers alike. The context is clear—believers only.
Another problem area that opens up the door to contextualization is the ideal of unity and peace. While mankind sees the value of these Scriptural tenets, it is understood out of context. These principles were directed to the Church, the ecclesia of the called. The basis of unity and peace, as taught in the Scriptures is the context of the common regenerated relationship shared between believers the Lord and the resulting obedience required by the Lord of His followers and children. The common foundation and basis is spiritual re-birth.
To attempt to employ these principles of equality, unity, peace, and love outside of the context of spiritual re-birth creates more problems than it solves. Why? The basis of those that seek to employ these outside of the context of spiritual regeneration is heterogeneous and subjective, whereas the basis of the Church is homogeneous and objective—the person and finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ. Meaning, the unbelieving world cannot possibly come to a full realization of the intent of real peace, real joy, real unity, and real love apart from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Peace will always be designed to fit the interests of one party over another. Unity will be defined by the parameters set by a dominant party or nation (much like Pax Romana), and love will be corrupted to mean every thing else but. The natural man is unable to comprehend the foundations behind these basic principles. Paul clearly states: “But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” (1 Corinthians 2:14)
Nowhere is this thinking more prominent than in situation ethics that evaluates action in the light of their situational context rather than by the application of moral absolutes; a view of ethics that deprecates general moral principles while emphasizing the source of moral judgments in the distinctive characters of specific situations (Source: situation ethics. (n.d.). The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition.). This is the thinking behind the phrase “the ends justifies the means.”
The intent of situation ethics is to make the ministry of the organized church relevant for this present generation. The intent is to make the ministry relevant so that by doing so make the basis of ministry relevant to this present generation. This may seem harmless, however, it is anything but.
If we were to use situation ethics to interpret the Scriptures we would end up with a version that is a half truth—and half truths are lies. Divine justice for example, would be seen not as an expression of the Holiness of God, but a means to impose His will on the world in order to meet a greater good. This would justify violence if the end result is world peace. History is replete with accounts of “Christian nations” going to war to further the
Situation ethics holds the traditions of men in higher esteem than the commandments of God. Those who think this way are as guilty of vain worship as the Pharisees of Christ’s day: “…This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me…Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.…Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition…For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men…Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye.” (Mark 7:6-8, 13)
It would do well for us to consider what the apostle Paul stated in Romans 9:14-32: “14What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid. 15For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. 16So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy. 17For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth. 18Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth. 19Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will? 20Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus? 21Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour? 22What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction: 23And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory, 24Even us, whom he hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles? 25As he saith also in Osee, I will call them my people, which were not my people; and her beloved, which was not beloved. 26And it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people; there shall they be called the children of the living God. 27Esaias also crieth concerning Israel, Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, a remnant shall be saved: 28For he will finish the work, and cut it short in righteousness: because a short work will the Lord make upon the earth. 29And as Esaias said before, Except the Lord of Sabaoth had left us a seed, we had been as Sodoma, and been made like unto Gomorrha. 30What shall we say then? That the Gentiles, which followed not after righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith. 31But Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness. 32Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumblingstone; 33As it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.”
If we want to glorify God, we need to do so on the basis of how He has instructed us to worship and glorify Him—in spirit and in truth. We cannot worship Him in convenience. We cannot be eclectic as far as doctrine is concerned or as it concerns the whole counsel of God. In its absolute state, the Scriptures must be taken as a complete and absolute whole—no more, and no less. We must be resolute in our obedience to God by what He has revealed in the Scriptures even when it makes us uncomfortable.
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