The Problem of Nationalizing Christianity

Nation churches are a major problem and stumbling block for the Gospel. When a church becomes so intrinsically inseparable from a nation, culture, and people group it can risk becoming an assimilating force that seeks when sharing the Gospel to make people become like that nation and culture. An example was the English Empire that said "God is an Englishman" and would conquer nations and when prostelzing expect the indigenous people to serve Jesus in an English way, with propriety and pomp. The problem is that among the conquered were tribal peoples like Africans and Indians, who had distinctly different cultures, and when you try to Christianize and change their every subtle cultural identity, the people often revolt as the American Indians did. The Gospel calls for a transformation, but it is within and yes morals, but there are cultural customs that are grey, such as wearing sorries, headdresses, and gathering under a tree or cooking with coal rather than boiling food. The Apostle Paul was contender against unnecessary changes in cultural identity, "There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus." (Galatians 3:28). Paul was expressing the universality of being in Christ and how there is no divisions or sectarianism, that an African and an American, an Englishman and Ethiopian were brothers and sisters in Christ, they were One and equal, but there is no need to dominate each other culturally. Paul attacked the Judaizing of Greek Christians, "For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery. Mark my words! I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no value to you at all. I say it again. If you are trying to find favor with God by being circumcised, you must obey every regulation in the whole law of Moses. You who are trying to be justified by the Law have been severed from Christ; you have fallen away from grace. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love. You were running the race so well. Who has held you back from following the truth? It certainly isn't God, for he is the one who called you to freedom. This false teaching (of having to practice the Law of Moses and Jewish Customns of purification and etc) is like a little yeast that spreads through the whole batch of dough! I have confidence in the Lord that you will take no other view, and the one who is troubling you will bear the penalty, whoever he is. Brothers and sisters, if I am still preaching circumcision, why am I still being persecuted? In that case the offense of the cross has been abolished. wish those who are disturbing you might also get themselves castrated! You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. For the whole law can be summed up in this one command: "Love your neighbor as yourself." (Galatians 5:1-4, 6-14)

The Apostle Paul had major issues with imposing another culture on the Greeks. In fact, the Greeks and Romans interested in Judaism always hesitated to convert, and so we called "God Fearers" like Cornelius (Acts 10:1-2). They couldn't convert because Judaism required strict dietary laws (Leviticus 11), to not associate with foreigners and shun people (Talmud, Commentaries of Rabbis, but not Scriptural see Deuteronomy 23:7, 1 Kings 11:2, Acts 10:28), and it had strict laws that made living in the world impossible (Talmud Teachings). When Apostles came to Gentiles and preached the Gospel, they revealed that God's Salvation was for everyone, and that you could receive Christ without having to follow strict dietary laws ( Mark 7:19-20, Acts 10:13-16), that you could love all people groups and not shun them (Acts 10:28), and that you could live in the world and be not of it at the same time (Romans 12:1-2, John 17:15-16). This is what attracted many Gentiles who found Judaism a stumbling block because of its strict nature of having to adopt its culture and costumns; many Gentiles refused over having to get circumcised (having your penis cut, creating circular ring around the part below the tip). They could know the One True God and He was accessible for all peoples and cultures, and Christ died for all people and wanted all people saved (2 Corinthians 5:15, 1 Timothy 2:4, 1 Timothy 4:10, Titus 2:11). This universality of the Gospel shook the Roman, Greek, and Jewish World that had always had a divide between Jew and Gentile.

Sadly, in today's world we often recreate the division by insisting that converts become our culture. If we are American we expect Africans in Malawi or Uganda to now act like Americans in worship, prayer, and to dress like us. This is folly, because like the Jews we are placing an extra yoke on people. They already must adjust to the Gospel and the requirements of Christ (Matthew 22:38-40, John 13:34-35, John 15:12), which allows for their culture and customs long as they don't include worshipping other gods, killing babies on altars, sexual immorality, and eating foods offered to gods. The African gets to stay African, but join the Saints and severe the bad customs that actually created fear, disease, and other spiritual diseases. The Gospel is joyous and so converts do not feel a heavy yoke, for Jesus said, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." (Matthew 11:28-30). But when we add that people must suddenly become another race, nationality, adapt to another culture, and etc that isn't the Kingdom of God, but rather our Kingdom of Britain, Scotland, Germany, United States, and etc.; we end up creating a yoke that buts a barrier in the souls of converts who gladly want to conform their life to Christ who accepts them and loves them, but struggle to act like another culture so drastically different in manners, and behavior. Example, in most of Western world exposing a woman's breasts is erotic and sexual, but in some African tribes they are topless and there is not erotic nature to it. Now certainly, if we asked these women with exposed breasts to visit our countries we would suggest covering them, but in their own village?

Christianity transcends cultures and yet includes them all, "Peter told them, "You know it is against our laws for a Jewish man to enter a Gentile home like this or to associate with you. But God has shown me that I should no longer think of anyone as impure or unclean," (Acts 10:28), "Then Peter began to speak: “I now truly understand that God does not show favoritism, but welcomes those from every nation who fear Him and do what is right," (Acts 10:34-35), "You are a Jew," said the woman. "How can You ask for a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?" (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.) Jesus answered her, "If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water," (John 4:9-10, Jesus then tells the Samaritan the Gospel through Him and she becomes an evangelist see verse John 4:39-42), "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit," (Mathew 28:19), "And He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature," (Mark 16:15), "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth," (Acts 1:8), "if indeed you continue in your faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope of the gospel you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant," (Colossians 1:23), "For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free, and we were all given one Spirit to drink." (1 Corinthians 12:13), "He redeemed us so that the blessing promised to Abraham would come to the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit," (Galatians 3:14), "You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus," (Galatians 3:26), "Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus," (Romans 8:1), "Is God the God of Jews only? Is He not the God of Gentiles too? Yes, of Gentiles too," (Romans 3:29), "but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God." (1 Corinthians 1:23-24). What is most intriguing is that we told once the Gospel is preached to all people, the end or Apocalypse happens, "And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come." (Matthew 24:14).


The Apostles especially dealt with this issue of trying to make Gentiles into Jews in regards to law, culture, and customs, at what is called the Council of Jerusalem, "But some believers from the party of the Pharisees stood up and declared, “The Gentiles must be circumcised and required to obey the Law of Moses.So the apostles and elders met to look into this matter. After much discussion, Peter got up and said to them, “Brothers, you know that in the early days, God made a choice among you that the Gentiles would hear from my lips the message of the gospel and believe.  And God, who knows the heart, showed His approval by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as He did to us He made no distinction between us and them, for he cleansed their hearts by faith. Now then, why do you test God by placing on the necks of the disciples a yoke that neither we nor our fathers have been able to bear? On the contrary, we believe it is through the grace of the Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are. The whole assembly fell silent as they listened to Barnabas and Paul describing the signs and wonders God had done among the Gentiles through them. When they had finished speaking, James declared, “Brothers, listen to me! Simon has told us how God first visited the Gentiles to take from them a people to be His own. The words of the prophets agree with this, as it is written: ‘After this I will return and rebuild David’s fallen tent. Its ruins I will rebuild, and I will restore it, so that the remnant of men may seek the Lord, and all the Gentiles who bear My name, says the Lord who does these things that have been known for ages.’ It is my judgment, therefore, that we should not cause trouble for the Gentiles who are turning to God. Instead, we should write and tell them to abstain from food polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from the meat of strangled animals, and from blood. For Moses has been proclaimed in every city from ancient times and is read in the synagogues on every Sabbath.”Then the apostles and elders, with the whole church, decided to select men from among them to send to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. They chose Judas called Barsabbas and Silas, two leaders among the brothers and sent them with this letter: “The apostles and the elders, your brothers, To the brothers among the Gentiles in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia: Greetings. It has come to our attention that some went out from us without our authorization and unsettled your minds by what they said. So we all agreed to choose men to send you along with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, So we all agreed to choose men to send you along with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore we are sending Judas and Silas to tell you in person the same things we are writing you. It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us not to burden you with anything beyond these essential requirements: You must abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals, and from sexual immorality. You will do well to avoid these things. Farewell.” So the men were sent off and went down to Antioch, where they assembled the congregation and delivered the letter." (Acts 15:5-30).

I believe many churches are struggling in the world because the expectation is that if you become a Christian you have to adopt the culture, customs, and characteristics of China, U.S.A, or whatever nation you received the Gospel in instead of adopting Kingdom of God culture, customs, and characteristics which connect to all countries and cultures (Colossians 3:11). I understand that many churches do have culture and common heritage, for instance Eastern Orthodoxy has major Egyptian, Syria, and Russian cultures inside it, as well as Greek, just as Roman Catholicism has Italian, Roman, and other European cultures within it. Protestantism has German, Swiss, Scottish, and American cultures. The problem is when we try to impose the culture itself, and expect new converts to suddenly cease being Indian, African, Asian, Arab, and etc. There is nothing wrong with using your culture in the Church, but don't forget that we are Body of Christ with many members and races, we are all One in Christ, "Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all," (Colossians 3:11). So we should appreciate all cultures in Christ, we should enjoy our Slavic brothers and sisters, African and Ethiopian brothers and sisters, Asian and Arab brothers and sisters, and so forth who bring their uniqueness to Body of Christ! Amen.