As much as we hate to admit it, the meaning of words change. It is the ongoing change that challenges the message of the gospel. I am torn between two things here: the traditional language of the Christian faith, and the non-communicability of that language to the current generation.
On the one hand, some of the vocabulary of the Christian faith cannot be erased. On the other hand, perhaps some of it needs replaced, or at the bare minimum explained and defined every time such words are used. I am thinking of the following words as the “non-negotiables” of the Christian faith:
Cross, resurrection, heaven, hell, gospel, church, sin, love, servant, friend, etc.
I think our difficulty is realizing that today’s American culture is by and large non-literate in the biblical narrative. The vast majority of our church activities and worship assemblies assume that everyone is biblically literate. It is this very truth and reality that Randy Harris challenged us at ElderLink in Atlanta.
I remember hearing Dr. James Thompson speak at Abilene Christian University during the Restoration Quarterly Journal breakfast. He made a strong case for Christians not giving up their distinctive vocabulary of faith. Our life of faith is often couched in language directly from the biblical text. I believe that is a good thing. We must remember, however, that when we are trying to communicate the Christian faith to others, they have neither the benefit of knowing the words we use nor the powerful narratives out of which that language arises.
Perhaps a good place to start is by asking others what meanings they attach to the words we use. What does the average person think of when we use the word “sin?” What do most people think of when we talk about “church?” Easy-to-read translations and taking time to explain our words with others may be the best place to start. The good news of Jesus Christ (“gospel”) cannot afford to be communicated with worthless words. Rather, we are challenged to present it with meaningful words that convey the power of God at work in the human heart!
On the one hand, some of the vocabulary of the Christian faith cannot be erased. On the other hand, perhaps some of it needs replaced, or at the bare minimum explained and defined every time such words are used. I am thinking of the following words as the “non-negotiables” of the Christian faith:
Cross, resurrection, heaven, hell, gospel, church, sin, love, servant, friend, etc.
I think our difficulty is realizing that today’s American culture is by and large non-literate in the biblical narrative. The vast majority of our church activities and worship assemblies assume that everyone is biblically literate. It is this very truth and reality that Randy Harris challenged us at ElderLink in Atlanta.
I remember hearing Dr. James Thompson speak at Abilene Christian University during the Restoration Quarterly Journal breakfast. He made a strong case for Christians not giving up their distinctive vocabulary of faith. Our life of faith is often couched in language directly from the biblical text. I believe that is a good thing. We must remember, however, that when we are trying to communicate the Christian faith to others, they have neither the benefit of knowing the words we use nor the powerful narratives out of which that language arises.
Perhaps a good place to start is by asking others what meanings they attach to the words we use. What does the average person think of when we use the word “sin?” What do most people think of when we talk about “church?” Easy-to-read translations and taking time to explain our words with others may be the best place to start. The good news of Jesus Christ (“gospel”) cannot afford to be communicated with worthless words. Rather, we are challenged to present it with meaningful words that convey the power of God at work in the human heart!
In Christian love, Curtis
