Living in another culture can make you cynical . . . or make you even more cynical. On those days, a person is tempted to turn on some Coldplay and check out from the world. Should we? I once heard a wise woman warn a group of foreigners of the frequent temptation they would soon face as they entered their new life in China. She said that whenever we as humans face a new circumstance that we don’t understand,... Read more
A reader asked a question about my previous post “Using the ‘Romans 23’ Principle to Explain Sin.” Here is the comment he left on the blog: “I definitely see two aspects of sin: against God’s person (the honor-shame motif) and against God’s law (the innocence-guilt motif). My ministry partners here in Cambodia have been discussing this particular post via email. I did want to raise a question about Romans 2:23. It seems that the dishonor comes from the breaking of... Read more
Do you “know righteousness”? Traditionally, when Protestants typically talk about righteousness, they talk about a person having a certain status before God or perhaps doing certain right actions. I think we need to go a bit deeper. Consider Isaiah 51:7 Listen to me, you who know righteousness, the people in whose heart is my law; fear not the reproach of man, nor be dismayed at their revilings. Notice there are two things that mark those who know righteousness. First, they... Read more
Over at Brainpickings, Maria Popova has put up a nice illustration (drawing from Josef Albers). In her post, she talks about the interaction between the brain, colors, and design. I’ve included it here because that I think it is also very applicable for grasping the importance of contextualization. I attached her caption below the picture to help you understand its point. THE RELATIVITY OF COLOR A color has many faces, and one color can be made to appear as two... Read more
Does contextualization mean “changing” the gospel? That is exactly what one missions leader seemed to suggest in a recent meeting. This leader was speaking about ministry in East Asia. When someone in the audience asked him how honor and shame should influence our gospel presentations, he struggled to answer the question. Not really knowing what to say, his clearest idea was simply this: “We never want to change the gospel!” At one level, it’s apparent that this man never answers... Read more
Chinese people have a hard time understanding what is meant by the word “sin.” How Does Romans Define Sin? This observation is what first inspired me to do my theological research. So, this many years later, what do I have to say about it? Well, for a fuller explanation, read Saving God’s Face. For now, I’ll review an observation I’ve mentioned before. In China, the word for sin (zuì, 罪) literally means “crime.” This obviously creates confusion for these millions... Read more
A lot people think they know how to contextualize. Sometimes, however, they do a better job at offering examples of what is not contextualization. Either way, they certainly intend well. We can at least be be thankful that God accepts our joyful noises. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PdWnps5FypU Related articles The Gospel with Chinese Characteristics (www.patheos.com/blogs/jacksonwu) Train Short-term Workers to Do Contextualization (Orientation Packet) (www.patheos.com/blogs/jacksonwu) When Short-Term Workers Don’t Contextualize (www.patheos.com/blogs/jacksonwu) Contextualization Gone Wrong — TIMS Smoothies (www.patheos.com/blogs/jacksonwu) Read more
In a few words, I want to offer some final thoughts about biblical interpretation. A few simple ideas can help us to maintain a right perspective and avoid the common mistakes I’ve mentioned in previous posts. All Christians have the same Holy Spirit. Therefore, everyone has something to contribute when it comes to interpreting the Bible. The whole church is like a body. By ourselves, we have limited perspectives, skills, sin, and biases. We need each other if we are... Read more
Want some help talking about creation and Genesis 1 to your Chinese friends? This is one of the most important books I know on the subject. Right now (through Feb 24), the Kindle version is on sale for only $2.99. The Lost World of Genesis One, by John Walton, is a different sort of book on the subject. I’m not a big fan of the conversation about creationism, evolution, etc. because it tends to be a bigger distraction than a... Read more
Here is one of the most powerful posts I’ve read in a while. Brian Zahnd’s comments are probably relevant to almost every person who reads this blog.His post is called “My Problem with the Bible.” Here is how he begins…. “I have a problem with the Bible. Here’s my problem… I’m an ancient Egyptian. I’m a comfortable Babylonian. I’m a Roman in his villa. That’s my problem. See, I’m trying to read the Bible for all it’s worth, but I’m... Read more
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