Using Cultural Expressions to Share the Gospel Effectively
The "gospel," derived from the Anglo-Saxon "God's spell" or "good spell" (meaning "good news"), translates the Greek euangelion, signifying the welcome intelligence of salvation preached by Christ and his followers [2]. This good news is not limited to verbal proclamation but can be effectively communicated through various cultural expressions, reflecting the diverse ways God has historically worked and the New Testament's emphasis on contextualized communication.
The New Testament itself demonstrates a variety of communication methods for the gospel. Paul, for instance, fully preached the good news of Christ "in the power of signs and wonders, in the power of God’s Spirit" [1]. This suggests that miraculous demonstrations, which are cultural expressions of divine power, served to confirm the message [6]. The gift of tongues, granted on the Day of Pentecost, allowed the apostles to speak in the native languages of diverse peoples, enabling them to understand the "wonderful works of God" [5]. This was a direct cultural adaptation, bypassing linguistic barriers to share the gospel effectively.
Beyond overt miraculous displays, the New Testament also highlights the importance of using understandable language and forms. Paul emphasizes that speaking in tongues without interpretation is unprofitable for the church, asking, "what shall I profit you? ... except I shall speak to you, either by revelation, or by knowledge, or by prophesying, or by doctrine?" [10]. The goal is edification, which requires clarity and intelligibility [9]. This principle extends to all forms of cultural expression used in sharing the gospel; they must be comprehensible and relevant to the audience to be effective.
Music is another cultural expression explicitly mentioned in the New Testament as a means of spiritual instruction and worship. Colossians 3:16 encourages believers to let "the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another with all wisdom, with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God" [4]. This passage indicates that musical forms, which are deeply embedded in culture, serve as vehicles for teaching and admonition within the Christian community, and by extension, can be used to communicate gospel truths to those outside.
The concept of the gospel itself is presented as a universal message intended for "all nations" [3]. The expansion of the church, as prophesied in Isaiah, involves "enlarging the place of thy tent" to accommodate new inhabitants, signifying that the gospel church state would not be confined to Jerusalem but would spread to other regions [8]. This expansion inherently requires engaging with diverse cultures and finding ways to express the unchanging message of salvation in culturally appropriate and meaningful ways. The "everlasting Gospel" is depicted in Revelation as being proclaimed by an angel flying "in the midst of heaven... unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people" [7]. This vision underscores the global reach of the gospel and the necessity of communicating it across all cultural boundaries.
Sources
- Romans “in the power of signs and wonders, in the power of God’s Spirit; so that from Jerusalem, and around as far as to Illyricum, I have fully preached the Good News of Christ; -- Romans 15:19”
- Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Gospel — A word of Anglo-Saxon origin, and meaning "God's spell", i.e., word of God, or rather, according to others, "good spell", i.e., good news. It is the rendering of the Greek evangelion, i.e., "good message." It denotes (1) "the welcome intelligence of salvation to man as preached by our Lord and his followers. (2.) It was afterwards transitively applied to each of the four histories of our Lord's life, published by those who are therefore called Evangelists', writers of the history of the gospel (the evangelion). (3.) The term is often used to express collecti”
- Romans “Romans 15:16 (LITV) — for me to be a minister of Jesus Christ to the nations, sacredly ministering the gospel of God, that the offering of the nations might be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.”
- Colossians “Colossians 3:16 (LEB) — Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another with all wisdom, with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God,”
- Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Tongues, Gift of — Granted on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:4), in fulfilment of a promise Christ had made to his disciples (Mark 16:17). What this gift actually was has been a subject of much discussion. Some have argued that it was merely an outward sign of the presence of the Holy Spirit among the disciples, typifying his manifold gifts, and showing that salvation was to be extended to all nations. But the words of Luke (Acts 2:9) clearly show that the various peoples in Jerusalem at the time of Pentecost did really hear themselves addressed in their own special la”
- Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Miraculous Gifts of the Holy Spirit — Foretold -- Isa 35:4-6; Joe 2:28,29. Of different kinds -- 1Co 12:4-6. Enumerated -- 1Co 12:8-10,28; 14:1. Christ was endued with -- Mt 12:28. Poured out on the day of Pentecost -- Ac 2:1-4. Communicated Upon the preaching of the gospel. -- Ac 10:44-46. By the laying on of the Apostles' hands. -- Ac 8:17,18; 19:6. For the confirmation of the gospel. -- Mr 16:20; Ac 14:3; Ro 15:19; Heb 2:4. For the edification of the Church. -- 1Co 12:7; 14:12,13. Dispensed according to his sovereign will -- 1Co 12:11. Were to be sought after -- 1”
- Revelation (Methodist/Wesleyan) “Adam Clarke on Revelation 14:6: Another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting Gospel - Whether this angel mean any more than a particular dispensation of providence and grace, by which the Gospel shall be rapidly sent throughout the whole world; or whether it mean any especial messenger, order of preachers, people, or society of Christians, whose professed object it is to send the Gospel of the kingdom throughout the earth, we know not. But the vision seems truly descriptive of a late institution, entitled The British and Foreign Bible Society, whose object it is to print an”
- Isaiah (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Isaiah 54:2: Enlarge the place of thy tent,.... To which the church is compared, because of its uncertain and movable condition, being sometimes in one place, and sometimes in another; and because of its outward meanness and weakness, as well as its small extent; but now it is signified that it should be enlarged, and room be made for an accession of in habitants to it; or, in other words, that the Gospel church state should not be confined to Jerusalem, but should take place in other parts of Judea, and in Galilee, and in Samaria; hence we read of churches in those places, Act 9:”
- 1 Corinthians (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on 1 Corinthians 14 (introduction): In this chapter the apostle directs them about the use of their spiritual gifts, preferring those that are best and fitted to do the greatest good. I. He begins with advising them of all spiritual gifts to prefer prophesying, and shows that this is much better than speaking with tongues (Co1 14:1-5). II. He goes on to show them how unprofitable the speaking of foreign languages is, and useless to the church; it is like piping in one tone, like sounding a trumpet without any certain note, like talking gibberish; whereas gifts should be used for ”
- 1 Corinthians (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on 1 Corinthians 14:6: Now, brethren, if I come unto you speaking with tongues,.... The apostle exemplifies this matter in himself, and supposes it his own case, that should he who was the apostle of the Gentiles, and to be received by them as such, when he came to them, come with this gift of tongues, which he was capable of, as much, or more than any, see Co1 14:18 and only make use of that, what shall I profit you? of what use would my ministry be to you? what instruction, comfort, and edification, could you receive by it? except I shall speak to you, either by revelation; by ”