http://timchester.wordpress.com/2007/01/23/the-ephesians-moment/ reformed spirituality and missional church Fri, 04 Dec 2009 21:14:58 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 http://timchester.wordpress.com/2007/01/23/the-ephesians-moment/#comment-192 Michael Fri, 23 Mar 2007 11:15:08 +0000 http://timchester.wordpress.com/2007/01/23/the-ephesians-moment/#comment-192 I did mean 'culture should NOT be obliterated...'! I did mean ‘culture should NOT be obliterated…’!

]]> http://timchester.wordpress.com/2007/01/23/the-ephesians-moment/#comment-191 Michael Fri, 23 Mar 2007 10:57:11 +0000 http://timchester.wordpress.com/2007/01/23/the-ephesians-moment/#comment-191 Just a note on what you say about the danger of the church becoming split, even amicably, into cultural Jew and cultural gentile... From what I'm reading at the moment a similar thing happened in the church in South Africa before and during apartheid. The Dutch Reformed Church, with the influence of German theologians seemed to argue that the church should be split white/black SA in the name of keeping cultural identity which they saw as something established by God in creation. It was argued 'positively' - that it was for the good of both groups. But from Ephesians it is clear that this is not God's plan for his people! Although culture should be obliterated, it should not come in the way of our unity in Christ. In fact it is such a wonderful display of what the gospel has achieved that all these people, with their different cultures can unite under Christ as he reigns supreme over all. To the praise of his glory! Just a note on what you say about the danger of the church becoming split, even amicably, into cultural Jew and cultural gentile…
From what I’m reading at the moment a similar thing happened in the church in South Africa before and during apartheid. The Dutch Reformed Church, with the influence of German theologians seemed to argue that the church should be split white/black SA in the name of keeping cultural identity which they saw as something established by God in creation.
It was argued ‘positively’ – that it was for the good of both groups. But from Ephesians it is clear that this is not God’s plan for his people! Although culture should be obliterated, it should not come in the way of our unity in Christ. In fact it is such a wonderful display of what the gospel has achieved that all these people, with their different cultures can unite under Christ as he reigns supreme over all.
To the praise of his glory!

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