1 Peter - Lesson 1

Called to Godly Conduct

Christians and Culture

From the very beginning, Jesus’ followers have struggled with what it means to exist in a culture that is antithetical, often hostile, to its core values.

Jesus warned us:

Matthew 5:11 CSB

“You are blessed when they insult you and persecute you and falsely say every kind of evil against you because of me.

John 15:20 CSB

Remember the word I spoke to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours.

Responses to Culture

Aggression against injustice, persecution

Pacifism, i.e., Amish, Mennonites

Political activism, i.e. Christian Coalition, Moral Majority, etc.

Just go along to get along.

Basic Question: How Should We Then Live?

3 Dominant theological answers:

Counterculture of separatism. The church is separate from and does not allow interference from the state and culture. Doesn’t, then, participate in much of the world’s activities.

Extend Christian society into secular society. We bring our individual Christian ethics into our culture. Examples would be 1920’s Prohibition, prayer in schools, reproductive rights, the fight over textbooks in schools re: evolution.

consider there to be two realms. Kingdom of God, kingdoms of the world (so to speak). God’s relationship to the world is different than his relationship to the church.

As a practical matter, most Christians in the Western world have elements of all three in their daily lives. We try to remove ourselves from what we see as truly evil practices, we try to influence our society and government through whom we vote and we often consider our relationship to God different than with the world. We create a dividing wall of behavior between them.

1 Peter - Reflecting on Christians and Culture