Josh Benner

Category: Culture

  • 5 thoughts on being “all things to all people” in the Christian life

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    Originally published April 11, 2016

    In 1 Corinthians 9:19-23, the Apostle Paul talks about being “all things to all people.” In the rest of the passage, he talks about different groups with whom he demonstrates this. While that passage is not an exhaustive guide to ministry, it provides significant insights into how to reach people for Jesus.

    Based on studying this passage, and thinking of this in the ministry context of the Bible, I have five reflections over the past few weeks on what it is to be “all things to all people.”

    1. It’s love for people

    Basic principles that are clear from this text and from the ministry of Jesus include that we are called to love people. It’s not a choice. It’s non-negotiable. We are called to love people. We can’t dismiss them, we can’t dismiss opportunities to share the love of Christ or to think that it’s someone else’s job to do.

    It’s your job to do! It’s serving something that is infinitely bigger and greater than yourself.

    And we encounter people in our daily lives who don’t know Jesus. In our families, in our offices, and in our schools. I’m not saying you need to force faith on anyone. In some ways, that’s the easy thing to do. But being pushy isn’t the point.

    2. It’s building relationships 

    In being all things to all people, it’s about building relationships. You can’t be all things to all people without building relationships.

    It’s getting to know people. The fact that Paul was ministering differently to different groups of people meant that he was actually getting to know them.

    In sharing the gospel, and sharing faith, it’s not just about one conversation. It’s about a relationship with a person.

    Part of the challenge of actually building a relationship is that it takes more time. It takes more investment. Being too pushy about faith can alienate a person. It can hurt a relationship, but that’s not the point. It’s about building relationships with those who don’t know Christ.

    3. It’s relating to unique individuals 

    This principal flows from this idea in how we relate to people.

    People are different. And what being all things will require with different individuals requires discernment.

    People are not robots. It’s not about finding a way to program everyone that you meet. It’s not about having one approach to interacting with people. That’s not how Jesus did ministry.

    In John 4, Jesus talks with a Samaritan woman. He knows that she has had multiple husbands and is essentially prostituting herself out to another man. He shows grace.

    In Mark 8, he foretells his death and resurrection to his disciples, and Peter tries to rebuke Jesus for saying such things. Jesus responds by saying “Get behind me Satan.”

    Different situations. Different people. Different ways how Jesus approaches them. In other instances, he’s asked a question and he responds with another question, to teach the questioner something, other times he responds with a parable.

    It’s also about loving different kinds of people. In this passage, writing to the Corinthians, Paul talks about how he is all things to the Jews, the non-Jews, and those looked down upon by society.

    4. It’s learning from mistakes 

    In being all things to all people, you will do it imperfectly and make mistakes. But that doesn’t mean it’s not worth it. And to be fair, just to use myself as an example, I mess up in this area. All the time.

    Don’t let the fear of making a mistake keep you from doing ministry, or for reaching out to people. God knows you’ll make mistakes. Paul says at the beginning of this book that his mission was to preach Christ crucified. When you do that, and are focused on the gospel, God will still work through imperfect ministries.

    5. It’s pursuing holiness 

    Where Paul talks about being “all things to all people” for the sake of the gospel, this can be potentially misunderstood. Paul is not giving license to sin. Followers of Jesus are called to holiness, but we are not called to holier than thou-ness. Being all things to all people is done to serve people.

    It’s about becoming a servant of God for his purposes. Paul actually uses servant/slave language at the beginning of this passage, and he is putting himself under the authority of God out of gratitude for the grace of God.

    Paul said I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.

    We are to love people even if they aren’t loveable, and be all things to all people. Because we have a savior who loved us. He met us where we were. In the mire of sin, he pulled us up, and now we have the opportunity to pass the torch to others.

  • Apple juice for communion? Why we can’t do communion our own way

    Apple juice for communion? Why we can’t do communion our own way

    27 Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty concerning the body and blood of the Lord. 28 Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. 29 For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself. 
    1 Corinthians 11:27-29

    I saw quite a few responses on Twitter this evening when the rapper Lecrae mentioned taking communion at home with wheat bread and apple juice and saying “I hope this still counts.”

    It doesn’t.

    Communion is a sacred remembrance of the gospel which was instituted by Christ himself with the commandment “do this in remembrance of me” (Luke 22:19).

    There are lots of different views of communion within Christendom. Even though I pastor an independent Bible church, my view of communion aligns pretty well with Presbyterianism where I believe that communion is to be administered to a congregation by the pastor, overseen by elders, and served by deacons. It stands to reason that those people would oversee and serve communion since they’re charged with overseeing and serving the church. Last year, when churches were shut down during Covid, I saw some people partaking of communion at home. While everyone won’t agree with me, that’s not communion. Communion is mean to be COMMUNal. Virtual communion is not communion.

    Again, there are varying opinions about communion in different branches of Christendom. (Even what it should be called, such as communion, eucharist, Lord’s Supper). The Catholic view is not the same as the Presbyterian view which is not the same as the Lutheran view which is not the same as the Orthodox view.

    But they all would agree that just taking it upon yourself to have wheat bread and apple juice and to call that communion is not communion. There ought to be fidelity to Jesus and how he instituted communion, not just doing whatever you feel like.

    Thinking you can just make communion whatever you want it to be comes from a shallow theology. Any church with history would consider ad hoc communion to be sacrilegious. It comes form the modern age that makes Christianity existential, where everyone does what is right in their own eyes, and where we do whatever we want and justify it as long as it’s sincere or “from the heart.”

    Jeremiah 17:9 says: the heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?

    There are some things where there are prescribed ways to do them and communion is one of those things.

    My point isn’t just to criticize Lecrae. Too often we try to take the sacred and just make it whatever we want it to be.

    Communion is communal. Communion is given by Christ as a sign of the new covenant. As a covenantal sign, and as such, it is meant for the church during worship. It can’t just be you taking something you’re eating and calling it communion. Even if you’re with your family, that doesn’t make it communion. There’s a Congregational aspect to it. There’s a sacred and set apart aspect to it.

    What about home churches? I can appreciate home churches. I would also hope that home churches would still handle communion in an appropriate Biblical manner and not just arbitrarily create elements.

    You can have a fellowship meal. You can thank God while you’re eating a meal. But that doesn’t make those things communion anymore than dunking yourself in a swimming pool or bath tub doesn’t mean you just baptized yourself.

    Thanks for reading!

  • The Gospel According to Spider Man

    The Gospel According to Spider Man

    Over the Christmas holiday, I saw the new Spider Man movie “No Way Home.” The movie stars Tom Holland. I’m not the biggest fan of the super hero genre but I absolutely loved this new movie. I thought it was the best superhero movie I’ve seen since the Dark Knight.

    Part of what I loved so much about the movie were its rich gospel themes.

    Spoilers, spoilers, spoilers

    If you haven’t seen the movie, I will talk at length about the plot. I never want to spoil a film for anyone, so if you care about seeing the new movie, I’d stop reading here until you’ve viewed the movie.

    Reviled by the world

    At the end of the most recent Spider Man movie “Far from home,” Spider Man’s true identity of Peter Parker has been revealed and he’s been framed for murder. At the beginning of No Way Home, there is intense media scrutiny and a public outcry. The only people who are loyal to Spider Man are his girlfriend, best friend, his aunt, and Harold “Happy” Hogan. These people are the loyal disciples of Spider Man.

    Peter Parker is less concerned about himself but feels terrible that the lives of those closest to him have been turned upside down. He asks Dr. Strange to cast a spell which will erase his identity from everyone’s memories. At first this sounds great to Peter Parker/Spider Man, but it will also erase the knowledge from his loved ones. Parker keeps asking Dr. Strange to alter the spell. In the process, alternate universes are opened up and the villains of previous Spider Man movies are released into the present day.

    A fallen world

    Spider Man quickly contains all of the villains and Dr. Strange creates a way to send all of them back to their original universes. This will result in all of the villains dying.

    Spider Man rejects this idea. He wants the bad guys to get a second chance. He believes that if they could take away their powers, they could reprogram them and they wouldn’t be evil. What’s interesting is that none of the bad guys have the desire to change.

    It makes no sense.

    These people are evil. Watching the movie, you’re thinking “just send them back. These guys are the bad guys.”

    But that’s the gospel. It’s not just that we make a couple of mistakes here and there. We are sinful and live in rebellion against a holy God.

    Given new life

    The bad guys don’t want to change. It actually comes from Spider Man’s work in taking away their power and reprogramming them. That too is a theological point where sinful men do not decide they want to become holy. Even that must come as a gracious act of God.

    The first person whom Spider Man works on is Doc Ock. At first, you wonder “has he really changed?” But before you can see if he has or not, the Green Goblin (who has pretend to be interested in changing for the good) betrays Spider Man. Spider Man’s friends have been holding onto Dr. Strange’s ring and are able to open up portals into alternate universes. They summon two different Spider Man’s from other universes (and former Spider Man stars Toby Maguire and Andrew Garfield).

    The Super Trinity

    While the Holy Trinity is mysterious and nothing in our world can adequately compare, it is interesting that you suddenly have three Spider Man’s who are all distinct from each other and who are all Spider Man. In the movie, they jokingly address themselves as Spider Man “1, 2, and 3.” Spider Man’s 1, 2, and 3 are all Spider Man but 1 is not 2, 2 is not 3, and 3 is not 1.

    With any superhero character, you have this Christian theme of two natures. Spider Man is fully man and fully superhero.

    The Triune Spider Men join forces to work redemption for the villains.

    Born again

    In the Spider Man movie, once he has worked in the villain, there is a supernatural transformation that takes place. They are totally changed. Those who are evil and hateful become humbled and good. Spider Man has a way to cure them of their evil and it’s a cure that can only come from Spider Man.

    Discipleship

    Doc Ock was the first person whom Spider Man had cured. Later in the movie, you see him work to help save Spider Man when he’s in a perilous situation. The transformation that’s happened in him is genuine.

    Sacrifice

    The three Spider Men are ultimately successful in transforming all of the villains. But before the Green Goblin had been restored, he had opened up the multiverse which would bring in any more villains. There is only one option. Spider Man must “die.” He doesn’t actually die in the movie, but his memory must be erased from everyone, even from those who know and love him. And in that sense, he must sacrifice himself and die to the world in order to save the world.

    The gospel

    I know it’s just a movie. But it has powerful gospel themes. Because the world is fallen and sinful. And Jesus bring salvation and a new heart and a new life to all who believe in him and who are redeemed by Christ. And the only way for Jesus to redeem the world was for him to die. Not a symbolic or metaphorical death but to literally die. He lived the life we could not live and died the dead that we deserved so that all who believe in him can have eternal life.

    Thanks for reading! If you liked, please comment, share, and subscribe.

  • Cynthia Nixon criticizes CVS for opposing theft

    Cynthia Nixon. Photo Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

    I sometimes feel like I’m living in the Twilight Zone.

    Actresses and failed New York gubernatorial candidate Cynthia Nixon took to Twitter in support of leniency on shoplifting.

    https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

    Is this mindset the way to build a better society?

    Go easy on thieves because it’s hard out there right now?

    I don’t think anyone is saying that if a person steals something that they should go to prison forever, but we need to to be in agreement as a society that stealing is wrong.

    And when cities put the word out that they’re going to go easier on shoplifting, it leads to the predictable result on increased thievery. This results in either fewer shopping options or increased prices to compensate for theft (which ultimately hurts honest, low-income people the most!) We hear about “food deserts” in urban areas. But leftists want to push radical policies and ideologies which make these areas less appealing for legitimate businesses.

    Nixon wants to make excuses and talk about how difficult it is for people right now.

    We have more jobs right now than we have people willing to work in this country.

    We’ve had multiple rounds of stimulus money. We have vast welfare programs, food stamp programs, medical assistance programs. But no, we still should not have a reasonable expectation for people to abstain from theft.

    I think she’s pushing an elitist attitude of low expectations on the poor. Just because someone is poor or low income does not mean they inevitably need to steal. And I think it’s a true insult to poor people to insinuate that this is a necessary decision for some of them. Furthermore, I think her Tweet is implicitly critical of CVS for locking up some of their merchandise in order to protect it from theft. CVS is a business, not a charity.

    It’s all backwards.

    Thanks for reading! I’d love to hear what you think, and don’t forget to subscribe! 

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    Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

  • Late evangelist Ravi Zacharias found to have committed sexual misconduct

    Ravi Zacharias was widely considered the greatest Christian apologist of the past generation. Zacharias died in May at the age of 74 after a brief battle with cancer. In recent months, accounts of a scandal which arose during his lifetime have again resurfaced.

    Background

    In December of 2017, Christianity Today ran an article where Zacharias was interviewed regarding a lawsuit settlement with a Canadian woman whom Zacharias had claimed sent her unsolicited and sexually explicit photos of herself. Zacharias had claimed that the couple had attempted to extort money from Zacharias.

    This summer, there were also new reports of multiple episodes of sexual misconduct from massage therapists at spas co-owned by Zacharias. Ravi Zacharias International Ministries (RZIM), an evangelistic organization founded by the late Zacharias announced an external investigation into his conduct. While the investigation is still ongoing, RZIM issued an update yesterday.

    In the statement, RZIM said:
    The interim investigation update indicates this assessment of Ravi’s behavior to be true—that he did indeed engage in sexual misconduct. This misconduct is deeply troubling and wholly inconsistent with the man Ravi Zacharias presented both publicly and privately to so many over more than four decades of public ministry. We are heartbroken at learning this but feel it necessary to be transparent and to inform our staff, donors, and supporters at this time, even while the investigation continues. We will speak more comprehensively to all concerned after the completion of the investigation.

    There can be a lot of responses for people who were fans and supporters of Ravi. For some, anger. For some, disbelief. But one thing that people should not feel is pity for Ravi. I know it can be tempting to think “he doesn’t have a chance to defend himself.” That’s not true. I think to Ravi’s handling of sexual misconduct allegations made during his lifetime. He was the one who got ahead of that story and made himself out to be the victim.

    There are actual victims of this misconduct, and even though Ravi is deceased, the truth still matters. There’s a popular and successful ministry that bears his name, and the misconduct of its founder matters.

    I loved the ministry and teachings of Ravi Zacharias. It was a great joy to be able to meet him when he visited my seminary. The fact that people like him went to Trinity influenced why I chose that seminary. I take no joy in these claims be substantiated. But when Christian leaders fall, it should be Christians who also lead the charge for what is right.

    I do think that we should appreciate RZIM acknowledging his misconduct. They also commissioned the investigation which found the wrongdoing. We don’t know if there were people in the ministry who may have known more about his misconduct and did nothing. But the organization is doing the right thing now and admitting to claims which could have a catastrophic impact on the livelihood of the ministry.

    How should people who loved Ravi’s ministry respond?

    If you’re someone like me who benefited from the teaching of Ravi Zacharias, what do you do? Do you burn any of his books you have? Do you ignore the accusations and assume he was righteous?

    We all do sin and fall short of the glory of God. And that includes our teachers. They too are imperfect. But when a scandal comes to light, that doesn’t mean that everything they ever taught or believed was wrong. There are certainly no shortage of Biblical figures who fell into major areas of sin. David comes to mind and the affair he had with Bathsheba. We still read the Psalms.

    David repented during his lifetime. For people who lead churches, Christian universities, and powerful ministries, there is often so much institutional effort to save face and to keep money coming in that there’s always a temptation to want to ignore or bury sin and scandal.

    But here’s a key difference. If the allegations against Ravi are true, not only did he never publicly repent nor acknowledge his sexual misconduct, he actually worked to control and obfuscate the narrative.

    I write so much about these scandals when they happen because too many Christians want to act as if there’s some righteousness in pretending that these things don’t happen.

    And the desire to turn a blind eye to sin is the same attitude which allows these people to continue to to real harm a they become powerful figures within ministries.

    Truth matters and truth is worth knowing. We shouldn’t make excuses for people. But as Christians, within churches, we must hold leaders accountable. But Ravi wasn’t a pastor! We must also have expectations for those who influence our thinking and theology, of those who write the songs we listen to and the books we read. Of those who we recommend to others, who’s YouTube videos we watch, and who we reference in conversations.

    So how should Christians and people who loved Ravi respond? I think we appreciate the impact that they had in our lives. You can’t just forget everything a great teacher ever taught you. And I’m not suggesting that everything he ever said or taught is now bad. But I also don’t think we should look to people who led double lives and never owned up to their sins in their lifetime for our Spiritual nourishment. There are too many other Godly teachers.

    Thanks so much for reading! If you have any questions about the podcast, or suggestions, please leave me a comment!

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