In Colossians 3:11, Paul speaks of a mix of Jew, Gentile, free man, and slave. In Christ, there is no difference. There is unity within the body of these wide ranges of cultural mixes. But how well do you think these believers from these diverse backgrounds really unify in Christ? There were tribalism and class conflicts then, as there are now in the church.
When we hear Gentile, we think Greco-Roman. During the New Testament writing period, the Roman Empire covered many countries, reaching its peak just after the Apostles died. Some estimates say that was around 40 countries. So, Gentile is neither “mono-national nor mono-ethnic,” as the authors argue. Yet with all this diversity, the church flourished during eminence persecution.
In their book The Beautiful Community, Irwyn Ince and Tim Keller discuss this exact topic: “Unity, Diversity, and the Church at Its Best,” as the subtitle suggests. These authors encourage believers to get out of their cultural “ghettos” or Christian bubbles where they are comfortable with people who look like them and strive for something bigger. Throughout the book, the authors challenge believers to think outside of their skin color, their educational backgrounds, their politics, etc., to worship and serve people who are not like them.
Paul reminds us of this in Romans 10:12 and 1 Corinthians 12:13 in that the body is a mix of believers. Certainly, with all the craziness happening in the church in Corinth. The authors challenge readers that believers underestimate how their beliefs and walk are shaped by their respective “ghetto” and how we have to fight this narrow understanding to have a broader cultural IQ to be effective in ministry.
James also provides a convicting verse in James 2:1-5, where we are not to show favoritism. The authors unpack this in The Beautiful Community, encouraging believers to step out of their respective ghettos and increase their cultural IQ. We are called to work with brothers and sisters from all walks of life as ambassadors for Christ. By increasing our cultural IQ, we can better engage with people whom the Lord puts in front of us, regardless of whether they come from our respective backgrounds.
