Pastor McDonald asks,
“Question — Why did God disperse the nations in the first place (Gen 11)?”
Answer
My understanding to date James is that God disperses the nations in order to finally frustrate man’s corporate effort to ascend to the most high so as to un-god god and en-god man. If Genesis 3 and the casting from the garden was the consequence to the action of sovereign individual(s) to cast off God, Genesis 11 and the dispersion of the nations was the consequence to the action of man, corporately considered, to cast off God.
My understanding is that Genesis 11 is a repeat of the theme of Genesis 3. I.) God commands (Gen. 3 — Do not eat, Gen. 11 — Fill the earth). II.) Man disobeys (Gen. 3 — Adam and Eve eat, Gen. 11 — Man say’s “let us make a name for ourselves lest we be scattered over the earth.”) III.) God Investigates (Gen. 3:9, 11:7) IV.) God brings judgment (Gen. 3:14f, 11:7f) by dispersion.
Pastor McDonald asks,
Does the Gospel provide any picture of reconciliation or even unification (i.e., Acts 2, 10, Galatians 2)?
Answer,
The Great Commission of Christ indicates that the picture of reconciliation that we are to expect is a reconciliation that confirms unity in diversity among the nations. It is the NationS that are to be made disciples. It is the NationS that are baptized. It is the NationS that are to be taught to all observe all things (Mt. 28:16f)
When we get to the book of Revelation we see the success of the Great Commission as it is the NationS that stream into the new Jerusalem (Rev. 21:26) and it is the NationS which find healing from the leaves of the tree(22:2).
Acts 2 seems to indicate not the undoing of Babel but the sanctification of Babel. If Acts 2 had been the undoing of Babel one would expect that each would have heard the Gospel in a unitary language. Instead they each hear in their own tongue indicating a Unity (A Gospel shaped humanity) in diversity (That NationS each hearing the Gospel in their own tongue).
If Acts 10 speaks at all to this issue it would seem to likewise again speak to the idea of unity in diversity. Peter learns that “in every NATION whoever fears God and works righteousness is accepted by God” (cmp. vs. 35-36).
Galatians 2 teaches that all the NationS are saved by Christ alone through faith alone and that people don’t have to become Jews in order to become Christians. Galatians 2 really has very little bearing on the subject whether the Gospel creates uniformity in social order as the Gospel has worldwide success or whether the successful extension of the Gospel creates Unity in diversity in social order as it overcomes the world.
Pastor McDonald asks,
“Although we do have a rich mosaic of culture in the world, what do we do with the portions that are inherently pagan?”
Van Til informed us that since all reality is God’s reality that all inherently pagan cultures have within them capital stolen from a Biblical Worldview in order to cohere. Van Til loved the illustration that men had to sit on God’s lap in order to slap Him in the face. This is true of pagan cultures. Their cultures deny God but before they deny God they must assume God.
Because this is true I don’t know if there is any pagan culture that is “inherently pagan” if by “inherently pagan” one means there is no possibility that the success of the Gospel among that pagan group would not leave some kind of memory of what the culture was before it was visited with Gospel renewal. We must remember that Grace amends nature … grace does not destroy nature.
Now, naturally, such Cultures that are dripping in paganism will probably have more discontinuity with what they were culturally before Gospel renewal but I would still contend there will be enough continuity with what they previously were to be able to identify them as still retaining their unique culture.
On this one might want to read Don Richardson’s “Eternity in their hearts,” and “Peace Child.”
Pastor McDonald asks,
Is there a common Christian culture that transcends racial or tribal boundaries?
Answer,
If the question is whether or not there is a monolithic Christian culture that all tongues, tribes, and peoples, must embrace so that we have a monochromatic uniformity I think then, the answer is clearly “no.” One of the main themes of the book of Galatians is that Gentiles do not need to become cultural and religiously “Jewish” in order to be Christian. Acts 15 and the Jerusalem council likewise seems to suggest that a monolithic Christian culture is not the result of the success of the Gospel.
However, if the question is whether the various Christian cultures will have a point of integration the answer is clearly “yes.” That point of commonality will be the acceptance of all peoples in resting in Christ alone as well as a commonality in the moral rectitude that all will share as all look to God’s Holy law-word to be guided in their walk and informed as to the laws for their social order.
As such the Kingdom of God is a Nation of NationS. We see that clearly in the book of Revelation. We see that in the Abrahamic Promise given to God where the promise is that “In you all the NationS of the earth shall be blessed.” We see that in Isaiah 2 and 60 where they clearly speak of the nations coming to Mt. Zion. In Psalms 2 it is the Kings of the NationS who are required to Kiss the Son. All the way through Scripture we see God dealing with the NationS.
Excellent Bret, simply superb.
Wonderful bret. Thanks