Acts 19 “The Gospel Changes Culture”
“Many who had believed came confessing and telling their deeds” (v.18)
It's true that when people become believers they abandon some of
the practices that mark their culture. But that's a result, not the goal. For
example, when people of the Udek tribe in Chali, Sudan, became Christians, they
rejected the practice of burying a live baby with its mother if she died during
childbirth.
These new Christians didn't set out to turn their culture upside
down. But United Nations officials have publicly noted the difference between
the Udek believers and their non-Christian neighbors. Changing a culture is never
the goal of missions - sharing the gospel is. It is Jesus Christ that changes
men’s ways.
Here in chapter 19, we see the gospel at work in the society of
Ephesus. When sorcerers turned to Christ, they burned their occultic books
valued at 50,000 days' wages (v.19). And the silversmiths who made shrines of
the goddess Diana were almost put out of business (v.23-27).
As Christians it is not our responsibility to change the culture
around us. Only the power of God can do that. Our call is to share the gospel to
those who God puts on our hearts and let Him do the rest.
The Truth
“For I am
not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the
power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the
Jew first and also for the Greek.” (Romans 1:16)
