Because America is known as a "Christian nation," we are sometimes led to believe that Christianity is only for Americans and/or that American culture is the only culture in which Christianity can operate. Such ideas could not be further from the truth. Christianity is neither the white man's religion nor is it the black man's religion. Christianity is neither the Western world's religion nor is it the religion of the East. Christianity is for all people and all nations! Christianity can work perfectly in all cultures.

Christianity Did Not Begin In America But In the Ancient Near East

Long ago, Isaiah prophesied about the beginning of Christianity, "And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the LORD'S house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it. 3And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem" (Isa. 2:2-3). This prophecy was completely fulfilled with the establishment of the church in Acts 2. After His resurrection, Jesus said to the disciples, "Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: 47And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem....49And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high" (Lk. 24:46-49). The promised power came in the form of the apostles speaking in tongues, which were real foreign languages that they had never studied (Acts 2:1-13). The message preached (Acts 2:22-36) "pricked" the hearts of some, causing them to ask, "What must we do?" (Acts 2:37). The answer was, "Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost" (Acts 2:38). "Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls" (Acts 2:41). Unto what were these souls added? "And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved" (Acts 2:47). The church, and thus Christianity, therefore, began in Jerusalem on the first Day of Pentecost following the Lord's resurrection (Acts 2:41, 47). The Jerusalem of the Bible was not an American city. Christianity began in the Jerusalem of Palestine.

The New Testament Was Not Originally Written In English But In Koine Greek

Because some of the translations have the word "English" or "American" in them (such as the American Standard Version or the English Standard Version) does not mean that the Bible is an English composition. The New Testament was originally written in "Koine" Greek. The word "koine" means "common." The New Testament was written in the common Greek of the first century. Almost all who lived in the first century Roman world would have known the Koine Greek language. There is a reason why God's word was written in the language of the masses-because it was intended for and it applies to the masses!

Additionally, the New Testament was written in a culture completely foreign to our present American culture. However, what it teaches is not limited to that original culture. Since God is all-knowing (Ps. 147:5) and all-powerful (Gen. 17:1), He is surely capable of writing a document in one culture that can apply universally in all cultures. Yes, there are some matters that are matters of culture, such as women wearing head coverings in worship (1 Cor. 11:2-16), but it is by "rightly dividing the word of truth" that we know what matters are matters of obligation in all cultures and what matters are matters of expediency in a particular culture (2 Tim. 2:15).

Christianity Transcends All Cultures!

Christ and Christianity came into this world at the perfect time according to God's purpose (Gal. 4:4-5). We must realize that God's word still applies to all cultures. No matter in what culture we teach the Gospel, Jerusalem in Palestine is still where the church began (Isa. 2:2-3 cf. Lk. 24:49). The definition of Greek words in the New Testament still mean the same, whether we speak English or an African tribal language. The Bible still teaches the plan of salvation, no matter what is our native tongue or culture. Faith still comes from hearing God's word (Rom. 10:17). Belief in Jesus as the Messiah still constitutes faith (Jn. 8:24). Repentance is still turning away from sin (Acts 17:31). Confessing faith in Christ is still the verbal acknowledgment of allegiance to Christ (Rom. 10:10). Baptism is still a burial in water (Rom. 6:3-4). Have we allowed Christianity to rule our lives? Have we submitted to its requirements?